All posts by h716a5.icu

Plays of the day for the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide

Brydon Coverdale at the Adelaide Oval01-Dec-2008
Chris Martin got his sixth pair of ducks in Tests © Getty Images (file photo)
Another captain, another classic catch
At the Gabba in 1985-86 Allan Border pulled off a screamer in the cordon to remove John Reid, hurling himself to his left to clasp the chance one-handed. More than 20 years later Border’s fellow Australian captain Ricky Ponting grabbed a similar blinder against the same opponents. Jamie How’s thick edge off Brett Lee flew to the right of second slip, where Ponting flung himself to clutch the ball at full stretch. There have been few better slips catches and Ponting set off for an uncharacteristic soccer-style celebration. He couldn’t repeat the effort a few overs later when he dived to his left and Daniel Flynn’s edge was fractionally out of reach.A duck of the highest order
Iain O’Brien has got under the Australians’ skin several times this series and he continued to frustrate them as the finale approached. O’Brien combined with Brendon McCullum for a 50-run ninth-wicket partnership that pushed the game into the final session of the fourth day, and O’Brien contribution in the stand was zero. When he was adjudged lbw to Brett Lee his 38-ball innings was over, and his 54-minute stay was the fifth-longest duck in terms of time in Test history.A long one
Relying on O’Brien to hold up an end is one thing but asking the same of Chris Martin is quite another. Martin came to the crease with 24 Test ducks to his name and the only time he reached double figures was against Bangladesh. So when McCullum reverse-swept the last ball of a Nathan Hauritz over into the outfield, it was understandable that the batsmen would only take a single. But the fielder, Stuart Clark, was just as keen to see the ball reach the boundary to keep Martin on strike for the next over. The ball refused to obey Clark and pulled up, and it became one of the more comical singles in recent times. McCullum’s lack of faith was well founded; when Martin was again out for 0 he completed a record sixth pair in Test cricket.Together for charity
Players from both teams were wearing red ribbons on their sleeves on Monday to mark World AIDS Day, five years after the ICC became the first international sports organisation to form a partnership with UNAIDS. The support from world cricket has been so strong that in 2007 at the World Cup in the Caribbean and the World Twenty20 in South Africa, there were 24 separate player visits to community projects to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

A promising update has emerged on Newcastle’s pursuit of Axel Tuanzebe…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies are currently leading the race to land the Manchester United centre-back on a season-long loan. Steve Bruce is said to have assured the Red Devils that the 23-year-old will be a regular starter, which could give them the edge ahead of Aston Villa.

The report claims that Villa remain interested in signing the defender and Dean Smith’s side will have no issues with paying Manchester United’s loan fee demands, which is described as ‘multi-million’.

Fans must be buzzing

Newcastle fans must be buzzing if the club can get a deal over the line for the defender, whilst paying a reasonable loan fee for his services. Bruce’s talks with Manchester United have seemingly reassured them that the centre-back will get regular game-time and that could tempt the Red Devils to lower the loan fee in order to reward the Magpies for giving him experience.

The EDP have reported that Norwich have agreed a deal with Chelsea which will see the loan fee for Billy Gilmour decrease based on how many games he plays for the Canaries in the Premier League. Newcastle could look to agree a similar structure with Manchester United, thus making the move for Tuanzebe more attractive for both parties.

If Newcastle can iron out such a deal, it would be ideal from the financial and football aspects, and Magpies supporters will surely be delighted to see the club bring in a talented young defender who could provide serious competition at centre-back.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lavished praise on Tuanzebe after an impressive display against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last year, calling him a tremendous defender.

The Norwegian said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have.

Solskjaer added: “Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

This suggests that Tuanzebe has the quality to make an impact at Champions League level, so he could stand out if given the chance to play week in, week out in the Premier League. However, it is hard to make definitive statements on his ability as he has not had a wealth of experience in the top flight, starting just six Premier League games in the last two seasons.

The fact he has been able to put in a superb performance against Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League is exciting, though, and the Toon Army will surely be looking forward to seeing what he can do for Newcastle should they get this one over the line.

