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A two-paced hundred from Moeen Ali and a blistering half-century from Gareth Andrew enabled Worcestershire to register their first Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season by 178 runs against Glamorgan at New Road

22-Aug-2010
ScorecardA two-paced hundred from Moeen Ali and a blistering half-century from Gareth Andrew enabled Worcestershire to register their first Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season by 178 runs against Glamorgan at New Road. After seven consecutive defeats, Worcestershire finally broke their duck by piling up 296 for 5 and then dismissing the under-strength Welsh team for118.In a remarkable change of tempo, Moeen made 46 in an opening stand of 105 in 22 overs with Vikram Solanki, but then hammered 75 out of 106 in 11.1 overs with Alexei Kervezee. The left-hander’s second 50 came off only 19 balls and there was more stick to come for Glamorgan when Andrew reached an unbeaten 66 from 22 balls. The former Somerset allrounder hit 24 off the final over, including two sixes and two fours, leaving the unfortunate Chris Ashling with figures of none for 80.Worcestershire’s much-improved performance suggested they benefited from a practice session in the middle on Saturday. Although the exercise was curtailed by rain, the top-order batsmen were challenged to replicate different match situations. When it came to the real thing, Moeen seemed to be out of touch, playing and missing regularly before driving his first boundary off the 22nd ball he faced.However, once one shot had gone off the middle of the bat the runs flowed, although it was Solanki who set the quicker pace with five fours and a six in his 51 until he drove Dean Cosker to Tom Maynard at long off. That was the signal for Moeen to crack on with one of the best innings on the ground this season. His hundred arrived from 94 balls and when he hoistedanother catch to Maynard at long on, he had made 121 from 105 deliveries.The wicket went to Nick James, the former Warwickshire spin bowler’s first in the 40-over league this season, and two balls later he had another when Shakib Al Hasan gave the easiest of return chances. Kervezee then went for 37, caught at long on off Cosker, but Andrew waded into the bowling with six fours and five sixes as Worcestershire added 75 off the last five overs.In contrast Glamorgan lost half their side before they had as many runs on the board. Mark Cosgrove was caught at slip in Matt Mason’s eight-over spell of 3 for 38 and acting captain Mark Wallace was top scorer with 29 before falling to Shakib, who picked up 4 for 32.

Newcastle United have been dealt a major blow in their efforts to sign Atalanta beast Robin Gosens…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Magpies are on the verge of missing out on a deal for the versatile gem as the Germany international closes in on a move to another Serie A club.

He tweeted: “Inter are now in advanced talks with Atalanta for Robin Gosens. Negotiations progressing in order to complete the agreement immediately. Inter are leading the race over Newcastle to sign Gosens – while Stefano Sensi leaves the club to join Sampdoria on loan.”

This comes after he reported earlier in the day: “Inter are interested in German fullback Robin Gosens. Deal complicated as Atalanta are not intentioned to sell Gosens in January – Newcastle opening proposal was turned down days ago. Newcastle have still Gosens in their list, Inter will try. Depends on Atalanta now.”

Fuming

Newcastle fans will surely be fuming with this news, as it comes as a second blow of the day in their attempts to bolster their defence, which shows that they are not doing enough to land their key targets.

Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has claimed that the club are set to walk away from their interest in Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlosdue to difficult negotiations with the Spanish club.

He tweeted: “#nufc ready to walk away from Diego Carlos deal. It’s thought original price quoted was €30m but Sevilla changed (

) numerous times. Tough on player who’s desperate to sign. Newcastle now actively looking elsewhere. They have money, won’t be taken advantage of.”

This means that Gosens is set to be the second defender that Newcastle miss out on this week, albeit one of those being forced due to Sevilla’s flip-flopping on their valuation of Carlos. In this latest case, though, Inter appear to have made a better offer than the Magpies, given that Newcastle’s initial bid was turned down, and the Serie A champions are now set to win the race for the German’s signature.

Supporters will be gutted that Gosens is not coming to Newcastle, as he has shown his quality in the Serie A for Atalanta over the last 18 months. He has 12 goals and six assists in that league since the start of last season, despite being restricted to six appearances this term. This shows that he could have come in at St James’ Park and made a big impact in the final third, scoring and setting up goals.

