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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.

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.

An unbeaten half-century by Richard Kenway eased BAT Sports to a six-wicket win over Portsmouth and a placein the Southern Electric Contracting Cup semi-finals.Michael Barnes (30) and Dean Oliffe (29 not out) top scored in Portsmouth’s 116-8 before a two-wicket burst by Pete Hayward had BAT wobbling at 54-4. But Kenway (50) and Graham Noble (37) got BAT home off the last ball.Old Tauntonians & Romsey earned a third round visit to South Wilts after beating Calmore Sports by six runs.Max Smith (58) helped OTs reach 155-6 (Allan Hurst 4-28), while Jez Goode’s 56 for Calmore went unrewarded as the host club closed at 149-6.The quarter-final ties – Easton & Martyr Worthy v Bashley (Rydal), Rowledge v Burridge – are being played on Tuesday (6pm), with the South Wilts-Old Tauntonians & Romsey match to be arranged.

Carl Hooper expects New Zealand to come bouncing back for this weekend’s back-to-back matches in St Lucia after their disappointing batting performance in the opening rain-ruined Cable & Wireless One-Day International

Haydn Gill07-Jun-2002Carl Hooper expects New Zealand to come bouncing back for this weekend’s back-to-back matches in St Lucia after their disappointing batting performance in the opening rain-ruined Cable & Wireless One-Day International.The West Indies cricket captain said here after Wednesday’s abandoned match at Sabina Park that the tourists’ preparations might have been one of the reasons for their modest all out total of 176 in 49.4 overs..I thought we bowled well, fielded well and caught well. That’s important, but having said that, we were under no illusions, Hooper said.This was New Zealand’s first run out. They were off the international scene for quite a while. They would have been short of work. We’ve got to push this behind us.New Zealand, one of the most under-rated sides in world cricket, have not had the most ideal preparations.Their recent tour of Pakistan was cut short by a bomb blast outside their Karachi hotel a few hours before the start of the second Test and, on arriving in the Caribbean, they were kept indoors for a few days because of rain.They are not going to be as easy to knock over in the next game, Hooper said.We expect that the competition is going to get much harder as they slowly get acclimatised to conditions.West Indies and New Zealand have not met on many occasions in the past decade, and because of their recent series against India, Hooper’s men might not have had ample time to do their homework on their opponents.We just managed to get some footage of the last series against Pakistan and a few Test matches against England, Hooper said.That is the only footage we’ve got about the New Zealand players, but I’m sure as we go on we’ll learn a bit more about them, just as they will learn something about us.Hooper himself has never played a Test against the Black Caps, who inflicted a 2-0 Test series and 5-0 One-Day International series triumphs when the West Indies toured New Zealand in 1999.We are excited about playing against New Zealand. We don’t play against them too often. The last time we played them in New Zealand, we got a drubbing and we want to do well this time around, he said.While Hooper might not have played against them in the longer version of the game, he has seen enough of them to know their value.The New Zealand side I have been seeing for the last few years is a side that plays together and they fight really hard, he said.Their recent run, however, especially in limited-overs matches has been unimpressive.Prior to Wednesday’s match, which was abandoned without the West Indies having a chance to chase their target because of rain, New Zealand had lost each of their last six One-Day Internationals, and all told, 13 of their previous 17 matches.Their only meaningful match practice ahead of this series was a 50-overs-match against a University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI at the Frank Worrell Oval on Monday.To get out on the field, therefore, did have some benefit in spite of Wednesday’s washout.We had another 50 overs in the field. We are short of a gallop with the preparation we’ve had here. Just being outside was probably the best scenario for us in a way, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said.One of the many New Zealand batsman who failed to get going at Sabina Park, Fleming praised the quality of the West Indies’ bowling on the pitch that offered assistance in the early stages.I felt they bowled extremely well. I thought they got good bounce, which might have suggested there might have been moisture in the wicket underneath, he said.They had great control. That comes from playing a lot of cricket and playing a good batting side like India.West Indies went into the match with all-rounder Ryan Hinds in preference to fast bowler Corey Collymore, who was used in all three matches against India.The Indians are much better players of spin, hence why we used four quicks against them, Hooper explained.No disrespect to the New Zealanders, but they are probably not as fluent against the spin as the Indians. We thought somebody, like Ryan Hinds, who has been sitting on the sidelines for quite a while, should be given the opportunity to play.

