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On another ball-dominated day of Intercontinental Cup action, Scotland edged ahead of UAE in Sharjah by reaching 121 for 5

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2012
ScorecardRyan Flannigan was bowled for 9 as batsmen struggled throughout the day in Sharjah•ICCOn another ball-dominated day of Intercontinental Cup action, Scotland edged ahead of UAE in Sharjah by reaching 121 for 5 after having dismissed the hosts for 100. Majid Haq’s 28 was the highest score of the day after Scotland’s bowlers had shared their success.The Intercontinental Cup has resumed in 2012 with a series of low totals following the previous match between Kenya and Ireland in Mombasa that ended inside two days. This is a crucial game for both UAE and Scotland, who lie second and fourth respectively on the table, as they aim to close the gap on Ireland at the top.UAE were quickly regretting their decision to bat first as the top four fell in the opening 10 overs with Safyaan Sharif claiming three scalps, which marked his first wickets at this level. UAE captain Khurram Khan was one of two batsmen to reach the 20s before falling to Richie Berrington and the lower order was wrapped up by a combination of Haq’s offspin and Gordon Goudie.Scotland, however, had problems of their own as the openers were removed with 30 on the board. Then came the best partnership of the day while Preston Mommsen and Haq added 52 for the third wicket only to fall in the space of three balls to leave Scotland 82 for 4.They were within touching distance of reaching the close without further loss but Freddie Colman, a 20-year-old Edinburgh-born batsman making his first-class debut, was lbw to Amjad Javed three balls before stumps to give UAE further hope of restricting Scotland’s advantage to manageable proportions.

Australia’s wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has said he feels like he has been dropped from the ODI side rather than rested

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2012Australia’s wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has said he feels like he has been dropped from the ODI side rather than rested. And Haddin believes that he could find it hard to force his way back into the one-day squad if his replacement Matthew Wade performs strongly in the first few games of the tri-series with India and Sri Lanka.Australia’s national selector John Inverarity said on Monday that Haddin deserved to put his feet up after a gruelling schedule of Tests over the past few months. However, he also said the selection panel had an open mind about who would keep wicket for the remainder of the one-day series, the squad having only been named for the first three matches.”I think anytime you’re out of the Australian Cricket team you’re dropped,” Haddin said on the Sydney radio station . “You give another guy an opportunity to take your spot. If they do well you could find it hard to get back in the team but that’s the way it is and I’ve just got to deal with that.”We need to see how young Matty Wade goes at this level. It’s seen as a good opportunity to play him and from my point of view, if he does well there’s no guarantee you’ll get your spot. Once you’ve given it up you give someone an opportunity and you might not play again … If you give your spot up, you’ve got no right to walk straight back in.”Haddin, 34, last year retired from Twenty20 internationals but remained part of Australia’s Test and one-day setup. However, a summer in which he failed to have a major impact with the bat and initially made some errors behind the stumps has left Haddin under pressure to hold his place, although he is expected to be one of the two keepers who will take part in the Test tour of the West Indies in April.He will captain the Prime Minister’s XI in a one-day game against Sri Lanka in Canberra on Friday. Wade, 24, will make his ODI debut against India at the MCG on Sunday.

UAE and Namibia have been selected to join the top six Associate and Affiliate nations in the next edition of the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2011UAE and Namibia have been selected to join the top six Associate and Affiliate nations in the next edition of the Intercontinental Cup. They were picked based on their performances in World Cricket League Division Two, where they finished in the top four, and take the first-class tournament back to its previous structure of eight teams.Afghanistan, the defending champions, Ireland, Scotland, Kenya, Canada and Netherlands are the top six sides involved in the event which will run over a 28-month time frame from June 2011 until October 2013. Afghanistan begin the defence of their title with an away fixture against Canada.The expanded Intercontinental Cup means an end to the Shield tournament which was introduced last season to try and provide a pathway for other emerging teams. However, the development committee decided the best structure was to expand the main tournament. The committee also announced the introduction of a 50-over tournament to run alongside the Intercontinental Cup.The winners of the four-day tournament will receive $100,000 with $40,000 for second place from a total prize fund of $254,000. Ireland are the most successful side in the tournament’s history having secured a hat-trick of titles from 2005 to 2007-08.