AND in other news, Ashley must splash the cash on £49k-p/w “phenomenon”, Bruce needs him at Newcastle…

S Abbas Ali scored the first half-century for the Delhi Giants in a six-wicket win over the Lahore Badshahs at Gurgaon

Cricinfo staff26-Oct-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ali Murtaza’s 4 for 7 stifled Lahore before Azhar Mahmood’s pyrotechnics © ICL
S Abbas Ali scored the first half-century for the Delhi Giants this ICL season in a six-wicket win over the Lahore Badshahs at Gurgaon. Chasing 148, thanks largely to Azhar Mahmood’s belligerent 69 after Ali Murtaza had Lahore reeling at 63 for 5, Delhi were taken across the finishing line with nine deliveries left. Ali scored a composed 52 and added a match-winning 80 in 11.1 overs with Abhinav Bali to make short change of a competitive total.Having opted to bat, Lahore’s trigger-happy top order fired blanks. Two flashy boundaries and Imran Nazir was on his way, smartly stumped by Phil Nixon off TP Sudhindra’s medium-pace. Imran Farhat was dropped by Murtaza on 13, cutting Shane Bond straight to point, but the bowler had his revenge with his first ball. Imran charged down and swung the ball to long-on, where Bond, running backward, showed Murtaza how it was done.An exceptional stumping from Nixon sent back Humayun Farhat for 7, and in the same over from Murtaza Shahid Yousuf failed to pick an arm ball. A trademark elegant six over deep midwicket hinted that Inzamam-ul-Haq, Lahore’s captain, may be onto something finally but he became Murtaza’s fourth victim. Struck dead in front of the stumps, Inzamam was a goner. Murtaza’s miserly spell of 4-0-7-4 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.From 63 for 5, it took a special innings from Mahmood to lift Lahore to a competitive total. Aggressive from the start, Mahmood tonked Sudhindra for 14 in three balls during the 15th over before training his sights on JP Yadav. Clearing his front leg and hammering the ball sweetly, Mahmood plundered five sixes to finish on 67 from just 39 balls. Seventy-three runs came in the last six overs.In reply Marvan Atapattu went early, hitting two orthodox drives through extra cover and then edging Naved-ul-Hasan to slip. Mahmood then dismissed Mohnish Mishra with his seventh delivery and when Shahid Nazir bowled Dhruv Mahajan with his second, Delhi were wobbling. Their run rate at this stage, however, was a very healthy 8.83.Going into this match none of Delhi’s batsmen had managed a fifty in the tournament. Tonight, chasing 148, Ali rectified that with a good innings. His average before today had been 13.50 and big score was due; thankfully for Delhi, he delivered.Ali didn’t blaze away, but instead nudged the ball into the gaps and ran hard with Bali. Only when Tahir Mughal erred in line did he free his arms, twice pinging the boundaries in an over. Inzamam turned his arm over for the first time in eons and Ali smashed the ball over extra cover for a six to reach his half-century off 43 balls. This prompted Bali to do the same to Saqlain Mushtaq before Humayun stumped Ali for 52 to give Inzamam a wicket. Bali hit consecutive boundaries through the off side to wrap up the win in 18.3 overs. He was not out on 47.Lahore had picked up steam in their last two games, but despite this loss they remain at fourth in the points table. Lahore will need to keep winning to stay clear of Hyderabad and Chandigarh, both of whom have played lesser matches.

One of the biggest components of Wolves’ successful migration from Championship life to the Premier League was Matt Doherty.

The Irishman was a huge presence in their team, dominating the right-hand side of the pitch with swashbuckling and dominating performances from wing-back.

Doherty had a hand in nine goals during the Old Gold’s first campaign back in the top flight in 2018/19, putting in all-action performances on a regular basis.

There were even calls for him to be included in the PFA Team of the Year that season, and a place in it would have been well deserved. He missed out on that accolade but he did eventually earn a major move, joining Tottenham last summer.

