Category Uncategorized

As they entered their dressing rooms at the Sharjah Stadium after practice yesterday, a sign above the door warned the West Indies and Pakistan cricketers: No mobile phones.In the adjacent corner, a small, elevated closed-circuit camera monitored their every move. Another similar device watched them in their hotel foyer.They will be there throughout the two Tests and three One-Day Internationals of the unique series, the first held outside an accredited Test-playing country and only grudgingly agreed to by the host Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the West Indies’ insistence because of war and rumours of war just beyond their borders.The measures, more typical of Hollywood than Lord’s, are part of the drive by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to preclude dealings with bookmakers that led to the life bans for match-fixing against former Test captain Hansie Cronje of South Africa.Robert Smalley and Bruce Ewan, members of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), established 18 months ago at great expense by the ICC under former head of the Metropolitan Police, Lord Condon, are mounting the operation.Smalley, the ACU’s security and support manager, and Ewan, the information manager, on Tuesday night spelt out to both teams the purpose of and need for their mission.They were explicit and made everyone aware of how widespread betting on the game is, West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt said. I don’t think any one on our side is unhappy with the measures.It was startling to learn, for instance, that as much as $50 million is bet on every day of every international match the world over, he added. When you’re talking that sort of money, you realise why bookies are willing to offer a lot of money for information and why the players have to be careful in their dealings.In a more conventional, but still controversial area, the players’ behaviour would be monitored by match referee Mike Denness whose disciplinary action against six Indian players in his last Test in South Africa, in November, led to a tense stand-off between their board and the International Cricket Council (ICC).Indian board president Jagmohan Dalmiya demanded the former England captain’s withdrawal for the next, and final Test, and, while the South Africans acceded, the ICC responded by declaring the match unofficial.The ICC subsequently set up a commission to review the match referee’s terms of reference but Dalmiya, whose board objected to two of its appointees, will doubtless see Denness’ appointment, even before the commission has met, as deliberate provocation.Since there are 19 other ICC referees, he would have a point. Insensitivity, if not arrogance, are no less appropriate expressions.

Rain after tea on Monday ended the SuperSport Series match between Free State and the Highveld Strikers at Goodyear Park with the Highveld Strikers 47 runs ahead on 204 for five in their second innings.The Strikers resumed their second innings on 23 without loss needing 134 to erase the deficit. They were never in danger of falling short of that goal, and once it was achieved all interestdrained from the match.Adam Bacher and Sven Koenig did most of the work towards ushering the Strikers into the black with a solid partnership of 81 for the first wicket. Andre Seymour and Zander de Bruyn then added 36 for the third wicket, before De Bruyn and Geoff Toyana took the visitors to 152 for four and safety.De Bruyn ambled to an unbeaten 59 off 154 balls with 10 fours, while the day was also not wasted for Dewald Pretorius.The lively Free State fast bowler singlehandedly dismissed Bacher, Koenig – both bowled – and Toyana, who he trapped in front, to finish with three for 23 off 12 overs.Offspinner Kosie Venter, scorer of a fine 112 not out on Sunday, supported Pretorius well in his 26 overs, in which he earned two for 66.But there was only one genuine candidate for the man-of-the-match award, and Herman Bakkes was duly awarded the prize for a brilliant bowling performance in the Highveld Strikers’ first innings which brought him figures of six for 108.Deservedly, Free State claimed six bonus points to the Gautengers’ four.

Patrick Boyland has now dropped a fresh injury blow for Everton before they play away at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Monday night.

The Lowdown: Godfrey recovering

Just over a week ago, the Goodison Park faithful revealed that Ben Godfrey was ‘making progress‘ in his attempts to recover from his latest injury setback, but the former Norwich City central defender has still not featured since the 4-1 win at home to Brentford in the FA Cup last month.

He had to watch from afar again as they won 2-0 at home to Boreham Wood on Thursday night to book themselves a place in the quarter-final stage of the competition.

The Latest: Still too soon

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Boyland has shared that Spurs will still come ‘too soon’ for Godfrey, but added that he will train with the squad next week, while Andre Gomes has already started training again Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to start training on Saturday.

The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a blow for Frank Lampard and the Merseyside club not to have Godfrey available once more.