Ramesh Saxena, the former India batsman, has died of a brain haemorrhage, in Jamshedpur at the age of 66

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2011Ramesh Saxena, the former India batsman, has died of a brain haemorrhage, in Jamshedpur at the age of 66. Saxena, who played one Test for India, in 1967, was serving as the secretary of the Bihar Jharkhand Cricket Association.A teenage prodigy, Saxena began his first-class career with a century for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy at the age of just 16. He was a stalwart for Delhi for many years, and earned a call-up to the India side for the 1967 tour of England. He scored 238 runs on the tour but got scores of 16 and 9 in the only Test he played, at Headingley. He also toured Australia and New Zealand in 1967-68 but never played another Test.He played 149 first-class matches, scoring 8155 runs with 17 centuries.Former India cricketer Abbas Ali Baig described Saxena as an “an extremely elegant stroke player”. “He played only one Test,” Baig told the , “and that does not really reflect the quality of his batsmanship.”Bihar state-mate Daljit Singh said Saxena knew “almost instinctively when to step out and when to stay back in the crease”. “Players from smaller Ranji sides hardly got a look-in then,” Singh said. “If he had turned out for a bigger team, he might have played for at least 10 years for India.”

Though Tamim Iqbal steadied Bangladesh, after belatedly realising the need for caution, West Indies remain favourites to take the Test with seven wickets to grab on a full day’s play

The Report by Siddhartha Talya01-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo added 143 in 29.4 overs•AFPOn the most productive day of this Test series, aggression as well as restraint with the bat were in plentiful supply from both teams but they differed significantly in their timing of those approaches. West Indies got it right, subdued at the start of the day and attacking after lunch to amass a massive lead, the only downside being the sight of Darren Bravo lying flat on the ground ruing a missed double-century. Bangladesh did the opposite; they motored along at the start of an improbable chase, not having learnt much from their top-order capitulation in the first innings, and lost early wickets. Though Tamim Iqbal steadied them, after belatedly realising the need for caution, West Indies remain favourites to take the Test with seven wickets to grab on a full day’s play.Attacking batting makes for entertaining cricket and the Bangladesh line-up is packed with attractive stroke-makers. If there was anything to be learnt from their performance in the first innings, though, it was that sustaining aggression for an extended period of time is a major challenge in Test cricket. The opening seamers Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach bowled too short often but, despite their poor lengths, the Bangladesh batsmen were only too happy to keep them interested.The pitch looked far from threatening and showed no major signs of wear and tear – Devendra Bishoo and Marlon Samuels got the odd delivery to turn and bounce sharply but not with enough frequency to send tremors within the Bangladesh camp. Also encouraging for the hosts will be the trend of high scores in the fourth innings at the venue – two scores of over 200 have been chased down with few wickets lost and Bangladesh once scored 413 in a losing cause. Whether Tamim and the middle order can summon the determination to save the game will have many doubters, and remains to be seen.Sensing early that leaving deliveries outside off wasn’t part of the top-order’s plan, as he’d done early in the first innings where he bagged a five-for, Fidel Edwards persisted with an off-stump line. The presence of two slips and a gully should have prompted circumspection, instead the openers kept those fielders that much more vigilant. Off the first ball of Fidel Edwards’ second over, Tamim slapped one to point where Samuels dropped a straightforward chance. There was hope again when Imrul Kayes crashed him through the covers four balls later. The next ball was in the channel outside off and Kayes couldn’t help pushing at it, and offered a low catch to Kirk Edwards at slip.The temptation to dole out short stuff continued when Shahriar Nafees upper-cut Fidel Edwards over the slips; Roach was dealt the same way by Tamim, who also survived an inside-edge while pushing away from his body. The introduction of Darren Sammy brought about a change in lengths and Nafees, overcome by an instinct to drive the ball, played a pitched-up delivery straight back to the bowler, who showed sharp reflexes in bending down quickly to take a tough catch.The arrival of Raqibul Hasan brought with it a semblance of stability to the innings. He shunned aggression, held out one end assuredly, defended well against Sammy who stuck to a tight line and pinched singles off the spinners, working them around the in-field. The solidity rubbed off on Tamim, who toned down considerably and was fortunate to have Raqibul caution him when he appeared to display an incorrigible urge to break free.Tamim stepped out to Bishoo to launch him over his head for a four and a six, and almost offered a catch to mid-on on the third attempt before a polite reprimand from the other end restored some sense. It was ironic then that Raqibul was almost caught while trying to late-cut a delivery with a slip in place, and was dismissed the very next ball poking at a quicker delivery from Samuels that spun in a hint.At 124 for 3 with close to an hour left, there was more room for damage but some fluent, and assured, batting from Mushfiqur Rahim together with a much-tempered Tamim saw Bangladesh through to the close. The pair punched gloves in satisfaction at stumps but another daunting day remained ahead of them.The West Indies batsmen didn’t want any hiccups in the morning and progressed slowly to keep wickets in store for a blast after lunch. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who eased to a half-century, triggered the acceleration with three fours in a Nasir Hossain over before the break, and Bravo smashed a straight six off the same bowler when play resumed. As he moved closer to a double-ton, Bravo launched Suhrawadi Shuvo into the stands to reach 195. An attempt to get to the landmark with a slog-sweep the next ball ended in failure, personal disappointment and a declaration, as he top-edged a catch to Mushfiqur.

