All posts by h716a5.icu

Victoria gained the early advantage in their age-old rivalry with New South Wales after breezing to the inaugural women’s domestic Twenty20 title

Cricinfo staff23-Jan-2010Victoria 5 for 127 (Villani 29) beat New South Wales 75 (Andrews 15, Hunter 2-7) by 52 runs
Scorecard
Elyse Villani top scored with 29 off 27 balls for Victoria•Getty ImagesVictoria gained the early advantage in their age-old rivalry with New South Wales after breezing to the inaugural women’s domestic Twenty20 title in Adelaide. After winning the toss, Victoria finished with 5 for 127 before dismissing their opponents for 75 in 16 overs for a comprehensive success.New South Wales’ reply started terribly when they were 4 for 8 – Alex Blackwell, Sarah Aley and Alyssa Healy all failed to score – and they couldn’t stop the fall of wickets. Julie Hunter and Clea Smith, the opening bowlers, collected two victims each while Briana Binch grabbed the key wickets of Lisa Sthalekar (9) and Kate Blackwell (7) to eliminate any chance of a recovery.The opener Elyse Villani gave Victoria a strong start with 29 off 27 balls while Jess Cameron’s 27 and Kelly Applebee’s 21 off 15 kept the rate up. Next Saturday the teams have a re-match of sorts as they contest the 50-over-a-side Women’s National Cricket League final at the MCG, where Victoria will look to end New South Wales’ streak of four consecutive titles.”Today was very disappointing,” the captain Sthalekar said. “We were out-played by the Victorians, but we have to move on. The WNCL Final is seven days away and now that becomes our focus.”

Nimbus Communications, one of India’s leading television marketing companies, has been awarded rights to India’s home domestic and international games for four years

Cricinfo staff15-Jan-2010Nimbus Communications, one of India’s leading television marketing companies, has been awarded rights to India’s home domestic and international games for four years. Nimbus and the BCCI had, in October, entered an agreement valued at approximately Rs.2000 crore (US$436 million), for a minimum of 64 international matches and 312 days of domestic cricket until 2014. The deal has now been finalised, following Nimbus furnishing a bank guarantee for the agreement amount to the BCCI.Shashank Manohar, the president of the BCCI, said: “The BCCI is pleased to extend its partnership with Nimbus by entering into this agreement till 2014. Nimbus has been the BCCI’s Global Media Rights partner since 2006 and has, in this period, licensed our events for broadcast to hundreds of millions of cricket fans worldwide.”Nimbus also held the broadcasting rights for the previous four years, for which it paid US$612 million – subsequently negotiated to US$549 million – in February 2006.

The Pakistan right-arm fast bowler has set his sights on making the team for the tour of Australia next month, having got back to full fitness and impressing with Sui Southern Gas Corporation in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff08-Nov-2009Pakistan right-arm fast bowler Sohail Khan has set his sights on making the team for the tour of Australia next month, having got back to full fitness and impressing with Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.”I’ve had some calf problems in recent times but I now feel 100% fit” Sohail told . “It was one of those irritating injuries that kept on recurring and just when I thought I had overcome the injury it would come back, which was quite frustrating. In fact I played some cricket when the calf was not totally right.”My aim is to take lots of wickets and bowl consistently well for SSGC and hopefully my performances will catch the eye of the selectors in time for the announcement of the squad for Australia. It would be great to be back playing for Pakistan, and to make that comeback in Australia is something that I’m really hoping for”.Sohail, 25, has been in fine form this season, picking up 14 wickets 18.85, including a season’s best so far of 6 for 34 against Pakistan Customs. He said he was looking forward to bowling against Habib Bank Limited in the Group A encounter starting on Monday.”We’ve come across some pretty flat tracks so far this season, so it will be good to hopefully bowl in seamer-friendly conditions in Rawalpindi. I remember the last time I played against Habib Bank, I took six wickets in the only innings that I bowled in. Let’s hope I can do that again”.He made his Test debut in 2009, during the high-scoring draw against Sri Lanka in Karachi. He returned figures of 0 for 131 and 0 for 33 and has not been considered since. He has also managed five wickets in the four ODIs at 32.60. But under the guidance of former players and a correction in his run-up, he hopes to grab his chance and tour Australia.”Before the domestic season started, I worked with Aaqib Javed and Wasim Akram on my runup, which was identified as an area that I needed to improve upon,” Sohail said. “When we analysed my run-up, we all felt that it needed more momentum. I wasn’t sprinting during my run-up and now I have altered that, I’m running in a lot quicker. I feel really comfortable with the change and I feel it has improved my bowling”.Sohail, who recently represented Pakistan in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes tournament, said he was perplexed by the format. “Its strange cricket and for a fast bowler it can be quite frustrating because you bowl a good delivery and it goes for a four or a top-edged six. It was good experience though and I just tried to concentrate on bowling yorkers”.

