All posts by h716a5.icu

Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2010Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai. Together with another returnee, the new captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the pair combined to defy South Africa for 57 overs, sharing an unbroken stand of 186 to pull off a result which looked unlikely after Pakistan conceded a 132 first-innings deficit.Shorn of Younis’ services since July last year, the brittle Pakistan line-up have struggled against Australia and England but his resilience alongside Misbah, playing his first Test since the Sydney debacle, ensured a satisfying return. Younis will rightly take the plaudits, anchoring the rearguard with third hundred against South Africa but, as Misbah himself acknowledged, it was the he who was under most scrutiny.”This feels like a win. The team put in a wonderful effort under pressure,” he said. “I was under quite a bit of pressure before this Test but I think my performance today will make it easier for me.”Pakistan’s first-innings collapse from 176 for 2 to 248 all out underlines just how important Misbah’s contribution was, all the more so given that the next man in was Umar Akmal. It ensured that the “fresh start” Misbah promised on the eve of the game ended well and he singled out praise for his partner. “On the second day the bowlers brought us back into the game the plan today was to be positive and not just try to stick it out. Younis’ knock today was a special one.”Returning as the senior batsman in a volatile side, Younis could have been forgiven for feeling the burden of responsibility. Yet after a cautious start his increasingly expansive and certain strokeplay betrayed a man just relieved to be back where he belongs.”There wasn’t any pressure on us because the wicket here is different to those in the subcontinent,” he said. “It didn’t have the kind of uneven bounce that causes the ball to bounce up off the pads. On this wicket it was possible to bat positively and that’s what I was trying to do. I was trying to hit the bad balls for boundaries.”Both batsmen, impressive as they were, had some generous South African fielding to thank. Younis was put down twice, on 16 by Mark Boucher and again by Jacques Kallis when on 70, and Misbah got a slice of luck when Hashim Amla spilled a chance at short leg just before lunch.It meant another final-innings disappointment for South Africa after twice being denied by England last year but on a flat track Graeme Smith was happy enough with his side’s performance.”We knew it was going to be hard because on this wicket once the batsmen get in it was tough to get them out,” he said. “The wicket got slower and slower as the Test went on. Credit must go to Pakistan, especially to Younis, he played really well.”Missed chances are always costly but nobody does it on purpose. It was unusual for those guys to miss those chances because they have been stalwarts of the team for a long time. So obviously they are disappointed with that. But we’ve played good positive cricket throughout the game and we’ll take that into Abu Dhabi.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has tipped the Toon to make a move for the English winger, although he believes that they will not be the only club interested in snapping him up from the London Stadium.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I can definitely see them trying to (sign Bowen). I think Jarrod Bowen is going to be a player that comes onto a few radars over the summer.”

The Hammers reportedly value the attacker in the region of £75m, amid interest from Liverpool, but it remains to be seen how much money PIF are willing to splash on him.

St. James’ Park would be rocking

Eddie Howe can get St. James’ Park rocking by securing a deal to sign the winger as he would be a major addition to the squad and be a signal of intent to the rest of the division.

He has been dubbed as an “unbelievable” player by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and journalist Joe Prince-Wright hailed him as “inspiring” earlier this month – citing his rise from non-league football. 

Unbelievable is what he would be for the Toon as he has proven himself in the Premier League and Europa League for the Hammers. In Europe, he has three goals and one assist in four starts – scoring in a crucial quarter-final clash with Lyon earlier this week to send David Moyes’ side through to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, domestically this season, he has produced nine goals and eight assists in 29 matches whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.07.

For context, no Newcastle player has more than six goals or three assists and Kieran Trippier – who has played four games – is the only player with a higher average rating. This means that Bowen would be an immediate upgrade on what Howe currently has to work with in the final third, both in terms of finding the back of the net and creating chances to score.

