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How to watch Dortmund against Eintracht Frankfurt in Bundesliga in the US, as well as kick-off time and team news.

Borussia Dortmund will be looking to keep breathing down the neck of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich when they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

💻 Watch Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt live on ESPN+ today!

Trailing the Bavarians by just two points, Edin Terzic's men had to settle for a 3-3 draw at Stuttgart the last time out, as BVB were not able to take advantage of Bayern dropping points as well.

On the other hand, Frankfurt remained two points off sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen after the 1-1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach that extended the Eagles' winless run to 11 games in all competitions.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream live online.

GOALKick-off timeGame:Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht FrankfurtDate:April 22, 2023Kick-off:12:30pm EDTVenue:Signal Iduna Park

The Bundesliga game between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt is scheduled for April 22, 2023, at the Signal Iduna Park football stadium in Dortmund, Germany.

It will kick off at 12:30pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.N/AESPN+

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on ESPN+.

(C)Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsDortmund team news

Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck are all doubtful, but Sule and Hummels may be passed fit enough to start at the heart of the defence.

However, Thomas Meunier, Mateu Morey and Julian Duranville remain unavailable, and Edin Terzic is likely to stick to his front line with Sebastien Haller at the forefront.

Dortmund possible XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Sule, Hummels, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Adeyemi

Position Players

GoalkeepersKobel, Lotka, Meyer, UnbehaunDefendersSchlotterbeck, Sule, Hummels, Coulibaly, Papadopoulos, Guerreiro, Rothe, Schulz, Ryerson, Wofl, PasslackMidfieldersOzcan, Can, Kamara, Bellingham, Dahoud, Brandt, Reyna, Reus, Gurpuz, Adeyemi, Malen, Bynoe-GittensForwardsHaller, Moukoko, ModesteEintracht Frankfurt team news

Kristijan Jakic, Philipp Max, Hrvoje Smolcic, Almamy Toure and Jesper Lindstrom have all missed the trip with injuries.

Meanwhile, Evan Ndicka is expected to return from a muscle strain.

Mario Gotze is back from a ban, and would replace Rafael Borre in the XI, to face his former club.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible XI: Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, Ndicka; Buta, Rode, Sow, Lenz; Kamada, Gotze; Kolo Muani

Position Players

GoalkeepersTrapp, Ramaj, Grahl, SimoniDefendersNdicka, Tuta, Hasebe, Lenz, Schroder, Buta, ChandlerMidfieldersSow, Rode, Wenig, Loune, Dina Ebimbe, Kamada, Gotze, Aaronson, Alidou, KnauffForwardsKolo Muani, Borre, Alario, FerriHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

October 29, 2022Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 DortmundBundesligaJanuary 8, 2022Eintracht Frankfurt 2-3 DortmundBundesligaAugust 14, 2021Dortmund 5-2 Eintracht FrankfurtBundesligaApril 3, 2021Dortmund 1-2 Eintracht FrankfurtBundesligaDecember 5, 2020Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 DortmundBundesligaENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Thursday's draw has thrown together some blockbuster ties – which are you looking forward to the most?

Only a few weeks to go now until that famous music is back in our lives, and Champions League fever has hit new heights after Thursday's group stage draw.

Two of the best strikers on the planet will return to their former clubs after massive summer transfers, as Robert Lewandowski and Barcelona will face his former club, Bayern Munich.

Erling Haaland, meanwhile, will also return to his old stomping ground as a member of Manchester City, who were drawn with Borussia Dortmund.

Barca and Bayern find themselves in one of the tougher groups, with Italian giants Inter also drawn into Group C.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain also have a fascinating draw as they've been paired with Juventus, Benfica and minnows Maccabi Haifa.

Check out the full draw below…

Getty/GOALGROUP A

Team

Country

Ajax

Netherlands

Liverpool

England

Napoli

Italy

Rangers

Scotland

In a group that promises amazing atmospheres at all four grounds, Liverpool taking on Rangers in a 'Battle of Britain' catches the eye immediately.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGROUP B

Team

Country

Porto

Portugal

Atletico Madrid

Spain

Bayer Leverkusen

Germany

Club Brugge

Belgium

Diego Simeone and Atletico will be happy with their draw as the Spanish side should be favourites to win the group. The race for second, and third, will be interesting, though.

