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Ironically, after overnight rains threatened to put a dampener on proceedings and caused a whole session to be lost, the West Indies came up with their best cricket of the series so far

Anand Vasu18-Oct-2002Ironically, after overnight rains threatened to put a dampener on proceedings and caused a whole session to be lost, the West Indies came up with their best cricket of the series so far. Despite grassing as many as three catches, the mercurial men of the Caribbean managed to restrict India to 190 for five at the end of the second day’s play.A West Indian team of the 70s, with batsmen swaggering to centuries and bowlers brushing aside batsmen with high-quality pace, would not be enthused by the situation they are facing. For Carl Hooper though, with no more than one colleague able to play the Indian spinners and only a group of rookies to send down the overs, this position is more than acceptable. Without being cruel, one remembers the old saying that refers to beggars and their lack of choice.Some say it’s basketball, others the lack of role models. Whatever the reason for the lack of genuine talent coming through on the cricket scene, chairman of selectors Sir Vivian Richards can take heart from the way debutant Jermaine Lawson performed today. Bowling with heart, the paceman from Jamaica bowled good line and length, extracting reverse swing and keeping the batsmen under pressure, all this while bowling at considerable pace.But talking about pace, the manner in which Virender Sehwag continued from his overnight score of 24 suggested that he wanted to finish this game early to spend some time with his family in Najafgarh. A slew of boundaries off the pacemen that pierced the infield and peppered the advertising hoardings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium meant that was not long before Hooper turned to the other debutant in this game – batting-off-spinning-all-rounder Gareth Breese.In Breese’s very first over, the young bowler learned something about bowling off-spin at the highest level as Sehwag, hitting with the turn, launched Breese over the ropes at long-on. The next ball saw a tentative defensive shot edged to short leg, where Wavell Hinds fluffed a catch; but what a maiden Test wicket that would have been! To rub it in, Sehwag just clattered the next delivery into the upper tier of the stands at long-on.The West Indians could only heave a sigh of relief in the 26th over of the day when a peach of a delivery from Pedro Collins had Sehwag playing down the wrong line and losing his off-stump. Sehwag’s entertaining 61 came off just 65 balls and included a remarkable eight hits to the fence and three sixes.Rahul Dravid, attempting to equal Everton Weekes’ record of five centuries in as many Tests, was cleaned up by the delivery of the day when he was on just 11. A cracker of an inswinger, hitting the deck at just the right length, zipped past Dravid’s bat at express pace and shattered the furniture. An overjoyed Lawson had the first wicket of his Test career, a fine scalp at that.Sachin Tendulkar, batting at one of his favourite grounds, began unconvincingly. While several deliveries from Hooper reared off a length or bounced awkwardly, Tendulkar defended without conviction. However, when the bowlers erred in line or length, he was quick to pounce and send the ball to the fence.For company, Tendulkar had a solid ally in Sanjay Bangar. Batting as to the manner born, the Railways cricketer kept the bowling stolidly at bay. The stodgy defensive stroke was in operation, as was the effective leave outside the off-stump. The push past covers or through point yielded a high proportion of Bangar’s 40 that came off a labourious 171 balls, but almost four hours into his knock, a similar stroke presented a catch to Hooper at slip off the bowling of Dillon.Off the very next ball, Dillon struck again, although it would be more appropriate if umpire Asoka de Silva were given credit for that particular dismissal. After handing Wavell Hinds a raw deal just yesterday, umpire de Silva raised the dreaded finger on Ganguly even as he thickly inside-edged a straight one from Dillon onto his pads. “Ganguly lbw bowled Dillon” is the entry in the scorebook; more believable lines have been written in ten-penny pot-boilers.Tendulkar proceeded to score at an even clip, despite not being at his best. When he moved past 16, the little man reached yet another milestone – 20,000 runs in international cricket. Allan Border, with 17,698 runs, is the closest to Tendulkar. But Border, renowned for his obdurate attitude, would certainly have batted with greater concentration on the day than Tendulkar did. On 43 (156 minutes, 113 balls, five fours), Tendulkar dragged a wide delivery from Lawson back onto his stumps.When Tendulkar was dismissed, with the clouds gathering, the sun setting and the floodlights coming on, India were 180 for five. Parthiv Patel did not get a chance to get his feet moving, and with a fluent VVS Laxman (18 not out) at the crease, play was stopped due to bad light less than three overs later. On the day, 28 overs were lost, taking into account the late start and the inability to go on for the extra hour after the scheduled close.At 190 for five, India still have much to do in this game. After bowling the West Indies out for a mere 167, they need to make sure they now garner a substantial lead. For their part, the men from the Caribbean will be able to enjoy at least one good night’s sleep. To their credit, it’s well-earned. There is fire in the belly and rain in the air, and the two might just be enough to keep this series alive.

