Tag Futebol

As expected, Ireland defended their Intercontinental Cup title at a canter at Grace Road, thumping an unprepared and outclassed Canadian side in a little over five sessions. In Windhoek two years ago, an inspired declaration set up a remarkable victory over Kenya. At Leicester, they barely broke sweat.The one-sided final should not, however, disguise the fact that this competition continues to go from strength to strength. The ICC receives no end of brickbats, but this is one thing that is has got right and for that it deserves a pat on the back.There have been teething problems. A skewed points system in the first two years seriously disadvantaged sides who suffered from the weather, but those were amended this time round. There was still a feeling that the group stages were a bit of a lottery and that the strongest sides did not necessarily win through to the final.As a result, the 2007-08 tournament will undergo another major overhaul. Gone are the group stages and the final, and in their place we have a simple league format where each side plays the others once. Critics may argue that it’s not truly reflective of each side’s status unless they all meet on a home-and-away basis, but given tight budgets and the amateur status of most of the players, there have to be limits.The increase in matches from a minimum of three in a year to seven in two years can only be good for the development of the game. Kenya recently sent a side to Zimbabwe to participate in the Logan Cup, the domestic first-class competition. While there was no doubting their ability, they came unstuck by their lack of familiarity with four-day cricket and often failed to press home advantages. The skills required for the longer game differ considerably from the one-day cricket which they almost exclusively play.The Intercontinental Cup gives batsmen the opportunity to build an innings and teaches bowlers that it’s not all about containment and wicket-taking does matter. In short, it allows the cream to rise to the top. It also provides a shop-window for players to try to impress potential employers.The main flaws are financial. Canada would almost certainly have lost to Ireland even if they had all the preparation in the world. But some of their side went into the match not having played for months, and the demands of their full-time jobs meant their acclimatisation to English conditions was almost non existent. Only better funding can address that, and at least one leading Associate aims to go semi, if not fully, professional within the foreseeable future. Some monetary issues will be eased in 2009 when the income from the ICC’s media deal with ESPN kicks in, resulting in a much bigger slice of the pie for all Associates.There is also a worry that eight countries is too many. Four or five are there or thereabouts, but there is not strength in depth and with Bermuda in freefall, one of the up and coming countries appears to have done an abrupt about-turn and are heading south.The 2007-08 competition, which starts in Toronto in five weeks, should sort the wheat from the chaff.

South Africa’s allrounder Jacques Kallis created history when he joined Garry Sobers as the only player to have scored 8000 runs and taken 200 wickets in Tests.Kallis reached the landmark an hour after lunch when Stephen Fleming edged a drive to AB de Villiers at third slip.”It’s a special club, obviously, and it’s an honour to join it,” said Kallis. “It will probably mean more to me after I have finished playing when it begins to sink in and I can look back and see what I have achieved. I’m very proud of joining a man like him.”Kallis is playing in his 102nd Test .Jacques Kallis match-by-match

Scorecard
Namibia secured a first innings lead on the second day of their Intercontinental Cup match in Windhoek. Louis Burger led the way with 87 and was well supported by Gerrie Synman, who made 75.Namibia’s innings was at a vital juncture on 153 for 5 when Burger and Synman joined forces. They added 121 for the sixth wicket, with Synman taking the aggressive role, striking four sixes in his 100-ball innings.But their progress was checked by Lameck Onyango, who went for 15 in his first over yesterday, but came back with three wickets. Martin Suji chipped in with a brace but Deon Kotze was able to declare with a lead of 35.That advantage took on significant proportions when Kenya lost two early wickets, but Kennedy Otieno and Steve Tikolo steadied proceedings and guided Kenya to the close without further loss. Tikolo’s unbeaten 41 continue is impressive form, following his first innings 86 on the opening day.

Sussex 195 and 51 for 0 trail Lancashire 335 (Law 171, Mushtaq 4-88) by 89 runs
Scorecard