Getty/GOALGROUP C

Team

Country

Bayern Munich

Germany

Barcelona

Spain

Inter

Italy

Viktoria Plzen

Czech Republic

The 'Group of Death', Robert Lewandowski won't have to wait long to return to Bayern. But don't overlook Inter, who could certainly push for one of the top two spots in the group.

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Getty ImagesGROUP D

Team

Country

Eintracht Frankfurt

Germany

Tottenham

England

Sporting C.P.

Portugal

Marseille

France

Antonio Conte and Spurs will be thrilled, as they have been matched with the Europa League winners, Eintracht Frankfurt, rather than one of the giants in Pot One. All four teams will have realistic hope of advancing, though.

How are the continent’s five Qatar-bound stars stacking up ahead of Friday’s draw?

Getty ImagesWorld Cup draw

Following the pulsating—if controversial—conclusion to Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign, the identities of the continent’s five sides for Qatar are known.

On Friday evening, they’ll learn their opponents for the opening round of the 2022 when the World Cup group stage draw is conducted in Doha.

Ahead of the draw, here’s our Power Ranking of the five sides set to represent the continent at the global high table.

AdvertisementGetty Images5. Tunisia

Unimpressive at the recent Africa Cup of Nations—although they did eliminate Nigeria—Tunisia arguably had the most straightforward playoff draw after being pitted against a Mali side who had never before qualified for the World Cup.

The Carthage Eagles have extensive World Cup pedigree—they’ve qualified successfully for five of the last seven tournaments—but they’re yet to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

The likes of Wahbi Khazri and Youssef Msakni give them a cutting edge, although failure to score home or away against Mali (it was an own goal away that saw them through) isn’t particularly encouraging.

Backpage4. Ghana

The Black Stars are riding high after eliminating fierce regional rivals Nigeria in their playoff, in a triumph that has gone a long way to banishing the memory of their miserable Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The transformation in the side has been sublime since that disastrous elimination by Comoros in Cameroon, and suddenly there’s optimism around the camp again.

Thomas Partey’s role in the midfield will give Ghana hope against any opposition, even if the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Felix Afena-Gyan and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku are still at the early stages of their international career.

If the Black Stars can convince Tariq Lamptey and Callum Hudson-Odoi to sign up before Qatar, they could be a dark horse.

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Getty Images3. Cameroon

The decision to replace head coach Toni Conceicao with Rigobert Song looked to have cost Cameroon during the playoffs, with the Indomitable Lions having fallen at home to Algeria in the first leg.

They made amends with a stunning victory in Blida in the second leg—the first time the Fennecs have lost at the venue—with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting winning the match in 90 minutes before Karl Toko Ekambi netted the late, late winner in extra time.

Of course, they have World Cup pedigree—no one has qualified more often—and they’ll be massively buoyed after eliminating both Algeria and the Ivory Coast during qualification.

In his final Test, in a series New Zealand cannot win, Brendon McCullum has floated the possibility of playing an all-pace attack on a pitch he deemed ‘not pleasant’ for the batsmen

