Chris Read has rejoined the Nottinghamshire squad for their their pre-season tour of South Africa after leaving the England A tour of West Indies when his family suffered a serious burglary.It was always Read’s intention to fly out with his team-mates for the seven warm-up games in Cape Town and Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket is delighted to have him back. “Chris was enjoying a terrific tour with England A and it was a double blow for him to be forced home in such a manner.”But he was keen to meet up with the rest of the squad and we’re glad to see him again. There’s been a real enthusiasm from the players in the last couple of weeks but now I think they’re all desperate to get some match practice under their belt.”The squad will be based at Bellville Cricket Club, where the allrounder Paul Franks has been playing since Christmas, and will play seven one-day matches, including a fixture with Somerset, who are also touring the area.Newell added that all players reported fit for the flight and said: “The conditions at Bellville are excellent and give us the ideal opportunity to get some outdoor practice in. All the matches will be competitive and good preparation before the season begins.”Nottinghamshire return on April 6 for two final warm-up games against Leicestershire before heading to Lord’s for the season curtain-raiser against MCC, which starts on April 14.
Pakistan, who will be hampered by the absence of Shoaib Akhtar during the forthcoming Indian tour, received another major blow when the board announced that Shoaib Malik was unlikely to bowl in the series, as he didn’t meet the ICC’s bowling requirements. Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, wasn’t optimistic about the chances of Malik’s action being cleared.Footages of Malik’s bowling action and his medical reports have been sent to the ICC for analysis, Shaharyar confirmed while speaking to the Press Trust of India. “We are hoping against hope that he will be available for us as a spinner in India,” he said. “We have asked the ICC to permit him to bowl again on medical grounds but I don’t think he will get the reprieve.”The Pakistan board had had attributed the problem to a road accident that he was involved in two years ago, which resulted in the loss of control of his tendon in his bowling arm. But it appears as though Malik will mainly play as a batsman on the Indian tour.Malik was reported to the ICC in October last year by Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar for a suspect bowling action. The ICC recently modified the elbow restrictions – which come into effect from March 1 – to 15 degrees. The previous limit was five degrees for spinners. However, according to the reports sent by the University of Western Australia to the PCB, Malik bent his elbow at 20.8 degrees for his offbreaks and 33.4 degrees for his doosra, the delivery that left the right-handed batsmen.
Pakistan’s fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed has been reported to the International Cricket Council for having a suspect bowling action.Shabbir was cited by Darrell Hair and Billy Bowden, the two umpires, after they reviewed footage of his action taken during the fifth and final ODI between New Zealand and Pakistan at Wellington on Saturday. Chris Broad, the match referee, informed the ICC and the Pakistan management of the findings.”The umpires asked to review footage of Ahmed’s action from the matchand after seeing this footage decided to report the bowler to the ICC,” explained Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager. “This issue now comes under the ICC’s regulations dealing with this matter and over the next six weeks Ahmed and the Pakistan Cricket Board will have the opportunity to work on any areas of concern. Ahmed will be able to continue to play during this time.”There now follows a two-stage process. The first phase, which Shabbir has now entered, allows him to continue to play international cricket while working with specialist advisers to be appointed by his home Board and a human-movement specialist from an ICC specialist panel to review his bowling action. This stage will last up to six weeks, and at its conclusion a report will be sent to the ICC. No further report can be lodged within this six-week period: however, the bowler remains subject to being “called” on the field by an umpire in accordance with the laws of the game.If, after the first stage expires, Shabbir Ahmed is reported again then he would have to appear in front of a formal hearing of the ICC’s Bowling Review Group (BRG), and he could face a 12-month ban.
