All posts by h716a5.icu

Round-up of the first day of the seventh round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2010Khan Research Laboratories surprised table-toppers State Bank of Pakistan, bowling them out for 148 at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. KRL seamer Yasir Arafat, who has played three Tests for Pakistan, took 5 for 53 – his 40th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Only five of SBP’s batsmen got to double figures. KRL, who are sixth in the table, 18 points behind SBP, finished the day at 78 for 2.Thirty points separate Abbottabad and Quetta in the table, and the gulf in class showed at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium where the visitors were all out for 215 on the first day. Abbottabad’s bowlers shared the wickets with left-arm seamer Armaghan Elahi taking three, and seamer Nabeeullah and left-arm spinner Khalid Usman taking two each. Quetta had lost both their openers with the score still on four. Captain Arun Lal’s 52 and Mohammad Aslam’s 49 offered some resistance, but the last four wickets fell for 12 to give Abbottabad a clear advantage.Karachi Whites hold the advantage in their match against Lahore Ravi after bowling them out for 206 on the first day at the Gaddafi Stadium. Karachi seamer Sohail Khan took his second consecutive six-wicket haul to break the spine of Lahore Ravi’s middle-order. Only four Lahore Ravi players reached double figures, with wicketkeeper Zeeshan Ali the only half centurion.Three wickets late in the day got Lahore Shalimar back into their match against Pakistan Television after a 112-run stand between Ammar Mahmood and Awais Zia had threatened to take the game away from them. After electing to bat at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, Pakistan Television captain Raheel Majeed, who is the leading run-getter in Division Two this season, got them off to a solid start with his 30. Mahmood and Zia then piled on the runs with Zia reaching 75. But Lahore Shalimar seamer Aamer Hayat , who is third in the wicket-taker’s charts this season, helped his team restore some parity with three late strikes.An unbeaten century by Aqeel Anjum took Hyderabad to 310 for 7 on the first day against Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium. The two sides are stuck at second-last and third-last in the table and it was Hyderabad who took the honours on the first day. Opener Sharjeel Khan gave them a solid start with his 61. Anjum then struggled to find a partner willing to stay with him before left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti stuck with him through a 92-run eighth-wicket stand. Offspinner Sajjad Ahmed took four wickets, but gave away 109 runs in his 28 overs.

A round-up of the fourth round of games from the MetBank Pro40 Championship in Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2010Matabeleland Tuskers ran to their third consecutive win in the MetBank Pro40 Championship, Terry Duffin’s 88 guiding them to a four-wicket victory over Mashonaland Eagles at the Country Club ground in Harare. After being put in by Tuskers captain Gavin Ewing, Eagles struggled against seam and spin alike and were bowled out for 196 in the 36th over. Though he fell before the job was quite done, Duffin’s knock set up the win with 25 balls to spare.Mashonaland Eagles are traditionally one of the strongest domestic sides, while Tuskers endured a nightmare season in 2009-10, battling Southern Rocks for the bottom spot. But the roles have been reversed this time around, and this result solidifies Tuskers’ position at the top while Eagles remain winless from four games.After Tuskers’ seamers dealt with the top order, Keegan Meth, Chris Mpofu and Tawanda Mupariwa picking up six wickets between them, the spinners ensured there would be no fightback from the Eagles. Forster Mutizwa blazed to a 25-ball 39 and stand-in captain Ryan Butterworth battled hard for his 45 – his best effort in List A games – but Eagles couldn’t put together any significant partnerships and offspinner John Nyumbu closed the innings by removing Tinotenda Mutombodzi for his second wicket.Duffin, not known for his quick scoring in limited-overs games, seemed to find the boundary with ease and managed 11 fours and a six before falling to Greg Lamb, who was the pick of the Eagles bowlers with three wickets. The 72 runs Duffin put on for the fourth wicket with Charles Coventry swung the game firmly Tuskers’ way, and though both fell before the job was done Keith Dabengwa was on hand to guide the team home.On a batsman’s track at Kwekwe Sports Club, four of the Mountaineers’ top order passed fifty as they reached a massive 301 for 7. Tino Mawoyo continued the good form he showed against New Zealand A with 50, while Jonathan Beukes shrugged off his failures in the opening round of the Logan Cup with a boundary-laden 67. Greg Smith and Timycen Maruma then combined to put on 60 at better than 10-an-over, and despite a lower-order wobble Mountaineers set a daunting target.With stormclouds approaching, Brendan Taylor launched Mid West Rhinos’ chase with a brutal half-century, lacing 12 fours and a six and putting on 90 for the first wicket with Gary Ballance. But after he was dismissed, caught by Hamilton Masakadza off the bowling of Tinashe Panyangara, the innings lost momentum and when the weather intervened Rhinos were 43 runs short on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez could potentially join Newcastle United in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Gomez out of favour at Liverpool

