All posts by h716a5.icu

India’s feted openers exited too early, and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home

The Report by Nitin Sundar08-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli’s authoritative 77 set up India’s chase•Getty ImagesIndia’s feted openers did not cause significant damage and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home. Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77 set the agenda, but India began to falter when he had cramps around the mid-point of the innings. His exit, run out while attempting a hopeless single, left India’s lower order 53 tricky runs to get. Ashwin and Jadeja did the rest, braving the Lasith Malinga threat and the epidemic of nerves that had blighted the middle order.For some reason Sri Lanka did not go hard enough at India after Kohli’s fall. Malinga, who yorked the stumps with a slingshot throw from mid-on to catch a diving Kohli short in the 36th over, had four overs left. Mahela Jayawardene brought his trump card on quickly, but didn’t provide him with the attacking fields the situation demanded. Malinga was off after two quick overs that were handled well, and by the time he returned for the 45th over, India needed only 17 more. It was too late – Ashwin and Jadeja had played themselves in, and ticked the runs away with composure.Smart stats

Sachin Tendulkar went past 3000 runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs. He is the only player to pass that mark against two teams (Australia and Sri Lanka). His century tally of nine and eight against these two teams is also the highest for a batsman against a particular opposition.

Virat Kohli’s half-century is his 19th in ODIs to go with eight centuries. He now has 2968 runs in 76 matches at an average of 47.11. It is also his sixth half-century against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s score of 233 equalled their highest total in Perth. The previous one was in a defeat against Australia in 2006. The target chased by India is the fifth highest they have achieved in ODIs in Australia.

The 234-run target is also the joint fifth-highest chased by any team in Perth. Three of those have come against Australia.

R Ashwin picked up three wickets in an innings for the seventh time, and for the first time against Sri Lanka. The 3 for 32 is also his third-best performance and second three-wicket haul outside India.

The 53-run stand between Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is the sixth fifty-plus stand for the seventh wicket for India against Sri Lanka. It is also the second half-century stand against Sri Lanka for the pair, after their 51-run partnership in Harare in 2010.

Dinesh Chandimal’s half-century is his first against India and fourth overall in ODIs. He also has two centuries in 23 matches at an average of 37.63.

The only moment of indiscretion came when India needed one to win. Ashwin tried to loft Angelo Mathews down the ground and hit it straight up in the air. Three men converged, and mid-off, who should have taken it easily, backed off following some miscommunication, as India scrambled through for the win. The fielder at mid-off was Malinga.The batting effort capped Ashwin’s best day on tour, when he reduced his pace, tossed the ball up, and extracted a lot more spin than is the norm in Perth. He came into the attack at an ideal moment, soon after Zaheer Khan had dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in the 17th over with an away seamer. That was Zaheer’s second moment of excellence against a left-hand batsman, after he took just 10 balls in his opening spell to work over Upul Tharanga. Thereafter, Ashwin suffocated Sri Lanka’s momentum in partnership with Zaheer. Between them, they reaped combined returns of 20-2-76-5. That included 14 of the 20 Powerplay overs, which yielded 4 for 42.Tillakaratne Dilshan fought through Zaheer’s opening burst, and was primed to take off after beavering to 48, but gifted his wicket away. Dinesh Chandimal took charge, walking across his stumps to clip Praveen fine, steering with soft hands into the covers and setting himself up early for swings to the leg side. He had added 52 in 11.2 overs with Jayawardene, at which point Ashwin began to wield his influence.The carom ball was scarcely used, as Ashwin focused on loop, drift and traditional turn to good effect. He first induced Jayawardene to top-edge a sweep to fine leg in the batting Powerplay. He then dented hopes of a quick recovery by weaving a sharp offbreak past Thisara Perera, before dismissing Chandimal in the 44th over. That put paid to Sri Lanka’s prospects of a flying finish, though Mathews slogged hard and ran harder to provide some late succour.Sri Lanka’s all-seam attack, in contrast to their opponents earlier in the day, attempted to use pace and bounce to unsettle India. Virender Sehwag perished attempting his patent upper cut, which did not carry beyond third man. Sachin Tendulkar’s fans enjoyed 48 runs of sublime batting, before he once again succumbed without completing the most eagerly anticipated century in cricket history. Until he played on to Mathews, attempting a cheeky dab to third man, Tendulkar lined up a bunch of pleasing shots, with head stationary and feet moving well. A firm front-foot push off Malinga was as good as any stroke played through the day, until Kohli began to dazzle.Kohli imperiously flicked his second ball through square leg for four. The extra pace on the pitch seemed to play into Kohli’s hands, as he pranced into position early to play attacking shots on either side of the pitch. His control was epitomised by the ease with which he pulled a pacy Dhammika Prasad bumper through square leg. Rohit Sharma’s lethargic movements at the other end were only accentuated by Kohli’s quick feet and hands.India were coasting when Rohit played a loose cut to be caught at point. Suresh Raina kept the flag aflutter with a couple of pleasing cover drives, but the threat of the short ball was imminently around the corner. With Kohli cramping, Raina took it upon himself to go for the boundaries, and holed out while trying to pull Mathews. MS Dhoni too returned without making a dent, late on a pull that spiralled to mid-on. When Kohli ran himself out, India had lost three big wickets for 24 in 3.5 overs. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, that was the last time Malinga hit the stumps.

