Category Uncategorized

Durham have signed Cameron Bancroft as their overseas player in all formats for 2019 -a further chance for rehabilitation for the Western Australian batsman after the ball-tampering escapade involving three Australian players.Bancroft was given a nine-month ban from international, State and Big Bash cricket by Cricket Australia that will expire in late December after he was caught trying to change the condition of the ball with sandpaper during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town.David Warner and Steve Smith, the other players banned after the Cape Town malarkey, with each of them serving 12-month suspensions, have already secured overseas contracts in Canada and the Caribbean Premier League.Bancroft’s competitive cricket has been more low-key, restricted to the Northern Territory Strike League. He is also expected to play for the WA Premier League club Willetton before an expected return with the Perth Scorchers.Bancroft, who admitted to altering the condition of the ball using sandpaper, had signed for Somerset in 2018 but his contract was withdrawn.Alongside the talk of forgiveness, but what is most interesting is the cricketing decision. Bancroft, subject to calls from Cricket Australia for either the World Cup or, more likely, Ashes series, has signed up for the whole season, an increasingly rare event in the English county game.In part, it is an indication of his desire for a settled period after a highly-fraught experience, although it also represents good positioning. With the World Cup due to take place in England next summer, followed by an Ashes Test series, he will hope to force himself into contention with a burst of early-season form. That is a sizeable task. Even before the ball-tampering affair, his Test place was under scrutiny and he has played only one T20I.Cameron Bancroft playing in the NT Strike League•Getty Images

His reputation in T20 is not particularly high, but the same is true of Tom Latham, the New Zealand batsman who has stabilised Durham’s top order in the past two seasons. They have reached the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast under Latham’s captaincy with a game built around lower totals on the more challenging pitches in the north-east.Durham head coach Jon Lewis, said: “Cameron provides us with a very talented overseas signing who can bulk up our batting line up and help us compete for silverware.”Tom Latham has done a great job for us over the past two seasons but we anticipate Tom being unavailable due to the World Cup in 2019, therefore we were delighted to be able to bring Cameron in.”Cameron is a talented top order batsman and a great talent across all formats, he has the appetite and temperament for scoring big runs.”Bancroft said: “I am grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get over and make an impact with Durham”.As part of his punishment, Bancroft has been required to undertake 100 hours’ community service. He has volunteered for a Perth charity working with children who have cancer and has undertaken a course in Spanish.

Mohammad Hafeez will not face any penalty over his outburst in the media against the ICC’s process of reviewing suspect actions.The Pakistan allrounder was given the opportunity to clarify his comments to a three-member PCB disciplinary committee and he said: “”My intention was not to criticise ICC protocols nor did I mention any respected cricket board in my interview. The interview was all about my suggestions to improve the [bowling action test] standards and to remove doubts from the minds of cricket fans. Unfortunately, my comments were misinterpreted and used out of context.”The committee, which included Director Cricket Operations Haroon Rasheed, Media Director Amjad Hussain and General Manager Salman Naseer, accepted his explanation and declared the matter resolved.Hafeez, 37, had questioned the ICC’s methods of finding bowlers with suspect actions last month after he was reported for one, then banned and was finally cleared to bowl again. Having been through such scrutiny for a third time in his career, Hafeez suggested the relative power of cricket boards came into the picture and wondered how umpires could spot the tiniest errors in a bowler’s delivery.He told that the results of his testing in Loughborough showed that he flexed his elbow only a couple of degrees over the acceptable limit of 15. “So I have my doubts about this calling system. This is suspicious, why are match referees or on-field umpires not able to see those flexing up to 35, but me with 16 degrees.”The PCB had initially taken no interest in the remarks, but were moved to action once the ICC took notice of them.

Ex-Barcelona star Lionel Messi still loves a Clasico and has posted a “great” message after helping Inter Miami to a derby win over Orlando City.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• All-time leading scorer in Barca vs Real
• Has four goals against Orlando City
• Local bragging rights at Chase Stadium

• @Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner remains the all-time leading scorer in meetings between Barca and arch-rivals Real Madrid, with 26 efforts to his name. He now has a new rivalry to embrace after moving to the United States.

  Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi bagged a brace against Orlando in a Leagues Cup clash last season, en route to capturing that title, but sat out a 1-1 MLS draw in September. He has now experienced a league meeting with Florida neighbours, and helped himself to another two goals.

• WHAT MESSI SAID

  Luis Suarez also bagged a brace as Inter Miami ran out 5-0 winners on the day, with Tata Martino’s side enjoying a memorable outing against geographical foes at Chase Stadium. Messi was in buoyant mood afterwards, with the Argentine icon posting on social media: “Great game by all and victory in the Clasico!!!”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Inter Miami are unbeaten through their opening three games at the start of the MLS campaign, with seven points collected. Messi has three goals to his name and continues to set his sights on major silverware as the Herons compete on multiple fronts.

In their second rain-curtailed game against Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils survived a brutal Jos Buttler attack to lift themselves off the bottom of the table

The Report by Varun Shetty02-May-2018
4:04

Manjrekar: Expected the revised target to be much steeper

Delhi Daredevils had a lot of things different about them against Rajasthan Royals in their second meeting of the season – the captain had changed, the batting order was different and they’d posted a massive score batting first. It was a rain-curtailed game again, but this time they managed a different result too to rise above Mumbai Indians at the bottom of the table.Defending 150 in 12 overs, Daredevils came under a brutal attack from the promoted Jos Buttler, whose 18-ball fifty helped Royals smash down more than half the required runs with six overs and ten wickets still in hand. But a middle-order slide engineered by Amit Mishra and Trent Boult saw Daredevils pull things back.Earlier, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant had combined to put up 166 of the 196 runs Daredevils made in 17.1 overs.Young and freeWhen he lost the toss, Iyer said conditions would be easy and “not dewy” when his team went out to bat. Just over 20 minutes later, the groundstaff were pulling the covers on to keep the outfield dry. The rain reduced the game to 18-overs-a-side.Colin Munro faced his first ball against Royals this season, but when his inside edge against Dhawal Kulkarni was taken by Buttler, it became his second duck against them. Royals, who had replaced Rahul Tripathi with Ben Stokes at first slip, barely found another edge after that.First, they got acquainted with the middle of Shaw’s bat, which often met the ball above waist height but always with full control; the teenager, not the tallest of men, frequently stayed put in his crease and followed rising short-of-a-length deliveries with just his hands to comfortably clear the infield, in the ‘V’. In the middle of all that, he mistimed a full toss and offered a return catch in the third over that Kulkarni couldn’t hold on to. It took a change in pace – the legspin of Shreyas Gopal – to get Shaw as he tried to hit another one through the line. He had made 47 off 25.The finishing touchesPant has taken a couple of balls in the mid-riff this season while attempting to play the hook shot. Essentially, his falling over into the off side when the ball is pitched short has put him in trouble often.It’s not something he has tried to remedy, though. After copping one on the body from a Stokes bouncer, the left-hander continued to get inside the line of the ball when it was pitched short and even managed a six on one instance as he tried to avoid flicking the off stump with his back leg. He made 24 runs behind the square region.The rest of his runs came where they usually do – through the covers and at cow corner. Pant hit at least three boundaries through the off side that couldn’t have been more than five yards away from the closest fielder. They were just as helpless on those occasions as they were when he slugged three sixes on the leg side. In his 50th T20 match, this innings of 69 off 29 was the perfect tribute.At the other end, Iyer made his fourth fifty in five games as a sorry Royals attack’s most economical bowler went at 9.33.The Buttler specialIn a team trying to jam several specialist openers into the top order, Buttler had been reduced to the No. 5 slot. But Royals decided they needed him at the top to set the tone for a very steep chase, that was revised to 151 from 12 overs, and he delivered like only he does – with flat drives over the bowler, loopy ramps over the keeper and indiscreet slaughtering of short deliveries. Avesh Khan, with his predisposition for hitting the deck and skidding the ball on, was perhaps exactly what Buttler has been looking for in a season where he hadn’t yet made 30-plus. On the night, he made 34 in 10 balls of just Avesh.The moments that could’ve changed thingsWhen Iyer tossed the ball to Glenn Maxwell with 52 required off three overs, it was ideal for Royals – Short hit the first three balls for sixes and fell off the fourth. In doing so, he had made the runs against the part-timer and also allowed for finisher K Gowtham to come in. Iyer then kept them in it a second time. With 10 to win off the two balls, he not only dropped Gowtham at deep midwicket, but also conceded four runs.However, a mishap during the 15th over of Daredevils’ innings might have made the biggest difference. Jaydev Unadkat’s second ball was an offcutter that deflected off Pant’s glove into Buttler’s path. The wicketkeeper shied at and hit the non-striker’s stumps as the batsmen ran through.The ricochet had rolled harmlessly towards Stokes who was backing up in the mid-off region. But the allrounder had barely made it halfway to the ground with his lazy effort to the left as Daredevils picked up four overthrows.

