All posts by h716a5.icu

Australia brushed aside New Zealand by seven wickets in a proficient warm-up display at The Oval

George Binoy02-Jun-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentaryRicky Ponting swings over midwicket during his fifty•Getty ImagesAustralia executed a perfectly-paced chase to brush aside New Zealand by seven wickets in their warm-up match at The Oval. Ponting led the way with a brisk half-century and received support from his deputy Michael Clarke who remained unbeaten to ensure victory was secured in the final over.There was good news on the bowling front too with Mitchell Johnson taking 4 for 20 while Brett Lee bowled with hostility and took 1 for 9 off 3.5 overs. Their new-ball partnership left New Zealand’s top-order in shreds at 21 for 5 and it needed a feisty recovery from Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan, who was playing Australia for the first time, to set a respectable target.Australia made a near-perfect start, with Lee and Johnson snaring the New Zealand openers in consecutive overs. There were an astonishing number of dot balls as both bowlers passed the bat with regularity. The New Zealand batsmen’s efforts to break free failed – Martin Guptill holed out after striking one boundary, as did Ross Taylor after hitting three fours in a row. Jacob Oram’s dismissal – run out without facing a ball – hurt New Zealand further but they recovered to 147 thanks to the depth of their batting line-up.Australia also bat deep – Lee is slotted at No. 10 – but their lower order wasn’t tested on the day. They too suffered a minor hiccup at the start, losing both Shane Watson and David Warner within the space of five balls to James Franklin, but Ponting and Clarke prevented any further damage. They planned the chase masterfully, picking up singles and twos with regularity, chipping away at the asking-rate and then reducing it dramatically with the odd boundary.Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, was pleased with his team’s effort and said that they were improving with every game.”Brett and Mitchell almost put the game to sleep in the first six overs. Then we chased the score down sensibly,” he said. “It is nice to turn the competitive juices on in a game situation.”You can never replicate that in training no matter how hard you do it, so to play against another country gets the adrenaline going and some good stuff happened because of the competitive environment.”He reserved special praise for Johnson, whose four economical wickets cut through New Zealand. “He is just starting to get some condition about him,” Nielsen said. “He has just come off a month in Perth, where he has been doing some work in the gym. He was beaming last night because of the fact he thought his rhythm was there and the ball was coming out fast without him trying hard.”That’s always a good indication. It is always about three or four runs in that he bowls at his best and he is only two runs in at the moment.”

Batsman Mark Vermeulen makes a return to the international fold after being named in Zimbabwe’s one-day squad for the five-match series against Bangladesh at home next month

Cricinfo staff21-Jul-2009Mark Vermeulen is set to make a return to the international fold after being named in Zimbabwe’s one-day squad for the five-match series against Bangladesh at home next month. His selection comes just months after being acquitted of an arson attack which destroyed Zimbabwe’s cricket academy in 2006.The arson attack could have cost Vermeulen up to 25 years in prison. He admitted to starting the fire but was acquitted on the grounds that he had been suffering psychiatric problems, including partial complex epilepsy, ever since he suffered a head injury during an ODI against India in 2004. He made his first steps towards an international comeback when he was named in the A squad for the tour of Namibia in February. He last played an international match in 2004.Another player making a return to the 19-man squad is the wicketkeeper-batsman Charles Coventry, who last played for Zimbabwe in 2006. There was no place, however, for the former captain Tatenda Taibu, who has been suspended for ten games by the board, despite being acquitted of assaulting Esther Lupepe, Zimbabwe Cricket’s general finance manager. Another player dropped from the squad which faced Kenya earlier this year is Malcolm Waller.”An internal disciplinary team made up of three retired magistrates however found him [Taibu] guilty,” Zimbabwe Cricket spokesman Shingai Rhuhwaya told Associated Press. “He has therefore been suspended for 10 matches. He will however be eligible to play for his province.”The two new faces in the squad are the Mashonaland right-arm seamers Trevor Garwe and Admire Manyumwa. There are also recalls for batsman Chamu Chibhabha and offspinner Timycen Maruma.Bangladesh will play all five matches in Bulawayo from August 9 to 18.Zimbabwe Squad: Prosper Utseya (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry (wk), Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Admire Manyumwa, Trevor Garwe

Felipe Anderson has taken a sly dig at West Ham manager David Moyes, saying he has improved a great deal from playing under Maurizio Sarri instead.