A round-up of the action from the first match-day of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2011Centuries from Stafanie Taylor and Juliana Nero helped West Indies Women thrash Ireland Women by 213 runs at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan Ground in Savar. West Indies scored 276 for 4 in their 50 overs and then bowled Ireland out for just 63 in a one-sided match. Ireland chose to field but had to wait till the 38th over to make a breakthrough. By then Taylor and Nero had put together a 204-run opening partnership. Nero was run out for 100 and Taylor went on to get 107 before she was dismissed in the 47th over. Ireland’s bowlers were wayward and gave away 23 runs in wides. Elena Tice, the 13-year-old legspinner who recently became the second-youngest player to play international cricket, found the going tough and went for 36 in her four overs.The chase was always going to be difficult but Ireland surrendered without a fight. Shakera Selman struck with the second ball of the innings and then Pearl Etienne picked up three wickets to leave Ireland 20 for 4. Wickets kept tumbling and Ireland were bowled out in 30.1 overs. The highest partnership in their innings was 16, while the top score was Kim Garth’s 24. Only one other batsman reached double figures.

Sunette Loubser’s five-wicket haul helped South Africa Women win a close, low-scoring game against Sri Lanka Women at the Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah. South Africa were bowled out for just 114 in 37 overs and Sri Lanka looked on course to win at 52 for 2 but Loubser ran through the middle order and tail and Sri Lanka fell seven runs short of the target.Sri Lanka put South Africa in to bat and reduced them to 6 for 2. Shandre Fritz battled and strung together a few decent partnerships. Fritz scored 61 but the last five wickets fell for 16 runs and South Africa were left with a small total to defend. Suwini de Alwis and Sherina Ravikumar took four wickets each for Sri Lanka.Yasoda Mendis scored 20 and helped Sri Lanka start their chase steadily but wickets began to fell when Loubser came into the attack. Sandamali Dolawatte tried to hold the innings together and scored 28 not out, but Loubser’s strikes left Sri Lanka 83 for 9 in the 29th over. Sri Lanka did not give up though: Dolawatte and No. 11 Ravikumar were involved in a remarkable partnership that lasted 19.3 overs but yielded just 25 runs. It looked as if it might take Sri Lanka home, but with six needed off 10 balls to draw level, Ravikumar was dismissed by Chloe Tryon, who finished with figures of 8.2-3-6-1.