Brydon Coverdale in Christchurch19-Feb-2016Brendon McCullum is renowned for his relentless attack, whether hurling himself into the advertising boards in a desperate attempt to save a boundary, or setting Test-like slip cordons during one-day games. So it should be no surprise that on the eve of his final Test match, McCullum floated the possibility of another aggressive move: four fast men and no spinner. It would be a bold bid to level the series with Australia at Hagley Oval.It would also be a significant gamble, but then McCullum loves a punt. He will now never lift the Trans-Tasman Trophy but why not go all-in as he eyes 1-1? How he would love to win the toss and send the Australians in if the selectors give him Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Neil Wagner. Having seen the pitch on match eve, McCullum declared that “it’s not going to be necessarily a pleasant time out there with bat in hand”.New Zealand’s selectors will need to make at least one change to the attack due to Doug Bracewell’s shoulder injury, but McCullum said they were considering whether to make a second change as well. McCullum has been a vocal supporter of offspinner Mark Craig throughout this summer but it cannot be ignored that he has struggled for impact against Australia, and in four Tests against them he has 10 wickets at 66.60.”Matt Henry will come in for Doug Bracewell,” McCullum said on Friday, “and it’s just trying to work out whether we play Mark Craig or Neil Wagner and that’s the decision we’ve got to make.”Last time New Zealand entered a Test without a frontline spinner was at the Basin Reserve against India two years ago: legspinner Ish Sodhi had played in the victory in the first Test in Auckland, but was left out in Wellington. The move did not work for New Zealand, who were sent in to bat, got rolled for 192 and needed a second-innings triple-century from McCullum in order to battle out a draw.The first two days at Hagley Oval are sold out, and most members of the crowd would be pretty happy if McCullum could replicate that triple-hundred for his farewell to Test cricket. It will not be that simple, especially if Australia win the toss again. But one thing observers should expect is a typical McCullum innings: he won’t die wondering in conditions that should favour the bowlers.”Maybe it’s one of those times when fortune favours the brave,” he said. “We’ll see what unfolds. I think it will go around for a while … It’s probably not quite as hard as the Basin. I thought the Basin was a really good cricket wicket. It did a lot in that first session and then dried out a little bit quicker than what a team who’s been bowled out for 180 wanted.”In fact, not much of the Test summer against Australia has gone as New Zealand wanted, home or away. After New Zealand reached the World Cup final and then drew a Test series in England – a better result than Australia achieved during the Ashes – expectations were high for a competitive Trans-Tasman summer. McCullum acknowledged that his men had not played to their potential in losing three of the four Tests against Australia this season.”Probably trying too hard,” he said. “Sometimes when you want something so much, you start to tighten up a little bit. Australia, if you give them an inch, they know how to take it. That’s why they’ve been such a good team for such a long period of time. If we look at the first Test matches of both series, they’ve started brilliantly and we’ve struggled to keep up.”As the series has worn on, we’ve started to get ourselves back into it. The nature of games these days is that the majority of them are reaching results so you can’t be behind the eight-ball as far as what we have been in those two Test matches. It’s a combination of us being a bit tight and a bit keen to do well and also Australia being ruthless when they get the opportunity.”Despite that, the era that comes to an end this week has been a successful one for New Zealand. They have still not lost a Test series at home since McCullum and coach Mike Hesson came together in 2012, and McCullum’s leadership has galvanised the country behind the cricket team in a way that usually only the All Blacks can achieve.On Thursday night, the All Blacks were named Team of the Year at the Halberg Awards for New Zealand sporting excellence, but Kane Williamson was Sportsman of the Year, Grant Elliott’s six to win the World Cup semi-final was voted Sporting Moment of the Year, and McCullum won the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award. It was a case of success in black tie; this week they want success in black caps.