Tim Murtagh and Azhar Mahmood led the way with six-wicket hauls as bowlers dominated a remarkable opening day of Middlesex’s Second Division clash with Kent at Lord’s

19-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Tim Murtagh and Azhar Mahmood led the way with six-wicket hauls as bowlers dominated a remarkable opening day of Middlesex’s Second Division clash with Kent at Lord’s. Twenty three wickets fell in all as Middlesex replied with 153 after initially putting Kent in to bat on a green pitch and skittling them out for just 87.Then, in a final hour which ended at 8.09pm, Kent slid to an unhappy 46 for 3 in their second innings, and still trail by 20 runs. Umpires Nigel Llong and Steve Garratt will have to give an account of the day’s dramatic events to the England and Wales Cricket Board, as more than 15 wickets fell on the first day, and an ECB pitch officer will also attend on the second day to investigate the surface.Garratt, however, said that overcast conditions in the opening session, in which Kent were reduced to 48 for 7, were as helpful to the Middlesex seamers as the well-grassed surface.The umpires still indicated their concern, though, as Azhar in particular exploited the still seaming conditions throughout a sunny late afternoon.Play began at noon, following the Friends Life t20 match played between the two sides under the new Canterbury floodlights on Saturday evening. Kent narrowly won that game, despite being 21 for 6 after being put in to bat, and after an hour’s play of this Championship match there was grim amusement in the visiting dressing room that they were 22 for 6.Azhar, coming in at No. 8 when James Goodman became the second of three Kent first ball ducks, hit out defiantly with five fours in a 41-ball 32, and the 25 he added with Geraint Jones and the 24 put on with last man Ashley Shaw were precious runs indeed for his side.Kent captain Rob Key was the first to fall to Middlesex’s impressive three-pronged seam attack, bowled by Corey Collymore after half an hour of grim defence. Sam Northeast then went first ball, edging to third slip.Martin van Jaarsveld, fit again after a broken finger, popped up a catch to short leg off Steven Finn, who then had Darren Stevens gloving a lifter down the legside from his first ball to leave Kent 20 for 4. Murtagh, brought on for the 15th over, struck with his second and sixth balls as Joe Denly played on driving and Goodman was leg-before pushing half forward.That was 22 for 6 and, at the same score, Jones was dropped by Neil Dexter at second slip on nought before pulling Finn for six to begin a mini-revival.Jones, Wahab Riaz and Simon Cook all fell victim to Murtagh’s accurate seam and swing. Jones flashed a catch to first slip, Wahab was brilliantly caught by diving wicketkeeper John Simpson and Cook was lbw caught on the crease.Azhar’s late hitting was ended by a scythed catch to third man, and despite the loss of Scott Newman, bowled off a thin inside edge by Shaw for 22, it seemed as if Middlesex were moving into complete control at 76 for 1. But Azhar, in a long spell from the Pavilion End either side of tea, bowled Kent back into the game.He had Dan Housego caught at first slip, Robson taken at the wicket after a composed 40, Dawid Malan caught mis-pulling to mid on and Dexter bowled by one that seemed to keep a little low. Simpson also mishit a pull to mid-wicket and left-arm fast bowler Riaz, his fellow Pakistani, joined in the rout of Middlesex’s lower order by firing a yorker into Jamie Dalrymple’s stumps and having Steven Crook caught by keeper Jones.Murtagh was well held by Van Jaarsveld at second slip, off Shaw, and Azhar then returned to end a bright last wicket stand of 29 between Finn and Collymore by having the West Indian caught at third slip, fending off a short one. When Kent batted again, Key became his side’s fourth first ball duck victim of the day, thin-edging a defensive prod against Finn to the keeper.Northeast top-edged a hook at the England fast bowler to long leg. Van Jaarsveld became the 23rd and final dismissal of a bizarre day when he edged a legcutter from Murtagh to first slip.

Trying to come back from being 2-0 down in the series presents MS Dhoni with his toughest challenge as captain