Avik Chowdhury has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital where he is under ventilation

Cricinfo staff19-Oct-2009Bengal allrounder Avik Chowdhury has been put on a ventilator at an intensive care unit in Kolkata, after being critically injured in a car accident on Sunday evening. The accident happened when the car Chowdhury was travelling in, along with four of his friends, rammed into a median divider on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass near Ruby Hospital.Chowdhury, 24, who is part of the Bengal squad for the East Zone T20 meet in Dhanbad, was visited by Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya and former India captain Sourav Ganguly. The Bengal team’s departure for Dhanbad has now been postponed by a day because of the accident and they will now be leaving on Tuesday.”His [Chowdhury’s] condition is very critical. He has injuries to the abdomen, diaphragm and the spinal cord with fractures in three vertebrae,” said SB Purakayastha, CEO of Ruby Hospital. “His entire lower half has been paralysed. Until his condition is stable, we cannot operate upon him.”An employee of the income tax department, Chowdhury took part in the practice match at Eden Gardens in the morning, scoring 15 off eight balls and taking a wicket. He has also led Bengal at the junior level and plays for Kalighat in the local circuit. He made his Ranji debut last season and was also part of the preliminary Kolkata Knight Riders squad.He has seven first-class matches and 13 List A matches, and most recently turned out for Indian Revenue in the BCCI Corporate Trophy last month, where he scored an unbeaten 110 against ITC in Mohali.

Aston Villa are considering a move to appoint Paulo Fonseca as Dean Smith’s successor at Villa Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is finalising his shortlist of candidates for the vacant Villa managerial position on Tuesday, with one of the targets identified being the former AS Roma manager.

The report continues to state that Fonseca’s representatives have already contacted Villa in order to formally throw the 48-year-old’s hat into the ring, suggesting that the Portuguese coach would be more than willing to take over from Smith.

He could be worth the risk

While Aston Villa’s precarious 16th place league position would lend favour to the club appointing a coach who boasts the previous experience of Premier League management – as, should a foreign coach fail to adapt their style of play to the English game quickly enough, the results could well be disastrous for Villa – Fonseca may well be a candidate who is worth the risk for NSWE.

Indeed, having led FC Pacos de Ferreira to a highly impressive third-place finish in Liga NOS back in 2012/13, the 48-year-old repeated a similar feat with SC Braga a few years later – sealing a fourth-place finish in the league and winning the Portuguese Cup with Os Arcebispos.

This led to Shakhtar Donetsk appointing Fonseca in the summer of 2016, with the Ukrainian side going on to win three consecutive league titles under the Portuguese manager, in addition to three Ukrainian Cups, one Ukrainian Super Cup and reaching the last 16 of the Champions League in 2017/18.

Once again, this led to another step up for the 48-year-old, being handed a two-year deal by Serie A side Roma in 2019, with former club president Jim Pallotta stating upon his arrival: “Paulo is a young and ambitious coach with international experience, a winning mentality and a reputation for bold, attacking football that will excite our fans.”

However, despite leading I Giallorossi to an impressive fifth-place finish and reaching the Europa League round of 16 during his debut season in Rome, Fonseca left the club just one season later, following a slightly underwhelming seventh-place finish in Serie A and being trounced 8-4 on aggregate by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final.

Despite this final season at Roma, however, it is clear to see that the man who Massimo Ambrosini dubbed a “modern” manager is a coach who has a history of achieving success with a number of unfavoured sides, as well as one who can get his team playing bold, exciting and attacking football – all of which suggest that the 48-year-old could well be worthy of a shot at Villa Park.

