Sports

The Two Men Who Finally Brought the Urn Home

Meet the cricketing legends!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 17, 2023

The Two Men Who Finally Brought the Urn Home

This year, we will see two of sports’ oldest rivals square off as England prepare to host Australia in the 2023 Ashes Series. The rivalry is the longest and most storied in the history of international cricket, with perhaps India and Pakistan only coming close for pure ferocity. Over the years, we have seen some classic clashes between the duo, and the upcoming series promises to be no different.

The contest will get underway on June 16th, when Edgbaston hosts the first test. A week later, the pair will square off at Lord’s, which has been a happy hunting ground for the Aussies in recent times. The rest of the contest will take place throughout July, with Headingley, Old Trafford, and The Oval hosting the third, fourth, and fifth tests, respectively.

At present, the bookmakers are clearly anticipating a close series. Online cricket odds provided by Bovada currently make England narrow favorites, with Australia being the underdogs. A drawn series, which will see the tourists retain the urn.

And despite the long odds on the draw, it could be a wise bet. The last time the Ashes were contested on English soil, the series finished 2-2, following plenty of heroics from England’s Ben Stokes and Australia’s Steve Smith. And those two aren’t the only heroes who will feature in this article.

The Ashes is a contest in which heroes are made, icons that were previously unknown until bursting onto the scene in crickets’ greatest showdown. Over the years, several superstars have announced their arrival onto the sporting landscape and into the limelight. Let’s take a look at two of England’s finest from the iconic series contested in 2005.

Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff

For years, Andrew Flintoff had been the jewel in the crown of English cricket. In the build-up to the 2005 Ashes series, ‘Freddie’ had been likened to fellow iconic English all-rounder Ian Botham, but he hadn’t yet announced his arrival as one of his country’s greatest-ever sportsmen. That was all set to change mid-way through the 2000s.

Heading into the 2005 contest, England hadn’t lifted the famous tiny urn in almost two decades, with their last victory coming on Australian soil in 1987. The Baggy Greens would regain the urn on enemy territory two years later, and they would dominate in the seven series that followed, winning by a cumulative score of 28-7. But England had given a great account of themselves in the ODI series, which took place that year’s Ashes series getting underway, and hopes were high that they may finally get one over their oldest rivals.

Those hopes, however, were obliterated in the first test at Lord’s, one of cricket’s most iconic stadiums. Iconic Aussie pace bowler Glen McGrath whittled the hosts down to 21/5 in their first innings and they never recovered, eventually losing by 239 runs. But England were about to bounce back, and one man would be leading the charge.

In the second test at Edgbaston, Flintoff would score 141 runs across his two innings, as well as picking up seven wickets on his and his country’s way to tying up the series, winning man of the match honors in the process. His sportsmanship was on full display as well. When the last Australian wicket fell with the tourists just three runs away from victory, rather than celebrate with his team, Freddie went over to console Brett Lee, providing one of the greatest sporting images of all time.

The third test at Old Trafford would finish as a draw, but more Freddie heroics at Trent Bridge – including his maiden Ashes century – would give England a 2-1 series lead and leave them on the brink of immortality. They would secure the urn after drawing the fifth and final test at The Oval, and Freddie catapulted himself into icon-level status.

Kevin Pietersen

Prior to the 2005 Ashes getting underway, South African-born Kevin Pietersen had never played a test match for England. He had, however, shone in the one-day arena, smashing a bucket load of runs against the South Africans in Pietersen’s homeland. He would add further runs in the ODI series that took place prior to the test series against Australia getting underway.

As such, fans and the media put pressure on the ECB to ensure that Pietersen was selected ahead of long-time English batsman Graham Thorpe for the first test at Lord’s. They succeeded in their demands, and KP wouldn’t let them down. During that first test drubbing, the Hampshire batsman was the only man who gave a great account of himself, hitting half-centuries in both the first and second innings, and that was a sign of things to come.

His brilliant partnership with the blistering Flintoff in the second test at Edgbaston was crucial to his side’s success. He smashed 71 off just 76 balls, putting on a 103-run fifth wicket stand with the giant all-rounder, an essential partnership en route to a massive victory. Disappointment would, unfortunately, follow in the third and fourth tests, before KP showed his class in the fifth test at The Oval.

In his second innings, Pietersen would score his maiden test match century, and he wouldn’t stop there. He ended up with a brilliant 156 before he was eventually bowled out by the incomparable Shane Warne. But not before he had taken all hopes of an Australian victory out of the equation.

Sports

Commentator Nick Knight Has Kept Mum About His Wife and Children

Nick Knight keeps his personal life private.

Published

1 day ago

May 31, 2023

Ish

Nick Knight Has Kept Mum About His Wife and Children

Nick Knight has gained quite a reputation in the field of cricket.

He serves as a commentator after retiring as a cricketer in 2003. While Knight’s professional life is well-known and established, his professional life is unknown.

He has remained mum about his personal life. As a result, there is no information about it online.

Does Nick Knight have a wife and children?

As said before, Knight’s personal life is unknown. As a result, there is no information on whether he has a wife.

