Hyderabad coasted to a comfortable innings and 46 run victory beforelunch on the fourth day of their Ranji Trophy South Zone league matchagainst Kerala. Seamer NP Singh did most of the damage, mopping up5/39 in the visiting team’s second innings to finish with a match haulof 9/109. The win lifted Hyderabad to second place in the zonal pointstable, with 11 from two games, while Kerala remained at five points,also from two games.At the NFC Ground in Hyderabad, Kerala resumed on the fourth morningat 210/4, still needing 114 to make the hosts bat again. In the day’sthird over Kerala suffered a major setback when Kanwaljit Singhcastled Sunil Oasis for 43. B Ramprakash (26) and skipper KNAnanthapadmanabhan (24) led a brief fightback, adding 45 for the sixthwicket. But that was to be the extent of their resistance. Kerala losttheir last five wickets for 18 runs, being bowled out for 278 in the86th over. All rounder Parth Satwalkar ended the match, trapping TinuYohannan leg before to return figures of 3/64.
Leeds United could have as many as four returning players available for their upcoming Premier League clash against Southampton, according to journalist Adam Pope.
The Lowdown: Leeds face another crucial game
The Whites are in the middle of a two-week hiatus because of the international break, having not played since the dramatic 3-2 win away to Wolves on 18 March.
Next up for Jesse Marsch’s side is the visit of Southampton to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon as the home side look to pull further clear of the relegation mire.
It has been an injury-plagued season for Leeds, but a hugely positive update has emerged in that regard.
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The Latest: Four players set to return
Taking to Twitter, Pope claimed that up to four Leeds players who had been affected by injury in recent weeks and months could all be set to return for Saturday’s clash.
He revealed: “Illan Meslier (bruising) is expected to be ready to face Southampton. Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper & Diego Llorente all set to feature too.”
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The Verdict: Massive boost for Whites
To have those four players in contention to start is a huge boost for Leeds, especially after the negative news surrounding Patrick Bamford’s latest setback.
Meslier’s return between the sticks should bring more calm to the defence, especially if club captain Cooper is also named in Marsch’s starting line-up at Elland Road next weekend, potentially alongside Llorente.
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Meanwhile, Phillips could make his first Leeds appearance since December, which would be the biggest positive of all, given his status as one of the best players in the country.
At a time when the Whites are still looking for strong results to ensure their Premier League status for next season, the prospective returns of several key figures ahead of the run-in will come as a huge fillip for Marsch and the Elland Road faithful.
In other news, Leeds could reportedly sign one player on loan this summer. Find out who it is here.
A fitness test is all that stands between Brian Lara and the opening Carib Beer Series contest against Guyana at the Queen’s Park Oval on Friday.Lara was named in the 14-man Trinidad and Tobago squad that will take on the Guyanese, pending a fitness test tomorrow concerning his shoulder injury. Once a decision has been made on his fitness, the squad will be trimmed to 13 players for the Guyana match.T&T will be led by allrounder Rayad Emrit in the absence of Daren Ganga, who is currently on tour with West Indies in South Africa.Noticeably absent from the T&T squad is veteran fast bowler Mervyn Dillon, but T&T Cricket Board chairman Dudnath Ramkessoon stressed yesterday that this does not mean the big pacer is out of the series. “We have Ravi Rampaul there, we have [Richard] Kelly there,” Ramkessoon told the . “There’s [only] so many players you can pick. It’s just for this game, because after the first game [against Guyana] we’ll pick for the second one [against Barbados].”Adrian Barath, the talented young opener, returns from an elbow injury to boost the T&T team. Coach Kelvin Williams will be buoyed by Barath’s robust 106 from a total of 266 for 6 for South against North in their limited-overs fixture, on Sunday. Atiba Alert, a fast bowler, is the only new face in the T&T squad.Richard Kelly returns to the fold after being excluded from the KFC Cup squad in October. Kelly was in sparkling form for North in the Pizza Hut Gerry Gomez North/South Classic, last weekend, his ten-wicket match haul earning him the accolades of Man of the Match, Best Bowler and North MVP.