The 24-year-old has had a frustrating season to date, finding himself behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the centre-back pecking order at Anfield.

Gomez has only started one Premier League game all season and even that was at right-back against Norwich City last weekend.

It is only natural that he may be keen on earning more regular playing time elsewhere, with other clubs rumoured to be eyeing up a move for him.

The Latest: Journalist backs Newcastle move for Gomez

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Newcastle could end up being Gomez’s next destination this summer amid links with a move to Tyneside, seeing him as a more realistic signing than someone like Paul Pogba.

The journalist stated: “I think when names like Pogba get thrown around, and then you’re also seeing Joe Gomez, you’re like, ‘Well, that seems much more sensible’. And from what we’ve seen so far, a much more likely route that they go down.”

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The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Gomez may currently be struggling to make his mark at Liverpool but he is a proven defender who remains relatively young, having been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past.

It would be a huge shame to see him move on, and with Van Dijk and Matip both turning 31 this year, he should still be viewed as a long-term option at the back for the Reds.

While serious injury problems may have had an impact, which could alter Liverpool’s thinking, it makes more sense to persevere with him into the future, rather than possibly allowing him to excel at another Premier League club.

In other news, one pundit is excited about a potential Liverpool signing. Read more here.

Middlesex took just 77 minutes to complete victory over Surrey by an innings and 44 runs on the third day at Lord’s despite dogged resistance from Chris Tremlett who produced an unbeaten half century

31-Jul-2010
ScorecardMiddlesex took just 77 minutes to complete victory over Surrey by an innings and 44 runs on the third day at Lord’s despite dogged resistance from Chris Tremlett who produced an unbeaten half century.It meant the hosts took maximum points from a County Championship fixture for the first time in 28 games and inflicted their first defeat by an innings over their historic rivals since 1995 with only one victory in the intervening time, in 2004.Surrey, in contrast, took a solitary point from the match after two of their three bowling bonus points were deducted for a slow over-rate. The last time they were so trounced by Middlesex, an EGM at The Oval called for wholesale manageme changes, though the petitioners were not immediately successful.Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams said: “We’ve just got to take this on the chin and re-group”. He also revealed fitness doubts over Andre Nel, Surrey’s spearhead bowler, for the rest of the season. At least the few Surrey fans who turned up had something to cheer in the performance of Tremlett, whose undefeated 53 required only 42 balls and was his first fifty since joining the county this year.The England fast bowler had made six fifties in his Hampshire days but none was quite as exotic as this. After Surrey resumed 146 behind at 110 for 6, Tremlett arrived at the crease when Gareth Batty was magnificently caught by Josh Davey who, diving to his right, held on to a full-blooded drive one-handed at short extra cover.This gave Tim Murtagh his one wicket in the innings off the day’s 13th ball but Tremlett was immediately dropped off the next by Owais Shah at third slip. Escaping before he had scored, he dominated a stand of 67 runs in 62 balls before Stewart Walters, swinging at a wide one, attempted one Twenty20 shot too many.Caught behind, Walters went for 43 to Pedro Collins who had been brought back into the attack after punishment to Toby Roland-Jones. The inexperienced youngster was given just one over before being wisely withdrawn when it was smashed for 12 runs. He had done the real damage yesterday evening with his maiden five-wicket haul and finished with 5 for 41.Shaun Udal, greeted by Tremlett with a six off his fifth ball, removed Jade Dernbach after another 29 came in 21 balls and then Collins ended the innings next over.