PERTH, Dec 17 AAP – He looks like a pirate and loves nothing better than plundering bowling attacks with his unique brand of swash-buckling cricket.

Tom Wald17-Dec-2002PERTH, Dec 17 AAP – He looks like a pirate and loves nothing better than plundering bowling attacks with his unique brand of swash-buckling cricket.The dashing Ryan Campbell is set for his second taste of international one-day cricket when the Australian team is named tomorrow for Sunday’s day-night match against Sri Lanka at the WACA ground.The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman is tipped to again replace West Australian team-mate Adam Gilchrist who is sitting out the match with a slight groin strain and knee soreness.If so it will be his second international one-day after he scored 38 from 52 balls in a 23-run loss to New Zealand at the SCG last season when filling in for Gilchrist.While Campbell is no Gilchrist, Gabba fans can attest to the right-hander’s entertainment value after his 42 from 28 balls in Australia A’s win over Sri Lanka on Saturday.Such was the audacity of Campbell’s two flick shots over the Sri Lankan keeper that viewers could have been excused for thinking they had stumbled upon a game of backyard cricket.His radical style has seemed even more appropriate this summer with his wild facial hair.Campbell grew up in the goldfields city of Kalgoorlie where he developed a fossicker’s inventive style.But former WA team-mate Simon Katich was one person who was hardly surprised at Campbell’s improvisation last weekend after spending the last six summers playing together.Katich did have reservations about Campbell’s current look.”He’s sporting a new-look mullet and he has had fair bit of growth happening, he’s looking a bit eccentric actually,” Katich said.But the current NSW player said any comparison with the destructive play of Gilchrist was difficult.”It is hard to compare anyone with Gilly, but in terms of a guy who can play some strokes, Campbo’s right up there,” Katich said.He put Campbell’s unconventional scoring ways to having a superb eye.”He picks up the ball pretty early and he plays shots other blokes probably wouldn’t,” he said.”He can pick up fours and sixes with shots that aren’t conventional but are totally effective.”In a recent four-day match against Victoria, Campbell when berserk mid-innings with 10 fours in 18 deliveries before being lowered by a ball which struck him in the groin.He dropped to his knees and crawled along like a desperate man searching for water in the desert.He was out only five runs later for 75.”Campbo can change the tempo of a game, because he scores so quickly he also takes the pressure off the batsman at the other end,” Katich said.Whatever happens for Campbell this weekend, be assured of one thing, when he is at the crease tune in, because it will not be dull.

Emiliano Buendia is not a replacement for Jack Grealish, says Aston Villa journalist Luke Hatfield.

Villa signed the Argentine winger from Norwich City last month in a deal said to be worth £40m, a club-record fee.

Considering that, you could forgive fans for wondering if he had been bought to replace Grealish.

The Villa captain has been linked with a move away from the Midlands club for a while now, with Sky Sports reporting that Manchester City are readying a bid.

However, according to Hatfield, that is not the case. Instead, Buendia has been brought in to complement Grealish.

“It’s an interesting one and a lot of fans have kind of put two and two together with that,” the Express & Star journalist said as he discussed Buendia and Grealish in a chat with FFC.