His replacement was the mega-money Nelson Semedo, a player who is vibrant and energetic in the final third but a tad shaky from a defensive point of view.

Wolves have signed plenty of full-backs in the last 12 months with Marcal, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rayan Ait-Nouri all walking through the door at Molineux. However, that hasn’t deterred Bruno Lage from considering further options in that third of the pitch.

One player with whom the club has been linked is Czech Republic’s Lukas Masopust. The right-sided player caught the eye for his country as they reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship and Slavia Prague have now reportedly offered him to Wolves.

If they did land the 26-cap international, he could be their new Doherty. Like the Irishman, Masopust is capable of playing on the right of midfield or further back in more defensive areas.

The 28-year-old has featured at right-wing back, right back and in a holding role throughout his career.

He rampages forward and is used to terrorising defenders. After a headline-making performance in the Prague derby last season, Sparta’s Lukas Julis said: “Masopust made fools of us.”

It’s easy to see why that’s the case. He is one of the most progressive players in his position, ranking incredibly highly in some vital areas.

Over the last year, Masopust ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive carrying distance among players in the same position. Furthermore, he ranks in the 87th percentile for carries into the final third.

He also set up seven goals last season, demonstrating exactly why he could be Wolves’ new Doherty in terms of providing a consistent threat from the right flank.

Creating chances was one of the Irishman’s biggest qualities and that’s an area where Masopust clearly thrives as well.

AND in other news, Wolves in negotiations to sign “outstanding” 67-cap gem, he’s a perfect Neves heir…

Afghanistan’s climb up the world stage continued as they sealed promotion from World Cricket League Division 4, moving into the final alongside Hong Kong, in Dar-es-Salaam

Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2008Afghanistan’s climb up the world stage continued as they sealed promotion from World Cricket League Division 4, moving into the final alongside Hong Kong, in Dar-es-Salaam.Going into the final day of the group stage, three sides were in contention for promotion but Italy, knowing they needed victory over Afghanistan to finish in the top two of the table, lost by 93 runs, thereby ending their dreams of playing in the 2011 World Cup.Hong Kong defeated Jersey by 100 runs to seal second place in the group stage, while Fiji’s dramatic four-run win over Tanzania means that Jersey and Fiji will be relegated to Division 5 on net run-rate, as all three teams were tied on two points.For Afghanistan and Hong Kong the aim is to finish in the top two of the six-team Division 3 tournament in Argentina in January, which would mean they join 10 other sides at the World Cup Qualifier, where four Associate or Affiliate Members will qualify for the 2011 tournament in Asia.At Leaders Club, Afghanistan posted an imposing target of 235 for Italy to win after another solid, mature and at times flamboyant batting performance. Rais Ahmadzai led the way with an excellently paced innings, scored at more than a run-a-ball, and hit two of the seven sixes scored in the innings, while Ahmad Shah (52) also played an important role.In reply, Italy lost Thushara Kurukulasuriya to his first ball, before the Northcote brothers added 61 for the second wicket. But Italy’s hopes suffered a blow when Andy Northcote (29) was run out by an excellent throw from man-of-the-moment Ahmadzai.Then, Hamid Hassan changed the game permanently, first deceiving Nick Northcote with a cleverly disguised slower ball, and then earning the vital wicket of Joe Scuderi with a superb throw to gain a run out. When Hemantha Jayasena was also run out in the next over without facing as panic spread through the Italian batting line-up. In the end Afghanistan, were able to enjoy a comfortable victory.Ahmadzai, who was named the Man of the Match after his crucial 68, was delighted with his side’s promotion and said he was determined to win the final against Hong Kong.”We are very happy. It’s true that there was a little bit of tension amongst the guys last night, but the coach said we should go and play positive cricket,” Ahmadzai said. “I was just concentrating on reading the wicket when I came into bat and then hitting the bad balls. The boys have done very well with the bowling, batting and fielding. We will try our best to win the final – we’ve already beaten Hong Kong in this tournament and we will try our best to do it again.”Immediately after the game Scuderi announced his retirement as a player, although he said he would continue as a coach. “You can’t keep playing for ever – I’m 40 in December and my time has come now,” he said. “Perhaps it is time for Italian cricket not to rely on me as much as it has done for the past 10 years.”In the other key promotion game, Butt Hussain missed out on his century in agonizing circumstances, run out backing up on 99, but his innings was instrumental in securing Hong Kong’s passage to Division 3 with victory over Jersey. “It was a pleasure to play such an important innings at a crucial stage for our team. It was due as I was only scoring 30 or 40 runs in my innings – I wasn’t scoring big scores,” Hussain said.After some excellent opening bowling from Ryan Driver and Anthony Kay, Hong Kong stuttered their way through the early overs. But a 119-run partnership between Hussain and Skhawat (47) transformed the game as Hong Kong’s experience and class began to show as it made a challenging 234.Jersey needed a good start, but a fine bowling display, particularly from Irfan Ahmed (3 for 10), ended any hopes as they were reduced to 134 all out.In the other match of the day, Fiji finally registered their first win with a dramatic four-run defeat against Tanzania, with Simon Jepson’s five wickets helping him win the Man-of-the-Match award.

Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing Southampton striker Danny Ings this summer after Ralph Hasenhuttl suggested that he wouldn’t be sold, which rules out another option for Pep Guardiola in his hunt for a Sergio Aguero replacement at the Etihad Stadium.

What’s the word?

Despite rejecting a new contract at St Mary’s recently, it seems as if Ings will remain a Southampton player for the 2021/22 campaign, even if it means losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

Although City could potentially sign him then on a free transfer, Guardiola is clearly desperate to sign a striker this summer, and without a clinical forward in their squad, it might prove difficult for the Citizens to retain their Premier League title.

Hasenhuttl was firm on Ings’ future at Southampton as he told the BBC: “He’s our player for another year, we paid a lot of money for him. When we brought him here, we invested a lot to get him to the highest level and how he is at the moment. We stuck with him with all these injuries he had, gave him the time to recover, gave him the time to perform.

“There’s no reason to sell him, but it’s always a risk for the player when you go into your final year without a contract.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Another transfer setback for Man City?

City have been linked with a whole host of strikers this summer as they look to find someone to fill Aguero’s boots, but a number of their reported targets don’t appear to be realistic options for the Citizens.

Romelu Lukaku confirmed that he would remain with Inter, whilst Erling Haaland and Harry Kane would both cost well over £100m, which has limited their options.

Ings has netted 34 Premier League goals over the past two seasons, a greater tally than both Aguero (20) and Gabriel Jesus (23), which hints at just how potent he can be in the division and how astute an addition he could have been at the Etihad.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Andre Silva was touted as a potential replacement but he has signed for RB Leipzig, and now that the “outstanding” Ings doesn’t seem to be a viable option for City, fans will no doubt be worried that no striker will be brought in before the deadline, which could seriously hamper their chances of silverware next season.

In other news… Man City can sign their next Sane with swoop for “extraordinary” winger, he loves Pep

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is set to sign for Qatari side Al-Duhail, according to a recent report from The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: ‘Phenomenal player’

Alderweireld has been with Spurs since 2015, and has made 236 appearances in total for the club, but it seems as though he could be heading for the exit door in the near future.

The Belgium international featured for his national side in the European Championships, and his return to Spurs is set to be a brief one.

Alderweireld’s contract with Spurs was set to expire in the summer of 2023, but it doesn’t seem as though he’ll see out that deal with the Premier League side.

Former Leeds United man Noel Whelan previously branded Alderweireld a ‘phenomenal’ player at the club, in an interview with Football Insider last season in December 2020.

“Alderweireld is the best defender at that club. He’s a phenomenal player and it’s great to see him playing so well again.”

The latest: Deal agreed – Personal terms to be finalised

The Telegraph revealed on Saturday morning that Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal with Al-Duhail for the sale of Alderweireld.

It is claimed that personal terms still need to be agreed, with the defender’s move also dependent on whether he passes a medical with the Qatari-based side.

