England captain Ben Stokes, centre, needs more firepower in his bowling attack. AP
England captain Ben Stokes, centre, needs more firepower in his bowling attack. AP
England captain Ben Stokes, centre, needs more firepower in his bowling attack. AP
England captain Ben Stokes, centre, needs more firepower in his bowling attack. AP

England face difficult call on bowling attack for Lord's Ashes Test


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England will have to make some tough decisions on the make-up of their bowling attack for the second Ashes Test at Lord's after Australia pulled off a tense two-wicket win in the series opener in Birmingham.

Captain Pat Cummins delivered with ball and bat to pull off one of the greatest wins in Ashes history. In the second innings, Cummins held fort until the end, scoring an unbeaten 44 to help chase down 281. He finished the game with 82 runs and four wickets.

As good as Cummins, and Usman Khawaja (141 and 65 in the match), were for the Aussies, Ben Stokes and England will be wondering how the match got away from them.

The hosts made a bold declaration on the opening day on 393-8 and even earned a first innings lead. In the final innings, they had Australia at 227-8 and all recognised batsmen dismissed.

The lack of serious firepower in their attack, on a relatively flat surface, came back to haunt them as Cummins and tail-ender Nathan Lyon saw the Aussies over the finish line.

At Edgbaston, veteran seamer James Anderson could only manage one wicket the entire match. Stuart Broad posed problems throughout the game, but he did not receive the kind of pressure required from the other end.

Returning off-spinner Moeen Ali damaged the skin on his bowling finger, hampering his effectiveness in the second innings, while Stokes kept running in on sheer willpower while managing his dodgy knee.

In case England persist with relatively flat wickets for the Ashes, they will need some more teeth in their bowling attack.

Fast bowler Mark Wood looks almost certain to play the second game, as he is the only one in the squad who can bowl at 150 kph. However, who does he come in for will be the million dollar question.

  • Australia's captain Pat Cummins celebrates after hitting the winning runs against England on day five of the Ashes first Test at Edgbaston on June 20, 2023. Getty
    Australia's captain Pat Cummins celebrates after hitting the winning runs against England on day five of the Ashes first Test at Edgbaston on June 20, 2023. Getty
  • Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates after beating England. Getty
    Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates after beating England. Getty
  • Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates after hitting the winning runs with teammate Nathan Lyon. Getty
    Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates after hitting the winning runs with teammate Nathan Lyon. Getty
  • England captain Ben Stokes reacts. AP
    England captain Ben Stokes reacts. AP
  • Joe Root of England celebrates with Ben Stokes after catching Alex Carey of Australia off his own bowling. Getty
    Joe Root of England celebrates with Ben Stokes after catching Alex Carey of Australia off his own bowling. Getty
  • England captain Ben Stokes celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Australia's Usman Khawaja. PA
    England captain Ben Stokes celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Australia's Usman Khawaja. PA
  • Ollie Robinson of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Cameron Green. Getty
    Ollie Robinson of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Cameron Green. Getty
  • Australia's Cameron Green is bowled by Ollie Robinson. AFP
    Australia's Cameron Green is bowled by Ollie Robinson. AFP
  • England's Ollie Robinson celebrates after taking the wicket of Cameron Green. Getty
    England's Ollie Robinson celebrates after taking the wicket of Cameron Green. Getty
  • Australia's Cameron Green is bowled by England's Ollie Robinson during day five of the first Ashes test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Picture date: Tuesday June 20, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story CRICKET England. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the ECB. Still image use only. No moving images to emulate broadcast. No removing or obscuring of sponsor logos.
    Australia's Cameron Green is bowled by England's Ollie Robinson during day five of the first Ashes test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Picture date: Tuesday June 20, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story CRICKET England. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the ECB. Still image use only. No moving images to emulate broadcast. No removing or obscuring of sponsor logos.
  • Moeen Ali of England celebrates with Ben Stokes after taking the wicket of Travis Head. Getty
    Moeen Ali of England celebrates with Ben Stokes after taking the wicket of Travis Head. Getty
  • England's Moeen Ali celebrates after dismissing Australia's Travis Head. AP
    England's Moeen Ali celebrates after dismissing Australia's Travis Head. AP
  • England's Stuart Broad celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia's Scott Boland on day five of the first Ashes Test match at Edgbaston on June 20, 2023. PA
    England's Stuart Broad celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia's Scott Boland on day five of the first Ashes Test match at Edgbaston on June 20, 2023. PA
  • Australia's Scott Boland after being dismissed by England's Stuart Broad. PA
    Australia's Scott Boland after being dismissed by England's Stuart Broad. PA
  • Australia's Scott Boland ducks under a short ball. AFP
    Australia's Scott Boland ducks under a short ball. AFP
  • Travis Head of Australia hits out. Getty
    Travis Head of Australia hits out. Getty

Former England batsman and batting coach Mark Ramprakash believes the home team need Wood in their attack.

“By and large, England will be happy they played the brand of cricket they wanted to,” Ramprakash told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“The only thing is, they have asked for quite flat wickets which are batter-friendly which can, to a degree, negate England's greatest bowler in Jimmy Anderson, who only took one wicket in the game.

“His form will perhaps be a bit of a concern going forward to Lord's and they will have to make a call on selection.

“It was a big thing for Moeen Ali to come back in but, with the amount of overs he bowled, he ripped the skin off his spinning finger and that impaired his performance in the second innings and that is something they will have to look at very closely.

“I expect Mark Wood to be seriously considered because England need some pace in their line-up.

“It is just injecting a bit of life. If Moeen is struggling, what variety do England have in their attack if the wicket is flat? I do expect Wood to come back in.”

The second Test begins next Wednesday.

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Healthy tips to remember

Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:

Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast

Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits

Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day

Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet

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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Updated: June 21, 2023, 9:35 AM