Pakistan Women were bowled out for 197 against Bangladesh Women but it was more than enough for a 73-run win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Bangladesh had struggled with the bat against Sri Lanka in the two games they played just before the start of the qualifiers, and the trend continued. All of their top four batsmen got starts but none went past 19. Offspinner Nida Dar rocked the chase with four wickets and Bangladesh were bowled out for 124 in 42.2 overs. Throughout the chase Bangladesh struggled to keep up with the required-rate of just under four runs an over.Pakistan had reached 197 thanks to Bismah Maroof’s 79 off 106 balls. After they had struggled early, Maroof put together a 78-run partnership with Javeria Khan. Maroof carried on after Javeria was dismissed and only fell off the fourth ball of the final over. Bangladesh got wickets of all three balls of the final over – there was a run-out of the last ball – but Pakistan had already reached a total big enough for a victory.Bangladesh’s coach Mamatha Maben said the hosts had been a bit sloppy in their first game of the tournament. “We let too many extras go today which helped Pakistan in creating their total and we missed out on some chances to have them on the back foot, whether it be missed catches or poor fielding,” she said. “There is no excuse for our poor batting, especially from the middle order who perhaps came in earlier than they had expected but did not bed in as they should have.”Pakistan’s captain Sana Mir said there was room for improvement from her team, particularly in the fielding and batting departments. “Some of our batters, including myself, made some poor shot-selections today which led to us getting out,” she said.Netherlands Women thumped Zimbabwe Women at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan Ground in Savar, chasing down a target of 146 in just 25.2 overs. Zimbabwe had chosen to bat but crawled in their innings. Early wickets pegged them back and they were never able to put together decent partnerships. Even though the innings lasted till the penultimate ball of the 50th over, they only managed 145. Netherlands’ bowlers shared the wickets around, with offspinner Esther Lanser bagging figures of 10-4-17-3.The chase got off to a rapid start, with Miranda Veringmeier scoring a run-a-ball 47 and captain Helmien Rambaldo smacking 30 off 24 balls. They were dismissed in quick succession but Kerry-Anne Tomlinson took Netherlands home with an unbeaten 46.

Graeme Smith is determined to make amends for the World Cup with a clinical series win against Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda23-Dec-2011If the most dangerous animal is one that has been wounded, then the most determined cricketer is one whose ego has been punctured. Of all the sportsmen to suffer ignominy in the last 12 months, few have been more humbled than South Africa’s cricket team. Although they did not play cricket for seven months of the year, the break gave them ample time to think about the disappointment which preceded it.Without mentioning what that was just yet, remember that South Africa ended their winter break with a cracker-jack series against Australia. Now, they are in the process of sinking their teeth into a tender Sri Lankan side, whose inability to perform away from home and without their stalwart spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, has never been more glaring. For Graeme Smith, it is an opportunity to make amends, even though the wrong has long been forgotten.”After a very disappointing time at the World Cup, a lot of criticism around and the lack of confidence, just to be able to build and strengthen up the squad is crucial,” Smith said. “There’s stability around the team. You could feel a much more settled nature in the squad in the first Test against Sri Lanka and some confidence shown in players. It’s good to see the players have taken that and performed.”March 25, Allan Donald in the black and white of New Zealand and Kyle Mills shoulder-charging Faf du Plessis seem like years ago. To the average South African cricket fan, that quarter-final loss probably doesn’t matter that much anymore and definitely has no place in the current summer of cricket. But, Smith is still a little haunted by the memory of that day and, according to him, some of the other players also are. “A lot of the players have been hurt over the last period of time and are really motivated to put things right,” he said.Redemption is too strong a word to use for what South Africa hope to do – if they were looking for that, they achieved it when they bowled Australia out for 47 in Cape Town last month – it’s far less complicated than that. Consistency is perhaps closer to the truth or just simply the ability to win a home series for the first time in three seasons. Whatever it is, Durban would be a fitting venue to do it.The last time South Africa won a Test at Kingsmead was in 2008, against West Indies. Since then, it’s been as much of a nemesis to them as left-armers are to Smith and they have lost to Australia, England and India. “It’s been extremely disappointing the way we have played at Kingsmead,” Smith said. “I want to turn that around. I want to perform well here and I think everybody in the team feels the same way.”Usually, the Kingsmead Test is the Boxing Day one and Smith was candid in saying at this festive time of year, the squad has to be careful not to let their guard down. “At Christmas time, you have to keep your focus up,” he said. “The margins have been small here in the Test matches we’ve played. We’ve being as clinical as we could have been. Mentally, we need to be strong.”The reality is that few expect South Africa will need a Herculean effort to overcome this Sri Lankan side, that the inspiration the squad will draw from their World Cup exit and their poor record in Durban might be better directed to a different, more competitive opposition. Since, it can’t, this will have to do. Smith and Co. can only fight the opponent put in front of them and they are determined to leave nothing to chance. “It’s our goal to keep them [Sri Lanka] on the back foot as long as possible and not allow them to find that rhythm and freedom with which they like to play,” Smith said.