Fifteen wickets fell on the first day of the State Championship match between Wellington and Otago at the Basin Reserve and only 212 runs were scored at a trickle more than two per over.In polite terms, the match was “well advanced” at the end of day one. In other words, batsmen from both sides were gripped by a lemming-like urge to self destruction.Most preferred the exquisite agony of a slow death to more sudden termination. During Otago’s innings of 138, compiled after they had lost the toss, Robbie Lawson batted 61 minutes for 10 runs, Chris Gaffaney 58 minutes for 15, Andrew Hore 37 minutes for six and Neil Rushton 32 minutes for one.Only Craig Pryor, who made 59 in two hours and seven minutes, mixed longevity and productivity. He was helped by Nathan Morland who made 22 in 103 minutes in a 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket. That stand, measured by the duration of Morland’s innings, took Otago from 48/6 to 125/7.For Wellington, who were 74/5 at stumps in reply, Luke Woodcock batted 65 minutes for 30 but his was a good knock from a player opening the batting in his Firebirds debut.Selwyn Blackmore batted 103 minutes for 22, Sam Fairley 28 minutes for four, Glynn Howell 15 minutes for one and Grant Donaldson had stayed 48 minutes for eight when stumps were drawn.From beyond the boundary rope, and in appraising the bare statistics, it was possible to draw the conclusion that the pitch was hostile to batsmen. That summation formed part of Wellington’s decision to bowl when stand-in captain Richard Jones won the toss.But it would be hasty to jump to that conclusion. There were no real fireworks from the pitch today, no venomous bounce or unplayable movement. It is necessary to take into account that Otago have been wrecked by injuries, so much so that they must also have to corner young men in Dunedin pubs on Saturday night and press gang them into rep-team service. Wellington also fielded two new boys under 19.But that both innings ended in such a shambles was still unaccountable.Wellington’s best bowler was medium pacer Andrew Penn who took 4-45 from 18 overs but who blotted his copybook rather with five wides and who might have been called for several more if the umpires had been feeling ungenerous.James Franklin took 2-19 from 12 overs but bowled within his best and the perky off-spinner Jeetan Patel took 2-14 from 10.4 overs near the end of the innings. Matthew Walker who would be economical if he won Lotto, took 1-13 from 13 overs.Among the Otago bowlers, the useful left-armer David Sewell fared best with 2-34 from 10 overs. His mate in a left-arm opening pair, Rushton, bowled a good line but failed to take a wicket in six overs.Pryor, whose 59 was by far the best batting effort of the day, took 1-7 from nine overs, six of whch were maidens. Then the Otago spinners caused discomfort for Wellington before the close. Morland took 2-11 from eight overs and Rob Smith bowled five overs of exacting leg spin at a cost of two runs. Wellington took only seven runs from the last six overs before stumps.Again, the spectator beyond the boundary rope would conclude the pitch equally assisted the medium pacers – Penn and Pryor – and the spinners – Patel and Morland.But it was hard again to perceive the kind of assistance that would have made any of the bowlers unplayable.There had to be, and there was, a certain amount of bad batsmanship.Three Otago batsmen, including Pryor, were out lbw without offering a shot. That suggests they were surprised by balls that moved off the seam or in the air but that might be too forgiving of bad batsmanship.One carries a bat to hit the ball, not to display to the crowd at shoulder height.There were 18 boundaries in Otago’s innings, a healthy percentage of their total, and 10 of those were hit by Pryor so it was possible to play shots and to pierce the field.Thirty-two of Wellington’s 74 runs had also come from fours.It is hard to say application was lacking when batsman spent so long at the crease for so few runs. Rather, what was lacking was the mixture of application and urgency that only Pryor displayed.The match, so far advanced after the first day, is now unlikely to last four days. It is a match of considerable importance to Wellington who lie third on the Championship table but only one outright win behind leaders Auckland.They need to win this match to enlarge their hope of defending their national first-class title and of capturing a grand slam of domestic titles in this season. But they have made that task much harder than it should have been.The match continues at 10.30am tomorrow.
Baroda qualified for the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy after drawing theirfinal West Zone league match against Gujarat at the Sardar Patel (Gujarat)Stadium in Motera on January 1. The five points that accrued from the firstinnings lead took Baroda’s tally to 19, close on the heels of Mumbai (21) andMaharashtra (20).Resuming on the last day at 343/6 in reply to Gujarat’s 298, Baroda lost twomore wickets before skipper Nayan Mongia closed shutters after lunch at 488.Rakesh Patel was the first to depart, falling to his namesake and fellow seamer,L Patel for 27. He was replaced by another Patel, the offspinner Umang, whoadded 66 for the eighth wicket with Mongia. After Mongia was dismissed for 80(132 balls, eight fours), Patel and Zaheer Khan proceeded to put together anenterprising stand of 48 in just over nine overs before the declaration came.Gujarat limped to 114/4 from 54 overs in their second knock. Zaheer Khan trappedboth openers leg before in a six over spell to take his match haul to six andUmang Patel chipped in with the other two scalps. The hosts, having needed anoutright victory from this game to qualify, collected three points from the drawto take fourth spot in the group with 14 points, ahead of Saurashtra whofinished at the bottom with six points.
Old Trafford has been home to many huge football superstars over the years, and it’s not often that Manchetser United get it wrong when they make moves for players to bring into the club.
However, Ed Woodward had an absolute howler in letting one player slip through the cracks, and the United board will surely regret not taking the player’s potential more seriously.
