Jos Buttler savours having the last laugh as England seal victory and series win againts Bangladesh October 13, 2016 STAND-IN England skipper Jos Buttler savoured having the last laugh as his side claimed the spoils of a fractious series with a tense four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Chittagong yesterday. Vice-captain Ben Stokes was involved in a flashpoint at the post-match handshakes at the now infamous fracas in Dhaka on Sunday, but led England home [...]
Jos Buttler, fracas and all, has done his future claims to lead no harm in Bangladesh October 12, 2016 Despite England inflicting defeat upon Bangladesh for the first time in their last seven home one-day series, I fully expect skipper Eoin Morgan and opener Alex Hales to return to the side for the 50-over tussles with India in January. Hales has scored four one-day centuries in the past year, while England have done extremely well [...]
Former Crystal Palace boss Steve Bruce vows to stop the rot after being appointed Aston Villa manager October 12, 2016 Newly-appointed Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has vowed to arrest the club’s decline and rekindle past glories after being confirmed as manager of the seven-time top-flight champions. Bruce has replaced former Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo, whose 12-match reign at Villa Park was ended last week with the Midlands outfit 19th in the Championship having [...]
Movie-length games: new titles you can play in under three hours, including That Dragon, Cancer and Virginia October 12, 2016 These movie-length games pack an emotional punch but won't lead to you getting a messy divorce because you neglected your family to farm credits to pay for a new colour of rocket launcher. That Dragon, Cancer Platform: iOS That Dragon, Cancer is less a game than an interactive art installation about a grieving family coming to [...]
Mafia III review: An evocative open-world shooter that’s only slightly more fun than a horse head in the bed October 12, 2016 Mafia III is the third instalment of a game franchise all about the mafia. This may sound a little glib, but here’s the thing: the implications of choosing a title as bold as ‘Mafia’ are significant. The word is laden with cliché. By using it, you’re invoking some of the most significant movies and novels [...]
Jury is out on Gareth Southgate’s England management credentials and only a win in Scotland can keep him in the frame October 12, 2016 On the evidence of his first two matches as interim England manager, the jury is very much out on Gareth Southgate. He got the points as expected against Malta on Saturday, but the quality of the performance in Tuesday’s goalless draw in Slovenia was so disappointing. England needed composure; instead they were panicky. An international [...]
Lee Westwood sets his sights on Ryder Cup captaincy in 2020 October 12, 2016 Ryder Cup veteran Lee Westwood has confirmed that he still harbours ambitions of becoming European captain but insists he is not ready to be Darren Clarke’s immediate successor. The Englishman, part of Clarke’s beaten team at Hazeltine earlier this month, hopes to qualify as a player for a record-equalling 11th time when the competition is held [...]
Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios faces $10,000 fine after appearing to let opponent win October 12, 2016 Controversial world No14 Nick Kyrgios faces a possible fine of $10,000 (£8,200) after appearing to stop trying during his match at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. The Australian was booed by spectators following his 6-3, 6-1 second-round defeat to German Mischa Zverev, in which he seemingly handed his lower-ranked opponent the win with deliberately weak [...]
Slovenia 0, England 0: Southgate satisfied with points haul after inheriting a “mess” following Allardyce departure October 11, 2016 Interim England boss Gareth Southgate declared himself satisfied with his side’s haul of four points from his first two qualifiers in charge despite the Three Lions disappointing in their stalemate with Slovenia. England were indebted to goalkeeper Joe Hart as they escaped Ljubljana with a point – the first time they had failed to win [...]
Slovenia 0, England 0: England player ratings as Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions drop points October 11, 2016 Joe Hart: 9 Proved a point after his unceremonious discarding by Manchester City – and saved England one too. Made four vital stops, including one physics-defying effort, and showed leadership qualities by talking Gary Cahill and Jesse Lingard out of red cards in a fractious finish. Kyle Walker: 6 The least culpable for a sloppy defensive performance [...]