Stokes returns to Test squad

Stokes is recalled.

The ECB have announced the England squad for the opening Investec Test against India, due to start next Wednesday at Trent Bridge with Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes recalled as part of a 13-man squad.

The 23-year-old is the only addition to the 12 players who were involved in the Test squads against Sri Lanka which means Chris Woakes keeps his place after impressing for Warwickshire in County cricket over recent weeks.

Stokes has played four Tests in his fledging international career after debuting in Adelaide and was the one shining light from the tour of Australia where England suffered an Ashes whitewash despite the best efforts of their exciting youngster.

The expansive all action cricketer is tipped to re-enter the Test fold after recovering from a broken wrist he suffered after punching a locker in the tour of the West Indies earlier this year.

That proved his fiery nature which made him stand out for the right reasons in Australia. It was a huge disappointment and learning curve for Stokes after his frustrations in the Caribbean saw him miss the World T20 in Bangladesh but he is now back and ready to establish himself in the England set-up under Pater Moores.  

He was told he needed ‘more overs under his belt’ before he was considered for a return in the England whites and he has done just that by inspiring Durham to a 309 victory over Sussex with Stokes taking 10 wickets in the match. Those wickets came in over 30 overs whilst he also scored 77 runs in the match.

The Test series will be the first time since 1959 that India have played five Test matches on an England tour.

National selector, James Whitaker, said: “The selectors would like to congratulate all the players selected in the squad for the 1st Investec Test against India and in particular Ben Stokes who returns to the squad having worked hard to regain his fitness following an injury this winter.

“This series against India will no doubt be a tough one and the selectors would like to wish Peter Moores, Alastair Cook, the coaches and players all the best for a good performance next week at Trent Bridge.”

England squad:

Alastair Cook (Essex) (Capt)

Moeen Ali (Worcestershire)

James Anderson (Lancashire)

Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)

Ian Bell (Warwickshire)

Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)

Chris Jordan (Sussex)

Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire)

Matt Prior (Sussex)

Sam Robson (Middlesex)

Joe Root (Yorkshire)

Ben Stokes (Durham)

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

Wimbledon 2014 Boris Becker exclusive: The ladies tournament is wide open

Serena Williams had no answer to Alize Cornet.

One of tennis' greatest champions, Boris Becker, told GiveMeSport in an exclusive interview that the ladies game is in great shape and that he has no idea who might walk away with the coveted Grand Slam crown come the end of the Wimbledon Championships.

Becker, a Six-times Grand Slam winner, and winner of the coveted title at SW19 in 1985, 1986 and 1989, believes with the experienced grass court players and the exciting young talent coming through, it is difficult to see a clear favourite.

Serena Williams and Li Na out

Barely and hour after the former champion spoke to GiveMeSport, the ladies draw was blown wide open following the stunning victory by French star Alize Cornet over five-times Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.

Adding to this, the early departure of Chinese superstar and number two-seed Li Na, has left the ladies title up for grabs to player that wants it the most.

Ladies draw wide open

French Open Champion, Maria Sharapova has moved into pole position to lift the title 10-years after her only other title at SW19, however Becker remained adamant that anybody can get their hands on there trophy this year.

"Interesting tournament. Many veterans that are comfortable on grass. Many players that are accomplished on grass, and then there is the younger up and coming group. I wouldn't say there is a clear favourite. It is a pretty open and fascinating women's competition and who knows who is going to be in the final."

Despite wins in Brisbane, Miami and Rome, world number one and 17-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, has failed to make it into the quarter-finals of any of the three Grand Slams this season, suggesting perhaps time is catching up with her.

There is no doubt that Williams remains the favourite whenever she walks out onto court, however there is also a suggestion that her opponents believe the aura of invicibility is no longer attached to her game.

Change

Adding to this, the form of some of the more experienced players like Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska to mention a few, coupled with rising talent like Simona Halep, Genie Bouchard, Camilla Giorgi and Alize Cornet has left Becker to believe that a change in the ladies game is near.

Serena Williams dumped out of Wimbledon

"There is a change. Serena has been on top for so long. Naturally she wants to hold on for as long as possible but time doesn't stand still for anybody, even Serena. On a good day she is still tough to beat on a hard court and on grass."

Becker went on to add: "New talent is knocking on the door very loudly and they are eventually going to enter."

To read more on GiveMeSport's exclusive interview with six-times Grand Slam Champion Boris Becker, stay tuned for the second week of Wimbledon.

Follow Boris Becker on his ATP Tour travels with Team Djokovic by connecting with him here on his Facebook page.

Mehdi Benatia agrees terms over £30m move to Manchester City

Benatia was colossal for Roma last season .

Roma defender Mehdi Benatia has agreed personal terms with Manchester City and is desperate to wrap up a £30m move to the Premier League in the next few weeks, but must wait for his current club to sign a suitable replacement before completing a lucrative summer switch.

Benatia was a tower of strength for Roma last season and helped the Giallorossi win 10 consecutive matches on their way to finishing 2nd in Serie A, but that form has alerted Europe's richest teams to his commanding presence in central defence.

The 27-year-old has been courted by Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Monaco over the last six months, but The Mirror believe City have won the race for his signature and a new partner for club captain Vincent Kompany at centre-back.

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Pellegrini to keep spending

Manchester City have reluctantly accepted a £49m sanction from UEFA as they bid to impose Financial Fair Play regulations, but that clearly won't stop Manuel Pellegrini strengthening his squad this summer.

Pellegrini has made signing a top central defender as a long-term partner for Kompany his number one priority, with young French powerhouse Eliaquim Mangala the name most consistently mentioned in connection with a move to the Etihad.