Canterbury made a decent reply to Central District’s first-innings 460, ending the second day on 208 for 2 at the Basin Reserve. . Michael Papps, the opener with international experience, hit 86 to go past 700 runs for the State Championship season. Shanan Stewart, who put on 99 with Papps after Todd Astle (41) was dismissed, was unbeaten at stumps on 56 with Andrew Ellis (17 not out) for company. Earlier, CD added 85 to their overnight score, with Tim Weston hitting an unbeaten 87.Mayu Pasupati proved his allround worth with two wickets on State Championship debut as Auckland kept Otago down to 130 for 4 by stumps on day two at Dunedin’s University Oval. Pasupati’s 76 had yesterday helped Auckland recover from 129 for 8 to 226, and handed the ball, he removed Aaron Redmond early and top-scorer Neil Broom (49) to finish with 2 for 23 from ten overs. Shaun Haig, the opener, hit 38 from 35 deliveries.In the eight overs of play on day two, Northern Districts needed just 16 deliveries to get the last two Wellington batsman out but lost opener BJ Watling to finish on eight for one at the Basin Reserve. ND added 13 to their overnight score to reach 314, and Dewayne Bowden then dismissed Watling to keep some momentum going.
Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Sean Williams is targeting a victory over Group D rivals England as the key to his side’s progress to the Super League at the U-19 World Cup.The group, that also includes Associate sides Ireland and Nepal, appears to be the most wide-open of the four in the tournament that starts in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday. And Williams, who has already played four ODIs at senior level, believes a victory over the group favourites, who they face on 10 February, could go a long way to ensuring the African side reach the knock-out stage.”England are my main target – I really want to beat England,” he said on Monday. “I think if we beat England then we are close to the Super League and I would say if we can beat them then we can beat almost anybody. I know and believe we can beat them.”This tournament comes less than a month after Zimbabwe Cricket withdrew from Test matches for one year following a period of poor results and internal strife that has rocked the game in that country. The situation has prompted speculation about the future of cricket in Zimbabwe and so Williams acknowledged a solid performance from his team was vital to show that future is bright.”The U-19 team we have got has a lot of fight in it and the incentive for us is huge,” he said. “People do not expect a lot from Zimbabwe but at the last U-19 World Cup (in Bangladesh in 2004) we proved a lot and we’ve come to prove a lot again. In an individual way it is important for each and every (Zimbabwe) player that has come across to be seen by the rest of the world,” he added.The importance of the team being in Sri Lanka and also proving the vitality of the game at this development level was echoed by team manager Dilip Chouhan. “We know all eyes are focussed on us in the cricketing fraternity because of what has happened at home,” he said.”As a result we believe we are playing an important role as far as the future of Zimbabwe cricket is concerned.”Coach Walter Chawaguta said he had encouraged his players not to think about the internal problems that have affected cricket in Zimbabwe in the build-up to this tournament. “From day one we’ve said this is U-19 cricket,” he said. “A lot of them are schoolboys so not a lot of them have been affected. They may be worried about their futures but we have made it very clear they should only worry about things that are in their control – that has been our focus. Our future lies in the development of the game and our U-14, U-15 and U-16 sides right up to U-19 level are well developed. If we can be competitive at these levels then it means there is light at the end of the tunnel.”Zimbabwe lost all five of its matches in November’s Afro-Asian U-19 Cup in India but Williams said part of the blame for those losses was down to some players being unavailable because of schooling commitments. He said since that tournament the players had been in a training camp interrupted only by a break for the Christmas holidays in December ahead of the trip to Sri Lanka.Chawaguta added they knew little about their opening Group D opponents Ireland but said that was not a major concern. “Our focus is on making sure we play well on any particular day,” he said. “If we do that then we will put the opposition under pressure.”Zimbabwe face Ireland on Sunday on the opening day of the ICC U-19 CWC before further matches against Nepal (February 7) and England (February 10) complete their group stage.The top two sides from each of the four groups in the tournament will progress to the Super League stage, which consists of knock-out quarter- and semi-finals and a final on 19 February.Zimbabwe squad Sean Williams (capt), Gary Balance, Ronald Benade, Justice Chomunorwa (also known as Cham or Chamu Chibhabha), Graeme Cremer, Ryan Higgins, Friday Kasteni, Tarisai Mahlunge, Prince Masvaure, Keagan Meth, Taurai Muzarabani, Ian Nicolson, Donald (also known as Kuda) Samunderu and Glen Querl.