The second Test at Mohali was a rare happening as the Australians were toyed around and thoroughly dominated by India

Cricinfo staff21-Oct-2008
Fittingly the defeat in the second Test has been inflicted by India, who have stood up to Australia, competed against them more consistently than any other team in the past decade © Getty Images
Trucks in the Punjab are famous for the one-line messages they carry. One of the typically earthy ones is, “Vekhi ja, par chedi na [Keep watching my truck, but don’t fiddle around].” For four days and a bit in Mohali, India were the runaway truck that Australia could only watch and do nothing about.It is a rare happening: When was the last time a team toyed around with Australia? When was the last time Australia were so dominated? One has to go back more than 10 years, to the same opposition and country, to Eden Gardens 1997-98. So long ago that only five players, on both sides, from that Test played in this match. Between Eden Gardens and Mohali, Australia played 117 matches, losing 15, without being so completely outplayed even once.What would be more satisfactory for India, though, is that this win didn’t come on a crumbling dustbowl; home advantage counted for nought this time. It was a good batting track, looking like any Australian pitch, with a little less bounce, on the first day. Contrast this with Eden Gardens 1998, when India played with three spinners, and Sourav Ganguly opened the bowling. Over the last five days, though, and on the same pitch, the ball would lose all potency the moment it was handled by Australian bowlers.To be fair to the Australians, this isn’t the same team that dominated the world over the last decade. Some of the best players in that side – Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer – have gone. Also, they embarked on this tour – possibly their toughest assignment of recent times – without Andrew Symonds; discipline problem or not, it’s a mistake they may yet come to regret. Even so, it would take a special effort to put the boot in, simply because of their winning habit and the belief that they can pull themselves out of any kind of strife.”Especially at one time in the first innings, they [Australia] were 22 from 13 overs. I said to Rahul [Dravid], ‘Look at the board, we won’t see that again'”Mahendra Singh DhoniIt’s perhaps fitting that this defeat has been inflicted by India, who have stood up to Australia, competed against them more consistently than any other team in the past decade. And India are the only team who constantly threaten to outskill them: once it was their mysterious spin bowling and imperious batting, here the biggest difference between the teams was the quality of the pace bowling.While Australia struggled for any disconcerting movement, the Indian bowlers got prodigious swing, both conventional and reverse. A TV split-screen visual of the six-over-old ball being used by both the teams told a story. While the one Australia used was scuffed up all over, the one India used had two markedly different sides, shiny and rough. That meant the ball started reversing as early as in the ninth over at times, a sensational phenomenon. And since it’s still hard and new that early, as MS Dhoni suggested, it was all the more difficult to face. “The ball [from Ishant Sharma] that got me would get me 95 times out of 100,” Ricky Ponting confessed.The batsmen and the spinners did their job too. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag gave India two fiery starts, putting Australia on the back foot right away. The middle order revived them after a brief blip. Amit Mishra’s debut was phenomenal, a throwback to the old days of classical legspin bowling. And Harbhajan Singh fast-tracked Australia to their demise in the second innings.Right from the toss, India did little wrong. The one potentially distracting period was when Tendulkar moved towards his record but India regrouped well. They were aggressive throughout, and there wasn’t a single player in the side they needed to hide. You could say they had nine potential Man-of-the-Match winners, something we rarely see with the Indian team. Perth, earlier this year, was a team performance, but not nearly as destructive.
Once it was India’s mysterious spin bowling and imperious batting that undid opponents, here the biggest difference between the teams was the quality of the pace bowling © Getty Images
It can be argued the destruction started even before the toss. Perhaps Zaheer Khan had sensed in Bangalore that this Australian team could do with some dominating. The debate over who won the moral victory in Bangalore can continue but it’s clear who gained more from that result.Two moments summed up the match for India and Australia. One of them came early on the second day. India had contrived to keep Australia in the game on day one, even though the latter chased leather throughout the day. At 326 for 6, India were still capable of being bundled out for a below-par total. In walked Dhoni, and he got a bouncer first-up. He hooked that for four, then hit another for a six, and “the most defensive side in a long time” was being taken to the cleaners.Then, on the fourth morning, India played Australia at their own game, applying ruthlessness and urgency – and clarity of thought – in their approach to setting the target, and giving themselves close to 130 overs to bowl out a side low on confidence. And when Matthew Hayden tried to intimidate the bowlers, they didn’t take a step back. The inevitable soon happened and, as it usually happens in India, it happened too fast once it started.Naturally Dhoni was pleased with his team’s effort. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said. “Especially at one time in the first innings, they were 22 from 13 overs. I said to Rahul [Dravid], ‘Look at the board, we won’t see that again.'”The way this Indian team is playing, don’t bet on it.