Championship cricket at its best graced Hove today – and despite encountering Stuart Law in consummate and immoveable touch, Sussex are still in with a shout in this enthralling game. By the close they lay 89 behind with all ten second-innings wickets left.After the gun-metal skies of Wednesday – and the sort of mediocre batting performance that Sussex just didn’t deal in during their golden 2003 – the County Ground wore a far sunnier aspect. A decent crowd had more need of sunhats than balaclavas, the blossom around the ground had burgeoned overnight, and seagulls wheeled noisily on a perfect spring morning. More importantly for the spectators, Sussex claimed an early wicket when Robin Martin-Jenkins found enough awayswing to pass the edge of Mal Loye’s bat and clatter into his off stump.Iain Sutcliffe and Stuart Law had few opportunites to score, but on a pitch without yesterday’s venom – not that there had been that much – they soon settled to the task of acquiring runs. Well though the Sussex seamers bowled, a wicket looked an age away. But then Kevin Innes conjured a fine slower ball to deceive Sutcliffe, give Sussex a toe-hold on the game, and reduce Lancashire to 120 for 3.This brought together the powerhouse of Lancashire batting: between them Carl Hooper and Law have 72 years, a deep mine of experience and approaching 45,000 first-class runs. Of late, Law has developed a taste for the Sussex attack. At Essex, he never managed a hundred against them, but since moving to Manchester, he’s hardly missed out. Coming into this game, he already had three to his name.Over the next couple of hours, he and Hooper – slowly at first, but with increasing fluency – chipped away at the Sussex total. Nine overs after lunch, Lancashire moved into the lead. But Mushtaq Ahmed, fairly pedestrian in his first few overs, began to trouble Hooper, eventually having him caught off bat and pad for 34.The powerhouse had added 109 in 31 overs, and even now, at 229 for 4, a lead of 200-plus looked on. Law was imperious. Nothing unsettled him, not even the regular traipse back to the pavilion of his partners. Glen Chapple held on long enough to share a stand of 57 (his contribution was 10) and help Law to a hundred containing neither alarm nor excursion. He was strong all round the wicket, his driving off the front foot and back was exquisite, his timing majestic, his placement perfect.As an indication of just how easy the county game is for Law, this was his seventh century in 14 Championship innings. Not that he was finished: despite a mid-innings collapse in which four Lancashire batsmen fell for six runs – including yesterday’s hero Dominic Cork first ball – Law moved serenely onwards. An unbeaten 171 (from 246 balls and with 22 fours and a six) took his Sussex spree in just over two years to 847 at an average of 211.David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, was presumably not here to be reminded of Law’s magisterial talent, but he has applied for British nationality. He may be 35, but just now his form is irresistible. Without him, Lancashire would have been facing a deficit, rather than a lead of 140.Keeping the arrears within manageable proportions was something of a moral victory for Sussex, who as so often had Mushtaq to thank. His potent mixture of variations proved too much for a bemused tail. The openers whittled the deficit down – and against all expectations, Sussex are still in this game.Hugh Chevallier is deputy editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has announced that 28-year-old paceman Mark Harrity, has accepted a contract with Worcestershire Country Cricket Club, making him unable to continue playing first-class cricket for South Australia.Harrity, who has been contracted by the SACA since the 1993/94 season, has accepted a two-year contract to play for Worcestershire, and will be classified as a local in England. This classification means that, effective today (January 31), Harrity is unable to continue playing for the West End Redbacks.The SACA’s cricket operations manager, Mr Harvey Jolly, said that Mark has been an enormous talent and asset to cricket in South Australia during the past decade and he will be sadly missed by his team mates and work colleagues.”Mark has been a valuable asset to the Redbacks for a more than a decade now – a length of time which has earned him significant respect from around the world. The Worcestershire contract is testament to his talent.””Mark has been one of the true characters around Adelaide Oval for a long time, and I know that his team mates and the staff at SACA will miss his good humour and friendship, and we wish him all the very best for the next stage of his cricketing career,” said Mr Jolly.Harrity, affectionately known as Hags, has played 73 first-class matches with South Australia, taking 197 wickets at an average of 38.37, with a career best performance of 5 for 65.Harrity made his limited-overs debut for South Australia in 1995 and has taken 64 wickets in that competition at an average of 26.46 with a best bowling performance of 5 for 42.Replacing Harrity in the Redbacks twelve-man ING Cup squad to take on the Western Warriors at Adelaide Oval tomorrow (February 1), will be 19-year-old paceman Shaun Tait.

