All posts by h716a5.icu

Stephen Harmison’s inclusion in today’s Test team marks a significant step in the ECB & Durham Cricket Academy’s bid to nurture future England stars

Durham CCC Media Release08-Aug-2002Stephen Harmison’s inclusion in today’s Test team marks a significant step in the ECB & Durham Cricket Academy’s bid to nurture future England stars.Since its establishment six years ago, the Academy has played a major part in creating the youngest average age County squad in the country and spawned a number of players that have represented England at various international levels, most recently Gordon Muchall for England Under 19s.The Club’s pursuit of excellence received a boost last year when Durham wasnamed one of seven First Class Counties to form part of a new national network of ECB County Cricket Academies. The aim of the Academy is to identify cricketers who have the potential of playing at the highest level of the game and to deliver a comprehensive development programme which will provide them with the opportunity of fulfilling their potential.Stephen joined the Durham Academy in 1996 before progressing to the Durhamplaying staff in 1998.

A late run of form in the Norwich Union League might have come too late to save them from relegation, but Durham Dynamos have recorded their second win this week, beating Nottinghamshire Outlaws by seven wickets at Trent Bridge

Ralph Dellor04-Sep-2002A late run of form in the Norwich Union League might have come too late to save them from relegation, but Durham Dynamos have recorded their second win this week, beating Nottinghamshire Outlaws by seven wickets at Trent Bridge.The Outlaws, who themselves are already relegated, began well enough with Darren Bicknell (64) and Usman Afzaal (75) putting on 145 for the first wicket. But then it all went wrong and the later batsmen failed to capitalise on that good start and the Outlaws were restricted to 229 for six in their 45 overs.It was the Australian pairing of Ashley Thorpe with 53 and Brad Hodge who made 91 that got the Dynamos purring along towards victory by seven wickets with three overs and a ball to spare.

Michael Ball believes that appointing Duncan Ferguson as the new Everton manager is the only way to win the fans back.

Everton are reportedly set to name Rafael Benitez as their next boss, which has led to a huge backlash from the Toffees faithful due to his Liverpool connections.

The Spaniard spent six seasons at Anfield from 2004 to 2010, winning both the Champions League and FA Cup, with Everton supporters having been left angry with the imminent appointment.

This comes after ex-Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo was on the verge of replacing Carlo Ancelotti in the Goodison Park dugout, but attention quickly turned to Benitez.

It’s been almost three weeks since the Italian left to re-sign for Real Madrid, and Ball has suggested that only club legend Ferguson is capable of reuniting the fans.

Ferguson impressed during a caretaker stint prior to Ancelotti’s appointment back in December 2019 but has no other experience of management.

However, Ball exclusively told Football FanCast that Ferguson would bring the club back together:

“Duncan, I feel that’s a good one, and one the fans would want.

“The fans have lacked watching the players with desire and passion over the last few years and that’s what Duncan would bring, so I feel right now to get the fans back on board, that’s the only option for the board.”

A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested finalTest at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame

Partab Ramchand05-Nov-2002A boring Test series, marked by much mediocre cricket and lopsided results was at least enlivened by a well-contested finalTest at the Eden Gardens even if the denouement was rather tame.But the fluctuating fortunes and sudden twists and turns made fora rather engrossing encounter particularly against the backgroundof the disappointing events at Mumbai and Chennai. Going into thefinal day, any one of three results was possible and in the end,India salvaged their reputation by comfortably drawing a game inwhich West Indies had called the tune for most part.
© CricInfoHowever, India can still take heart from events in the KolkataTest. Much has been said about the Indian batting might but thishas centered round running up massive totals on good wickets andwhen things are running in their favour. At the Eden Gardens, theIndians showed that their batting could be mighty handy even in arearguard action. A first-innings deficit of 139 runs with almosttwo days left is enough to put immense and sustained pressure ona side. It is to the credit of the batsmen that they did notcrumble, even after they were 87 for four. At this stage, defeatwas a distinct possibility but a closing total of 471 for eightunderlined the strength of the Indian batting.The recovery was scripted by Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman andtheir 214-run partnership for the fifth wicket that brought backvivid memories of the Laxman-Dravid record stand againstAustralia in March last year on the same ground. Tendulkar’sinnings was really on a different plane altogether and even byhis own lofty standards, the 176 will take its place among thefinest of the 31 hundreds notched up by the maestro.The manner in which he made the runs confirmed his stature as theworld’s leading batsman. Even in a crisis situation, it was nevera typically rearguard action which is usually marked by dour,defensive batting. Judiciously mixing caution with aggression, henever gave the bowlers much of a chance. Soon after he came in,his steely eyes, grim determination and intense concentrationwere all there to see and he gave early indications of a longstay at the crease. He did not disappoint, staying at the creasefor seven hours and negotiating 298 deliveries. But, as I said,it was not a totally defensive knock, indicative of his havingstroked 26 fours.The little master realised that making runs was almost asimportant as consuming time. Tactically it was a masterly knock.Yes, the Indians are well served in their omnipotent departmentby the likes of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Bangar and Laxman butthere is little doubt as to who is the of them all.I have often wondered why Laxman has been inconsistent. TheHyderabadi stylist, a direct descendant of ML Jaisimha andAzharuddin, is a batsman who has class written all over him. Someof the shots he plays are all his own and beyond the reach of anyother batsman. That being the case, I am unable to fathom why hedoes not play his full regalia of strokes, which are straightfrom the textbook and with greater freedom, now that he iscertain of a place in the side.Under the circumstances, he should not be lacking in confidenceand one can only hope that his unbeaten 154 at Kolkata for whichhe batted almost nine hours, will mark the final turning point inhis career. A true team man, he initially eschewed strokes, keento give Tendulkar as much strike as possible before going fullthrottle himself after the dismissal of his partner. I refuse tobelieve that Laxman’s current career average of 42 which is apretty big leap following events in the past three years isreflective of his talent, class and skill. There is no earthlyreason why it should not be in the 50-plus category. But havingcelebrated his 28th birthday during the Test, he has time on hishands and the thought that his best could still lie ahead is agood augury for Indian cricket.On a pitch that remained true till the end, the Indian bowlerswere up against it, though, Harbhajan Singh confirmed his risingstature by finishing with another five-wicket haul. Fittinglyenough, he walked away with the man of the series award for histally of 20 wickets. But if the series underscored his rise, italso signaled another step downward for Anil Kumble. There arenow distinct signs that India’s main strike bowler in the lastdecade is in the evening of his career.
© CricInfoI was never happy with Javagal Srinath’s decision to come backand his subsequent inclusion in the side. With just four wicketsfrom 53 overs at an average of 31.75 in the series, he is quiteclearly another bowler over the hill and it is time the selectorsfirmly installed Zaheer Khan as the spearhead of the attack whilekeeping their eyes open for new talent – and there are a fewyoung pacemen around.From the West Indian point of view, the foremost feeling must beone of relief that they avoided a clean sweep that was on thecards on the eve of the Test. But then there must also be a senseof regret that they could not capitalise on a winning position.Of the two weak departments, there were certainly more questionmarks over the bowling than the batting and this proved to theirAchilles heel. Also, the decision to go in with four pace bowlersand no specialist spinner proved to be a tactical blunder. Butthen in the ultimate analysis, the tourists never really had achance and a 2-0 result is a fair indication of the disparitybetween the two teams. However, the one-day matches that followshould be close-run affairs, particularly with Sachin Tendulkarout of the series.

Ange Postecoglou took charge of his first Celtic training session on Thursday as he begins to assess his squad and where he feels improvements could be made.

With Scott Brown no longer at the club, central midfield could be somewhere he looks to strengthen with fellow Australian, Aaron Mooy, mounted as good option by former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey.