Therefore, St. James’ Park would be rocking with the arrival of Bowen as he would come in as the star of the attack heading into the 2022/23 campaign. He can be the player to spearhead their forward line to help them push up the Premier League table and compete in the top half instead of battling against relegation.

However, it is now down to PIF and Howe to splash the cash and then convince the Englishman to make the switch…

AND in other news,  “Howe would..”: Craig Hope issues major NUFC claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Australia are pleased with how Doug Bollinger and Michael Hussey fared in the training session, but the fast bowler is not a sure starter for the first Test

Sidharth Monga in Chandigarh29-Sep-2010The Australian team management is largely pleased with how Doug Bollinger and Michael Hussey fared in the training session, but the fast bowler is not a sure starter for the first Test that begins on Friday. Bollinger and Hussey joined the team just two days before the Test, after returning from their successful Champions League Twenty20 campaign with Chennai Super Kings in South Africa.”We just talked about it from the start that Michael and Doug wouldn’t be here till a certain stage,” Tim Nielsen, Australia’s coach, said. “When that changed, we pushed it back. Everybody is understanding [of that]. We just let them [Bollinger and Hussey] know upfront that if they are fit, they are more than likely to take their place in the team. We have to make the right decision, not only on their getting a spot, but [make sure] they are physically and mentally and technically right to play.”So we will have another look at them tomorrow, and make sure they are ready to go.”Nielsen said the uncertainty centered more on Bollinger than Hussey. He was pleased with how the fast bowler had got through his short bowling stint today, but how he performed tomorrow would be the big test. “It’s not as if he was sitting on a beach on his bum, he has been playing cricket. He has got some miles in his legs. [However], he certainly hasn’t had six-seven-over spells two or three times a day.”Bollinger bowled in the nets for about 20 minutes, and was seen working with the physio. “They are a little bit behind time wise,” Nielsen said. “They are in pretty good place today, we will probably know more tomorrow morning. But at this moment, they have had a bat and a bowl today, and at this stage we are pretty positive about them.”Peter George, who played in the tour game against the Board President’s XI, could make his Test debut if Bollinger is not picked. Nielsen had positive things to say about the tall fast bowler. “Peter George did a good job in the practice match, especially in the first innings. Admittedly he came on to bowl when we had already taken two or three wickets. So it was a little bit easier for him, and things didn’t work out that well from results’ point of view in the second innings when they batted nicely.”The thing we know him about him is that he runs in, he is consistent with his pace, and we like to think he is a bit like McGrath in his action and in the bounce he extracts. He is not an express fast bowler, but he has got enough pace to make the ball bounce off a length. Most importantly he runs in all day to try the right thing for the captain. Given the opportunity he will do a very good job at Test level.”Last year, too, when Australia toured India for a seven-ODI series, they had a similar situation. Brett Lee, Bollinger and Nathan Hauritz joined the team on the eve of an early-morning start. Lee lasted just one match then. “We talked about it right from the start,” Nielsen said. “There is no running away from these things. It could have been the captain if he was playing for a Champions League team.”It’s harder and throws a little bit more chaos in the system when somebody has a late injury or somebody is ill late in the last couple of days leading up to the Test. Your plans are set, you have a kind of idea in your head what players are going to play, then somebody gets hurt late… We understand what we had with Doug and Huss [ Hussey]. Yes, this is not ideal preparation, but this is the modern world of cricket.”They play for different franchises, for different teams, and their countries. That’s what we have to deal with. I suppose this is where we’ve got to earn our money. We have got to make sure that they are as close to their best as possible, come Friday.”

