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Victoria will be without four of their best players for the FR Cup decider on Sunday, when they will try to break their final hoodoo having finished runners-up for the past three years

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2010Victoria will be without four of their best players for the FR Cup decider on Sunday, when they will try to break their final hoodoo having finished runners-up for the past three years. The Bushrangers are without their captain Cameron White, David Hussey, Dirk Nannes and Clint McKay, all of whom are with the Australia squad in New Zealand, while Tasmania are also missing Travis Birt for the same reason.It has left Andrew McDonald to captain Victoria, who are hosting the final at the MCG for the third time in four seasons. The Bushrangers lost to Queensland in 2006-07 and also last summer, and they went down to Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in 2008-09.They are likely to regain Rob Quiney, who will have a fitness test but is thought to have recovered from an adductor strain and has been added to the squad of 12 that beat Queensland last week. Victoria are chasing their first title since 1998-99 and are hoping to keep alive their chances of winning all three finals this summer, having already won the Twenty20 title and qualified for the Sheffield Shield decider.The Tigers have eased the burden of losing Birt, their second-top run scorer this summer, by calling on the allrounder Luke Butterworth, who is back from injury. The batsman John Rogers has also been included in Tasmania’s 13-man squad after he was left out of the group that beat Western Australia recently.Victoria squad Chris Rogers, Aiden Blizzard, Brad Hodge, Aaron Finch, Rob Quiney, Andrew McDonald (capt), Michael Hill, Matthew Wade (wk), John Hastings, Damien Wright, Glenn Maxwell, Bryce McGain, Darren Pattinson.Tasmania squad Tim Paine (wk), Ed Cowan, Michael Dighton, Rhett Lockyear, George Bailey (capt), Daniel Marsh, John Rogers, Luke Butterworth, Jason Krejza, James Faulkner, Xavier Doherty, Brendan Drew, Gerard Denton.

It was surprising it took them 23.3 overs to call off play on a Kotla pitch where the bounce varied from shin to shoulder in as short a spell as three deliveries

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga27-Dec-2009Match abandoned after 23.3 overs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Tillakaratne Dilshan was struck a fierce blow•Associated PressThe final ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday was abandoned after 23.3 overs after the match officials decided the pitch was of “extremely variable bounce and too dangerous for further play”. The immediate fallout of the fiasco was the sacking of the BCCI’s Grounds and Wickets Committee, followed by the resignation of their Delhi counterparts, but long-term repercussions could be far more serious: at stake is Delhi’s status as a host of the 2011 World Cup, though the ICC has said it will follow the prescribed monitoring process before taking any decision.The ICC’s latest code of conduct regarding poor pitches states that a first such breach should be met with “a suspension of the venue’s international status for a period of between 12 and 24 months together with a directive for appropriate remedial action and the need for prior ICC re-accreditation as an international venue”.On a Kotla pitch where the bounce – from similar lengths – varied from shin to shoulder in as short a spell as three deliveries, Sri Lanka had reason to be thankful that they got away with just two hits on the body that needed attention.Incidentally, Sunil Gavaskar didn’t seem too pleased with what he saw during his pitch report. He described the uneven sprinkling of grass on the pitch as a “hair transplant” with bald patches. When the ball hit the grassy areas it seamed and bounced, from the bald patches it died along the ground. What made it difficult for the batsmen was that the lengths from where the ball behaved so drastically different were not too far apart from each other. The moisture didn’t help either.Full of action, the 23.3 overs featured a wicket first ball; a dropped catch first ball of the second over; blows on the elbow, shoulder, fingers; frenzied running; thick edges flying past third man; and wickets for Zaheer Khan, the debutant Sudeep Tyagi and Harbhajan Singh. MS Dhoni, coming back from a two-match ban, was stupendous behind the stumps, getting his legs together for the shooters and intercepting the lifters without conceding a single bye.Ashish Nehra could have got Tillakaratne Dilshan with the first ball he bowled, but Suresh Raina failed to hold on to a high catch at cover-point. Perhaps Dilshan would have rather that he got out then, going by the way he had to consistently drop his wrists out of the way of balls bouncing from just back of a length.One such delivery from Nehra struck him just over the elbow guard. The way he came down, throwing his bat away immediately, it seemed a nasty blow. Dilshan got up, hit his first boundary off the 23rd ball faced, but couldn’t last much longer. The ones staying low made it even tougher for him to negotiate the venomous ones.Sanath Jayasuriya, 20 years and a day old in international cricket, fought it out despite blows on his elbow, shoulder and fingers. He played two exquisite cover-drives but was fortunate in coming back without a serious injury. In the third over of the innings, his elbow guard prevented severe damage when one lifted from just back of a length and followed him. Tyagi then showed him the vagaries of the bounce, hitting him in his shoulder in the 12th over. Four overs later, within three balls he had the batsman squatting and then nursing his finger.At around 11.20am, one length delivery from Tyagi reared up to almost clear Dhoni’s reach. The Sri Lankan batsmen had had enough by then. Kumar Sangakkara, dismissed already, and Mahela Jayawardene, out with a groin injury, were seen waving from outside the boundary and lengthy discussions ensued.Even after the players went off, it took the authorities – the umpires, the match referee, the captains, and the home association representatives – an hour and 10 minutes of debate before they officially abandoned the game. “I’d like to commend the on-field umpires and captains for continuing as long as they did in the hope that the pitch may settle down,” Alan Hurst, the match referee said. “Unfortunately, this did not happen. Before abandoning the match, consideration was given to shifting the match to a secondary pitch. However, it was deemed impractical as the secondary pitch was not adequately prepared.”The recent history of the Kotla track had done little to recommend its hosting of another international fixture. The curators, both at the ground and the BCCI’s head of pitches committee Daljit Singh, have on more than one occasion said that this is a freshly relaid pitch that will take time to settle in. Despite that, the ground hosted the Champions League T20 on low and slow tracks, and an ODI between India and Australia in October. The BCCI will be left ruing the decision of having hosted two international matches on a dodgy pitch, within two months of each other.