Mooy has spent the last 10 months out in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai Port who signed him for £4.05 million from Brighton, having made 22 appearances for the south coast club, and he has been linked with a move to Glasgow to play under fellow countryman Postecoglou.

The 30-year-old was a Manchester City player when he was starring at Huddersfield Town during their remarkable promotion season, which saw them finish the campaign with a negative goal difference and not winning a match in 90 minutes during the play-offs.

Brown leaving Celtic will have left a huge hole in the dressing room as well as on the pitch, so adding someone with Mooy’s experience and technical ability could certainly help soften the blow and he could turn out to be a good signing, according to Howey who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I always thought he was good at Huddersfield and if his standard hasn’t dropped from playing in China, then going to Celtic could be a good move for him.”

Mooy, who has 43 caps for Australia, was hugely influential during his 120 appearances for the Terriers and when they were relegated into the Championship, the Australian international got a move to Brighton where he only ended up making 32 appearances before jetting off to China.

His time in China will have been disrupted because of the pandemic and he may want to leave and get back to playing regular football and try and help Celtic regain their crown at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Noel Whelan believes that new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou could be gone before the turn of the year, saying that handing him a 12-month contract signifies that the Parkhead hierarchy do not fully trust the 55-year-old.

The Lowdown: Celtic building towards 2021/22

Moving into 2021/22, Celtic fans will be delighted to have finally received some much-needed managerial clarity after going more than 100 days without a permanent head coach before appointing Ange Postecoglou.

Rebuilding the squad has began in earnest, with the Hoops being linked with moves for Ko Ikatura and George Baldock.

The Latest: Whelan believes Postecoglou could be gone by the turn of 2021

However, BBC pundit Whelan has taken a rather dim view of the former Yokohama F. Marinos manager’s prospects at Celtic in a recent interview with Football Insider, stating:

“If he does not hit the ground running he is going to come in for it, simple. That is what happens when you take over at a club like Celtic.

“The fact that the club only gave him a rolling one-year contract speaks volumes. They are not clearly convinced either. If Postecoglou had the full backing of the board he would have been given a three-year contract.

“He has got a lot of work to do to convince the players and to convince the fans.

“If there is a sizeable gap between themselves and Rangers at Christmas time you could see the club start looking for a replacement. It would not surprise me.”

The Verdict: Whelan’s comments are harsh

The former Aberdeen forward rightly points out the expectation levels and immense pressure to succeed at an enormous club like Celtic, but his scathing criticism of Postecoglou, and in particular his contract situation, is a tad harsh.

This is standard practice at Parkhead – they operate with almost every manager on an initial 12-month rolling contract basis; recent examples include Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila.

Three-year deals may provide extended continuity in football, but they don’t necessarily guarantee success. Only time will tell with regards to whether Whelan is proved right or wrong about Postecoglou, but the manager at least deserves to have some chance to prove himself rather than being judged before a competitive ball is kicked in his Celtic tenure.

In other news, Celtic are considering a move for this Manchester City defender.

ADELAIDE, Nov 19 AAP – Australian paceman Jason Gillespie won’t know until at least tomorrow whether he will be passed fit for the second cricket Test against England starting at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

AAP19-Nov-2002ADELAIDE, Nov 19 AAP – Australian paceman Jason Gillespie won’t know until at least tomorrow whether he will be passed fit for the second cricket Test against England starting at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.Gillespie bowled in the nets today without feeling any soreness in his troublesome calf muscle but Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott wants to see how the 27-year-old feels tomorrow.Gillespie may then be required to bowl another spell in the nets to completely satisfy Alcott he is ready to play.If Gillespie is declared fit, the selectors will have to choose between fellow pacemen Brett Lee, who was axed for the first Test, and incumbent Andrew Bichel for the final bowling spot.

The Tasmanian Selectors have today announced the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers ACB Cup team to play the Queensland Bulls 2nd X1 in Brisbane on the Allan Border Field, on Monday, 16th – Thursday, 19th December 2002.