Warwickshire took control of their relegation dogfight with Essex on a rain-shortened first day in the County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston

25-Aug-2010
ScorecardDarren Maddy removed James Foster for a duck as Essex slumped before rain arrived•Getty ImagesWarwickshire took control of their relegation dogfight with Essex on a rain-shortened first day in the County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston. Essex crumbled to 90 for 7 in 27.3 overs as the home side exploited a seaming pitch after winning the toss for the first time in seven Championship matches on their own ground this season.Ravi Bopara, unbeaten with 42 after hitting six fours, was the only batsman to make significant progress during a grim start for Essex in this make-or-break clash of the bottom two. Warwickshire won the first meeting earlier this month at Southend – in between two fearful maulings by Nottinghamshire – and already they are making up further ground on an Essex side clearly lacking in confidence.An opening stand of 36 proved to be a false dawn for the visitors. From the time Billy Godleman was out for 22, nibbling a catch to the wicketkeeper in the ninth over, Essex lost seven wickets for the addition of 54 runs, mostly scored by Bopara.Chris Woakes claimed the first three in the space of 12 balls for an overall return of three for 28. Jaik Mickleburgh and Matthew Walker were both leg before wicket, the latter offering no shot in an error of judgment which typified Essex’s uncertainty.Although Neil Carter unusually toiled without reward, Warwickshire’s first bowling changes paid off almost straight away. Rikki Clarke speared a good delivery through Mark Pettini’s defence and James Foster deflected Darren Maddy’s 11th ball to second slip.Bopara had some luck, but he was easily the most organised batsman as he made his highest Championship score since his two centuries in the match with Yorkshire at Chelmsford five weeks ago.With the total stuck on 90 as lunch approached, he lost two more partners from the first nine deliveries bowled by Boyd Rankin. Richard Johnson, preferred to Tim Ambrose behind the stumps, held a chance from Ryan ten Doeschate and David Masters became the third lbw casualty of the session.Steady rain set in during the interval and play was abandoned after the players had taken an early tea. Even with two-thirds of the day lost, Warwickshire are still well placed to grab a relegation lifeline. A victory here would give them a chance of escaping with their last two matches against Kent and Hampshire, two other teams in the danger zone.

Teams from Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania will participate in the World Cricket League Division Four, to be held in three venues in Italy in August

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2010Teams from Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania will participate in the World Cricket League Division Four, to be held in three venues in Italy in August. USA and Nepal secured a promotion to Division Four after finishing in the top two in the WCL Division Five last year, while Cayman Islands and Argentina were relegated after finishing poorly in Division Three in 2008-09.The teams will gear up in the hope of qualifying for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in 2013, the tournament that will determine which four teams make it to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. The top two sides in Division Four will win promotion to WCL Division Three, to be staged in Hong Kong in 2011.The teams arrive on August 12 and the tournament ends on August 21.Itinerary
August 12 – Arrival
August 14 – USA v Nepal (Pianora); Italy v Cayman Islands (Medicina); Tanzania v Argentina (Bologna)
August 15 – Italy v Nepal (Pianora); Argentina v Cayman Islands (Medicina); USA v Tanzania (Bologna)
August 17 – Italy v Argentina (Pianora); Nepal v Tanzania (Medicina); USA v Cayman Islands (Bologna)
August 18 – Cayman Islands v Tanzania (Pianora); Italy v USA (Medicina); Nepal v Argentina (Bologna)
August 20 – USA v Argentina (Pianora); Cayman Islands v Nepal (Medicina); Tanzania v Italy (Bologna)
August 21 – Final (Pianora); third/fourth place play-off (Medicina); fifth/sixth place play-off (Bologna).

