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Queensland assistant coach Terry Oliver was today named to take on the XXXX Bulls coaching job in place of Bennett King.

Queensland Cricket10-Apr-2002Queensland assistant coach Terry Oliver was today named to take on theXXXX Bulls coaching job in place of Bennett King.Oliver, 39, has been the Bulls assistant coach for the past two seasonsand will assume the head-coaching role following King’s elevation to theCommonwealth Bank Cricket Academy after guiding the Bulls to three PuraCup trophies in a row.Queensland Cricket Chairman Damien Mullins announced the appointment ofOliver today to a one-year deal with a one-year option at a mediaconference at Queensland Cricket Headquarters.The announcement came after the Queensland Cricket Board met last nightto finalise the appointment following a recommendation from a boardsub-committee comprising Mullins, Allan Border and Gary Madsen.Oliver, a Level III coach, has progressed through the Queensland Cricketcoaching ranks since joining the organization eight years ago.He coached Australian Country in 2000 after being the Queensland Countrycoach for the past three seasons, winning back-to-back national titlesin 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and finishing as runners-up in 1997-98.Originally from Mackay, he played for Australian Country in 1990-91against Sri Lanka and 1993-94 against the West Indies and representedQueensland Country for five years, scoring more than 800 runs.He played first grade cricket with the Gold Coast in 1991-92.Oliver has been a Regional Cricket Manager with Queensland Cricket andwas also the State Co-ordinator for Special Programs. He coached theAustralia Post Queensland Under-17 team this season.He has coached in Sri Lanka where he worked with the national team andjoined Bennett King on an exchange to the West Indies last year where helectured at the West Indies Cricket Academy as part of its inauguralintake of scholars.Oliver said he was “over the moon” at his appointment.”Obviously I’m delighted to have the opportunity to coach the Bulls,”he said. “I’m grateful that I have had the chance to work with Bennettand the team for the past two seasons and I’m looking forward to thechallenges ahead.”Oliver said one of his first priorities was to meet with the Queenslandselectors to discuss who would take over from Stuart Law as captain andthe make-up of the contracted player list for 2002-2003.”As a group we have undergone some rapid changes of late but the systemand the processes that have been built up by John Buchanan and Bennetthere will stand us in good stead to prepare for the season ahead.””The Bulls’ ethos that has grown up here within the team means we arepretty well equipped to cope with the challenges we face in thefuture,” he said.Oliver said one of his primary goals for his coaching term followedsimilar lines to that emphasised by Buchanan and King during the pasteight years.”I want to continue to develop Queensland players into Australianplayers, and at the same time produce more first class players forQueensland.””I would like us to train hard and play positive cricket. As a coach Iwant to be in a position to provide individual players with theassistance and guidance to make them better cricketers,” he said.Oliver will commence duties immediately, with off-season squad trainingand specialised coaching programs for individual Bulls players scheduledto begin from next month.

In what could be a huge statement of intent going into next season, Manchester United are set to prioritise a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho over Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane this summer.

What’s the story?

According to The Mirror, United are planning to sacrifice any chance they had of securing Kane’s signature over the coming months as they concentrate on a deal for Sancho instead.

The report claims that Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side can only afford one marquee signing in the upcoming transfer window due to the financial impact of the ongoing pandemic, meaning big decisions have had to be made by the club’s hierarchy.

Fans will be buzzing

Although in an ideal world, United fans would surely have loved to see both stars arrive at Old Trafford this summer, in reality, the vast majority will accept the fact that the funds simply aren’t available for that to happen.

Sancho has been a long-term target for the Red Devils, with a lengthy pursuit 12 months ago ending in disappointment as Ed Woodward baulked at the Bundesliga outfit’s £108 million asking price.

However, it is widely believed that the 21-year-old is available for a significantly reduced fee of just £75m this time around after Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc came to an agreement with the England international.

“We already had a gentlemen’s agreement with Jadon last year that he can switch under certain conditions,’ Zorc told German publication ARD (via Goal).