There is no information about Nick Knight’s wife and children. (Source: Twitter)

It is possible that he has a wife and shares a daughter with her. Perhaps, Knight wants to keep his personal life private so he has not brought his family to the spotlight.

However, it is also possible that Knight is not married and does not have a wife and children. So, unless the commentator reveals details about his personal life, everything is mere speculation.

Nick Knight’s career in cricket

Knight is a former England cricketer and English cricket commentator. Knight, a left-handed opening batsman and excellent fielder, played 17 Tests and 100 One Day Internationals before retiring from international cricket following the 2003 World Cup.

He was a talented cricketer from a young age. He was named the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Young Cricketer of the Year’ in 1989 and played for Brentwood Cricket Club from 1989 to 1991.

He began his domestic career with Essex in 1991 before moving to Warwickshire four years later. He captained Warwickshire from 2003 to 2005, leading them to the County Championship title in 2004.

Cricket fan with Nick Knight! pic.twitter.com/f8seSTYEuJ— Lynne Sorrell (@sorrell_lynne) March 1, 2016

After retiring from first-class cricket at the end of the 2006 season, he joined the Sky Sports cricket commentary team. His first-class career ended with 16,172 runs at 44.18 and 40 hundreds. In 2004, he hit an unbroken 303 against Middlesex at Lord’s.

Knight struggled in Test cricket, scoring only one century, a 113-run performance against Pakistan at Headingley in 1996. In 1996-97, he scored 96 points against Zimbabwe in a tie game at Bulawayo.

His method was the most evident explanation for this. He was never scared of actual fast bowling, and his footwork was often indecisive — causing him to look to back away from short deliveries at times, and his test innings regularly concluded with a catch to the slips or the wicket-keeper.

Knight was a far more successful and consistent one-day player for England. This backing away helped him score a lot of runs in one-day cricket and became something of a trademark.

Happy birthday Nick Knight, a pioneer for England in ODI cricket.

When he played his last ODI in 2003, his average of 40.41 was the best of any Englishman with more than 1000 runs.

His commentary skills aren't bad either! pic.twitter.com/7VI9rw8CzD— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 28, 2020

In his ODI debut in 1996, he struck a century in his second and third innings against a Pakistan bowling attack that included Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Knight set a world record for the longest ODI innings by a batsman when carrying his bat throughout against Pakistan in 1996.

He was also the first Englishman to bat with his bat carried during an ODI inning. Knight was not picked for the 1999 World Cup roster and made his World Cup debut in 2003.

He played effectively in England’s dismal campaign and faced the first official delivery in cricket to cross the 100 mph mark, delivered by Shoaib Akhtar.

Despite having an astounding career in cricket as a batsman, Knight retired and currently serves as a commentator for the sport.

Sports

Meet Erik ten Hag’s Three Children with His Wife Bianca

Erik ten Hag prefers to stay mum about his children.

Published

2 days ago

May 30, 2023

Priyanka Tamang

Erik ten Hag is a Dutch professional football manager of Premier League club Manchester United and a former football player.

While his professional life has been well-documented, he has managed to keep his personal life private, leading fans to wonder about his children.

Erik ten Hag shares three Children with his wife, Bianca

Ten Hag, the professional football manager, is not only dedicated to his career but also committed to his family. He is happily married to his wife Bianca, with whom he shares three children: two daughters and a son.

Although he has chosen to keep his personal life private, he has managed to maintain a level of secrecy around his family, even withholding the names of his children.

Erik ten Hag. (Source: Instagram)

Additionally, despite having a verified Instagram account, he has not shared any posts, limiting information about his family on the platform.

While the specific reasons behind his decision to keep his personal life private remain unknown, he may prefer to shield his family from unnecessary attention.

However, The Sun reported Ten Hag resided in Oldenzaal in Twente, Netherlands, with his wife and children, and the pair enjoys playing golf in their spare time. Since then, he has moved to Manchester.

Erik ten Hag’s playing career

Ten Hag had a notable playing career before transitioning to coaching. During his playing days, he played primarily as a center-back.

He represented several clubs throughout his career, including Twente, De Graafschap, RKC Waalwijk, and Utrecht, leaving his mark on Dutch football.

Erik ten Hag. (Source: Twitter)

His association with Twente was particularly significant, as he had three separate stints with the club. It was during his time at Twente that he achieved a remarkable feat by winning the KNVB Cup in the 2000-2001 season.

Before his triumph with Twente, Ten Hag had also tasted success with De Graafschap. In the 1990-1991 season, he played a vital role in helping De Graafschap secure the Eerste Divisie title.

After a successful playing career spanning over a decade, Ten Hag decided to retire from active football in 2002 at the age of 32.

Erik ten Hag began his coaching career in 2012

Ten Hag’s coaching career began in 2012 when he was appointed as the manager of Go Ahead Eagles in the Eerste Divisie.

This opportunity was granted to him by Marc Overmars, who was a shareholder of the club.

After his successful stint at Go Ahead Eagles, Ten Hag moved on to coach Bayern Munich II from June 2013 until 2015.