Steve Harmison demolished the Warwickshire batting this morning, taking six ofthe seven remaining wickets as Durham wrapped up their third win of the seasonin 10.2 overs

01-Jul-2010
ScorecardSteve Harmison demolished the Warwickshire batting this morning, taking six ofthe seven remaining wickets as Durham wrapped up their third win of the seasonin 10.2 overs.No Durham bowler had previously taken five wickets in a championship inningsthis season, but Harmison finished with 7 for 29, his best county figures,as Warwickshire crumbled from their overnight 111 for 3 to 134 all out in 50minutes.The visitors’ sixth defeat heightened their relegation worries, while Durhamclimbed two places to fifth. Having been 55 points behind Nottinghamshire whenthey lost at Trent Bridge in May they now have the gap down to 19, although theleaders have a game in hand.Harmison’s haul took him past 700 first-class wickets, of which 423 have beenfor Durham. Having missed four of their previous seven games this season withback and ankle injuries, he had only nine championship wickets going into thismatch.Jim Troughton turned the first ball of the day comfortably through mid-wicketfor three, then six wickets went down for six runs. In the day’s third over Harmison had 18-year-old Ateeq Javid lbw for 30, then in the next over Mitch Claydon moved one off the pitch to take out Troughton’soff stump and remove him for 43.Harmison did the rest, all the victims being caught at the wicket or in theslips apart from Boyd Rankin, who was well held by Mark Stoneman at short leg. Andrew Miller batted with a runner because of his foot injury and helped the unbeaten Rikki Clarke put on 14 for the last wicket.

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has sought an explanation from fast bowler Sreesanth, who represents the state, after he had reportedly criticised it

Cricinfo staff25-Jul-2010The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has sought an explanation from fast bowler Sreesanth, who represents the state, after he had reportedly criticised it. Sreesanth has been warned of disciplinary action in the event of a repetition.”If Sreesanth repeats such things in future, the body has authorised the office bearers to take an appropriate action immediately,” KCA secretary TC Mathew told reporters.The uncertainty over Sreesanth’s availability had prompted the KCA to replace him as captain of the state side for the Ranji Trophy, though he was named in the 25-man list of probables for the Indian domestic season. Sreesanth had then suggested that he was considering playing for a different state side, but confirmed this month that he would stick with Kerala.

Yorkshire have lost their opening two Friends Provident t20 matches after going down by 21 runs against Worcestershire at New Road

Cricinfo staff05-Jun-2010
Scorecard
Yorkshire have lost their opening two Friends Provident t20 matches after going down by 21 runs against Worcestershire at New Road. Facing a victory target of 209 as they sought to bounce back from their disappointing 65-run defeat at home to Derbyshire, the visitors were restricted to 187 for 7.Worcestershire, in front of a crowd of around 4,500, launched their campaign by making 208 for 7, James Cameron top scoring with an unbeaten 51 off 31 balls. After winning the toss, they got off to a speedy start by smacking 18 off the game’s opening over, bowled by spinner Azeem Rafiq.Skipper Vikram Solanki was quickly in full flow until he holed out to Anthony McGrath at mid-on off Steven Patterson for 30, made off 13 balls with two sixes and three fours. His opening partner Phil Jaques also fell for 30, bowled while going for a big hit during Rich Pyrah’s first over.McGrath then held a one-handed catch on the boundary to dismiss Alexei Kervezee off Adil Rashid while Moeen Ali had his middle stump knocked back by Rafiq, and at the halfway stage in their innings Worcestershire were 101 for 4.Rashid also accounted for Daryl Mitchell and Australian rising star Steve Smith, who made 34 on his debut, to finish with figures of 3 for 30. Ben Scott fell to Patterson in the final over, leaving Cameron unbeaten with three sixes and four fours.Yorkshire, without Herschelle Gibbs who was suffering from a stiff neck, lost Andrew Gale in the third over when he departed to an excellent running catch by Jack Shantry off Gareth Andrew. Adam Lyth was removed for a duck by Imran Arif before Andrew struck again thanks to a great diving catch by wicketkeeper Scott which saw off Jaques Rudolph.Smith collected his first wicket for Worcestershire by ousting Gerard Brophy and after ten overs Yorkshire were finding the going tough on 75 for 4. Their difficulties increased when Mitchell dismissed Jonathan Bairstow, although McGrath and Rashid did their best to boost the visitors’ fortunes.They put on 65 in 6.2 overs before the partnership was broken by Shantry, who removed Rashid for 34. McGrath followed in the next over to signal the beginning of the end for Yorkshire.

