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علق المدير الفني لمنتخب جنوب إفريقيا، هوجو بروس، على رحيل بيرسي تاو لاعب الأهلي السابق بعد انضمامه إلى نادي قطر خلال شهر يناير الماضي.

وانتقل تاو إلى الدوري القطري قبل نهاية عقده مع الأهلي بـ 6 أشهر فقط، خاصة وأنه كان لا يشارك بصفة مستمرة هذا الموسم تحت قيادة المدرب، مارسيل كولر.

وكان بروس دائم الشكوى من استمرار تاو مع الأهلي وطالبه أكثر من مرة بالرحيل عن القلعة الحمراء بعد استبعاده من منتخب جنوب إفريقيا.

اقرأ أيضًا | أشرف بن شرقي: رقم قميصي في الأهلي مفاجأة.. ولست قلقًا من جماهير الزمالك

وقال البلجيكي في تصريحات نقلتها مجلة “Soccer Laduma” في جنوب إفريقيا: “كنت سعيدًا بالفعل برحيله عن الأهلي، أمر جيد بالنسبة له، سنرى ما سيحدث معه في قطر”.

واستمر: “لا أعتقد أن هناك فارقًا كبيرًا في المستوى بين الدوري المصري والقطري”.

وأضاف: “الدوري المصري أفضل، نعم، لكن أهم شيء بالنسبة له هو المشاركة في المباريات، لم يفعل ذلك في الموسم الماضي مع الأهلي، كان على مقاعد البدلاء”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “كذلك كان مصابًا، لذلك لم يعتمد عليه المدرب (مارسيل كولر)، سعيد لأنه غير فريقه، لنأمل أن يلعب أكثر الآن”.

West Bromwich Albion will aim to make it three games unbeaten in the Championship when travelling to Stoke City this coming weekend, with confidence sky-high currently at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies didn't get the better of Leeds United in their second contest of the new league campaign, but a 0-0 draw with Daniel Farke's men isn't to be sniffed at, with four points from a possible six already on the board, after a comfortable 3-1 victory at Queens Park Rangers on the opening day.

Still, Carlos Corberan and Co will know that adding in more new recruits through the door will undoubtedly help in the long run, especially if they want to be pushing for promotion again, with this new midfielder now in talks to join.

West Brom pushing ahead to sign loanee

As per a report by the Express and Star, West Brom are pushing ahead to try and tempt Serbian midfielder Uros Racic to join the ranks this summer, with the Sassuolo gem potentially joining on a loan deal.

Standing at a towering 6 foot 4 frame, Racic is being touted as an ideal replacement for Okay Yokuslu, who is back in his native Turkey, to the widespread disappointment of the Baggies fanbase.

Yet, if they can now win the services of a new brute force in the middle of the park in Racic, any lingering dismay about the former fan favourite leaving will be quashed. The Serb is certainly some talent, having once been linked with a £28m move to Manchester United back in 2020, while boasting a £92m release clause at the time.

Moreover, away from Racic's skill set lending itself to him being an ideal Yokuslu replacement, picking up the Sassuolo number six could also see the Baggies abandon any further approaches for fellow target Callum Styles, with the Serbia international offering more cover in the middle.

What Racic can offer West Brom

Much like Styles, who has been known to hammer home a tremendous long-range strike for Barnsley during his stay at the Tykes, Racic also has a screamer in his back pocket, seen in the thunderous effort above sailing in against Atletico Madrid when he was on the books at Valencia.

The 26-year-old defensive midfielder also lined up on one occasion in the centre-back spots for Valencia when drafted out on loan to Spain, with Styles also known to be a versatile figure who can play all over the pitch if necessary, even lining up in defence at left-back when needed.

Stat – per 90 mins

Racic

Styles

Total shots

1.87

0.78

Shot-creating actions

1.87

1.90

Attempted passes

43.46

47.01

Pass completion %

81.3%

79.1%

Progressive passes

4.06

3.46

Tackles

1.10

2.46

Blocks

1.76

1.12

Clearances

2.41

1.67

Aerials won

1.32

0.56

Bettering Styles in a number of different areas of their respective games over the last year too, when glancing at the table above, Racic's also no-nonsense game shines through, with more clearances and duels won than his Hungarian counterpart.

He could well be West Brom's next Yokuslu in the making, therefore, who has managed to win 2.25 duels on average per 90 minutes over the last year, in comparison.