Leicestershire tightened their grip on second place in the Friends Life t20North Group by beating closest challengers Worcestershire by six wickets at NewRoad

01-Jul-2011
ScorecardLeicestershire tightened their grip on second place in the Friends Life t20North Group by beating closest challengers Worcestershire by six wickets at NewRoad.The Royals did well to reach 130 for 7 after their top batsmen misfired,but it was not enough to stretch the Foxes as Andrew McDonald topped 50 for thefifth time in the competition this season.McDonald shrugged off the loss of two partners in the openingpowerplay and lifted the tempo with Will Jefferson (16) in a stand of 45.McDonald was particularly hard on young paceman Aneesh Kapil, the 17-year-oldconceding 16 runs in his only over, and the game was running away fromWorcestershire before their international spinners could make an impact.Jefferson was caught behind off Saeed Ajmal and McDonald drilled Shakib AlHasan to cover after hitting five fours and a six in his 53, but James Taylor,unbeaten with 22, and Abdul Razzaq (16 not out) saw Leicestershire home with 15balls to spare.Worcestershire lost their top five batsmen for 42 – four of the wickets sharedby new-ball pair Harry Gurney and Matthew Hoggard – and only nudged past 100thanks to Gareth Andrew’s third unbeaten fifty in Twenty20 matches this year.Although restricted to five boundaries, Andrew again used his long-handled,short-bladed bat to good effect in making 54 from 42 balls, mostly in aseventh-wicket stand of 60 in nine overs with Ben Scott.Scott was run out for 22 in the final over, a sacrifice that put Andrew back onstrike to complete his 50.The manner of Worcestershire’s early collapse was a surprise to those whoexpected a used pitch to be low and slow.Instead there was pace and unreliable bounce as Hoggard and Gurney roughed upWorcestershire’s strokemakers.Vikram Solanki edged a near-unplayable lifter from Gurney and Hoggard, afterbeing shovelled over fine leg for six by Alexei Kervezee, claimed the wickets ofMoeen Ali, caught at mid-on, and Shakib, cutting to backward point.In between those dismissals Gurney removed Kervezee with a well-judged catch byClaude Henderson at fine leg, while Josh Cobb ran out James Cameron from mid-offafter a mix-up with Shakib.

Andrew Strauss has said there is “more to” corruption in cricket “than we know about”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2011England Test captain Andrew Strauss has said while there is “more to” corruption in cricket “than we know about”, he had not seen “any resolve” in dealing with the problem and that people in charge of tackling the issue are “woefully under-resourced”. England’s last Test series at home, against Pakistan, was marred by the spot-fixing controversy and Strauss believed not enough was being done to eliminate corruption in the game.”Clearly most of the betting seems to go on in the sub-continent but I wouldn’t say it was just sub-continental players that are involved,” Strauss told the . “My gut feeling is there is more to it than we know about.”It is a very difficult thing to deal with but I don’t think that’s an excuse not to try to deal with it. I haven’t seen any resolve to deal with the issue. It is hard for me to comment because I don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.”The only input I’ve had is with the anti-corruption people who came round during the World Cup. It seems to me that they are woefully under-resourced. I just don’t think they’ve got the resources to do it properly.”Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were banned by the ICC after an independent tribunal found them guilty of orchestrating three pre-planned, deliberate no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England last August. Soon after the allegations against the trio surfaced, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, claimed England’s players had taken “enormous amounts of money” to lose the third ODI at The Oval. Butt apologised for his comments later, but Strauss admitted England nearly pulled out of the next game.Even though England accepted Butt’s apology and withdrew the threat of legal action, Strauss said he had been “quite emotional” about the accusation. “My original view was our integrity had been brought into question. We got quite close to not playing the one-dayer at Lord’s. But over the course of the evening it became a lot clearer to me that actually the right thing to do was to play. We didn’t feel overjoyed to be playing the game or that series but we got through it.”Strauss said he hoped the spot-fixing controversy would trigger efforts to eliminate corruption in the game, but added, “they certainly don’t seem to be getting anywhere nearer to the bottom of the whole spot fixing/match-fixing saga.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the one-off Twenty20 international between West Indies and Pakistan in St Lucia

