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Image source: Getty ImagesByStephan ShemiltCricket correspondent4 hours ago314 commentsThree weeks into Somerset’s county season, James Rew’s 379 run total is only bettered by Jamie Smith. Rew, however, has played more games than most. In his five innings, Rew passed 50 four times. Rew’s century in the first match of the season, against Nottinghamshire, took him to 12 First-Class hundreds at the age 22. Opening upThis would be a straightforward approach. The vacancy will likely be at the top of order, so a replacement is the most straightforward option. Here’s the problem. Rew has never opened the batting in 60 first-class games. Rew’s highest position is number three. His century against Notts, two weeks ago, came at the first drop. He has opened the batting four times in List A cricket and scored a century. The Australians are known to pick the best players before worrying about the order. England could copy that approach and have thought about Rew as an option to open by asking Somerset for him to do the job in the Championship.Despite the Cidermen struggling to find a settled opening pair, Rew has not been tried, partly because of his workload as a wicketkeeper.Nevertheless, Somerset coach Jason Kerr has said Rew “absolutely” could open for England and those close to Rew speak of a player with the qualities to thrive at the top of the order in international cricket.Rew is said to be a tough character, with an old-fashioned approach to batting – happy to occupy the crease if the situation demands. Rew’s willingness to play reverse sweeps is a hint of modern flair. England had their fingers burnt trying a non specialist opener 18 months ago when the Dan Lawrence trial failed. James could be an England player by then. Rew, Somerset’s opener, can ‘absolutely,’ open for England.2 days agoAbell leads Somerset to a thrilling win over Hampshire.5 hours agoRejig orderEngland’s four, five, and six are Joe Root, Harry Brook, and captain Ben Stokes. Smith’s poor Ashes performance is notwithstanding, his early season form at Surrey suggests that he will retain his England spot. If Rew were to replace Smith at number 7, it would mean that Rew, who does not play for Surrey, would not be able to keep for England, while Smith, who doesn’t keep for Surrey, would take the gloves in Test Cricket. Smith has benefited from the switch to Surrey, where it is believed he has rediscovered his natural batting pace. Smith has been tipped to move up the England order as a specialist batsman. This would allow Rew to bat and keep at seven for England. Rew has spent most of his time in the engine room for Somerset, where he has scored 10 of his 12 first class hundreds. England likes their number seven to have a dynamic batsman who can counter-attack alongside the tail. Rew’s batting has many gears, but not as many as Smith. The other part of the plan would be to move Jacob Bethell from opening to number three. Bethell has the talent, attributes, and temperament to be an opener, but has only recently found a place at number three after his stellar debut century in the last Ashes test in Sydney. If England decides to omit Kent’s opener and want a specialist as his replacement, Durham pair Ben McKinney or Emilio Gay are doing well. Asa Tribe also opens for Glamorgan. There could be two batting positions available in the Test Squad, simply because England picks a reserve to cover the top seven. There are also questions about the pace and spin bowling slots. Shoaib Bashir is trying to move forward after a terrible winter. He has a new home in Derbyshire and many overs. If England did not pick Bashir, they would go back to Jack Leach or Liam Dawson. Or even leg-spinner Mason Crane whose only test cap was more than eight years old? Will Jacks is currently the incumbent. Other all-rounders include Rehan Ahmad and James Coles. England’s fast-bowling is in its most uncertain time for over two decades. James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes are out of the picture. Brydon Carse is recovering from a broken wrist, and Jofra Archer is playing in the Indian Premier League. Gus Atkinson, who hasn’t played this season due to a hamstring injury suffered at the Ashes series, should be able join Josh Tongue and the rest of the squad for the New Zealand series. There could be up to three vacancies. Sonny Baker, who has a central contract, has had a great start to the season after a difficult debut last year. England is looking for a new-ball player to replace retired Woakes. Matthew Fisher has been called into the Ashes team and Tom Lawes, who is highly rated. However, both are in a Surrey side that has struggled in the first two rounds in the Championship. Sam Cook only played one Test in the past year, which is not enough to judge the prolific Essex seamer. Is it time for England finally to put Ollie Robinson behind them? He is still only 32 years old, but he has 76 catches at an average of below 23. He hasn’t played for England for more than a decade. Now Sussex captain, Robinson is rated as the best new ball bowler in the nation. Can England afford him? What information do we gather from this quiz?Related topicsEngland’s Men’s Cricket TeamStephan HemiltCricketMore about this storyGet cricket updates sent directly to your phone16 August 2020

