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Captain Jason Holder says squad have “a duty to show solidarity”

Matt Roller28-Jun-2020West Indies will wear a Black Lives Matter emblem on the collars of their shirts during July’s Test series against England.Captain Jason Holder hinted in his first press conference of the tour that West Indies would look to support the movement in some way, and said in a statement on Sunday: “We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness.”The logo used will be that worn on the shirts of all 20 Premier League football clubs since the sport’s restart earlier this month, designed by Alisha Hosannah, whose partner Troy Deeney is Watford’s captain. Deeney was contacted by CWI for approval, and the ICC gave permission for the emblem to be worn on the teams’ collars.ALSO READ: Holder says ‘world must come together’ as West Indies arrive for historic tour“This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team,” Holder said. “We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality.”As a group of young men, we know of the rich and diverse history of West Indies cricket and we know we are guardians of the great game for generation to come.”We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgments because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary. There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop.”We have to find some way to have equal rights and people must not be viewed differently because of the colour of their skin or ethnic background.”Jason Holder sports the new West Indies shirt•CWI

Deeney said: “Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the West Indies cricket team to show their support for Black Lives Matter.”Watching cricket with my grandad, and seeing Brian Lara transcend from being a cricketer to a worldwide superstar, shaped my childhood, so it’s great to be able to help West Indies cricket show their support in such a meaningful way.”The shirts are expected to be worn for the first time in this week’s first-class, four-day warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford, which starts on Monday.The ICC had previously told ESPNcricinfo that they would operate a “common-sense approach to the implementation of regulations” regarding demonstrations of solidarity with the movement, which would be assessed on a “case-by-case basis”.England are also expected to mark their support for the movement during the series following discussions within the squad, and may also wear blue armbands in recognition of the contribution of NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ECB announced last week that players would wear the names of cricket-supporting key workers on their training shirts ahead of the first Test.West Indies’ shirts will also be the first to feature a chest sponsor, like those seen in football since the 1970s. The ICC’s chief executives’ committee ratified a change earlier this month to allow a relaxation of rules on apparel logos for the next 12 months, seemingly to help them maintain relations with sponsors during a difficult financial period.Logos on the fronts of players’ shirts will not be permitted to exceed 32 square inches in size, as per the regulations for ODI and T20I kits. England are also expected to release a shirt with a chest sponsor in the next few days.

The inexperience in the bowling ranks didn’t help, the Zimbabwe captain says

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur25-Feb-2020Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine has said that his batsmen should have taken advantage of the drizzle to stay in the one-off Test against Bangladesh for longer. The visitors were bowled out for 189 in their second innings, eventually losing by an innings and 106 runs. They lasted just 52.3 overs on a cloudy fourth day with occasional drizzle.Ervine said that the batsmen shouldn’t have played shots in the air, rather let the ball get soaked more in the rain. “Batting first, we should have got at least 400,” Ervine said. “The wicket was good enough to post a score like that. Getting bowled out for 265 put us on the back foot and allowed Bangladesh to go past us. We could have also batted better in the second innings. The wicket wasn’t really that bad. I thought our bowlers worked hard to get those six wickets. Obviously [we] didn’t hit the right areas enough, but I just thought that our batting let us down.”It was a combination of application and execution. The guys obviously tried to go over the top and didn’t execute the plans properly. In the past, it has been difficult to bat last in Dhaka. Possibly, guys played a few too many shots because of the turn. But the ball was wet because of the drizzle.”Zimbabwe still had some conviction left in their batting when Ervine, who made a century in the first innings, got set with Sikandar Raza. They added 60 for the fifth wicket before Mominul Haque ran out his opposite number with an excellent direct hit from the covers.”It was very disappointing,” said Ervine. “At the time it seemed like myself and Raza were going well. We got some momentum on our side, and then we basically gave it back to Bangladesh. I have always wanted to get back-to-back hundreds in a game, and I thought today was the perfect opportunity.”He said that Zimbabwe missed Sean Williams the most, but also suffered due to an inexperienced bowling attack.”Sean Williams is a big part of our team,” Ervine said. “He contributes with the bat, ball and field. We missed him hugely.”We have an inexperienced bowling line-up. Charlton Tshuma was playing his first game. Victor was playing his third Test match. Ainsley played a handful of games. Donald Tiripano is the experienced one. We just didn’t hit the right areas for long enough. Without doing that, you can’t build any pressure.”