Cricinfo rounds up the action from the third day of the 2009-10 Duleep Trophy semi-finals

Cricinfo staff28-Jan-2010
Scorecard
A gigantic first-innings lead of 475 didn’t convince West Zone to enforce the follow-on against North Zone in Rajkot. North were bowled out for 294 chasing 769 but West decided to come out and bat again, virtually ruling out the possibility of an outright win unless North collapse on the final day. North were already in trouble overnight on the second day at 36 for 3, before the middle order stepped up. Virat Kohli and Rajat Bhatia made fifties while Vikramjeet Malik and Mithun Manhas made forties. Manhas and Bhatia added an exact 100 for the sixth wicket but it was the only century stand North managed. They needed more of those to get close to the follow-on target but succumbed to the duo of Irfan Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets apiece. West came out and batted out 14 overs but lost Ajinkya Rahane for a duck. They ended with an overall lead of 531 and with the first-innings lead in the bag, they may well choose to bat out the final day since they’re virtually assured of a place in the final.
Scorecard
The other semi-final in Indore was nothing like the drab affair in Rajkot, with all four results possible on the final day. After South Zone surrendered a first-innings lead, R Ashwin brought his team back into the game with a six-wicket haul to bowl out Central Zone for 252, leaving them a target of 291. Resuming on 254 for 8, Vinay Kumar frustrated the Central bowlers with an attacking 48 off 53 balls. His Karnataka team-mate Abhimanyu Mithun joined him in a tenth-wicket stand of 37 but it wasn’t enough as South fell short of Central’s first-innings score by 38. Vinay and Mithun struck early to reduce Central to 39 for 3 before Suresh Raina resisted with a fifty. Ashwin chipped away at the middle order as Central were in a spot of bother at 150 for 7. However, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar staged another revival with a brisk stand of 62. Chawla made a run-a-ball 56 while Praveen made 40 off 39 balls. Ashwin finished with 6 for 67 while Mithun, who was named in the Indian Test squad to face South Africa, took two wickets. South lost Robin Uthappa early but the Tamil Nadu duo of Abhinav Mukund and Arun Karthik remained unbeaten. South will go into the final day needing a further 234 for a place in the final.

A massive update has emerged on Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, ahead of the club’s clash with Arsenal this weekend.

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has confirmed that the ex-Bournemouth boss is set to lead his team out against the Gunners on Saturday.

Hope has revealed that Howe has tested negative for Covid-19, after he missed last weekend’s draw with Brentford due to a positive result, and will now be in the dugout to face off against Mikel Arteta.

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this news as it means that they will be given their first chance to see him managing the club in the flesh. He was forced to watch on from isolation at home against the Bees as his side were held to a 3-3 draw, but now he can have an influence on the sidelines in his dugout debut for the Magpies.

It also means that he will be available to be at St. James’ Park for the home clash with Norwich City next Tuesday night. As it stands, Newcastle are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and the Canaries are two points ahead of them, which could make next week’s game a huge match in the battle against relegation.

Of course, the table could change after this weekend’s matches, provided both teams do not lose, but it will still be a big opportunity for Howe to get some points on the board in what is set to be his first home game in charge. The supporters will surely want to create a vibrant, electric, atmosphere for his debut at St. James’ and that could provide a boost to the players in what could be a vital game.