Nagraj Gollapudi at Trent Bridge01-Aug-2011For the second successive Monday, England emerged the superior side. The more happy unit. The more confident team. India, the world’s No. 1 Test side, were never able to entirely dominate on any of the nine playing days. In his three-year stint as Indian captain MS Dhoni has never lost two Tests in a row, nor have India lost a Test series. But now, Andrew Strauss’s men are not only threatening to win the Pataudi Trophy, but also are marching towards the title of the best Test team in the world.On evidence at Lord’s and in these four days at Trent Bridge, Her Majesty’s men might just be able to snatch the crown from India. As they have done over the past two years, England played like a domineering team. The depth in their batting, which Dhoni said he was envious about, plucked them out of a precarious position on the first day at Trent Bridge after they slipped to 124 for 8. The local boy Stuart Broad hit a steely half-century to guide England to a more respectable 221, 97 runs which “really mattered,” according to Dhoni. On the second afternoon, Broad restricted India’s lead to 67 with a fierce spell of seam bowling that included a hat-trick.India needed quick wickets on the third day to keep alive the hope of levelling the series, but one by one, the England batsmen, toyed with the bowling. The Indian attack was down to three specialists as Harbhajan Singh bowled only 13.4 overs in the match due to a stomach muscle injury.”I didn’t have any tricks left,” Dhoni said after the 319-run defeat. “I tried everything I had left. They bat quite deep, [James] Anderson is the only one who doesn’t bat to some extent. They were eight down for 120 and were able to score 100 more runs (in the first innings). The bowlers tried what they could. We were not really successful and that happens in cricket.”Dhoni said he couldn’t blame his bowling attack, especially the new-ball pair of Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, who have now played five Tests since June 20. “Our bowlers were a bit tired. That was one of the reasons. Their batsmen played some big shots. Their mis-hits landed in between the fielders. The bowlers tried everything but nothing really went our way.”But the biggest concern for India is the failure of their esteemed batting order to construct big totals. In the last five Tests, India have crossed 300 only once, at Roseau in the third Test against West Indies. In England, their highest so far has been 288.MS Dhoni’s advice: “Have belief in yourself and the team, in what you do”•Getty ImagesThe most damning stat is the performance of the Indian lower order (last five batsmen) as compared to their English counterparts. The England lower order comprising Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Broad and Anderson faced 710 deliveries and lasted 1059 minutes over the two Tests, while the Indians could barely survive 356 balls spanning 487 minutes.”It’s important to put runs on the board and we are slightly lacking that. Right from the last series we played, we haven’t scored consistently so that’s also a bit of a concern,” Dhoni said. “One of the big areas of concern is the lower-order; we haven’t been able to see the second new ball through. Hopefully it will get better and we won’t be exposed to the new ball.”Adding to India’s batting problems was the fact the neither Suresh Raina nor Yuvraj Singh could respond convincingly to the short-ball strategy emplyed by the England fast bowlers. Both men had hit fighting half-centuries (Raina in the second innings at Lord’s and Yuvraj in the first innings at Trent Bridge) but today they succumbed cheaply to short-pitched deliveries.Dhoni, though, backed his batsmen and their technique against bouncers. “That’s often said to us but there have been games when