Category Uncategorized

SYDNEY, Jan 5 AAP – Matthew Hayden was tonight fined and severely reprimanded after an ugly incident in which a glass panel in his team’s dressing room door was smashed.Meanwhile, Australian vice-captain and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was also reprimanded for swearing as the pressure mounted on the home side to effect a 5-0 clean sweep of the Ashes series.International Cricket Council match referee Wasim Raja fined Hayden 20 per cent of his match fee, estimated to be about $2,200, after the Australian opener was found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.He was charged after breaking the glass as he returned to the dressing room following his lbw dismissal for just two in the third over of the home side’s tense fifth Test run chase at the SCG.Raja said the penalty was decided in light of Hayden’s previously clean record.”At the hearing Matthew Hayden admitted the offence and apologised for his action,” Raja said in a statement.Hayden faced a maximum penalty of being fined half his match fee.Speaking about the Hayden incident after play, Australian coach John Buchanan said: “It’s something that’s unfortunate, you don’t want to see that.”The doors were closed and he just tried to get through the door, which he did, but the glass broke in the ensuing entree. But there was no bat throwing or anything like that.”Meanwhile, Gilchrist was charged with showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by action or verbal abuse after he swore when his appeal for caught behind off batsman Steve Harmison from Brett Lee’s bowling was turned down in England’s second innings.Raja said he warned Gilchrist about his future conduct.”At the hearing Adam Gilchrist admitted swearing and expressed regret at doing so,” Raja said.Gilchrist also faced a maximum penalty of being fined 50 per cent of his match fee.The incidents exemplified the pressure on the Australian team as it attempted to chase down a mammoth target of 452 for victory.Hayden’s dismissal came just two balls after batting partner Justin Langer was dismissed lbw by Andrew Caddick for three when replays clearly showed the ball was going down the leg side.Another sore point in a disastrous day for Australia was an elbow injury to spearhead Jason Gillespie.With the Australian bowling attack already severely undermanned in the absence of Glenn McGrath (side strain) and Shane Warne (dislocated shoulder), Gillespie slipped on some repaired foot marks on the pitch during his follow through while bowling in the second session today.In a bid to break his fall with his left hand, he jarred his left elbow and bowled one more delivery before leaving the field for treatment, unable to finish his 19th over or return to play at all today.X-rays revealed there was no fracture but Buchanan said it appeared Gillespie may have suffered some ligament damage.”He’s getting a final assessment tomorrow and will be available to bat if required,” Buchanan said.Gillespie’s misfortune was likely to mean the injury-prone paceman would sit out some of Australia’s upcoming one-day matches.But Buchanan said he probably would have been sidelined anyway as he was high on the waiting list for a rest.”We’re going to look at that format a little bit, looking at our quick bowlers and who is in need of possibly some rest,” Buchanan said.

Rameez Raja Photo © PCB

With the first phase of the NatWest triangular now over, the Aussies lead with full points from their two games, followed by Pakistan while England complete the frame, at the bottom.Pakistan could have easily been on top of the table, had the upper order batted with a touch more responsibility against Australia and not frittered the game away after having seen through the new ball.

Shoaib Akhtar tears in to bowl Photo © CricInfo

But then, the Pakistanis were, to a great extent bogged down by injuries, first with Wasim Akram sitting out and then Rashid Latif and Shoaib Akhtar breaking down during the game. That really upset their game plan, especially in the crucial latter half.Shoaib Akhtar’s exceptional pace means he does go for a few runs, but he is a wicket-taking bowler. Half his quota of overs remaining unbowled was thus a serious blow. And so was Rashid Latif’s absence from the field. The wicketkeeper plays the role of a pivot, and a dehydrated Rashid, not being able to stand behind the stumps too had its negative impact.Rashid, who played a glorious knock in Pakistan’s comeback, was unfortunately suffering with throat infection, and the antibiotics he’d been taking caused the dehydration.Yet, despite the defeat, there were things to celebrate, some real plus points.