A promising Newcastle transfer claim has been made, regarding the club’s attempts to land a defensive duo…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has delivered updates on the Magpies’ efforts to sign Lucas Digne and Sven Botman this month.

He Tweeted: “Understand #nufc made superb offers for Botman and Digne. So far Lille determined to keep Botman while Digne remains unsure. Remember there’s still a long way to go in the window. Wood will be the second signing of the new regime. Buyout in region of £20m.”

Hope for Howe

This claim from Graves will surely give Eddie Howe hope heading into the next few weeks of the transfer window, with this Tweet leaving the door open on Botman.

The fact that the club made ‘superb’ offers for both players will also delight the fans, as it shows that PIF are not missing out through a lack of effort. They are working hard to reinforce the squad and address key areas, firmly putting their money where their mouth is.

Unfortunately, clubs now know that Newcastle are in a desperate position where they need to buy to help them avoid relegation to the Championship and this could lead to overinflated prices. Teams can raise their valuations by £5m-£10m or more because they know that the Magpies need to move quickly and will have to make decisive calls.

However, it does not appear as though the Botman deal is completely dead in the water just yet. This means that Howe can still hold hope for the Dutchman arriving at St. James’ Park this month, which will delight him as he could be an excellent addition to his squad.

The centre-back has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.72 in Ligue 1 after managing a score of 6.99 in Ligue 1 last term. At the age of 22, he has been able to show strong levels of consistency and could have the potential to improve further over the years, which could make him a great signing for Newcastle in the short and long-term.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Wood: Romano drops big NUFC transfer claim that’ll infuriate Hammond…

Richie Berrington struck a responsible 82 as Scotland overcame a top-order scare to move into the ascendancy on the second day against Netherlands in Deventer

Cricinfo staff11-Jun-2010
ScorecardRichie Berrington struck a responsible 82 as Scotland overcame a top-order scare to move into the ascendancy on the second day against Netherlands in Deventer. Netherlands’ bowling attack stuck to their guns in the early part of the day to reduce the visitors to 61 for 4 before the recovery began, and the lower order finished the day with a lead of 63, with three wickets left.The wickets were shared around, with Mark Jonkman and Adeel Raja picking two apiece, while Berend Westdijk, Peter Borren and Ruud Nijman scalped one each. Raja was getting into his groove, having accounted for Simon Smith and Qasim Sheikh when Berrington began the rescue act. Neil McCallum provided the perfect foil, as they regained ground through patient cricket. Berrington struck nine fours in his 82, and the pair had raised 133 when Borren dismissed him with the first-innings lead in sight. Gregor Maiden who came in next ensured the lead was duly achieved, before McCallum departed having reached his fifty. Matthew Parker worked his way to an unbeaten 28, and his stand with Maiden dispirited the hosts further before Nijman intervened, but the advantage remained well and truly with Scotland at stumps.

According to Spanish news outlet El Nacional, a major update has come to light on Liverpool and their transfer plans involving Real Madrid star Federico Valverde.

The Lowdown: Klopp eyeing midfield additions…

As reported, the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp have seemingly set their sights on improving the club’s midfield options as they become linked with a host of names.

The likes of Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Denis Zakaria have been linked in the central midfield position whereas Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma is also thought to be on the agenda.

However, in what is a very interesting claim, El Nacional say FSG and Klopp now have a Galacticos star on their radar.

The Latest: Liverpool plotting Valverde bid…

According to their information, Liverpool have started ‘preparing an offensive’ for the 23-year-old and are ‘willing’ to table a huge €80 million (£66.6m) offer for his services.

As well as this, it is believed FSG will ‘insist’ on signing Valverde and ‘squeeze’ to reach an agreement with Real over the player – meaning they will push for his signing.

The Verdict: Major claim…

Scoring Real’s winner in their 3-2 El Clasico win over Barcelona on Wednesday, it’s clear the Uruguay international is playing his part under Carlo Ancelotti.

