Ricky Ponting believes Australia’s on-field behaviour is improving despite the sledging allegations against Shane Warne, but he wants the tone to rise against England. Ponting said yesterday he expected to talk to Warne, who is currently playing for Hampshire, about the events leading to Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, complaining that he had lost respect for Warne.Ponting said Warne’s antics had not been a problem during his captaincy and all the players had made a point of cleaning up their acts. “If you look back at what the team has been able to do over the last couple of years, we have really been able to change the perception,” Ponting told the Herald Sun. “Certainly in the public’s eyes but, more importantly, everyone we speak to involved in the game has been really impressed with what we have been able to do with our on-field attitudes.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, was also considering calling Warne, who was exposed for sledging Ronnie Irani last season, after Adams said he was trying to “humiliate young players”. Warne said he was responding to Matt Prior’s “chesting” of Simon Katich during last weekend’s County Championship match at Hove. “I thought cricket was a non-contact sport,” he wrote in his Times column. “I was sticking up for my mate and letting Prior know what I thought about his behaviour.”Ponting said he wanted to find out what had happened from Warne and Katich. “Then we can make better judgements,” he said.
For the third time this season KwaZulu-Natal had to be content in sharing the points with the opposition as rain washed out any chance of a result, while the Border Free State match could not be started, as the second round of the Standard Bank Cup got underway. The rain also ensured that the three teams now have virtually no chance of making the semi-finals.PointsTable ScorecardIn Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins and Northern Titans match had to be abandoned after rain interrupted the Northerns innings. Only seven overs were bowled before the rain sent the players running for cover.After winning the toss and batting first, KwaZulu-Natal had their innings interrupted three times but managed to recover from 49 for 3 in the 11th over to score a formidable 251 for 5 in the 45 overs allocated.Dale Benkenstein (62) was first invloved in an 82-run partnership with Hashim Amla (52), and then put on 75 runs with Jon Kent (57*), which allowed Lance Klusener the freedom of smashing a quick undefeated 25 off 11 balls. The Dolphins scored 72 runs in the last six overs to set a competitive target. Reon King had the best bowling figures for Northerns, taking 2 for 42 in his nine overs.Boland 208 for 5 (Davids 75*, Coetsee 3-41) beat North West207 for 6 (Henderson 108*, Jacobs 46, Carter 3-38, Albertyn 2-42) by 5wickets. ScorecardIn Paarl, Boland recorded a close 5-wicket win after restricting North West to 207 for 6.James Henderson, with wickets falling around him, batted through the North West innings to score an excellent undefeated 108. Davey Jacobs scored 46 and put on 97 runs with Henderson, adding substance to the innings. For Boland, Neil Carter took 3 for 38, while Wallace Albertyn bagged two wickets.Boland, thanks to an undefeated 75 from Henry Davids and a swing of the bat from Wesley Euley, scoring 15 runs off the penultimate over, reached the target in the last over, but after plenty of hard work. Werner Coetsee, a 20-year-old right-arm offbreak bowler, returned career best figures of 3 for 41 for North West.