Racic might well become even more of a brute when moving to England, to attempt to match these higher numbers, knowing that Alex Mowatt will operate as the more creative option out of the potential holding duo.

Swooping in for the 12-time Serbia international would also see the Baggies continue to shop in left-field European markets, which has already paid off, with new Norwegian recruit Torbjørn Heggem winning six duels against Leeds last time out.

Racic could now enter through the door and continue this successful transfer approach, as Corberan continues to try and add new players into what still looks like somewhat of a threadbare camp in the West Midlands.

West Brom struck gold on "outstanding" star who's worth more than Styles

West Bromwich Albion are continuing to reap the rewards of this shrewd purchase.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 20, 2024

Birmingham City are closing in on yet another St Andrew's signing as they continue their busy summer following relegation to League One, it has emerged.

Birmingham summer signings so far

Relegated from the Championship on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign, new manager Chris Davies and the Blues will be looking for an instant return to England's second tier.

They had not been in the third tier since 1992, and have been backed to be crowned League One winners come the end of the campaign. To achieve that, they have been busy in the transfer market, signing seven players already.

Alfie May has arrived from Charlton Athletic, and marked his arrival with a pre-season winner against Rangers, while ex-Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper Bailey Peacock-Farrell has also been recruited and started against the Scottish giants.

Also named in the starting XI were new signings Emil Hansson, Alex Cochrane and Willum Willumsson, while Christoph Klarer and Ryan Allsop both came off the substitutes' bench to contribute to the pre-season win. Now, they are all set to be joined by an eighth new face before the first game of the season kicks off against Reading on August 10th.

Leonard on verge of signing for Birmingham

That comes as Marc Leonard is on the verge of arriving at the club from Brighton. The young midfielder watched the pre-season friendly from the stands and is set to complete a switch to the midlands in a deal worth a total of £500,000, according to transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, with a medical already having been completed.

In fact, Birmingham boss Davies has already confirmed that Leonard is on the verge of arriving at St Andrew's. "That one is pretty close. That will be our eighth signing of the transfer window so it's a huge volume of players but we need more," he said.

"We had a lot of youngsters coming on so it's important that we have depth. The volume of games we're going to play this season could be touching 60 so we need a strong squad to do what we need to do. We need a few more but he (Leonard) gets finalised and that's another good player that joins us."

Still just 22 years old, Leonard was into the final 12 months of his contract at the AMEX and will leave with just two senior appearances for the Seagulls, both coming in the 2021/22 campaign.

He has spent the last two seasons on loan with Northampton Town, helping them get promoted out of League Two and then ensuring that they avoided relegation in 2023/24, meaning that he is likely to come up against plenty of his former teammates this season while in Birmingham colours.

Heather Knight hopes Wyatt can build on her breakthrough hundred on New Zealand tour

Matt Roller22-Feb-2021But for Covid, England Women would be two weeks into the defence of their 50-over World Cup, with two out of seven group games to go and the semi-finals looming. Instead, the tournament has been postponed by 12 months, and they have not played an ODI in 436 days.That streak will finally come to an end this week, with their three-match series against New Zealand starting on Tuesday in Christchurch. After the vast majority of their home summer schedule was cancelled, England are starting from scratch: remarkably, this will be their first ODI under Lisa Keightley’s stewardship, nearly 16 months after her appointment as head coach.The wait has been particularly frustrating for those players who had hoped to nail down their places after their most recent series, against Pakistan in Malaysia in December 2019 with Ali Maiden taking temporary charge of the squad.Nobody embodies the frustration better than Danni Wyatt. Wyatt turns 30 in April, and the fact that her batting average is a shade below 20 in both ODI and T20I cricket prompts a double-take. Anyone who has seen either of Wyatt’s two T20I hundreds will know how talented a batter she is, but she has struggled to realise her potential in international cricket, perhaps hampered by regular shifts up and down the order.She is a player who relies on form and rhythm, which jars with the sporadic nature of the women’s international calendar. In that series in Malaysia she appeared to have finally cracked ODI cricket, making her first hundred in the format with an innings of 110 off 95 balls to set up a convincing win; since then, she has faced six balls in an ODI shirt.”It’s fair to say – and Danni will say this herself – that she hasn’t quite nailed ODI cricket yet,” Heather Knight, England’s captain, said on the eve of the New Zealand series. “She’s batted in a few different positions and it was obviously a real shame for her that she had that great hundred in Malaysia and then wasn’t able to back that up with the big break.”I really think it’s going to be a huge series for her – and a huge year – in terms of really nailing down her ODI cricket and what she could do for us at the top of the order. She naturally scores very quickly, and there are going to be times, probably, when she gets out early because we want her to be aggressive, play her natural game, and take the game on. But I’m really excited about what Danni could do.”Related