India have pulled out a win out of nowhere to level the series 1-1, but their task of winning the series has become more difficult with Sachin Tendulkar has become the fourth first-choice player to return to India

Sidharth Monga at the Wanderers15-Jan-2011India have pulled out a win out of nowhere to level the series 1-1, but their task of winning the series has become more difficult with Sachin Tendulkar has become the fourth first-choice player to return to India, joining openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and fast bowler Praveen Kumar. A hamstring injury has ruled Tendulkar out of the series, and Parthiv Patel, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been named as his replacement. M Vijay is the only specialist opener in the squad currently in South Africa.Dhoni is no alien to such circumstances as India have hardly played cricket with their first-choice XIs over the last two years. “We will have to open with someone,” he said. “I don’t know what’s happening, whether we are getting someone from India [as replacement] or not. The visa will take three days at least, he will take the next flight, and by the time he comes here we will have just one match left. I don’t know who will open.”Dhoni sounded hopeful that Vijay will find some form. “Vijay is looking a bit out of form, but he’s working well in the nets. Form is just a matter of a few strokes. Once you get those few strokes, all of a sudden you feel back in form.”These fitness issues have left Dhoni not demanding too much of his fast bowlers either, with the World Cup just around the corner. He said that right now fitness is more important than form, because there aren’t too many choices, especially in the fast-bowling department.Dhoni said he would need to rotate the fast bowlers in this series because there are a few niggles troubling them. “We will have to see what kind of niggle a bowler is having, and accordingly we will decide,” Dhoni said. “Of course right now we don’t have too many fast bowlers to choose from when it comes to the one-day side. You have two bowlers outside, Ishant and Sreesanth, who have not played a lot of ODI cricket recently. This series is important, but I don’t want any bowler to get an injury just because of over burden. We will try to avoid it because World Cup is big for us, but at the same time this series is important.”Dhoni himself seems to be struggling after getting hit in the shin while keeping. If he becomes unavailable during this series, that will be some trouble because India don’t even have a reserve wicketkeeper here.

Fast-bowling duo pick up five wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to modest score on a flat pitch

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jan-20203:25

Iyer’s resolve, Kuldeep’s variations – five reasons why India beat Sri Lanka

India flexed their bowling muscles against an underwhelming Sri Lanka batting unit in Indore, Navdeep Saini taking two wickets and going for 18 across four rapid overs, while Shardul Thakur neutered the opposition at the death with three wickets of his own.Having kept the visitors to 142 for 9 – a total Lasith Malinga felt was 25-30 short of a competitive score – India then flexed their batting muscles. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan flew through the Powerplay overs and put on 71 for the first wicket, breaking the back of the target. Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli then made thirties to carry the hosts to victory, with 15 balls and seven wickets to spare.Although there were bursts of energy in Sri Lanka’s batting, these never lasted long enough to put India under serious pressure. Each of Sri Lanka’s top three got starts, but none could make more than 35. The middle and lower order (this Sri Lanka lineup bats to as low as No. 9) kept being undone by India’s wiles.Wanindu Hasaranga’s three successive boundaries to finish gave the innings a sheen of respectability, but the moment, Rahul hit two stunning cover drives back-to-back against Malinga, it became clear just how good this pitch was, and how much Sri Lanka were going to struggle to defend this score.BCCI