Manchester United have made contact to express their interest in a move to sign a central talisman in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

The Red Devils have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won nine and lost seven of their opening 16 games in thePremier League, although they are still firmly in contention to secure a place in the top four should they start picking up results on a more consistent basis.

Ahead of the upcoming window opening, Erik ten Hag will know that he needs to strengthen his squad should he want to try and qualify for the Champions League, and with Sofyan Amrabat having been nothing short of underwhelming following his summer arrival on loan, defensive midfield is a position that needs addressing.

Fulham’s Joao Palhinha has been identified as a potential candidate by the manager, with the 28-year-old having firmly established himself as Marco Silva’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.18 (Fulham statistics).

July 4, 2022

Sporting CP

Fulham

Jul 31, 2020

SC Braga

Sporting CP (end of loan)

Aug 7, 2018

Sporting CP

SC Braga (loan)

The Portugal international came extremely close to joining Bayern Munich over the summer, but with a deal collapsing on deadline day despite him travelling for a medical, he ended up remaining at Craven Cottage, and his impressive performances have brought him onto the radar of other clubs in the top-flight.

Man United hoping to land Palhinha

According to Football Transfers, Man United are interested in Palhinha and have made Fulham aware that they would be keen to secure his services in January.

“Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all expressed their desire to sign Palhinha in recent weeks, with FootballTransfers exclusively reporting that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are set to turn their attention to the Fulham man after learning Aston Villa’s asking price for Douglas Luiz. Sources have informed us that Palhinha may cost €58 million (£50m) in 2024, with a January move on the cards if a suitable bid is tabled.”

Palhinha could be a "monster" for Ten Hag

As it stands, Palhinha ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles so he loves to get stuck into challenges to try and win back possession for his team, but he’s also more than capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch (FBRef – Palhinha statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 2, Lisbon’s native has already posted three contributions (two goals and one assist), in 14 Premier League appearances this season, so considering how effective he can be both defensively and offensively, he’s such a well-rounded player.