Youhana with a drive on his way to 91 not out Photo © CricInfo

The first was the rearguard action by Yousuf Youhana and Latif. From 86 for six, to fight back and end up with 257 takes some doing, especially against the Australian bowling attack and sharp fielding. Youhana and Latif deserve all credit for a great partnership when all seemed lost – their effort was one of some real guts and character.While Latif had played a few cameos in the Test matches and Youhana was trying to work his way back to form, their stay at the crease and the runs now behind them augurs well for their confidence. More importantly, it brought the team back into the game from a point when it seemed the game would be as one-sided an affair as the ’99 World Cup final between these two teams.It all started with two crucial blows, on rather innocuous deliveries, with Abdur Razzaq and Inzamam perishing in Shane Warne’s first over. While Inzamam was done in by a fit of bravado – perhaps he wanted to put Warne in his place straightaway; Razzaq doesn’t play spin very well in any case. Azhar too seems to have a similar problem. At least that is the impression one gets from the manner in which they start struggling the moment a spinner arrives. Oddly, they alter their game plan, and that is why both got out playing inside the line.

Ricky Ponting on his way to a score of 70 Photo © CricInfo

The Aussies are famous as run chasers, and when Ricky Ponting strikes such a rich vein of form, there’s no stopping them. Waqar didn’t do many things wrong, but he surely erred in not bringing on his spinners, especially Saqlain Mushtaq, a trifle earlier.There’s lot of cricket left in this tournament and it’s too early to predict anything. The way Pakistan has staged a comeback, to win the Old Trafford Test and the first match of the triangular in a convincing fashion, points to the fact that the team is now getting along well. And, with Waqar Younis proving to be an effective leader, they are likely to play some more sparkling cricket.The way I see it, almost two years to date since the ’99 World Cup final, it should be Pakistan and Australia slugging it out at Lord’s, come June 23.The picture for the Pakistanis really looks bright, and reflects from the good notices in the British press, which otherwise in turns, is either hostile or condescending. In quite a few pieces the resurgence of the Pakistan team has been applauded.A major contributing factor in Pakistan’s turnaround has been the spectators. The Pakistani expatriate community has filled the stands in good numbers, and the green and white flags fluttering with some vigour have provided the much-needed fillip to the morale of the team. The spirit and optimism of the spectators has rubbed off on the team and has motivated them to put up a united front and perform well.I hope with the crowds keeping faith in the Pakistanis, they would keep on improving.Ed: Rameez Raja is a former Pakistan opener and captain, a leading commentator on satellite channels and currently covering the England – Pakistan Series followed by the NatWest limited-overs triangular for Sky Television.

Newcastle United are keen on signing Aston Villa youngster Tristan Goodridge, according to Birmingham Live, and he’s even played for the Magpies’ youth team already.

The Lowdown: Targett and Coutinho…

The Magpies have been linked with a number of Villa players in 2022, the first being Matt Targett.

As we know, the left-back is currently on loan at St. James’ Park, with Newcastle reportedly already agreeing a deal over a permanent move for the 26-year-old.

Eddie Howe’s side have also been credited with an interest in Philippe Coutinho, who Villa have the option to sign full time in the summer. Newcastle are reportedly ready to offer the Brazilian a £1m bonus and have started talks over a possible summer swoop.

The Latest: Goodridge’s Newcastle trial

Birmingham Live shared a story on Saturday afternoon, looking at Villa youngster Goodridge.

They revealed that the left-winger has already been on trial with Newcastle and played in a Premier League 2 game against Middlesbrough on Friday evening, with Villa’s rivals keen on making a move permanent.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Goodridge is yet to make a senior appearance for Villa, who seem to be willing to let the teenager depart.

A move away from the Midlands could make sense for all involved, with the 19-year-old looking to break into a first-team squad in years to come.

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.

That may well not be with Villa, who seem to have Jaden Philogene-Bidace, currently on loan at Stoke City, above Goodridge in the pecking order when it comes to young wide talents.