The Toon Army will also be frustrated as the bad news appears to be piling up, with Carlos and Gosens the latest players who appear to be either staying at their current clubs or moving elsewhere. With less than a week to go in the transfer window, they may be starting to worry where any new signings will come from.

AND in other news, Luke Edwards “told” frustrating Newcastle transfer update, Howe surely livid…

The BCCI’s disciplinary committee considering the case against suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi has adjourned its proceedings to September 26

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2010The BCCI’s disciplinary committee that is considering the case against suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi has adjourned its proceedings to September 26, after today’s hearing could not be completed in time.The BCCI has produced four witnesses on its behalf: IPL chief executive Sundar Raman, and three members of IMG, Peter Griffiths, John Loffhagen, and Paul Manning. One of Modi’s lawyers requested more time to cross examine Griffiths, the BCCI said in a statement.The hearings were originally scheduled to begin on September 13h, but were postponed for two days because Modi appealed to the Bombay High Court to remove board vice president Arun Jaitley and interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin from the committee, saying they were biased against him. The High Court dismissed Modi’s petition earlier today. It is the second time Modi has petitioned the court to intervene in the BCCI’s proceedings against him, both times unsuccessfully.The next hearing will be held at 3.00 pm at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, with two more on September 27 and 28, as originally scheduled. If necessary, an additional session will be held on September 29 at 4.00 pm in Mumbai.”It is made clear that the recording of the cross-examination of Mr Peter Griffiths, Mr John Loffhagen, Mr Paul Manning and Mr Sundar Raman would be endeavoured to be concluded during this time,” the board said.

After winning just one out of their seven previous Championship games, West Brom pulled the plug on Valerien Ismael’s tenure in charge of the Baggies after just seven months and swiftly appointed former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce as their new manager.

With the Midlands club currently sixth in the table with 45 points on the board and 17 league games remaining, the 61-year-old has a big challenge on his hands to get the Baggies back into the Premier League next season.

Moving forward, with a new crop of players at his disposal at The Hawthorns, here’s what we feel Bruce’s West Brom starting XI could look like.

Taking into account how the former Newcastle boss was rather flexible in terms of what formations he used at St James’ Park, he may stick with the same mindset for this season, chopping and changing things at West Brom.

In goal, despite being out of the picture in the past few weeks, it seems likely that Bruce will put Sam Johnstone back in the team to see if he can help stop the Baggies from conceding as many goals as they have been recently.

Presuming Bruce goes with a standard 4-4-2 formation at some point during his tenure as West Brom manager, we think the new Baggies boss will go with a centre-back pairing of Kyle Bartley and Cedric Kipre, with Conor Townsend keeping his place at left-back and Darnell Furlong on the right-hand side.

For the two central midfield positions, it seems likely that Bruce will preserve the pairing of club captain Jake Livermore and summer signing Alex Mowatt. On the left-hand side, the oft-shuffled Adam Reach could finally get some consistency under his belt this season in terms of his position ahead of Townsend in a more attacking role.

On the right, with the experience of 196 appearances as a West Brom player, Bruce could look to Matt Phillips as a regular figure in his side who can lead by example on the pitch ahead of Grady Diangana. The 23-year-old, who is currently picking up £25k-per-week, scored just two goals under Ismael’s guidance this season, so he could be a victim of the managerial change at The Hawthorns.

For the two centre-forward positions, with Karlan Grant being West Brom’s top scorer this season with 10 goals, it seems likely that he will be seen as a main attacking threat for the team alongside January recruit Andy Carroll, who Bruce will know well having worked with him at Newcastle.

In other news: Bruce can become an instant fan favourite by unleashing WBA’s rarely-seen “star”

Doug Bollinger is never shy of giving out a few words to the batsmen, but he plans to offer Kevin Pietersen the silent treatment when the Ashes series gets underway next month

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2010Doug Bollinger is never shy of giving out a few words to the batsmen, but he plans to offer Kevin Pietersen the silent treatment when the Ashes gets underway next month. Bollinger is confident that he is on track to recover from his stomach injury in time for the first Test in Brisbane on November 25 after returning early from the tour of India.If Bollinger regains fitness he is likely to slot straight back into the team having taken 49 wickets at 23.79 in 11 Tests, but he has no plans to chirp at Pietersen even though the batsman has been going through an extended form slump and has scored an international hundred since March 2009.”I don’t think I will say much to Kevin Pietersen because I think that’s what he likes,” Bollinger told . “I think I might put him off his game by not saying anything and let his ego get him out.”However, the rest of England’s batting line-up won’t escape some words of advice from Bollinger should he be ready to share the new-ball. “I tend to say a lot of things when I get angry and get a bit upset and a bit hot and flustered, but we’re playing for the Ashes,” he said.”It’s a massive thing. It’s something I’ve always wanted to be part of my whole life and I’m sure it is for everyone else. So if one of the guys gets into a contest I’m going to be right behind them as a team should be.”Bollinger’s participation in the first Test has been put in doubt after he suffered a stomach strain during the first Test against India last month and he is still two weeks away from a return. He will miss the one-day series against Sri Lanka and has just one Sheffield Shield match to prepare himself for Brisbane, but insists he will be ready to regain his place. “I’m 100 percent, I feel really good, I’m getting back into everything, so I’m going to be fine come November 25.”

Liverpool are interested in signing Benfica and Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Nunez impressing in Portugal

The 22-year-old has been making a name for himself in Portugal in recent times, having joined Benfica from Almeria in 2020.

Nunez has scored an incredible 18 goals in just 17 Primeira Liga starts so far this season, and his manager Jorge Jesus has even tipped him to be the ‘best in the world’ one day.

Liverpool have recently signed Luis Diaz from a top Portuguese club in Porto and it could be that Nunez is next on the list.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on move for Nunez

That’s according to Football Insider, who claimed that a Reds source has confirmed the club’s interest in the Uruguayan.

Liverpool are thought to be ‘closely monitoring’ Nunez’s current situation, with his current deal at Benfica not expiring until the summer of 2025.

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The Verdict: Long-term regular?

Nunez looks like a hugely exciting prospect, and while Liverpool are incredibly well-stocked in attacking areas, it is vital to plan for the future.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all in and around 30 years of age and won’t go on forever, and with Diaz and Dioga Jota as younger alternatives, it could be that Nunez is seen as the final piece in the jigsaw in terms of the Reds’ next great front three.

His record this season speaks for itself and he could come in as more of a squad player to begin with, potentially even joining as a replacement for someone like Firmino, should the Brazilian move on suddenly.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to join another Premier League club. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United will try and sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins this summer, according to insiders Claret and Hugh.

The Lowdown: Watkins under Gerrard

Watkins has been a regular under Steven Gerrard since he took over in November, missing just one Premier League game during that time.

He has netted six times under Gerrard, mainly turning out as a centre-forward after starting on the left wing in Gerrard’s first fixture in charge against Brighton.

The forward has been Villa’s best-rated forward this season, as per WhoScored, and it looks as if his displays have now caught the eye elsewhere.

The Latest: West Ham insider shares interest

Claret and Hugh shared a story regarding David Moyes’ interest in Watkins on Friday morning. They revealed that the West Ham boss is seriously tracking the Villa star, who is thought to be his number one target.

Villa are not interested in selling the England international ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge, however, a West Ham insider told the site ‘that won’t stop us trying’.

The Verdict: Villa in control

Watkins isn’t the first Villa player who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this year. The Hammers were name-checked with an interest in Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi, so Watkins is actually the third in 2022.

However, the forward is under contract until 2025, so Villa will be under no pressure to sell over the coming months. The club are also willing to make the 26-year-old one of their top earners with a fresh deal, so even though West Ham will try and lure Watkins to London, Villa chiefs appear to be in total control of the situation at this moment in time.

In other news: Source: Villa now open to selling 2022 star this summer despite Gerrard being a big fan. 

Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, has vowed to clean the game of corruption and also reiterated the governing body’s commitment to sustaining Test cricket

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore06-Oct-2010Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, has vowed to clean the game of corruption and also reiterated the governing body’s commitment to sustaining Test cricket.Pawar was speaking at the ICC Awards in Bangalore, at a time when the game is still mired in the spot-fixing scandal which broke in late August during Pakistan’s tour of England. Three leading Pakistan cricketers – captain Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – were provisionally suspended by the ICC and will have their appeals heard at the end of this month in Qatar.”Cricket is going through a difficult time, but we will sort it out,” Pawar said, warning that anyone found guilty of corruption would not be spared. “Whoever it is, however towering a figure in world cricket, we will not compromise.”Pawar also addressed fears regarding the priority of Test cricket in the face of increased popularity of the Twenty20 format. Three West Indian cricketers who are sought-after Twenty20 players – captain Chris Gayle and allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard – turned down central contracts and New Zealand Cricket carved out a window in its calendar to accommodate the lucrative IPL.”We will never let Test cricket die,” Pawar said, a day after a VVS Laxman led India to a heart-stopping one-wicket victory over Australia in Mohali. “We will consult senior members of the cricket world, and come up with suggestions.”One suggestion the ICC came up with was to have a Test league running over four years ,with the top four teams taking part in a play-off event to determine the champions. There have also been proposals to stage day-night Tests to draw larger crowds, but the concept has been held up because of problems with the colour and type of ball to be used.Virender Sehwag, the Test Player of the Year, also stated his preference for the five-day format over the limited-overs versions of the game at the awards ceremony.

Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic is a major injury doubt for the Hoops’ crucial Scottish Premiership clash with Rangers next month, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Huge clash looms

Ange Postecoglou’s side have taken control of the title race in recent weeks, with their 2-1 victory at Ibrox arguably the most significant result of the season to date.

It means Celtic have a six-point lead over their rivals at the top of the table, and with only five matches remaining, they are hot favourites to regain their league crown.

There is still a massive meeting between the pair at Parkhead on May 1st which could swing things back Rangers’ way however, and an injury update has emerged ahead of that game.

The Latest: Celtic receive injury blow

According to Football Scotland, Juranovic is a ‘major doubt’ for the match, having been forced off with an injury against Rangers in last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat.

Taking to Twitter, journalist and writer of the article, Mark Hendry, described it as a ‘big blow’:

“A big blow for Celtic as Juranovic has been excellent this season.”

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The Verdict: Potential big loss

This is a potentially significant setback for Celtic ahead of a game that could yet have such a huge bearing on who walks away Scottish champions this season.

Juranovic has been a model of consistency for the Hoops this season, making 20 appearances in the league and also scoring twice in three Europa League appearances.

His experience will be a loss if he is unavailable for the Rangers game but the hope is that Postecoglou’s men still have enough to get over the finish line, with even a defeat still putting them in pole position if they win their other games.

In other news, a pundit has made a key Celtic injury claim. Read more here.

Darren Sammy, currently leading the West Indies in their Test series against Sri Lanka, has been appointed captain of the squad for the limited-overs leg of the tour

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2010Darren Sammy, currently leading the West Indies in their Test series against Sri Lanka, has been appointed captain of the squad for the limited-overs leg of the tour. The 15-member contingent sees the return of Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh and Devon Smith to the one-day side, and also includes uncapped batsman Kirk Edwards. The selectors have not appointed a vice-captain.Ramnaresh Sarwan has been ignored for what is West Indies’ last ODI engagement before the World Cup, after having not been selected for the Tests as well.Edwards, Kieron Pollard, Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul will replace Brendan Nash, Devon Thomas, Nelon Pascal and Shane Shillingford, who are currently in Sri Lanka for the Tests. Fast bowler Andre Russell, who made his debut in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle and is yet to play an ODI, has also been included.While Baugh’s return as first-choice wicketkeeper in place of Denesh Ramdin now extends to the one-day sphere, Smith – the top-order batsman who last played an ODI for West Indies in September 2009 – has also made a comeback. The selectors have also included Barath, who made his one-day debut against Zimbabwe in March before being ignored for the South Africa series.Courtney Browne, the West Indies selector on tour said that this was an important series for them ahead of the upcoming World Cup in the sub-continent. “These are the last ODIs before the World Cup, so we expect the players to make the most of the opportunities.”Edwards, the Barbados batsman, was part of the West Indies A side that played Pakistan A on their just-concluded Caribbean tour.West Indies play five ODIs and one Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. The series begins on December 9 with the first one-dayer at Hambantota.West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Devon Smith