The Lowdown: Anderson left Irons

In 2018, the Hammers signed Anderson from Lazio for £36m, a then club-record fee (BBC).

He had his moments at the London Stadium, scoring 12 goals and providing 13 assists in 73 matches in all competitions, but he returned to Lazio in the summer after an unsuccessful loan spell at Porto (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Anderson makes veiled Moyes dig

Speaking to Football Italia, the Brazil international spoke about his move back to Italy. He said:

“I have improved a great deal already with the coach.

“I am convinced over time the whole team will understand fully what he wants from us. I always wanted to work on my consistency, even within a single game, and I’m getting there. The idea is to be constantly focused and ready from the first minute to the 90th.

“I know that I am capable of making the difference, but I used to struggle with the pressure when I was younger. It’s different now, I am on the right path. 

“Everyone knows I feel at home with Lazio. I’ve always expressed my love for Italy and the city of Rome. I never lost contact with my friends here, even after leaving. I feel that I’ve returned a more mature player.”

The Verdict: Didn’t work out

Anderson showed his talent at Lazio during his first spell at the club, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists the season before he moved to the Premier League. However, he was unable to replicate that form on a regular basis at West Ham.

With two goals and two assists in seven Serie A matches this term, he appears to be enjoying life back in Italy. Likewise, the Hammers are in good form, qualifying for the Europa League last term via the Premier League. It seems both parties are better off away from each other than together.

In other news, West Ham fans were far from happy with this Moyes call against Brentford.

Matthew Hayden has planned to set up a youth academy in Chennai and wants to take the help of Rahul Dravid and his Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming in the venture

Cricinfo staff24-Jul-2009Matthew Hayden has planned to set up a youth academy in Chennai and wants to take the help of Rahul Dravid and his Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming in the venture.Hayden said he had decided to give back to the city where he had practised playing on turning tracks ten years ago on Australia’s 2000-01 tour to India. “About a decade back, when I came here to practise on turning tracks, I told myself standing in an empty Chepauk stadium that I would score a century for Australia one day,” Hayden told the . “I did that, and now this is a way of giving something back to the city from where I have got so much.”Hayden said education would be given equal importance to cricket in the academy. “We should be able to understand that the kids who will be training in the academy may not go on to become cricketers in life. Education is something they can always fall back on.”Hayden said he had spoken to Dravid about the academy when they were playing in the IPL in South Africa earlier this year. “Rahul Dravid has those values in him which I can also identify with … and I would surely love to have him with me.”Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has been involved in charity projects in India, especially in Kolkata, and has been an inspiration to Hayden. “I have always been inspired by the way Steve worked for Udayan in Kolkata. Similarly, I am also looking forward to do something for Chennai.”

Emiliano Martinez will be a ‘huge’ loss for Aston Villa against Wolverhampton Wanderers, former Premier League stopper Paul Robinson has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

Villa are due to host their Midlands rivals at 15.00 on Saturday 16 October as the Premier League resumes following the international break.

However, Argentina play Peru in a World Cup qualifier in the early hours of Friday morning UK time and with such a sit turnaround, it’s likely that Martinez will be unavailable.

Martinez had to sit out the trip to Chelsea last month because of quarantine rules, forcing Dean Smith to turn to his deputy Jed Steer, who wound up conceding three goals from a post-shot expected goals (xG) of 1.8.

In better news, the scheduling won’t affect Emiliano Buendia this time around because he wasn’t called up to the Argentina squad.

The latest

Robinson, a regular pundit on Sky Sports, told FI Smith will feel powerless and that, while Steer is ‘capable’, there is a noticeable drop-off in quality.

“Martinez is a huge part of that Villa team,” he said. “Dean Smith will not want him to go but he can’t stop him. It is a fantastic opportunity for him to go and play for his country.

“Jed Steer is a capable goalkeeper but he is no Martinez.”

The verdict

Villa aren’t the only Premier League club who are falling foul of the international schedule. Brazil and their English-based stars play Uruguay at around the same time as Argentina vs Peru.

Wolves, for their part, may be taking a risk if they field star striker Raul Jimenez, who could be in action between 03.00 and 05.00 UK time on Thursday.

