Inter director Beppe Marotta insists that Simone Inzaghi "wants to stay" at the club in a hands-off warning to any potential suitors.
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Stats highlights from the third day’s play between South Africa and India at Johannesburg
S Rajesh17-Dec-2006
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0 & 0 – Herschelle Gibbs’s score in the innings at Johannesburg. It’s the first time he has bagged a pair in 80 Tests.39 – Jacques Kallis’s aggregate in this match. It’s his lowest in a Test against India, against whom his average has now dropped from 82.71 to 68.67.8 for 87 – Sreesanth’s match figures so far. The only Indian bowler to take more than eight wickets in a Test in South Africa is Venkatesh Prasad, who took 10 for 153 at Durban in 1996.54* – Ashwell Prince’s score at the end of the third day. All his three previous half-centuries in Tests have been in matches South Africa have lost. Of his four hundreds, though, South Africa have won one, drawn two and lost one.5 – The total of the first-wicket stand in two innings for South Africa. India were marginally better with the openers adding 14 and 20 in the two innings.37 – Zaheer Khan’s contribution with the bat, which is his fourth Test score of more than 35, all of which have come overseas. Zaheer averages 15.11 when batting abroad; at home his average drops to 9.28.48.50 – VVS Laxman’s Test average in South Africa. His 73 at Johannesburg was his second half-century there in eight innings.
Ireland’s crushing innings-and-146-run victory in the Intercontinental Cup against Bermuda brought the curtain on an eventful season for Irish cricket
Andrew McGlashan01-Sep-2007
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Ireland’s crushing innings-and-146-run victory in the Intercontinental Cup against Bermuda last week brought the curtain down on an eventful season for Irish cricket. Under new coach Phil Simmons, who replaced Adrian Birrell after the World Cup, they have consolidated their position as the leading Associate nation. It hasn’t, though, quite been the triumphal march that had been hoped for after their heroics in the Caribbean.Many of the players will find it hard to remember the last time they had a significant break. Before the World Cup they spent time in South Africa, at a high-performance camp. They then found themselves in various far-flung destinations such as Mombasa, Nairobi and Abu Dhabi. Welcome to the world of international cricket.A matter of days after returning from the Super Eights, they were back in action, in the Friends Provident Trophy. But after the giant-killing against Pakistan and Bangladesh, they couldn’t manage a single win against the counties. However, there were mitigating circumstances.Key players already had county contracts: Boyd Rankin, Eoin Morgan and Niall O’Brien quickly disappeared after the post-World Cup back-slapping and celebrations had been completed, although Morgan and O’Brien did turn up for Ireland later in the season. Trying to hold on to their top players would become the defining theme of Ireland’s summer.”It was always going to be tough to maintain the momentum from the World Cup,” Simmons told Cricinfo. “Considering we lost three or four of the players who led the team to their glory, it’s been a very good season. We lost the two matches against India and South Africa, but didn’t lose a game against the other Associates.”It’s going to be difficult to keep hold of players with county contracts. But it’s not something I can do anything about, and it has given me a chance to work with new players who have come in this year.”For a few weeks Irish cricket was the centre of the universe, but it wasn’t going to last, especially after the team started losing matches and unfamiliar faces began showing up in the side. To add to the problems there was growing discontent in the ranks when players didn’t see immediate rewards for their success in West Indies.
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Considering we lost three or four of the players who led the team to their glory it’s been a very good season |
While some players decided they had to return to a normal life, others voiced their disapproval about how the Irish Cricket Union was conducting affairs. Loudest among them was Jeremy Bray, the left-hand opener, who scored a century against Zimbabwe and another in the Intercontinental Cup final against Canada. He made himself unavailable for the ODIs against South Africa and India, plus subsequent fixtures against fellow Associates.But he wasn’t the only person unhappy. During the quadrangular tournament staged in Belfast and Dublin during July, the players refused to undertake post-match media commitments following the match against Netherlands, in protest over non-payment of World Cup fees.In many ways Ireland’s progress to the Super Eights created problems for the ICU. Despite the additional prize money, and the boost it provided to the game, there were increased outgoings in terms of costs of the team’s stay in the Caribbean and wages for the players. There was hopeful talk of central contracts being introduced to give players some security and encourage them to stay with Ireland, but reality quickly began to sink in.To try and generate some much-needed income, and make the most of the team’s new-found marketability, the ICU dipped its toe into the offshore ODI market, only to experience its first taste of the volatile world of international TV rights when the matches involving South Africa and India nearly fell through. However, although Sachin Tendulkar and Co. did make it to Belfast, the weather was poor and the crowds even more so. In the end the ICU only broke even.”Partly it was down to the crowds,” said the chief executive, Warren Deutrom. “But that, in turn, came because of the fact that Zee TV pulled out three weeks before the event and there was very little time for advertising. Nimbus came on board, but we only had one hand and weren’t able to negotiate. Advertisers wanted to know what channel they would be on and we weren’t able to tell them until a couple of days before the match.”The weather didn’t help, either, with people not enticed to the matches in the cold and damp. We didn’t get any walk-up sales, compared to 2000 when Ireland played England [in 2006].”