It was a dream come true for the fast bowling duo from Bangladesh. Theyhad always dreamt of emulating him. But being from Bangladesh, theirchances of realising their dream were limited. However, both ManjuralIslam and Habibul Bashar now consider themselves very lucky to haveinteracted with the legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee.Islam and Bashar, incidentally are the first Bangladeshi cricketers toattend the MRF Pace Foundation at Chennai.Bashar and Islam went back to Dhaka via Kolkata today. On their way,they said that even after playing Test matches, they had not realizedthat they had so much to learn. Islam boasts the best bowlingperformance by a Bangladeshi in a Test match. Today, he said that thecaptain of their team, Naimur Rahman had captured six wickets againstIndia in the inaugural Test that their country played. "However,against Zimbabwe this year, I also took six wickets conceding a lessernumber of runs. So at the moment, the record belongs to me," saidIslam. He also added that both of them had created a record of sortsby being the first to attend the Pace Foundation from Bangladesh.Sitting at a hotel close to the airport, both expressed theirsatisfaction at the way Lillee had helped them. Bashar said, "He wassuch a great bowler. But he was always down to earth. He mixed freelywith us and paid us the same attention that others at the camp got."Of the two, the more Islam added, "We had certain problems in ourfollow through. Lillee was very patient with us and rectified ourfaults. I was not completing my follow through while Bashar was notbringing down his arm properly."While Bashar had played the first Test match against India, Islam hadnot and still regrets missing out on being a part of history. Basharincidentally had dismissed Sadagoppan Ramesh in the Indian firstinnings. Islam said, "He is lucky. However, I plan to make up when weplay in the Asian Test Championship match against India. After that wehave a full series against Zimbabwe consisting of three Test matchesand five one-dayers. Our aim is to remain fit and play in all thethree matches."Both at present, however, want to concentrate on what they have learntfrom Lillee. Islam informed that after returning home they would beunder the wing of former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts. "He isalso a great bowler. So we plan to pick up useful tips from him also.We have learnt that to fight in the international arena one has tolearn new things every now and then. Otherwise success becomes verydifficult."

ScorecardChris Jordan demonstrated his outstanding reflexes to remove Jack Leaning•Getty Images

A year ago Gary Ballance and Chris Jordan were toasting the crowd after the Oval Test. Both had been integral in the turnaround series victory against India: Ballance with his adhesiveness and bottom-handed accumulation; Jordan with his sprightly pace bowling and vivacious presence in the field.They have not had much cause to cheer in the 12 months since. A side strain rendered Jordan unavailable for the Ashes, though he had already lost his Test place after underwhelming performances in the Caribbean. Ballance’s descent, from phlegmatic No.3 to Ashes discard after two Test, was altogether more surprising; his only part in the celebrations after the urn was regained was speaking to the squad on FaceTime.Less than four months ago, Ballance scored 331 runs in six Test innings in the Caribbean. But the pace and late swing of Australia and New Zealand combined to slice and dice his technique open; a compact and well-organised Test match game gave way to porous defence and ponderous foot movement.The upshot was a return to Yorkshire – not at 3, but in his old county position at No. 5. In the month since trudging off at Lord’s, Ballance has made two half-centuries in the Royal London One Day Cup, but his return to first-class cricket against Durham at Scarborough brought only 11 runs across two innings.So it would have been cathartic had Ballance reached his 26th first-class century in the final over of the day at Hove. It looked as if he would have five balls to do so, but a routine misfield at mid-off allowed Tim Bresnan to return for two, and deprived Ballance of a chance to add the two runs he needed to bring up his first century in any cricket since making 122 at Antigua in April.No matter. If Ballance’s was an imperfect innings with rather jittery beginnings, it was also testament to the resilience and tenacity of this cricketer. After being dropped by England he had vowed that he would have the confidence not to remodel his game. He has remained true to his word and, in an era of stultifying over-analysis, that shows a certain courage.It was an innings defined by the usual Ballance trademarks: leaving diligently outside off stump, and shuffling across his stumps to chisel anything straight through the leg side. His drive was kept hidden away, like a very expensive wine, but was uncorked as his confidence grew in the evening sunshine.Ballance had earned the right to showcase his more expansive side after withstanding a ferocious spell from Jordan at the start of his innings. When England completed their victory over India at The Oval last year, Ballance scored 64, and Jordan took 7 for 50 in the game. Now both were attempting to remind the selectors of their merits ahead of the trip to the UAE.Jordan resolved to remind Ballance of his travails against Antipodean opposition, harassing him outside off stump and throwing in bouncers and several yorkers in an attempt to disturb his equilibrium. Several times Ballance was late on the ball, but just about managed to protect his stumps from harm. With his feet stubbornly refusing to move, Ballance did not resemble a man who should be playing a higher level of the game.Yet what mattered is that, somehow, he survived. After taking an hour to score his first boundary, a shovel through the covers off Steve Magoffin, Ballance surreptitiously gained fluency. And Yorkshire, too, highlighted why they are sauntering to the title: reduced to 22 for 2 after Jordan’s athletic caught-and-bowled off Jack Leaning and later 134 for 4, they ended the day with Ballance and Tim Bresnan looking utterly unperturbed.While Jordan posed a regular threat, albeit a wayward one – a ten-ball over included Adil Rashid edging an away-swinger behind – Oli Robinson was no less testing. He bowled with hostility, bounce and swing up the slope, and managed to eschew Jordan’s erraticism: the two both returned figures of 3 for 67, but Robinson bowled nine more overs. He even had time to showcase two overs of very passable offspin. More importantly, Robinson earned the respect of his old team.”He can bowl this fella. He’s got some pace I tell you,” Yorkshire President Dickie Bird purred watching Robinson in action. “Why did we let him go?”A year ago Robinson, the stepson of Paul Farbrace, was sacked by Yorkshire on account of “a number of unprofessional actions”. He was reckoned to have a slack attitude: he had missed too many training sessions and been too slapdash in his timekeeping. Once, selected for a T20 game at Chesterfield, he turned up at Derby instead.Evidently the geography of the South coast has proved less of a challenge. Like Chris Jordan, James Anyon and Mushtaq Ahmed before him, Robinson has been reinvigorated at Sussex: 44 Championship wickets at just under 25 apiece have emphatically vindicated Sussex’s faith.