In a move to rest him ahead of India’s tour to the West Indies, the national selection committee have decided to rest Sachin Tendulkar for the first three games of the upcoming five-match one-day international series against Zimbabwe.Tendulkar’s knees have been giving him trouble of late, and he has been prescribed rest and exercises. Another senior player rested for the one-day series is Javagal Srinath, who personally asked for the hiatus.Rahul Dravid makes a return to the one-day squad after missing the England series, and Tinu Yohannan has been brought in to replace Srinath in the pace bowling department.A surprise inclusion is VVS Laxman, who was dropped from the one-day team during the England series following a woeful run of form. His recent axing from the Test team for the Delhi match against Zimbabwe was another indication that the selectors were doubtful about his present form. This is perhaps an opportunity for Laxman to play himself back into form ahead of the West Indies tour, where he will be a crucial player.The one-day squad:Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, Mohammad Kaif, Ajay Ratra (wicket-keeper), Sarandeep Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Sanjay Bangar, Tinu Yohannan, Anil KumbleDinesh Mongia to lead India AThe Indian selectors also announced the India ‘A’ squad which will leave shortly on a 32-day tour of South Africa.The squad will be led by Dinesh Mongia who has also been selected of the one-day series against Zimbabwe. Abhijit Kale, who impressed in Zimbabwe’s tour opener, and the talented Mohammad Kaif also get a look-in.Baroda medium-pacer Rakesh Patel, Orissa medium-pacer Debasis Mohanty, and all-rounder Rohan Gavaskar, the son of the great Sunny Gavaskar, who did well in the current Ranji season, are the other notable inclusions in the touring party.The India ‘A’ squad:Dinesh Mongia(captain), Abhijit Kale, Y Venugopal Rao, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Jacob Martin, Gautam Gambhir, Amit Pagnis, Rohan Gavaskar, L Balaji, Rakesh Patel, Amit Bhandari, Amit Mishra, Murali Kartik, Debasis Mohanty.
Match fixing, One naming the other, Impotent administrators, Delhipolice and transcripts, Cronje disgraced, King Commission, CBI report,Five Indians suspended, Good guys chasing bad guys… Sounds like pulpfiction, the prime time soap opera or the script of a Bollywood boxoffice hit, ‘Blame it on greed’! Actually it is the cricket fan whohas been hit on the box!Wise man says, “I either want less corruption, or more chance toparticipate in it” It holds true to this mortal life on earth. TheDemocrats feel that the elections in Florida were fixed by the use ofthe butterfly ballots, and the holes being punched were draining theGore votes. This is the world we live in; A shameless world, wherecorruption has been entrenched into our psyche. Wise old Confuciussays, “I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty”This is a world bereft of values, like it or not the truth is, this isa ‘dog eat dog’ world. The winner takes it all. We have become a meanpeople. This is the land of the Buddha, Mahatma and the Pokhran. Thisis the land where hundreds get killed in communal/election violenceand bomb blasts… A land where young girls are burned to death in thename of dowry, this the land of monuments and scams. We have forgottenBofors, The Bombay bomb blasts, The Harshad Mehta and the securityscam, The lost fodder worth 900 crores in Bihar that would have fedthe helpless cattle… the list is too long. We had a government thatfixed the results of a ‘no confidence’ motion in Parliament and howdare we vilify the five cricketers who are accused of fixing theresults of cricket matches which doesn’t have a thing to do with thelives of the ordinary people of India? We have an IPS officer who wasaccused of molesting another civil servant becoming the chief of theIndian Hockey Federation. Virtue! Mark Antony talks of Brutus, “Heonly, in a general honest thought; And common good to all, made one ofthem; His life was gentle, and the elements; So mix’d in him thatNature might stand up; And say to all the world ‘This was a man!”.Gone are those days. There is a subtle effort to put all the blame onthe in(famous) five cricketers for all the sins in the Indian life.The media has pounced upon this as the vultures gorge on carcass. Whatis good for the gander is good for the goose too. If these cricketerswho were lauded by the nation till the other day (the whole nationloved Jadeja when he hit Waqar and Pakistan out of the World Cup in1996) are to be sent to the gallows, let us get the act together andsend each one of those corrupt administrators and politicians to thedungeons. These five men do not represent the ills of our society,there are bigger and dangerous demons amongst us who make our livesmiserable. If the politician has the proverbial ‘nine lives of a cat’,the cricketers seem to have one. Wise old Confucius says,”when youpoint a finger at another, there are three more fingers in the samehand that points towards the self”. The whole case has been made outon the basis of the testimonies of the bookies. How many bookies havebeen arrested? Will they be produced in a court of justice (not aswitnesses)? Or like the JMM MP’s will they be made honourableapprovers?!Cricket will be better off without the rotten apples in the basket.This story will go on for a while till we find an even worse episodespread all over the media. We could all shove the previous eventsunder the carpet and live in a ‘make believe’ world as if nothinghappened (as the cat drinks the milk with its eyes closed). Willlessons be taught and learned? I heard someone say, “If you see thelight at the end of the tunnel, certainly you missed the train”.
