All posts by h716a5.icu

To achieve the same undefeated run with a young, developing squad this season has meant a lot to Ponting, who is now 35 and moulding a group he hopes can take back the Ashes and defend the World Cup within the next year

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG19-Feb-2010The only other time Australia went through a home summer unbeaten in Tests and ODIs, Ricky Ponting was 26, Steve Waugh was captain, the team was full of stars and they beat up West Indies and Zimbabwe. To achieve the same undefeated run with a young, developing squad this season has meant a lot to Ponting, who is now 35 and moulding a group he hopes can take back the Ashes and defend the World Cup within the next year.Two Twenty20s still remain but in the two longer formats, his men have been unstoppable. There was a drawn Test in Adelaide and an ODI washout in Sydney, but no games were lost. After the 125-run victory over West Indies at the MCG, Ponting said he was thrilled with the size of Australia’s wins, which included four ODI wins with victory margins of over 100 runs against West Indies and Pakistan.”I’m really proud of what we’ve done this summer,” Ponting said. “There can be a lot said about the opposition but one-day cricket tends to bring a lot of teams closer together and we haven’t allowed that to happen this summer in the nine completed games that we’ve played, so I’m proud of the boys for that.”I thought this was a bit of a dangerous game for us, the West Indies almost having a nothing-to-lose sort of attitude and probably a little bit of extra pressure on us to get out there and finish the summer on a good note. To the guys’ credit, once again we found something a little bit even better than we’ve shown right through the summer.”One of the most pleasing aspects of the one-day portion has been the way the rank-and-file members of the side have stood up. This time it was James Hopes, who began the summer as a fringe ODI player and was named Man of the Match for his brutal half-century, while Adam Voges, who has been an even more peripheral player, helped him with an unbeaten 45.Doug Bollinger continued his stranglehold over Chris Gayle, Ryan Harris took his wicket tally to 21 in eight ODIs, and Clint McKay pushed his case to remain a first-choice fast man. The win took Australia’s tally to 24 successes from 27 completed ODIs since the end of the Ashes and it has put them in a strong position a year away from the World Cup, where they will defend their title with a new-look squad.”I thought [Hopes] was terrific in Brisbane and showed some really good signs over there,” Ponting said. “He was terrific tonight. That sort of hitting at the end of the innings is what you’re always looking for. It hasn’t just been him. I was really happy for Vogesy tonight, to get that opportunity and capitalise the way he did was great.”You look at Harris and Bollinger and McKay and those guys … they’ve not let any one game get away from them and that’s a terrific attitude to have around our group. There’s a little bit of competition for spots and guys are working exceptionally hard. We’ve unearthed some players this summer and that’s going to be good in 12 months time with a World Cup.”There have been few positives for West Indies during the limited-overs games. Their disappointing trip culminated in their worst all-round effort in the final game as they dropped five catches, allowed Australia to post the third-highest ODI total ever scored at the MCG, and then lost three wickets in the first four overs.”We played terrible in all three departments,” the coach David Williams said. “I think we fielded decent up until this game but to drop five catches in 50 overs, that tells a lot. It was really disappointing.”We didn’t get good starts and that’s important in one-day cricket. All four games we struggled at the top of the order. We exposed the middle order a little bit too early. It was always difficult coming from behind playing against a top-class side.”

Shahadat Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan completed five-fors, while Sachin Tendulkar completed his 44th Test hundred as India were bowled out for 243 early on day two

