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استكمل فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب الوطني معتمد جمال، تدريباته استعدادًا لخوض غمار منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية، على ملعب عبد اللطيف أبو رجيلة.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة ساجرادا الأنجولي مساء السبت المقبل على ملعب استاد السلام ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

وكان الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” قد قرر تقديم موعد مباراة الزمالك أمام ساجرادا 24 ساعة، ليترتب على ذلك تأجيل مباراة الزمالك أمام الاتحاد السكندري التي كان مقررًا لها غدًا الخميس، لأجل غير مسمى.

طالع | رسمياً.. تغيير موعد مباراة الزمالك وساجرادا الأنجولي في الكونفدرالية اجتماع معتمد جمال مع اللاعبين

وعقد معتمد جمال القائم بأعمال المدير الفني لفريق نادي الزمالك، جلسة مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق المران الجماعي.

وتحدث جمال مع اللاعبين عن الأحداث الأخيرة الخاصة بمواعيد المباريات للفريق وتأجيل مواجهة الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري وتقديم موعد مباراة ساجرادا، وطالبهم بعدم الانشغال بهذه الأمور والتركيز فقط في التدريبات بجدية.

وأكد القائم بأعمال المدير الفني للاعبين ضرورة الاستعداد بجدية لمباراة ساجرادا الأنجولي، لتحقيق الفوز وحصد الثلاث نقاط لمواصلة مسيرة الانتصارات في الكونفدرالية والوصول للنقطة التاسعة.

وخلال الحديث، شدد جمال على ثقته في إمكانيات وخبرات لاعبي فريق الزمالك في التعامل مع أي لقاء.

وشرح في نهاية الجلسة بعض الأمور الفنية التي سيتم التدريب عليها خلال مران الأربعاء. برنامج تأهيلي للاعبين

وحدد الجهاز الفني للفريق برنامجًا تأهيليًا خاصًا للاعبين خلال المران، تضمن التركيز على رفع الحمل البدني، كما تم تنفيذه تحت قيادة علاء رجب مخطط الأحمال بالفريق.

وخاض لاعبو الفريق العديد من التدريبات التأهيلية باستخدام الأدوات المخصصة لذلك بجانب خوض فقرة تدريبات بدنية بالكرة. مشاركة أوباما

وشهدت تدريبات الزمالك، مشاركة يوسف إبراهيم “أوباما” لاعب الأبيض، بعد تماثله للشفاء من الإصابة التي تعرض لها في مباراة سوار الغيني الأخيرة.

وأصيب أوباما بكدمة في العضلة الأمامية، وخضع بسببها لبرنامج تأهيلي وعلاجي في مران الأمس.

وتواجد أوباما في الفقرة التأهيلية بجانب الحصة الخططية والتقسيمة الفنية بشكل طبيعي بعد الاطمئنان على جاهزيته من قبل الجهاز الطبي للفريق. مشاركة عبد الشافي

وشارك محمد عبد الشافي الظهير الأيسر للفريق في التدريبات الجماعية، وجاء ذلك عقب انتهاء اللاعب من البرنامج التأهيلي الخاص الذي خضع له على هامش مران الأمس لعلاج الإرهاق العضلي.

وانخرط محمد عبد الشافي في جميع فقرات المران اليوم سواء البدنية والتأهيلية بجانب الخططية و التقسيمة الفنية. حضور أحمد سليمان

وتواجد أحمد سليمان عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك والمشرف على الكرة، في مران الفريق اليوم.

وحرص سليمان على دعم ومساندة الفريق قبل مباراة ساجرادا، كما اطمأن من عبد الواحد السيد مدير الكرة بالفريق على كافة التفاصيل والترتيبات الخاصة بالاستعداد للقاء بطل أنجولا.

ويعتلي الزمالك صدارة المجموعة الثانية ببطولة الكونفدرالية التي تضم إلى جواره أبو سليم الليبي وسوار كوياه الغيني وساجرادا، برصيد 6 نقاط.