Yes, these countries need to ‘catch-up’ on qualifying after the COVID-enforced suspension of football, but why aren’t they playing, say, Wednesday-Saturday-Wednesday instead?

In other news, fans absolutely loved this midfielder’s comments.

Newcastle host Tottenham at St. James’ Park today in what could be Steve Bruce’s final match in charge of the club following the takeover by PIF.

The 60-year-old is reportedly facing the sack after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium, with a number of managers being eyed to replace him.

This should not detract from the special achievement that this game brings Bruce, as it will be his 1000th match in management. Irrespective of what the fans may or may not think about his time at the club, he should be praised for reaching this milestone and will, hopefully, mark it with a win.

The Magpies head into this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Wolves in the top-flight. How many changes will Bruce make from the team that lost to Bruno Lage’s side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side, along with moving to a back-three/back-five formation to face Spurs.

First of all, the formation could alter to deal with the attacking threat Tottenham pose. Nuno Santo’s side could line up with Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane up top, with the pair managing 40 goals and 24 assists between them in the Premier League last season.

This means that a wide player must be cut from the side to bring in another centre-back. With Miguel Almiron having been away on international duty in South America, we are predicting that he will be given a rest and Jamaal Lascelles will return from injury to start in the middle of the defence.

In midfield, Sean Longstaff could be axed from the team to make way for Jeff Hendrick. The £18k-per-week beast could be sacrificed in order to get the Irish midfielder in, as Hendrick scored against Wolves and may have played his way into a starting role. Longstaff lost ten of his 14 duels against Wolves and was dribbled past an unbelievable seven times, suggesting that he deserves to drop to the bench.

Finally, we think that Bruce will go with Callum Wilson up front alongside Saint-Maximin, with Joelinton coming out of the team. The striker is back from injury after scoring two goals in his first three appearances of the season, having netted 12 goals in 23 starts last term in the top-flight – showing that he has the quality to find the back of the net at this level.

AND in other news, “Definitely”: Journo claims NUFC want £49.5m-rated star, he’s a huge Joelinton upgrade…

As first impressions go, Joe Denly’s maiden ODI innings of 67 from 111 balls was harder to quantify than it really deserved to be