“Buendia’s come in, obviously plays a similar position, albeit off the right as opposed to Grealish playing off the left. Villa are very much in the camp that he was brought in to be an addition to Jack Grealish and not a replacement.”

It will come as a relief to Villa fans, who will not want to see their chief creator, who provided 10 assists in the Premier League last season, leave this summer.

Of course, a lot could still happen before the transfer window closes, especially with Manchester City sniffing around. But the signs indicate that the Villans want to build around Grealish rather than sell him off for big money.

Same venue, different day, almost the same depressing result

Haydn Gill06-Jun-2002Same venue, different day, almost the same depressing result.The rain that severely affected Jamaica for ten successive days and completely washed out two Cable & Wireless One-Day Internationals a week-and-a-half ago returned to Sabina Park yesterday.This time around, half-a-match was played before the predicted afternoon showers, accompanied by roaring thunder and occasional flashes of lightning, made enough impact for an hour to force the abandonment of the first of five ODIs between West Indies and New Zealand.West Indies did not even have the chance to pursue their winning target of 177 from 50 overs when the clouds that had been hovering over Sabina during the entire lunch break burst and dumped a considerable amount of rain on the ground.During the lunch break, about eight policemen stood around the pitch protecting it like if it was hallowed turf. As soon as they made their way off and the umpires and the New Zealand players came onto the field, the showers started, at 1:50 p.m.The rain stopped about an hour later and although groundstaff made feverish attempts to have Sabina ready, match officials abandoned the game at 3:30 p.m., ten minutes before a resumption was needed to facilitate 25 overs, the minimum number required to constitute a match.It was a disappointment to those spectators in the half-filled stands who had stayed on in hope of a resumption.While the rain pelted down, scores of spectators in the Mound started their own impromptu game that generated excitement and entertainment.Sunshine returned to Sabina by 5 p.m., but West Indies captain Carl Hooper stopped short of saying if he felt the conditions were good enough to continue.Then, around 5:15 p.m., some New Zealand fans took to the field and had an impromptu game of their own.I don’t think I am in a position to say. The umpires are the ones who dictate whether we play or not. In their opinion it was wet, Hooper said.We had some very, very heavy showers and it was unfortunate. We obviously were in the better position. At the end of the day, there was still of lot of cricket to be played.We can’t complain. I suppose the weather intervened and there is nothing you can do about it but look forward to the next game.New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming admitted it was a hard call for umpires Asoka deSilva and Billy Doctrove.I sympathise with the umpires. It was a tough decision because you can’t add on any more time at the end of the day. The clock was ticking by.We probably would have played a 20-over game, but the rules don’t permit that, he said.It’s just one of those unfortunate situations where another half-hour, 45 minutes, maybe an hour, you could have played cricket, but by that time it was too late.New Zealand, seemingly affected by inadequate preparations, never batted with certainty and they required Craig McMillan’s 69 to add respectability to their eventual total.West Indies’ faster bowlers duly used a helpful pitch in the early stages, but their part-time spinners also assisted in the effort by sharing five wickets.Three of those went to Chris Gayle’s flat off-spin after Hooper entrusted him with the ball after 13 overs and two went to Hinds’ left-arm spin.One of Hinds’ victims was the important wicket of McMillan at a stage when he appeared to be in control and threatened to get a century and raise New Zealand’s total past 200.Brought on after 38 overs to make up the quota allocated to the fifth bowler, Hinds, playing in preference to pacer Corey Collymore, removed McMillan with his fourth ball, which was lifted into the waiting hands of Gayle at long-on.McMillan, adventurous at times, but generally selective in his strokeplay, did a fair job in getting New Zealand to their total after the terrible start.The pitch had been under covers for ten days because of the recent torrential rainfall, and it took many by surprise that the Black Caps batted first on winning the toss.There was early pace and bounce in the surface and the visitors were unable to negotiate it with any degree of certainty, limping to 37 for four before McMillan engineered a recovery.Birthday boy Mervyn Dillon despatched New Zealand’s two most experienced batsmen, combining to form an opening pair at this level for the first time.Nathan Astle, well remembered for his pugnacious hundreds in the Barbados and Antigua Test six seasons ago, attracted a ball which bounced and moved way to clip his outside edge on the way to a slip catch.Astle went for a fourth-ball duck and Fleming followed him in Dillon’s next over when he tumbled over on his backside in pulling a catch to square-leg.There might have been a hint of misbehaviour in the pitch when Chris Nevin found a delivery from Cameron Cuffy leaping from a good length and heading for his throat. Self-preservation led him to stab at the ball, which spliced off the top of the bat for a catch to gully.