Fast bowler Ryan Harris is confident he will be ready to return to Test cricket at Adelaide Oval next Tuesday, after what he called the “milestone” of Phillip Hughes’ funeral on Wednesday.The Australians gathered in Adelaide on Thursday after farewelling Hughes in his hometown of Macksville, and they must now look ahead to the first Test against India. Earlier this week, Harris said he was unsure how he would feel about playing a Test only six days after Hughes’ funeral, and that he might have to wait until he reached Adelaide to make a decision.Coach Darren Lehmann has said that he would like the players to honour Hughes by taking the field in Adelaide, but would understand if any individuals felt they were not ready. Harris said on Thursday that he had noticed a shift in the mood of the playing group in the hours after the funeral, and that there was a feeling that it was time to play again.”Walking down that main street in Macksville, following the hearse and seeing all those people lining the side of the road really struck a chord with me,” Harris wrote in his column in the . “It was then that I knocked Mitchell Johnson on the arm and said: ‘Far out, this is why we’ve got to play next week.'”Seeing the green and gold streamers was a reminder these people want to see some cricket played, want to see us get out there and beat the Indians. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the past week thinking and talking about Hughesy. We did more of that on Wednesday, first in Macksville and then in Coffs Harbour.”One thing I noticed late on Wednesday was how the mood in the group had begun to shift. There were a few conversations about getting back to playing. The funeral was a bit of a milestone. As well as to pay your respects, it gives you a bit of closure. Now it’s done I think there are a few more guys determined to get back on the park – but there’s still a couple who are really hurting.”Harris trained with the Queensland squad earlier in the week and has bowled plenty of deliveries in the nets as he prepares for a Test comeback following off-season knee surgery. But some members of the Test squad are yet to return to any sort of training after Hughes was struck by a bouncer last Tuesday, and will only do so in Adelaide over the next few days.”I know some guys have really struggled,” Harris wrote. “Some haven’t even picked up a bat or ball yet since it happened. They’re just not going to know, until they pick a bat or ball up, whether or not they’re going to be capable of playing.”One of the questions that will be answered in Adelaide is whether the players will feel any differently about bowling bouncers or displaying their usual aggression after the events of the past ten days. Harris said he was sure last Tuesday’s accident would be in the back of the players’ minds, but he believed Australia could maintain their usual attacking style of play.”We’ll definitely be maintaining our aggression; that’s how we play well,” he wrote. “That’s what we do. That’s the Australian way, so we’ll get back to doing that. It’s what those people I walked past on Wednesday in the procession would want, and what they would expect.”

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O Santos e o estafe do meia Bryan Ruiz buscam algumas opções de clubes para o jogador de 33 anos. As partes ofereceram o atleta para times da Turquia e do mundo árabe.

A busca está em estágio inicial e não houve qualquer tipo de evolução nos últimos dias. No começo de julho, o presidente do Santos, José Carlos Peres, afirmou que clubes dos Estados Unidos tinham interesse em Bryan Ruiz.

Além de Bryan, o Santos também tenta vender ou emprestar o zagueiro Fabián Noguera, o lateral-direito Matheus Ribeiro e o volante Guilherme Nunes. O defensor Kaique Rocha também treina em separado, porém o Peixe ainda tenta acertar seu primeiro contrato profissional.

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Bryan Ruiz chegou ao Santos em julho de 2018 como a principal contratação do Peixe daquele ano, mas não agradou aos técnicos Cuca e Sampaoli. O meia atuou em 14 jogos e deu duas assistências.

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Artilheiro do futebol brasileiro em 2018, pelo Santos, liderando a lista de goleadores da Copa do Brasil e do Brasileirão no ano passado – um feito inédito -, Gabigol luta para repetir a dose em 2019.

Autor de dois gols na goleada do Flamengo sobre o Goiás, por 6 a 1, o atacante assumiu a liderança isolada da artilharia do Campeonato Brasileiro, com sete gols, deixando para trás Bruno Henrique, seu companheiro de time, Sasha, do Peixe, Kayke, do Goiás, e Everaldo, da Chapecoense, todos com cinco. Destes, apenas o centroavante da Chape ainda não entrou em campo na rodada.

ARTILHARIA DO BRASILEIRÃO 2019

1º – Gabigol – Flamengo – 7 gols
2º – Bruno Henrique – Flamengo – 5 gols
Everaldo – Chapecoense – 5 gols
Kayke – Goiás – 5 gols
Sasha – Santos – 5 gols
6º – Arrascaeta – Flamengo – 4 gols
Bruno Henrique – Palmeiras – 4 gols

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A day after Boyd Rankin revealed his time on England’s Ashes tour led him to contemplate giving up the game, Cricket Ireland has expressed the hope that the fast bowler could still play for them at the 2015 World Cup