According to Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel, Antonio Conte believed he could turn Tanguy Ndombele’s Tottenham career around, but that is now no longer the case.

The Lowdown: Ndombele booed off…

The club record signing has been at the centre of reports linking him with a move away from Spurs after he was booed off during the Lilywhites’ 3-1 FA Cup third round win over Morecambe.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Ndombele slowly walked off the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel, drawing the wrath of Tottenham’s home supporters as he refused to vacate the pitch with any real haste.

The Frenchman, among other players who could potentially leave, has his future up in the air under manager Antonio Conte with the Spurs head coach now making a major decision behind-the-scenes.

The Latest: Conte performs Ndombele U-turn…

According to Mail reporter Mokbel, the former Chelsea manager is ‘no longer convinced’ by Tottenham’s midfield man despite originally thinking he could ‘get a tune’ out of the player.

In his report, the journalist explains that Conte ‘had originally planned for Ndombele to stay at the club’ but is now ‘ready to cut his losses’ this month – greenlighting his January exit.

The Verdict: For the best?

Averaging more completed dribbles per 90 than any Spurs player in the Premier League last season (WhoScored) whilst proving his undoubted ability in flashes, doubts have mostly surrounded his application and attitude.

On a reported £200,000-per-week, one of the club’s highest earners, chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici could be looking for ways to cut the club’s expenses and fund much-needed new additions by offloading Ndombele this month.

If a willing buyer comes in, it would arguably be foolish of Tottenham not to entertain selling before January 31 and indeed cut their losses on a player who has already been given time to prove his worth.

In other news: Spurs agree £33.4m option for sensational player after loan spell with EPL rivals! Find out more here.

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece shared a story regarding a possible exit for striker Wesley Moraes in January.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the update on social media.

The 25-year-old made the move to the Midlands back in 2019 from Club Brugge in a deal worth £22.5m. However, the Brazilian struggled in England and was just beginning to show what he was capable of before he picked up a serious knee injury against Burnley back in 2020 – he has played just 120 minutes of senior football since.

Wesley was then sent on loan to Brugge over the summer but is yet to score and has started just one game, and it seems as if a return to his native country could be on the cards.

Birmingham Live cited reports from Brazil in a story on Monday evening, where Wesley’s agent claimed that Internacional and Sao Paulo were keen on a January move. He’s reportedly cut short his loan spell with Brugge, with Sao Paulo making a direct proposal to Villa.

Villa fans react

Preece shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday morning. This is what these Villa fans had to say, with a number still not over Ben Mee’s challenge and one describing the severity of the impact the injury had on Wesley’s career as ‘crazy’.

“Blokes was awful before his horror injury, and as a result of that he’s even worse now”

Credit: @CarlReevesAVFC

“This is what happens when you have teams who play the way Burnley do. It continues to be an absolute disgrace that he wasn’t punished for that “tackle”.”

Credit: @BillBones84

“Such a shame what happened to Wesley. Crazy how an injury can completely derail everything. Mind you surely worth keeping around as a 3rd choice striker for the season?”

Credit: @Benjmeister85

“Best thing for all concerned I think. Ben Mee ruined this guys career and didn’t even get a yellow card”

Credit: @coleman83avfc

“I’m surprised anybody is prepared to take that gamble. Since he came back from that injury he looks like he can barely run”

Credit: @DavidSmithAVFC

“It was an awful injury – and one that was recklessly inflicted – it will take a long time to recover from it – if he ever recovers. My loathing of Burnley and their thuggish ways is incapable of increasing.”

Credit: @Son_Lyme

In other news: Gerrard desperate to bring 19 y/o sensation to Villa; his last goal was watched 350k times. 