To give them the best possible chance against the European hopefuls, they would need as many of their key players fit and in the squad, and Godfrey certainly counts as one of those.

He is currently ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, clearances and blocks per match in the top flight so far this term (WhoScored), and so is clearly a good influence on the rest of the backline.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Nonetheless, the Toffees will now have to find a way to win without him.

In other news, find out who the Blues’ three worst performers were against Boreham Wood here!

Man of the week: Mario Olivier in his follow through © Keith Lane

SuperSport Series

The polite indifference which some stars feign when they reflect a fine performance cannot be applied to Mario Olivier, the Warriors fast bowler who last week became the third South African to take 10 wickets in an innings.”I can’t describe how I am feeling,” Olivier said. “I am in the clouds. I have just been looking at the scorecard and it is unbelievable. Everything came together today. I had good rhythm and the ball was moving a bit. I couldn’t find good rhythm at the beginning of the season but I have been working hard in the nets and today it paid off.”Bert Vogler, who according to delivered “the off-break with a leg-break action” and could also bowl fast, took 10 for 26 for Eastern Province against Griqualand West in 1906-07. Twenty years ago, Western Province’s Stephen Jefferies, the bristling left-arm fast bowler who was denied an international career by apartheid, took 10 for 59 against Free State. And now comes Olivier, who took 10 for 65 – but his haul wasn’t enough to deny Eagles heading to a 10-wicket win at Bloemfontein.The Warriors were dismissed for 215 in their second innings, leaving the Eagles to notch an easy 24-run to win.The Maritzburg Oval is one of the game’s most gracious grounds, resplendent with grand old trees and a creaking pavilion that is propped up by a pair of turreted towers. But the pitch is something else – straight off a rubbish tip. That might have the view of some of the batsmen: 39 fell on the first three days of Dolphins’ match against the Cobras at at Pietermaritzburg. Monde Zondeki, the Cobras fast bowler, wasn’t complaining after taking match figures of 10 for 93, but the Dolphins had the last laugh when they claimed the last wicket early on the fourth day to win by 47 runs.In stark contrast, little rose above the level of mediocrity in the drawn match between the Titans and the Lions at Centurion.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Eagles	5	3	0	0	2	0	67.16
Dolphins	5	3	1	0	1	0	60.88
Warriors	5	1	2	0	2	0	40.46
Titans	5	0	1	0	4	0	28.98
Lions	5	0	1	0	4	0	28.92
Cape Cobras	5	0	2	0	3	0	28.6

SAA Provincial Three-Day Challenge

Pool A

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Western Province	4	2	2	0	0	0	47.64
Eastern Province	3	2	0	0	1	0	43.12
Boland	3	1	1	0	1	0	36.56
KwaZulu-Natal	3	1	1	0	1	0	32.2
Border	3	1	1	0	1	0	29.76
KwaZulu-Inld	2	0	0	0	2	0	12.06
S West D	2	0	2	0	0	0	7.64

Pool B

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Griqualand West	4	2	0	0	2	0	52.68
Easterns	4	1	0	0	3	0	39.78
North West	4	0	0	0	4	0	33.14
Northerns	3	1	0	0	2	0	31.16
Gauteng	3	1	1	0	1	0	30.14
Free State	4	0	1	0	3	0	25.96
Namibia	3	0	1	0	2	0	22.62
Zim Provs	3	0	2	0	1	0	19.18