George Dobell27-May-2014

A day after Boyd Rankin revealed his time on England’s Ashes tour led him to contemplate giving up the game, Cricket Ireland has expressed the hope that the fast bowler could still play for them at the 2015 World Cup.Rankin retired from playing for Ireland towards the end of 2012 and made his England debut last year before playing in the last Test of the Ashes series in January. But, after enduring an unhappy tour, Rankin appears to have slid down the pecking order of prospective England fast bowlers and might be open to the possibility of a return.While there is a qualifying period of two years for players returning to play for Associate nations after having represented Full Member nations – it was recently reduced from four years – the ICC does have the ability to waive this in the case of exceptional circumstances. Precedent was set when they allowed Ed Joyce to return to Ireland duty less than four years after he represented England. Then, as now, the catalyst was the prospect of a World Cup.”There is, in the higher echelons of the ICC, some sympathy for the view that the best players for each nation should appear in the World Cup,” Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of Cricket Ireland, told ESPNcricinfo.”There is a sense that it would be a shame if a player like Boyd was not there. And that has given me a sense that all is not lost in the hope to see him playing for Ireland in the World Cup.”Several substantial obstacles remain before such a dream could become a reality, though. Not least, the fact that Rankin himself has not been consulted on the idea and the fact that both the ECB and Warwickshire would have to agree. The ICC would also have to agree to make a special dispensation for Rankin.While that would, in the short term, be of benefit to Ireland, it might have a less positive impact for Associate nations in the long term. If other players feel there is the prospect of little penalty should they abandon their Associate team in the hope of playing for a Full Member nation, it could lead to a further dilution in the quality of the game below Test level.William Porterfield, the Ireland captain and a team-mate of Rankin’s at Warwickshire, said: “I haven’t spoken to Boyd, but I’m pretty sure he still harbours the aspiration of getting into more England sides and doing well for England. But he bowls upwards of 90mph and, if was to become available, then as far as I’m concerned he is more than worthy of a place.”

Nepal lived up to expectation by securing an impressive 80-run victory in their opening World T20 match against Hong Kong

The Report by Alan Gardner in Chittagong16-Mar-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShakti Gauchan finished with 3 for 9•AFP

For the first time in five years, an Associate nation has won a game at the World T20. Okay, so that was a given, as Hong Kong and Nepal contested the maiden encounter between two second-tier sides in the tournament’s history, but Nepal’s achievement, on their World T20 debut, was no less memorable for that.Paras Khadka, Nepal’s statesmanlike captain and the man who has been so visible in their remarkable rise through the echelons of world cricket, struck a belligerent 41 and Gyanendra Malla 48 to set up a resounding 80-run win. Hong Kong, bristling with confidence before the game, crumbled in pursuit of 150, dismissed with three overs left unbowled as only three batsmen made double figures. Playing in front of the TV cameras, if not a packed-out stadium, perhaps exacerbated their nerves.Having worked hard to get back into the match after an 80-run stand between Khadka and Malla, Hong Kong slipped quickly back into the red by losing two wickets in the first two overs. Babar Hayat and Waqas Barkat got through the Powerplay before Shakti Gauchan claimed the first of his three wickets and when Mark Chapman was bowled by Basant Regmi – the first of two in two balls for Nepal’s slow left-armer – it precipitated a calamitous collapse.Gauchan struck twice in the next over, rattling the stumps for the fourth time in a row, and charged off with his arm pointing to the sky in celebration. This was a night on which Nepal’s passion for cricket was given rich reward.Khadka had said before the match that the challenge would be for his players to control their emotions and not let the excitement of playing at a global ICC tournament for the first time overwhelm them. That a number of full-blooded mows were dropped – Hong Kong put down at least three clear chances – or did not go to hand suggests they were only partially successful in that aim but their vim was much appreciated by a partisan crowd, the vocal majority of which seemed to be Nepali.It was at the 2009 tournament, when Ireland overcame Bangladesh, that an Associate last experienced victory at the ICC’s global T20 showpiece. Hong Kong had hinted at their own giant-killing credentials during warm-up wins over Zimbabwe and Netherlands but here was a foe of similar proportions – and one that had beaten them twice previously, including at the World T20 Qualifier last year when Nepal clinched their place in Bangladesh.Jamie Atkinson, who won the toss, inserted Nepal, hoping for his bowlers to inflict psychological blows on a team bowled out for 95 by UAE earlier in the week. The possibility of dew making the ball harder to grip later in the evening may also have played a part in his thinking but, by then, there was no chance of Nepal letting go.With chants of “Nepal! Nepal!” ringing out from one side of the ground and the fielding restrictions in place, openers Subash Khakurel and Sagar Pun began making merry. Khakurel on-drove the first boundary of the match from the fifth ball and Pun then tucked into Najeeb Amar’s first over, twice lofting the spinner down the ground.Having changed ends, former Pakistan U-19 seamer Haseeb Amjad had Pun caught at extra cover, again attempting to carve the ball to the boundary, ending a stand of 36 in the fifth over. Khakurel followed three deliveries later, trying and failing to clear the ring at mid-on, giving Hong Kong’s attack something of a handle on proceedings for the first time.A lull ensued, as seamers Aizaz Khan and Irfan Ahmed bowled with discipline, but Khadka struck the first boundary in five overs when the left-armer Najeeb returned. Next delivery, Khadka chipped the ball down straight down the throat of long-on only for Tanwir Afzal to drop a clanger. The 42-year-old Najeeb, who came out of retirement for this tournament, must have been wondering whether this was the sort of TV exposure he had been promised. [Paras Khadka, hit a six] implored the Nepal support and this was the only facet of their evening in which they were to be disappointed. On social media, pictures were posted of crowds gathered in front of specially erected big screens in towns and cities in Nepal. Much has been made of this World T20 extending cricket’s global reach; in Khadka, who later took a wicket with his first ball, Nepal has an impressive ambassador.Having been 60 for 2 at halfway, Khadka and Malla accelerated through the gears. They had added a further 56 in 37 balls before Khadka was eventually caught in the deep, off Najeeb, having been given a third life the ball before, and Najeeb missed another skier, this time off Malla, from his own bowling later in the same over.Malla continued to play steadily and at the start of the final over crashed a six over long-on – the only one of the match – to take him to within sight of fifty. But two balls later, on 48, he top-edged a pull back to the bowler, Haseeb, who managed to keep Nepal below 150 by taking two wickets, to go with two run-outs, from his final four deliveries. That dramatic end suggested at a change in momentum but Nepal’s scriptwriter, as ever, knew better.