In other news: Steven Gerrard now wants ‘frustrating’ star sold this summer after storming off – report. 

ScorecardCharlie Shreck and Steve Kirby shared seven wickets as England Lions completed a 30-run victory against a Mumbai Cricket Association XI in a warm-up match. The pair, neither of whom were in the original touring party, ensured the MCA XI fell short of their 261-run target and allowed the Lions to head into their opening Duleep Trophy match in good spirits.The Lions began on 86 for 7 and extended their second innings to 114 before Jonathan Trott was last man out for 34 to hand Dhaval Kulkarni a five-wicket haul. Mumbai were soon in trouble as Liam Plunkett claimed his first wicket of the match and Shreck struck twice with the new ball to leave them tottering on 48 for 3.Hiken Shah (23) and Aditya Tare (39) began to repair the damage with a fourth-wicket stand of 55 before Kirby snared both in the space of five overs. Shreck worked away at the middle order and Adil Rashid, given his first bowl of the match ahead of Monty Panesar who sat out the second innings, collected Kulkarni as the Lions closed in.However, they were made to wait by a feisty last-wicket stand of 42 between 19-year-old Omkar Gurav and Usman Malvi. They chipped away at the target, but just as it was coming into view Kirby returned to remove Gurav for a battling 46.England now travel to Vadodara ahead of their opening Duleep Trophy match, against Central Zone, starting on February 3.

Michael Papps scored an unbeaten 143 to lift Canterbury to 279 for 5 against Otago at the Village Green in Christchurch. Papps, who has played six Tests for New Zealand, and fellow opener Todd Astle got the side off to a good start, adding 111. Otago struck twice, removing Shanan Stewart and Andrew Ellis with the score at 147. Chris Harris, the captain, joined Papps and the pair added 57. Kruger van Wyk, the overseas player from South Africa, was unbeaten on 13 at stumps.Seventeen wickets tumbled on the opening day at the Basin Reserve in Wellington with seamers Chris Martin and Iain O’Brien sharing the spoils for Auckland and Wellington respectively. Michael Parlane’s decision to bat first backfired as Wellington were bundled out for just 103 with Martin picking four wickets and Andre Adams chipping in with three. The middle order made starts but failed to convert any into bigger scores. O’Brien struck back for Wellington with a six-wicket haul to reduce the visitors to 157 for 7 at stumps with a lead of 54. Reece Young resisted with an unbeaten 51 with ten fours and his stand of 78 with Martin Guptill rescued the side after they were in trouble at 67 for 5.Mathew Sinclair and Greg Hay struck half centuries as Central Districts were bowled out for 305 against Northern Districts on the opening day at Gisborne. Sinclair walked in after Peter Ingram fell in the third over to seamer Graeme Aldridge and he proceeded to share half-century stands with Jamie How (worth 55) and Hay (worth 97). Sinclair fell for 78 and Hay made 66 but once they were dismissed, Northerns clawed back as they picked the last five wickets for 77 runs. Aldridge finished with figures of 4 for 65. In reply, Northern Districts batted out the final 15 minutes without losing a wicket.

Dilip Vengsarkar’s specially done portrait is set to adorn the Lord’s pavilion © Getty Images

Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain, has given his green signal to the Indian board for his name being proposed as match referee to the ICC.”I was first given an offer in 2002 but could not accept it. I would be free from the post of the chairman of the talent research development wing of the board at the end of this month and that’s why I have said yes to the board when they approached me,” Vengsarkar said.Vengsarkar, whose specially done portrait is set to adorn the Lord’s pavilion for his feat of scoring three Test centuries on the trot at the Mecca of cricket, said as per his information, ICC would decide on the panel of match referees in April.”I have received a letter from the MCC seeking my permission to pose for a specially made portrait which would be put up at the Lord’s pavilion.”It’s a big honour and I have said yes to the MCC proposal who are to send a painter to Mumbai for doing my portrait sometime in January 2007,” Vengsarkar said.