Andrew Miller28-Aug-2009As first impressions go, Joe Denly’s maiden ODI innings of 67 from 111 balls was harder to quantify than it really deserved to be. For starters, his international baptism wasn’t quite on a par with that of Jonathan Trott at The Oval last week – a soggy field in Stormont could not remotely replicate the intensity of that Ashes decider, while his opponents were not England’s oldest and most storied foes, Australia, but a spirited if limited Ireland team who utilised their home conditions to good effect, yet were still found out in the final analysis.Nevertheless, it was a performance brimful of promise, and from a 23-year-old opener whose credentials have been touted with knowing regularity for the past couple of seasons, that is about as much as England could possibly have wished for. Denly is a man whom English cricket wants to see succeed. Born in Canterbury and brought up in nearby Whitstable, he has developed through Kent’s age-group levels from Under-12s onwards, and is seen in some parts as a one-man affirmation of an often-maligned county system that has been undermined of late by gripes about imported talent. The early evidence needs a second opinion, but already he looks as though he’s made of the right stuff, technically and mentally.Though the Man-of-the-Match award eventually went to Ireland’s Trent Johnston for an allround performance that all but condemned England to defeat, it was Denly’s mature assessment of a potentially dire situation that proved to be the difference between the sides. “It was a bit tense to be honest, we were always chasing the game,” he said. “But Owais [Shah] got a few wickets for Middlesex last week with his offspin, he came on and took come crucial wickets, and we managed to scrape home in the end. It was a good victory.”England’s captain, Paul Collingwood, admitted after the game that he had misread the conditions when he won the toss and chose to bat, and Denly had not even got off the mark by the time Ravi Bopara and Trott had been dismissed for ducks to give Ireland a flying start to the contest. But he did not bow to the pressure of the situation, nor to any expectation of quick counterattacking runs. Instead he did what he has done throughout a season in which he has been averaging more than 50 in limited-overs cricket, and played each ball on its merit, including a gorgeous cover-drive from the 21st ball of England’s innings, which also happened to be their first runs off the bat.”It was a very tough wicket,” Denly said. “The ball was sticking and driving was particularly tough, especially on the front foot. We lost a couple of early wickets which wasn’t great so it was a matter of building and getting up to a competitive total, and we thought 200 was so. Trent Johnston bowled very well, he’s a very experienced bowler and I suppose those conditions suited him very nicely. He just bowled a good length, nibbled it around, and found Ravi’s edge and caught Trotty on the crease.”Prior experience of the Stormont wicket undoubtedly helped Denly to settle in, however, especially as he came into the game with happy memories of batting on this track. “I got my first one-day hundred for Kent here [in 2007], so I’ve enjoyed coming back again,” he said. “But it did feel like an international debut, I was on a high to get that first one under the belt and I’ll remember this day for a long time. I was a bit nervous, there were a few butterflies, but then excitement took over, and I was just really pleased to get the opportunity to play. It was a fantastic day.”It must, however, have been a peculiar environment in which to make one’s international debut, with six of the squad still buzzing from their exploits in the Ashes, while trying to overcome an unmistakeable air of resentment at the timing of this contest. Denly, though, insisted that their professionalism had shown through, and that there had been no problems getting himself geared up for this match.”It’s been brilliant, they made me feel really welcome,” he said. “They’ve had a fantastic week and this is a bit of a change from five-day cricket to one-dayers and Twenty20s at the weekend, but they’ve all done it before and I’m sure they are looking forward to it. Coming into any international team is quite exciting, but an Ashes-winning one is even more exciting and I’m very proud. They’ve played together for quite a while but they are still on a massive high, and we’re taking a lot of confidence from that.”After the match, Collingwood praised the maturity shown by his young opener, who has surely done enough already to challenge for a starting place in England’s seven-match ODI series that gets underway at The Oval next week, especially seeing as he has already impressed against the Aussies this summer, making twin scores of 66 and 36 for the England Lions in a hard-fought Ashes warm-up fixture in Worcester back in July.He may have to wait his turn for a while, however, with Andrew Strauss set to resume at the top of the order, and the beleaguered Bopara unlikely to be judged too hastily for his Belfast duck. But Denly’s place in the Champions Trophy squad has already been confirmed, and with England’s management desperate to move the team’s mindset on from the recent glories of the Ashes, another young and hungry challenger is exactly what a much-criticised batting line-up needs to propel its performances.And to that end, a role in England’s winter campaign in South Africa is what Denly now has in his sights, especially given the problems that Alastair Cook has suffered with his technique against the new ball all summer long. “I’ve got my one-day cap now and I want a few more, but Test cricket is the ultimate, and that would be fantastic,” he said. “My aim is to play for England, as many games as I can, and the more you play the more experience you get at playing against the top bowlers in the world. If I can put in some good performances in one-day cricket, then hopefully that will stand me in good stead.”

An update has emerged on Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

Spanish reporter Edouardo Inda has claimed that the Magpies are interested in signing the Belgian international forward in the January window.

Speaking on El Chiringuito TV, Inda said: “The Newcastle want Hazard. I do not rule out that it comes out in the winter market”

Imagine him & Saint-Maximin

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Hazard in January as he could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve their chances of storming up the Premier League table by forming an exciting partnership with Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Magpies could take advantage of his difficult situation in Spain to bring him back to England. He has only scored five goals in 51 games for Real Madrid, but his previous form for Chelsea suggests that he could be a terrific option for Newcastle in the Premier League.

In 352 appearances for the Blues, he managed 110 goals and 92 assists – including 85 goals and 61 assists in 245 top-flight matches. This shows that he is a proven player in England who knows how to score and create goals consistently.

Former French international Christophe Dugarry once compared Hazard with Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, saying: “He’s faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry.”

Magpies legend Alan Shearer previously claimed that the Belgian had the potential to become the best player in world football. He said:

“He (Hazard) has been the Premier League’s outstanding player over the whole campaign, and he deserves the individual recognition. That is how I felt in 1995 when I won the title with Blackburn Rovers and was also Player of the Year for the first time.

“The bad news for Chelsea’s rivals is that at 24, Hazard is only going to get better. In three or four years, I think we could be talking about the Belgian being the best player in the world – he has the potential to be that good.”