Rangers must avoid a grave error with Ryan Kent following Michael Ball’s transfer claim about him perhaps being tempted to make a move away from Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

Former Rangers defender Michael Ball has suggested that Ryan Kent could be tempted to quit the club this summer to move to the Premier League with Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.

Ball has claimed that Leeds have shown an interest in Kent and that the pull of the Premier League could entice Kent into a switch down south away from Glasgow.

He told the Transfer Tavern:

“When you have a good year, you want to capitalise and get better terms and Leeds have shown an interest and it’s a huge pull to come back into the Premier League.”

According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers rejected an £11m bid from Leeds in the summer of 2020 and the Premier League club has retained an interest in the winger. The report was published in April of this year, with Leeds said to be considering a £15m offer for Kent this summer.

Back in 2019, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hailed the “wonderful” winger after he impressed in a friendly for the Premier League side. He told Liverpool TV, as transcribed by Leeds Live:

“He is a wonderful kid, a wonderful player.”

Grave error

Selling Kent this summer would constitute a grave error for the club. Rangers must avoid cashing in on him now as they could be on the verge of starting something special. The Gers sealed their first top-flight title in a decade this year and now need to build on their success, rather than dismantling their excellent team and rebuilding ahead of next season, which is what would need to happen if Kent left the club.

Rangers should be attempting to add to their squad instead of taking away from it. This could then give them the platform to build a dynasty under Steven Gerrard and begin to dominate Scottish football, as Celtic did with their nine straight titles prior to the 2020/21 campaign. To do this, they will need their best players to build some momentum over several years to show other potential transfer targets that they are the club to join in Scotland.

The £18k-per-week ace, Kent, has proven himself to be one of the club’s top performers over the past few seasons in Scotland. Kent was named in the Scottish Premiership PFA Team of the Year in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns, establishing himself as one of the elite players in the division.

The 24-year-old scored eight goals and assisted seven others in 33 league appearances in the season just gone, averaging a superb WhoScored rating of 7.40 – a score only James Tavernier could better.

This highlights Kent’s importance to Rangers and why selling him now would be a grave error by the club. His contract expires in 2023, which means that Rangers do not have to worry about him running down his deal and leaving on a free next summer. If Rangers get to 2022 and Kent has not committed to a contract extension, then the time could be right to consider cashing in on him so to avoid losing him for nothing, but letting him leave this summer should not be a consideration.

AND in other news, Gerrard must entice his “very good” friend to Rangers after pundit’s transfer claim…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has tipped Raphinha to become a ‘god’ at Elland Road, claiming he will stay put at the club.

The Lowdown: Wonderful first season

The Whites enjoyed a superb first season back in the Premier League, finishing ninth and gaining many admirers for their playing style.

Raphinha was undoubtedly one of Leeds’ standout players, scoring six goals and registering nine assists in the league, having joined from Rennes in last summer’s transfer window.

The Brazilian has been loosely linked with a summer exit to Liverpool, but Whelan believes the 24-year-old will stay at Elland Road for another while yet.

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The Latest: Raphinha tipped to stay put

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said that the Brazilian could go on to become a true superstar at the club as he proclaimed:

“The club have looked after him very well. Signing any player is a gamble, whether they are established or not. Harry Kane could go to Manchester City and not do well.

“We’ve seen it before, Robbie Keane went to Liverpool from Tottenham and wasn’t the same player.

“Raphinha’s lit up the Premier League, he’s been fantastic. He gets you off your seat and plays with a freedom you can only admire.

“I just think the club have looked after him and he respects what they have done for him.  Why would you not be excited about the future? There are big things happening, plenty of investment into Elland Road.

“Hopefully we can sign some stars in the summer as well. Everything is looking bright and Raphinha looks comfortable.

“He’s not been welcomed by the fans yet but when that happens he’ll be loving it and not wanting to leave Leeds even more. He will be a god, trust me.”

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The Verdict: Crucial player moving forward

Leeds’ aim must be to reach the European places next season, with Marcelo Bielsa and his players needing to dream big and go one better than their 2020/21 efforts.

For that to happen, they need to keep hold of players of Raphinha’s quality – Whelan has hailed him as ‘incredible’ in the past – with the attacker possessing quick feet, unpredictability and a strong work ethic.