The Express and Star journalist Matt Maher has dropped some exciting news involving Aston Villa.

What’s the story?

While new signings will, of course, dominate the news cycle during the summer transfer window, Dean Smith’s side have moved quickly to ensure that the future of their academy players also remains bright, confirming that several youngsters have put pen to paper on new deals.

And after relaying the news, Maher has also now dropped an update on one of those players, in particular; Kaine Kesler.

Writing via his official Twitter account, he said: “#avfc have handed 18-year-old Kaine Kesler, who captained their youngsters to glory in last season’s FA Youth Cup final, a five-year professional contract. New deals too for Mungo Bridge, Akos Onodi, Viljami Sinisalo, Myles Sohna, DJ Sturridge and Tyreik Wright.

“Will need to look back in the books for confirmation but pretty sure Kesler’s five-year pro deal is the longest #avfc have ever given an 18-year-old. Jack Grealish, for context, signed a four-year contract after just turning 19 in 2014.”

Villa fans will be buzzing

The fact that Kesler has signed the longest pro deal of any teenager in the club’s history – even surpassing that of Villa talisman Jack Grealish – is a real indication of the kind of high regard that the 18-year-old is held in.

The right-back, who can also play further forward too, was instrumental as Maher says in captaining Villa’s youth side to FA Youth Cup success, wearing the armband in a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool in the final.

He was also, of course, involved in the ‘senior’ side’s FA Cup third-round clash against Jurgen Klopp’s men, when Villa’s youngsters had to step in to replace the usual first-team stars .

Here on FFC, there have been numerous calls for Smith to unleash Kesler in the Premier League already, and the success he enjoyed with the youth sides last season should surely see him into the manager’s plans ahead of the new campaign, especially with Ahmed Elmohamady having departed this summer.

Plenty of Villa fans have already made it clear just how much they rate him when they urged Smith to start him against Manchester City towards the end of last season.

News that Kesler has signed a five-year contract, and thus ensuring his long-term future is at Villa will surely have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been handed an encouraging transfer update…

Liverpool are reportedly weighing up a move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to ExWHUemployee. 

The lowdown: Rice’s future left in limbo after significant update

Rice’s future with West Ham United remains somewhat ‘up in the air’ heading into the new Premier League season, whilst under the management of David Moyes.

The 22-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract with the Hammers, with Salary Sport reporting that he’s on wages of £62,000 per-week.

Chelsea are believed to have been long-term admirers of Rice, with The Telegraph’s Matt Law previously claiming that the England international has turned down two contract offers from West Ham.

The latest: Liverpool enter the race to strike an agreement with Rice

Liverpool are the latest club to be credited with interest in striking a deal to sign Rice, with exWHUemployee reporting that Jurgen Klopp’s side are keen on reaching an agreement with the midfielder.

The Reds finished third in the Premier League last season, and are seemingly keen to fill the void left by Georginio Wijnaldum, with the Dutch midfielder leaving the club earlier this summer in favour of a move to French giants PSG when his contract reached a conclusion at Anfield.

The verdict: A nervy wait ahead for West Ham

Hailed by England teammate and former Red Raheem Sterling as an ‘animal’ after the recent win over Germany, Rice is quite simply too good for the Irons to sell.

He has been a key member of the West Ham squad for a number of seasons now, fast becoming one of the first names on David Moyes’ team-sheet when available for selection, starting 32 of 38 top flight matches this season.

