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Ireland batsman defies injury to set up emphatic victory at Hove

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2018
ScorecardPaul Stirling defied a thigh injury which forced him to bat with a runner to score his second century in less than a week as Middlesex beat Sussex by 74 runs at Hove in the Royal London One-Day Cup.The 27-year-old Irishman suffered the injury shortly after reaching 50 and Nathan Sowter ran for him for the remainder of his innings.
Stirling went on to make 116 from 129 balls to add to his 125 against Kent earlier in the competition and help Middlesex post 288 for 4 from their 50 overs.Sussex were never really in contention with only David Wiese, who made his second successive half-century, mastering an accurate attack in which skipper Steven Finn took 3 for 29 and left-arm spinner Ravi Patel 4 for 58. They were bowled out for 214 from 43.5 overs.Stirling and Nick Gubbins put on 198 for the first wicket, Middlesex’s second-highest partnership against Sussex in List A cricket, after they were put in.On a slow pitch Sussex bowled with decent control and Middlesex were never able to score at more than six runs an over. But Stirling and Gubbins found the gaps and punished anything loose as they passed Middlesex’s previous first-wicket best against Sussex, 160 by Owais Shah and Justin Langer in 1999.Stirling played within himself but still struck nine fours and two sixes in his 14th List A hundred which he brought up shortly before Gubbins, whose 86 came off 94 balls with two sixes and nine fours, was leg before to Danny Briggs’ quicker ball.The slow left-armer also picked up Stirling when he holed out to deep mid-wicket while England captain Eoin Morgan was caught in the covers off Ollie Robinson for 23.John Simpson was dropped three times in his unbeaten 22 and Wiese picked up the other wicket in the penultimate over when Hilton Cartwright (27) top-edged to extra cover.Sussex’s reply ran into early problems when Finn removed openers Phil Salt, deputising for the injured Luke Wright, and Luke Wells in an excellent new ball spell of 2 for 14 from five overs. Finn later returned to bowl Danny Briggs (2).Salt played on in the fourth over for five and Wells (13) was held at point in his next over before Finn’s replacement Patel struck in successive overs. Harry Finch (16) was superbly caught at full stretch on the long-off boundary by substitute James Harris and Ben Brown (24) bowled playing to leg.It was a profitable day for Patel. He had Michael Burgess (37 off 24 balls) and Robinson (17), from the last ball of his spell, both caught at deep mid-wicket while leg-spinner Sowter skidded one through Laurie Evans’ (34) defences after Evans had added 51 for the sixth wicket with Wiese, as Middlesex maintained their knack of taking wickets when they needed them.Sussex’s race was run when Wiese was ninth out for 57 off 51 balls, bowled by another delivery from Sowter, who finished with 3 for 43, that skidded on.

A slew of former international and first-class players have been enlisted as consultants to work with USA men’s, women’s and junior players at a specialist preparation camp from April 6-9 in Houston

Peter Della Penna05-Apr-2017A slew of former international and first-class players have been enlisted as consultants to work with USA men’s, women’s and junior players at a specialist preparation camp from April 6-9 in Houston, Texas in an effort to give them a leg up on other teams in preparation for their respective ICC qualification events later this year. Among the new arrivals expected this weekend are former Australian Test spinner Beau Casson, former Sheffield Shield wicketkeeper Peter Anderson and former West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon.Casson, 34, has been an assistant coach with New South Wales and Sydney Thunder since 2015 after being forced into early retirement in 2011 due to a heart condition. Dillon, 42, played 38 Tests for West Indies and ended his first-class career with Trinidad & Tobago in 2008. He has made regular appearances around the USA playing in private T20 tournaments in recent years and began pursuing a Cricket Australia Level Three coaching badge in Florida in 2012.Anderson, 55, has forged a successful career at Associate level after a 56-match first-class career with Queensland and South Australia. He coached Papua New Guinea for two years culminating in a fourth place finish at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand that secured ODI status for PNG. From there, he became the head of Afghanistan’s national cricket academy for two years. Most recently, Anderson took over as Cayman Islands coach and technical director last summer, and helped them defeat Argentina in a regional qualifier this February to gain a place at ICC World Cricket League Division Five, scheduled for September in South Africa.Specialist fielding coach Trevor Penney, who worked with USA’s senior players at a camp in Indianapolis last September ahead of ICC WCL Division Four, has been brought back for another stint with the USA men’s team. Unlike the other three consultant coaches, who are being utilized for this weekend only, Penney is expected to stay with USA as a consultant assistant coach until the end of May as part of their staff for ICC WCL Division Three in Uganda, working alongside head coach Pubudu Dassanayake and assistant Anand Tummala.Former India international Thiru Kumaran, who coached the USA U-19 squad in 2015 at the U-19 Americas Qualifier in Bermuda and U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia, has been brought back to continue working with junior players. Kumaran, 41, is currently based in Dallas, Texas where he runs a youth academy.Aside from the men’s team, who are targeting a top two finish in Uganda next month to move a step closer to the 2018 World Cup Qualifier, key tournaments for the women’s and U-19 teams are also coming up in 2017. This weekend’s camp is being used as a launching pad for each team’s preparations with six players from each squad coming to the camp to train alongside the entire men’s national squad.The USA Women were given a wildcard spot into the 2017 ICC Europe Qualifier where they will play Scotland and Netherlands this August for a chance to advance into the 2018 Women’s World T20 Qualifier. The USA U-19 team will head to Toronto for the U-19 Americas Qualifier in July as they attempt to qualify for the U-19 World Cup for the first time since 2010.

