FLAW SHOW
Dropped catches so costly as Ben’s reign ends in defeat HALF CLUBS YET TO GET PAY-CUTS OK
HALF of the Super League clubs have still to agree pay-cut terms with their players as some squads return to training this week for the August 2 restart.
Castleford, Hull KR, Salford, Wakefield, Warrington and Wigan are the six in question, with all due to talk to players union, the GMB, this week.
A seventh club, Leeds, have verbally agreed terms and are in the process of
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■ getting signed confirmation. Salford officials hope they can reach an agreement within 48 hours.
Talks between Warrington and their players are understood to be progressing, while Castleford are hopeful of an imminent resolution.
Wakefield are maintaining a pay stance they set out in April and are waiting to hear back from the players’ union
BEN STOKES blamed his team’s lack of ruthlessness for a bruising four-wicket defeat by the West Indies.
Stokes will hand the reins back to Joe Root in Manchester this week with the team 1-0 down with two matches to play.
But whether it was the decision to bat first at the toss under heavy skies in Southampton, or leaving out Stuart Broad, Stokes was not backing down.
He said: “I don’t have any regrets. I stand by our decision to bat first but we weren’t ruthless enough to make our batting innings count.
“We’ve got to be good enough to bat first and put the runs on the board. We got into positions to kick on in the first innings but we didn’t manage to grasp the game like we wanted to.
“We base our Test cricket on big first-innings runs and we didn’t make the most of our chances in either the first or second innings with the bat.
“We can identify where we need to be more ruthless but how else are you supposed to learn? You need to have moments like these to understand how we are to progress as players.”
Not since 2007 have the Windies gone 1-0 up away from home and, against the backdrop of the pandemic as well as the Black Lives Matter movement, this was a win for the ages.
Either side could have triumphed on the last day with a target of 200 on the board and there can be no doubting the efforts put in by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to fire England home.
But on their squad’s decision. Chief executive Michael Carter says the average loss for players in net pay would be 11.5 per cent over the year with the highest loss being 16.7 per cent.
But he has confirmed that one senior squad member has been calling for a strike.
Hull KR chairman Neil Hudgell (right) says there is no dispute with his squad, but that they will speak to them and the GMB again guided by a stunning knock of 95 from Jermaine Blackwood, who took his team from 27-3 to 189-6 before he was eventually caught at mid-off, the West Indies rolled back the years.
“It was one of the best wins I’ve ever been involved in,” said skipper Jason Holder. “Day four was probably the best day I’ve ever had in Test cricket.
“It was hard-fought cricket and everything I asked of the guys they gave me, it was a real team effort and I’m delighted.
“I missed the Barmy Army. But it was a level playing field without the crowds. It’s been a good start back to international cricket. It sets the series up quite nicely.”
Stokes and his side will be cursing dropped catches at the Ageas Bowl and mistakes that let the Windies off the hook on the final day and in the end Blackwood’s three lives mattered.
He should have been caught down the legside by Jos Buttler when he had made just 20, but the gloveman dropped the straightforward chance.
The next chance arrived in minutes when Zak Crawley could have thrown to either end for a run-out, but failed to pick up the ball. Blackwood then edged Stokes to Rory Burns in the gully at catchable height only to grab at thin air.
John Campbell hit the winning runs, the same Campbell who earlier retired hurt thanks to a thunderbolt from Archer that smashed into his right foot.
Archer was outstanding, producing the sort of spell at the start that threatened a procession.
First he invalided poor Campbell before accounting for Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase. But the Windies were brave in the face of England’s pace as they have been throughout and celebrated a famous victory. this week. Hudgell said: “Our players have been very understanding of the position we have found ourselves in.
“We hope to relax some of the cuts over the next few weeks. It’s a question of continual re-evaluation.”
Wigan Warriors officials were contacted on their situation but have not commented, although their players were expected for testing today.