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When faced with international opposition on the field, Ireland continued to perform admirably without managing a scalp to match Pakistan or Bangladesh. At least the absence of some key players allowed Simmons to explore the depth available to him. Greg Thompson, a legspinner, was handed more opportunities, as was left-arm spinner Gary Kidd. Gary Wilson, who plays for Surrey 2nd XI, covered for O’Brien and Alex Cusack’s Man of the Match display against South Africa was a good-news story.”In many ways it was a good thing that we were without some of the top players,” said Simmons. “It gave other guys a chance and they have done well. There are some good cricketers coming through the Under-19 system and in two or three years I can see a very strong Ireland team.”The side’s Intercontinental Cup form remained impressive when they retained the title against Canada at Grace Road in May. The bowling attack, led by David Langford-Smith and Trent Johnston, was well clear of the next best. William Porterfield remained brilliant in the field and helped form a strong top order. Andre Botha, whose medium pace was key at the World Cup, suddenly found a new lease of life with the bat with back-to-back centuries to end the season. At youth level, too, there was no match for the Irish as they enjoyed success at Under-19, -17 and -15 level. The next major challenge comes for the new generation at the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia next February and March.”Porterfield was excellent throughout the season, right from before the World Cup to the final game [his career-best 166 against Bermuda],” said Simmons. “But many others have done well, and hopefully young players will look at what they’ve achieved and think that it could be them in a few years.”The ICU hopes to organise a pre-season tour in February or March next year, but for most of the players it will be a winter of day jobs and indoor nets. It is a far cry from the year they have experienced and there are many challenges for Irish cricket to face if the success of 2007 is not to be a false dawn.
The New York/New Jersey's MetLife Stadium was picked over Dallas to host the 2026 World Cup final with Kim Kardashian set to play a key role.
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Harry Kane’s struggles at Bayern Munich may be generating “hilarity for miserable souls”, but he is being backed to break a trophy duck in Germany.
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Such was the draw of WG Grace that after a public spat with Gloucestershire, who he had captained since its formation in 1870, he was able to move to London and help establish a side that within a year had been given first-class status
Martin Williamson27-Jan-200682 pp, hb
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Much has been written about WG Grace – perhaps more than any other cricketer with the exception of Don Bradman. But while his 19th-century exploits are well documented, less is known about the twilight of his career, and in some ways that is one of the most interesting periods. Such was the draw of the man that after a public spat with Gloucestershire, who he had captained since its formation in 1870, he was able to move to London and help establish a side that within a year had been given first-class status.Brian Pearce’s Cricket At The Crystal Palace helps to fill in the gaps about the brief history of the London County Cricket Club (by 1905 it had lost its first-class status, a victim of financial troubles and poor attendances). But in those five seasons, it was jazz-hat cricket at its best. Led by Grace (he only missed one of their first-class matches), LCCC attracted some of the best players of the era and also took on a quasi-MCC role of nurturing and encouraging the best young cricketers. The club was dominated by the Old Man, and Pearce manages to convey the sense of what it must have been like to play with and under him.This book is not just about WG. It gives the story of the Crystal Palace, which dominated the whole enterprise and ultimately led to its demise, and of the LCCC. Pearce injects colour and life into the narrative, and the illustrations are copious and interesting.This is clearly a labour of love but Pearce has managed to produce a book well worth buying. It’s not long – 82 pages in all – and if there is a criticism it is the rather slapdash and poorly formatted statistics. But that is one minor gripe which does not really tarnish the overall product.
Vincent Kompany has explained why it's a "luxury" for Bayern Munich to have Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson at their disposal. The Belgian coach is pleased with how Jackson is contributing to Bayern's assault on three trophy fronts, but has also confirmed he will be heading to the AFCON with Senegal.
Charlotte FC midfielder Ashley Westwood has been surprised by the "intensity" of MLS since arriving from Burnley FC.
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Liverpool's Curtis Jones has sent a message to England boss Gareth Southgate as he believes that he is doing well enough to warrant a call up.
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It’s the most favourable thing to do with my fiance in Johannesburg, says recently-engaged Test batsman
Firdose Moonda24-Apr-2018South Africa’s middle-order Test batsman Temba Bavuma has moved from Cape Cobras to the Highveld Lions ahead of the upcoming domestic season.Bavuma, originally from the Western Province, spent his entire professional career upcountry but moved back to the Cobras for the 2017-18 summer, even though he rarely played for the side owing to international commitments.”I made the decision to ply my trade for Cape Cobras to fulfill a childhood dream of donning the blue colours, but there have been developments in my personal life that have led me to reconsider that decision,” Bavuma said. “I recently got engaged and feel that with my fiancé in Johannesburg it’s the favourable thing to do.”Bavuma spent most of his time with the Cobras playing T20 cricket, where he scored 195 runs in 10 matches. He featured in just one first-class and one fifty-over fixture for the team. An opportunity to open the batting in List A cricket in a bid to push for an ODI berth, ESPNcricinfo understands, was one of the reasons for Bavuma to move to the Cobras last season.Now, it remains to be seen if Lions will have a spot for him up the order. However, with their trophy cabinet bare after a tough previous season, they will welcome a player of Bavuma’s experience.”We welcome Temba back with open arms. He is a player with special skills, experience and a star of his calibre is hard to find,” Greg Fredericks, Lions CEO said. “We did not have the best of seasons, so it is a step in the right direction to have him back in our system.”Bavuma’s decision also comes at a time when the six franchises are scrambling to secure player contracts that have been delayed because Cricket South Africa and the South African Cricketers’ Association are yet to agree upon a new MOU. Unless an interim agreement is formulated between both parties by the end of April, most of South Africa’s professional cricketers, including those from the national team, will be out of contracts.In March, CSA announced the names of the 18 players who they intend to contract, but those won’t come into effect without a binding MOU. Although the situation remains tense, a temporary agreement is expected to be put in place to avoid a player walkout and non-payment of May salaries.Since Bavuma is among those awarded a national contract, he is allowed to choose the domestic franchise he’d like to represent. The Lions, therefore, will not have to contract Bavuma. None of South Africa’s six franchises have been able to announce their contracted player lists and no other players have made public any intentions to change domestic teams.