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The early signs are positive. Wyatt endured a tough 2020, managing a top score of 29 in 12 innings across the tri-series in Australia, the T20 World Cup and the home series against West Indies, but started the New Zealand tour with two enterprising innings: 35 off 42 balls in the first warm-up game, and 54 off 42 in the second.As a result, Knight is optimistic about the prospect of her flourishing in this series in a likely opening partnership with Tammy Beaumont, hinting that she will be given licence to attack early on and make use of the initial fielding restrictions.”She’s had a little bit of a lean year, to be honest,” Knight said, “but the signs are really good. She’s worked really hard over the last couple of months to be in a really good place with her game. The way she played in that second warm-up game was exactly how we want her to play. I’m excited to watch her bat, because you always think that something is going to happen.”[Her role] is slightly different to T20 cricket where it’s pretty much to go from ball one. She can take a little bit more time in ODI cricket, but her natural mindset is to be aggressive and score. She certainly puts pressure on bowlers and pressure on captains, so that’s her role: to go out and be herself, and back her shots.”England are “really ready to play ODI cricket”, Heather Knight said•Getty ImagesEngland’s touring party have a clean bill of health ahead of the series, meaning that Anya Shrubsole (knee) and Katie George (back) are the only absentees. Knight was unwilling to give much away in terms of selection, but it appears that the one remaining call revolves around whether Freya Davies or Tash Farrant is picked as the third seamer alongside Kate Cross and Katherine Brunt.”We’ve got some really strong depth in the seam-bowling department,” Knight said. “We’ll have to see what we go with later today and to see what the conditions are like as well. We haven’t played ODI cricket for a long time and New Zealand are a very strong side [so] it’s going to be a really good test for us.”Our preparation has been a little bit disjointed but I feel like as a team we’re really ready to play ODI cricket. Obviously, we’ve got a year before the World Cup in 2022, so that year is going to be key in terms of our preparation and showing us where we need to be and how we want to play our ODI cricket. I’m really excited to start that journey: it feels like a long time coming.”

Jaffer has become the third Uttarakhand coach to resign after a short stint in recent years

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2021Wasim Jaffer, the former India opening batsman and domestic giant, has resigned as Uttarakhand’s head coach citing “interference in team selection” days before they were to compete in the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament, starting February 20.”I feel really sad for the players as I genuinely think that they have lots of potential and can learn so much from me but are denied this opportunity because of so much interference and bias of selectors and secretary in the selection matters for non-deserving players,” Jaffer wrote in an e-mail to the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU).The 42-year-old Jaffer further wrote, “If the honorary secretary of CAU would want to inculcate such kind of work environment while not letting me take certain decisions pertaining to the team’s welfare and performance… then I don’t think there’s any valid reason for me to continue as head coach of men’s senior team of CAU.”Mahim Verma, the CAU secretary, rejected Jaffer’s allegations, countering that the coach had been given everything he had asked for since being appointed as the state team’s coach last June. “We gave him whatever he asked for, had a pre-season camp for a month, let him choose his outstation players, trainer and bowling coach, but his interference in selection matters was getting too much,” Verma told PTI.Uttarakhand had a poor run in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, winning just one game and losing four in the group stage, and that didn’t go down well with the association either.”After the result in Mushtaq Ali did not meet our expectations, the selectors wanted to try out a few other players but he kept insisting on picking his own team, which is not right as selectors are there, too, to do their job,” Verma said.Jaffer has become the third Uttarakhand coach to resign after a short stint in recent years – KP Bhaskar in 2019 and Gursharan Singh in 2020 had stepped down before Jaffer took charge.

Tottenham's representatives are set for transfer talks at a scheduled summit this week, as the club look to back manager Ange Postecoglou with the signing of a star attacker.

Spurs want more attacking signings after Werner

The Lilywhites got their first summer deal out of the way early doors, by sealing a season-long extension on Timo Werner's loan deal from RB Leipzig.