Craig Wright can lead Scotland into the final with a win over UAE © AFP

Scotland face UAE in Sharjah from Thursday knowing that it is the start of a crucial time for the team. The national side has embarked on perhaps its busiest and highest profile period in their history.Having played an ODI series in Bangladesh at the tail-end of last year, the squad is preparing for an ODI tri-series in Mombasa, the inaugural World Cricket League in Nairobi, the World Cup in West Indies and then the ECB one-day Trophy against top county opposition from May 2007.But now the team are focussed on the longer form of the game as it prepares for a crucial four-day Intercontinental Cup match at Sharjah Stadium. Victory for Craig Wright’s team will secure Scotland’s place in the final of this competition, which it won in 2004.Scotland coach Peter Drinnen said: “I feel we have made good improvements recently and there is a lot of confidence. Our bowlers are hitting the right areas, our batsmen know what to do and are taking responsibility, and we also have a very good fielding side.”This is the longest tour ever taken by a Scotland side and it is great to get the chance to play a consistently high quality of matches while also spending a long time together. We are hoping that it shows here over the next few days.”But there is plenty at stake from UAE’s point of view, too. Despite losing outright to Namibia in Windhoek back in December, captain Arshad Ali knows that a win in Sharjah will put his side right back in contention, teeing up a winner-take-all clash with Ireland in Abu Dhabi on February 10.”We have a lot to play for in this match,” said Arshad. “Scotland is a very good team with plenty of experience but we will give it our very best over the next few days.”Apart from Scotland and UAE, the other sides in Group A are Namibia and defending champions Ireland. If the Scots win, they are through to the final but if they fail, it will open the door for Ireland to retain its title, setting up a group decider in Abu Dhabi next month.UAE (from) Arshad Ali (capt), Khuram Khan, Saqib Ali, Kashif Khan, Naeemuddin Aslam, Rameez Shahzad, Gayan Silva, Ali Asad Abbas, Shadeep Silva, Awais Aftab, Qasim Zubair, Ahmed Nadeem, Mohammed Iqbal, Ahmed Raza.Scotland (from) Craig Wright (capt), John Blain, Dougie Brown, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Paul Hoffmann, Dougie Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Glenn Rogers, Colin Smith, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts.

Jacques Kallis will not take part in the Twenty20 match at Brisbane © Getty Images

Jacques Kallis, the South African allrounder, will miss South Africa’s Twenty20 cricketinternational against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Monday.Kallis, who has been troubled by an elbow injury during the Test series against Australia, will be rested along with Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt and Justin Kemp, said Mickey Arthur, South Afria’s coach.Nel failed to finish the third Test loss at the Sydney Cricket Groundwith a foot problem, while Kemp missed the last two Tests with a shoulderinjury. Langeveldt is set to be made 12th man following a heavy workload in theeight-wicket Test defeat. Johan Botha, the offspinner, has been included in the team despite being reported by the International Cricket Council for a suspect bowling action during the Sydney Test.Arthur said all four players would be available for South Africa’s one-day VB Series opener against Australia at the Gabba on Sunday. The Twenty20 match is the first full 20-over-a-side international to be played in Australia.South Africa Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (w/k), BoetaDippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Garnett Kruger, Shaun Pollock,Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki, Charl Langeveldt (likely 12th man).

ScorecardCentral Districts qualified to host the final of the State shield after beating Wellington by 72 runs at the Basin Reserve.However, CD had a mixed day. They were all out for 244 after reaching 228 for 3. Seven wickets fell for 16 and seven balls still remained when the innings came to a close. The collapse undid the good work of Craig Spearman, who hit 63 off 82, Jarrod Englefield (54 off 70) and Mathew Sinclair, who set the field ablaze with 78 in 59 balls. But, in only his sixth match, Iain O’Brien grabbed 5 for 35 to start the demolition.Wellington started poorly, teetering at 46 for 4 before a stand worth 95 between James Franklin and Michael Parlene kept them in the running. Franklin scored 63, while Parlene had 31. However, with Andrew Schwass prising out 4 for 27, Wellington could manage only 172 and slipped to defeat by 72 runs.
ScorecardNorthern Districts continued Auckland’s one-day humiliation by scoring a crushing 112-run victory at Eden Park’s Outer Oval today. The win ensured that ND would play Canterbury in Wednesday’s semi-final.Daniel Vettori opened the batting for ND after a period off with injury and celebrated his return with a fine century – his first. He scored his hundred off 119 balls, with nine boundaries. Eventually dismissed for 109 off 124 balls, he added 106 for the third wicket with Hamish Marshall, who scored 69. The momentum was maintained through the innings and ND reached one of the biggest scores of the summer with their 290 for 6.Auckland were not helped by the loss of Kyle Mills, suffering an Achilles injury. He bowled only five overs, and at a cost of 35 runs. Paul Hitchcock took three wickets, but gave away 67. The batsmen were just as unspectacular. Only Aaron Barnes with 48 was able to break the bowling deadlock. The side managed to reach 178. The bowling effort was led by Graeme Aldridge, easily the most dominant bowler in the competition, who took 4 for 34.