Trisha Chetty and Dane van Niekerk both stroked half-centuries, paving the way for South Africa Women’s 35-run win against West Indies Women in East London

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Dane van Niekerk slammed 55 off 48 deliveries•Getty Images

Trisha Chetty and Dane van Niekerk both stroked half-centuries, paving the way for South Africa Women’s 35-run win against West Indies Women in East London. Victory was not of much significance, though, as West Indies had already sealed the three-match series having won the first two ODIs.South Africa, opting to bat, compiled a score of 235 for 6, built on the back of two big partnerships. First, Chetty (55) and Mignon du Preez (43) added 72 for the second wicket, before Marizanne Kapp (39) and van Niekerk provided the innings late impetus by stringing together a 64-run fifth-wicket stand. Van Niekerk slammed 55 off 48 balls before being run out.West Indies, in reply, lost their opener Hayley Matthews early in the chase, but Shaquana Quintyne and Kyshona Knight led a recovery with a 57-run partnership for the second wicket. However, just when they seemed steady, the visitors lost wickets in a cluster to soon fall to 118 for 5. Merissa Aguilleira and Shemaine Campbelle offered the team some hope by adding 52 for the sixth wicket, but Aguilleira’s wicket in the 43rd over left the lower order with too much to do, as West Indies could only muster 200 for 8 from their 50 overs.Masabata Klaas and Sune Luus snared two wickets apiece, while Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka and van Niekerk chipped in with one each.”It was definitely a much better performance today,” du Preez said after the game. “We’re still not at 100%, maybe 80 or 90% there in terms of the way that we executed our skills. Something that we’ve been talking about is the fact that the top order needs to score more runs and I think everyone that went in (to bat), chipped in somehow and Trisha (Chetty) and Dané’s (van Niekerk) half-centuries really set up a nice total for our bowlers to defend.”

Cricket Australia has shelved its plan to tighten the BBL schedule this summer, instead expanding the time-frame from the opening match until the final by two weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2013Cricket Australia has shelved its plan to tighten the BBL schedule this summer, instead expanding the time-frame from the opening match until the final by two weeks. The fixture for the 2013-14 tournament has been released and although the competition will start later in December, in order to allow Sheffield Shield cricket to be played until the end of the third Ashes Test, it has ballooned at the back end and will not finish until February 15.All the regular season matches will be played during the school holiday period, with the semi-finals and final to be contested across two weekends in early February. The tournament will last 58 days compared to last season’s 44 days, with the 32 regular season games played across 38 days.”The later start to the season means that families will have a greater opportunity to come to the BBL as part of their school holiday summer entertainment,” Mike McKenna, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager operations, said.In other BBL news on Monday, two widely-expected announcements were confirmed: the retirement of Melbourne Stars captain Shane Warne, and Michael Hussey’s decision to sign with Sydney Thunder. Hussey’s defection from Perth Scorchers is an attempt to revive the fortunes of the struggling Thunder outfit, which has won only two matches over the past two seasons.Hussey will captain the side in the absence of the nominal Thunder leader Michael Clarke, who is likely to miss most of the campaign due to national team commitments.”I’m extremely excited about joining the Sydney Thunder and having the opportunity to be part of a young, energetic side that will represent the west of Sydney with pride,” Hussey said. “The team and the area have enormous potential and I hope that I can bring my experience to help get the best out of the side and develop the talented playing group that we have.”It was not an easy decision to leave the Scorchers, but the challenge of helping a young team grow was one I couldn’t pass on. I look forward to working closely with coach Chandika [Hathurusinghe] and Michael Clarke to make sure that the squad are ready to go once the season starts.”Cameron White will again take up the captaincy of the Stars after Warne confirmed that he would not be back for another summer. Warne, 43, struggled for impact last season with the Stars and collected four wickets at 39.75.”I think the time is right for me to hang up my Big Bash boots – juggling business, family and commentary commitments across two continents is not easy,” Warne said. “I’ve always loved the game but now it’s time to observe. I wish Cameron and rest of the lads all the best for the BBL|03.”