Porto's eye-watering €50m valuation of the 22-year-old has put City off for now though, with Benatia viewed as a more cost-effective alternative that can come in and perform instantly.

On one condition

Benatia has made it patently clear to Roma over the last six weeks that he would love the chance to play in the Premier League next season, despite spending just a single season in the Eternal City following a £12m switch from Udinese last summer.

The 27-year-old has four years left on his contract at the Stadio Olimpico but Roma are prepared to reluctantly sanction his exit for a very tidy profit closing in on £20m, once they sign a centre-back of similar quality that can partner Leandro Castan capably next season.

Back-up plan

City have informed Roma they are prepared to play a waiting game to get their man, but will return to negotiations over Managala if their plans are scuppered by a search for Benatia's replacement in the Italian capital.

Roma boss Rudi Garica has targeted Colombian defender Eder Alvarez Balanta as potential replacement, although thanks to his part in a strong run to the quarter-finals any talks with his club River Plate are on ice until the tournament concludes.

As a result Pellegrini is being patient with his search for a new talisman to ease the pressure on Kompany, who struggled with injuries at times last season and was missed terribly when out of action, despite City's storming run to a second Premier League crown.

Jordan Spieth wary of Tiger Woods' Open threat

Spieth and Woods played alongside each other for the first two rounds at Congressional (©GettyImages).

Jordan Spieth believes the returning Tiger Woods is a "severe threat" to the field at this year's Open championship at Royal Liverpool, insisting he will be the favourite to lift the Claret Jug in mid-July. 

Woods returned to competitive action last week following three months on the sidelines incurred through surgery on a pinched nerve in his lower back, but he missed the cut at Congressional following rounds of 74 and 75 and respectively. 

However, it was just his 10th missed cut of his career - the same amount 24-year-old Rory McIlroy has missed - and Spieth, who has been touted as a future major champion following strong performances in the big tournaments this year, is wary of the threat posed by Woods at the season's third major. 

"He'll take a lot from those 36 holes and I think he will be a severe threat at the British Open - probably as favourite," he said, following his closing round of level par that saw him finish just outside the top 10 at the Quicken Loans National. 

"He looks good, he's not over-swinging it and he's in rhythm. He wasn't aggressive enough putting, but we were all leaving it short. 

"His greens at his house are faster, apparently. Other than that, he's not that far from being right where he was."

Debate has raged about whether Woods will ever add to his haul of 14 major championships ever since the revelations in his private life hit the headlines in 2009. 

He has not tasted major success in six years, dating back to the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines where he defeated Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff, his longest drought since turning pro in 1996. 

Many questioned whether he would ever win again on Tour, but he quelled those suggestions with an impressive 2013 season where he won five times - including the lucrative Players Championship as well as two World Golf Championships. 

Success in one of the big four, though, has continued to elude him despite strong showings in some of them, including last year's Open at Muirfield where a closing 74 saw him finish tied-sixth. 

He surprised many with his unexpected return in Maryland, but said he felt "fantastic" following his first competitive golf since the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship back in March. 

English golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo, now based in the US, believes Woods should add the Scottish Open to his rota if he is to stand any chance of adding a fourth Claret Jug to his collection. 

"He says he feels great, so why not add another tournament before The Open? The Scottish would be ideal, on the Royal Aberdeen links and everything."

It is unlikely the 38-year-old American will heed the advice of Faldo, however, preferring to carefully select the tournaments he plays well in advance nowadays. 

Stephen Moore retires from cricket

Moore departs Derbyshire as the county's top scorer this season (©GettyImages).

Derbyshire opening batsman, Stephen Moore, has retired from cricket with immediate effect, citing family reasons as a factor in his decision.

The 33-year-old leaves the Division Two side midway through the season, whilst being their leading run-scorer for the current campaign.

Opportunities away from sport

Despite being a regular in the side this year, he also stated that career opportunities away from the sport were another important factor in helping him make his decision.

This season he has scored 547 runs, drawing the curtain over his playing career in the entertaining way in which he performed throughout. He moved to Derbyshire just last winter, but also enjoyed happy years with Worcestershire and Lancashire. In spite of being touted to play international cricket, he never won a cap.

Born in Johannesburg in November 1980, Moore was considered for an England call-up following a century against Australia for the Lions in 2009, but wasn’t selected.

2011 County Championship

His County career began with Worcestershire back in 2003, for whom he would represent for seven successive seasons.  That was followed by a move to the side he had the most success with, Lancashire, and in 2011, he played his part in helping them to win Division One of the County Championship.

From 145 four-day outings, the right-hander scored 8,843 runs at an average of 36.39 - that also included 17 centuries. An average above 30 was also sustained in the one-day game.

Derbyshire have been forced to relent the services of one of their most prolific batsmen, whilst languishing near the foot of the Division Two table. They currently sit eighth, having won just one game all season.

That victory came against Leicestershire, a game in which Moore scored 76 in the second innings, as the Falcons won by nine wickets.

Current struggles

The recently-relegated side are in danger of ending the year as the lowest ranked County Championship side too. Leicestershire are only four points behind, despite the fact that they have not yet won a game all year.

Sitting bottom of the Northern Group of the Natwest T20 Blast, supporters can only glint at the upcoming Royal London Cup with any hope or optimism.

And Moore’s departure - respectful to his wishes - will hamper the side and the teammates who he is leaving. In an age where players are generally elongating their playing careers, it is rare to see a cricketer retire at the age of 33 - unless it is due to a career-ending injury.