Lalit Modi, in his reply to the second show-cause notice served on him by the BCCI – which was prompted by a letter from Giles Clarke – has said that Clarke’s allegations were “motivated” and “not worthy of credence”

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Jun-2010Lalit Modi, in his reply to the second show-cause notice served on him by the BCCI – which was prompted by a letter from Giles Clarke, the ECB president – has said Clarke’s allegations were “motivated”, given their “history of run-ins”, and “not worthy of credence”. His reply – a copy of which is with Cricinfo – also said that the board, knowing this background, should have backed him and sought his comment before issuing the notice.The notice was issued to Modi on May 6, ten days after he was suspended from his position as IPL chairman. It followed an email sent by Clarke to BCCI president Shashank Manohar alleging activities by Modi that were “detrimental to Indian cricket, English cricket and world cricket at large.” Both communications referred to a meeting Modi held on March 31 in Delhi with representatives of three English counties in which he is alleged to have discussed a parallel IPL in England and Wales.In his reply, which runs to 24 pages and has five supporting documents, Modi has cited specific examples of his differences with Clarke which, he claims, began during the inaugural season of the IPL. “It is well known in informed cricketing circles that Mr. Clarke holds a personal grudge against me. This started as far back as 2008. Mr. Clarke came to India at the time of the IPL Season 1 and noticed that the IPL was a resounding success.”He has mentioned the ECB’s brief relationship under Clarke with Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire, which ended in early 2009 when the latter was charged with fraud. The contrast between that scenario and the IPL, which was “going from strength to strength”, is offered as a reason for the animus.Other examples cited include the ECB’s decision to not accept the stakeholding offered to it for the Champions League; the IPL’s decision to stage the second season in South Africa instead of England; the general scheduling of the IPL, whose later games clashed with the English domestic season and the scheduling of the 2010 Champions League; the IPL’s insistence that its franchises be given the preference by players taking part in the Champions League; and the status of English players with the unofficial ICL.Part of his reply dealt with the way the issue has been handled by the BCCI and he has some strong words for N Srinivasan, the board secretary, who sent him the notice. “The manner in which, on completely flimsy and frivolous grounds, a Show Cause Notice has been issued shows the prejudged, premeditated and biased mind set with which the Hon Secretary is working. The fact that Hon. Secretary had chosen to act on the basis of an email which was merely a perception of the sender with no confirmation or acknowledgement at any stage by me itself shows that the 2nd Show Cause Notice has been issued on flimsy and/or non-existent grounds.”He also repeated his request to Manohar and Srinivasan for them to step down from the probe against him and instead appoint an independent panel to adjudicate the matter.

West Brom are interested in signing Barnsley captain Cauley Woodrow in the January transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Woodrow impresses for Barnsley

The Baggies were held to a 0-0 draw on Friday as Valerien Ismael returned to Oakwell but failed to beat his former club.

One player who didn’t feature on the night was Woodrow, but the 27-year-old has been an important figure for the Tykes for some time.

The £7,400-per-week attacker has scored four times in the Championship this season – bettered only by Karlan Grant (nine) among West Brom’s squad – and he has found the net 53 times in 151 appearances for Barnsley, with 76 senior career goals to his name.

The Latest: West Brom keen on Woodrow

According to The Athletic, the Baggies are looking into the possibility of signing Woodrow next month in order to aid their promotion push.

The 27-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, so a fee would be required to bring him to The Hawthorns.

The Verdict: Strong potential addition

Woodrow could be an ideal man for Albion to bring in next month, with the Barnsley hero possessing lots of Championship experience, making 180 appearances in the division.

There has been too much dependence on Grant to provide goals for West Brom but Woodrow would ease that burden, giving Ismael another strong option in the final third.

At 27, he is also at a good age in terms of being both experienced and in his prime, so he wouldn’t merely be a quick fix either.

In other news, one player is reportedly a transfer target for West Brom. Find out who it is here.