Everton’s transfer windows back in the 2017/18 season was arguably their worst ever, having spent almost £183m on new signings, with just two of them still playing regularly for the club – Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford.
It was a disastrous waste of money for the club, as they signed a number of players who proved to just not be good enough – including Dutch playmaker Davy Klaassen, who arrived at Goodison Park from Ajax for £24.3m.
Manager at the time Ronald Koeman was a huge fan of the midfielder, but despite being given a year to adjust to the Premier League, he failed to settle in Merseyside, and left just a year later.
“He had trouble with the aggressiveness and the tempo,” said Koeman. “You do not get time on the midfield.
“I was disappointed with Davy. What did not help him was that we did not have a striker. Romelu Lukaku left and the arrival of Olivier Giroud did not go through at the last moment.
“I really expected him to adapt more easily. That’s why I had also met him. Nobody in the club had doubts about him. Not in the Netherlands either.
“Klaassen was someone we spent a lot of money for and who could have really played a role in the midfield. In retrospect, you may have to doubt whether the step was not too big.”
Perhaps a rather more damning assessment comes from the Netherlands with one outlet claiming the attacking midfielder “almost drowned” such was his diabolical spell in Merseyside.
After making just 16 senior appearances for Everton and creating just one goal, he was sold to German club Werder Bremen for just £12.15m the following summer, earning £3.64m from a 56-week salary of £70k for his sole season in the Premier League and costing them a staggering £5.8m for every shot he took in the top-flight.
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Now, he is turning out for Ajax once again, having scored seven goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season, on top of scoring an impressive four goals for Holland in his last ten caps, as well as setting up four more.
The 29-year-old is reviving his career as he edges closer to his 30s, but after scoring five Eredivisie goals this season and being praised by manager Erik ten Hag recently for giving “the right impulse” – Everton will be wondering what went wrong, and why he is once again returning to the kind of form that tempted them into buying him in the first place.
In other news: Lampard could unearth Everton’s next Distin in unseen 17 y/o prodigy at Finch Farm
Adam Gilchrist insists there is nothing sinister to his surprise retirement and has promised to reveal all after his final Test finishes on Monday. Thoughts of walking away began on Thursday night and Gilchrist called his parents on Friday, telling them to fly to Adelaide to see his last days in whites.Gilchrist was feeling “really happy but a bit confused” after the response to his decision and he wanted to avoid the hype to keep the focus on Australia as they push for a series win. “There’s nothing sinister or anything to hide,” Gilchrist told Nine before the start of the fourth day. “There’s no reason why I’m not talking openly, but I can’t wait till the end of the game to share it then.”The demand for Gilchrist is high, but he asked his supporters to “hang with me for another day” before he discussed the decision and his career in depth. “It’s just been unbelievable,” he said. “I want to say to the cricketing public: I just can’t wait to focus on the Test and at the end I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”Gilchrist’s mother, father, sister and brother are in Adelaide and the only person that doesn’t seem to know about the call is his brother Glenn, who is camping in country Queensland. “He’s out of range, so if someone sees him please tell him,” Gilchrist said. “I want to track him down, I’d love him to be here.”Ian Healy said Gilchrist was not pushed from the team, but the choice was made because he didn’t have the energy to escape a “mini-glitch” in form. “It hasn’t forced the move, but I think it has made it very clear on what he should be doing,” Healy said. “It cleared everything in his mind. He decided ‘that’s it, I haven’t got the energy to get myself back up out of this sort of mini-glitch’.”He is not a thoughtful cricketer, he is a very natural cricketer. He is an instinctive cricketer and that that had been dulled a little bit for him.”