Erik ten Hag. (Source: Twitter)

Following his tenure with Bayern Munich II, he worked as sporting director and head coach at Utrecht in 2015.

In his first season with the club, he led Utrecht to a respectable fifth-place finish. The following season, the team secured a fourth-place finish and earned a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.

On 21 December 2017, Ten Hag was appointed as the head coach of Ajax. Under his guidance, Ajax achieved remarkable success.

On 21 April 2022, it was announced that Ten Hag would become the manager of Manchester United, commencing from the end of the 2021-2022 season.

Name me a colder manager than Erik Ten Hag. I’ll Wait. pic.twitter.com/QDMQJ2ceb4— 𝟭𝟬 (@JosiahUTD) May 30, 2023

In his early tenure with the English club, he experienced mixed results, including a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and a 4-0 loss to Brentford.

However, Ten Hag secured his first competitive win with a 2-1 victory against Liverpool, ending United’s winless streak against their rivals.

He continued to make his mark by leading Manchester United to a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup, becoming the fastest United manager to reach 20 competitive wins.

Furthermore, he guided the team to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United, clinching the EFL Cup and securing their first trophy since 2017.

Despite these successes, Ten Hag faced a significant setback when his team suffered a record-breaking 7-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Keep reading Glamour Buff for more stories like this!

Sports

Predictions For The NBA Finals: Can The Celtics Get Their 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy?

All you need to know!

Published

4 days ago

May 28, 2023

The GlamourBuff Team

Predictions For The NBA Finals: Can The Celtics Get Their 18th Larry O'Brien Trophy?

While they were the betting favorites to win an NBA-record 18th championship for the vast majority of this season, things aren’t looking good for the Boston Celtics as they trail the Miami Heat 3-1 in their Eastern Conference Finals series.

No team has ever managed to make it back from a 0-3 series deficit, so the Celtics will need to make history in jaw-dropping fashion in order to secure a chance at their next championship.

Game 5 tips off in Boston at 8:30 pm EDT, so we could know as soon as tonight what this year’s NBA Finals matchup will be if the Celtics aren’t able to stave off elimination for a second consecutive game.

As of right now, Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts loves the Celtics’ chances of prevailing tonight, listing them at -320 and 8.5 point favorites to overcome the Heat, just make sure to utilize a Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts Promo Code when placing your bets on the Celtics (or any other team or sport) to ensure you have the best chances of winning big.

Here’s a look at how their series with the Heat has gone so far, and what could go down if they manage to advance to face the Nuggets in the Finals.

Missed opportunities marred Boston’s first two home games against Miami, as the Celtics built massive leads in the second half of both games before promptly blowing them away. It doesn’t help that Heat wing Jimmy Butler has shown his ability as one of the most clutch players (on both ends of the court) in the league today, turning into an ice-cold assassin when the game hits crunch time.

The Heat blew Boston out 128-102 in Game 3, feeding off of the energy of their home crowd and limiting Celtics’ stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to just 14 and 12 points, respectively, as head coach Joe Mazzulla pulled them early with the game out of hand.

It was the Celtics who finally kept their foot on the gas for all four quarters in Game 4, winning 116-99 behind a 33-point outing from Tatum.

Should Boston manage to do the (almost) unthinkable and come back from what was a 3-0 series deficit, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets managed to take care of business quickly against the Los Angeles Lakers, sweeping them 4-0.

As such, if Boston managed to win their conference finals, Denver will have had more than a week-long layoff as they wait for the Celtics’ series to finish. That can go either way: right now the Nuggets have an impeccable injury report (with the exception of guard Collin Gillespie, who’s out for the season with a leg injury), so it’s not like they’ll be working their way back to a clean bill of health during the time off.

On the other hand, if Boston is banged up after coming back against Miami’s grueling defense, they could struggle against a fresh opponent. Right now, Celtics’ point guard Malcolm Brodgon is day-to-day with a partially torn tendon in his right forearm, while power forward Danilo Gallinari has been ruled out with a knee injury.

Brogdon is planning to play through the injury, as he has for this entire series, but he’s managed just two points in 35 minutes across the past two games, so it’s clear that it’s limiting his effectiveness.

While he’s an excellent sixth man when healthy, the Celtics might be better off resting him in favor of a player at full capacity, especially because Boston isn’t keeping the injury under wraps: Miami knows exactly how limited Brogdon is, and that should change how they play against him in Game 5.

Gallinari, a depth piece, hasn’t yet played a minute in a Celtics’ uniform, so his absence shouldn’t hurt the team much, if at all.

Mazzulla will have to reach deep into his bag of tricks in his first year as a head coach in order to find a lineup that will help him come back in the series despite Brogdon’s injury.

Without any layoff between a potential series comeback and the beginning of the NBA Finals, it sounds like it’ll be pretty tough to get Brogdon back to full health in time to vie for a championship: tendons don’t heal overnight as bumps and bruises can.

At the end of the day, though, the rest is a narrative written after a series ends. If the team with a long layoff wins easily, it’ll be because they had time to rest up: if they lose in disappointing fashion, pundits will claim it’s because of rust after the time off.