Friday Kasteni was the only surprise name in Zimbabwe’s 15-man squad for the World Cup.Kasteni, an 18-year-old left-hand batsman, made his debut against Bangladesh last weekend, and while he only made 9, the selectors seem to have been impressed by his A-team performances and even if he does not get a game in the Caribbean, they see him as a player for the future. His inclusion is at the expense of Hamilton Masakadza who made only 42 runs against Bangladesh and was dropped for the last match of the series.Tawanda Mupariwa, Zimbabwe’s leading fast bowler, was included even though he did not play against Bangladesh. He was left out of the tour to Bangladesh last year because of a knee injury but has since recovered. Brendan Taylor, who continues to try the patience of the selectors both on and off the field, was retained even though he made only 23 runs in three matches.Blessing Mahwire, who was expected to be included, was left out after falling ill with pneumonia, while hard-hitting batsman Charles Coventry ruled himself out of contention after failing to report for camp ahead of the Bangladesh series.Zimbabwe Squad Prosper Utseya (capt), Gary Brent, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Keith Dabengwa, Terry Duffin, Anthony Ireland, Friday Kasteni, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Christopher Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams.
Ricky Ponting’s rest will include a second match as Adam Gilchrist was confirmed as captain for the VB Series clash with Sri Lanka at Perth on Sunday. Ponting missed Australia’s five-wicket win at Adelaide on Thursday and the result vindicated their controversial rotation policy, which has also included breaks for Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath.However, Australia’s plans for an unchanged side for the WACA were hit by Nathan Bracken’s return to Sydney for personal reasons. Bracken was the team’s most successful fast bowler at Adelaide with 2 for 45, and his departure from the squad should allow Stuart Clark to play.”The team had a good win last night and move on to Perth, thus allowing Ponting to complete a two-game break,” Hohns said. “The selectors and team management have agreed to allow Bracken to return to Sydney and we’re hopeful he’ll be available for the one-day international in Melbourne on February 3.”Gilchrist showed he could combine the leadership, opening batting and keeping roles against Sri Lanka as Australia moved five points clear at the top of the series table, with three matches to come. Michael Hussey, who steered the side to their victory target with an unbeaten 25, retains his role as vice-captain, while McGrath and Brett Lee will once again share the new-ball duties. There was, however, no place for Phil Jaques, who hit 94 on debut but lost his opening berth to Simon Katich.The players have three more matches in the preliminary stage of the tournament, which also double as their last chances to win votes for the Allan Border Medal on February 6. Andrew Symonds is the only one not eligible for either the main prize or the One-Day Player of the Year award after he was suspended on the Ashes tour for being drunk before a match. The voting period for Australian cricket’s most cherished individual achievement includes the past 15 Tests and a total of 30 ODIs.Australian squad Adam Gilchrist (capt, wk), Michael Hussey, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Brett Dorey, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, James Hopes, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds.
For a moment, it seemed it would end as it had opened. Pakistan’s tour to Australia began with a humiliating defeat at Perth and at first, today’s finale was hauntingly familiar. Eventually, Pakistan fought back just as they had done on Friday, and they pushed Australia most of the way. But once Adam Gilchrist and, in particular, Glenn McGrath had done what they do so well, the fight didn`t matter.It is a sign of how resoundingly McGrath has answered those who suggested he was finished, that there is now as much talk and applause – ironic though it may be – about his batting as there has always been about his bowling. It means that his primary function, and itseffectiveness, is once again unquestioned. He picked up five wickets today, throttling any notions of a fight at the very top of the order and snuffing out clear signs of it at the bottom.McGrath was always going to get one, if not two, of the top three out – he has made men with much better techniques than Kamran Akmaland Mohammad Hafeez look silly often enough. But it was his dismantling of the linchpin of Pakistan’s hopes, Inzamam ul Haq that bore testament to McGrath’s ability to rip the heart out of sides just when itmatters.He bowled two balls in what should now officially be rechristened the"Corridor of McGrath", both just short of a length with a slight hint of away movement outside off-stump, before pitching the third delivery much