Sri Lanka fail to capitalise on start
Avishka Fernando had looked good too at the start of Sri Lanka’s innings. He had hit his own sumptuous cover drive, off Jasprit Bumrah, to get off the mark, before spanking Saini through the legside twice soon after. But when he was tested with spin, his timing fell apart. Trying to launch Washington Sundar over mid-off in the fifth over, he managed only to find the fielder, departing for 22 off 16. At the other end, Danushka Gunathilaka struggled his way through the Powerplay before Saini rattled his stumps with a 148 kph full delivery in the eighth over.Kusal Perera then looked good through the middle period, hitting three sixes off the spinners, including an audacious reverse-pull off Kuleep Yadav. But with Sri Lanka’s scoring rate now flagging, he holed out trying for a fourth six – Kuldeep claiming the wicket immediately after that reverse-pull. Still, Sri Lanka were only four down, in the 14th over. There was plenty of firepower to come, you thought. Not a lot of big-hitting materialised, however, as Thakur and Saini in particular kept making breakthroughs in the last third of their innings.KL Rahul imposes himself in the PowerplayEach of the six boundaries India hit in the Powerplay came off Rahul’s bat. He clattered Lahiru Kumara through the legside for his first four, then smoked the next four boundaries through the covers – against both seam and spin. There were nervous moments during this stretch as well. In the fourth over he got a top edge off de Silva that fell into space on the legside. In the fifth over Lahiru Kumara struck him in the ribs. But he almost single-handedly hauled India to 54 by the end of six overs – a near ideal start to this chase. It took Dhawan almost until the end of the ninth over to hit his first boundary, but Rahul’s confident work had more than accounted for his tetchiness.Hasaranga made the first inroads with the ball, first bowling an advancing Rahul through the gate with a googly, before trapping Dhawan in front (the original decision was overturned in Sri Lanka favour on review), but by this stage Sri Lanka badly needed wickets to be falling at the other end as well. They didn’t.Sri Lanka’s struggle for menace with the ballSri Lanka were hamstrung by the absence of Isuru Udana, who went off the field with a muscle strain in the fourth over, after making a stop at short third man. Dasun Shanaka – Sri Lanka’s fourth-choice seam bowler – put in a decent shift as a replacement, getting through four overs for only 26 runs. But he lacked Udana’s guile. Iyer would be dismissed for 34 off 26 by Kumara, but Kohli was never going to let this chase meander. He hit a four and two sixes off the last six balls he faced, and the match was done.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit06-May-2011

Match facts

Saturday, May 7, Mumbai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Can Virender Sehwag do it once again for Delhi?•AFP

Big picture

Virender Sehwag has made 422 runs at a strike-rate of 178.81, the most in this IPL. Sachin Tendulkar is next, with 351 at 113.59. While Tendulkar might well reclaim the orange cap from Sehwag, the gaping difference between the strike-rates also reveals the gulf between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. It has taken three outstanding performances from Sehwag to power his struggling side to three of their four wins. Tendulkar’s solidity has been enough for Mumbai’s strong bowling attack to defend par scores. Sehwag has had to be spectacular to make up for a misfiring batting line-up as well as a bowling unit lacking firepower.The three most successful Mumbai bowlers have taken 42 wickets at 6.07 runs per over; Delhi’s top three have 24 at 7.64. Mumbai must be one of the few Twenty20 sides whose batting serves the principal purpose of providing just enough cushion to their bowlers. What some may call a cautious approach has brought them seven wins in nine games, while even a furious churning of the playing XI hasn’t worked for Delhi.The two teams began their season facing each other at Feroz Shah Kotla, where Delhi ran in to Lasith Malinga who shot them out for 95. Their fortunes have followed the pattern of that game, and unless Sehwag can continue to fight adversity with another blinder, tomorrow could see Mumbai extend their stay at the top of the points table.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai Indians: WWLWW (first in points table)
Delhi Daredevils: WLWLL (seventh in points table)

