Category Uncategorized

NSW will battle against a large slice of history tomorrow after being set 406 runs for victory in its Pura Cup cricket match against Western Australia at the WACA ground.The Blues dragged back 26 runs late in the day for no loss in the knowledge that they have never scored more than 281 in the fourth innings in a match at theWACA.And they have a woeful record in recent times in the four-day game in Perth having lost four of their last five matches outright.Blues openers Brad Haddin (14no) and Grant Lambert (8no) negotiated ten overs late in the day in fading light.The Warriors earlier declared their second innings closed at 6-158, an overall lead of 405 runs nearing stumps on the third day of the match.It came after Warriors pace duo Brad Williams (4-89) and Jo Angel (4-91) skittled the Blues out for 253 in reply to the Warriors’ first innings total of 7(dec)-500.Brad Hogg (17no) and Kade Harvey (13no) were the unbeaten batsmen when West Australian captain Simon Katich finally ended the innings.Scott Meuleman (0) was the first casualty caught behind off Stuart Clark’s (2-39) bowling without a run on the board.Katich (23) fell trying to pull Clark while Ryan Campbell (11) and Marcus North (9) had their stumps rattled by Don Nash (3-59) in the rush for quick runs.Opener Michael Hussey (60) continued his good form with an entertaining knock before he was Nash’s third victim while Chris Rogers (18) swept Higgs straight to Michael Clarke.Earlier Angel and Williams wrapped up the tail after lunch to secure first innings points after Graeme Rummans’ (55) defiant knock of just under four hours came to an end.The Blues batting lineup folded after Rummans was caught behind for Angel’s third scalp, losing their last five wickets for 48 runs.Mark Higgs (23) fell soon after with Hussey taking a sharp catch in slips off Williams’ bowling.Brett Van Deinsen, who batted with a runner after injuring his back bowling yesterday, made a quickfire 27 before he became the fourth victim of theCampbell-Angel combination of the innings.Williams then took a fine return catch to dismiss Nathan Bracken for a duck before Nash (9) was run out in a mix-up with Stuart Clark (6no).Williams’ earlier claimed the crucial wicket of Michael Bevan (66) while young WA quick Michael Clark (1-33) snared captain Shane Lee’s (18) wicket.An outright win for the Warriors will see them leapfrog South Australia into second place on the Pura Cup ladder while NSW will need a miracle to win and get off the bottom of the table.

Delhi gained eight points on account of an innings and 21 run victoryover J&K in a North Zone U-14 league match at the Sports Stadium inKathua. Electing to bat on day one, Delhi declared their first inningsat 275 for 9 in 77 overs. Skipper G Chabra led the way with a stylish122 in 177 balls. Then Delhi’s Tehlan who took 4 wickets combined withKarki and Pant who both took 3 wickets to restrict J&K to just 104 in64.3 overs. Only opener I Dev offered some resistance to make 43.Then following on, 171 runs behind, J&K didn’t do well in their secondessay either by getting out for 150 in 99.4 overs. Tehlan was the mostsuccessful bowler again by taking 3 wickets. I Dev again was theleading scorer having made 46.

Ross Taylor’s second ODI century was instrumental in New Zealand chasing down Australia to clinch the series © Getty Images

Two thumping wins over the best team in the world and a neighbour with whom you share a spicy rivalry is reason enough for joy. But as it came on the back of six losses in eight games in the CB series in Australia recently, it is little wonder Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, was moved to call his side’s five-wicket win at Eden Park an “amazing day”.”It was an amazing day, great for the game and great for us to get across the line in a big-scoring match,” Fleming said, after his side had chased down 337 to clinch the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a game to spare.Before this series, New Zealand had only won two of their last 22 ODIs against their Trans-Tasman rivals, a run stretching out over five years. In less than a week, they have doubled that tally.”We’ve fallen short numerous times against Australia. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes, we’ve been smart off the field, but the performances have let us down on it.””We’ve tried to maintain a positive feel but we didn’t expect the results to be as spectacular as the last two,” Fleming added, referring also to his side’s ten-wicket win in the first game, Australia’s first such loss ever.New Zealand’s chase was the second-highest ever in ODIs, five runs more than their previous best chase, also against Australia. “Scores of around 300 and over are now gettable and teams believe they have a chance if the conditions are right,” Fleming explained.