The Lilywhites will receive £13m.

The verdict: The ideal time for Alderweireld to depart

It’s certainly a surprising choice of destination for his next club, but we feel the time is right for both parties to move on.

He’s been a fantastic servant to Spurs over the years, and his experience and leadership could leave a sizeable void in their defence moving forwards.

But with younger defensive reinforcements set to arrive this summer, it makes sense for Alderweireld to leave the club this summer in favour of a new adventure.

He’s a tough player to replace – Whelan even claimed he is the best defender at the club – but if the incoming new additions can adjust to their new surroundings relatively quickly then £13m for an ageing defender could look like excellent business.

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, says the middle-order batsmen need to seriously lift their game after a batting display he described as “a disaster”

Cricinfo staff29-Jun-2008
Chris Gayle’s 53 was the first half-century for West Indies in a series when their batsmen have been disappointing © Getty Images
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, says the middle-order batsmen need to seriously lift their game after a batting display he described as “a disaster”. West Indies failed to bat out their overs having been sent in and their total of 223 was never likely to be enough to beat a well-oiled Australia on a good batting pitch.It was even more disappointing after Gayle and Xavier Marshall provided a solid platform, compiling an 86-run opening stand that started with a cautious mindset before both men launched some powerful strikes. West Indies have struggled with the bat in all three ODIs so far and Gayle’s 53 was their first half-century of the series.Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Andre Fletcher all made starts only to throw away their wickets with rash shots and it left the captain in a sour mood. “I thought myself and Xavier really started well this morning,” Gayle said after the game. “Basically the wicket was doing a bit earlier but the middle order was a disaster for us again. They set it up really well and didn’t actually carry on.”Although Gayle was one of the offenders in the first two matches he could not be blamed for his dismissal on this occasion, run out at the non-striker’s end after Marshall’s straight drive clipped the fingers of the bowler Mitchell Johnson. His entertaining innings was the only bright point on a day when his batsmen made bad choices and the bowlers and fielders lacked spark, handing Australia the series with two matches still to play.”We’ve done a lot of talks but that was never really going to help us at this particular time,” Gayle said. “We need more action to be taken, so it’s up to us as individuals to actually work out our game. We can’t really continue like this, it doesn’t look good. Our outfield cricket doesn’t look good as well, so we really need to pull our socks up.”Gayle said West Indies still had a lot of pride to play for in the remaining games, which take place in St Kitts next Friday and Sunday. Several players who failed to impress in the first three outings will be waiting nervously to see if they are in the squad for the final two matches, which should be announced in the next couple of days.

Many Wolves fans have been left to react to a transfer update involving Vitinha.

As per Record (via Sport Witness), there is no longer ‘hope’ from FC Porto that the Midlands club will pay the required €20m (£17.1m) to sign him on a permanent deal after his loan spell at Molineux in the 2020/21 season.

There was clearly a lot of promise when Vitinha joined on loan, as Jeff Shi described him as an ‘exciting’ player and a ‘special young talent’, with an ‘abundance of technique and creativity’ (Wolves).

This was evident especially in his passing ability, as he recorded the highest pass success percentage (90.3%) out of any WWFC player to have played 10 or more games in the Premier League last campaign (Whoscored).

However, having already signed another creator in Trincao on loan from FC Barcelona earlier this month (Wolves), £17.1m would be a lot to spend on a similar player in Vitinha, and there is no guarantee that he would work out at the Wanderers again.

Wolves fans on Vitinha transfer update

These supporters seemed split as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“A must buy for me. Didn’t really put a foot wrong when he’s played for us and was stunning for the Portugal U21s going to be a real weapon for whoever gets him.”

Credit: @EG_Trey

“Please I love you Vinny”

Credit: @dannyclives

“£20mill no changes, let Fosun do their thing”

Credit: @dappadarby

“Got too many attacking options for this. We need the money we do have on the defence/midfield”

Credit: @br4dders13

“I really don’t think he’s worth that much tbh”

Credit: @SamCl0ver

“Not worth that money if you can get him for half that fair enough but not fussed one bit never rated him from what I seen”

Credit: @satsomboon

In other news, find out what club update has Wanderers buzzing here!

