England might have been blown away by Australia inside two days in the opening Ashes Test in Perth but former middle order batter Jonathan Trott is backing Ben Stokes's team to fight back in the remaining four Tests.
The oldest rivalry in cricket resumed in spectacular fashion in Western Australia on a lively Perth pitch as 19 wickets fell on the opening day.
England seemed to have caught Australia on the back foot, especially since the hosts were missing front-line quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, while opening batter Usman Khawaja picked up a back injury during the game.
A target of 205 looked like a challenging one against England's impressive and well-stocked pace attack in helpful conditions. But Australia's makeshift opener Travis Head turned the match on its head within a couple of hours, cracking 123 from just 83 balls to complete the run chase inside 30 overs.
The dramatic nature of the match dampened the mood among English supporters, many of who saw the opening match as the best opportunity since the Australians were missing key players.
But Trott, head coach of Gulf Giants in the DP World International League T20, believes England will fight back. And that they don't need to make too many changes.
“I switched the TV on and England were 100-1 effectively ahead [in Perth]. And then it changed very quickly. It's a great example of Test cricket and how quickly stuff can change.
“I think it's going to be a great series with four to go. And I wouldn't write England off,” Trott told The National ahead of the new season of the ILT20 which began on Tuesday.
“Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been down in a series before and fought their way back.”
While England will be without the injured Mark Wood for the second pink-ball Test which begins in Brisbane on Thursday, the visitors' fast bowling pool of Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Stokes looks adequately potent. Trott believes the uncertainties involved in a day-night Test can make for an closer contest.
“I'm fascinated to see how this pink ball goes, with the quality of seam bowling on show. It's yet to be seen if England are going to change the way they play. I don't think they will. They have stuck to their guns in the past and it has served them well,” the South Africa-born batter said.
“You will see England fight back. I'm not sure on the exact scoreline yet, depending on weather getting into the last couple of games. So it's really tricky, but I would be wary to doubt the England side.”
Stokes to return to white-ball cricket?
One constant in England's effort to rise to the top in Test cricket is the single-minded dedication of captain Stokes. The all-rounder has restricted himself to red-ball cricket for now, having last played an international white-ball game more than two years ago.
But given his consistent output with both bat and ball in the longest format, the temptation is there to get Stokes back in the mix for at least ODI cricket, looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Trott said Stokes's passion for Test cricket is clear, but with major ICC tournaments almost every year, and with McCullum now in charge of all formats, a return to limited overs cricket is feasible.
“If you look at him play a Test match, the amount of overs he bowls … he's just looking after his body, the longevity and the pride that he takes in being England captain. He wants to make sure he is there and available for Test matches and certainly this Ashes is key.
“You never know what things might change. There are all sorts of World Cups coming around the corner. And now that Brendon is in charge of all three teams, we'll have to see what happens.”
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
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