Tasmanian Cricket Association11-Dec-2002The Tasmanian Selectors have today announced the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers ACB Cup team to play the Queensland Bulls 2nd X1 in Brisbane on the Allan Border Field, on Monday, 16th – Thursday, 19th December 2002.CASCADE TASMANIAN TIGERS

George BAILEY
Travis BIRT
Graeme CUNNINGHAM
Brett GEEVES
Shane McDERMOTT
Ben OLIVER
Mathew PASCOE
Adam POLKINGHORNE
David SAKER
Brad THOMAS
Shannon TUBB
Luke WILLIAMS

Recent reports from Portugual have suggested that Porto are yet to make a concrete bid for Alfredo Morelos, which could be a big boost for Steven Gerrard’s hopes of keeping him at Ibrox this summer.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Record (via Sport Witness), the Liga NOS side have not made a bid for the Colombia international and aren’t even in negotiations with Morelos or Rangers, with previous reports of a €12m bid rubbished in this latest article.

If true, this is undoubtedly good news for Gerrard, who will be desperate to keep Rangers’ record European goalscorer at Ibrox this summer as he oversees the Gers’ return to the Champions League.

The 41-year-old manager was full of praise for his striker when he broke Ally McCoist’s goalscoring record, saying:

“It’s fantastic for him from a personal point of view. Alfredo’s a top-class player, a top-class goalscorer, and it’s fantastic that he’s still here.”

Will Morelos leave?

Morelos had been linked with a move to Porto in recent months as his impressive performances in Scotland continue to attract the interest of clubs abroad.

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Last season saw the 25-year-old striker contribute 17 goals and 13 assists in all competitions for the Gers, which emphasises that he is much more than just a goalscorer in Gerrard’s side and that he is key to the attacking threat that they possess.

Although Rangers can now boast a league title and the chance of playing in the Champions League next season, Porto are guaranteed a spot in the group stages of Europe’s elite competition and will also undoubtedly be challenging for the title in Portugal, so it may have been difficult for Morelos to turn them down.

However, if this latest report is true and Porto are yet to submit a bid, then perhaps their interest in the striker isn’t genuine and he will remain at Ibrox this summer, and with the Champions League qualifiers on the horizon, Rangers may well be able to convince him to stay with their own offer of a spot in the group stages should they progress.

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Gerrard will certainly be relieved with the news that Porto are yet to make an offer, as it would significantly increase Rangers’ chances of retaining the title next season if Morelos were to stay at Ibrox.

And, in other news… Huge Ibrox update emerges that’ll delight Rangers fans

Aston Villa have confirmed hat young winger Indiana Vassilev has joined MLS side Inter Miami on loan, and a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts on the news on social media.

Vassilev will link up with Inter Miami, who are owned by David Beckham and coached by Phil Neville, and will play alongside the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain.

The 20-year-old, who made the move to the Midlands in 2017, has been out on loan at Burton Albion and Cheltenham Town during his time with Villa, making 12 appearances each for those clubs.

He has turned out on six occasions for Villa’s first team but the American will return to his native country in a temporary deal until December 31, and many Villa fans seem excited for the youngster.

Villa fans react

Villa posted the news regarding Vassilev on their official Twitter page and here is what some Villa fans had to say in reply, with one supporter describing the move as ‘awesome’ for the youngster.

“Great move”Credit: @OwXnJ”Oh wow. Hopefully he gets a decent amount of playing time.”Credit: @eliasxcastro”Fantastic stuff”Credit: @TheAsgardian”a reason to watch MLS more often I guess.”Credit: @MarkJirobe”I rate that”Credit: @WeDoingAVilla”Awesome, go get them Vassilev”Credit: @79RogerPedersen

In other news: ‘We making moves’ – Many AVFC fans buzzing as ‘great news’ is confirmed, find out more here.