Tottenham could smash £63m Ndombele record with "huge" bid to sign striker

The Lilywhites want to replace Harry Kane this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 14, 2024

The German, who racked up two goals and three assists over the second half of last season, originally joined on a six-month temporary deal which included the option for Spurs to make it permanent for around £15 million.

However, Levy renegotiated the terms to prolong his move to the end of next term, and the new arrangement means Tottenham now have the option to buy Werner for a cheaper £8.5 million next summer instead.

Following the 28-year-old's confirmed involvement next term, reliable journalists like Alasdair Gold were quick to reassure supporters that Werner certainly wouldn't be the only attacking signing which Spurs make this window.

Tottenham coped well without club-record goalscorer and ex-superstar Harry Kane last season, in their first full campaign without the talismanic forward, but it is believed Postecoglou wants to sign a world-class new striker for Spurs who can succeed the Englishman.

The likes of Ivan Toney and Alexander Isak have been linked in the past week, while another wide player has also been mooted. Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze is a target for the Lilywhites, according to various reports.

The £100,000-per-week forward, who was rewarded for his fine form with a call-up to Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 England squad, is subject to intense interest from north London.

Tottenham reps schedule talks over Eze signing this week

As per Football Transfers, Tottenham representatives have scheduled talks with Palace over signing Eze for the end of this week.

While the attacker isn't pushing to leave Selhurst Park, he expects Palace to honour a gentleman's agreement to let him leave if Tottenham are willing to pay his £60 million asking price. Interestingly, pundits like Alan Hutton have tipped Levy to meet Eze's valuation.

“Yeah, I think so for someone who is so talented and at a good age,” Hutton told Tottenham News when asked if that is a price worth paying for Eze.

"I think he could go and be a shining star so £60million is right. You look at some of the prices that are getting banded around now for players that aren’t as good, so I can understand that. If he’s going to be available for that price, I think Levy will spend it.”

“Normally when you get a little bit older, you get a little more restricted. You need to play in a certain type of formation, you need to be this sort of player and he just doesn’t look like that sort of guy."

MatériaMais Notícias

Tendo 13 pontos conquistados e estando na 9ª posição do Grupo A, o Paraná estaria rebaixado caso a Série C do Brasileirão acabasse hoje. Entretanto, tendo mais três jogos para se realizar e enfrentando o Mirassol na próxima rodada (8° colocado com 16 unidades), a esperança ainda vive pelos lados da Vila Capanema.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Para o embate decisivo do próximo domingo (12), às 18h (de Brasília), a equipe dirigida por Jorge Ferreira desde a demissão de Silvio Criciúma tem duas ausências e duas peças que voltam a ficar habilitadas.

No caso dos nomes que estão fora de combate, ambos os casos são relacionados a problemas disciplinares do terceiro cartão amarelo. Tanto o lateral-direito Alex Murici como o zagueiro Vinícius Guarapuava estavam pendurados na última rodada e, como foram amarelados diante do Criciúma, não jogam na próxima partida.

Por outro lado, estão novamente disponíveis depois de justamente estarem suspensos pelo terceiro amarelo diante dos catarinenses o meio-campista Kruguer e o atacante Gustavinho.

Enquanto o avante deve começar no banco de reservas, a tendência é que Kruguer ocupe a vaga que estava com Léo Pettenon no último jogo. Porém, Léo deve ser mantido no time, sendo deslocado para a zaga (sua posição de origem) como substituto de Vinícius Guarapuava.

After Arda Guler’s unbelievable performance for Turkey against Georgia this week at Euro 2024, every club in Europe will wish they had their own version of him, including Manchester United.

The 19-year-old looked like the most comfortable player on the field, despite the environment being extremely hostile.

On top of an out-of-this-world strike, which gave his nation the lead, the Real Madrid ace was a threat throughout, making three key passes and creating one big chance.

Luckily, Sir Jim Ratcliffe already has his own version of Guler at the Red Devils, who’s just waiting for a real opportunity to explode; Amad Diallo.

Amad Diallo’s start to life at Manchester United

In 2020, Diallo joined Man United from Atalanta in Italy, switching Bergamo for Manchester in a deal worth a hefty £37m.

At the time, the Ivory Coast international was regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football, with football scour Jacek Kulig describing him as “pure talent.”