Sponsored by Adidas, Ten Hag’s target even knows what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level because he has secured five pieces of silverware since the start of his career, so he will possess the winning mentality required to achieve what is expected of him at Old Trafford.

As dubbed by Video and Data Analyst Marcus Bring, Palhinha is a “defensive monster”, and when you look at all of the positive qualities that he could bring to the side, Man United have a no-brainer of a decision to make should the opportunity present itself in the coming weeks.

Southampton reportedly have a bid on the table for an exciting young player, but strong competition is also being provided by two Premier League giants.

Southampton eyeing January transfers

The Saints could be in the market for new signings when the January transfer window opens in the New Year, as Russell Martin looks to bring in players who can aid his side's promotion push. A recent report has claimed that Southampton are eyeing St Patrick's Athletic midfielder Adam Murphy, with a pre-contract move potentially being sorted in January.

Murphy isn't the only youngster who has been seen as a January target, however, with West Brom's Tom Fellows another player who could move to St Mary's, as the south coast outfit look to seal promotion from the Championship to the Premier League at the first attempt.

It does appear as though Southampton are looking to bring in exciting young talent, given the nature of those two updates, and a new claim further suggests that that is the case.

Southampton want Romeo Akachukwu

According to an update from The Irish Independent, Southampton still have a bid "on the table" for Waterford midfielder Romeo Akachukwu, but Manchester City and Arsenal are also interested in making a move for him.

"Southampton made a bid which would be a new record for a player from a League of Ireland club, worth in excess of the €500,000 Sunderland paid Cork City for Roy O’Donovan in 2007 and also up on the €450,000 Shamrock Rovers got from Manchester City for Gavin Bazunu, though the Hoops later received more based on bonuses and international caps.

"It’s believed that the Southampton bid is still on the table and has not formally been rejected by Waterford but the Blues are keen to maximise the potential to earn from the sale of Akachukwu, while Waterford’s parent club, League One side Fleetwood Town, are also eager to land him.

"Manchester City and Arsenal are also on his case but they would be likely to bring him in initially at academy level while Southampton have promised Akachukwu a quick route to first-team football."

Akachukwu may still only be 17 years of age, but he has already made an impressive impact at League of Ireland First Division side Waterford, proving himself to be an important part of the first team. Southampton offering him more chance of minutes could work in their favour, rather than being put into an academy by a bigger club.

Waterford

26

4

0

Republic of Ireland Under-17s

14

3

0

That is outlined by Akachukwu's statistics at senior level to date, with four goals coming his way in 26 appearances, and he is also a 14-time capped Republic of Ireland Under-17 international, finding the net three times in the process. Granted, the teenage midfielder may not be coming in as an immediate starter for Southampton, considering how inexperienced he remains, but if the club see him as someone who can blossom into a formidable footballer over time, they could do all they can to snap him up over the likes of City and Arsenal, which would be a real statement of intent.

Aston Villa have seen an abundance of talent take to the pitch at Villa Park over the years, however not all names have been as memorable as others.

Unai Emery’s current crop of stars are reviving the good times in the Midlands, from the expertise of Emi Martinez between the posts, to the reliability of Ollie Watkins leading the line, the Villans seem to be destined for new highs.

Having a reliable goalscorer hasn’t always been the case for Villa in the Premier League era, from Rudy Gestede to Danny Ings, some players have simply failed to live up to expectation of fulfilling the number nine role.

While some transfers have been worse than others when it came to acquiring strikers in the past, one name sticks out as having a woeful time at the club, however his form since leaving tells a different story.

Borja Baston’s statistics for Aston Villa

In January 2020, Dean Smith made the decision to sign striker Borja Baston from Swansea City on a free transfer, in the bid to boost his options going forward.

Smith had captured the signature of Brazilian forward Wesley in the summer prior, however following the new signing’s anterior cruciate ligament blow early into his debut season at Villa, Baston was introduced as an additional reinforcement.