Former Red Devils scout Jorge Alvial revealed to Manchester Evening News that the powers at Old Trafford ignored the chance to sign Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies on numerous occasions, ignoring 40 reports on the talent before he signed for the Bundesliga giants.
Eventually the club did offer Davies a trial, but the 17-year-old rejected the offer and committed his immediate future to Vancouver, with the player reflecting on the interest from English clubs when he signed for Bayern Munich two years later.
He revealed to the Daily Mail: “I know there were rumours about England. I know different teams had approached my agents. My full focus at the time was Vancouver and trying to get into the play-offs.”
At this point, the left-back has become one of Europe’s hottest prospects, winning 12 trophies with Bayern Munich since he joined in 2019, including a Champions League and three Bundesliga titles. Therefore, the United board must be having nightmares over relinquishing the opportunity to sign the 21-year-old when they had their chance.
Another kick in the teeth for the Red Devils will be the fact that the German champions signed Davies from Vancouver for just £9m, and according to Transfermarkt as of December 2021, the young player is now worth an astonishing £63m, a 600% increase in value in just three years.
When you compare Davies to United’s most recent left-back signing Alex Telles this season, the Bayern Munich star has made 23 more ball recoveries, completed over 200 more passes, has a better pass accuracy, completed 55 more take-ons and won 55 more ground duels according to Squawka.
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Davies, who was hailed the “Usain Bolt of football” by Rio Ferdinand, clearly has a bright future ahead of him, and United must learn from the decision to ignore the young star as they move into their new era with a new manager at the helm this summer.
In other news: Man Utd suffer major Ten Hag setback which will have Red Devils fans worried
A power-packed performance from Punjab, propelled by Salman Butt’s 290, put them in control of their match against Federal Areas at stumps on the third day. Punjab declared after amassing 599 for 7, and then reduced Federal Areas to 37 for 3.Punjab carried their momentum from the previous day, when Butt and Mohammad Hafeez added a 191-run opening stand. Butt, who resumed on 135, combined well with No. 3 Nasir Jamshed to pile the misery for the Federal Areas bowlers, led by Shoaib Akhtar. The two added 290 runs for the second wicket – 262 of which came today – before Shehzad Azam dismissed them both. Jamshed, who scored fifties in his first two ODIs for Pakistan during the Zimbabwe series, made 108.However, the star of the day was Butt, whose knock needed only 318 deliveries, and included an astounding 50 fours and and one six, perhaps a timely reminder to the selectors who dropped him during the Zimbabwe series. Mohammad Yousuf also helped himself to a fifty before Punjab declared on 599. Azam claimed three wickets, but he was carted for more than a run-a-ball in his 20 overs. The rest of the bowlers didn’t impress either, with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat conceding more than four an over.Aizaz Cheema then removed both the Federal Areas openers cheaply, before left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman struck to leave the opposition struggling, still trailing by 179 runs. Scorecard Having conceding the first-innings lead to North West Frontier Province on the second day, Sind fought back strongly on the third day to still be in with a chance of victory.Leading by 200 runs with seven wickets in hand in their second innings and captain Younis Khan still at the crease, NWFP were done in by Danish Kaneria’s 5 for 62. Kaneria, who recently expressed his disappointment at being demoted in the central contracts handed by the Pakistan board, dismissed Nos 6 -10 as NWFP crumbled to 254 all out from 150 for 3 at the end of the second day.Younis’ 111 was the only substantial contribution, the next best was only 26. Shahid Afridi, the Sind captain, chipped in with the wicket of his opposition counterpart, while Anwar Ali ended with 3 for 66.Needing the highest total of the match to win the game, Sind were off to a buoyant start. Khalid Latif and Khurram Manzoor, two others jostling for the opening slot in the Pakistan line-up, scored patient fifties as their team finished at 130 for no loss. Sind need another 179 with ten wickets left, but given the propensity of batting collapses in this match, it is still anybody’s game.