Tom Smith, fresh from a 44-ball hundred, showed his more patient side as he fought to stave off the threat of relegation for Lancashire

Myles Hodgson at Aigburth28-Aug-2012
ScorecardTom Smith, seen here earlier this season, played a few more forward defensives as he fought to keep Lancashire in Division One•Getty Images

The patience and determination displayed by Tom Smith against Durham will not capture as many headlines as his innings just 24 hours previously, but it may prove more influential to Lancashire’s fortunes for the remainder of the season. Scoring a 44-ball hundred in a washed
out one-day game was spectacular, but his four-hour championship
innings prevented the type of collapse few teams recover from quickly.Arriving at the crease with Lancashire reeling on 11 for 4 after taking the gamble to bat first in damp conditions, Smith knew how important his innings was in a game Lancashire dare not lose if they are to have a chance of avoiding relegation from Division One. By the time an absorbing first day at Aigburth was over, he had faced 177 balls, hit his highest first-class score since last year and guided Lancashire in sight of a second batting point.The contrast between the two innings could not have been starker. The pyrotechnics of his century at New Road gave way to a vastly different approach in difficult conditions. Facing Graham Onions, an international class bowler in nearly any other Test-playing nation, in damp conditions that led play to be delayed until after lunch, he had no choice but to choose survival over spectacular.In the same number of balls in which he reached his hundred on Monday, he had
scored 18. When batting was at its most difficult he was content to
face 38 deliveries without scoring and allowed Gareth Cross to
dominate a 72-run sixth wicket stand.By the close, however, he had
also scored 86 priceless runs, and shared an unbroken 91-run
partnership with Kyle Hogg that had shifted the momentum remarkably
back in Lancashire’s favour.”When I went out to join Ashwell Prince we said it was one of those
days when you had to dig deep,” Smith explained. “There were times
when you were going to play and miss, which I did a few times during
the day, and there were a few rushes of blood to the head, but as the
day wore on it got easier to bat as the ball got older.”Monday was a great day for myself, but it was nice to get some runs
in what is a crucial Championship game. You can’t really compare the
two knocks, but walking out at 11 for 4, it was tough, so that knock is up
there with one of my best.”We showed today we are not just going to let the season go. We want
to stay in the First Division so we want to get a positive result
here, and one at Middlesex next week, so hopefully going into the last
game we will already be safe.”Smith seemed an unlikely hero when play began after a delayed start
with Onions setting the tone by knocking back Paul Horton’s off-stump
when he offered no shot to an in-swinger. By the time Steven Croft was
bowled with a full-length ball that kept low, Onions had claimed three
wickets in 18 balls and Lancashire, champions just 12 months ago,
looked every inch a relegated side.Their prospects could have been even worse had Ben Stokes, standing at
third slip, clung on to a difficult catch after Prince edged Onions
with Lancashire standing on 28 for 4.It was not a costly drop in
terms of runs, with Prince adding only 17 more runs to his total
before holing out to the deep trying to pull a short ball from Stokes,
but importantly he batted for a further 12 overs and allowed the
conditions to ease.It was still far from easy when Cross joined Smith, although the new
batsman quickly accelerated past Smith, but as the ball grew older, so
the batting conditions eased.”My game plan is pretty simple – let the
bowler bowl at me, anything outside I leave,” Smith revealed. “Onions
is an international-class bowler and he was at my end for quite a
while and didn’t give me anything to hit.”Crossy was scoring at the other so I didn’t really have to, it was
all about building a partnership. There were one or two shots I played
out of frustration, but the speed of the runs didn’t really matter.”Even after Cross gave Stokes a second wicket, bowled playing around a
straight ball after scoring only his second championship half-century
of the summer, Durham were unable to bowl the same menace as the
afternoon progressed and Hogg teamed up with Smith and expertly guided
Lancashire to the close without further loss.

Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have grown accustomed to playing each other in limited-overs cricket in recent years, but have not met in a Test for more than five years

Firdose Moonda in Harare02-Aug-2011Tatenda Taibu greeted Mohammed Ashraful with a brotherly hug, the kind of embrace that two weary soldiers would share. They nodded sagely as they separated, two stalwarts who have been down this road before. As veterans of their respective national teams, friends from when Taibu spent a season playing club cricket in Dhaka and opponents on more occasions than either can remember, it was fitting to be re-entering Test cricket together.While England and India are tussling at the top of the Test table, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are in a scrap at the bottom. Both have not played a Test in over a year, with Bangladesh’s hiatus lasting 14 months because of scheduling and Zimbabwe’s almost six years after a removing themselves from the longest form of the game when their house fell apart. On Thursday, that interval finally ends.For Bangladesh, it’s a chance to show that they have matured as a cricketing nation and can adjust to conditions, instead of succumbing to them. For Zimbabwe, it’s the start of a new era, with one eye firmly on the future of their status as a Full Member of the ICC. To be embarking on the journey together is special, the two toddlers of the Test arena, each stacking their building blocks to see whose is higher, each confident theirs will be the tower that stands, even if it has to lean over a tad.”We’ll win it,” a cheeky Tamim Iqbal said, dismissing all thoughts the Bangladesh may need some time to get back into the groove of playing Test cricket. “If you’re eating with the left hand, you won’t forget to eat with the right hand. It’s exactly the same – you need to prepare well, set your mindset and just play.” Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza, who was sitting next to Tamim during their media session had a ready response. “We’ll come out guns firing too and look for the win,” he said.Zimbabwe are hoping to capitalise on home advantage. They are reportedly preparing a pitch that will have some life for the quicker bowlers, so that they terrorise the Bangladesh batsmen with short balls and counteract the threat of left-arm spin. Tamim doesn’t care about any of that. “We’ve toured South Africa, with one of the quickest wickets in the world. We faced Dale Steyn who is one the quickest bowlers in the world,” he said. “I don’t think there is any Dale Steyn in this team and I don’t think there is any Cape Town wicket so I don’t think we will have a problem.”A teasing response from Masakazda this time. “You speak so well now,” he said to Tamim, who only laughed, letting the Zimbabwean continue. “Anyway, Tamim is one of the Bangladesh players who does play the short ball well. Cricket is evolving and it’s a thing of the past to say one team doesn’t do this, or does do this so I don’t think that will play too much of a role,” Masakadza said.Part of cricket’s evolution has been the debate on whether it should stay an old boys’ club that only allows nine or ten big boys to play at the highest level or expand and give smaller teams time to develop. The ICC need look no further than Harare Sports Club over the next week to know the answer to that question.There’s every chance that some of the cricket played here will not be of the highest quality, that if it goes the five-day distance, the bowlers will be toiling too hard and the batsmen playing defensively, that if there is a result, it could be in a three-day shootout and this match will not go down as one of cricket’s most memorable because its scorecard.There is an even greater chance that the 22 men in white who step onto the field will be hoping with all their hearts to start something special, whether its Bangladesh trying to better their record away from home or Zimbabwe trying to show that the years of hard work have paid off, and that once the final ball is bowled they will walk off as friends and comrades who are in this journey together.

A stirring lower-order counterattack led by Alcindo Holder lifted Barbados to a challenging score of 159 and killed the fight in Windward Islands, who crashed to their second successive defeat in the Caribbean T20

Cricinfo staff26-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Javon Searles had a memorable Twenty20 debut, picking four wickets as Barbados prevailed by 39 runs•Nicholas Reid/West Indies Cricket Board