The Spaniard had been in South Wales for three-and-a-half years prior to his move to Villa, signing for the Swans from Atletico Madrid in 2016, where he then endeavoured on several loan spells back to Spain before bidding farewell.

Earlier in the 2019/20 campaign, Baston had netted six goals in 20 Championship appearances for Swansea, making enough of an impact for Smith to deem him as the appropriate signing to make.

At the point of his arrival, Smith lauded the striker as being “hungry” to achieve, however by the summer, his time at Villa had ended with just two appearances, 16 minutes played and certainly no goals.

Borja Baston's Aston Villa career

Touches per game

4.5

Shots per game

0

Key passes per game

0

Dribbles per game

0

Error that led to shot

1

Goals

0

Figures via Sofascore

As highlighted in the table above, Baston’s time at Villa was a disaster and the hunger that he had displayed to Smith was nowhere to be seen, however since leaving, his form tells a different story.

What Borja Baston is doing now

After leaving Villa, Baston returned to Spain to sign for CD Leganes on a free transfer, where he took the time to rediscover his form slowly, scoring five goals in 35 appearances in the second-tier of Spanish football.

The 2021/22 campaign finally saw the forward come to life, as he signed for fellow La Liga 2 club Real Oviedo, and the goals began to fire in.

In that season, Baston netted 22 goals in 40 league appearances for Oviedo, coming joint-first in the league scoring charts to showcase his proficiency in the final third, after years of struggling to find his footing again.

Ollie Watkins

Borja Baston

2020/21

16

5

2021/22

11

22

2022/23

16

10

2023/24

9

3

Total

40

52

Figures via Transfermarkt

As portrayed in the table above, Baston actually outscored Villa frontman, Watkins, that campaign, and has managed to keep within reach of the Englishman since his exit from Villa Park back in 2020.

No one would have predicted that Baston would go on to hit 22 goals in a season after his time at Villa, however football is unpredictable and one right move can change the trajectory of a striker's form.

With football's ever-growing popularity and commercial reach, football kits have increasingly become seen as fashion pieces as well as representations of the teams that wear them.

It's not just clubs, though; international teams will regularly release one or two new kits every year, especially when there is a tournament on the horizon, and with Euro 2024 fast approaching, expect to see a raft of shirts released in the coming months.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the 12 best shirts ever worn at the European Championships.

12 Poland 2012

Kicking off the list is an inclusion that may surprise some: Poland's home shirt from their European Championships on home soil in 2012.

While the tournament was excellent, with Poland and Ukraine being fantastic hosts, the men in white and red didn't do much on the pitch.

They took two points from their first two games courtesy of two 1-1 draws. However, the draw against Russia on matchday two was almost seen as a win given that the visitors scored first and the fierce rivalry between the two teams. Unfortunately, a loss to the Czech Republic in their third game meant they finished rock bottom of their group, but they looked good doing it.

Poland tend to make great shirts most years, but this simple design with the rectangle across the chest, an eagle in the middle and a badge off to the side all come together to make an excellent, modern kit that wouldn't look out of place today, 11 years on.

11 West Germany 1988

Okay, we're going a little further back in time for this one.

Germany have a history of producing quality designs for international tournaments. Something about that white and black base just looks brilliant regardless of what else they do to it. That said, for our money, their 1988-1990 effort is their best to date.

The 1988 competition was staged in West Germany, and while the team made it out of their group – beating Spain and Denmark in the process – they were beaten in the semi-finals at the hands of eventual winners, the Netherlands.

The top itself is undeniably iconic. The plain white base with the German flag printed across the front in Adidas' best template is instantly recognisable, and Germany even modelled their 2018 kit on the design.

10 England 2021

The first England entry on the list, and like every other shirt here, it's a corker.

If we are being honest, England shirts can often be quite dull. You can't do much with an almost entirely white top, but for Euro 2020, Nike found a way to make it far more interesting.

The thick navy collar combined with the jagged stripes up the side gives some much-needed intricacy to the shirt, and we just love the badge's central placement – why can't all badges be central?