Former India captain Bishan Bedi lost the election for the presidency of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) by a huge margin to Sneh Prakash Bansal

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2013Former India captain Bishan Bedi lost the election for the presidency of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) by a huge margin to Sneh Prakash Bansal. Bedi got only 285 votes, while Bansal got 3433, and none of the other international cricketers in Bedi’s camp could manage even 200 votes in their respective categories.”Out of 4300 votes, we had already submitted 3400 proxy votes by 10am. So it has been a big victory for us. The members have shown their faith in us and we will have to continue doing the good work,” DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan, who retained his post by getting 3442 votes, told .Surinder Khanna lost the general secretary’s election to Anil Khanna by 2345 votes, while Madan Lal was beaten in the sports secretary’s election by 3258 votes. Two other former international cricketers Gursharan Singh and Abbas Ali Baig fought for a place in the executive committee but got only 163 and 169 votes.

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Na semana em que disputaram a contratação de Alexandre Pato, Palmeiras e São Paulo se enfrentam sábado, às 18h, no Morumbi, pela primeira semifinal do Campeonato Paulista. Enquanto o atacante decidiu pela equipe tricolor, o lado alviverde tem a seu favor dois jogadores que escolheram o caminho contrário: Gustavo Scarpa e Dudu.

O camisa 7, contratado em 2015, é um dos que mais atuaram na temporada, junto de Bruno Henrique: 14 jogos para cada um – o Verdão fez 16 partidas em 2019. Gustavo Scarpa, enquanto isso, é um dos artilheiros no ano, com quatro gols, empatado com Ricardo Goulart.

Scarpa só não jogou mais do que as 11 vezes de 2019, porque teve de parar no departamento médico graças a um entorse no tornozelo. Mas o camisa 14 é um dos pontos de equilíbrio do Palmeiras no ano, tanto que desde sua recuperação só foi poupado duas vezes, assim como Dudu, homem de confiança de Felipão.

Relembre abaixo como foram as chegadas dos dois e a importância de cada um no Palmeiras:

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– Dudu: 242 jogos e três títulos

É a negociação mais marcante desde a reformulação do departamento de futebol, em 2015. O atacante, então no Grêmio, viveu longa novela entre São Paulo e Corinthians. O Palmeiras entrou no circuito e conseguiu driblar os dois rivais para comprar o camisa 7.