If Leeds were to lose someone of his class, it would immediately represent a backwards step, highlighting the importance of keeping hold of him if they are to keep the curve moving upward.

In other news, a pundit has provided a bleak outlook for one Leeds player – find out who it is here.

Manchester United host Fulham this evening as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men look to bounce back from back-to-back Premier League defeats.

The Red Devils have already secured a place in the top four and next season’s Champions League group stage, but they’ll be desperate to regain some momentum and form heading into next week’s Europa League final.

United take on Spanish outfit Villarreal in the showpiece event as they look to end the club’s longest trophy drought in over 30 years, however, they must first complete their final two Premier League games of the campaign.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Norweigan to line his side up on Sunday evening, with three changes from the side that started against Liverpool last time out…

Dean Henderson keeps his place between the sticks despite a hugely underwhelming display against Jurgen Klopp’s charges where he made multiple mistakes and conceded four goals.

There’s one change along the back four, with Eric Bailly dropping out for the highly-rated Axel Tuanzebe. The 23-year-old has struggled for game time this season, but with Harry Maguire struggling with injury and United conceding six goals in their last two games, the youngster may get another chance to impress.

In midfield, summer-signing Donny van de Beek may be handed his second start in United’s last three games against an already-relegated Fulham side. The former Ajax man has only featured from the off on three occasions in the league this season, and the visit of Scott Parker’s struggling side could be the perfect opportunity to get some more minutes under his belt.

The forward positions are occupied by the usual suspects, but with the £76.5-rated Marcus Rashford continuing to play through the pain barrier, Solskjaer may be tempted to axe his star forward with one eye on the Europa League final.

And, in other news…Major Manchester United transfer update emerges that’ll surely have fans buzzing – opinion

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham won’t be able to afford Jesse Lingard permanently.

Lingard has been in tremendous form since his January arrival, contributing to 13 goals in as many matches to help the Hammers maintain their push for European football.

His goals led to a recall to the England squad for the recent World Cup qualifiers, but he’ll return to Old Trafford at the end of the season once his loan expires.

By then, Lingard will have just 12 months remaining on his deal, meaning United will have to either offer him fresh terms or decide to cash-in to avoid him leaving for nothing.

West Ham are one of his potential suitors, although the likes of PSG and Real Madrid have also been touted as a possible destination for Lingard this summer.

But Palmer believes that his excellent form has put him into contention to be a starter back at Old Trafford next term.

He told Football FanCast:

“I don’t think they’ll be able to get Lingard on a permanent deal. I think he’s played his way back into the Manchester United starting line-up, and he we will have to see how he does, but he will probably start at the Euros.

“Manchester United are a massive club and West Ham just don’t pay that type of money on a regular basis and David Moyes knows that.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O ano de 2016 foi marcado por grandes conquistas no esporte. Dentro dos gramados, quadras e ginásios, atletas se superaram e brilharam. Destaque especialmente para os Jogos Olímpicos do Rio de Janeiro. Confira na galeria acima.

Keith Gillespie has told Football FanCast that Manchester United must buy a striker this summer, because Anthony Martial isn’t good enough to play through the middle for the club.

Martial has struggled at times this season, though he has been ruled out for the last five games with a knee injury.

Still, the France international has not managed to score a goal since February, when he netted twice in the 9-0 win over Southampton.

That means he has two goals in his last 10 games, while in total, he has scored four times in 22 league games in 2020/21.

Gillespie doesn’t think he’s anywhere near good enough to be the main striker at United.

And he has urged the club to make it a “priority” as the club look to strengthen the squad this summer.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie has claimed that Martial has been given plenty of chances to become the out-and-out striker at Old Trafford, but simply hasn’t done enough to make it stick.

He said: “I think it is a priority, because nobody thinks Martial is the answer.

“Given his poor return this season in terms of goals, but also his performances anyway have been very poor at times.

“He’s been there a while, you want him to have that chance of being that number nine. And he hasn’t taken it.”

Martial did enjoy a decent season last term, scoring 23 goals in all competitions, but Gillespie thinks he has been in a real rut this season.

He added: “I think last season, he had a good season in terms of returns of goals that he scored, but this season just hasn’t happened for him.”