“He’s been with us for a couple of years. However, this agreement does not exist with Erling [Haaland].”

After a slow start to the 2020/21 campaign, Sancho rediscovered his best form at the Signal Iduna Park, bagging 16 goals and providing an incredible 20 assists in 38 appearances for BVB.

Therefore, news that he is United’s priority in the transfer window will surely have United fans buzzing, even if his potential arrive comes at the expense of Kane.

The Spurs hitman had another sensational season in north London, picking up the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Playmaker awards after topping the charts for both goals and assists.

After another trophyless campaign with Tottenham, though, rumours of an imminent exit have gathered pace in recent weeks, but a £150m price tag means his proposed departure is far from certain.

At double the price of Sancho and six years his senior, it’s easy to see why Kane is a less attractive option for United despite his world-class quality, and it seems as though the 20-time English champions are making the sensible, logical decision on this occasion, and that’s reason for United fans to get excited.

And, in other news…Romano update could signal mass change at Man Utd, £19.8m-rated ace needs to watch out 

Mike Ashley has long wanted to get out of Newcastle United and with every potential buyer coming from outside of the region, Barry Fry is surprised nobody from the North East has tried to buy the club.

The closes that people linked to the region have come to buying out Ashley was with the latest takeover backed by PIF as the Reuben Brothers were set to have a 10% stake in the club and despite residing out of the area, they own several properties as well as the racecourse in Newcastle.

After The Times revealed that their wealth had increased by £5 billion in the last 12 months despite there being a global pandemic, people questioned why they won’t buy Newcastle United by themselves.

It would be a great day for Newcastle fans if the Reuben Brothers or anyone bought out Ashley and Fry admits he is surprised nobody closer to the club has tried to take it off the current owner’s hands as he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“It’s been up for sale two or three years now and nobody has touched it. So what I can’t understand, because the Geordies are so passionate and committed about their club, I just can’t understand if they’ve got wealth in their city, so to speak, why somebody doesn’t buy the club.

“The fanbase is amazing and if you’re a businessman, then the fans will buy shirts, even when they’re skint, they will buy everything because they just live for Newcastle. So I am very surprised that the wealthy people in and around the North East haven’t come in and tried to buy it off Mike.”

Steve Bruce and the fans will be hoping a takeover goes through sooner rather than later because the club will not be able to keep out of the relegation zone if they only have £10 million to spend every season, something Bruce will have to deal with this year.

Having just £10 million to spend may have put a stop to Bruce’s plans to sign Joe Willock from Arsenal on a permanent basis with the Gunners looking for a bid minimum of £20 million.

With Wolves currently searching for a new manager, their minds are likely to be away from the player recruitment.

However, with a deal for Bruno Lage reaching a conclusion, they can begin to think about his first signings.

What’s the word?

Wolves will need to sell in order to spend big this summer but one player they could target under Lage is Barcelona’s Carles Alena.

The Spaniard spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Getafe but it doesn’t look as though Barca are too keen on keeping him at the club.

RAC1 (via Inside Futbol) claim that Wolves are one of a number of options for Alena in the upcoming transfer window.

They reveal that Valencia, Granada and Getafe have all put forward proposals to sign him this summer.

Transfermarkt currently rate the midfielder at just £13.5m so a deal for the player nicknamed Maradona could come cheap.

Better than Vitinha?

Wolves will have plenty to ponder in the coming weeks and they will need to decide whether they want to sign Vitinha on a permanent basis.

The youngster has been playing for Portugal during the U21 European Championships and could join the Molineux outfit due to an option to buy clause.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-guedes-toney-shaqiri-neves” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer news!”]

He spent the season on loan with the Old Gold and caught the eye towards the end of the campaign.

Though, despite his immense potential, he didn’t actually earn many minutes. Vitinha started just a handful of matches in the Premier League and only scored one goal in all competitions.

His energy and ability to beat a man was captivating but Alena could be a better option for Wolves this summer.