we’ve done well in Perth, Durban and Barbados. We will get caught out once in a while but most of the batsmen are used to the short-pitched stuff.”A lot was written about India’s determination and their ability to bounce back after starting poorly in a series. Coming back from 2-0 down, could be the biggest test of Dhoni’s captaincy. And for Duncan Fletcher, who is barely two months into the India coaching job. “We are very confident in the talent in the dressing room and we’ll make the most of the next 10 days,” Dhoni said. He will have some reinforcements for the third Test: Gautam Gambhir is certain to play, while Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag could also return.Dhoni said India needed to remain mentally tough in the nine-day break before the Edgbaston Test. “When you play at the top level you face tough situations and this is one of those. And that is what you are supposed to do: have belief in yourself and the team, in what you do. We will definitely make it tough (for England).”

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Mar-2011Martin Guptill believes he can solve New Zealand’s top-order woes if he can recall the belief that helped him to a gritty century against Ireland in the warm-up match in Nagpur. Though Guptill did not need to break sweat in the massive drubbing of Kenya in New Zealand’s tournament opener, he fell cheaply against Shane Watson as the batting crumbled against Australia having struggled to 10 off 25 balls.His inability to force the pace encouraged Australia’s quick bowlers to cramp him for space with a tight line. It was not just him, though, as his partners forgot to rotate the strike as New Zealand ran only four singles in the first 15 overs. It was an appalling display and New Zealand were rightly thrashed by seven wickets, making the match, a marquee encounter on paper, a no-contest and at the same time conceded the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.”It is just a matter of me being tough,” Guptill said about his own performance. “Just making myself kick on and go deep into the innings. I did it against Ireland so there is no reason I can’t do it against other nations. So I am looking to go back to what I did against Ireland and hopefully it works for me.”Guptill, who was New Zealand’s best batsman in the recent two-Test series against Pakistan, said that seven-day break between the two matches, will allow New Zealand to start afresh against Zimbabwe on Friday. The captain Daniel Vettori has an ongoing hamstring problem and is one of three players along with Scott Stryis (finger) and Kyle Mills (back) with injury issues but Guptill indicated they will all be fit. “We need to win here. The guys are working towards it. So we want to put up good performances,” he said.Guptill is well aware about Zimbabwe’s strengths, one of which is their reliance on their spinners, who have bowled virtually 40 overs in each of the previous contests against Australia and Canada. To combat the dangers of the slow bowlers, Guptill said the batsmen were training against the spin pair of Vettori and Nathan McCullum bowling with the new ball. He also has first-hand experience of facing spin early in an innings after facing R Ashwin during the warm-up match against India although Guptill didn’t last long against the offspinner.Guptill felt there was nothing wrong with his batting, instead it was just a matter of staying strong. He said that John Wright, the coach, and an opener during his playing career, had been a positive influence. “He hasn’t done too much technical work with me,” he said. “It is just a matter of him saying to believe myself and go out and do it really. I have been doing it reasonably well but I just go to do it for longer periods and that is what I am looking forward to do this week.”