Michael Hussey celebrates his hundred but he would rather have been celebrating a win © Getty Images

Not that that revelation will be of any consolation to Michael Hussey, Australia’s captain in this series. Australia own many records in modern-day cricket though that of now being on the receiving end of the three largest ODI chases ever is not one they will be proud of.Worryingly, the three chases have come in the last 14 months. But Hussey insisted the personnel weren’t at fault. “I know big totals being chased down is an area of concern and we’re going to have to get better at it,” said Hussey, who himself made an accomplished 105 in the game.”But I still think we’ve got the right people in the team and in the squad. I actually don’t think we did too badly with the ball and in the field. A few things didn’t go our way, we had a few very close shaves, and on another day they might go our way.”This was Australia’s fourth straight defeat and fifth in their last six games, which as a run-in to defending their world crown, is hardly ideal. They are also fretting over injuries to key players, including Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee. But Hussey said there was no need, just yet, for panic.”It’s not ideal but though we’re disappointed the spirit is okay. We can’t afford to panic and make wholesale changes. We have to trust our personnel, our own games and each other. I know if we keep working hard we’ll be fine.”

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly now begun talks to sign Hugo Ekitike this summer.

The Lowdown: Breakthrough season

Ekitike is having somewhat of a breakthrough season with Reims in Ligue 1, where he has managed nine goals and pitch in three assists in total in the division so far (Transfermarkt).

So much so, that the likes of Newcastle United and West Ham came knocking in the January transfer window, and more clubs are now set to follow suit in the summer.

The Latest: Tottenham talks

As per Calciomercato, Spurs have begun to build talks with Reims over Ekitike, along with North London rivals Arsenal, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Marseille, Lyon and PSG are also thought to be in the mix for his signature, which is thought to cost in the region of €20m (£16.7m).

The Verdict: Bargain

Considering that a £33m deal for Ekitike to go to St. James’ Park fell through on deadline day, to get him for essentially half the price would prove to be a bargain.

The 19-year-old has had no shortage of praise, as his manager Oscar Garcia called him a ‘very special’ player earlier in the campaign, while many in France believe that he could be the ‘next Mbappe’.

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.

There are similarities to how Kylian Mbappe broke onto the scene as a French teenager at AS Monaco, and if Ekitike turns out to be anything like the player Mbappe is now, then the Lilywhites would have a real gem on their hands.

In other news, find out what injury ‘worry’ is now a ‘real problem’ for THFC here!

Group A

For the second match running, Hasan Raza, HBL’s captain, rescued his team, this time with his 32nd first-class century © Getty Images

Sohail Khan, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker so far, threatened to run through the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) batting line-up for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), but Hasan Raza came to his team’s rescue with an unbeaten 158 as HBL totalled 334 for 8 at close at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex. Put into bat, HBL lost opener Rafatullah Mohmand for a duck to Sohail, and the bowler grabbed two more wickets to have HBL reeling at 23 for 3. Raza, joined by Shahid Afridi, who took over the captaincy in his first domestic match of the season, put on 64 runs for the fourth wicket, with Afridi’s 33 coming off 27 balls. Hasan, during the course of his 32nd first-class century, faced 212 balls and hit 13 fours and a six. His unbeaten 158 helped the lower order batsmen take Habib Bank to a respectable position by the day’s end. Sohail finished the day with four wickets for 80 runs to take his tally for the season to 47 wickets in only eight matches.Opting to bat first, Karachi Whites did well to reach 279 for 7 against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the National Stadium after losing the first six wickets for only 177 runs. Wajihuddin (73) shared a 51-run second-wicket partnership with opener Asad Shafiq (22), and a 55-run stand with Asim Kamal whose poor form with the bat continued as he was dismissed for 22. However, Afsar Nawaz continued his good run with an unbeaten 85 and shared an 87-run seventh-wicket partnership with Tanvir Ahmed (38) to take Karachi past the 200-mark.Fawad Alam returned to his century-making ways as he hit an unbeaten 104 and helped National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) compile 328 for 5 against Hyderabad at Niaz Stadium. In a state of bother at 66 for 3, NBP were rescued by Alam who joined the tournament’s top-scorer Naumanullah – who had 772 runs prior to this match – and posted 100 runs for the fourth wicket before Naumanullah was dismissed for 89. Alam then joined hands with Qaiser Abbas, who contributed 70 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 126 runs as NBP look for another huge first-innings total.At the Gaddafi Stadium, centuries by Ali Haider and Ashraf Ali enabled Lahore Ravi to score 295 for 4 against Multan. Lahore collapsed to 60 for 4, before Haider rescued them with his maiden first-class hundred. He faced 196 balls for his unbeaten 121 while Ashraf’s unbeaten 111 took 195 balls. The unbeaten 235-run partnership allowed Lahore to look for a big total on a batsmen-friendly pitch.Faisalabad were bowled out for a modest 193 by Sialkot after being put in to bat at the Sheikhupura Stadium. In reply, Sialkot lost three wickets before reaching 63. Faisalabad were undone by the pace of Mohammad Imran, who took 6 for 42 runs in under 15 overs. From 91 for 6 at one stage, Faisalabad managed to reach 193 thanks to a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership between Mohammad Salman (63) and Ahmed Hayat (38) before losing the last four wickets for only three runs. Asad Zarar picked up all three wickets in Sialkot’s innings but Faisalabad will have to bowl exceptionally well to avoid a first-innings deficit.