The Preview by Liam Brickhill20-Apr-2011Match FactsApril 21, Gros Islet
Start time 1400 (1800 GMT)Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi are used to dealing with controversies surrounding their teams•AFPThe Big PictureA meeting between Pakistan and West Indies should be just the sort of combination of volatile elements that makes for an absorbing contest. One simply can’t know what to expect from two teams famous for displays of talent and inconsistency in equal measure. Off-field disturbances can add to the soap opera, but there haven’t been many occasions in the recent past when Pakistan have entered a series as the more stable, settled side. The current turbulence in West Indies cricket ahead of the tour opener at Gros Islet means the spotlight has been firmly on the hosts in the build-up.Just five members of the team that played the World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan last month are in the squad for the opening Twenty20. Though Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were not eligible for selection because they did not play in the Caribbean T20 earlier this year, there is no place either for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan or Sulieman Benn, though Darren Sammy retains his place as captain.The possibility of this sort of purge arose after coach Ottis Gibson’s ominous reproach of the “senior players” after the quarter-final exit from the World Cup, but few would have expected the changes to be quite so extensive. Gayle’s exit could prove the most troublesome. The only constant at the top of the order in the last decade, he was in the middle of a rehabilitation programme for an injury picked up during the World Cup, but would have been eligible to play in the final three ODIs and the Tests that followed. Instead, he will play for the Royal Challengers in the IPL, and an inexperienced team will have to do without his experience and confident swagger at the crease.The situation was not quite as bad the last time Pakistan toured the Caribbean, back in 2005, but the warning signs were there. West Indies were in the throes of internal turmoil caused by the long-running contractual wrangles with their sponsors, and though Pakistan were not without their own backroom troubles they breezed to a 3-0 win in the ODIs before drawing the Test series.They have every chance of pulling off a similar result this time – and could well end their record of never having won a Test series in the West Indies. The news of Zulqarnain Haider’s impending return to Pakistan and the potential pot-stirring from the announcement of stringent new guidelines for player agents following Mazhar Majeed’s alleged misdeeds in England last summer were absorbed without missing a beat and a convincing win over a West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI in their first practice match will only have bolstered Pakistan’s preparations.With West Indies’ big guns gone and Pakistan starting as firm favourites, the Twenty20 match on Thursday could well set the tone for the tour. How long will Pakistan’s stability last? Does this latest twist represent a tangible change of direction for West Indies, or will it be yet another phase in the re-building exercise that has been going on for the best part of two decades?Form guide(most recent first)
West Indies LLLWL
Pakistan WLLLL
Watch out for…Marlon Samuels was a bullish, confident presence in West Indies’ middle order before his two-year ban for alleged involvement with illegal bookmakers. In a side shorn of its senior players, his comeback is certainly timely. He’s played twice as many ODIs as his captain, Sammy, and though he hasn’t played for West Indies since 2008 he’ll have some idea of the intensity of international competition and will also lend some grit to the middle order. His sparkling performance during the Caribbean T20 in January, in which he was the leading run-getter with 253 runs at 63.25, will only add to his confidence in this format.Mohammad Hafeez has been around the Pakistan team for almost eight years now, but it’s only recently that he’s really blossomed in his role as opening batsman and more-than-handy offspinner. He certainly played that part to perfection the last time Pakistan and West Indies met, nipping out two early wickets after being asked to open the bowling and then rocketing along to a run-a-ball 61 to complete a 10-wicket trouncing.Team newsWest Indies’ squad has a bowler-heavy look to it, with a string of allrounders filling the lower-middle order. As such, the top order picks itself, and the main questions surround the composition of the bowling attack. Given the number of seamers in the squad, offspinner Ashley Nurse may find himself in line for a West Indies debut to add some variation, especially considering his good performances in the recent Twenty20s against Pakistan A. Likewise, left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie was the leading West Indian wicket-taker in this year’s Caribbean T20 and this could be the perfect time for him to step up to the next level.West Indies (probable) 1 Andre Fletcher (wk), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Christopher Barnwell, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Devendra Bishoo, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Ashley Nurse, 11 Krishmar SantokiePakistan’s squad has a fairly settled look to it, but there are a number of youngsters waiting in the wings and several of them could be in for some game time. Mohammad Salman is the squad’s only specialist keeper, while Hammad Azam could be tested in the allrounder slot vacated by Abdul Razzaq.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Mohammad Salman (wk), 7 Hammad Azam, 8 Shahid Afridi (capt), 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Saeed AjmalPitch and conditionsThe Beausejour Stadium hosted several matches during last year’s World Twenty20 and the pitch generally generated a good contest between bat and ball. Four games saw totals over 170, but Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Amir picked up 17 wickets between themselves at this ground during the course of Pakistan’s campaign. The weather could well play a role on Thursday, as it’ll be warm but partly cloudy, with a chance of rain.Stats and trivia Surprisingly, this will be the first ever Twenty20 international between these two teams. Umar Akmal scored 125 runs at 62.50, including two half-centuries, in the course of four games at this ground during the World Twenty20 last year. The only Pakistan cricketer to have scored more runs here in Twenty20 internationals is his brother, Kamran. Saeed Ajmal picked up nine wickets at this ground during that campaign, at an average of 13.77, but won’t have particularly fond memories of it as it was here that he received a mauling from Mike Hussey, who blasted 18 from his final over to secure a breathtaking victory.Quotes”It’s easier for us to do well with our home crowd and their support, and it gives an opportunity to bring ourselves back up the ladder – to dig deep, work hard, prove ourselves, and give back to our fans.”
“This is my first series at home and my first match happens to be in St Lucia, my homeland. We are rebuilding now and the slogan for the series is ‘Wi [we] all in’ so it’s all all-out effort from everyone involved.”