The midfielder can play in an array of positions but it’s just behind the striker where the 23-year-old has looked most comfortable throughout his career.

Possessing the ability to score and create goals, he’s attempted to craft himself in a similar way to the likes of Deco and Andres Iniesta.

Speaking previously, Alena said: “Rivaldo was my idol when I was little. Then there was Deco, who played in my position. Now I look a lot at Andres Iniesta, just like I did with Xavi before. That’s the type of profile that interests me, in order to learn and translate that on the field of play.”

Composed in possession of the football, the Barcelona midfielder has similar qualities to Vitinha but crucially, has more experience. His numbers also look far more impressive for a number 10.

He produced 1.4 shots and 1.1 key passes per game this season compared to the 0.4 shots and 0.6 key passes per match registered by Vitinha.

There is untapped potential in both players but Alena has already proven himself at an elite club and in a top-five league. The Wolves loanee, however, is still a relatively unknown quantity.

AND in other news, Wolves must eye summer swoop for “exceptional” 19 G/A magician…

Hampshire v Sussex – Southampton The two highest-placed promoted sides meet in a confrontation that could prove key to their end-of-season placings, in particular for Sussex, whose points average rather than points total puts them in seventh, not

Ed Green02-Jul-2002Hampshire v Sussex – Southampton
The two highest-placed promoted sides meet in a confrontation that could prove key to their end-of-season placings, in particular for Sussex, whose points average rather than points total puts them in seventh, not fifth. Each team has won just a single game, but neither is easy to beat.Their stars so far have been John Crawley and Chris Adams, who made little impression on his return from injury but has three tonnes to date from just four appearances, while Crawley has run up over six hundred runs in five games, Robin Smith has been performing better this summer than for some time – something that will please all cricket fans not in the way of his hard hitting at the time. For Sussex, 20-year-old Anglo-South African Matthew Prior, one of the many keeper-batsmen to be prospering at present and opener Richard Montgomerie are in the runs as well.With the ball Sussex looked less threatening without the presence of James Kirtley, although Mark Robinson deputised ably and effectively against his native county last week, while for Hants Allan Mullally, omitted from the national one-day squad, feels he has a point to prove and is making up for a slow start.The new Southampton ground may be less central than the old, but its amphitheatre provides a splendid place to watch cricket, and the members’ facilities are excellent. A particular bonus for games such as this between neighbouring counties is that there is also ample parking.Kent v Warwickshire – Maidstone
Both of these sides were victorious against title hopefuls last week, Warwickshire completing their first win of the year as they humbled Somerset, thanks to some solid batting and a fine all round display by Shaun Pollock.The captaincy did David Fulton a power of good as he hit his first ton of the season to set up a win against Lancashire at their Liverpool ground. There was also a return to form for Mark Ealham who, along with the ever-faithful Martin Saggers and Amjad Khan, did the business with the ball. Both of these sides have under-performed with the bat compared to last summer, but each has begun to get into its stride now, as have the bowling attacks. Like Pollock at Warwickshire, Andy Symonds has made important contributions, though he didn’t suffer Pollock’s indifferent start to the season.Dominic Ostler made the winning contribution, scoring 175 and bringing up his 10,000 career runs in the win against Somerset, a performance in which he was ably assisted by the youthful Troughton and Bell. Warwickshire’s bowlers have shared the wickets around with four men in the teens, but no one past the twenty mark as yet.Maidstone has produced some high scoring draws in recent years, apart from a low-scoring shoot-out between these two counties in 1999, which Kent won.Leicestershire v Lancashire – Leicester
Leicestershire’s round off saw the two sides most likely to catch them in second place lose games in hand and slip down the table. Meanwhile their experienced bowlers were able to put their feet up and get ready for this game against their close rivals near the top of the championship for half a dozen years. The vintage pair of DeFreitas and Malcolm are ably backed up by surprise package Darren Maddy, whose medium pacers have accounted for 19 wickets so far this summer.Bevan, Stevens and another veteran, Vince Wells, lead the home side’s batting with stats for the season that may trouble their guests, whose humble record with the bat has been at the root of their difficulties in the championship.Lancashire sank close to the drop zone last game, and even their normally productive bowlers were unable to prevent their opponents then from piling on the runs (due in part to dropped catches). Of their senior players only Martin and Chapple are producing the goods, and their batsmen need to stand up and be counted. Lancashire’s spin department has been below par too, with wickets coming both slowly and expensively.Somerset v Surrey – Taunton
Somerset lost their unbeaten record in the last round to a determined Warwickshire side, and if they are to revive their challenge to the championship leaders they must avoid a repeat. It saw Somerset slip into the relegation zone, just one place above the despairing Tykes, and a squad of their ability should be looking to escape in quick order.The loss of Trescothick and Caddick to international duty (Caddick also being injured at present) is now nearly a season-long problem, and should run machine Jamie Cox’s absence continue it will be a further blow.The good news for the Cidermen is that their guests are seriously weakened, with Stewart, Thorpe and Tudor with the England one day squad and Butcher and Bicknell injured. The bad news is that Surrey’s weakened side is undefeated since 1998. Ormond and Giddins will open the bowling and the leaders’ inspirational captain Adam Hollioake has now returned from compassionate leave and makes his championship debut this season on the back of several fine one-day performances. Although Butcher, Thorpe and Stewart all produced centuries in the recent Test series, none is among the county’s five centurions in this competition.For the lovers of spectacle in the game (as the fans of Ian Botham and Viv Richards’ old county certainly are) this contest abounds with big hitters, Johnson, Blackwell and Dutch square up against Brown, Hollioake and Shahid. Both teams also possess a mixed attack, although the seamers have so far dominated this season for both. Salisbury and Saqlain’s class may turn out to be the deciding factor here. Though they have had little bowling this summer their wickets come cheaply and regularly. Since Salisbury arrived at the Oval he has enjoyed happy hunting against Somerset – his best bowling for an innings and a match, as well as his top score, were against them.Last year’s Oval meeting between these sides saw Surrey begin the saving of their season, and with one win from six Somerset will wish to return the favour now. The leaders will want to show their supporters that their conservative approach at The Oval during the rain-affected draw in June doesn’t mean they don’t believe they can beat the hosts.