A stirring lower-order counterattack led by Alcindo Holder lifted Barbados to a challenging score of 159 and killed the fight in Windward Islands, who crashed to their second successive defeat in the Caribbean T20. Barbados went the other way, charting their second win in as many games to enter the semi-finals.Windwards made a promising start to their chase with Johnson Charles crashing Kemar Roach for a six and a four in his opening over, but things unraveled quickly thereafter. Devon Smith cut Ryan Hinds straight to Dwayne Smith in the third over, and Charles, possibly disturbed by constant chatter from Sulieman Benn, was run-out attempting a tight single to cover.Andre Fletcher continued to attack with his trademark whips to cow corner, picking 20 runs off six balls he faced either side of Charles’ dismissal. Offspinner Ashley Nurse then wrested back the initiative, pinning Fletcher in front of the stumps for 33 off 17 balls and castling Liam Sebastien with a full delivery.Darren Sammy tried to stay in the game with some risk-free cricket but once he perished, pulling the impressive debutant Javon Searles to square-leg, the asking rate began to go out of control. Searles continued to keep things tight, but the match as a contest fizzled out long before he picked the last of his four wickets.It was not always so easy for Barbados whose innings seemed to have stalled on the starting line after they were asked to bat first. Jason Hinds, opening in his Twenty20 debut, was scratchy against the Windwards seamers and it was left to Dale Richards to generate the early push. He targeted left-arm spinner Gary Mathurin whose tight lines were interspersed with boundary balls. Craig Emmanuel who came on in the fifth over hit impressive lines and began with a maiden as Jason struggled to get bat on ball. In his second over, Emmanuel struck with his nagging length, getting Richards to miscue a pull to third man.Spinners Sebastien and Rawl Lewis maintained pressure following the Powerplay period before Jason’s listless innings ended in a mix-up in the eleventh over amidst cheers from his home crowd. Jonathan Carter dispatched Lewis for two sixes towards midwicket to reignite the innings, but fell attempting another heave off Shane Shillingford. In the meantime, Ryan Hinds lofted Nelon Pascal to long on and the innings seemed to be falling apart, but Alcindo Holder and Dwayne Smith had other plans.Holder was reprieved early, eluding the grasp of a diving attempt in the outfield with a lofted cover drive. Smith served notice with two lusty swings off Shillingford over midwicket before Holder trained his guns on Pascal’s hittable lengths. He smashed the first ball of the 17th over past long on for six, before pulling over midwicket, edging past the wicketkeeper and lofting over extra-cover as 19 runs were looted off the over. Butler was re-introduced to exert control, but he too was punished as Holder pinged long-on for six and point for four.Emmanuel got the better of Dwayne despite conceding a six over fine leg, and finished off with the wicket of Carlo Morris caught smartly by Sebastien at long on. Holder stayed put till the end and hustled Lewis for another six over long on as Barbados plundered 104 runs off their last ten overs. They had been helped along by some poor fielding under pressure, and muddled thinking from Windwards, who failed to make full use of Emmanuel, their best bowler on the day. As it transpired, their batting effort was even worse, and the 39-run margin of defeat summarised the rift between the two sides perfectly.

Pep Guardiola called Cole Palmer a "lovely lad" and says he never had doubts about his quality, despite letting him leave Manchester City for Chelsea.

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Palmer left City for Chelsea in £42.5m dealForward impressing for the BluesGuardiola knew "star" would shineGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old swapped City for the Blues last summer for £42.5 million ($53.4m) after finding his game time at the Etihad extremely limited. The England international has arguably been Chelsea's best player this season, scoring 12 goals and bagging nine assists in all competitions. Ahead of the west London outfit taking on the defending Premier League champions on Saturday, manager Guardiola has spoken glowingly about his former charge.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

The Spaniard told reporters on Friday: "If he [Palmer] plays regularly, yes [I knew he would perform well]. I didn't have any doubts about his quality. The way he's playing is a star player. He wanted the minutes, it was a question of time to show his immense quality.

"Cole Palmer is an exceptional player and a lovely lad and of course I wish him well at Chelsea."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Palmer played just 41 times for City after making his first-team debut in September 2020. Just six of those were starts so when Chelsea came along offering a seven-year contract and the chance of regular game time, he leapt at the opportunity. And the move has worked out for all parties.

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WHAT NEXT?

After the clash between second-placed City and mid-table Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday evening, the Blues take on Liverpool in the final of the Carabao Cup on February 25 whereas City host Brentford in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Barcelona coach Xavi has signed a new contract that ties him to the club until 2025, according to a report.

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Xavi has signed new contractTies him to club until 2025Coach already confirmed dealWHAT HAPPENED?

The Spaniard's current deal expires at the end of the season but claims that he has already put pen to paper over a one-year extension.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Xavi took over as Barca coach two years ago and guided the club to Spanish Super Cup success before they won La Liga last season.

The Spanish champions are off to a good start this term, having won four and drawn one of their first five league matches, though they already trail Real Madrid by two points. The Catalan club also opened their Champions League campaign with a 5-0 win against Royal Antwerp this week.

WHAT THEY SAID

The 43-year-old agreed to extend his stay at the club earlier this month, it was reported in Spain, and he confirmed last week that the signing would be announced imminently.

"I am happy at Barça, the project is continuing. My contract renewal will be announced in a few days," he said.

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Getty Images WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Barcelona return to La Liga action on Saturday when they take on Celta.