Stuart MacGill is considering swapping SCG turners for the Gabba’s bounce in a change of scenery to end his first-class career. MacGill, who will play for New South Wales against Queensland in the Pura Cup final at Brisbane tomorrow, revealed his thinking yesterday in a surprise move before the big game.”It’s definitely been an option … it was a very serious consideration for me in a very similar way to Michael Bevan moving to Tasmania,” MacGill told the Courier-Mail. “You have to try and find ways to spice up your career to make sure you are still motivated and there are new challenges always popping up.”MacGill, 34, has talked to his wife Rachel Friend, the actor, about the move and he said the Queensland players were taken back by the idea. “NSW have been very good to me – I would never have played for Australia unless I moved to NSW – but I think that as a sportsman you constantly evolve,” he said. “All of the factors that attracted me to Queensland are still very real.”That surprised Brad Haddin, New South Wales’s captain. “He said in the article it was an option last year [to move] and we’ve got him this year so it was a surprise to read it,” he said. “I think it’s been beat up a bit too much.”The bouncy wicket, which has won him 11 Test wickets, coastal lifestyle and climate remind MacGill of Perth and he said he would also enjoy working with the players. Queensland’s spinning options are very limited after Nathan Hauritz, who beat MacGill for a spot on the India tour, was dropped from the Pura Cup side earlier in the season. Hauritz has been linked to the Blues and any off-season move could involve a straight swap.
Andy Blignaut, the Zimbabwean allrounder, has got his hunger back and is now looking to feast on Australia’s batting order. He went into a self-imposed 14-month exile from cricket until a year ago after a furious spat with Zimbabwe’s cricketing authorities.With the dispute firmly consigned to history, Blignaut is now relishing the prospect of Zimbabwe’s first Test against Australia in Australia. “I had a bit of a problem with some of the admin people, and people around me and I was not then really focussed on the game at that point, so I thought it was better just to step back for a while,” he explained on Friday.”That is well behind me now, and I am itching to bowl at the Australian batsmen,” he said after a training session with team-mates ahead of next month’s two Test series. “I have recaptured the hunger.”Blignaut has already made a promising comeback after his stay away from the game, showing good touch as an allrounder in the World Cup and in a Test series in England earlier this year.”I think that Australian pitches could be quite good for my type of bowling,” he said. “Australian pitches are bouncier, and I certainly like that. But bowling really goes to basics. You have to keep the ball in the right area and give yourself the best chance. The Australian top order is very strong, but if you get the ball on the spot it takes the ball to move only about two inches (5cm) and your luck can be in.”Blignaut will open the bowling with Heath Streak. “Obviously, if we cannot perform well, there will be a lot more pressure on the guys who have to back us up,” he said. “It is up to us to do the job. It is a privilege to play with a guy of Heath’s calibre. I especially like to play against the Australians. It’s a great challenge, and it gets the adrenaline going.”Bruce Reid, Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, has been impressing on his charges theimportance of length on Australian pitches. “He has emphasised the importance of getting the batsmen to play as much as possible,” said Blignaut. “He has taught us a lot — we just have to keep it in the head and carry it out on the field.”
Dion Nash’s appeal against his three-game suspension has been denied by New Zealand Cricket’s national commissioner Nick Davidson.Nash will be banned from playing until January 3.Davidson said in his decision that Nash had been cautioned during play on the day previous to the incident in the State Championship Auckland-Otago game in Dunedin.Another warning was given to players on the morning of December 20.”The breaches followed such warning and involved two quite distinct acts,” Davidson commented.”The first was to employ some expression of ‘disappointment’, abusive in some way of the batsman. Whether the expression ‘f… off’ was then directed to the Umpire or batsman is uncertain.”For the player to tell an Umpire to ‘f… off’ would draw a very heavy penalty, well beyond the penalty imposed in this instance.”I have no reason to disbelieve Mr [Dave] Quested [umpire] but he made the very fair concession that the remark may have been directed at the batsman, which saves the player from a heavier penalty.”But this further remark when told that he would be reported, namely, ‘I don’t give a f…’ was contemptuous and dismissive of an experienced Umpire, simply doing his job. It was a complete refutation of his responsibilities as a senior player,” Davidson said.”He followed this up by speaking abusively to [Lee] Germon, accusing him of ‘cheating’ in a crude way. Any suggestion that such remarks directed at an opposition player are legitimate is rejected out of hand,” he said.Davidson said cricket continued to be sullied by overt breaches of the Code of Conduct.”All players throughout New Zealand have been advised that compliance with the Laws and the Code is expected, and respect for opponents, umpires and the game’s values are fundamental,” he said.Players had been made aware that precedents in rulings in earlier seasons would have little bearing on penalties for Code breaches this year.”In this case there were two distinct and serious breaches, involving abuse of another player, and a contemptuous attitude and response to an Umpire. They followed a warning,” Davidson said.”While the Association Commissioner’s Decision is at first sight firm, it cannot be described as severe or excessive and on close analysis I have concluded that it is entirely reasonable and would have been increased, were it not for Mr Quested’s very fair concession on appeal.”Dion Nash can count himself fortunate in that regard.”The directive from New Zealand Cricket is quite clear. A strong stand must be taken against conduct of this kind. The Association Commissioner’s decision reflects that,” he said.In finishing his finding, Davidson drew a line in the sand that will be applied for disciplinary matters in future.”Cricket involves strong contest, often between individual players.”Emotion and disappointment are normal responses. They are to be distinguished from personal abuse, dissent and contempt for umpires,” he said.
Karnataka completed an emphatic eight wicket win over Delhi in theRanji Trophy Super League Group A match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadiumat Bangalore on Thursday. Karnataka finished their fixtures with 19points and are placed second to Mumbai in this group. Mumbai withoutright victories in all their four games, ended with 32points. Karnataka being the reigning champions, have qualified for theknock-out stage of the national competition, along with Mumbai.Resuming at 182 for seven, Delhi were all out for 191 in 63.3overs. Venkatesh Prasad mopped up the tail and ended with figures offive for 36 giving him match figures of 11 for 96.Set to score 175 for victory, Karnataka were home in 40 overs. Theywere given a heady start with openers J Arun Kumar (32 runs of 47balls) and Mithun Beerala (101 not out of 122 balls) putting on 66runs in 14.3 overs. Roland Barrington was out for five in the 22ndover. But from 98 for 2, Vijay Bharadwaj (28 runs of 61 balls) helpedBeerala in an unbeaten third wicket stand worth 77 runs in 18 overs tosee Karnataka through.
Celtic put themselves in a good place heading into the latest international break as Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops side convincingly beat Ross County 4-0 in their previous SPFL match.
However, the Hoops were dealt a blow after midfielder Tom Rogic was forced off with an injury issue after 33 minutes, making way for Matt O’Riley.
Speaking after the emphatic win, Celtic manager, Postecoglou, said that the midfielder took a blow to his ankle but they don’t think it’s a serious problem.
However, a fresh development has now emerged which could have the Hoops boss sweating.
What’s the latest?
A recent report from the Daily Record has revealed that the 29-year-old has now dropped out of the Australia squad as a result of the ankle issue he picked up over the weekend.
This suggests that the problem may be more than just a knock if the Australian management don’t feel that it would be worthwhile having the player in the squad for the next week or so, which won’t be pleasing for Postecoglou to hear.
Postecoglou sweating
Since arriving at the Parkhead club back in the 2013 January transfer window from Central Coast Mariners, the midfielder has gone on to make 264 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, scoring 45 goals and providing 49 assists along the way.
With Celtic set to take on Rangers once the current break comes to an end in what will undoubtedly be a crucial game for both sides in terms of the title race, it’s safe to say that the 56-year-old Hoops boss will very much be hoping that Rogic will be fit enough to play a part in this pivotal game against their rivals.
Having scored five goals and provided six assists in the 25 league games he’s appeared in during this current campaign, this would be a clear reason why his club manager would want him on the pitch.
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He is an important figure on most days, let alone against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as he could provide a real attacking threat from midfield which may well be the difference in Celtic coming away with all three points, a result that be a massive boost for their title hopes.
Moving forward, it seems as though the club will have to have their fingers crossed that Rogic can use this free period he has on his hands to get back to full fitness and ready to complete the remainder of Celtic’s title charge.
In other news: £5.9m wasted: “Unbelievable” £18k-p/w flop has been draining Celtic dry for 83 weeks – opinion