Led by the allround efforts of their captain, Steve Tikolo, Kenya produced a display of controlled efficiency to dispatch Canada by seven wickets at St Lucia and in the process sent out warning signs to England and New Zealand that they shouldn’t expect things all their own way in Group C. Tikolo and Maurice Ouma produced the match-winning batting performances, but the result had been set up by an impressive showing from Kenya’s spinners.The manner of the victory – intelligent bowling, sharp fielding and calm batting – would have pleased most sides in the tournament. Tikolo, the captain with four World Cups of experience, enjoyed a fine day as his clean strokeplay closed down the run chase, but it had been early in the match that he’d really earned his crust. He quickly reassessed the pitch, introducing his spinners inside the second Powerplay, and they chocked the Canada innings. The 29 overs from Jimmy Kamande, Hiren Varaiya and Tikolo cost just 78 runs and brought five wickets.It left a target of 200 and Kenya were aware that they just needed to bat sensibly. Anderson Cummins found some bounce with the new ball but when Canada needed their bowlers to be right on the mark they sprayed the ball down both sides of the pitch. Cummins managed to remove David Obuya with one that moved away although Ouma was quickly into his stride.Umar Bhatti, whose first three overs cost 21, returned with success when he trapped Ravi Shah leg-before with a delivery that shaped back into the right hander. But the required rate never spiralled too high. With the success of Kenya’s spinners fresh in his mind John Davison, Canada’s captain, brought his slow men into the action. The difference this time was that Kenya knew what they needed and didn’t have to chase the game. Ouma worked the ball around with nimble footwork – reaching his second ODI fifty – while Tikolo used all his experience.Ouma lost his focus after completing the half-century and located mid-off with an ugly heave, but Canada didn’t have the firepower to claim further breakthroughs. Tanmay Mishra started skittishly, but a few quiet words from Tikolo calmed him down and the target came into view as Tikolo eased to his 19th ODI half-century off 56 balls. He is widely regarded as the best batsman not playing Test cricket and this was further proof.
Tikolo doesn’t show too much outward emotion, even in victory, but earlier they’d been the distinct appearance of a frown as Canada – through Geoff Barnett’s crisp 41 – moved to a comfortable 76 for 2 after 15 overs. The new-ball attack had been a mixed bag and Tikolo was quick to switch to plan B. Much of the pre-tournament talk had been about the role of spinners and the success of Kenya’s trio – albeit against the less-than-dynamic Canadians – suggests they will play a key role.Varaiya began the strangle with two maidens in his first five overs – then overs 20 to 25 brought just 11 runs – and shortly after the half-way mark removed the talented Ashish Bagai although Ouma needed to chances to complete the stumping.Batting Davison in the middle order may require a re-think from the Canadians if they want to make the most of his hitting power. Here, he was far cry from the player who lit up the 2003 tournament with his record century against West Indies, struggling without pace on the ball. The innings really came off the rails when he and Ali fell in almost identical fashion to Kamande, playing round slow straight deliveries which clattered into the stumps.Canada’s last main hope for a total over 200 lay with their second Kiwi, captain Ian Billcliff, but he struggled to find momentum during his 63-ball innings. The end was rather limp as he tried to work Tikolo through the on side, but only sent a leading edge back to the bowler. Sunil Dhaniram did his best to marshal the tail, but three run-outs of varying suicidalness ended the innings at least 40 short of par.Kenya have a taste for progressing at World Cups after their semi-final appearance four years ago, but that was given a helping hand by New Zealand’s forfeiture. This time they’ll have to do it for themselves and on this showing they won’t go down without a fight.
A rousing innings from Brian Lara, followed hot on the heels by an inspired counter from Runako Morton, took West Indies to 256 for 4 at the end of the second day, again badly hit by rain, of the final Test at Napier. Though the day had dawned clear and the first session, which began half an hour early was completed uninterrupted, the rains came down in the middle of the day, and only a total of 78.1 overs has been possible in two days.In the first half hour of play, designed to make up some of the 60-plus overs lost on the first day, West Indies had both joy and disappointment. Lara, who looked in even better touch on the second day than on the first raced along to his half-century. At the same time Daren Ganga failed to capitalise.Shane Bond’s pace has hurried batsmen through the course of this Test but it was a cleverly disguised slower ball that accounted for Ganga. Almost yorker length the ball was too good for Ganga, who was bowled for 38.The fall of Ganga’s wicket did nothing to deter Lara who began to hit the ball sweetly. The off-side fence took a bit of a pounding, and even Stephen Fleming’s attempt to stack that side of the field did not help. Lara’s timing and placement as he drove in the arc from point to cover were so good that the