The Spurs striker had the chance to force extra-time at the Al Bayt Stadium but France triumphed 2-1 thanks to his horrific miss.

It may not have been a shootout but it was still the same old story for England: more penalty pain.

What was remarkable about the Three Lions' latest spot-kick sorrow was that Harry Kane had actually converted one to level this enthralling World Cup quarter-final at the Al Bayt Stadium.

However, when the Spurs striker was given the chance to restore parity a second time, after Olivier Giroud had headed France into a 2-1 lead, Kane ballooned the ball over the bar, evoking memories of Chris Waddle at Italia '90.

This latest failure from 12 yards out will arguably hit even harder than that infamous loss to West Germany. England had been the better side after falling behind to Aurelien Tchouameni's stunning early strike from distance.

However, after Kane had seemingly broken the curse to join Wayne Rooney on 53 goals for England, it struck again with just six minutes of normal time remaining to leave a nation dealing with an all-too-familiar feeling of devastation.

Below, GOAL runs through all of the winners and losers from a bittersweet night for Kane in Al Khor…

GettyWinner: Antoine Griezmann

If this World Cup has proven nothing else, it's that Antoine Griezmann is an extraordinary footballer. It really is as simple as that. The former forward has reinvented himself as France's hybrid hero, an incredibly effective link-man between the attack and the midfield. England fans may disagree given his penchant for making tactical fouls, which earned him a yellow card, but Griezmann was the best player on the pitch at the Al Bayt. His pass accuracy during the first half was 96 per cent – an extraordinary success rate for a player playing in an offensive position. What was even more impressive was the fact that he didn't misplace a single pass in the final third during those opening 45 minutes, and one of those balls ended up at the feet of Tchouameni, who opened the scoring with a sweet strike from distance. Then, just as he had done against Denmark, Griezmann created a winning goal at a time when his side were struggling, this time picking out Giroud with a fantastic delivery from the left wing with that wonderful left foot. Still no goals for Griezmann at Qatar 2022 but that's no longer relevant. He's firmly established himself as France's most influential player.

AdvertisementGettyLoser: Harry Kane

On the eve of the game, Hugo Lloris was asked about the prospect of facing a Harry Kane penalty. It was suggested that he might benefit from a little inside knowledge, given he's squared off with the England striker in countless Tottenham training sessions. Lloris replied, "You know better than me that Harry has the ability to shoot anywhere. He's one of the best probably at this aspect of the game." Kane proved Lloris' point nine minutes into the second half, sending his Spurs team-mate the wrong way with an emphatic spot-kick to level the game. Mbappe had even tried to offer Lloris a word of advice – or perhaps, more accurately, psyche out Kane – but the No.9 would not be denied what was fourth consecutive successful penalty attempt at the World Cup. And, far more significantly, his record-equalling 53rd goal for England. However, when Kane was once again called upon with just six minutes of normal time remaining, he cleared the crossbar with an atrocious attempt. From history to horror in just half an hour for the England skipper.

GettyWinner: Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud was having a pretty horrid evening. His team may have been leading at the break but their No.9 had managed just seven touches in the opening 45 minutes. Then, when a big chance finally came his way in the final quarter of the game, he volleyed an Ousmane Dembele knockdown far too close to Jordan Pickford. However, Giroud, who didn't play top-flight football until he was 24, didn't make it to the pinnacle of his profession by allowing his head to drop. If at first you don't succeed and all that… Just moments after squandering a gilt-edged opportunity, Giroud cleverly moved in between England's two centre-halves to head home. It was fantastic centre-forward play and showed precisely why the 36-year-old is his nation's all-time record goalscorer. As he said himself afterwards, scoring a historic 52nd goal for France felt great, but his 53rd was even better. It's time to put a serious amount of respect of Olivier Giroud's name.

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Getty ImagesLoser: Theo Hernandez

The luckiest man at the Al Bayt. France had just regained the lead. They were trying to kill the game yet their left-back gifted England a way back into it. There was absolutely no need for Theo to even touch Mason Mount as he hopefully chased a punt into the France area. The England sub wasn't going to get anywhere near the ball. Why on earth, then, did Theo feel compelled to clatter into Mount? Was it a show of machismo? Was he trying to prove a point? All we know for sure is that it was as unnecessary as it was stupid. Honestly, Hernandez didn't deserve to be let off the hook by Kane for the most idiotic of challenges. He remains an outstanding attacking full-back but he clearly still has a lot to learn about disciplined defending.