Whilst the atmosphere created by Howe’s presence may not be as prominent in an away match against Arsenal, his voice on the touchline and in the dressing room before kick-off and at half-time could give the players a big lift. It could bring an added touch of motivation to the minds of the players knowing that he is there in person watching their performance and making key decisions on tactics and what he wants from the players from the sidelines during the game.

If he sees someone he doesn’t like from a player then he will be able to have a quick word with them during the game or mention it at half-time. Whereas, this was not as easy for him to do in isolation and not in attendance last Saturday, which is why it will be a massive boost to have him in the dugout.

AND in other news, PIF can land Howe’s dream NUFC deal with “world class” £126m gem, he’s the next Suarez…

Even though Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were leaders of their groups, it’s the finalists from last season, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, who will get the easier quarter-final opponents – teams from the Plate League

Sidharth Monga18-Dec-2009Quarter-final line-up

Haryana (from Plate league) v Mumbai (defending champions)

Delhi v Tamil Nadu (Group A toppers)

Karnataka (Group B toppers) v Punjab

Assam (from Plate League) v Uttar Pradesh (last season runners-up)

Relegated teams: Hyderabad, Maharashtra

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu won’t gain any advantage from topping their Ranji groups this season. Even though they are the leaders of their groups by a fair distance, it’s Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, the finalists from last season, who will get the easier quarter-final opponents – the teams from the Plate League. While Karnataka are not impressed with what seems to be a new rule, Tamil Nadu sort of saw it coming, because that’s how the Ranji Trophy worked in the 1990s, before the Elite League and Plate League – and hence clear-cut semi-finalists – were introduced.Last season, when the system of promoting two Plate teams to the quarterfinals was introduced, the two Super group leaders got to play them, and as expected made it to the semi-finals. This year, Karnataka with a whopping 28 points from six games, and Tamil Nadu with 26 from seven would have also expected easy quarterfinals, but they will be facing Punjab and Delhi respectively. On the other hand, UP and Mumbai, who finished second and third respectively in their groups, get the simpler matches against Assam and Haryana.”It’s quite unfair to give the advantage to them [the finalists from the last season],” Robin Uthappa, Karnataka’s captain, told Cricinfo. “It’s unfair on teams who have done really well this season. We could have finished second or third and could have still played Punjab, who we are playing anyway. That beats the whole purpose, all the hard work that goes in topping a table.”WV Raman, Tamil Nadu’s coach, though, “distinctly remembered the system from earlier years” and was waiting for the confirmation, which – as with most of us – reached his team on the last day of the league stages. “The last year when the format changed, group-toppers got to play Plate teams. But this system was there [in the nineties] that when winners or runner-ups qualified in the next year, even though they didn’t top the group they would automatically become No. 1 and No. 2 [for the purposes of deciding who will play whom in the knockouts].”What Raman alluded to was the time when the league matches were played on a zonal basis. Three teams from each of the five zones qualified to play a Super League in three groups of five. The top two teams from each group would qualify for the next round, but two of those six would get byes and the other four would play quarter-finals to join the top two in the semis. The teams getting the bye were the finalists from the previous year, and if those finalists didn’t make it past the Super League, teams with most points would go straight to semi-finals. For example, in 1999-2000, Karnataka, who finished sixth in terms of points in the Super League, got the bye because they were the defending champions. Madhya Pradesh, who lost the final in 1998-99, didn’t make it to the Super League.Hence Raman and Tamil Nadu were not surprised when they were told they would be playing Delhi and not Assam in the quarter-finals this year.When asked if he, like Uthappa, thought it was unfair to reward teams for previous season’s form and deny the best teams of the on-going season, Raman said, “If that is the rule, what can you do? I wasn’t surprised, but we were just waiting for the information to come.”

Former Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama is hoping to make a Parkhead return, Football Scotland report.

The Lowdown: Wanyama since Celtic exit…

Wanyama, who was a colossus for Celtic, made 91 appearances in green and white during his two-year stay.

The Hoops made a £12m profit on the Kenyan after Southampton paid over £13m for his services in 2013.

Since then, the midfielder has made 154 appearances in the Premier League with the Saints and Tottenham, where he was hailed by Mauricio Pochettino and called ‘fantastic’ by Christian Eriksen.

He is now plying his trade with MLS side Montreal, with the 30-year-old under contract with Montreal for another 12 months, but it seems as if he has his eye on a return to Scotland.

The Latest: Open to return

Wanyama, talking to Football Scotland, admitted he would ‘love’ to play for the Hoops again and opened up on a ‘loan approach’ during Neil Lennon’s time in charge.