He’s gained a considerable amount of praise whilst on international duty for England in the European Championships, and that’ll only heighten interest in his services this summer – Rio Ferdinand called him ‘tremendous’ following Sterling’s comments.

With Rice reportedly turning down two contract offers from West Ham prior to Liverpool’s interest in landing his signature, West Ham will face a nervy few months ahead.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, according to Completesports.com.

The Lowdown: Romano’s transfer claim

Adarabioyo made the move to Craven Cottage last October for just under £1.5m. He made 34 appearances in all competitions under Scott Parker but couldn’t help the Cottagers prevent an immediate return to the second tier.

Reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared some news on the centre-back earlier this week. He suggested Adarabioyo could leave the club this summer and has a £10m buy-out clause in his current contract.

The Latest: Villa aren’t the only side keen

Completesports.com shared a transfer update on the defender on Wednesday evening.

They suggested that Villa, along with Newcastle United, Norwich City, Southampton and West Ham United are all interested in the player who Pep Guardiola described as an ‘exceptional person’ earlier this year.

The Verdict: A smart option?

Bringing in Adarabioyo for £10m could be a shrewd piece of business by sporting director Johan Lange.

It seems as if Villa are looking to offload Bjorn Engels this summer, and should they succeed in doing so, would be left with three senior centre-backs.

One injury to Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings or Kortney Hause may leave Dean Smith sweating, so bringing in a new centre-back could be handy.

Adarabioyo has a full season of Premier League experience under his belt, and at the age of 23, you’d expect he can still improve even further into a solid top-flight defender.

In other news: Villa linked with move for Chelsea teenager, fans react, find out more here. 

Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson was quick to defend county cricket in response to an article by former Lancashire and England player Michael Atherton that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday

Richard Walsh15-Apr-2002Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson was quick to defend county cricket in response to an article by former Lancashire and England player Michael Atherton that appeared in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday.As we sat looking out across the County Ground at Taunton this morning he told me: "I’m saddened but not surprised to read `Grumpy’ Atherton’s first effort as a professional journalist in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday. He was obviously struggling to think of anything intelligent to say so he reverted to the easy target of bashing the county game."His article is full of generalisations but specifically he was totally wrong in stating that all the money coming into cricket derives from the activities of the England team. In fact 60% of the turnover at Somerset comes from our own activities without which there would be no professional club at all. For that we should be praised not pilloried."Like so many players `Grumpy’ has no idea of the objectives laid out in the constitution of county clubs. Of course putting a competitive professional side into the field is the main objective but all county clubs are so much more these days. They are responsible for the development of talents and for the many grass roots initiatives currently being run to popularise the game with the young, all of which have staffing requirements.”If he is to be taken seriously as a cricket journalist then he needs to get to know his subject. He should ask himself what he did for county cricket for which he was paid a handsome salary and a £350,000 benefit, money derived from members and supporters, many of whom probably couldn’t afford it and are repaid by him in degenerative terms for the game they love. Of course he had large pockets in which to place the cash but as we all know there was very often something else in them."The success and popularity of sport does not rest solely upon who turns up to watch. If `Grumpy’ had done his homework he would know that there is a tremendous passive interest in cricket, as 84,000 hits on the Somerset website for March clearly shows."

On the 6th of November 1999, the Barkatullah Khan Stadium at Jodhpurhosted a match between the visiting New Zealanders and the BoardPresident’s XI