The tournament itself was a memorable one for the Three Lions as the cross-continent nature of the competition meant that they played most of their games at home, including a memorable round-of-16 win over Germany.

Alas, it was still England, and so it inevitably ended in penalty shootout heartbreak as Italy clinched the title in a tightly contested final at Wembley Stadium.

9 England 2022

Back-to-back England, but the Lionesses' shirt for the 2022 European Championship deserves to be on this list.

Where the men came agonisingly close to lifting what would've been the country's first European title, the women went one better. The final was once again held at Wembley Stadium, only this time, the opposition was Germany. It was a fantastic spectacle, with England clinching it in extra time, much to the delight of a sold-out crowd.

The shirt itself was also a stunner. It didn't have the navy detailing of the men's, instead featuring a faint diamond pattern base with an iridescent Three Lions and Nike tick.

8 Sweden 1992

Much like in the domestic game, in international football, some teams are instantly recognisable from the colour of their shirts alone, and Sweden are a great example of that.

The rich yellow and royal blue colour combo is unmistakably Swedish, and it just so happens to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing combinations as well.

With so many iconic kits to choose from for the Swedes, we have opted for their 1992 home shirt. It has everything you'd want from a Sweden top: a rich yellow base, royal blue stripes that pop from a mile away, and a chunky retro collar with a perfectly placed Adidas logo at its base.

The competition itself took place in Sweden and was a relative success for the Swedes, as they made it out of their group and to the semi-finals, where they would be beaten by Germany.

7 Italy 2021

Few international football teams look as stylish as Italy, and their effort for the 2020 European Championship is no different.

When picking the best Italian shirts, you are spoilt for choice, but we reckon this is their best effort to date. The two-tone blue base looks brilliant on the pitch, and the Renaissance-inspired print just gives it that edge over some of their plainer designs, as do the collar and gold detailing.

It was also a tournament to remember for Gli Azzurri as they went in as dark horses and ended up winning it all after breaking English hearts in the final at Wembley Stadium.

6 England 1996

Okay, this is the last England shirt, we promise – but it is a beaut.

1996 is one of those years that has become mythologised in English football. It was a tournament that made people genuinely believe the team would finally lift some silverware again, and in front of a home crowd as well.

The game against Scotland and Paul Gascoigne's goal live on and are instantly recognisable for England fans – even for those who weren't around to see it – but as it always does, the tournament ended in penalty disappointment for the Three Lions, once again at the hands of the Germans.

That said, at least the team looked good, thanks to this brilliant shirt from Umbro. The incorporation of electric blue around the number and along the chunky collar really helped the shirt to pop, and a central badge always helps make a shirt look better.

5 Denmark 1992

Scandinavia's second representative on the list, Denmark, have produced some stunning kits over the years, but we reckon their home shirt for the 1992 European Championship takes the cake.

The 1986 top might get more attention, but the design and history attached to this one give it the edge. The plain red base paired with the striped red and white sleeves really makes this top stand out amongst other red and white shirts – and we just love a retro collar.

1992 is probably the greatest year in Danish football due to the fact that they – somewhat surprisingly – won the European Championship that year. It was surprising for a couple of reasons: one, for as good as they were, they were underdogs compared to teams like Germany and the Netherlands; and two, they didn't even qualify for the tournament.

The Danes only entered the competition after Yugoslavia were disqualified following the breakup of the country and the ensuing violence.

4 USSR 1988

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR, might not exist anymore. Still, when they did, they had an excellent track record in international tournaments – and an even greater record of beautiful kits.

The 1988 European Championship was the last Euros they appeared in, as they played as the Commonwealth of International States (CIS) for the 1992 edition of the tournament following the dissolution of the state.

1988 was a massively successful tournament for the team, though, as they beat England and the Netherlands in the group stage before beating Italy in the semi-final. Unfortunately, they couldn't do the double over the Dutch in the final, and they would have to settle for second at their last-ever Euros.