Scorecard

Habibul Bashar top-scored for UWI XI with an unbeaten 77© Getty Images

The two-day practice match between the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI and the South Africans ended in a tame draw, with the home team scoring 250 for 5 in their first innings. The South Africans, who resumed the day on 349 for 3, batted for an hour before declaring at 395 for 6. Boeta Dippenaar top-scored with 184, while Dave Mohammad, the left-arm wristspinner, claimed 5 for 115.UWI XI started poorly, losing Tishan Maraj for a duck, but Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, was the star performer with an unbeaten 77 off 86 balls which included 15 fours. Shikhar Dhawan, the 19-year-old batsman from India, smashed 66 off 86 balls, hitting 15 fours. Charl Langeveldt, returning to the South African team after an injury, took 3 for 51. Dippenaar was named the Man of the Match for his superb century.

Around the end of the first millennium of the modern era, there was this place in the middle of the desert in Central Asia that was the hub of all land-based Old World trade from the Far East to the European West. Reaching it meant thousands of miles of travel by camel caravan, whether from Eastern Europe or North India, from Persia or Peking. Yet many intrepid traders would make the trip, lured by the appeal of exotic commodities which were in high demand at home. Glimpsing the “lamps of Samarqand” even once in one’s lifetime was the goal of many an adventurer as well – Marco Polo was only the best-known of this ilk, although it was his trip that that made the place famous.Fast forward to the end of the second millennium and to world cricket, and we have a new Samarqand. It is far away from the major cricketing centres of world population, and is an oasis in its own cultural desert– created out of the quixotic mind of a cricket-loving Arab sheikh, as a way to indulge his royal eccentricity. And yet, over the past few decades, it has grown into a place to which many of the best cricketers in the world have made their pilgrimages, and played each other far from the madding crowds and jingoistic cheers of “home”– a very pure kind of “cricket for cricket’s sake”, with little at stake except pride and prize money.Playing at Sharjah is the secret desire of many international cricketers, especially those who are trying to make an impression on the world cricket stage–to them, it is a sort of cricketing Mecca, without the religious connotations.It appears that the USA, through a combination of serendipitous circumstances, is to be allowed a fleeting glimpse of the “lamps of Samarqand” – and thus make its own kind of history.It started with ICC’s plans for holding the second Six Nations Challenge Tournament at Sharjah.The first Six Nations Challenge Tournament had been held in Namibia, and had included “A” teams from a few major countries to flesh out the field. The second Six Nations Challenge tournament to take place in Sharjah from February 29 to March 6, 2004, has meant a drastic change in format as well as location. This time, the focus was to be on the top six non-Test playing countries– Kenya, Holland, Namibia, Scotland, UAE and Canada. The winner of the Six Nations Challenge tournament was guaranteed a place in the Champions Trophy Tournament between the major countries in England in late 2004 – an incentive that did not exist the first time the Six Nations tournament had been held.However, a problem arose with Kenya. It appears that Kenya (which had won the inaugural Six Nations Tournament in 2002 in Namibia), had chosen not to participate– it was to be touring West Indies at the time, and had already been pencilled into the Champions Trophy along with the Test-playing nations. Since one of the avowed aims of the Six Nations Challenge was to identify a team to play in the Challenger Trophy, Kenya’s participation would have been superfluous – and redundant.It seems that the ICC had thought of USA or Ireland to plug the hole in the Six Nations Tournament. The USA had defeated Ireland in the 2001 ICC Trophy in Toronto in an unexpectedly exciting match, and would have to be given the nod if performance alone was to count. So, giving less than a month’s notice, the ICC invited USACA to send a US team to Sharjah, making it clear that Ireland was to be given the nod if USA could not participate. The USACA accepted promptly, and the USA found itself facing its stiffest international challenge in years, in Sharjah in 2004.How the news got out to the US public is a story in itself, and says a lot about US cricket politics.It all started with a rumour floated anonymously in the USCRICKET open forum, that the USA might be invited to play in Sharjah. The first reaction was scepticism; it was opined that there had been many such rumours in recent months, some even involving fraud and subterfuge, and this was more of the same. Then, a copy of a private e-mail from ICC to USACA extending the invitation to Sharjah showed up in (of all places) a Caribbean Web site, was copied to the USCRICKET Forum, and was greeted by a second crescendo of comment alleging that the letter was a hoax.I took the liberty of contacting ICC directly, and was assured that the letter was not a hoax. The word was duly passed on to the cognoscenti. It was only at this ultimate stage, faced with a barrage of inquiries, that the USACA acknowledged that, yes, it had received an invitation and yes, it had accepted. Why the USACA did not reveal the invitation sooner, and thereby avoided much of the fuss and paranoia, is a question for the ages – could it just be that the USACA enjoys Byzantine intrigue, or is it too afraid to let people know what it is doing? Who knows.And now, a controversy has developed over what kind of USA team to send to Sharjah.On one side are advocates of a promising team of youngsters who could be “blooded” by the Sharjah experience and gain the maturity and practice needed for the 2005 ICC Trophy. If the idea was to develop a team for the 2007 and the 2011 World Cups, it was argued, the players selected would need to be under 25 to last the course – anyone older would simply not be playing that long.On the other, it is argued that USA needs to go with the “veterans”, most in their late 30s or 40s, who have played first-class cricket and could better deal with the challenges and rigours of competitive international cricket. These are the people who have given the USA whatever credibilty it now enjoys after winning the Americas 2002 Championship and defeating its arch-rivals, the Cayman Islanders, and they are in the best position to add to those accomplishments.There are also centrists who argue for a blend of youth and experience, the proportions depending on which way they lean between the two extremes. One thing no one speaks of is of inviting mainstream Americans – the “true-blue all-American yokels”, as one person put it on the lively, sometimes scurrilous, USCRICKET “open” bulletin board – to play on a USA Sharjah team. It is recognized that the sport has to appeal to born-and-bred Americans to secure a long-term foothold in this country, but it is universally accepted that Sharjah 2003 is neither the place nor the time to try.Complicating the picture is a general distrust of the USACA Selection Committee, which has been accused in the past (fairly or unfairly) of bias, parochialism, and ineptitude – a lot will depend on how fairly and efficiently it performs this immediate task of selecting the sojourners for the pilgrimage for Sharjah.Deb K Das is cricket coordinator of Wisden Cricinfo’s USA site