Starting ten La Liga matches and making six appearances off the bench (WhoScored), Valverde features regularly in a star-studded side and his past plaudits indicate why Klopp and the club are willing to pay.

Casemiro claimed he would become ‘one of the best’ in the world in his position with the €160,192-per-week (£133,000) man clearly possessing plenty of ability.

However, given how short Liverpool are in the forward positions with both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at AFCON, the club could be better placed prioritising more shrewd attacking options instead.

In other news: £210,000-per-week star now open to joining Liverpool as FSG plot eight-figure bid, find out more here.

Since their first-round exit in last year’s World Twenty20, Australia have undergone a significant rebuild

Peter English01-May-2010OverviewDependable and destructive: Cameron White•Getty ImagesSince their first-round exit in last year’s World Twenty20, Australia have undergone a significant rebuild and installed Michael Clarke as their full-time leader. The changes have led to hope of a strong performance but, unlike in the Test and one-day arenas, they don’t really know what to expect in the Caribbean.Cameron White, Dirk Nannes, David Hussey, David Warner and Shaun Tait are some of the limited-overs experts who are now highly rated in the squad while Steven Smith and Daniel Christian provide some youth. Clarke, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin bring the experience of productive careers in all three genres.Australia have appeared in 29 T20 internationals, including 15 wins and 12 losses, and should enter the event on a high after being unbeaten at home and in New Zealand during 2009-10. However, they were set back by a tight loss to Zimbabwe in their opening warm-up, which was a familiar result.They were upset by the same team in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and their problems with slow starts continued at the 2009 tournament when they were beaten by West Indies and Sri Lanka. “It will be critical for us that we hit the ground running,” the coach Tim Nielsen said. Already they need to turn things around for the first match against Pakistan on Sunday.Twenty20 pedigreeTwenty20 is Australia’s worst format and the greatest concern is they don’t really know how to be the best. Most of the players are still learning how to master the tactics, although the selectors have finally relied on an impressive batch of specialists with considerable IPL and Big Bash experience. The national side has appeared in a lot of Twenty20s – nine more than India and 15 more than Bangladesh – but most of their main men don’t get a go in the domestic tournaments due to international commitments.Strengths and weaknessesDepending on the day, the fast-bowling attack can be the most frightening weapon or the place to attack. If Tait, Johnson and Nannes are on song life will be almost impossible for the batsmen. If they are loose they will be expensive on the smaller Caribbean grounds. Things might have been worse for the opposition if Brett Lee hadn’t been ruled out on the eve of the tournament with a forearm injury.Key menShaun Tait helped win Australia a World Cup the last time he was in the Caribbean, taking 23 wickets at 20.30. Over the past two years his body and mind have restricted him to limited-overs affairs, where he can bowl a handful of overs at full pace. He has already clocked 160kph this year and is a severe threat whenever operating near his peak. David Warner has become a brutal Twenty20 specialist and has an essential role at the top of the order. While Shane Watson can show his muscle, Warner is the man capable of racing along at two runs a ball without feeling like he’s out of control. In 13 matches with Australia he has a strike-rate of 155.32 and if he fires Australia’s chances improve significantly.X-factorIt still feels a bit strange saying it, but in this set-up Cameron White is a senior figure. Over the past year he has turned from a fringe limited-overs figure into a vice-captain who is dependable and destructive. With the bat he can add steel or power and when he hits cleanly no ground is big enough. In his previous T20 international he crunched 64 off 26 balls in a barely believable display.Vital stats Shaun Tait and Nathan Hauritz are the only players in Australia’s squad with a batting strike-rate below Michael Clarke’s 108.83 In his entire Twenty20 career, Dirk Nannes has played 62 games and taken 84 wickets at an average of 18.89. That makes him the fifth-most successful wicket-taker and he was second on the 2009 listAustralia’s T20 winning percentage of 55.35% puts them in sixth spot overall