Sunil Gavaskar delivered a strong retort in what was the latest in his joust with Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting. In a scathing reaction, Gavaskar said a “hot-head guy” might actually whack the Australian cricketers if they dared replicate their on-field behaviour in a bar.Last week Gavaskar called Australia’s on-field behaviour “awful” in a column for magazine. Ponting felt it was “high and mighty” of Gavaskar to complain, considering “the way India have played their cricket over the last few years”.”Some day, some other hot-head guy might actually get down and you know whack somebody who abuses him,” Gavaskar said on . He cited the example of the former Australia cricketer David Hookes, who had been fatally beaten up outside a bar. “There’s the example of the late David Hookes. Would the Australians who use that kind of language on the field, and not all of them do, in a bar and would they get away with it? Would they have a fist coming at their face or not?”He also defended his decision to attempt a walk-off at the MCG in protest against an lbw decision in 1981, an incident Ponting alluded to. “The reason the walk off took place was simply because I was abused by the Australians,” Gavaskar said. “Let me also come back to what he [Ponting] said about the way I played my cricket and I do not know what he’s looking at.”When he talks about the Indian team not having won matches, we are not talking about winning matches here, we are talking about behavior on the field,” he said. He drew a comparison between the Australian and West Indian sides of the 1970s and ’80s.”The West Indians were popular winners, there was an affection about the West Indians players in spite of the fact that they were beating you in three days,” he said. “They [West Indies] did not abuse the opponents. They did not have anything to say to the opponents. When they were dominating world cricket the West Indians did not resort to personal abuse on the field, they just played the game hard, they were very tough competitors but there was nothing untoward in their behaviour towards their opponents.”West Indian players always had a smile on their face when they came in at the end of day’s play to talk with you and to commiserate when you lost, you could see that there was no arrogance there. Cricket lovers all over the world wanted the West Indies teams to get back on their feet and start winning again.”
If not for early-morning rain and dimming light, today would have been the last day of this topsy-turvy Test, but there could well be a final twist to what promises to be a tantalising finish. West Indies’ cruise, made possible by a 148-run opening stand, was abruptly halted by an inspirational spell from Shane Bond, who blasted out four wickets and put New Zealand on the verge of a memorable victory. West Indies needed 45 more, New Zealand required two wickets, and the smattering of spectators at Eden Park will need another set of nails to chew on the fifth day.Bond’s was a scintillating display of fast bowling. Bowling extended spells with accurate pace, Bond broke the back of the West Indian chase with a four-wicket burst after Chris Gayle and Daren Ganga had laid the perfect platfrom with dominant half-centuries. However, with 70 runs to get and three wickets in hand, Denesh Ramdin and Ian Bradshaw defied New Zealand, after Bond had been taken off, during a 25-run partnership. Three balls before the light was offered, Ramdin played one of the most reckless sweeps to deep square leg to give New Zealand their eighth wicket and a sniff at victory.None of this appeared possible in the first two hours of play, when Gayle and Ganga confidently motored towards the target, causing Stephen Fleming to despair. With none of his strike bowlers providing the breakthrough, Fleming brought on Nathan Astle, a move that eventually proved to be a masterstroke. Astle induced Gayle to edge to slip with his second ball, and in the 15 minutes that followed, the game turned.Bond forced Ramnaresh Sarwan to retire hurt after cracking him on the back of the helmet and, for the second time in the match, dismissed Brian Lara with his first ball. That was just the appetiser, though, as he, rejuvenated after the break, blew away the middle order. He prised out Dwayne Smith, Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo in successive overs, with the first two caught at slip and the third trapped in front with one that seared into his pads.He was well supported after tea by Daniel Vettori, who bowled over the wicket and strangled the run-flow by bowling into the rough outside leg stump. His frugality induced Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had earlier slogged a four over midwicket, to hole out to short midwicket while trying to ease the mounting pressure. While Bond and Vettori kept up the pressure, Astle returned to complete his pair of openers’ scalps by dismissing Ganga with the second ball after drinks.
New Zealand might have wrapped it up if not for large chunks of sloppiness on the field. Gayle was dropped on 59 at silly point by Fleming, and Ganga was caught at gully when Martin overstepped. Both openers made New Zealand pay dearly. Gayle forced Franklin out of the attack and after starting cautiously against Vettori, used brute force to cut and drive him on the off side. He even lost the ball when he carted the first of his two sixes over wide long-on. Only Bond managed to trouble him, hurrying him for pace but Gayle still belted the wide ball through covers.Ganga’s was a more composed innings. He left anything too close to cut but pounced when offered width. He had a stroke of luck at the start when an inside edge missed his stumps but thereafter was fluent as he milked the off side for 80% of his runs. Even during Bond’s fierce spell after tea, Ganga wasn’t flustered and waited patiently to put the lose ball away.In spite of their hard work, the middle order threw it all away. And Ramdin will rue his mindless swipe all the more because, a few overs earlier, he had skied a pull to Martin who had dropped a dolly at midwicket. Bradshaw is no bunny with the bat, as his heroics in the 2004 Champions Trophy final testified, but he will need a lot of help from his tail-end partners if West Indies are to engineer another twist.
Chris Gayle c Fleming b Astle 82 (148 for 1) Brian Lara b Bond 0 (157 for 2) Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Fulton b Vettori 15 (182 for 3) Dwayne Smith c Fleming b Bond 5 (216 for 5)Ramnaresh Sarwan c Styris b Bond 4 (218 for 6)Dwayne Bravo lbw Bond (221 for 7)
Adam Gilchrist ruined New Zealand for the second time in two Tests with a brilliant, brutal 162 and Australia’s bowlers were almost as cruel as they bullied a wilting top order. The start was delayed by rain, adding to the washed out opening day, but the scoring pace of Gilchrist and Damien Martyn in a record 256-run partnership gave them oodles of time to wrap up the series.Wet weather or a Laxmanesque double-century are really the only things that can save New Zealand from slipping to a 2-0 deficit after they hopped to 122 for 4 at stumps on day three. Gilchrist was again to blame. At Christchurch he swung the game away from the Kiwis with Simon Katich, and today he grabbed it powerfully alongside Martyn’s beautiful strokeplay, allowing Ricky Ponting to declare at a mountainous 570 for 8.The total was swiftly set up in the hour before lunch with a mind-blowing display of power hitting as Gilchrist blasted 51 from 35 deliveries and New Zealand haemorrhaged 90 runs. After the break he slowed a touch as the field spread, adding 66 from 62, but the upshot was his 15th Test century at a strike-rate of 111 with five sixes and 22 fours. The barely believable has become weekly.Gilchrist’s punishment overshadowed an exhibition from Martyn, who stayed true to his graceful nature and celebrated a career-high 165. Together they stripped their opponents in a record sixth-wicket partnership against New Zealand in 182 minutes. It was mean, explosive and sustained. Martyn went to Iain O’Brien at 503 and Gilchrist bunted back to James Franklin at 557, but Ponting extended the torture until Shane Warne slapped his fifty. He is not a captain fond of donations.Stephen Fleming’s dire series continued when he offered no shot to Glenn McGrath and was lbw in the opening over. An already exhausted side, needing 420 to avoid the follow-on in a four-day match, enjoyed the aggressive fields but not the attack. Short balls were ordered as Hamish Marshall was pushed to the back foot, and Craig Cumming’s pull shot again led to his removal. Michael Clarke then popped up to upend Nathan Astle as stumps neared.A day that ended in dark conditions began in similar light. The umpires saw the rain and fog and expected no play until after lunch so Gilchrist went swimming with his son. When the clouds cleared quickly an 11.30am resumption was decided and calls to mobiles rustled up the players. Gilchrist made it to the ground in time to rush on his gear and walk out to the middle for the 60-minute session.Adjusting quickly from the paddling, Gilchrist lined up Chris Martin once he raised his half-century. A clipped four through point was followed by a hooked six and a back-foot boundary through cover: three balls, 14 runs. Martin seemed in more trouble when he dropped short and Gilchrist aimed a cut. There was relief when Hamish Marshall intercepted it and further frustration when it bumped out as he hit theground.