“I had a contract at Tottenham and they were very difficult to let me go, the demands were very hard.

“Celtic was a club that I would love to play for again and again. It’s more than a club. I enjoyed my time there.

“I honestly want to come back and give it a last go because I love the club, the people there, the fans, just everything there was great. They give the players everything to go on the pitch and perform. Everything was just on top.

“There was a loan approach but I don’t know what happened. I didn’t follow it up that much.

“I spoke to Neil as well and he said to me ‘it’s difficult with the demands’ and at that time they didn’t have the money to make it happen.

“But it is what it is. As I say, I still love that club, it’s in my heart.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-15/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Midfielders needed:

Wanyama is seemingly extremely keen on a return to Celtic, and the Hoops could do with midfield reinforcements.

Ange Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season, with Nir Bitton filling in for Rogic in recent weeks.

On that basis, a move for Wanyama could be a smart one, especially with his wealth of experience and previous Hoops connections, however, the club might be cautious following James McCarthy’s form since joining on a four-year deal.

McCarthy, the same age as Wanyama, has started just three times this season and appears to be struggling to break into Postecoglou’s side, so they could be better off bringing in a younger midfielder with one eye on the future instead of possibly having another McCarthy on their hands.

In other news: Celtic now hoping to sign 11-goal international in January. 

Adama Traore’s Wolves future is potentially up in the air at the moment with talks going on behind the scenes, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Traore falling out of favour

The 25-year-old has been a solid servant for Wolves, providing incredible pace out wide and contributing to 28 goals in 143 appearances for the club.

Traore has fallen out of favour of late, though, finding himself on the substitutes’ bench in the 2-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace last weekend and not appearing at all in the win over Everton at the start of the month.

The winger has been linked with a move away from Wolves in January, with Liverpool seen as possible suitors.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Traore claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield admits that he believes things are happening away from the pitch with regards to Traore’s future at Molineux

He outlined: “Some fans were saying Crystal Palace was more a game for Adama Traore. But, with his contract situation at the moment, I think there’s things going on behind the scenes with him not playing as much.”

The Verdict: Coming to the end?

Traore is a hugely entertaining player to watch when he is in full flow, mainly due to his unrivalled speed and dribbling ability, but it could be time to part ways with him in January.

His record of 10 goals for Wolves is poor given his position – he has also only registered 18 assists in three years at the club – and he looks to be falling out of favour somewhat under Bruno Lage.

The £27m-rated Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, so January or next summer has to be the time to cash in on him if Wolves want to reap money from a sale.

In other news, some Wolves fans are happy with a contract update that has emerged. Read more here.

Yorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match

The Bulletin by John Ward at Headingley24-Sep-2009
ScorecardYorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match. Four wickets by Ajmal Shahzad helped to remove Hampshire soon after lunch, and then an excellent opening partnership of 162 between Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers gave Yorkshire a good platform for a possible victory.The second day began with the match evenly balanced, with Hampshire on 227 for 4, Michael Lumb 72 not out. Lumb never settled down again and his overnight partner Nic Pothas made most of the 16 runs scored in five overs before the second new ball was taken. Matthew Hoggard, who took it, had two confident lbw shouts against Lumb in his first over, and soon afterwards the batsman jabbed at a ball from Shahzad that moved away from him and was caught at second slip for 81.Shahzad, who at the lunch interval received the award for Yorkshire’s Young Cricketer of the Year, was the best of Yorkshire’s bowlers, working up a good pace and having the batsmen frequently groping at the ball. Dimitri Mascarenhas was most uncomfortable, eventually falling for 8 when he flashed at a ball from Hoggard and Anthony McGrath brought off his third fine catch of the innings at second slip.Hampshire suffered another blow when Pothas, who had begun his innings fluently, became bogged down and eventually edged Dion Kruis to the keeper. Kruis initially lost his direction, but then settled down to bowl a good testing spell. Dominic Cork applied himself thoroughly to building an innings, and at lunch Hampshire had reached 321 for 7.Cork and James Tomlinson accumulated runs steadily for a while until Shahzad removed the latter with a fast yorker, and the last two batsmen were soon snuffed out. The last three wickets fell for six runs, the team finishing with 351, which is just about par for the course in county cricket these days. Cork, who did not try to shield his last two partners, was unbeaten with 42.Yorkshire began their innings amid various assumptions, the chief of them being that if they reached 300 they would be secure in the top division for another season, no matter what Sussex did in their match with Nottinghamshire. Rudolph began as if he planned to get them all before tea, lashing the first ball of the innings backward of point to the boundary, and driving the third through the covers for four. At the other end Joe Sayers assumed the mantle of Geoffrey Boycott and took 25 balls to get off the mark.The Hampshire bowlers settled, though, and for a while both batsmen became seriously bogged down by their accuracy, backed by tight fielding, Mascarenhas turning in an opening spell of 6-3-4-0, mostly to Sayers. But the batsmen did not lose their nerve or patience, and worked through their difficult period until just before tea, when Rudolph broke free again with 12 in an over off Tomlinson.The score at the interval was 49, and the imminent landmark was reached immediately afterwards, as Sayers cut the first ball, from Tomlinson, to the boundary. Runs then began to flow, helped by a disastrous spell from Sean Ervine, who went for 35 runs in four overs, liberally sprayed with a wide and four no-balls. Sayers hit both his first two deliveries to the boundary and almost caught Rudolph, although taking most of the bowling. Rudolph reached his 50 off 99 balls, and three deliveries later Sayers joined him, off 123.Just before five o’clock, the news came through that Sussex had been dismissed for 243, and Yorkshire’s bacon had been saved for another season; this was the third year out of four that they had earned a last-minute reprieve from Death Row. The opening stand went on to record 162 runs, at which point Rudolph fell for 68 (Sayers then 69) when he mistimed a drive to mid-on off Danny Briggs. David Wainwright saw out the day, leaving Yorkshire in provisionally the better position overnight.