It’s been a bad week for foxes

Andrew Miller at The Oval01-May-2016Surrey 33 for 1 trail Sussex 370 by 333 runs
ScorecardThe Oval fox on a happier day•PA PhotosIt’s been a bad week for foxes. Up at Grace Road, Leicestershire have been plummeting towards a thumping defeat at the hands of Durham: meanwhile, at The Oval, a more conventional (furry) version has been scaling unprecedented heights – much to its own discomfort.There are many things you expect to see at the top of the great Oval gas-holder – which, until the arrival of Surrey’s new OCS Stand, was arguably the major landmark in SE11. Flags of the two nations who happen to be battling out a Test match, giant-size posters of Alec Stewart proclaiming that the Ashes are coming home. The odd stray pigeon, perhaps. A lost urban fox, however, is something entirely new.There seems only one feasible manner in which the not-so-sly beast managed to make its way up to a height of 200 feet or more. The level of the gas-holder rises and falls in accordance with its usage, and presumably the fox strayed onto the roof when the level was at its lowest. And forgot to get off.As a consequence it has been padding around the perimeter, forlornly contemplating its existence, for who knows quite how long since. According to Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, the players spotted it during one of their lengthy rain-breaks on the second day, and it wasn’t until the third afternoon that it resumed its laps and came back into view.Opinions varied as to what to do with it. One public-spirited member of the press corps set about ringing the RSPCA, and was promptly (and improbably) sent delving into his Wisden to dig out the postcode of The Oval. Another reckoned that, seeing as the ground is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, they’d be better off ringing Charles and Camilla (or else make a quick call to the nearby House of Lords) and set the dogs on it. Hunting foxes is now illegal, but in the circumstances, it might not object too vehemently.At least it had plenty of water to keep it going, and a chance to drink in a fine view that is deprived to most other denizens of this part of London. The Oval’s new stand will soon change that, however, and on an afternoon tour of the building site, we were able to stand on the new roof terrace and appreciate just how well positioned this ground is – with views to the north of the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station, the Millennium Wheel; and to the south, the great expanse of surburbia – and all those dustbins that the gas-holder’s new squatter will be straight back into when his little jaunt is over.He wasn’t the only person straying into places he shouldn’t, however. Almost two-thirds of the ground is very clearly cordoned off from the public, with large padlocked gates and big signs demanding hard hats and high-visibility clothing. That didn’t stop one old chap with his carrier bag from wandering in and plonking himself in a prime position at midwicket, before being ushered off-site by a bemused club official. At least his way in was more obvious – he had strayed straight in off the street through a truck-size hole in an otherwise very secure security fence.Other than these strange visitations, the third day’s play between Surrey and Sussex was utterly unremarkable – Mark Ramprakash hit a cover-drive, James Kirtley had an lbw appeal, rain had the final say. But it was the unexpected visitor who stole all the headlines.

James Whitaker will have gleaned little that he did not already know from his visit to New Road. Ian Bell made a century, the 50th of his career in first-class cricket, and Worcestershire collapsed miserably to an innings defeat, which is sadly not a rar