Team talk

Delhi surprisingly left out David Warner for Aaron Finch against Deccan Chargers and he should return tomorrow. They could also consider playing S Nadeem or Roelof van der Merwe as spinning options to add some variety. Apart from that, there should not be too many changes to the XI that played against Deccan.Mumbai’s problem is about dealing with too much of a good thing. Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu have been so efficient, and Rohit Sharma so effective when required, that the others have hardly been needed. The only time they were, against Rajasthan Royals on a difficult Jaipur surface, they managed 94. That, and the fact that the top order, especially Tendulkar, has preferred accumulation to acceleration, seem to be the only niggles for Mumbai.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Morne Morkel may have not had the impact of a Malinga, but he has been Delhi’s best bowler by quite a distance. The Wankhede Stadium pitch usually offers bounce, and Morkel with his natural short of a good length should enjoy it. Delhi’s chances will depend on how quickly they can get through to the Mumbai middle order, and Morkel will be crucial for that to happen.Munaf Patel has taken as many wickets as Harbhajan Singh, at a slightly better economy-rate. His role as second seamer behind Malinga has gone unnoticed, and as always, Munaf has gone about his job quietly. He has performed both roles admirably, taking wickets when needed as well as keeping batsmen in check. Expect more of the same tomorrow.

Prime numbers

• Lasith Malinga’s strike-rate and average in this IPL are both under ten, and his economy rate is below six
• Mumbai and Delhi are among the four IPL teams who have an overall scoring rate exceeding eight an over

The chatter

“If we go too hard, we can get out for 95 also. We have to decide based on the track.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Guwahati

The Preview by Sriram Veera27-Nov-2010

Match Facts

Sunday, November 28

Start time 08.30 (03.00 GMT)
The five-match series will be the last chance for both teams to test themselves in the subcontinent before the World Cup•AFP

The Big Picture

This is the last opportunity for the two teams to play one-dayers in Indian conditions, before the World Cup. In that regard, this is an important series for them to get their combinations right, ahead of the big tournament.India’s stand-in captain, Gautam Gambhir, and Suresh Raina will want some runs for themselves, but it’s the comeback of Yusuf Pathan that will be closely monitored. He was touted to be the answer to India’s search for a big-hitting allrounder in the lower order in ODIs, but never quite managed to replicate his IPL success on the international stage. And later, even in the IPL, his weakness against short-pitched deliveries was exposed. He was released from the ODI squad and has now returned after scoring some big runs in the domestic circuit. All eyes will be on him as he could be a tremendous asset, considering the World Cup is in the subcontinent. But does he have the game to do it? This New Zealand series will let us know. It will also be an important series for R Ashwin, the offspinner.Usually, teams sport a settled side in Tests and experiment with young players in the ODI team. New Zealand does the opposite. Right from the John Bracewell-era they have been a better ODI outfit than a Test one and have an experienced squad for this series. Six of the seven replacements, that include the likes of Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, and Kyle Mills, are in their 30s. Jamie How, 29, who had a pretty decent outing in the Champions League held in South Africa in September, makes a comeback after nearly two years. New Zealand started the Test series short of confidence but ended it with enhanced reputations.

Form guide

(most recent first)
India: WLWLW
New Zealand: LLLLL

Watch out for…

Ross Taylor had a pretty average Test series. He got starts but rarely carried on. He has the game to turn it around quickly and he will be the key player in the middle-order in the absence of Jesse Ryder.Ashwin has impressed many with his performances in pressure situations in the IPLs. It was a puzzle why his IPL captain MS Dhoni hasn’t given him more breaks in the national team. Ashwin’s time seems to have come now. Can he capitalise? He has the carom-ball and several other variations, but does he have the discipline over his stock ball?

Pitch and conditions

This will be the last international game to be played at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati as the Assam Cricket Association is building a new ground on the outskirts of the city, which will host all future international games. The curator Sunil Barua copped a lot of criticism after the last ODI played on the ground, when a dicey pitch let Australia dismiss India for 170. “This is the best wicket I’ve ever made. It will suit batting,” Barua said this week. “All I can say is it will be a lively and sporting wicket. There will be a good total if a team bats the full quota of overs.” Barua said that he had given the pitch a top-dressing with special clay collected from outside to ensure less wear and tear. Dew is likely to play a role as there will be an 8.30 am start.