Sanath Jayasuriya faces being dropped from Sri Lanka’s one-day squad for the three-match series against West Indies, starting next month. Cricinfo has learned the side has been picked – without Jayasuriya – and is awaiting ratification by the sports minister.The squad is also likely to be without Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. While Murali is being rested, Malinga is believed to have suffered a knee injury that will require rest for about three to four weeks. He will be replaced by fellow pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekara for the Test and ODI series.Jayasuriya, 38, the most experienced player in the team with 411 ODI appearances, will make way for Mahela Udawatte, the hard-hitting opener who is being spoken of as his future successor. Udawatte, 21, plays for Chilaw Marians.Since his 63 in the World Cup final against Australia last year, Jayasuriya has had a poor run of form. He has failed to pass 50 even once in his last 20 ODI innings, scoring 305 runs at an average of 15.25. His decision to retire from Tests and focus on ODIs hasn’t helped his batting either.The selectors are believed to have picked the uncapped Ajantha Mendis, of Army SC, in Murali’s place. Mendis, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Tuesday, is also an offspinner and, with 54 wickets at an average of ten, the leading wicket-taker in the current Premier League season. He will operate alongside legspinner Malinga Bandara.Sources in the selection committee said the decision was aimed at preserving Murali, who turns 36 next month, for the 2011 World Cup. He will appear only in important ODI tournaments.

South Africa are expected to name a full-strength squad for the three-match ODI series against India starting in June, with all players with county commitments set to be released for national duty. South Africa will also play a one-off match against Ireland at Belfast on June 24.”The matches against India are official ODIs,” Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa’s chief executive, told . “So the team will be at full strength and those players taking part in the County Championship will be expected to return to duty.”The series is part of India’s off-shore commitments in neutral venues, for which the Board of Control for Cricket in India sold the telecast rights last year to a sports channel to broadcast a minimum of 25 matches between April 2006 and March 2011. The Ireland tour will be South Africa’s first international series since the World Cup, though a few players will represent a combined African XI for the Afro-Asia Cup to be held in India early June.The three-match series will be held on June 26, 29 and July 1.

Brian Lara believes that the youngsters in West Indian cricket need to be made aware of their rich cricketing legacy if the team is to regain its lost pride. Talking about the 2007 World Cup, Lara said the event was important to “ensure we will have players for the future” and added that the current crop of talent should be handled with patience.”You have to realise that we have a bunch of young guys who are learning to play at the international level, which is never the best thing,” he told while in Chennai. “We’ll have to be patient and see this period through.”Lara, Test cricket’s highest run-getter, spoke passionately about restoring pride in a side having a rich cricketing past. “Anybody who has been part of the success we had in the past should pass it along because we’ve got a young team, some of who have played 10-11 Tests without a win,” he said. “That’s my motivation so late in my career, to try and get West Indies to the top, well if not quite the top, to make us a very competitive team.” He added that it was imperative that youngsters in the West Indian ranks should be made aware of the feats of “some of the greatest cricketers — George Headley, the three Ws [Worrell, Weekes, Walcott], Sir Garry [Sobers], Viv Richards”.Lara also admitted that scoring runs in losing causes was very difficult. “There was this press conference at Adelaide after I went past Border’s record [for most runs in Tests] and scored a double-hundred and I was asked how it felt to make a double-hundred and end up losing for the third time. To be asked something like that with the match still not over was a significant indicator of where our cricket is,” he said. “Lengthening my career is not something in my hands, it’s up to the selectors. But, I’d like to continue till I’m an asset, the moment I become a liability, I’ll give it up. As long as I feel I’m mentally and physically ready, I will go along.”Lara also backed Sachin Tendulkar – his “best friend in the Indian team” and “most favourite batsman in the world” – to overcome his current slump and shoulder injury. “Form is temporary, class is permanent. He is my favourite batsman in the world, as I’m sure he is of many others,” he said. “He’s a class act and he’ll come through.”