fuller and nipping it back. Traditionally a scratchy starter,Inzamam was trapped on the crease and plumb in front. Pakistan’s captain and star batsman, with five fifties and 364 runs inthe last seven matches, was gone, and the match, in essence,was over.At least Pakistan will not have to hire a rocket scientist to see where they went wrong. Today, as has been the case throughout the VB Series, they might as well not have had a top three. In eight matches, Pakistan tried three different opening combinations and three different No. 3s. Akmal, a gritty lower-order batsman and an increasingly impressive wicketkeeper, became an unlikely opener. Salman Butt, who had faded as the series went on, was replaced today by Taufeeq Umar, once a specialist Test opener but now playing his first international of any variety in almost a year.Shoaib Malik, fast becoming a sturdy upper-order fulcrum, was inexplicably shifted from that position in this tournament. Mohammad Hafeez, back in the side to make up for the loss of Malik’s bowling, instead took his batting place and barely bought a run. Given that neither Inzamam nor Youhana are keen to bat at No. 3, the refusal to let the proven Malik bat there was bewildering.If it seems a muddled policy, then it made for disastrous results as well; Pakistan’s "starts" in this series have been 30 for 2, 36 for 2, 38 for 3, 65 for 2, 41 for 2, 9 for 3, and 38 for 3. That they had managed to stay afloat this far had been due, almost entirely, to the efforts of Inzamam and, in particular, the lower-order of a revitalized Abdul Razzaq (is it the spinach?) and Shahid Afridi.It is a shame they crumbled again, for by doing apassable impression of Sri Lanka in the field, theyhad done wonderfully well to restrict Australia’sbatsmen for the second time in three days. Much of SriLanka’s success in ODIs, and some of it has come againstAustralia, has been based on the slow choke – a method that is effective on sluggish pitches with a number ofquickish spinners who aren’t really spinners. Theydart, rather than flight the ball; they often choosenot to extract significant turn, and they hurry through their overs, never allowing batsmen to settle.In the past, the likes of Jayasuriya, Chandana, Arnold and Dharmasena have successfully strangled Australian run-scoring in the middle overs, and today, the ebullient Afridi and Hafeez played the part admirably, first hauling back a Gilchrist-fuelled run-rate and then picking up crucial wickets in the middle order. They were backed up well by the seamers, and if Rana’s opening over lbw appeal against Gilchrist had been upheld, it might have made a difference (and despite what commentators have said, there have been more than a few appalling decisions in this series).Gilchrist’s hand was characteristically abnormal and crucial; on a pitch where many struggled to get the ball away, he started as if he was batting in the nets. A sumptuous straight drive, a stinging square cut and a spanked cover-drive – three boundaries in the first over and six (as well as a hooked six) in total where his team-mates combined to hit twelve in the 41 overs after his dismissal. He did his thing then, McGrath did it later.
The opening section of South Africa’s first-class Supersport Series concluded this week with three of the country’s biggest unions, as well as the defending champions, all failing to qualify for the Super Six section of the competition, which takes place in March next year.The glory years of the old Transvaal “Mean Machine” are so far gone that they feel like a part of ancient history. Under Clive Rice’s captaincy in the early 1980s many believed that Transvaal were as strong as most Test teams, but the team now called Gauteng has not won a first-class match for three years, and the famous old Wanderers stadium will once again be empty when Gauteng compete in the inglorious consolation Shield Series in March.Northerns Titans may also struggle to attract the attention of their usually loyal fans, and Supersport Park’s grass banks will be emptier than normal. St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth will count the cost of Eastern Province’s failure to progress despite a bowling attack that includes two international fast bowlers in the shape of Mornantau Hayward and Mfuneko Ngam.Easterns aggresively threw off their poor-relations reputation last year by overturning Western Province in the five-day final to become champions, but, through a combination of bad luck and rain, they will not be able to defend their title this time. So Willowmoore Park in Benoni will return to being a sleepy cricketing backwater.As surprising as the qualification of Free State and Griqualand West was, it was nothing compared to the progress of North West – the smallest and, with due respect, the least significant of the 11 provincial teams. One star they have produced just slightly brighter than several others is their opening batsman Davey Jacobs, who made 181 on the final day of