England retained the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy after their 239-run win in the third Test gave them a 2-1 lead over South Africa, with just the final match at Old Trafford left. If the victors proved one thing in London, it was that they remain consistently inconsistent. They had subsided to a heavy defeat last time out, yet were formidable at The Oval.
Toby rolled them over
Toby Roland-Jones has given himself a lot to live up to in the rest of his Test career. The 29-year-old debutant took eight wickets in the match, and he now has Hashim Amla for a bunny. Roland-Jones accounted for Amla twice in the match. South Africa’s leading batsman managed just 11 runs across the course of the two innings, at a ground where he once scored a Test triple century, and enjoyed a fruitful stint in county cricket. The Middlesex seam bowler only realistically landed this chance because of injuries to Mark Wood and Chris Woakes. He will be difficult to dislodge from the line-up now.
Use the bat
Much was made of the positive psychological impact Faf du Plessis’ return for the second Test match at Trent Bridge had on his South Africa side. They went from being a shambles at Lord’s in the opener to world beaters within days, with Du Plessis restored to the helm again. His presence was almost Jedi-like, according to the testimonies of his teammates. But he cannot just use the force. He still needs to use the bat occasionally, too. He perished twice in this game having opted to leave the ball rather than play it.
Moeen’s hat-trick
The 100th Oval Test match had the ultimate exclamation mark when Moeen Ali ended it with three wickets in three balls. Quirkily, it was the third time in the innings an England bowler had been on a hat-trick. Ben Stokes dismissed Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in successive deliveries. Toby Roland-Jones did similar to Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander. They were both denied hat-tricks of their own, though. And Moeen was, too – at least initially, when Joel Wilson, the umpire, turned down his appeal for having Morne Morkel leg-before. The match ended when England’s television review was upheld, giving Moeen the first Test hat-trick for an England spinner in 79 years.
Morris minors
This has been a wildly fluctuating series. England won the first Test by miles, South Africa won the second by even more, and then a chastened England reverted back to dominance again. If one player personifies the undulations, it is Chris Morris. The tall fast bowler was not even selected for the first game. Recalled for the second in a revamped Proteas line-up, he was a telling figure in victory, taking five wickets and bowling with rare hostility. Then at The Oval he was back to zero again, leaking 161 runs from 28 overs, an economy rate of 5.75. Any chance of some consistency, anyone?
Cook’s recipe for success
There were two centurions in the match: Ben Stokes and Dean Elgar. Stokes was named man of the match, justifiably, given his first-innings 112, his ante-upping 31 in the second, his three key wickets, as well as the four catches he held. But the defining innings of the match was broadly forgotten in the final count up. England’s batsmen had been lambasted for not placing enough value on their wickets during the landslide defeat in the Nottingham Test. Cue a lesson in doughty resistance from opener Alastair Cook, the former captain and master of the genre. His 200-ball 88 in the first innings, when conditions favoured the bowlers, turned the match in England’s favour.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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