However, over the past few years, he’s spent the majority of his time out on loan, firstly at Rangers, where he scored three goals in four league starts, and more recently at Sunderland.

While playing for the Championship side, the winger developed immensely, becoming a vital player in the Black Cats bid for promotion.

In just 27 league starts, the 21-year-old scored an impressive 13 goals and provided three assists, which made him the club’s top scorer, and last season, he finally got a chance to shine at Old Trafford.

How Amad Diallo compares to Arda Guler

The intention was for Amad to be handed opportunities from the get-go last campaign, but an injury in pre-season hindered his progress significantly.

However, the “superstar,” as dubbed by football creator Liam Canning, had a huge say in the success of United during the business end of the season, notably scoring the winning goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup that they’d eventually go on to win.

Despite that moment occurring in March, the number 16 had to wait until May to get his first start, which came against Arsenal in the 1-0 defeat.

After impressing, he kept his place in the side for the clash against Newcastle United, where he starred with a goal and an assist, but in what way is he similar to Guler?

Goals

13

4

Assists

3

3

Shots *

1.8

1.7

Touches *

52.3

46.5

Passes completed *

30.9

24.9

Key passes *

1.1

2

Successful take-ons *

1.7

2

Tackles *

0.8

1.2

Duels won *

4.3

5.2

Well, firstly, both players are young, right-wingers who are left-footed, and their approach to the game is very similar, as shown by the table above displaying their league stats at Sunderland and Fenerbahce during the 2022/23 campaign.

The duo are extremely technical players who like to get on the ball at any opportunity, whether that’s by staying out wide as an outlet or drifting into any space that presents itself, as shown by their touches and passes completed.

Furthermore, they’re incredibly silky dribblers who use their bodies to protect the ball brilliantly, which enables them to weave past players with ease.

Versatility is a trait that both Amad and Guler possess too. They can comfortably play in central areas when called upon due to their quality on the ball and creativity.

On the other hand, the eagerness to impress and work hard off the ball is infectious, something that's highlighted by the number of tackles and duel wins per game.

Overall, there are plenty of similarities between the two, not just because of their statistics but also because of their approach to the beautiful game, and it’s fantastic news that Amad is now reportedly viewed as a key part of the INEOS rebuild.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1 ByTom Lever Jun 7, 2024

Erik ten Hag's former assistant Steve McClaren has admitted there was one loss which left him fearful of being sacked by Manchester United.

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McClaren opened up on working with Ten HagDutchman under serious pressure at Man UtdCoach feared for sack during 2023/24 seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After spending the last two seasons at Manchester United working as an assistant to Ten Hag, 63-year-old McClaren left the job this summer to join the Jamaica national team as their new head coach. The former England boss, who dealt with Ten Hag at close quarters, has now spoken about one match from the 2023/24 season after which he thought that it was the end of the road for the Dutchman at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT STEVE MCCLAREN SAID

Speaking to Sky Sports, McClaren said, "Every day at Manchester United you're under pressure. I lived with him for two years. On many, many occasions. After Brighton and Brentford [fans were] calling for his head after two games, and then [we] beat Liverpool 3-0. I remember last season, Crystal Palace 4-0, it could have been 8-0 and thinking that this is the end but [then] winning the next four games culminating in a cup final again and winning the cup.

"Erik is that kind of person who has the qualities to stick to the process. I was there at the beginning of the season when all this was going on – the recruitment, the thing with INEOS bringing in different coaches and I remember leaving there and the atmosphere was great. The atmosphere was great and the players they were recruiting were very good and the squad was building and developing."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag managed to keep his job over the summer, in part thanks to leading United to success in the FA Cup, beating rivals Manchester City in the final. However, he is facing fresh scrutiny after a disappointing start to the new season.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United, who are winless in their last four outings across all competitions, will aim to get back to winning ways on Sunday as they travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