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Image source: Getty ImagesByBobbie JacksonBBC Sports journalist20 April 2026 16:59 BST63 commentsUpdated 11 Minutes agoMarco Rose agreed to take over the role of Bournemouth’s manager on a 3-year contract after Andoni Iraola “Everyone at AFC Bournemouth is looking forward to Marco’s arrival to Vitality Stadium in the summer as he takes on his role as Head Coach,” Bournemouth stated. “The club is focused on finishing this season as strongly as it can, with players and staff showing full commitment to achieve positive results and build on the current 13 game unbeaten streak. “Will Iraola’s summer exit accelerate the managerial merry-go-round?” 6 days agoBournemouth manager Iraola will leave club at the end of seasonRose started his managerial career with Lokomotive Leipzig in 2012. He has also managed Red Milos Kerkez moved to Liverpool, Ilya Zbarnyi went to Paris St-Germain, and Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid for a total of about PS150m. In January, Manchester City signed Antoine Semenyo after his release clause had been triggered. However Adrien Truffert replaced Kerkez, Bafode Dikite replaced Huijsen, and Rayan was appointed as Semenyo’s successor. The club hopes Rose will follow the same pattern. Rose was long considered a possible replacement for Iraola should the Spaniard decide to leave. Bournemouth is impressed by Rose’s five-year experience leading clubs in Champions League as well as his Europa League credentials. Rose was also a surprise success with Borussia Monchengladbach in qualifying for the Champions League despite limited resources. These experiences will be crucial if Bournemouth is to qualify for Europe for a first time. Player trading continues to offset revenue limitations caused by the club’s relatively small stadium and commercial income.It is also a low-risk appointment: Rose is currently without a club, meaning no compensation would be required but one they hope will make an immediate impact next season.Related topicsPremier LeagueBournemouthFootballMore on this storyLatest Bournemouth news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Bournemouth – what do you want to know?

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Asmir Begovic said that he could “understand the The former Bosnia-Herzegovina player said that ” “It’s an important game against Hull and We need some luck and fortune, but we will keep pushing. Even if the results are in their favour, anything less than I don’t know what they are. The travelling fans at Fratton park chanted ” Nimesh Patel, a Foxes fan, “I don’t even know who they are,” Patel “There is no soul. There is no compassion. There is It is a disgrace that we have to travel hundreds “Related topicsLeicester CityChampionshipFootballMore on this storyLatest Leicester news, analysis and fan viewsListen to Leicester City content on BBC Sounds

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Image source: Getty ImagesByNizaar KinsellaFootball Reporter at Cobham Training Centre9 Minutes agoChelsea’s head coach Liam Rosenior said he felt “100%” of support from the club’s owners despite a four-game losing streak without a single goal. The sporting directors have been very supportive in our daily discussions. They’ve shown their support for me and my team. “We’re depending on them. We know that we must win football games in the near future. Behdad Eghbali, an influential co-owner, said last week that the hierarchy remained behind Rosenior. He added: “Ofcourse, it’s results business, but I think he can succeed long term.” “Eghbali said that Chelsea would be looking for more experienced players this summer and would “tweak” the plan if the plan was not working. They have the youngest squad in Premier League. We’ve talked about the now, the summer and the way we build. “We are all very clear about what we need, want and have to do to bring this club back to the place it should be. “Fofana apologizes, Joao is a doubt” After Saturday’s home loss to Manchester United, a video of defender Wesley Fofana appeared to ignore attempts from first-team coach Justin Walker to speak with him. Rosenior said, “I’ve talked to him about it. He’s just upset that we lost the game.” “I think he could’ve shown that emotion better and I’ve talked to him about it, but the optics is not the reality,” said Rosenior. “The reality is that I have a really strong group. Wes apologized for his reaction but these young players are bound to make mistakes. Wes apologised for his reaction, but these are young players who will make mistakes.