P   W  L  D  Bat Bowl  Deduct PointsSurrey                    6   4  0  2  19   18   0.25   92.75Leicestershire            7   3  2  2  24   19   1.00   86.00Hampshire                 7   1  1  5  21   20   0.00   73.00Kent                      6   3  2  1  14   16   0.50   69.50Sussex                    7   1  2  4  21   20   0.00   69.00Lancashire                6   2  2  2  12   17   0.00   61.00Warwickshire              6   2  2  2  13   16   0.00   61.00Somerset                  6   1  1  4  14   17   0.00   59.00Yorkshire                 7   0  5  2  13   21   0.50   41.50

Barry Fry insists that Everton appointing Rafael Benitez would be a disastrous PR move, amid reports that Nuno Santo is the favourite to take the reins at Goodison Park.

The Toffees are still on the lookout for a replacement to Carlo Ancelotti, who left the club to move to Real Madrid.

Various managers have been linked with the club but reports last week suggested that there was interest in appointing Benitez.

The Spaniard is available after leaving Dalian Professional in China and has not managed in England since 2019, when he departed Newcastle United.

Of course, Benitez is best known in England for his spell at Liverpool, spending six years at Anfield, winning both the FA Cup and the Champions League.

And Fry, the Peterborough United Director of Football, claims that a deal to appoint the ex-Reds boss would not go down well with supporters.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “All the Evertonian fans hate Liverpool, any connection at all they hate.

“To fetch him back, wow, that wouldn’t be a good move PR-wise but then again, he’s supposed to be a good manager.”

Everton ultimately finished 10th in the Premier League under Ancelotti and need to find a new boss to line up with their ambitions of European football.

Sri Lanka’s wretched NatWest tournament ended with a comprehensive 63-run defeat by India at Bristol

Stephen Lamb11-Jul-2002Sri Lanka’s wretched NatWest tournament ended with a comprehensive 63-run defeat by India at Bristol. Although they briefly looked capable of challenging India’s massive total of 304, a middle-order collapse ensured victory for Saturday’s finalists. Sachin Tendulkar, whose magnificent 113 set up India’s winning total, was made Man of the Match.Sri Lanka could hardly have made a worse start to the chase as Jayasuriya, immediately after carving Khan to the third man boundary, was plumb lbw to the same bowler. But an array of boundaries from Atapattu and Sangakkara ensured such a rapid scoring rate that Sri Lanka’s first 50 came off 35 balls. Yohannan’s first over went for 14 runs as he was hit for six into the Jessop Stand and backward of point for four by Sangakkara, who proceeded to his fifty off 32 balls with another fierce boundary.Harbhajan made the vital breakthrough in his first over as Sangakkara, trying to hit him over extra cover, was stumped by Dravid. He had put on 85 with Atapattu from 73 balls. Almost inevitably the tempo slowed, although at the halfway stage of their innings, Sri Lanka were more than halfway to India’s total. However their hopes suffered a severe setback when Jayawardene reverse-swept Yuvraj straight to Nehra at short third man. Worse was to follow when Atapattu, seeking a sharp single, was thrown out by Yuvraj shortly after reaching his half century. Zoysa, promoted as pinch-hitter, hoisted Ganguly for six over mid-wicket before perishing next ball, caught by Mongia at long-on.Arnold joined the melancholy procession, run out by Kaif at cover as he backed up too far. As the required run rate mounted, Samaraweera lost his off stump trying to dab Harbhajan to third man. Chandana was caught at deep mid-wicket by Nehra, also off Harbhajan. Although Silva managed a flurry of boundaries, including two in a row off Sehwag, he too fell victim to Harbhajan, stumped by Dravid. It ended with a run out as Fernando, sent back by Vaas as he called for a second, fell well short of his ground. India’s win returns them to the top of the tournament league table.Their 304 was built around Tendulkar, although Sehwag opened with his usual flamboyance, taking 12 off the over from Vaas. Ganguly was run out looking for a second run after Sehwag had clipped Vaas to fine leg. It didn’t affect the scoring rate as Sehwag continued to make the most of the fielding restrictions. However he too was run out, backing up too far after a defensive push by Mongia.Rapturously received as ever, Tendulkar did not disappoint his admirers. Boundaries were unfurled through mid-off, extra cover, backward point and mid-wicket, all off the hapless Zoysa. India’s 100 came up off just 94 balls. He went to his 50 off just 36 balls, with a pushed single off Jayawardene that was followed by two blistering drives to the cover boundary. He lost Mongia for 48 with the score on 172, bowled off his pads by Samaraweera. After providing steady support, Dravid was lbw, hitting across the line at Chandana.Samaraweera dismissed Yuvraj in similar fashion, but when the same bowler had the temerity to appeal for lbw against Tendulkar, his next ball was deposited amongst the flag-waving Indian crowd on the Hammond roof. When Tendulkar reached his century (off 93 balls) with a single off Vaas he was greeted with ecstatic applause.Kaif picked up the mood with two boundaries in an over off Fernando, through long-on and backward point. Tendulkar finally perished for 113 (102 balls, one six, 12 fours) having a massive swing at Vaas for Chandana to hold the catch at third man. Harbhajan was run out without facing a ball, Khan was bowled first ball by Fernando, and Kaif ended another promising innings by hitting Zoysa down Silva’s throat at deep square leg. But despite the flurry of wickets, India’s total of over 300 was a daunting one, and so it proved in the fullness of time.

Steve Waugh’s career with the Kent Spitfires took off in style at Canterbury, as Leicestershire Foxes’ 168, which looked competitive when Kent were 52 for four, was passed with two balls to spare

Stephen Lamb21-Aug-2002Steve Waugh’s career with the Kent Spitfires took off in style at Canterbury, as Leicestershire Foxes’ 168, which looked competitive when Kent were 52 for four, was passed with two balls to spare. Waugh kept the Spitfires’ title hopes alive with an unbeaten 59 towards a five-wicket win in the last over, which takes them into undisputed third place behind the leaders, Worcestershire Royals, and Glamorgan Dragons. Waugh added 72 for the sixth wicket with Paul Nixon (33*) to secure the victory. Martin Saggers was Kent’s top bowler, with three for 22 off his nine overs, while Min Patel (two for 34), Mark Ealham and Matthew Fleming all gave good support. Neil Burns (35) was the top scorer in an off-colour performance by the Foxes.In Division Two, Surrey Lions kept a grip on their promotion hopes with a 70-run win over Hampshire Hawks. Adam Hollioake was hunter-in-chief under a moonlit night at the AMP Oval, with 32 and five for 43 as the Hawks were unable to clear the lower plains of the division. The Lions’ healthy 262 was built around Ian Ward (38), Ali Brown (49), Mark Ramprakash (50) and Scott Newman (37). Dimitri Mascarenhas (four for 45) and Neil Johnson (three for 42) were the main wicket-takers for the Hawks, whose reply never got much above ground level after Tim Murtagh bowled Johnson for 44. Mushtaq Ahmed was particularly predatory for the Lions, with one for 19 off nine overs as the Hawks were picked off like sitting ducks.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Rekeem Harper looks set to depart The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Express & Star, who claim that the 21-year-old is on the brink of joining Ipswich Town after passing a medical with Paul Cook’s side in the last few days.

It is reported that the deal will cost the League One team up to £1m if all clauses are met, with the baseline figure believed to be £500k.

The Express & Star also reveal that the Tractor Boys had originally contacted West Brom regarding the possibility of loaning Harper ahead of next season, before being informed by the Championship club that a permanent deal could be done.

Grave error

Having been a highly-rated part of the West Brom youth setup and first-team for the best part of a decade, the news that Harper looks set to move onto pastures new this summer could well be something of a cause for concern among Baggies fans.

In his breakthrough campaign with the club back in 2018/19, the £2.25m-rated midfielder went on to make 16 Championship appearances, over which he scored one goal, provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, earning a seasonal SofaScore rating of 6.60.

These performances saw the former England U19 international linked with a move to the likes of Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur, however, £8k-per-week youngster eventually committed his future to the Baggies, signing a three-year deal with the club in the summer of 2019.

Over the last two seasons, however, game time has become more limited for the midfielder, with the 21-year-old making just ten Championship appearances in the club’s 2019/20 campaign and a mere two appearances in the Premier League last term.

However, despite this lack of minutes – something that has undoubtedly stifled his development as a footballer – the decision to offload the player whom Slaven Bilic claimed has “no limits” in the game looks to be something of a backwards step for West Brom. With a little more trust placed in him, it would very much appear as if Harper has the talent and ability to become a real star for the club.

In other news: West Brom handed boost over “top-class” manager target that should have fans buzzing

Tickets are still available for tomorrow’s Durham v Lashings World XI game at the Riverside

Durham CCC Media Release06-Aug-2002Tickets are still available for tomorrow’s Durham v Lashings World XI game at the Riverside.Durham takes on a Lashings side featuring some of the greatest names in cricket including Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams, Sir Viv Richards and Shoaib Akthar. The Durham side will include the winner of the Pro for a Day competition, Alastair Gibson from Morpeth.Off the pitch, the Universal KidZone is open throughout the game. The KidZone is free for children and includes bouncy castles, face painting, bats ‘n’ stumps game and catching and throwing coaching. The Family Stand and Family Picnic area make the ideal family day out.Tickets for the game cost £12 for adults and £5 for U18s. Tickets can bebought from Gate 2 from 11.00am. The match starts at 1.00pm until 7.10pm