Teams

James Franklin has replaced Jesse Ryder and Ashish Nehra, who cleared a fitness test, was brought in for Praveen Kumar, who is suffering from fever. There is a question mark over Brendon McCullum, though; though Vettori said he’d keep wickets if fit, the player himself, in a newspaper column, said his back was “not too good” and “it would be sensible to give Sunday’s game a miss”.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jamie How, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 James Franklin/Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Daryl Tuffey/Andy McKay
India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Yusuf Pathan 7 Saurabh Tiwary, 8 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Vinay Kumar/Munaf Patel, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Stats and trivia

• Scott Styris is one of the seven New Zealand batsmen to have scored over 4000 runs in ODIs.
• New Zealand have won only six out of their 16 completed games in 2010, and have lost their last six consecutive games.
• Nehra averages 30.52 in the ODIs but does a lot better against New Zealand against whom he averages 22.47 from 16 games. His economy-rate too climbs down to 3.87 (his career rate is 5.12)

Quotes

“Honestly I’m not thinking about the World Cup at the moment. I don’t want to lose focus and don’t want to think much. The idea is to stay pressure-free. My job now is to perform in the first two matches.”

Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis chip in with useful hands as WA climb out of a hole

The Report by Alex Malcolm29-Nov-2019Exciting Western Australia allrounder Cameron Green has continued his outstanding recent form with an unbeaten 95 to dig the home side out of a hole against South Australia on day one at the WACA.Marcus Stoinis also made an excellent 79 and shared a 122-run stand with Green after WA had slumped to 4 for 94 earlier in the day. Green struck 16 boundaries in a fluent innings, but was left five short of a second Sheffield Shield century when stumps were called.WA battled early with two unusual dismissals accounting for new opening pair Jake Carder and Cameron Bancroft. Carder, on debut, chopped on trying to leave a ball outside off stump. Bancroft, having been released from the Test squad to play for WA, fell to a leg-gully trap for the fourth time in five innings when he glanced Joe Mennie to Jake Weatherald.Shaun Marsh continued his sublime touch, cruising to 41 before gifting a return catch to Chadd Sayers. Captain Ashton Turner was Sayers’ second victim when he was caught behind. Sayers became the fifth South Australia bowler to take 250 wickets as WA teetered at 4 for 94.But Green and Stoinis steadied the ship and looked like they would take the game away from the Redbacks until Stoinis was run out. He called for a single thinking he had beaten Wes Agar at point, but Agar produced a stunning diving save and return to the keeper in one motion, leaving Stoinis stranded after he was sent back by Green.Josh Inglis picked up where Stoinis left off and helped Green move WA towards 300.

It could be time for West Ham to finally offload Manuel Lanzini this summer…

What’s the word?

According to El Intransigente, the Irons are prepared to sell the 28-year-old midfielder as he’s no longer an integral part of the squad, often finding himself out of the starting XI, and his former club River Plate are keen to bring him back to Argentina.

Lanzini only signed a contract extension in 2019, keeping him at the Hammers until 2023 after joining the east London club for £9m three years earlier.

Claret & Hugh also believe the attacking maestro is available for transfer if the right price is offered, but it remains to be seen exactly how much that is. The five-time international is currently valued at just €7m (£6m) by CIES Football Observatory and is thought to be raking in around £70,000 per week as one of the Irons’ highest earners.

Stealing a living

Barring the odd stunner – that goal against Tottenham this season springs to mind – Lanzini has not been the same player since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2018.

Given his age, he’s rather unlikely to ever get back to his best – or at least the level required for a likely European battle next term.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-transfer-rumours-gossip-latest-moyes-gsb-london-stadium” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

In the last three seasons, the Argentina playmaker has failed to score more than one goal and provide more than two assists in the Premier League. That’s a total of two goals and four assists across three years, as per WhoScored, and that is simply not good enough.