Jon Culley at New Road15-Jun-2015
ScorecardBoyd Rankin helped rip through Worcestershire•Getty ImagesJames Whitaker will have gleaned little that he did not already know from his visit to New Road. Ian Bell made a century, the 50th of his career in first-class cricket, and Worcestershire collapsed miserably to an innings defeat, which is sadly not a rarity either.What the national selector wanted to see, you supposed, was a little more of Moeen Ali bowling, given that the purpose of the England offspinner’s return to red-ball county duty was to get in some overs. Yet Moeen’s ration, curiously, in a Warwickshire first innings spanning almost 92 overs was limited to six.This might look like an odd state of affairs, although Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire captain, should be cut some slack. He had Saaed Ajmal back for his first Championship match of the season, and having reaped the benefits of the Pakistan offspinner’s 63 wickets in nine matches last year he was hardly likely to ask him to play second fiddle to Moeen.In the event, Ajmal bowled 17 overs and conceded 82 runs without taking a wicket, which raised immediate questions over whether the powers he could summon up before his action was deemed illegal have gone. The remodelled version appeared to hold no mysteries for anyone.Moeen might have been given another chance in the second innings but none was required after Worcestershire were bowled out inside 33 overs for 80, the lowest all out total for the county since the match against Warwickshire in 2012 when they were dismissed for 60 and Warwickshire clinched the title.Bell, who made 111 before he was leg before to Jack Shantry as one of five wickets for the left-arm seamer, looked in good order. To say he has been dropped by England is not really accurate. His omission from the one-day series is more a case of allowing him a break from the treadmill after a relatively lean run of form in the Test side and to suggest he is fighting for a place in the Ashes series is an exaggeration.In any event, this was an impressive statement of his wellbeing. The way this match concluded may give the impression of a one-sided contest but Warwickshire had been 35 for 4 on Sunday evening before Bell had settled in and on the second morning a difficult opening session had to be negotiated.Bell was hit on the hand by one that jumped off a length from Shantry, who had Tim Ambrose caught behind by Ben Cox, standing up, and should have seen off Rikki Clarke by the same method when the allrounder was on 9, only for the wicketkeeper to let the ball slip through his hands. Clarke had a second escape before lunch, dropped at second slip off Charlie Morris. But Bell, a model of concentration and exemplary footwork, completed his hundred from 181 balls with three to midwicket off Ajmal in the fourth over after lunch.The evidence is that returning to county cricket usually brings Bell back into form. In his last nine appearances for Warwickshire, he has not failed to make at least a half-century in one innings and four times gone on to make a hundred, something he acknowledged afterwards.”Yes it has been a tricky few Tests but it is not that long ago that I made my last hundred for England and I hope to be part of that for a while to come,” he said. “I have been through highs and lows with England and you go in and out of form and it is nice sometimes to step away from the spotlight, work hard in the nets and hopefully with a bit of form I can get into the Ashes and hit the ground running.”Bell shared partnerships of 71 with Ambrose and 135 with Clarke, as Worcestershire’s optimism of Sunday evening began to dissolve. After Bell and Clarke had ensured that Warwickshire would have a lead, Keith Barker stretched it to 97 with an unbeaten 50 off 54 balls.It was a good lead on a pitch that you felt was likely to help Jeetan Patel as the sun grew in intensity but Worcestershire must have felt they could make a game of it, at least. Instead, they were abject and most of the damage was done even before the New Zealand offspinner became involved. Chris Wright, later to hold a very good catch from a steepler put up by Shantry, removed Mitchell and Richard Oliver in his second over. Moeen pulled him for six but was the bowled pushing at one from Barker and a sense of impending doom seemed to descend in that moment.Resistance was almost non-existent as Boyd Rankin bowled Tom Fell and then Alex Gidman, gaining a third success when Joe Clarke prodded at one outside off stump that Bell caught at third slip. Barker added a couple more to give him seven in the match and Patel wrapped things up, the match ending in the 33rd over of the innings when Charlie Morris hit Patel tamely to mid-off.Warwickshire, for the moment, climb to second in the table. Worcestershire, who have lost eight times in a row now to their nearest neighbours, have been competitive in several matches so far and have that win over Somerset in the bank. but they will need to shake this out of their system quickly.

Royal Challengers Bangalore set up a clash with Chennai Super Kings for a place in the final as they sent Rajasthan Royals out of the tournament with a commanding performance

The Report by Abhishek Purohit20-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:57

Agarkar: Royals needed openers to get some runs

Royal Challengers Bangalore set up a clash with Chennai Super Kings for a place in the final as they sent Rajasthan Royals out of the tournament with a commanding performance.Two of the big three Royal Challengers batsmen failed, but the third, AB de Villiers, made up for that with 66 off 38. Mandeep Singh chose a knockout game to make the first half-century of the season from a Royal Challengers batsman not answering to those three big names. De Villiers and Mandeep added 113 for the third wicket at more than 10 an over to propel Royal Challengers to 180 for 4. On a ground with a highest successful chase of 166 in the IPL, it was too many runs in the pressure of a must-win chase. Royals crumbled without any fight, losing wickets regularly to go down by 71 runs.On a hard and grassy but also two-paced pitch, Royal Challengers lost Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli to Dhawal Kulkarni by the eighth over before reaching 50. Mandeep and de Villiers took a few deliveries to get their bearings before decisively batting Royals out of the match.Mandeep started the counter when he pulled and lofted Kulkarni for consecutive boundaries in the tenth over. Still, Royal Challengers were going at run a ball at the halfway mark. They were to take 86 off the last six overs, Royals’ death-bowling letting them down again as none of those overs went for less than 11.No batsman barring Mandeep and de Villiers was able to time the ball consistently on the Pune pitch. Mandeep was strong on the pull and the cut. Gradually, de Villiers found his hitting rhythm too, against left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma in the 15th over, when he slogged two sixes and powered a four to deep extra cover.James Faulkner went for 42 from four overs to end a disappointing season with an economy-rate of 9.46. Chris Morris had a rare off day too, leaking the same number of runs.With such a stiff target, Royals needed their top order to come good. It wasn’t to be. Shane Watson chased and nicked a wide one from S Aravind in the second over. Sanju Samson’s promotion to No. 3 did not work as Harshal Patel bounced him out. With the asking-rate galloping, Steven Smith grew desperate for the big hit and holed out off David Wiese.Helpless to stop the exit of batsmen at the other end, and struggling to get the measure of the pitch, Ajinkya Rahane departed for 42 off 39 in the 14th over. There was to be no sparkle from Deepak Hooda. There was to be no finishing from Faulkner. There was to be only a heavy defeat.