O sucesso é inegável: são 57 gols (três no São Paulo) e participações decisivas nos três títulos nacionais do período. Marcou duas vezes na final da Copa do Brasil, em 2015, além de ser um dos melhores jogadores do Brasileiro em 2016 e 2018 – neste, foi eleito o craque da competição.

Conseguiu, ainda, seguidos recordes: artilheiro do clube no século, em Brasileiros por pontos corridos e do Allianz Parque. A identificação é tão grande que ele já recusou ofertas da China, México e Europa para seguir no Verdão – em janeiro, renovou até 2023.

Comandado por Felipão no Grêmio, Dudu tem relação próxima com o chefe. Assim como no ano passado, Scolari poupa o atacante apenas em casos extremos. Neste ano, o xodó da torcida tem dois gols e três assistências – ele é o garçom de 2019, empatado com Ricardo Goulart.

– Gustavo Scarpa: 35 jogos e um título

O namoro entre Palmeiras e Scarpa durou boa parte da pré-temporada de 2018, mas o imbróglio com o Fluminense jogava contra. O Verdão não chegou a um acordo com o clube das Laranjeiras, que avançava nas conversas com o São Paulo. A liberação do meia na Justiça, contudo, mudou a negociação.

O Palmeiras voltou à carga, após ter anunciado que estava fora das conversas, e conseguiu bater a concorrência tricolor. O ano passado não foi o ideal para o camisa 14, que perdeu meses parado depois de o Flu derrubar a liminar que o liberava, além de ter sofrido uma lesão no pé que o fez perder parte do Brasileiro. Ainda assim, voltou a tempo de ter sua participação no título de 2018.

Depois de um acordo com o ex-clube e de ter participado de toda a pré-temporada, Gustavo Scarpa é um dos melhores palmeirenses de 2019. Com os dois gols diante do Novorizontino, empatou com Ricardo Goulart na artilharia do ano e tem também duas assistências.

Até por isso, é colocado no time ideal, junto de Dudu e Goulart. O camisa 11 pode ser poupado do clássico, pois na terça tem jogo de Libertadores, mas dificilmente Scolari abrirá mão de dois dos três meias. Por isso, os dois alvos frustrados do São Paulo são peças importantes para o Choque-Rei desta tarde.

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Mais um capítulo da novela Maracanã parece se aproximar dos clubes cariocas. Em especial, de Flamengo e Fluminense, os únicos clubes com contrato vigente com o Complexo que administra o estádio, que foram convidados para uma reunião com a interventora do Governo do Rio de Janeiro nesta terça-feira.

A reunião com o Rubro-Negro está marcada para o inicio da manhã, enquanto com o Tricolor está para a tarde. A ideia é discutir questões relacionados aos contratos e vínculos com o Maracanã. Há a tendência de que os presidentes Rodolfo Landim e Pedro Abad participem do encontro.

Na última segunda-feira, o Maracanã voltou para as mãos do Governo do Rio de Janeiro. A entidade anunciou que o contrato de concessão do Maracanã foi cancelado, e a empresa que administra o estádio tem até o dia 19 de abril para deixar o local. O governador Wilson Witzel alegou que existe uma dívida de R$ 38 milhões da concessionária com o Estado desde maio de 2017.

Além Witzel, o vice-governador Claudio Castro e os secretários de Estado da Casa Civil e Governança, José Luis Zamith, e do Esporte, Lazer e Juventude, Felipe Bournier, concederam entrevista coletiva. A decisão indica que o Maracanã passará a ser administrado pelos clubes em conjunto com o Governo. Flamengo e Fluminense tinham contratos em vigor no estádio.

– Estamos retomando o Maracanã, sem qualquer prejuízo das partidas de futebol ou aos clubes. Vamos nos próximos 30 dias ter uma intervenção no Maracanã, por meio da secretaria e da Suderj, com uma comissão que estou constituindo, para fazer uma retomada. Estaremos modulando uma permissão de uso até que façamos então uma nova concessão por meio de parceria público privada – declarou Witzel.

Alastair Cook and Andy Flower insisted their tactics had been “vindicated” after England won the second Test against New Zealand by 247 runs to clinch a 2-0 series victory.