Anand Vasu23-Mar-2001On the 6th of November 1999, the Barkatullah Khan Stadium at Jodhpurhosted a match between the visiting New Zealanders and the BoardPresident’s XI. Late in the day, when Board President’s XI were on thefield, a rather unusual incident occurred. Halfway through an over,Harbhajan Singh, fielding at square leg threw his arms up in the air,pumped his fists and celebrated wildly. He had not taken a catch, nowicket had fallen, nothing on the field was worth celebrating. Then itbecame clear. The public address system had just let everyone knowthat Harbhajan Singh had been included in the Indian squad for theseries against New Zealand. Speaking to this correspondent at the endof the day’s play, the young man was excited as was to be expected.However, he was not altogether swept off his feet “I expected thecall. I’m a regular bowler for my state side and have been doing wellin recent matches. The first Test match is at Mohali, my home groundand I hope to do well there,” said the young man.As it turned out, Harbhajan Singh picked up just six wickets at 38apiece in the two Tests he played. A far cry from the series that hasjust ended. Peddling his wares against Australia, probably thestrongest team in the world at the moment, Harbhajan Singh scalped 32wickets at an average of just over 17. But then again, Harbhajan Singhis a different man now.The Punjab offspinner has gone through so much in his personal lifethat his success is a tribute to his resilience. After being pickedfor India and failing to live upto expectations, Harbhajan Singh wasrelegated to the cricketing wilderness for a time to come. When he didmake his comeback to the Indian side, doubts were raised about thelegality of his action. Dropped from the side, the young offspinnerhad to undergo the ignominy of several tests. The last one of thosecame in the form of a trip to England where former England offspinning allrounder Fred Titmus had a look at Harbhajan’s action.Without a second thought Harbhajan Singh was cleared.When he was back in action in the domestic circuit, Harbhajan Singhwas a changed man. No bowler likes to have his action questioned,justified or otherwise. On a relaxed evening, after a hard day out inthe field for Punjab, his state side, Harbhajan spoke about hisexperience in England. There was no fuss, no elaborate suspicion,nothing. Harbhajan Singh was asked to bowl a few balls, was clearedand that was that.Just when it looked like things were going well for Harbhajan, apersonal setback put him down again. Not six months ago, Harbhajanlost his father a big blow for a young man just 20 years of age. Eversince that happened, Harbhajan has changed the way he approaches thegame. Following this, the way he went about managing himself underwenta change. After almost being dropped by Indian Airlines, his corporateside, Harbhajan Singh’s cup of woe spilled over.And yet, Harbhajan Singh responded by spinning India to victoryagainst the Aussies. While he took 32 wickets, the remaining tenbowlers used in the series could manage just 17 between them. Thatsurely is as much as you can expect of someone. In his manner anddeeds, Harbhajan Singh has silenced critics across the board.

Queens Park Rangers winger Albert Adomah is considering his future at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that the 33-year-old is considering his options ahead of the upcoming transfer window after a disappointing campaign in west London.

The report goes on to state that a number of Championship sides, including the likes of Bristol City, Derby County, Luton Town and Birmingham City, are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Ghana international ahead of a potential summer move.

Adomah must go

While there was a great deal of fanfare surrounding Adomah’s move from Nottingham Forest to QPR back in October, due to the £900k-rated forward’s obvious affection for the club, it would be a difficult argument to make that the 33-year-old had a good season for Mark Warburton’s side.

Although Adomah went on to feature 34 times in the Championship this term, it quickly became apparent that the former Aston Villa man was not a part of Warburton’s regular starting XI, with only seven of his league appearances coming as starts.

Over these appearances, the £13k-per-week winger hardly set the world alight, scoring two goals, registering five assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, seeing him earn a rather disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.74 – ranking him as QPR’s joint 11th-worst performer in the second tier this season.

As such, considering the fact that Adomah is the Rs’ joint highest-paid player at present, his returns do not justify his rather hefty weekly wage, leading us to believe that it would be a very wise move for Amit Bhatia to move the player whom Dean Smith claimed gives full-backs “real trouble” onto pastures new this summer.

Furthermore, with exciting youth prospects such as Ilias Chair and Chris Willock coming through at QPR – both of whom are comfortable operating from the wing – regularly playing a 33-year-old Adomah ahead of the youngsters could stunt their growth in Warburton’s side.

So, despite the romance of the winger playing for the club that he so clearly loves, a move away from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer may be the best option for all parties.

In other news: Get it done: Bhatia must sanction QPR swoop for “unplayable” 17 G/A beast this summer