Bangladesh enjoyed one of their better Test matches at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong

Anand Vasu18-Dec-2002Bangladesh enjoyed one of their better Test matches at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong. While they did put on the kind of showing that just about begins to explain why they were given Test status in the first place, Bangladesh could not do enough to stop the West Indies from winning the game by seven wickets and sweeping this series 2-0.Despite losing three wickets in a harried spell of play, the men from the Caribbean sprinted to victory in under 22 overs.Needing a mere 111 runs for victory, the West Indies decided to leave themselves a couple of days free to shop, take a breather by the pool or do whatever else it is that touring teams do when they finish Test matches inside three days.As you would expect, the impetuous Chris Gayle clattered 37 from 31 balls, with nine cleanly struck boundaries to set the visitors in their way. Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has scored his maiden Test and one-day tons in this series helped himself to 13 before holing out trying to force the pace.While Wavell Hinds would have liked to fatten his batting average up a bit, he was given out lbw on 26 to a Tapash Baisya delivery that appeared to be slipping down the leg side.Marlon Samuels however, ensured that there was no further joy for the hosts, chalking up an unbeaten 15, sealing West Indies’ victory. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, solid as ever, contributed 19.When the day began, it was one filled with hope for the hosts. At 40 for no loss, they were a mere 62 runs behind and had all10 second-innings wickets in hand. Talented young batsmen eager to showcase their wares came up against a West Indianpace quartet that was not exactly of the highest pedigree.Hannan Sarkar and Al-Sahariar had every chance to put up a strong resistance and wear out the West Indians on a third-daywicket. Ironically it was the track itself that claimed the first wicket when a straight one from Vasbert Drakes kept low andsneaked under the defensive prod of Sarkar (13).Coming in at number three, Habibul Bashar became the first of four ducks in the Bangladesh innings. A snorter from PedroCollins jumped from a length and kissed glove before sailing into the waiting hands of stumper Ridley Jacobs.Sanwar Hossain and Al-Sahariar then effected a recovery of sorts, adding 31 for the third wicket, taking the hosts on to 76before the former fell, once again with liberal help from the wicket. Darren Powell hit a crack on a line just outside theoff-stump and this cause the ball to break back viciously, trapping Al-Sahariar plumb in front and ending his innings on 34.The most promising of Bangladesh’s batsmen, Mohammed Ashraful got well-set and played some handsome strokes before anindiscretion cost him dear. Playing a loose shot to a wide delivery from Jermaine Lawson, Ashraful (15) only managed to findSarwan at point and Bangladesh were 126 for five.Having lost half their side with a lead of just 24 on the board, there was every chance that the hosts would succumb meekly,but Alok Kapali would have none of that sort of defeatist attitude. While winning himself many fans during a colourful stay atthe wicket, the middle-order batsman also served up a fitting answer to cynics who have remonstrated in vain at Bangladesh’selevation to the highest stage.For a young man playing in a team so far behind its opponents in terms of experience and skill, Kapali’s innings was one ofcharacter. While leaving the truly dangerous deliveries alone, Kapali went after anything that was too wide or too full and, moreoften than not, found the fence. Spending a little more than two-and-a-half hours at the wicket, Kapali’s 111-ball stay at thecrease yielded a match-high 85 runs. Twelve boundaries and two sixes kept the vociferous crowd interested and gavethem something to cheer about.Alas, it was a lone hand in a battle already lost. While Enamul Haque stayed at the wicket 64 balls for his 11, none of the otherlower order batsmen showed the same sort of conviction. The tail in particular proved to be particularly frail, with the last fourwickets falling for the addition of just two runs.The West Indies pace quartet made the best of the situation at hand, as Pedro Collins and Powell picked up three wicketsapiece while Vasbert Drakes and Lawson accounted for the remaining four.