West Indies all-rounder Vasbert Drakes isn’t about to jump the gun. But he believes the regional side will be cocked and ready to fire at next year’s World Cup in South Africa."It’s all about maintaining our consistency, and living up to our true potential. Once we do those two things, we should be in there with a chance," Drakes told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday.For Drakes, once selected, playing in the World Cup puts him at an instant advantage, and summits him to a position of leadership. After all, he’s played professionally in South Africa, which is his home away from home.Fresh off playing in his belated first Test against Bangladesh a fortnight ago, and showing he can make an impact with bat and ball, Drakes expects the World Cup to be extremely challenging for West Indies."The World Cup could be the highlight of my career, so I’m really looking forward to playing, and proving myself. It’s a tournament that’s the equivalent to the World Cup in football, so every team will be coming in at full strength, and it’s a chance to excel at the highest level."Drakes said One-Day cricket had become extremely competitive over the last few years, but West Indies, though considered underdogs, could spring some upsets."The youngsters in the team have shown what they can do in recent times. Once we get our concentration together, I know we have the talent to do well. I don’t want to jump the gun, but I know we’ve come a long way over the past year, and once we play well, reaching the semifinals of the World Cup is a reality.""We have to be very conscious about what we need to do, and how we need to play against each opponent. If we can do that, we’ll be okay.According to Drakes, a level of maturity, mental toughness and teamwork was shown on their two recent tours."It’s not easy to tour the sub-continent and do well like we did. There’s the culture change, the different wickets, and the big crowds screaming at you, and it’s not easy to perform, but the guys stood up to be counted. That was very pleasing to see, from such young players."