the last group match against Northerns to earn a draw – and qualification by a mere 1.46 points. It was heroic stuff, and confirmed Jacobs, who has just turned 23, as being destined for greater things.A decade ago it was left-arm spinner Jacob Malao who was being tipped for stardom at a time when the South African game screaming out for a black role model. But he was swamped by the pressure, and appeared to have disappeared from the cricket map. But this season Malao, who’s now 31, reappeared with Easterns and claimed a brace of five-wicket hauls to reignite his career and, inevitably, start another round of clamouring for his international recognition.Easterns batsman Zander de Bruyn is another well-seasoned professional who has had an extraordinary season, scoring nearly 600 runs in five matches including a top score of 266. But at 28 he will probably need another year of the same for the selectors to take serious note.The Amla brothers, Hashim and Amla, have both made significant contributions to KwaZulu-Natal’s all-conquering start to the season, as has their spinning allrounder Imraan Khan. Jean-Paul Duminy has shone like few other 19-year-olds for WP, and there are a number of other players around the country who have made a name for themselves. But it’s two veterans who are occupying the thoughts of fans, administrators and fellow players alike.They are Daryll Cullinan and Lance Klusener, who have been in outstanding form. Cullinan made two centuries and a 95 while captaining Easterns, and, at the age of 36, he still has as many friends as enemies. Many have not forgiven him for walking out of the national team 24 hours before a Test against Australia in 2001, and the waters have been further muddied by reports that he had retired from international cricket last year. Cullinan himself has yet to comment, despite a UCB offical saying recently that “If he hasn’t retired from international cricket then the selectors need to know that”.Klusener averaged 45 with the bat and took 25 wickets in five matches, bowling faster and with more commitment than he has managed for five years. He is also currently suing the Board for not renewing his national contract and insists, despite the current national captain Graeme Smith’s observation that he can be “bad for morale”, that he is “not changing now. I am who I am”.Tough debates will follow in the weeks to come, and some tough decisions – but unless Klusener calls off his legal dogs and, together with Cullinan, starts flashing a few warm smiles in the direction of the people who matter, they are likely to stay cold-shouldered. Both men have said they don’t care what the world thinks about them, but in the new world of South African cricket the “who you are” is just as important as the “what you are”. Runs and wickets, by themselves, aren’t good enough any more.
The draws have been made for the 2002 Thwaites Lancashire Cup/Shield Competitions. Cup Holders Tonge CC from the Bolton League visit Ribblesdale League outfit Blackburn Northern. Shield Holders Shadoos from the Greater Manchester Amateur Cricket League entertain Northern from the Liverpool Competition. Cronkbourne from the Isle of Man, victors over Wigan in 2001, although drawn at home, will visit Wythenshawe.LCB Assistant Secretary Neil Girvin said "The Board would like to thank Thwaites Brewery for their continued support of the LCB open-age Knockout Competitions."The full cup draw:Clifton v Woodbank, Prestwich v Tarleton, Freckleton v Denton West, Jinnah v Read, Rainford v Irlam, Shadoos v Northern, Baxenden v Ormskirk, Cronkbourne v Wythenshawe, Woodhouses v Longridge, Kearsley v Norley Hall, Golborne v Great Eccleston, Sefton Park v Hindley St Peters, Lytham v Bury, Cherry Tree v Burscough, Westhoughton v Skelmersdale, Blackpool v Rainhill, Thornton Cleveleys v Vernon Carus, Ainsdale v Swinton Moorside, Fulwood & Broughton v Wigan, Great Harwood v Bootle, Wavertree v Leyland, Farnworth v Dukinfield, Darwen v Monton & Weaste, Netherfield v Prescot Oddysey, Adlington v Atherton, Leigh v Chorley, Winton v Southport Trinity, Liverpool Manweb v Eagley, Walshaw v Little Hulton, Blackburn Northern v Tonge, Walkden v Astley Bridge, Padiham v Kendal.The Shield Draw:White Coppice v Withnell Fold, Old Trafford v Levenshulme Wesleyan, Daubhill v Werneth Freehold, Moston v Lee Lane Cong, Forresters v PCC, St Johns v East Lancashire Paper Mill, Whittle & Clayton Le Woods v Jay Hind, Karmad A v Blackley, Clayton Methodists v Ladybridge, Red Rose v Glodwick, Kashmir v Bharat, St Mary’s OPC v Coldhurst Vale, Haughton Green v Rochdalians, Walton-Le-Dale v Fothergill & Harvey, Brinscall v Rochdale Catholic Club, MSJ Combined v Greenfield.All ties will be played on Sunday 19th May 2002.For further information contact Neil Girvin at the LCB on 0161 282 4029 or Email: [email protected]