These quotes illustrate the potential Hazard has to be a sensational addition to Newcastle’s squad if he can get back to his best after his struggles in Spain.

Imagine watching him and Saint-Maximin at St. James’ Park, with both players being exciting wingers who like to dribble with the ball and create chances. Saint-Maximin has a career average of 4.9 dribbles and key passes per game, whilst Hazard’s is 5.5.

This means that Newcastle could have two supremely talented wing wizards to get them off their seats at St. James’ Park, which could also cause nightmares for defenders as they attempt to deal with them both.

AND in other news, Newcastle could unlock Willock by signing £100k-p/w beast who helps others “flourish”…

A round-up of the second day’s action at the Under-19 World Cup Qualifiers in Canada

Cricinfo staff03-Sep-2009A batting collapse in Toronto cost Hong Kong a match they ought to have won. Chasing 114 against Netherlands, they lost their last eight wickets for 21 runs to the spinners and eventually lost by 32 runs. Lucas Brouwers (4 for 13) and Vinoo Baldewpersad Tewarie (3 for 11) were the chief destroyers. Tewarie’s spell rounded off a fine all-round show, following his 46 that took Netherlands to a total their coach Roland Lefebvre felt was about 50 runs below par on a difficult wicket.”It was some kind of Houdini escape to win the game. We were quite a few runs short even though the outfield is quite slow and the wicket is not that easy. A score of 113 definitely wasn’t enough as we were looking for at least 160,” Lefebvre said.”When they were 50 for 2 we were certainly up against it but then the spinners came on and bowled superbly and took the last eight wickets for 30 runs.”Seamer Raymond Haoda starred in Papua New Guinea’s second consecutive win, taking three wickets to upstage the hosts Canada at the Maple Leaf South-West Ground. PNG, opting to bat, PNG posted 245 thanks to half-centuries from Heni Siaka and Sese Bau. Haoda’s opening burst then reduced Canada to 22 for 4, a position from which they never recovered. The lower order then resisted, batted out the 50 overs to finish on 193 for 9.John Reva, the PNG captain, was happy with his team’s all-round effort. “I thought we played very well with both bat and bat and we also did well with our fielding,” Reva said. “We want to qualify for the U-19 World Cup and get the experience of playing against some of the Test playing countries.”After losing their opening game, Uganda bounced back to beat Vanuatu by four wickets at the South-East Ground.Chasing 214, Uganda were driven by half-centuries by Deusdedit Muhumza and Andrew Ochan, the opening batsman. Ochan’s 57 led a strong opening stand of 118, but the innings suffered a hiccup. Four wickets fell for six runs, before Muhumza came to the rescue and he stuck on to guide his team through. Earlier, Vanuatu were lifted by Patrick Matautaava’s breezy 35-ball 52, batting at No. 7.”I am very happy as we were under pressure after losing out first game. I am happy with my boys and we are all confident we can now do well,” Ahmed Yakub, the Uganda captain, said.

Liverpool were on cloud nine yesterday after demolishing their bitter rivals Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford and sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League that they mean serious business this season.

Even though the prolific Mohamed Salah scored three of Liverpool’s goals on the day, taking his impressive record to ten goals scored in nine Premier League games, we feel that fellow Reds winger Diogo Jota stood out in the win against the Red Devils.

After coming on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Jota found himself back in the starting XI ahead of Sadio Mane.

This move from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seemed to work wonders for the Reds as the Portuguese was very much a thorn in United’s side on Sunday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Red Devils, Jota managed to score Liverpool’s second goal with a neat finish from close range.

He assisted their fourth strike and would go on to complete 32 of the 38 passes he attempted. He also won seven out of the 14 duels he was involved in, made two key passes, one tackle and one clearance which ultimately earned himself a strong overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him Liverpool’s joint second-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how useful he was.

Liverpool signed Jota in September 2020 from fellow Premier League side Wolves for a reported fee of £41m.

In his first season in Klopp’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, bagged 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the winger, who has previously been described as “intense” by Klopp shortly after he moved to Anfield, has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in eight Premier League appearances, once again proving himself as an important figure for the Reds.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Championship club Preston North End on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, we feel that Jota will be involved in both games in some way given how much of a goalscoring threat he is and he should help the Reds keep their unbeaten streak going.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion