All posts by h716a5.icu

While chasing might not be the favourite thing to do at the Premadasa, a relaid track and new floodlights mean it is not quite the devil either

Sidharth Monga23-Mar-2011On first look, the R Premadasa stadium doesn’t seem to be the ideal venue for the knockout games of a tournament as big as the World Cup. Or any day-night ODI for that matter. Far too often are the odds stacked heavily against sides chasing under the floodlights, when the ball starts doing the kind of crazy things it hadn’t in the first half of the game. In the last decade, 29 out of the 38 finished games featuring the top teams here were won by the team winning the toss, second only to Newlands in that aspect. There is no guessing what teams do here the moment they win the toss.With the World Cup, however, like many other aspects in quite a few of the other stadiums in the subcontinent, there seems to have been a massive improvement. Already it is there for all to see that while chasing might not be the favourite thing to do here, it is not quite the devil either. Even if the games involving the minnows in this World Cup are not to be included, the league game between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is a big indicator. In the good old days of the Premadasa, Pakistan’s 277 would have been a difficult target, but Sri Lanka seemed to be on track until they lost their way towards the end.The most important thing, both in that game and Pakistan’s successful chase against Australia, was that the new ball didn’t jag around as much as it used to do in the classical Premadasa-under-the-lights days. Anuruddha Polonowita, Sri Lanka’s chief groundsman, has an explanation for why this used to happen and why it is less likely to happen now that the square has been relaid.”We have raised the pitch three-and-a-half-feet from the perimeter of the boundary,” Polonowita said. “Earlier we had a problem those days. This is a low-lying area. This was a marshy land, which was filled with garbage. So in the evening we used to get a little bit of moisture coming out. So we raised it by three-and-a-half feet, and I think it has settled down now. In the evening, that moisture is not coming out. That was the main reason [for the drastic change in conditions under lights].”Mahela Jayawardene, who has played a fair amount of his ODI cricket here, has another reason. “The floodlights were one of the reasons teams struggled to chase at night at the ground, as they couldn’t pick the ball on occasion,” he wrote in his column. “Since the revamp, with new lights and a relaid track, things have certainly eased out.”Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka’s coach, shares the view. “In the past it [the toss] has been important,” Bayliss said. “The wickets since have been relaid. They are a lot better now, a lot easier to bat second than it was two to three years ago. We batted second against Pakistan, and made 260, but we had a bad 20 overs. Whatever score is made in the first innings, the team batting second is quite capable of knocking those runs off.”Whether it gets a little bit cooler and atmosphere makes the ball move around a little bit, there is no real evidence of that. It is a bit more difficult to bat second. I think the wicket probably slows up a little bit, makes it more difficult for batting, but more than anything it’s the mindset. We were happy to score 260 runs against Pakistan in that first game. Even though we did lose, we knew there was improvement, and it gives us confidence for this game.”A target of 225 and over against a major opposition in a day-night game at the Premadasa has been a fortress that has not been conquered often, but over the next week or so that frontier might be no more. Even if that doesn’t happen – although it will be a great stage to do so in a knockout game of a World Cup – the players are a bit more assured of the fairness of the conditions.

Kenya have added 21-year-old seamer Nelson Odhiambo to their squad for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan after sliding to a 167-run defeat against the same opposition in the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2010Kenya have added 21-year-old seamer Nelson Odhiambo to the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan after sliding to a 167-run defeat against the same opposition in the Intercontinental Cup.The three-match series starts October 7 and Kenya will enter with a new captain in Jimmy Kamande after Maurice Ouma stepped down. Kamande didn’t feature in the Intercontinental Cup defeat but he now has the task of lifting a team that was outplayed for much of the game.Kenya conceded a 304-run first-innings deficit but showed signs of promise as the game wore on. They dismissed Afghanistan for 207 in the second innings and batted obdurately to reach 344 in an unlikely 521 run chase.It was enough for coach Eldine Baptiste to believe his side can be competitive but urged the need for consistency if Kenya are to progress. “While we were very disappointed with the result in the four day match against Afghanistan we showed some signs of what we can achieve as a team,” he said.”We had spells where we bowled exceptionally well and some of the batsman produced good innings. What we need to do is achieve consistency, improve in all areas and see our top order batsmen go on to make the big match winning scores we need.’With a new captain in Jimmy Kamande leading the side I fully expect this will give us a fresh start and a new impetus and we can start producing the wins we are capable of.”Squad Jimmy Kamande (capt), Maurice Ouma (wk), Seren Waters, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Rakep Patel, , Ragheb Aga, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, James Ngoche, Hiren Varaiya, Elijah Otieno, Nelson Odhiambo.

Essex leapfrogged Gloucestershire into second place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B with a six-wicket win at Bristol

Cricinfo staff24-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Essex leapfrogged Gloucestershire into second place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B with a six-wicket win at Bristol. The home side could muster only 184 for 8 on a slow pitch, despite an unbeaten 70 from James Franklin, as Chris Wright (3 for 43), Ryan ten Doeschate (2 for 30) and David Masters (2 for 26) maintained a tight line and length. Essex were given a good start in reply by Ravi Bopara (45) and Mark Pettini (37), before Grant Flower (45) and Matthew Walker (32) did their bit to clinch victory with an over to spare.It was dour fare for the crowd, but a precious result for the Eagles, who now stand a chance of reaching the semi-finals as at least the best second-placed team in the three groups. The Gladiators were unable to gain much momentum, having been put in to bat, after an opening stand of 46 in eight overs between Alex Gidman (20) and Will Porterfield (27).The only other partnership of note was between Franklin and Steve Snell (32) for the fifth wicket after a collapse to 65 for 4. Franklin came in at the fall of the first wicket when Gidman was dismissed in the eighth over and had to battle hard throughout, reaching his half-century in the 37th over, having faced 77 balls and hit only two fours. Gloucestershire could hit only eight fours and one six, lofted straight by Franklin in the final over of the innings off Tony Palladino.Essex timed their run chase well on a night of few batting thrills. Bopara coped with the conditions better than most and was clearly aggrieved to be given out caught behind off David Payne having faced 42 balls and hit seven fours. Pettini was content to push ones and twos for the majority of his 69-ball innings, which ended when he was yorked by Gidman’s first delivery of the match with the total on 92.That was in the 23rd over and Gloucestershire still had a glimmer of hope. But Flower had sensibly taken time to gauge the pace of the wicket and Walker added some vibrancy to the innings at just the right time. The Gladiators bowlers did not enjoy much luck, particularly Steve Kirby, whose first six overs cost only 14 runs.But the partnership of 74 between Flower and Walker proved all-important. Flower was caught behind attempting to pull Jon Lewis and Walker then fell to a slip catch, but by the fall of the fourth wicket only 15 runs were needed and Essex eased home.

Kent recorded their third win of the Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign in emphatic style with an eight-wicket drubbing of Leicestershire with more than 13 overs in hand

08-Aug-2010
ScorecardKent recorded their third win of the Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign in emphatic style with an eight-wicket drubbing of Leicestershire with more than 13 overs in hand.Having won the toss and elected to bat, Leicestershire made a stunning start to reach 41 without loss after four overs, only to be dismissed for 148 in 30.1 overs. Opener and top-scorer James Benning (37) and Jacques du Toit ensured the Foxes did well against Kent’s makeshift new-ball pairing of Darren Stevens and Amjad Khan.Matt Coles, back in the side in place of Azhar Mahmood, accounted for du Toit (13) lbw but it was the introduction of spin at both ends that turned the game in Kent’s favour. Sri Lankan leg-spinner Malinga Bandara did the early damage with 5 for 35 – his best figures since joining the county – two of them to sharp stumpings by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.Off-spinner James Tredwell turned one through the gate to bowl Danny Masters as he played back, then occasional off-spinner Martin van Jaarsveld chipped in with 3 for 23.Having been set a modest target at a rate of 3.8 an over, Kent had 50 up on the board through openers Rob Key (26) and Joe Denly (39) in nine overs before Key clipped a return catch to Denning. Having hit five boundaries in his 51-ball stay, Denly followed seven overs later when he was bowled by James Taylor, but it was to prove Kent’s last slip up in an otherwise ruthless display.Vice-captain Martin van Jaarsveld, with an unbeaten 56 scored at a run-a-minute, and Geraint Jones – with a cameo 25 from 24 balls – duly eased Kent home to victory to inflict a fifth defeat of the campaign of Leicestershire.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones of Eurosport has dropped an encouraging update on West Ham United’s links to Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause.

The Lowdown: West Ham talks held…

According to Football Insider, sharing news in the past week, there has been a development in manager David Moyes’ hunt for a centre-half as the Irons and transfer chief Rob Newman target Villa’s defender.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As per their information, preliminary talks have been held over signing the 6 foot 3 powerhouse before January 31 with a reunion in east London now ‘on the cards’ if both the Villans and West Ham can reach an agreement.

In another update, FI state that Hause himself is ‘keen’ to link up with Moyes at the London Stadium with insider Jones now sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Insider makes encouraging claim…

According to Eurosport’s reporter, in an interview with GMS, a West Ham move to sign the 26-year-old is ‘definitely possible’ as he backs that the club hold an interest.

“It’s definitely possible,” he explained.

“It’s one that West Ham are looking at, I think in the last week it’s one that’s become clearer.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

The towering homegrown defender is also able to fill various roles across the backline, including at left-back (WhoScored), potentially strengthening Moyes’ options in an array of positions.

Still fairly young, Hause may also be an astute option to have at West Ham for years to come and it’s little wonder both Newman and the club are apparently weighing up a bid.

Valued at around £4.5 million by Transfermarkt, the left-footed ace has proven dependable and reliable when slotting in as a back up option for Villa this season – winning the second-most aerial duels per 90 on average out of their squad (WhoScored).

He’s also received praised for his cameos in the Premier League over 2021/2022 with Villa journalist Ashley Preece calling Hause ‘incredible’ (Claret & Blue podcast via This is Futbol).

We believe he could certainly come as a shrewd option for Moyes this transfer window.

In other news: ‘Please please please’, ‘Baller’, ‘Perfect’…West Ham fans rave as GSB eye ‘fantastic signing’, find out more here.

Manchester United have appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager to join the club this summer, and with a new manager, there will likely be new signings with speculation already mounting on who the Dutch coach will bring in to start his revolution at the Premier League club.

The Red Devils have struggled this season and become the centre of a media frenzy with the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and reported dressing room leaks constantly hitting the headlines amongst poor form in all competitions on the pitch with the side entering their longest trophy drought in 40 years and looking unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the few remaining games.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

With that being said, Ten Hag has clearly been brought into the club to reinstate the identity and to improve the mentality amongst the players, something he can achieve by bringing in new players to begin a new era and a fresh start at Man United.

The midfield is one of the key areas that has been targeted for desperate improvement, and one player who has been linked to the club this week that would drastically improve the centre of the pitch is Frenkie de Jong.

The £164k-per-week ace who was hailed “amazing” and a “genius” by his manager Xavi, would be a huge upgrade in Man United’s midfield next season to replace Scott McTominay when you compare the pair on effectiveness for their respective teams.

For Barcelona, De Jong has scored two more goals and assists, completed over 300 more passes, has a better pass accuracy, completes more take-ons and has a higher ground duel success rate (64.2%) compared to Scott McTominay at United in the Premier League this season, per Squawka.

Manchester United will reportedly (via Sport) give ten Hag £210m to spend this summer, and the 24-year-old has become a prime target for the Ajax boss who will have full involvement in the transfer dealings at Old Trafford during his three-year contract.