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga17-Jan-2010
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Bangladesh, all pumped up and incisive, roared back “extraordinarily”, taking eight Indian wickets for 130 runs and forcing Sachin Tendulkar to dig deep to try and take India towards a respectable total. Shakib Al Hasan, who bowled 25 overs unchanged for 48 runs, and Shahadat Hossain, who bowled in hostile spurts, were at the centre of the comeback, taking four wickets apiece for 103 runs between them, and proving the Indians “still are human beings”. Every wicket pumped Bangladesh up more, every wicket was met with wild celebrations, special one among those being Shahadat’s after Dinesh Karthik’s wicket – a finger on his lips, telling his opponents in no unsubtle terms to watch their mouth.Virender Sehwag, who had called Bangladesh an “ordinary” side in the lead-up to the Test, got off to an aggressive start in a curtailed first session after fog and murky light delayed the start of the match. When he went into lunch, despite the balls stopping and coming and the turn available for the spinners, Shakib would have wondered if he had made the right decision by putting India in. India had raced to 63 for 0 in 13 overs, and immediately after the break Sehwag hit Shahadat for three boundaries in one over, reaching his fifty at more than a run a ball.Yet, Sehwag wasn’t totally in control. He had hit Shakib for a first-ball four, but the turn had had Sehwag in an edgy frame of mind. Off 12 balls of spin, Sehwag was forced to abort attacking shots because he was beaten in flight, rapped on the pads by arm balls, and had one bat-pad fly wide of forward short leg. He eventually lost patience and hit a shortish delivery straight to short cover. Shakib 1, Sehwag 0.Sehwag’s dismissal kick-started a period of aggressive and smart bowling and captaincy, which eventually resulted in soft dismissals. Gautam Gambhir, who had been circumspect in playing outside off, went to cut a wide delivery from Shahadat and the extra bounce caught the edge. Rahul Dravid came to bat in a situation tailor-made for him, but played all around a swinging yorker, and 79 for 0 became 85 for 3 in a matter of 17 deliveries.Shakib then kept his fast bowlers fresh by rotating them from one end, and keeping the pressure up bowling unchanged until stumps. With Rubel Hossain getting reverse-swing from the other end, there were no free hits, boundaries were plugged away, and Laxman, especially, struggled to get off strike. For 13.4 overs not a single boundary came.Shakib mixed the offbreaks and the arm balls well, also varied the degree of the flight. After a series of near dismissals – leaving alone an arm ball that almost shaved the off stump, hitting uppishly one bounce to short cover, and scoring 7 off 29 balls, Laxman finally over-balanced when looking to drive Shakib. The ball went straight on, took the inside edge onto the pad, and then rolled along to an alert Mushfiqur Rahim, who found Laxman short of his crease.There was no counterattack forthcoming from Yuvraj, who prodded and nudged Shakib dangerously for 30 deliveries, before the lack of clarity of thought consumed him. Caught completely in the defensive frame of mind, Yuvraj could have done many things with a gentle leg-side fulltoss, but lobbing it down mid-on’s throat wouldn’t have been high on the agenda. Immediately Shakib got Shahadat back, and as if on cue, Karthik drove at a wide delivery and edged low to gully.All the batsmen who got out had a lesson to learn from the man they passed when they walked back. Tendulkar, dropped on 16 by Imrul Kayes at wide slip, respected that the pitch was not flat, Shakib and Shahadat were bowling really well, and cut out undue risks. He didn’t play away from the body, worked the singles, found the gaps for twos, and even the edge that flew to the left of slip came against the run of play. Tendulkar capitalised on that, and without taking risks, maintained a strike-rate of 50-plus in reaching his 98th score of 50 and above.The other end, though, remained vulnerable. The tea break came just at the right time, and Shakib and Shahadat came back fresh. Tendulkar and Amit Mishra added 32 for the seventh wicket, but Shahadat came back to produce a reversing low full-toss to Mishra. Unlike Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan couldn’t make the most of a dropped catch, and the 27-run eight wicket ended when an arm ball got him.Before bad light kept India’s first innings fighting for another day, two statements were made that suggested that Bangladesh were not as ordinary as India had thought. Tendulkar was forced to try and farm strike, and more often than not Shakib bowled smartly enough to keep him at the other end and expose the tailender for a complete over to Shahadat. And just before stumps, Shakib, not lacking in a sense of drama, bowled with three slips, a silly point, a forward short leg, and a leg gully to Ishant Sharma.

Crystal Palace will be aiming to bounce back from just their third Premier League defeat of the season when they travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United this evening.

A hugely disappointing 2-1 defeat on home territory against Aston Villa ended their seven-game unbeaten run last time out, and Patrick Vieira will be expecting a response from his wounded charges.

And although goals have been relatively easy to come by for the capital club in recent weeks, it’s across the front line where the Frenchman may wring the changes.

The in-form Christian Benteke has already notched up four goals and one assist in 13 top-flight fixtures this term, bettering his combined total for both 2018/19 and 2019/20.

However, the 6 foot 2 target man may be better off taking a place on the substitutes bench for this intriguing midweek encounter.

As per FBref.com, both Leeds and Palace are teams that love to press their opponents, placing in the top two for pressures in the Premier League this season.

But what makes the Whites particularly unique is their man-to-man marking when out of possession. The system forms a key part of manager Marcelo Bielsa’s philosophy and can be hugely successful, but like any tactic, it’s also there to be exploited.

Manchester United did so to great effect when they dismantled their west Yorkshire rivals at Old Trafford last term.

Bruno Fernandes was charged with dragging defensive midfielder Kalven Phillips out wide, opening up an ocean of space for Scott McTominay to burst into and score two goals inside the first three minutes on the way to a famous 6-2 victory.

But this way of combatting Bielsa’s well-drilled charges requires mobility and pace in order for each player to win their individual battles. And that is not something Benteke is blessed with.

Summer signing Odsonne Edouard, on the other hand, is and the 23-year-old’s physical attributes are an asset that Vieira must exploit as he goes in search of a precious three points.

The £79,000-per-week striker was described as a “special talent” by former manager Neil Lennon during their time together at Celtic, and he’s already shown why during his short time in south London.

Edouard perfectly combines his tactical intelligence with technical skill, excelling when dribbling with the ball at his feet, playing precise through balls and finishing past an opposition goalkeeper.

His record of three Premier League goals in just 534 minutes of top-flight action are evidence of how quickly he has transitioned to life in English football and Vieira now has to reinstate him in his starting XI, selecting him from the off for the first time since the beginning of the month.

And, in other news…Huge blow: Vieira confirms big injury setback pre-Leeds, Palace fans will be gutted

As Pakistan get set to announce the squad for the three-Test series against Australia later this afternoon, the name of Younis Khan, their former captain, is unlikely to be in it

Osman Samiuddin08-Dec-2009As Pakistan get set to announce the squad for the three-Test series against Australia later this afternoon, the name of Younis Khan, their former captain, is unlikely to be in it.Younis took a temporary break from the game and captaincy following Pakistan’s ODI series loss to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last month, claiming that he had “lost command” over the side. The decision was the result of months of dissent within the side with Younis’ leadership. At the time Younis said he would come back to Pakistan and play domestic cricket to get back into batting form, though he never set a date on his return.But since then, Younis has gone underground. He has not played any domestic cricket for his local side Habib Bank and has not been in touch with anyone, including the PCB or team management. Reports surfaced last week that he had picked up a foot injury during a fishing accident but they were rubbished by those close to him.The silence prompted Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB, to hint in a press conference on Monday that Younis is unlikely to make the cut for Australia. “Younis should have played domestic matches to be a candidate for selection for the tour. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken after a meeting with the chief selector Iqbal Qasim,” Butt said. Officials within the selection committee echo similar sentiments. As a result of not having played any domestic cricket or made clear his intentions, they say, it would defy logic for him to be selected.Sources close to Younis say he will return to international cricket, but only after the Australia series. It isn’t entirely clear whether he has played any kind of cricket since he asked for a break, but Younis has signed a contract with a club in Quetta – the Manan Memorial Gymkhana CC – to play there next season.In his absence, it is likely Mohammad Yousuf will continue to lead the side. Yousuf is currently leading Pakistan in the Test series in New Zealand and was at the helm as Pakistan levelled the series in Wellington with a 141-run win, their first Test triumph in almost three years. But their batting has been particularly frail through the series, relying heavily on contributions from the Akmal brothers and Yousuf.Younis, who averages over 50 from 63 Tests, has been a vital cog in Pakistan’s middle order, at No.3; since he established himself in the side at that spot – at the start of Bob Woolmer’s reign as coach in late 2004 – he averages nearly 60 from 35 Tests, with 11 centuries. On Pakistan’s last tour to Australia, in 2004-05, he was their leading scorer in a 3-0 whitewash. He also had a fruitful – and enjoyable – stint with South Australia last season, scoring over 350 runs in four first-class matches at an average of over 50.

Dudnath Ramkessoon has urged the WICB to reconsider the decision to use pink balls in the upcoming first-class season

Cricinfo staff20-Dec-2009The West Indies Cricket Board’s decision to experiment with pink balls in the upcoming Regional Four Day competition has met with apprehension from Dudnath Ramkessoon, the chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago senior cricket selection panel. He has urged the WICB to reconsider the move, for the tests conduced so far on the pink balls appear to have yielded unfavourable results.”We have looked at the results of some tests done on the pink balls and whatI can say is that they have not come off too good,” Ramkessoon told . “From the tests they have done in England on the balls, they have been unable to withstand the pressure. What they are saying is that the balls are not up to standard, as they are losing their colour after around nine to 12 overs. The dye used on these balls is not holding up well at all.”Ramkessoon suggested the experiment be delayed until the doubts over the quality of the balls being used were erased. “Our information is that they have since done some more extensive tests on the ball and are trying to improve it. However, I don’t think that using it at this point in time is a wise idea,” he said. “In Australia, Kookaburra has developed a new white ball that can be used for night matches and they are very happy with the results. What they are saying is that the ball is standing up to the rigours of cricket and this in my opinion, this may be the way to go.”The WICB decided to introduce radical innovations to the first-class game, such as day-night fixtures and the use of pink balls, in an attempt to boost spectator interest. Another feature is the hosting of an entire round in one territory to ease the logistical challenges in travelling arrangements.The first round will begin in Jamaica from January 8-11 while the final round will be played at Windwards between February 26 and March 1.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ five-game unbeaten run came to a sudden halt this afternoon as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Chances were few and far between for either side in a closely-fought opening 45 minutes, but Wilfried Zaha’s strike just after the hour mark sparked an entertaining end to proceedings.

Jose Sa was tested on several occasions by Odsonne Edouard and Christian Benteke before Wolves were awarded a penalty after Joel Ward was adjudged to have brought down Rayan Ait-Nouri inside the box.

However, Graham Scott’s decision was overturned by the video assistant referee, and Conor Gallagher sealed the three points for Palace after his goal-bound effort took a heavy deflection off Conor Coady, leaving Sa stranded.

It was a disappointing day all round for the Midlands outfit, with several usually dependable performers well below their best.

It was arguably left-wing back Ait-Nouri who struggled the most in south London. Edouard gave him a torrid time down the flank in the second half following his switch with Zaha, and reporter Alex Dicken highlighted the French youngster’s toils.

“Defensively, Ait-Nouri still has a lot to learn and struggled up against the more physical Edouard after Zaha switched sides at half-time,” wrote Dicken after awarding the youngster a six out of 10.

Although the 20-year-old offered some attacking threat and showed endeavour throughout the 90 minutes, he made a string of costly errors which hindered Wolves’ play, letting Lage down as a result.

As per SofaScore, Ait-Nouri lost possession a whopping 27 times, achieved a miserly passing accuracy of just 62% and picked out a teammate with just one of his five attempted crosses. The France under-21 international also lost nine duels and was dribbled past by an opponent on four occasions, with his only redeeming statistic that he made seven tackles.

Ait-Nouri could have a fabulous career at the highest level, but he’ll need to improve on his defensive work and final ball from today if he is to reach his full potential.

In other news… Bruno Lage drops promising Wolves update which is sure to have fans buzzing 

Rangers made it ten goals scored in two Premiership matches as they beat Ross County 4-2 at Ibrox Sunday afternoon.

They thrashed Motherwell 6-1 last weekend, with Fashion Sakala scoring a hat-trick, although a 1-1 draw with Brondby in the Europa League was sandwiched in between.

Ryan Kent scored a sensational long-distance goal to mark his return, with Joe Aribo, Juninho Bacuna and an own goal from Alex Lacovitti securing the points for the Gers.

Kent made his first start for the club since the 19th of September and dazzled with his stunning strike. He picked the ball up on the left flank and cut inside before unleashing a dipping, powerful, shot past the County goalkeeper, to put Rangers 2-1 up at the time and made Ibrox bounce.

The real star of the show, however, was summer signing Juninho Bacuna as he ran the game from central midfield and was pivotal to the result.

Defensively, he put a shift in for Gerrard’s side. Per SofaScore, he won seven individual duels in the match, whilst also making three tackles. He won six of his 11 ground battles and one of two in the air, and was not dribbled past a single time in the game. This shows that he was reliable defensively and did not allow himself to be a liability in the middle of the park.

On the ball, he was exceptional. He scored his first goal for the club as he picked up possession from Joe Aribo and cut inside onto his right foot to fire a strike into the roof of the net from the edge of the box, whilst he was also credited with the assist for Kent’s wonder goal. The midfielder also completed 86% of his passes as he had a whopping 86 touches of the ball and won three fouls for the team, to show off the overall level of his performance in possession.

Therefore, the £17k-per-week dynamo was the real star of the show for the Gers, as Kent did not create a single chance and only won two duels. Gerrard will surely be delighted by his balanced display in midfield as he was able to merge defensive nous with creativity and quality on the ball in the final third. Hopefully, he will now be able to show it on a consistent basis and prove to be a shrewd signing by Ross Wilson.

AND in other news, Kent 2.0: Gerrard could unearth new wing wizard in “exciting” 18 y/o Rangers flyer…

Manchester United are keen on Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, according to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes.

The lowdown

At the start of this month, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher hailed Doucoure as ‘one of the standout players’ in the early part of the Premier League season.

The Frenchman is currently out of action after picking up a foot injury which is expected to sideline him for six to seven weeks. Patrick Boyland, Everton correspondent for The Athletic, described it a ‘huge loss’ for Rafael Benitez’s side.

United, for their part, have been told that they need to sign an upgrade in midfield to address what is an ‘obvious’ flaw in their team.

The latest

According to Fichajes, Doucoure has attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur, but Champions League participants United don’t ‘want to be left behind’.

It would apparently take somewhere between €25m (£21.1m) and €40m (£33.8m) to convince Everton to part with the 28-year-old.

The verdict

This news comes at an especially bad time for Everton, who were dealt a 5-2 home thrashing by Watford at the weekend, the Hornets having lost their previous match 5-0 at home to Liverpool.

If Doucoure were to be lured away from Goodison Park, the Toffees’ chances of a top-half finish could potentially be in jeopardy. As per WhoScored metrics, he is their second-best performer so far this season, his all-round midfield abilitites highlighted by him being in the top four among the squad for shots and tackles per game.

Still, it’s hard to see Everton entertaining offers in the quoted ballpark. They paid a fraction under £20m to sign him just last year, he could still have up to three years left on his contract and it’s fair to say that his stock has only grown since the move to Merseyside.

In other news, many Everton fans were buzzing over this news. 

Nic Maddinson’s maiden century was overshadowed by a rollicking partnership between centurion Banuka Rajapaksha and Rumesh Buddika

Cricinfo staff04-Oct-2009
Scorecard
Banuka Rajapaksha smashed eight sixes and 14 fours in his knock•Getty ImagesNic Maddinson’s maiden century was overshadowed by a rollicking partnership between centurion Banuka Rajapaksha and Rumesh Buddika as Sri Lanka Under-19 lapped their way to a seven-wicket win over Australia Under-19. Maddinson’s unbeaten run-a-ball 133 stood out in an otherwise shoddy performance by the Australians, who failed to support him adequately when setting a target. Strikes all throughout the batting order were the difference and the victory has levelled the series at one apiece.Australia, who chose to bat, compiled a score of 8 for 252 in their allotted 50 overs, a target Sri Lanka reached with 73 balls to spare. Maddinson, after contributing 46 to the win on Friday, remained unbeaten on 133 from 133 balls, his first hundred in any form of the game. The 42-run opening stand between Maddinson and Ben Dougall (24 from 22) was the only period when Australia managed much control. Once Kasun Madushanka removed Dougall in the eighth over, Australia quickly slumped to 3 for 60 and continued to lose wickets.They sunk further when Alex Keath and Tom Beaton, the captain, were run out off consecutive deliveries in the 32nd over. Waddinson kept losing partners yet managed to stick around and get the score just past 250.It didn’t matter much as fluent innings from Rajapaksha and Buddika – on debut – saw the visitors home easily. Two early wickets gave Australia some lift, but they were soon brought crashing down as the batting duo waded into the attack. Rajapaksha was especially severe on the bowlers, striking 14 fours and eight sixes in an unbeaten 111-ball 157. Buddika’s 57 from 71 balls complimented his partner’s rambunctious maiden century. Apart from Luke Doran, whose eights overs cost just 33 and accounted for Buddika, every bowler went for more than six and a half an over. The pair added a match-winning 168 that decisively sealed the match.

It may be a match between the current top and bottom teams of the championship, Division One, but it could turn out to be one of the most exciting matches of the season

John Ward at Chester-le-Street01-Jul-2009
ScorecardIt may be a match between the current top and bottom teams of the championship, Division One, but it could turn out to be one of the most exciting matches of the season. Worcestershire’s pace bowler Kabir Ali, considered unworthy of the England Test squad or even of the Lions team, continued his demolition job on the Durham batting line-up, with more than adequate help from Matt Mason, so that when play ended early due to rain with both teams having completed an innings, the home side led by a single run.Kyle Coetzer and Dale Benkenstein were at the crease as Durham resumed on their overnight score of 40 for 3. As Worcestershire had found 24 hours earlier, the struggle for survival, even for top-class batsmen, in humid conditions at Riverside is not easy. Kabir and Mason found enough movement in the air to have both batsmen defending for dear life or sighing in silent relief as they were beaten by balls that also beat the edges of their bats. The first run of the day only came in the fifth over, and the first boundary was an involuntary edge by Coetzer just past the slips off Kabir.Then, for a brief period, the runs started to flow. Perhaps the batsmen relaxed a little too soon, as the danger was not over. With the score at 56, Kabir produced a superb swinging delivery that bamboozled Benkenstein and had him edging a catch to the keeper for 25. Within minutes Mason had turned Ian Blackwell around with a fine ball of his own to bowl him for a single, and then Coetzer played a ball from Kabir on to his stumps to depart for 30. In each instance it was the full-length swinging delivery that did the trick, and Durham were reeling at 59 for 5.With the specialists gone, it was left to Phil Mustard and Liam Plunkett to lead the fightback. Plunkett rightly considers himself as a potential allrounder nowadays perhaps of the quality of Stuart Broad, and he played some handsome strokes, choosing his aggressive shots wisely as the sun shone more strongly and the conditions began to ease. Mustard gave him his head and began very slowly, and the next hour or two showed he knew what he was about. The hundred came up in the 36th over, but soon afterwards Plunkett, finally misjudging a ball from Mason outside his off stump, edged a low catch to slip and departed for 29.Callum Thorp, with a few good strokes in his 13, lent Mustard support until Kabir brought a ball back sharply off the pitch to trap him lbw – the first such decision of the match – for 13. Matthew Claydon played a rather weak shot against Kabir to be caught at the wicket, and with Durham at 171 for 9 Worcestershire must have favoured their chances of picking up a first-innings lead for the first time this season. But Mustard was still there, and he had increased his strokeplay enough to reach 50 off 82 balls. At the other end Mark Davies, despite a tendency to play the ball from square leg, stayed in there, and actually had the honour of seizing the lead for his team with a rather agricultural swat past mid-on for four. Having done that job, he played on to Chris Whelan and the innings was over with a lead of just one run. Kabir, whose bowling would have done the national side credit, finished with six good wickets for 68 runs, while Mason gave him superb support with three wickets. Were Simon Jones fit and firing, Worcestershire would indeed be a team to fear in conditions like these. If they can play a fit team and find more self-belief, they should yet prove worthy of the top division this season.By now the sun had gone and a nearby storm was advertising its intentions freely, so the umpires decided to take the players off the field and have an early tea after one uneventful ball in Worcestershire’s second innings. Although there was only a brief light shower and the light improved, play did not start after tea, and it was officially announced that play had been suspended for reasons of safety. The storm passed, but a drizzle did not, and the game will resume on the third day almost as evenly balanced as is possible. The fast bowlers have dominated the match and their performances will hold the key to the eventual result – together with the weather conditions.