The shirt itself was a stunner. The base was red and white and used one of Adidas' best-ever templates, while the collar and detailing made it stand out from the others that used the same base design.

3 Croatia 1996

Now, this one might be a bit marmite in that some will love it – like us – and some will probably hate it, but you just cannot make a list like this and not include Croatia's iconic shirt, specifically the 1996 edition.

The checkerboard pattern is certainly garish; there's no getting away from that, but it's unique, eye-catching and instantly recognisable. The tricolour detailing around the collar and sleeves takes it up another level and comfortably makes it one of the three best kits ever worn at a European Championship.

The team themselves had a reasonably impressive tournament that year, with group-stage wins over Turkey and Denmark – who were then the reigning champions. However, they were ultimately knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Germany.

Picking cricket’s 100 all-time greats might be an excruciating business, but it is also a lot of fun

Stephen Fay08-Aug-2009Christopher Martin-Jenkins’ introduction to the latest list of the top 100 cricketers is apologetic. He names all 129 candidates he has left out and observes that being a selector is an invitation to be ridiculed, a bit like being a politician or going out to face Dennis Lillee (ranked 19th) on a drying pitch in Melbourne in 1977. On the contrary. Cricket’s list-makers are blessed because they give us a game to play when it is raining and on winter nights when it seems as if summer will never come.Each selection is accompanied by a 500-word essay and these are best when CMJ injects a personal note, as with Maurice Tate. (The author’s PE teacher came into the school dormitory after bedtime to speak in hushed tones about the great man after he died.)The list gives us a snapshot of the rise and fall of the historical reputations of cricketers, and the good news is that five of CMJ’s top 15 have played in the 21st century. Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan are still active. The other three were members of the great Australian steamroller – Shane Warne, highest placed at No. 4, Adam Gilchrist (10) and Glenn McGrath (13).Compare that with the similar list compiled in 1998 by CMJ’s predecessor as cricket correspondent of the , JohnWoodcock, who elected only two active players into the top 15 – Warne, even then, at No. 13, and Ian Botham, still a vivid memory, at No. 9. Sir Ian drops to 18 in CMJ’s book, the same position he occupies in a list drawn up in 2006 by the Australian sportswriter Geoff Armstrong, and well down from No. 6 in the 1999 effort by Nick Brownlee.Woodcock, aka the Sage of Longparish, was particularly sageist in his selection of a 19th-century stalwart, Alfred Mynn, as high as fourth, along with Hambledon cricketers such as Billy Beldham and John Small. CMJ’s earliest entries are Australian fastbowlers: the Demon Spofforth and CTB Turner. Within his 100 are 24 Australians, 33 English players and 15 West Indians. A third of his selections captained their country.The Sage is the only one of the four selectors to place WG Grace above Don Bradman at No.1. I long for the list that finally tests to destruction the assumption of Grace’s superiority over, say, Arthur Shrewsbury. Grace averaged 32.29 in Tests compared with 35.47 for Shrewsbury. But are not Jack Hobbs (CMJ’s No. 5) and Wally Hammond (8) better cricketers than Grace? And why, apart from the lingering power of the Victorian publicity machine, does CB Fry appear in these lists at all (80 for CMJ, 54 for the Sage and 45 for Brownlee; though Armstrong ignores him)?Only two of CMJ’s top 10 are bowlers, but his list reflects a fascination with fast bowlers, particularly when they come in pairs. We have Walsh (92) and Ambrose (51), Statham (89) and Trueman (22), Holding (85) and Marshall (11), Waqar (36) andWasim (34), Lindwall (31) and Miller (16). No Lillee and Thomson, however, because CMJ has no room for Thommo. No Thommo. No Alan Davidson or Mike Procter, or Joel Garner and Andy Roberts. Christopher, how could you?He confesses that he has had to leave out his own favourites, Tom Graveney, Derek Randall and Lindsay Hassett. But what the hell. It’s only a game.The Top 100 Cricketers of All Time
by Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Corinthian Books, hb, 304pp, £14.99