Virender Sehwag has said his aim in raising the issue of selection was to change the system and not target any individual

Cricinfo staff04-Sep-2009Virender Sehwag, who spoke out against the Delhi cricket administration’s unfair selection process and forced top officials to pay heed to players’ concerns, has said his intent in raising the issue of selection was to change the system and not target any individual.”My fight is against the system,” Sehwag told news channel CNN-IBN. “You have to change the system and put some good people who can look after the cricket. Lots of players are playing for India from Delhi. That is one good thing. Delhi has so much talent but talented players are not playing in Under-19 level. That’s why I raised this issue.”Sehwag was reported to be seeking a move from Delhi, the state he has represented since 1998, to Haryana from the 2009-10 season onwards, because of interference in selection matters.Along with Gautam Gambhir, his India team-mate and Delhi vice-captain, he met Arun Jaitley, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association president, in the presence of former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi last month to resolve the issue last month. Sehwag said the meeting had been positive and was happy Pataudi had attended it on his request.Sehwag had earlier said Jaitley assured him during the meeting that selectors with “ethics, integrity and spine” would be appointed.He also denied rumours that he had sought a move to Haryana because the association had promised him land in the state. “That is not true. Everybody knows me, I am a straightforward guy. If I wanted something I would go and ask the President of DDCA or somebody else. Haryana gave me land because of my second triple hundred, not because I have to play for Haryana.”Sehwag was left out of the squads for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in South Africa because of a shoulder injury that had forced him out of the World Twenty20 in England in June. He said his rehabilitation was going well and planned to start batting in the nets by the second week of September.”Normally I am throwing 20 or 50 balls a day but in second or third week of September, I will start throwing more and try to play the local tournament if I get a chance. I am working hard on my shoulder and hoping that I will be fit before the Champions League Twenty20.”

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left erupting as some comments emerged from Steven Gerrard.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at home to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, the English manager has now claimed that the club need to ‘spend big money’ in transfer windows in order to be able to compete, citing that in the last two windows they ‘haven’t spent a penny’.

This comes after the Light Blues lost 1-0 away at Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, after losing their opening game 2-0 at home to Lyon in the competition (BBC Sport).

They have also drawn and lost a match in the SPFL already as well, and so question marks have been raised over their performances this season compared to last.

Nonetheless, several Light Blues seemed to be taken back by his subtle dig at the board.

Rangers fans on Gerrard comments

These Gers supporters erupted as the comments were shared on Twitter:

“That’s a statement and a half”

Credit: @TobyJamieson4

“First time we’ve heard him express his disappointment at the transfer business we have done. Sounded like a wee dig at the board.”

Credit: @FacelessRanger

“Is that a dig at the board for us not spending any money?”

Credit: @CarrieCummings4

“The board won’t be too happy with that last comment, but he’s correct.”

Credit: @Motor_Ted

“Steven Gerrard making it clear to EVERYONE you need to spend money to improve and challenge in European competitions. Money he hasn’t been given in the last 2 transfer windows so why should we expect this team to keep doing it, year after year?”

Credit: @CF3Loyal

“2 poor transfer windows. Not spent a penny. Manager having a dig at the board here?”

Credit: @TheFamousRFC

In other news, find out whose display against Prague left RFC fans fuming here!