Murray Goodwin and Mike Hussey made a challenging run-chase seem easy as they guided Western Australia to a three-wicket ING Cup cricket victory over SA at Adelaide Oval today.The pair, who have been in glittering form so far this season, guided the Warriors to 3-265 in 47.1 overs, after SA had set what looked to be a competitive target of 7-262 from its 50 overs.Goodwin and Hussey came together with WA at 3-112 in the 28th over and needing to score at a rate nearing seven runs per over to win.They managed it with ease, with an unbroken 153-run stand in just 121 balls.Hussey top-scored with 84 from 74 balls, although he benefited from a dropped chance in the outfield by Paul Rofe, when he was on 30.But Goodwin was the more impressive, notching 80 runs from 63 balls, with seven boundaries, in seemingly effortless fashion.It continued the form he showed in scoring an unbeaten double-century in a Pura Cup match against NSW last week.”Batting’s going well, I keep telling the guys you’re only as good as your next innings, but they say you’re only as good as your last,” Goodwin said”Some days it comes off for you and other days it doesn’t.”It was really nice to bat with Mike and we usually bat pretty well together and fortunately we came up with the goods.”On the way, he notched the season’s fastest 50 so far, from 38 balls, putting himself in pole position to win the $5,000 prize to be awarded to the scorer of the season’s fastest 50.Another former Zimbabwean batsman, South Australia’s Andy Flower, claimed a $50,000 prize today when he hit an ING sign with a stylish swept six off WA part-timer Marcus North late in SA’s innings.Flower, in his first home match since joining the Redbacks this season, was impressive in his innings of 74 from 73 balls which helped rescue the Redbacks after a mid-innings slump.Flower and youngster Mark Cosgrove (50 from 75 balls) put on a 107-run fifth-wicket stand from 121 balls to help SA to a solid total.Flower said Hussey and Goodwin had been nearly unstoppable.”We’ve played a few games against them now and Goodwin’s come in each time as if he’s on 70, he’s hit the ball in the middle of the bat straight away, so it’s good on them, I suppose and disappointing for us,” he said.

Chris Cairns is back!That’s the obvious conclusion after he ripped through the Bangladesh batting on the last morning of the rain-affected first National Bank Test at Hamilton to give New Zealand its 48th Test victory, by an innings and 52 runs.Cairns took five wickets in 38 balls, for seven runs, to achieve his career second-best innings figures in a manner resembling his dismantling of the West Indies when he took seven for 27, two years and two days ago on the same ground.He finished with seven for 53 from 18.2 overs, as the Bangladeshis expired for 108, losing their last six wickets for 18 runs.Running in with more of the familiar bounce in his stride and bowling some of his speciality balls, Cairns looked much more like the player of old.Clearly, the overs bowled in Australia, while more costly than he would have liked, have aided his return and the longer spell he had on the fourth afternoon set him up for his triumph this morning.He dealt a harsh lesson to Test cricket’s newcomers. They have grown up on a diet of one-day cricket and that has been reflected in their inability to apply themselves for a long innings.They were dismissed in 46.2 overs in the second innings, after managing 205 in 58.1 overs in the first innings.When Cairns removed overnight batsman Al Sahariar for 53, it was as if the fight which had carried the side so close to avoiding the follow-on in the first innings, had evaporated in the heat of the morning on the best weather day of the Test.For the second time in the innings Cairns was sitting on a hat-trick when having Khaled Mashud caught at first slip by Stephen Fleming and Khaled Mahmud held at second slip by Mathew Sinclair when the score was on 98.He had to wait until his next over to complete the chance but Sanwar Hossain managed to keep the ball out.Sanwar had looked a likely competitor in the first innings when scoring 45 on his Test debut, but he found scoring much more difficult with the better organised New Zealand bowling of the second innings and he was out for 12 from 60 balls he faced.He was well bowled by Shane Bond, who finished with two wickets for 28 runs, to give him a match haul of six for 75, and an improving average, albeit at 40.44.The end came quickly, meaning the match was ended in 181.4 overs, thought to be the third quickest Test win completed in New Zealand, and certainly the second fastest of New Zealand’s Test victories at home.The fastest game was Australia’s win in 1945/46 which was all over in 145.2 overs. New Zealand beat England in 1983/84 in 173.3 overs.The 108 was Bangladesh’s fourth lowest score in its Test history, having a lowest of 90 against Sri Lanka in an Asian Championship match in September.New Zealand will make one change for the second Test starting in Wellington on Wednesday with in-form Auckland batsman Matt Horne coming in for the injured Nathan Astle.Astle injured his right hand when batting and had an x-ray yesterday which revealed only bruising.However, the hand was still sore this morning and an MRI scan was done to reveal a hairline crack in a bone on the back of his hand. It was initially thought that he would miss only the second Test, but now there is concern that he could be out for the complete tri-series in Australia with the home country and South Africa.That team is to be named on January 3.