In other news: “I understand”: Sky journo drops big AVFC manager update, fans surely buzzing

Concerns have emerged over Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic and his sustainability in Ange Postecoglou’s system, The Herald report.

The Lowdown: Rogic a regular

Rogic, who Postecoglou hailed as ‘brilliant’ while in charge of Australia, has been a regular in green and white this season.

The 28-year-old has made 18 appearances in all competitions, 11 of which have come as a starter, taking his Hoops tally to 240.

He’s mainly played alongside David Turnbull and Callum McGregor, but it appears as if Celtic have their worries when it comes to Rogic.

The Latest: Cairney’s claim

The Herald’s James Cairney shared a story on Wednesday, looking at how St Mirren’s Jamie McGrath could be a shrewd midfield target for the Hoops.

He compared McGrath to Rogic, with Cairney stating that the Aussie’s place is far less secure than McGregor’s at Parkhead and there are concerns over his work rate and suitability to Postecoglou’s system.

The Verdict: Midfield additions?

With Postecoglou regularly playing three central midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system, the Hoops may need to look into bolstering their ranks in the New Year.

Alongside Rogic, McGregor and Turnbull, Celtic can call on Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy, with Nir Bitton making a rare appearance last time out.

Should Cairney’s claim prove accurate on Rogic, who Turnbull called ‘strong’, perhaps midfield will be an area the club look to add to over the coming months – only time will tell.

In other news: BBC pundit thinks Celtic may have Kyogo ‘problem’ after what he’s seen. 

The former Sussex captain, John Barclay, has been named as the new President of MCC, and will take over from his predecessor, Derek Underwood

Cricinfo staff30-Sep-2009The former Sussex captain, John Barclay, has been named as the new President of MCC, and will take over from his predecessor, Derek Underwood, on a one-year tenure from October 1.Barclay, 55, was an acclaimed schoolboy cricketer and made his debut for Sussex at the age of just 16. He went on to play for the county for 16 years, assuming the captaincy in 1981, and went onto lead England Young Cricketers in the Caribbean in 1972, aged 18.After retiring in 1986, Barclay managed England, England A and England Under-19 tours, before taking over as director of cricket and coaching for the Arundel Castle Cricket Federation, as well as serving as President of the English Schools Cricket Association, the Chairman of the Sussex Cricket Board and Chair of Sussex CCC’s Cricket Committee.In addition, Oliver Stocken, the former club treasurer, will succeed Charles Fry as MCC’s club chairman for a three-year tenure. “It is a great honour to become Chairman of MCC,” said Stocken. “The sport is changing at a rapid pace, and cricket administrators the world over have a duty to prioritise the health of the game at all times.”MCC’s Committee must play its part in the years ahead, to ensure the maintenance of Lord’s as the best cricket ground in the world and the position of MCC as the leading independent voice in the game. It is a challenge I am looking to forward to.”Joining the MCC Committee for a three-year period will be Christopher Martin-Jenkins (for his first term), Matthew Fleming (for his second term), Sir John Major (for his third term) and Fry, who has served on the Committee in a variety of positions from 1983. All were elected by MCC’s 18,000 membership. Stepping down from the Committee are Mike Gatting, Tim O’Gorman and David Walsh.Completing the day of change at MCC, Robert Griffiths QC will become chairman of the newly-created Development committee, which is tasked with making recommendations to the MCC Committee regarding the Vision for Lord’s and to assist with the implementation of new development proposals at the Home of Cricket.Members of the Development committee include Sir John Major, Tony Lewis (who is Chairman of MCC’s World Cricket Committee), Michael Atherton (who also sits on the MCC World Cricket Committee) and Jamie Ritblat, chairman and chief executive of property developers Delancey.

Andy Gray believes Tottenham would have already sacked Jose Mourinho if he was delivering the same results as Nuno Espirito Santo, claiming what the latter has done so far is ‘unacceptable’.

The Lowdown: Spurs struggling

After winning their first three Premier League games of the season 1-0 (Sky Sports), Spurs have since embarked on a terrible run of form.