It says something for the current state of affairs when the captain of Scotland feels obliged to talk down his side’s chances of beating England. But there is a look in Preston Mommsen’s eyes that tells you, in private, he is not talking down Scotland’s c

George Dobell22-Feb-20151:22

Holding: Interesting to see England’s team selection

It says something for the current state of affairs when the captain of Scotland feels obliged to talk down his side’s chances of beating England.But there is a look in Preston Mommsen’s eyes – a steely determination with just a hint of the predator – that tells you, in private, he is not talking down Scotland’s chances one bit. If Hollywood – or perhaps Bollywood – ever make a film about this encounter, the trailer may well feature a voiceover stating: “When the hunter becomes the hunted…”Preston Mommsen knows Scotland have never had a better chance of beating England. And he knows it is not just because England look lost, but because his side has a quality they have never previously possessed.Amid all the talk of how poor England have been of late, it has been overlooked that Scotland possess an opening batsman in Calum MacLeod who has scored 175 in an ODI, a middle-order batsman, Matt Machan, who scored a polished half-century against New Zealand and, in Iain Wardlaw, an opening bowler who rocked the New Zealand batting line-up that thrashed England to an embarrassing defeat.This match is not all about England’s failings; it is about the quality of Scotland.Mommsen knows, too, that if his side can pull it off, they will have struck a blow not just for Scotland, but for Associate cricket in all corners of the world. How absurd would the ICC’s stance look – that future World Cups should involve just 10 teams to guard against uncompetitive fixtures – if Scotland can inflict such a blow on one of the architects of that decision?He makes something of a Freudian slip during his pre-match media conference. When he says “At the end of the day, we’re not meant to beat Full Members,” he probably means that it would be unexpected. But he would be quite right if the comment was taken literally. Because a system where the Associate nations are starved of cricket against Full Member nations, have their opportunities to play in global tournaments snatched away from them and see their funding cut so the vastly rich can have more is a system where they are “not meant to beat Full Members.” Everything is stacked against the Associates.”I think in the whole world cricket, something needs to be looked at,” Mommsen said. “We have one fixture every two years against England. You wouldn’t say that’s enough.”If you look at the stats regarding Ireland and the number of Full Member teams they’ve played against since the 2011 World Cup, I think it was something like nine games. After their performance at that tournament, is that really acceptable in terms of growing the game globally? I’m not so sure that is.

“I don’t think I could really put into words what a win would do for this team, for Scottish cricket on the whole.”Preston Mommsen