The Hammers also signed Said Benrahma in the summer transfer win dow and will push to keep hold of Jesse Lingard, so there’s really no need to keep Lanzini festering away on their books. As Frank McAvennie told Football FanCast exclusively this month, the 28-year-old is “a luxury player.”

Darren Bent once told Football Insider that the midfielder had “wonderful feet” and was “certainly a top player,” but on the above evidence, he hasn’t delivered for some time and is merely stealing a living at this point.

Any fee accrued from his departure and the burden of his wages lifted off the club’s books could go towards a new signing or two, and we know how desperate Moyes will be for a striker, so it certainly makes sense to get rid of Lanzini sooner rather than later.

It’s time to show no mercy and offload the West Ham flop this summer.

AND in other news, Forget Abraham: £18m-rated “monster” could take West Ham to a new level…

Interim Tottenham Hotspur boss Ryan Mason was badly let down by Giovani Lo Celso, and not for the first time this week, as the north Londoners were defeated in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday evening.

Spurs’ 13-year wait for silverware will rumble on for another season after they were played off the park by league leaders Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

Mason’s side struggled to have much of an impact throughout the 90 minutes, with Pep Guardiola’s rampant City side recording a whopping 62% of the possession, whilst Spurs only managed to have one shot on target all game.

It’s almost as if Jose Mourinho were still in charge as they suffered from a void of creativity and spark in attack, leaving the returning Harry Kane with far too much to do on his own.

Which is why the Argentine playmaker has to be questioned as it was his role in midfield that contributed to their woes significantly.

In the build-up to kick-off, Football FanCast urged Mason to axe the 25-year-old from his starting XI following a disappointing display against Southampton in midweek and he did very little to warrant the 29-year-old’s faith in him here as he dropped another shocker.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

As per SofaScore, Lo Celso managed just 27 touches before he was hooked in the 67th minute. By comparison, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had more of an influence, recording double that number (54), so he was clearly more like a passenger in the heart of the engine room, rather than their talisman.

Think of Christian Eriksen, someone of that ilk was sorely missed.

In terms of creativity and attacking output, the former Real Betis star failed to record a single key pass or a successful cross and it was he who wasted Spurs’ one and only shot on target.

The £36m-rated ace was rather weak and far from his industrious self as he also didn’t manage a tackle, committed three fouls (the most on the pitch) and won just two of six duels (33%), via SofaScore.

Similarly, football.london’s Alasdair Gold described Lo Celso as ‘sloppy’ in his post-match ratings column, whilst the Telegraph were even more scathing, claiming the midfielder was ‘OK, which is pretty much all he has been since arriving from Real Betis two years ago.’

Indeed, the 21-cap international is still yet to set the ground alight in the 18 months he’s been in north London and defeat in the final on Sunday was another reminder that he perhaps does not belong in the starting XI.

He, along with many others, badly let Spurs and Mason down.

AND in other news, Spurs given fresh boost in Julian Nagelsmann pursuit…

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Eight years ago an incident at Ibrox went into Celtic folklore.

When Scott Brown guided a brilliant 20 yard drive around Allan McGregor and inside the post he did more than just equalise in a pulsating Scottish Cup tie – ‘The Broony’ was born.

El Hadji Diouf had been as irritating on the park as he had been in the media beforehand, so when Brown’s shot hit the back of the net there was one person that he wanted to share the moment with – the on-loan Blackburn Rovers midfielder.

Thus, a legend was born.

The Broony has been a stable part of the Celtic supporter experience since that day with it’s originator more than happy to join in, especially on the rare occasions that he finds the back of the net.

That Scottish Cup tie was won in a dramatic replay at Celtic Park, the Hoops going on to claim the trophy with a win over Motherwell at Hampden Park. It was the first trophy for Neil Lennon as manager, and it certainly wasn’t the last.

The title was lost on the final day of the season but since 2012 the SPL/SPFL trophy has been a fixture in the Celtic board room.

Last week Brown signed a two-year contract extension. If title number eight is clinched there’s no doubt that ‘The Broony’ will be at the centre of the celebrations.