Franklin was next for punishment – three fours in one over – as Gilchrist closed on his century before lunch. He was slightly delayed and waited until the first over after the break with a late cut off Daniel Vettori. He moved from 50 to 100 in 29 balls; it was bludgeoning and breathtaking. Next ball he pierced the wicketkeeper and first slip with an edge, straining New Zealand necks.Vettori, who bowled 47 overs for two wickets, masters most Australia batsmen, but not their wicketkeeper. Gilchrist’s third six of the innings was belted high, long and straight. The next, two balls later, bashed into a blue fence over mid-on shortly before lunch. The fifth, again off Vettori, took him to 143. When Gilchrist fell to Franklin his summer of runs in four Tests against New Zealand included 126 at Brisbane, 50 at Adelaide, 121 at Christchurch and 162 today. Imagine if Australia had second innings.While Gilchrist paraded his muscles, Martyn eased boundaries as he woke up in the same form that earned him 106 on day two. Calm in all conditions, he kept to himself and coolly increased his score despite the distraction of his partner. Martyn’s 150 came from 250 balls, with 23 fours, and his intensity soon dropped. Unfortunately his highest Test effort will be overlooked by everyone but the purists. Martyn sparkled while Gilchrist crashed and New Zealand cracked.How They Were Out Australia Martyn c McCullum b O’Brien 165 (503 for 6) His best Test score ended with a push and a nick to a ball that moved away.Gilchrist c&b Franklin 162 (557 for 7) Popped a return catch in a meek end to a mammoth innings.Gillespie b Franklin 162 (559 for 8) Bowled slogging to leg.New Zealand Fleming lbw McGrath 0 (9 for 1) Padded up to one coming back in the first over, Rudi Koertzen thought it would hit off.Marshall c Gillespie b McGrath 18 (55 for 2) Attacked with short bowling, he hooked to fine leg and Gillespie ran out of the shadows to take a lunging, low catch.Cumming b Kasprowicz 37 (78 for 3) Aimed a pull towards midwicket that didn’t bounce as much as he expected and dragged an under-edge on to the stumps.Astle c Warne b Clarke 9 (108 for 4) Clarke came on in the gloom to replace Gillespie and Astle drove hard to Warne, who snapped the sharp offering at first slip.
A medley of both traditional and modern carols will be resounding in The Rose Bowl’s glass-roofed Atrium on Sunday, 14th December when the Concert Party of Hedge End’s New Music Makers will be entertaining visitors, staff and players at Hampshire Cricket’s Christmas Carol Concert.The choir, accompanied by pianist Di Heathorn, will be singing around The Rose Bowl’s 15ft Christmas tree from 1pm until 4pm during which coffee and mince pies will be available.For those wishing to enjoy some traditional fare before the 25th December, a one, two or three course Christmas Carvery will also be served in the first-floor Long Room overlooking the main cricket ground. Table reservations can be made on 023 8047 1525."The Rose Bowl is one of the most exciting new entertainment venues in the South and our spectacular glass Atrium provides a wonderful backdrop for the Christmas choir and carols," said Alexis Tusler, who is organising the event. "We anticipate a fantastic atmosphere for the Carol Concert which we hope will become a firm favourite in the pre-Christmas festivities each year."Further information on the Carol Concert is available on 023 8047 2009.