Ultimately, the Dutch tactician will have a large workload when it comes to reviving the club from its current state, and along with identifying new signings will also need to make the right decisions when it comes to replacing and moving on players this summer to give Manchester United the best chance next season.

AND in other news: Man Utd plot bid for “special” 52-goal “wizard”, it’s an instant ten Hag masterclass

According to a report by football.london, former West Ham defender Glen Johnson has advised Declan Rice to reject any potential move to Manchester United.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s most important player

Rice has been in tremendous form this season, leading David Moyes’ Hammers side to a fifth-place position in the Premier League. SofaScore rankings see the midfielder as West Ham’s most important player so far this campaign, having averaged a fantastic 7.26/10 rating.

The Irons have made it clear that they have no interest in selling their star player in the January or summer transfer window. This is irrelevant of bids made, with a number of heavy hitters sniffing around the 22-year-old.

Consistent rumours have linked Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City with the Hammers man; the most prominent of which have come from Ralf Rangnick’s side.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Johnson advises Rice against Man United move

In an interview relayed by football.london, former West Ham defender Johnson has stated that he thinks a move to Manchester United would be detrimental for Rice, as Rangnick’s men are merely a fraction of some of the previous United sides.

“If I was Declan I would be a bit concerned to be honest with you. I’d be thinking Manchester United aren’t the Manchester United of old,” Johnson said.

“There used to be a time when, anytime Manchester United came calling, you go. It was the number one place. Everyone wanted to go. But they don’t have that appeal anymore.

“I don’t think he’d end up there whether they want him or not. But in terms of their business, I think they should just sit tight and wait until the summer and weigh the whole situation up with everybody.”

“I don’t think Manchester United could get anyone better than Declan Rice. If he was available, I think Chelsea or Liverpool would be in front of them anyway.”

The Verdict: Spot on

Upon his 150th Premier League appearance for the Hammers at just 22-years-old, Rice was nationally praised as ‘admirable’ and ‘incomparable’. The Hammers have allowed the youngster to flourish as a player, and they are now reaping the rewards, as they have a ‘world class’ midfielder at their disposal.

Former teammate and current Ajax ace Sebastien Haller even asserted that the England international ‘has everything’, and that he is one of the best in the world in his position.

Observing the tension in the current Man United squad, it is easy to see why Johnson has warned Rice away from the club. If the Hammers continue to drive for Champions League qualification, there does not appear to be any reason as to why Rice should make the move to Manchester, where there are even rumours of player unrest due to their training schedules.

West Ham could allegedly make a ‘statement signing’ in the shape of a £45m goal machine…

Struggling Gloucestershire virtually ended Middlesex’s hopes of reaching the Friends Provident t20 quarter-finals by beating them by six wickets with four balls to spare at Uxbridge

11-Jul-2010
ScorecardStruggling Gloucestershire virtually ended Middlesex’s hopes of reaching the Friends Provident t20 quarter-finals by beating them by six wickets with four balls to spare at Uxbridge.The match saw Steven Finn return to the Middlesex team for the first time since he bowled England to victory in the second Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford in June but he conceded 30 runs in two overs and was promptly withdrawn from the firing line.Finn was struck for five fours and a six as William Porterfield and Aaron Redmond launched Gloucestershire’s pursuit of a target of 186 with an opening partnership of 78 in seven overs. Neil Dexter, the Middlesex captain, stemmed the flow of runs by bowling Redmond and having Hamish Marshall caught behind in the space of seven balls.Porterfield, who had hit 64 off 32 balls with three sixes and seven fours, was then unluckily run out when Franklin’s drive was deflected into the stumps at the bowler’s end but Franklin and Chris Taylor regained the initiative with a fourth wicket stand of 61 in six overs.Middlesex, beaten by Hampshire on the same club ground the day before, owed their total to Dawid Malan’s 86 off 44 balls, including six sixes and five fours, after they had made another poor start, losing David Warner and Jackson Thompson inside the first four overs.Warner, the Australia Twenty20 specialist, who has made only 188 runs in 11 innings for Middlesex, was caught and bowled by Steve Kirby for one and Thompson, an India-born left-hander who once played for Gloucestershire, was caught at extra cover off Anthony Ireland for 14.Owais Shah gave the innings some momentum, following his 80 against Hampshire with 27 off 19 balls including a six and four fours before he was brilliantly caught on the midwicket boundary by Gemaal Hussain off Richard Dawson, and then Neil Dexter joined Malan in a fourth wicket partnership of 85 in eight overs.Dexter had struck 38 off 30 balls with two sixes and two fours when he was well caught by Porterfield, leaping high in front of the sightscreen, off Kirby and Middlesex were on course for 200 until they failed to make the most of the closing overs.Tyron Henderson was caught by Marshall running in from long on off Ireland and three wickets went down in the last over with Scott and Smith running themselves out and Malan bowled when making room to hit Kirby through the offside.