They have been defeated in each of their previous three league outings, conceding three apiece against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Latest: Gray makes Mourinho claim

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, former Sky Sports pundit Gray, 65, believes Mourinho would have already been given his marching orders were his side on the same run of form. He said:

“If Mourinho had been in charge for these six games he wouldn’t be in a job, he wouldn’t be in a job.

“Then to lose 3-0, 3-0 and then 3-1 against Arsenal would have been unacceptable for Tottenham fans with Jose Mourinho in charge.”

The Verdict: Time needed

Gray’s sensationalist comment doesn’t quite ring true. Under Mourinho, Spurs’ worst record was four defeats in a row, shipping ten goals during that period (Transfermarkt). That run came in March 2020 and, while the early stages of the pandemic may have alleviated the pressure on the Portuguese boss, he remained in charge when the 2019/20 season resumed.

There are certainly big problems at Tottenham. However, Nuno cannot be blamed for all of them – it is hardly his fault that star player Harry Kane is out of form after failing to secure a move away from north London during the summer, failing to score a Premier League goal so far this campaign.

Ten matches in all competitions is hardly a long enough period to judge the new boss on and, unless Spurs want to get into a vicious cycle of instability, they must give him time to turn things around.

In other news, Espirito Santo provides this injury blow.

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo is closing in on a return from injury.

As to be expected, a number of Red Devils supporters were quick to react to the update on social media.

The 19-year-old officially made the move to Old Trafford at the beginning of the year for a fee worth close to £20m. He netted once in eight senior appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season and was set to join Feyenoord on loan in the summer.

However, a temporary move away collapsed after the winger picked up an injury. Romano has now claimed that Diallo is set to return from a muscular issue this month, with a January loan move a possibility with many clubs interested in him.

United fans react

Romano posted the latest news regarding the teenager on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Here is what these United fans had to say in reply, with plenty not holding back in their thoughts on the update, and indeed on Diallo’s short-term future.

“Premier League loan, I’m on my knees”

Credit: @SAMlR2SHIESTY

“YEEEEESSSS, I really believe in this kid, I hope he gets used when he comes back!”

Credit: @KrishnanUTD

“Here we go”

Credit: @RichieMnene

“We’ve wasted him at this club”

Credit: @Tari______

“OR– we could play him. A revolutionary idea, I know.”

Credit: @patrickmcdona10

“Banter FC”

Credit: @dhegec

In other news: ‘Take him ASAP’ – These Man Utd fans buzz as exit rumour emerges

Northerns and Westerns won through to the final of Zimbabwe’s domestic Twenty20 competition

Cricinfo staff18-May-2009Northerns and Westerns won through to the final of Zimbabwe’s domestic Twenty20 competition. The two teams only won three of their six matches but finished well clear of third-placed Centrals; Easterns, who only last week won the Logan Cup, finished bottom of the pile.Westerns, who finished bottom in the Logan Cup without a win, had Mark Vermeulen to thank for their reversal of fortune. Returning after a troubled few years when it seemed he would never play at a representative level again, he was by a long margin the leading run-scorer, with 289 runs at 48.16.He also scored one of only two hundreds – 108 in a remarkable tied game against Centrals – with the other coming from Northerns’ Elton Chigumbura.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Northerns 6 3 2 10 17 +0.890 811/115.0 724/117.3Westerns 6 3 1 2 016 +0.393 908/118.4 871/120.0 Centrals 6 2 3 1 0 10-0.538 886/118.2 963/120.0 Easterns 62 4 0 0 8 -0.727790/120.0 837/114.3

Result Date Team Pts Team Pts

13 May 2009
Westerns 4
Easterns0 Table | Match

Centrals 4
Northerns 0 Match

Northerns 5
Easterns0 Match

Centrals2
Westerns 2 Match 14 May 2009
Northerns 2
Westerns2 Table | Match

Centrals 4
Easterns 0 Match

Easterns 4
Westerns0 Match

Northerns5
Centrals 0 Match 15 May 2009
Northerns 5
Easterns0 Table | Match

Westerns 4
Centrals 0 Match

Westerns 4
Northerns0 Match

Easterns4
Centrals 0 Match