Easterns scrambled to a 108-run victory over a defiant KwaZulu-Natal in their four-day Supersport Series match at Willowmoore Park on Monday.With a lead of 334 runs at the start of play and Natal on 73 for three, Easterns seemed to be heading towards a comfortable second victory in as many weeks over the Dolphins.But the unheralded Goolam Bodi arrived at the crease for Natal and quickly changed all of that with his 104 runs off only 94 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes.It easily eclipsed his previous first-class best of 33 for Transvaal B against Western Province B in the 1996/97 season.”There was lot of chirp out there and it got quite abusive at times, but I’m glad I’ve got that 100 now,” Bodi said.Bodi was also the backbone of a 131-run partnership with Ross Veenstra for the eighth wicket that took Natal to within 139 runs of their target.But the home team were eventually bowled out for 298, giving Easterns a deserved – albeit belated – victory.”We didn’t bowl as well as we wanted to in the second innings. We got the win the hard way, but it’s still a win,” said Easterns skipper Deon Jordaan.Bodi’s innings was a rare display of batting proficiency amidst four days when Natal have batted poorly to say the least.For an Easterns side that has a red rose as its emblem, the diminutive Bodi was truly the thorn in their side on a day when rain also threatened their hopes of victory.Twice Easterns thought they had the better of Bodi, and twice the third umpire had to confirm this.The first occasion was when Bodi reached his century off a controversial six.The catch was taken by Gareth Flusk at deep mid-wicket, with the fielder perilously close to the boundary rope.Bodi stood firm while Flusk claimed the catch. But the third umpire declared that Bodi was not out, with Flusk admitting at the drinks break that he did indeed step on the rope.The second and decisive decision came with Bodi returning to the middle shortly after a rain delay and on 104.Andre Nel had been frustrated in his attempts to dismiss Bodi, but finally made the breakthrough when the batsman edged a delivery to Derek Crookes in the slips.Bodi was again unconvinced. The replay was also hardly conclusive, but Bodi’s luck in this fickle game clearly did not stretch that far, and he was given out with Natal on 248.Natal added 50 more runs before Easterns could raise their arms in triumph, claiming their second victory in as many weeks over Natal after their Standard Bank Cup win here as well.Easterns keeper Dylan Jennings capped a fine match with eight catches behind his name – only two short of his father Ray’s shared record of 10 catches in a first-class match.
Rangers have been hit with a major Old Firm setback over Ibrox centre-forward Alfredo Morelos…
Huge blow
The Daily Record have published an image shared on social media of the Colombian striker leaving an airport on crutches this week.
It remains to be seen how serious the blow is, with the publication claiming that it could even end his season as he is set to see a specialist.
Fuming
Gio van Bronckhorst will be fuming with this news for multiple reasons.
Morelos went away with his country in January and was forced to miss the 3-0 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead, despite not playing a single minute of football during that international break. This meant that Rangers suffered badly in his absence, whilst Colombia gained no benefit themselves as they opted against giving him another cap.
Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will surely have been frustrated by the 25-year-old’s call-up for the March international break in case a similar situation played out and Morelos came back with his confidence knocked.
Instead, he has come back with a potentially season-ending injury, which will leave the head coach infuriated and ruing international breaks. The striker looks set to miss the clash with the Hoops on Sunday at Ibrox, at the very least, and this is a huge blow for the Gers as he is their go-to man at the top of the pitch.
Morelos has scored 11 goals in the Premiership this season, four more than any other Rangers player, and has also provided seven assists – a tally that only James Tavernier can beat. They will no doubt miss his quality in the final third in what could be a decisive game at the top of the table, with Celtic currently three points clear of the Gers heading into the match.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Van Bronckhorst will also be fuming as this blow could mean that Morelos is out for a number of important games across multiple competitions. Rangers face Portuguese outfit Braga in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final next Thursday and could now be without the striker for that match.
In Europe this season, Morelos has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.13. He has scored four goals in eight starts and will be a huge miss if he is out for next week’s clash, which is why the Gers boss will be sweating on his fitness in the coming days as the club look to find out how long the 25-year-old will be ruled out of action.