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ByDale JohnsonFootball Issues Correspondent2 hours ago826 commentsThe running battle between Erling haaland and Gabriel was the theme of the title match between Manchester City vs Arsenal. The Norway forward had already been partially ripped during a physical tussle in City’s 2-1 victory on Sunday. Referee Anthony Taylor allowed both players to have some latitude in this kind of scrap, which is what fans enjoy in big games. However, things heated up in the 83rd minutes after Haaland fought Gabriel in an aerial duel. The VAR did not intervene. Image source, Getty Images. Why did the VAR not intervene? Image source, Getty ImagesWhat is a headbutt exactly? The laws of the game don’t specifically refer to it, so it’s wrapped up in violent conduct. Referee Taylor listened to this advice and booked both players because of their aggressive attitude. John Brooks, the VAR, must first consider that the incident was clearly seen by the assistant. Brooks could he really say Gabriel’s action was excessively violent or aggressive? This quiz will provide us with information about the events that led to the red card for Martinez. What information can we gather from this quiz? Why was Martinez sent off for a hair pull? Manchester United fans might disagree. Michael Carrick, the manager of the Red Devils, called it “one the worst” decisions that he had ever seen. If Gabriel had been sent off he would have missed three of Arsenal’s last five matches. He will instead be available for the fixtures with Newcastle, Fulham and West Ham. There can be no retroactive action as VAR effectively has rendered it obsolete in Premier League. The Football Association cannot bring charges if an incident was assessed by either the on-field team, or the VAR. How could Brooks – one of the most respected VARs who is regularly appointed to the biggest matches – make such different decisions. It is primarily because the hair pulling was not identified by the on field team. The VAR did not have a description to use, so it was easier for him to intervene. Arsenal fans must support the team in the title chase – Rooney9 Hours agoCould it encourage players to act? Gabriel has a lot of Haaland to thank for. Rooney said that Arsenal fans must help the team in title hunt. This is a common problem. If a player doesn’t react to a headbutt, trip, or push, it’s harder to prove that there was an offense. This only encourages players who want to get the right decision to play up in front of the cameras. For example, if Calvert-Lewin had not fallen down holding his hair, would Brooks even have picked up on the potential red card? We have a great example to compare. In November 2020, Taylor was the referee for Leeds against Arsenal. Nicolas Pepe, with the referee’s back turned, walked up and placed his face into the face Ezgjan Alioski, the North Macedonia International. Alioski was sent off after a VAR review. Mike Arteta, the Gunners’ manager at the time, said that Pepe’s actions were “unacceptable”. Pepe was sent to the stands after a VAR investigation, with Mike Arteta stating that his actions at the time were “unacceptable”. One problem with the Premier League is the high threshold of VAR intervention. This often leads to the most logical decisions not being reached. Haaland’s calmness is refreshing in a world where players are eager to fall to the ground. Haaland said, “If I fall down like any other player, it’s an automatic red card,” after the match. “It’s something I wouldn’t do. My father taught me that you should always stay on your feet. “Should I go down? Maybe. Then it would have been easier. “City boss Pep Guardiola will be hoping it does not come back to haunt his team if Gabriel proves to be a match-winner for Arsenal over the next three games.Related topicsPremier LeagueManchester CityArsenalFootballGet news, insight and fan views on your Premier League team12 MarchAll your football quizzes in one placeMore on this storyPremier League indexPremier League tablePremier League fixtures