England made to fight for the ascendancy as visitors look to retain grip on Wisden Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jul-2020If not on Thursday evening, then surely at some point on day two, Jason Holder would have wondered: was it wise to bowl first? Was it wise to ask his tired trio of fast men, as well as Roston Chase, all of whom had bowled long spells in Southampton to help West Indies take a series lead, to repeat the act with barely a three-day break between the Tests?Did Holder elect to bowl because he did not trust his batsmen on a damp pitch under overcast and cloudy conditions early on Thursday? Or did Holder actually believe that he, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph had the strength, motivation and rhythm to dominate England’s batsmen once again?At 29 for 2, Holder’s decision looked justified. Soon after Michael Gough’s umpire’s call saved Root. West Indies were brimming with confidence. But Test cricket is anything but predictable.As the innings stretched, as another dry pitch bared its slow nature, and as Ben Stokes and Dom Sibley showed they were happy to settle for a drip of runs rather than a flow, Holder’s decision could not be forgotten. West Indies limped back to their hotel rooms with helpless smiles and exhausted limbs.That a breakthrough came finally after a barren spell stretching 94.3 overs was only because Sibley was forced, finally, to break into a trot as England started to look at a 400-plus total. Eventually England settled for 469.Did Holder revisit his toss decision at the close, and wonder? It certainly seemed tough to justify in hindsight, especially when his most effective bowler in the first two days was the spinner, Chase, who finished with 5 for 172. But did West Indies bowlers actually struggle? Or were they plain unlucky?ALSO READ: Must make sure Archer doesn’t feel alone – StokesThe standout characteristic of this West Indies bowling unit has been their commitment. They have given it their full. Even Gabriel, who looked stiff from the beginning and returned several times to the physio table for treatment, showed aggro each time he was thrown the ball.After bagging a five-for on the fourth afternoon in Southampton, Gabriel had taken a moment to deep-breathe and exhale. He had not played Test cricket for more than nine months since his ankle surgery last September. He then boarded the flight to England as a reserve bowler, and worked hard to earn a first-team berth. So to end as the Player of the Match in his very first Test on return was remarkable.Then there was Roach. Wicketless in the series, yet he kept striving throughout the first two days, returning to each ball, each over and every spell with a big smile and a big heart.Joseph, the youngest, bowled with control and aggression, getting ample swing before he was forced to leave the field on the second afternoon due to an elbow niggle. And then there’s Holder – calm, disciplined and bowling to a plan – and Chase, who found spin on an initially damp wicket right from the first delivery.Runs did not come easily for England on the first day and that trend continued even today. While Sibley continued to leave any ball pitched outside off stump, Stokes was focussed on not throwing away another start, having done that twice in the first Test.Needless to say West Indies feared Stokes taking the game away. On Thursday England ‘s control percentage (of shots) was 87%. Could West Indies reduce that with the new ball already due overnight?West Indies started on the wrong note in the first hour this morning. Both Gabriel and Joseph, despite getting the swing, failed to attack the batsmen with fuller lengths while pitching in the channel.Kemar Roach celebrates after ending his wicket drought•Getty ImagesThen eventually when they opted for the new ball, about 11 overs into the morning, both batsmen had settled. Also, it was Holder who partnered Roach with the new cherry, when someone like Gabriel with more pace and aggression might have created the pressure with the hard seam and swing on offer.Such decisions can turn not just an innings but also the fate of a series. But West Indies quickly improvised. Stokes had been steadfast about leaving balls outside the off stump. West Indies were happy to bowl him that line and force him to take chances.England’s control percentage in the first session dipped to 79%. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Sibley and Stokes played 33 false shots from 156 deliveries in the first two hours, as Stokes’ control percentage dipped to 74% by lunch on the second dayAs for England’s overall run-rate of 2.89 was their third-slowest for a completed innings this decade and the slowest since 2015. In the last five years, England’s strategy has been to score with almost reckless freedom, and while they’ve been at pains to change their ways since the Ashes, credit must be given to West Indies to reduce them to quite such a crawl.Things could have been far more difficult for England had West Indies’ fielders been more sharp. Obviously the toil and the grind can easily lull the sharpest of minds as Holder spilled a straightforward catch on the first day at second slip, and went out of his way to avoid catching the eye of his bowler, Gabriel.Today Holder experienced that same feeling of excitement turn into disappointment when Shai Hope failed to latch on to poke he had induced from Stokes’ outside edge. Both Roach and Gabriel continued to attack Stokes, beat him several times, but England’s best batsman, their talisman, kept enduring.By no means have the first two days exclusively belonged to England. They are in control of this game, but they’ve been made to bide their time for that ascendancy, If West Indies’ batsmen can show similar commitment, patience and discipline over the next three days, their hold on the Wisden Trophy can could yet be ensured.