AND in other news, Rangers had a major disaster on “complete” 243 G/A ace who’s “like Harry Potter”…
Brad Hogg is a better bowler than when he last figured in a Test because he has added patience to his repertoire, according to Adam Gilchrist. Hogg’s chances of playing against India on Boxing Day grow with each episode of the Stuart MacGill injury saga and Gilchrist has been impressed with his form.”He’s more patient,” Gilchrist told AAP. “He doesn’t feel he has to produce the big deliveries to get a wicket, it’s going to be a build-up.”Often even in his one-day cricket he has proven that. In that first-class game I kept to him in Melbourne a few weeks ago, he definitely showed that patience and better understanding of what he can do to go about getting a wicket.”Hogg captured 8 for 83 in the Pura Cup match with Gilchrist behind the stumps, but he went wicketless against South Australia last week. Strong performances in the one-day side have kept Hogg in with a chance of reviving his four-Test career, which was last updated against Zimbabwe in 2003. At the World Cup he earned 21 wickets and on the tour of India the locals struggled to cope with his variation.”A lot of batsmen around the world can’t pick him,” Gilchrist said. “The Indians are definitely fine players of spin but certainly he has got a lethal wrong’un that is very difficult to pick.”
Darren Lehmann could miss the next six weeks of South Australia’s season after suffering a hamstring injury in the Twenty20 victory over Queensland at Adelaide on Wednesday night.Lehmann retired hurt on 26 and scans today showed a grade two strain, which is expected to rule him out of the state’s next two rounds of games. A South Australia spokeswoman said Lehmann would undergo rehabilitation for the next four to six weeks.The injury is a severe blow for South Australia, who are last on the Pura and FR cup tables and also missed reaching the final of the Twenty20 tournament. Lehmann has been a crucial performer for the Redbacks with 378 Pura Cup runs at 42 in five matches and 273 one-day runs at 68.25.South Australia’s selectors were forced to restructure their squads for the fixtures against Western Australia in Perth next week following injuries to Lehmann and Cameron Borgas. Graham Manou has been promoted to captain for the one-day game on Wednesday in a 13-man squad that includes Jason Borgas, the older brother of Cameron Borgas, Ben Cameron and James Smith, an 18-year-old batsman from West Torrens.Cameron, Jason Borgas, Tom Plant and Ryan Harris have also been named in the Pura Cup squad, which will be led by Matthew Elliott, to play the Warriors from January 19. Shaun Tait has been picked in both outfits after recovering from a hamstring strain.South Australia FR Cup squad Matthew Elliott, Daniel Harris, Mark Cosgrove, Jason Borgas, James Smith, Ben Cameron, Graham Manou (capt, wk), Ken Skewes, Nathan Adcock, Jason Gillespie, Ryan Harris, Dan Cullen, Shaun Tait.South Australia Pura Cup squad Matthew Elliott (capt), Tom Plant, Mark Cosgrove, Daniel Harris, Jason Borgas, Ben Cameron, Shane Deitz (wk), Ryan Harris, Jason Gillespie, Dan Cullen, Paul Rofe, Cullen Bailey, Shaun Tait.
Guyana still have plenty to do to get to a position of safety despite half centuries by Shane Jeffers, Omari Banks and debutant Steve Lyburd. Resuming their overnight score of 41 for one against Leewards Islands, Guyana ended the day at 332 for 7 still 16 runs adrift of the follow-on target at the Carib Ground in St. Maarten.Opener Jeffers scored 76 and added 116 for the second wicket with Runako Morton, who scored 38. After both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, Sylvester Joseph, the captain and Lyburd added 69 for the fourth wicket, with Joseph taking the attack to the spinners. Neil McGarrell, the left arm spinner ultimately got the better of Joseph, having him stumped by Derwin Christian, the wicketkeeper.Wilden Cornwall didn’t last very long, losing his wicket to Deonarine with the score on 199. Omari Banks, the allrounder, steadied the innings adding 93 for the sixth wicket with Lyburd. Banks was dismissed for 79, scoring six fours and four sixes. His dismissal off the penultimate over of the day was a blow for Leewards. Alderman Lesmond and Carl Simon were at the crease at stumps.