fielders often had no chance.There was one bowler who escaped a beating, though, and that was Nathan Astle. Realising that the pitch was on the sluggish side Astle further cut down his pace and kept the ball up to the bat, bowling wicket to wicket and getting just a touch of movement in the air. Lara had to play him with care, and he did so till reaching 83, when he played on. Somehow Astle managed to squeeze through Lara’s defences, albeit through the inside edge and perhaps pad.Morton wasn’t as fluent as Lara to begin with but his methods were no less effective. He played straight, thumping the ball hard, and often he would beat the bowler or the close-in fielder with a shot that sent the ball straight into the pitch and then back past the fielder. He, and West Indies, could really have pressed forward if not for a tragicomic moment that left Shivnarine Chanderpaul stranded.Morton pushed to mid-on, where Daniel Vettori fielded, and set off for a single, but Chanderpaul, who was watching the ball, barely responded. By the time Vettori had fielded the ball both batsmen were at the bowler’s end and a throw to the keeper’s broke the partnership. Morton, bitterly disappointed, made to leave, but the umpires adjudicated that it was Chanderpaul who had to go.In some ways it appeared as though the run-out helped Morton focus. Perhaps he just did not want to return to the dressing-room early to face his captain. After the fall of Chanderpaul, Morton became more assured, driving and pulling with a minimum of footwork and maximum oomph. Once he picked up the length of the ball his bat came down hard and fielders in the circle could not move quickly enough to cut off the boundaries. In all he had 8 fours in a 133-ball, unbeaten 70 when the rains that have drenched Hawke’s Bay all week came down and put an end to the cricket. Dwayne Bravo quite a hitter in his own right, disciplined himself well, and put his head down, facing as many as 86 balls for 22, sharing in a partnership of 67 for the fifth wicket.The outlook is bleak for this Test match with more rain forecast for Monday and Tuesday. The game looks destined for a draw and it seems unlikely that even West Indies, playing as erratically as they are at the moment, can contrive to be bowled out twice quickly enough to force a result in this game.
Chris Gayle c Fulton b Martin 30 (37 for 1) Daren Ganga b Bond 38 (111 for 2) Brian Lara b Astle 83 (171 for 3) Shivnarine Chanderpaul run out (Vettori/McCullum) 2 (189 for 4)
Eagles 259 for 3 (Dippenaar 92, Jacobs 82) beat Titans258 for 5 (de Villiers 89, Rudolph 60) by 7 wickets ScorecardThe Eagles were crowned the 2004-05 Standard Bank Cup champions after anexciting seven-wicket win over the Titans at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein. A match-turning innings of 92 from Boeta Dippenaar and a well-timed 151-run third wicket partnership in 147 balls with Davey Jacobs ensured that the Eagles reached their target – the highest made on the ground this season – with eight balls to spare.Winning the toss and batting first, the Titans once again made the perfect start with Jacques Rudolph and AB de Villiers stamping their authority on the game in putting together a 134-run opening partnership. De Villiers was first to go to his 50, in 44 balls as he adjusted well to a good batting strip. Rudolph followed, after being bowled by a no-ball with the second ball of the innings, with his 50 coming up in 65 balls.Thanks to some tight disciplined bowling from Nicky Boje, Deon Kruis and Cliff Deacon, the Titans lost their way in the middle overs. Johannes van der Wath took advantage as he became the first bowler this season to take 20 wickets, inducing Rudolph into a false shot to be caught behind for 60. Zander de Bruyn had added 25 when he edged a slower ball from Kruis to the keeper while de Villiers followed five balls later for 89 after failing to clear mid-on off Deacon. The big-hitting Justin Kemp ran himself out on 18 as Boje did some fine fielding from short cover.The final overs saw Daryll Cullinan and Albie Morkel take 50 runs off the last five, with Morkel striking the only six of the innings to end on 22. Cullinan was run out off the last ball of the innings for 32 as the Titans ended on 258 for 5.The fielding was well below the normal Eagles standard. Sloppy ground fielding allowed extra runs to be taken while Rudolph was dropped twice and de Villiers, Cullinan and Morkel all enjoyed reprieves.The Eagles made a solid start, getting to 49 before Loots Bosman was caught behind off Ethy Mbhalati for 16. The 50 followed, three balls slower than the Titans’ 50, as Morne van Wyk became the third player to score 500 runs in the current season. The wicket of van Wyk, caught at mid-on off Morkel for 44, slowed the run rate down with the second 50 taking 84 balls.Dippenaar, dropped early in his innings, and Jacobs both started off conservatively but with the rate climbing above seven, the accelerationstarted in the 26th over when 144 was required off 20 overs. The next six overs produced 51 with Dippenaar going to his 50 off 52 balls, and the 100 partnership came up in 107 balls.Dippenaar was run out for 92 with 29 runs required for the win, leaving the stage for Jacobs to hit the winning runs with a six in the 44th over. Boje finished on 10 while Jacobs scored 82 not out as the Eagles added the Standard Bank Cup to their Standard Bank PRO20 Series trophy.