Group B

The Asghar Ali Shah Stadium witnessed a run-glut as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) hammered 427 for 2 against Karachi Blues. Umar Akmal, younger brother of Pakistan wicket keeper Kamran Akmal, scored an unbeaten 215 off only 187 deliveries and shared a 311-run second-wicket partnership with Mohammad Hafeez (145) after SNGPL won he toss and decided to bat.Azhar Ali scored his fourth century of the season and Saeed Anwar his third as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) put on 345 for 3 against Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Club Ground. Azhar and Anwar put on 259 runs for the second wicket before Anwar was dismissed for 144, his 12th century, that came off 173 deliveries with 15 fours and two sixes. Azhar remained unbeaten on 123 as KRL recovered well after losing their captain Mohammad Wasim for only 17.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were given an opening stand of 109 against Abbottabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium through Agha Sabir (89) and captain Khurram Manzoor (52). Kamran Sajid contributed exactly 50 later to enable PIA to reach a healthy 223 for 4 at close on the opening day.Bottom-placed Quetta were bowled out for a poor 173 against Rawalpindi at the KRL Stadium. With half the side back in the pavillion for 55, it was left to a 57-run partnership between Shoaib Khan (60) and Jalat Khan (59*) to take Quetta past 100. Jalat then put on 61 with the last four batsmen to take his side to a respectable total. Rawalpindi’s openers knocked off 41 runs without being separated by close of play.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) lost only two wickets in the 59.4 overs possible at Arbab Niaz Stadium against Peshawar, scoring 205 for 2. Inam-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten 87 while Adnan Raza retired hurt just before close for 51.

Duckworth-Lewis has been deciding rain-hit matches for 10 years © Getty Images

It still often has players and commentators unfolding sheets of paper, and leaves supporters scratching their heads to work out the sums, but the Duckworth-Lewis method of reaching targets in interrupted one-day internationals has now been the official decider for 10 years.On January 1, 1997, Zimbabwe beat England by seven runs at Harare after the target had been adjusted with the D-L method, the first match to be effected after the method was sanctioned by the ICC. The third ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Christchurch on Tuesday will mark 10 years at the top.The system was devised by the UK-based statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis and was formally adopted by the ICC in 2001, first on a trial basis and, from 2004, on a more permanent basis, being subject to three-yearly review.However, it had been used for a lengthy period of time before then. The D-L method was applied in the ICC Trophy in Malaysia in 1997 and in New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, India and West Indies in 1998. The ICC adopted this system for the World Cup in 1999 in England, although remarkably it was not necessary to implement it throughout the entire tournament.The main impetus for the development of what became known as the Duckworth-Lewis method was the 1992 World Cup semi-final fiasco when, after a short rain delay at the SCG, South Africa went from needing 22 runs to beat England from 13 balls to needing the same 22 runs, but from just one ball.”I recall hearing Christopher Martin-Jenkins on radio saying ‘surely someone, somewhere could come up with something better’ and I soon realised that it was a mathematical problem that required a mathematical solution,” recalls Duckworth.Lewis adds: “It is very satisfying when watching matches that players generally accept revised targets now as fair, in contrast with the previous systems, and that we have made a significant contribution to the history and development of the game.”According to Bob Woolmer, the former ICC High Performance Manager and nowPakistan coach, the D-L method is the best that anyone has managed to come up with.”I believe there will be moments in one-day cricket which will test any system and as long as the D-L method is monitored, it will remain the fairest system. The inventors should be congratulated for arriving at this formula.”Although the majority of use for the D-L method have been because of rain or bad light, it has also been used for stoppages due to 14 cases of floodlight failure, three of crowd disturbances, and one each for sandstorm (Rawalpindi), snow (Durham) and the sun (Derby).

Normal service resumed for Auckland as they slumped to an embarrassing loss against Central Districts at Trafalgar Park. Buoyed by its surprise victory, albeit assisted by Duckworth-Lewis, in midweek against Northern it appeared Auckland had finally found its way in the one-day game. In a rain-shortened game Central dominated. Jamie How and Ross Taylor tore the attack apart with 87 and 84 not out respectively as Central posted 225 for 4 in 42 overs. Michael Mason (3 for 14 from seven overs) then took the top off the Auckland order as they crashed to 106 for 9 in 28.2 overs. The injured Kerry Walmsley did not bat. Mayu Pasupati (31) and Rob Nicol (28) provided more than half Auckland’s runs.

Inzamam played a blinder against the West Indies© Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan will concentrate on preserving wickets early in the innings as they bid to upset Australia in the first match of the VB Series finals at Melbourne on Friday. Having managed back-to-back victories over Australia and the West Indies in Perth, Pakistan go into the first final full of confidence, with Brian Lara declaring them a big threat to the home side.Pakistan piled up an imposing 307 in their final league game against the West Indies, with Inzamam making 74 and Yousuf Youhana contributing a classy 105, and the unheralded Rana Naved-ul-Hasan then grabbed 4 for 29 as the West Indies were edged out in a tense finale.According to Inzamam, the steady starts have been a major factor in the recent success. “If you look at the last couple of games, if you save wickets then in the last 20 or 30 overs you can score anything,” he was quoted as saying in . “The last game against the West Indies they had a couple of wickets in hand and they scored 340-odd runs so it is important that we apply that.”Pakistan won one and lost two of its round-robin matches against Australia, and Inzamam said, “I know it is tough opposition but if we really work hard then well, hopefully we will perform well in the finals.” He pronounced himself satisfied with his own form, and also pinpointed exceptional performances from the likes of Rana.”My form is good, that is why I am looking good,” he said. “The last two games he (Rana) has really done well — they (the bowlers) really feel hunger and I think he has set the example.”Away from the feel-good atmosphere in the Pakistan camp, Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan cricket Board supreme, expressed the fear that Pakistan were losing ground as a Test-playing nation. With the tour of India now less than a month away, Shaharyar said, “It is obvious that the gap between our Test and one-day performances is big and this is something we remain concerned about even if we have made the one-day finals in Australia.”According to him, the lack of nous in the Test arena was easily explained. “The main reason for this is we are nurturing too many of our young players on one-day cricket and they just have not developed the mental strength and aptitude to play test cricket,” he said. “So we are working on a plan to balance the number of Tests and one-dayers our team plays in the next few years.”And the first step we have taken is to ask the Wales and English Cricket Board to consider playing four Tests and three ODIs in Pakistan later this year instead of three Tests and five ODIs.”For the moment though, Test matches will be far from Inzamam’s mind, as he and Bob Woolmer, the coach, aim to script an improbable victory that would set the team up for a challenging tour of India, and also erase some of the painful memories of a 3-0 drubbing in the Tests.

The West Indies squad arrived in Zimbabwe this afternoon to begin their five-week tour which includes two Test matches and five one-day internationals.Brian Lara, the captain, gave a brief press conference on his arrival at Harare airport after touching down via London. He said that his team were as advertised and contained “quite a lot of youngsters”.Lara was briefly on the previous West Indies tour of Zimbabwe in the winter of 2001, but had to return home before the international matches due to an injury. On that tour, West Indies won the two-match Test series 1-0, with one match drawn. They also won the triangular ODI tournament which included India as the third team. And in 1989, at the age of 20, Lara captained a young West Indian team to tour Zimbabwe in their pre-Test days.Lara said he was conscious of the need for West Indies to improve their record away from home, and diplomatically stated that he expected a hard tour. He added that he did not yet feel in prime batting form, but was sure he could raise his game in time for the Test series.The first tour match begins on Thursday October 30, with a three-day match against a Zimbabwe A team to be captained by Dion Ebrahim. The venue has been changed from the CFX Academy to Takashinga Sports Club, a new ground in the Harare suburb of Highfield, from which such players as Tatenda Taibu come from.Grant Flower, who missed the recent tour of Australia due to a hand injury, will definitely miss the two Test matches, but he hopes to be fit for the one-day series. Meanwhile, Douglas Hondo, who was also unable to play in Australia due to a thumb injury, is on course to recover in time for the first Test, due to start on November 4.

Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Tatenda Taibu could find no excuses after his side’s six-wicket loss to New Zealand in the ICC Under-19 World Cup at Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln University today.New Zealand scored their target of 72 runs in 10.3 overs with the game being over before the scheduled lunch break.”Their bowlers bowled really well. They got two good early wickets and then their spinners came on and did a really good job,” Taibu said.”I can’t really say our batsmen got themselves out because they got good balls,” he said.”There was nothing wrong with the pitch. I was happy with it, there was a little bit of movement but not too much,” he said.Taibu had been impressed with New Zealand’s approach to the game and said it was good that despite the fact they were chasing such a small score the opening batsmen came out and attacked and kept on attacking.”We can still come back. We will take this game positively and try and beat Sri Lanka because our goal is to make the Super League side of the draw,” he said. The two sides meet on Thursday.