Rangers have paid a loan fee of £2m to sign Aaron Ramsey from Juventus, Michael Bridge has told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

The Wales midfielder arrived at Ibrox on deadline day, becoming the Gers’ third loan signing of the January transfer window after deals for Amad Diallo (Manchester United) and James Sands (New York City FC).

Rangers say they have managed to preserve their wage structure by agreeing a favourable split with Juventus, but his salary is too large for them to entertain a permanent option (via The Athletic).

Ramsey brings vast experience of playing at the top level, having made 262 Premier League appearances and 78 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League. He has also won eight trophies in his career, including Serie A in 2019/20 and three FA Cups with Arsenal.

The latest

Sky Sports journalist Bridge has learned that Juventus are keen to see the back of Ramsey. For context, Rangers paid more than £2m to sign a central midfielder who had played just 23 minutes in continental competition – Huddersfield Town’s Juninho Bacuna – last summer.

The reporter told Give Me Sport: “My colleagues in Italy are telling me that Juventus just actually want him out of the door. So Rangers might be paying a loan fee potentially of around £2 million.”

The verdict

An outlay of £2m will feel like a very small price to pay indeed if Ramsey proves to be a difference-maker in the remaining months of the season.

Indeed, Rangers could bank a whopping £35m if they win the Premiership and earn automatic qualification to next season’s Champions League group stage, and that’s before you even consider the prize money they may receive if they can stun Borussia Dortmund and advance in the Europa League over the coming weeks.

In other news, many Gers fans were buzzing over this transfer update

Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias has now shared a major update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Sporting Lisbon star Joao Palhinha.

The Lowdown: Tottenham in mix?

The Lilywhites have been linked with a move for the Sporting midfield powerhouse since as far back as last summer with former boss Nuno Espirito Santo allegedly green-lighting a move in 2021.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Since then, reports have suggested that Tottenham remain very interested long into the Antonio Conte era, coming as the Italian eyes a plethora of new additions over a major summer rebuild.

Palhinha is also attracting Premier League interest from the likes of Manchester United and Wolves, but according to a new report, it’s Spurs who are signalling the most intent.

The Latest: Spurs set for bid…

According to Jornal de Notícias, via Sport Witness, Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici will make a bid for Palhinha ‘within the month’.

The newspaper adds that Conte personally sees Sporting’s star as the ‘ideal element’ to upgrade his Lilywhites midfield.

The Verdict: Perfect man?

Tottenham’s head coach is apparently keen to add two new midfield signings in the next transfer window and we believe Palhinha would be a more-than capable fresh face.

The 6 foot 3 midfield mountain, called a ‘sensational player’ by Islington Gazette reporter Josh Bunting, has also averaged more tackles per 90 in Portugal’s top flight than any Spurs man has in England (WhoScored).

Going by his numbers, Palhinha could add even more steel to the Spurs midfield alongside the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Oliver Skipp (when fit) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

As the summer fast approaches, we believe the Lilywhites should make an attempt at the very least.

In other news: Conte green-lights exit for ‘perfect’ Spurs player who ‘100%’ wants to quit! Find out more here.