According to a report from The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Bristol City playmaker Alex Scott. 

The lowdown: Rising stock

Born in Guernsey, the 18-year-old made the move from FC Guernsey to Bristol City in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength since arriving in the English Football League.

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Having made three fleeting appearances during the 2020/21 season, Scott has established himself as a mainstay in Nigel Pearson’s side this term.

Now it appears that Spurs, as well as a host of other top-level clubs, could be taking a closer look at the England youth starlet…

The latest: Tottenham eye talented youngster

As per the report from The Mirror’s James Nursey, Tottenham officials have ‘scouted’ the playmaker and were in attendance to run the rule over Scott during their win at Stoke City on Good Friday.

It’s claimed that the Championship outfit rate Scott at £10million but could be open to a summer sale of the seven-cap England Under 19 ace in order to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.

Furthermore, the report confirms that officials from N17 were in situ with a ‘view to a summer raid’ as the teenager – who has the ability to ‘float’ around the pitch according to ex-manager Tony Vance – played 90 minutes against Stoke City.

The verdict: No brainer

Already dubbed the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, signing Scott looks to be a relatively risk-free venture for Spurs.

Whilst both manager Antonio Conte and transfer guru Fabio Paratici are likely to target ready-made first-team operators during the summer transfer window, it’s important to keep at least one eye on the future.

So far this season Scott has scored four times and provided two assists in 36 second-tier outings and has shown an unrivalled versatility with a capability of playing in advanced midfield roles, as a centre-forward and more recently as a makeshift wing-back.

Under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the fee, playing style and homegrown status makes this deal akin to the capture of Dele Alli in 2015 and is one that Spurs should be desperate to get over the line.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano delivers exciting transfer update involving Tottenham! Find out more here.

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has tipped Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart to finish his long and distinguished career at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Hart excelling at Celtic

The 35-year-old joined the Hoops from Tottenham last summer, with Ange Postecoglou seeing him as someone who could aid their Scottish Premiership charge.

Hart has proven to be a superb signing to date, starting 32 league matches and playing a key role in his side topping the table late in the campaign.

The former England stopper’s current Celtic deal expires in the summer of 2024 and it looks likely that he will stay until at least that point.

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The Latest: McLeish makes key claim

Speaking to Football Insider, reacting to news from a Celtic source that the Hoops are on the hunt for a new shot-stopper signing, McLeish claimed that Hart could now see out the rest of his career at Parkhead, given the manner in which he has slotted in there:

“I don’t think he needs the competition. It’s good for the club, of course, but the mentality of Joe Hart means he won’t be affected by someone coming in.

“He’ll be playing for Celtic until he decides to hang his boots up. It’s a big club. Not many come bigger in the world, and the challenge of playing for such a big club has revitalised him. They’ve helped him find his mojo again.

“He’s got a touch of the Allan McGregor genes about him, and I can see him seeing out his career in Scotland.”

The Verdict: Best for all parties

The idea of Hart remaining at Celtic until he calls it a day feels like a no-brainer for all parties, with the Englishman still a force between the sticks, having once been hailed as ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’ by legend Gianluigi Buffon.

At 35, he is still far from done as a ‘keeper and his influence for the Hoops can continue to shine through beyond this season, with Buffon himself still playing at the age of 44.

Hart seems to have found a great level of form and confidence again, having lost his way a little in the Premier League, and Postecoglou will be delighted with the impact he has made.

In other news, a financial expert has dropped a key Celtic claim. Read more here.