George Dobell28-May-2013Alastair Cook and Andy Flower insisted their tactics had been “vindicated” after England won the second Test against New Zealand by 247 runs to clinch a 2-0 series victory.While Cook admitted he endured some nervous moments waiting for the rain to clear, he also defended his decision not to enforce the follow-on and to delay his declaration until after lunch on day four. By then England had a lead of 467 and meteorologists were warning that the fifth day could be severely curtailed by rain.So it proved, too, with only 45 minutes possible before lunch and play not resuming until 3pm. But it was long enough for England to claim the final four wickets they required to secure victory.”The result definitely vindicates the decision,” Cook said. “There is absolutely no doubt about that at all. To win by 250 runs is a good win and in just over three days cricket effectively, it is an outstanding performance. You are judged as a captain on results. In this game we have won by 250 runs.”I would not say it was a sleepless night but we were praying for an opportunity to get enough time to go out there and win the game. Clearly, I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was look out the window. We knew rain was about but we thought there would be a few windows of opportunity.”While there was much to celebrate for England – the form and fitness of Graeme Swann, the hostility of Steven Finn and the batting of Joe Root and Cook – one or two areas of concern remain.The form of Nick Compton, 39 runs in four innings this series, was a disappointment and debate over his position will continue. With Kevin Pietersen back in training and likely to return to the middle order for the Ashes, moving Root to open is one option that is sure to be discussed in the coming weeks.Neither Cook nor Flower would commit to Compton’s selection for the Ashes, but Cook did admit that changing such “an important position” ahead of such high-profile games would constitute “a risk”.”He’s struggled in these few Tests, certainly,” Flower added. “The Ashes is quite a long way away. Let’s allow the dust to settle on this series. Then we’ll chat about the line-up and the conditions and the opposition.”He’s got to go away, get back into form and score some heavy runs for Somerset. He goes back into a couple of one-day games. Hopefully the one-day games will be good for him. He can go out and enjoy hitting the ball. That will be the catalyst for him going into the first-class game feeling confident.”

“He’s been really dedicated and disciplined in his rehabilitation and he seems in better physical condition than he has been for a while”Andy Flower on Graeme Swann

Flower, in particular, appeared to take exception to the line of questioning from some media following the game. Talking to the BBC, he said: “I thought it was a very good performance by our side. We won by over 200 runs. Cook scored another hundred. He has 25 Test hundreds; more than Viv Richards or Greg Chappell. Swann is back in form and his elbow has come through surgery recently. The two young Yorkshire guys have had a great game. Finn on a flat deck has bowled outstandingly well. Those are all things that I’d prefer to focus on than some of the negative things you mention.”But both Cook and Flower admitted there were some areas where England could have performed a little better. While Cook referred to criticism of Trott’s sedate progress on the third evening, 11 in 69 balls despite England beginning their second innings with a lead of 180, as “nit-picking”, Flower accepted that “he could have been more urgent”.”We had a great example of running between the wickets and the right sort of balance between defence and attack and urgency from the two young Yorkshire guys in the first innings,” Flower said. “They batted beautifully. Trott could have learned a little from those two. But the following morning he put us in a great position to win the game.”Flower and Cook justified the decision not to enforce the follow-on, believing the wicket would only deteriorate as the match progressed. “We chose to bat again and get well ahead of them,” Flower agreed. “We thought we would have enough time on a wearing pitch to take the last 10 wickets and that’s how it proved.”The start of the final day was noticeable for Flower remonstrating with the groundstaff to remove the covers more quickly.”I shouldn’t be out there doing the officials’ job,” Flower said. “It wasn’t raining so I’m not sure why the covers weren’t being removed. I don’t understand why it took so long to get the game started, regardless of the position that we were in. The officials have a responsibility to get the game going when conditions suit and it wasn’t raining. The lack of activity was baffling.”But in general, Flower was in the mood to celebrate the encouraging performances of Swann and the two young local batsmen, Root and Jonny Bairstow.”Swann bowled superbly in the first innings; the ball came out of his hand absolutely beautifully,” Flower said. “I didn’t actually think he bowled as well in the second innings. I don’t think he was quite comfortable with the ball. But he still took 6 for 90 and turned the match our way. I’m very encouraged by the way he’s bowling and very happy for him that his elbow has come through surgery as well as it has. He’s been really dedicated and disciplined in the way he’s rehabilitated his elbow and he seems in better physical condition than he has been for a while.”Root looks an excellent cricketer. His decision making in the middle; his balance has been excellent so far. It was great to see him get a hundred on his home ground and it was nice to see the enthusiasm and passion the Yorkshire supporters showed Joe.”It was also great to see Bairstow bat with him. I know how happy Jonny was for Joe to get that 100, which was really nice to see. They are both good young men. Very different characters. But hopefully they will both have very successful England careers.”