It was expected to be a needle contest. And it lived up toexpectations. Ultimately South Zone got the better of holdersNorth Zone in the semifinal of the Deodhar Trophy tournamentby three wickets with nine deliveries to spare at Green Parkin Kanpur on Sunday. They now await the winner of the othersemifinal to be played between Central Zone and West Zone onMonday.South Zone’s confidence must have been boosted by their sevenwicket victory over East Zone in the quarterfinal on Friday.But then North Zone were always going to be tougher opponents.However, displaying fighting spirit and all round skill, SouthZone emerged triumphant to make the final which will be playedin Lucknow on December 21.North Zone captain Vikram Rathour won the toss and elected tobat. He and Indian wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya gave the team agood start by putting on 39 runs off eight overs beforeRathour was caught by Venkatpathy Raju off Ganesh. Off thenext delivery, Ganesh bowled Yuvraj Singh and North Zone weresuddenly reduced to 39 for two.Dahiya and wicketkeeper Pankaj Dharmani initiated a recoveryprocess by adding 66 runs off 13.4 overs for the third wicket.Dharmani was then bowled by Raju for 26. North Zone slippedfurther when Virender Shewag was bowled by Robin Singh fortwo. Dahiya however kept one end going and he and Mongia added38 runs for the fifth wicket off ten overs.Leg spinner WD Balaji Rao now struck telling blows. First, hehad Mongia (23) giving him a return catch. Then he terminatedDahiya’s fighting knock by bowling him. Dahiya’s 79 wascompiled off 105 balls and he hit five boundaries. VijayBhardwaj gave a helping hand by removing Harbhajan Singh (2).In the next over, Balaji Rao trapped Rahul Sanghvi leg beforefor two. Suddenly, North Zone had slumped from 154 for four inthe 34th over to 181 for eight in the 41st over.Reetinder Singh Sodhi kept the score moving and he was aidedby Gagandeep Singh in a ninth wicket partnership that added 26runs off six overs. Gagandeep Singh was then stumped by LNPReddy off Balaji Rao for seven. Last man Ashish Nehra madegood use of the long handle, hitting a six and a four inscoring 13 off 12 balls before he was run out off the lastball of the innings. Sodhi remained unbeaten with a valuable37 off 39 balls inclusive of a six and a four. Balaji Raofinished with four for 44 off nine overs.A target of 226 runs against some varied North Zone bowlingwas not exactly going to be an easy task. And South Zone’s jobwas made tougher with openers Arun Kumar (14) and Amit Pathak(14) falling in the space of three deliveries after an openingstand of 33 runs. But then VVS Laxman and Vijay Bhardwaj putSouth Zone in the driver’s seat with a third wicketpartnership of 134 runs off 25.5 overs. By the time the standwas broken in the 35th over, South Zone seemed to be cruisingto victory. Bhardwaj’s 45 was compiled off 74 balls and he hittwo of them to the ropes. At his going, South Zone requiredonly 58 runs from 15 overs.North Zone however came right back into the match with thedismissals of Bhardwaj and Laxman off successive deliveries.Laxman was bowled by Shewag for 76. He faced 89 balls and hitseven of them to the fence. Vanka Pratap (10) and skipperRobin Singh inched South Zone towards the target by adding 28runs off eight overs. However Shewag brought North Zone backinto the game by dismissing Pratap and Ganesh (0) in the sameover. And when LNP Reddy was run out for nought in the 46thover, South Zone at 205 for seven suddenly had a job on theirhands.Robin Singh and T Kumaran however made light of a tough taskby quickly hitting off the remaining runs. They added 22 runsoff 3.1 overs to steer South Zone to a well deserved victory.Robin, the crisis man, remained unbeaten with 28 off 40 ballswith two fours while Kumaran hit eleven runs off 12 deliverieswith one boundary hit. Off spinner Shewag was easily the pickof the bowlers finishing with three for 19 off eight overs.