“We’ve worked really hard to get into this position of playing in a World Cup, but at the same time we know we’re under pressure in terms of an Associate point of view and putting in performances to make sure that we stand up and be counted here.”But that’s something we accept, something that we embrace, and we’re enjoying that challenge of playing against Full Member nations. As I said, we’re not meant to beat them, so there’s no pressure on us at all, and we’ll take that sort of philosophy into the game.”There is pressure, of course. There is pressure to justify the investment Cricket Scotland have made in overseas tours and central contracts and there is pressure to take advantage of a rare opportunity. Most of all, there is pressure to prove a point for Associate cricket and to help Scotland build for the future.”I don’t think I could really put into words what a win would do for this team, for Scottish cricket on the whole, and what it would do for cricket back home right now,” Mommsen said. “Obviously as a nation we have yet to beat a Full Member team and that is a major goal for the current team and something we’re working very hard towards.”We know that we’re not far away from that. I think our form in the last 12 months has proved that, but we’ve got to actually get over the line and do that.”This game provides another opportunity, but at the end of the day, it’s still another game of cricket, whether it’s against an Associate team or a Full Member team. We’re not meant to beat Full Members, but we know we have the potential to do it and hopefully we can do it here. It’s obviously a good time to be playing them.”It sure is. But apart from England’s poor form and chronic lack of confidence, Scotland have one other significant advantage. Having played on this pitch in the World Cup qualifying tournament, they should be more familiar with the conditions with England. It can also do no harm that their memories of the ground – it was here they clinched qualification for the World Cup – are positive.”It’s definitely an advantage for us,” Mommsen agreed. “I’m not sure whether England have actually played on this ground since it’s kind of reopened and we’ve played here a number of times in the last 12 months.”There is a play within a play here, too. This time last year, Paul Collingwood was working on the England coaching staff under Ashley Giles.But once Paul Downton was appointed as managing director of England cricket, Giles and Collingwood were quickly brushed aside. When Downton was in the Caribbean – supposedly talking to everyone involved in the set-up to canvass their views before making decisions – he spent almost no time at all with Collingwood. As far as Giles and Collingwood are concerned, it is because his mind was already made up: Peter Moores was always going to be given the England job.So it would make an eloquent point if Scotland – now benefitting from Collingwood’s wisdom as Specialist Coach – could defeat England in such a high-profile match. It might even hasten the end of Moores’ second spell as England coach.

ESPNcricinfo assesses Essex’s prospects for 2015

Alan Gardner31-Mar-2015Last season
In:
Out: Ben Foakes (Surrey), Sajid Mahmood, Tom Craddock (both released), Tim Phillips (retired), Tymal Mills (Sussex)
Overseas: Jesse Ryder, Shaun Tait (T20)2014 in a nutshell
It was the usual cocktail of promise, frustration and near misses for regular visitors to Chelmsford. A rousing charge down the final straight, in which Essex won six Championship games out of seven, was not quite enough to secure promotion, although they gained the dubious distinction of having achieved the highest points total without going up since the creation of two divisions. In all competitions, Essex won 22 times, behind only Warwickshire – but two home defeats, both to Warwickshire, in the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup left behind a sense of what might have been. Injuries were a problem, leading to chances for several young players, but while Jesse Ryder established himself as a local hero, Tymal Mills faded from England prospect to ex-Essex boy.2015 prospects
The squad again looks strong, though Mills and Ben Foakes are the latest young talents to move on and Essex will have to cope with the absence of Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate at the IPL for the first six weeks of the season. Ryder is due to return and Essex will hope his seam-bowling remains as effective – he was their leading Championship wicket-taker in 2014 – while Shaun Tait will provide a more explosive option in T20. Should Graham Napier, David Masters and Reece Topley avoid the problems that limited their 2014 involvement then promotion ought to be within their compass; coach Paul Grayson would dearly love a trophy to prove that there is substance to back up the perennial hype at Essex. Power brokers
After seven years in charge, Grayson’s authority is only occasionally questioned around New Writtle Street – he seems to have weathered a stormy period that whipped up at the start of 2013 – but Essex’s habit of falling short is troubling. Grayson has two captains to work with in trying to land a prize or two this year: the evergreen James Foster in Championship cricket, where he led the run-scoring once again; and Ryan ten Doeschate in the T20 and 50-over competitions.Key player
Ryder may never play for New Zealand again – another comeback with the A side was aborted last year – but Essex fans will be the richer. After settling in quickly, he signed a two-year contract at the end of 2014, news that was greeted by rapturous applause at an autumnal ECG. His powerful strokeplay can win matches in all formats; he only averaged 37.05 in the Championship, so there should be more to come. Also proved an unexpectedly wily seamer capable of taking the new ball.Bright young thing
Nick Browne broke into the first XI during the second half of last season and, against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, became the first Essex batsman to hit unbeaten hundreds in both innings of a Championship match. A tall left-hander with a physique and stance reminiscent of Marcus Trescothick – if not the range of attacking strokes – Browne’s tally of three centuries, from nine matches, was more than any of his team-mates. Could be the sort of remorseless run-getting opener Essex have lacked since Alastair Cook graduated to bigger things.ESPNcricinfo verdict
As ever, Essex ought to be in the mix for Championship promotion, should be one of the strongest T20 sides around and could be a good bet for the 50-over cup as well. Youth will be given its head but cynics will start wondering which club cap it will be wearing a year or two down the line. It’s time to break the cycle. No batsman has passed 1000 first-class runs in a season since 2009 but, if that statistic is erased, they have the bowling to prosper.Bet365 odds
LV= Championship Div 2 7-2, NatWest Blast 12-1, Royal London Cup 12-1