Karachi, April 5: Pakistan made a winning start to their tour of WestIndies when they defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in the tri-nationone-day series match at Antigua’s Recreation Park.Chasing a target of 200, Pakistan achieved victory with 17 balls tospare. Abdur Razzaq (28 not out) hit the winning boundary. With himwas Moin Khan (25 not out). Shahid Afridi who blasted two sixes andfive fours in his breezy run-a-ball 69 put But Pakistan on course fora comfortable win.Afridi, adjudged Man-of-the-Match, added 67 runs for the third wicketwith Inzamam-ul-Haq (32). But both the batsmen perished in anidentical fashion – holing out in the deep off Dirk Viljoen.Pakistan found themselves in some sorts of problems when YousufYouhana (21) was run-out in a terrible mix-up with Moin Khan.Pakistan restrict ZimbabweAntigua, April 5: Backed up by some sharp catching and groundfielding, Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 199 for nine in the thirdmatch of the tri-nation one-day series at the Recreation Ground hereon Wednesday.The target is not that challenging considering Pakistan’s depth inbatting, but to achieve it they will have to bat really well tomaintain nearly four runs an over.Considering the state of the wicket, which seemingly is slow and alsohas the tendency to keep low with uneven bounce, the Zimbabweans didwell even to reach the ultimate score.An opening stand of 59 between Grant Flower and Neil Johnson was agood enough launching pad for Zimbabwe. But none of the batsmen wereable to get hold of the Pakistan bowling which rarely allowed anyliberty to the batsmen.Pakistan spinners Mushtaq Ahmad, Shahid Afridi and Arshad Khan sentdown tidy and economical overs to be rewarded with wickets. Alsoimpressive with the leather were Waqar Younis, Abdur Razzaq andMohammad Akram.Pakistan had their first breakthrough when out-of-form Grant Flowerplayed uppishly at short mid-wicket to be caught by Younis Khan offRazzaq when 36. Two runs later Johnson, also struggling to gain someform, was well taken at mid-wicket by Imran Nazir off spinner ArshadKhan for 20.Stuart Carlisle and Murray Goodwin did attempt to force the pace butwithout success. They, however, did share a stand of 41 runs for thethird wicket.Leg-spinner Mushtaq, playing after a long absence, lured Carlisle tothe deep mid-wicket region where Yousuf Youhana had no problem inmaking the catch. Carlisle made 30 with four fours in 38 balls.Goodwin, attempting a massive hit, lofted the ball on the top of thewicket-keeper’s head and Imran Nazir, running from covers, took yetanother catch as Goodwin went for 16 in the 27th over with Zimbabwe on109.Derek Viljoen made three before being run out by Younis Khan.Andy Flower, the captain, and Guy Whittall salvaged the situation alittle to add 33 for the sixth wicket. Flower, like Carlisle, alsowent hitting the ball in the air when 18.Heath streak dropped twice, once by Moin Khan off Razzaq when 13 andagain by Younis Khan of Mohammad Akram, finally holed out to Moinedging Mohammad Akram but not before adding 37 runs with Whittall whokept the score going. Not much later, Mluleki Nkala fell to WaqarYounis and Whittall became the ninth man out as he swung and missed toAkram. He made 31 off 65 balls with only one four.