Faf du Plessis expressed his frustration after rain wiped out most of the second day’s play in Port Elizabeth, believing that the weather had handed West Indies a way back into the game

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth27-Dec-2014The 84 overs lost to the weather on the second day may have done more for West Indies than any of their players have managed in the series so far. It just might have given the visitors the time and opportunity they needed to force this match into a contest, just when it seemed to be pushing on to the predictable again.”What the rain does is that it just brings the opposition back into the game,” Faf du Plessis said. “It’s very frustrating for us as a team especially after you have had a really good day one with solid batting and we were in a commanding position.”South Africa were only able to add 19 runs to their overnight total of 270 but were eyeing much more in an attempt to close out the series before the New Year’s Test. Now, they have to rethink those plans on a track that will not offer as much pace and bounce as is traditionally expected in this country, and an outfield which started off speedy but will now be weighed down with water.”We know that in Port Elizabeth things take a little bit longer and it’s a slower process but now we will have to speed it up. We have to stick to our plans but to do it all quicker.”South Africa will now approach the Test like they would a first-class four-day match, which could mean settling on a lower first-innings total and being willing to bat a second time. “In a four-day match, if you get 450 or close to that, you’re in a good position so that will be the difference now. We were looking at a bigger score but we will have to bring that down to make sure we win the game,” du Plessis said.He expects Hashim Amla to bat on on the third morning because “280 is not enough”, but also to up the run-rate. “If we bat until lunch time, in a perfect world, we would bowl them out for 200 or 250 and then set them another score in the vicinity of 400 and bowl them out again.”Of course, West Indies have their own script which involves batting in a far more discerning fashion than they did at Centurion. “Patience will be key. Its not coming on as it did in the first Test,” Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies opener said.Du Plessis knows that St George’s surface rewards batsmen who are willing to show patience, because he experienced it first-hand and through the eyes of his partner, Dean Elgar, for most of the first day. “I struggled for most of my innings, and I never felt like I was hitting the ball in the middle. I told myself it did not have to be pretty; it just had to effective,” du Plessis said. “Dean is suited to grinding it out. Conditions like this are perfect for him. He is a gutsy cricketer and I enjoy batting with him.”Despite knowing that a conservative approach could work on this pitch, du Plessis still backed the South African attack to take 20 wickets in less than two days if they had to, even if they could not find the expected reverse swing. “That’s the beauty of our attack – we’ve got the variety.”Morne can extract bounce, Vernon will be in play if there is any movement off the pitch and Dale can do it with pace. Our armory is very strong. Even if there is not much turn for Imran [Tahir], in those four days, they are good enough to bowl any team out. Our bowlers pride themselves on not bowling any bad balls and we know we have to grind when we come here.”That was the case even when there was no cricket to be played. With only six overs bowled between 10am and 5pm when stumps were called, there was a lot of idle time, which left both teams searching for ways to keep themselves entertained.”I wish there was something better to do than just sit around. But we played a bit of change-room cricket and got Russell Domingo to bat a bit. His batting technique needs some help,” du Plessis joked. “You really can’t do that much and on a day like today, you end up a eating a lot more. So our trainer probably isn’t very happy with us.”That much was evident when South Africa’s trainer Greg King kept a careful eye on the post-play soccer match. “You guys are getting stuck in, I’m worried about an injury,” he said as the players jostled for the ball in the damp.If they manage to beat both the weather and West Indies, King will likely forgive them.