Abdur Rehman finished with match figures of 14 for 101 as Somerset clinched runners-up spot in Division One

13-Sep-2012
ScorecardAbdur Rehman finished with match figures of 14 for 101 as Somerset clinched runners-up spot in Division One with victory over relegated Worcestershire by an innings and 148 runs at Taunton.Rehman took 5 for 36 as the visitors stumbled to 152 all out in their second innings, Alexei Kervezee top-scoring with 76 and Peter Trego claiming his 50th first-class wicket of the season.The hosts took 23 points to Worcestershire’s two as their players guaranteed themselves a share in a £162,000 cheque for finishing second behind champions Warwickshire.Somerset had batted on at the start of the day before declaring their first innings on 512 for 9, with a lead of 300. Nick Compton finished unbeaten on 155, just six short of 1,500 first-class runs. Compton, who faced 322 balls and hit 15 fours and a six, was left with a first-class average of 99.60 when the declaration came. Six more runs would have left him averaging 100.Moeen Ali returned figures of 4 for 143, but by far the best Worcestershire bowler was Alan Richardson, who claimed his 500th first-class victim when pinning Alfonso Thomas lbw for 17, and finished with 4 for 100 from 41 overs.A three-day finish always looked likely and Worcestershire lost two wickets in scoring 39 before lunch. Phil Hughes edged Trego to wicketkeeper Steve Snell and Daryl Mitchell was caught at slip off Rehman.The Hughes wicket sparked wild celebrations among the fielders as they all mobbed Trego for whom it was a notable milestone in his career. The 31-year-old all-rounder had never threatened to take 50 wickets before, but has bowled more overs than ever for Somerset because of injuries this season.After lunch there was a predictable procession of batsmen. Thomas trapped Neil Pinner leg before for 14 and Craig Overton struck in his first over as Marcus Trescothick took a sharp catch at second slip to send back Moeen for 24.Rehman then produced perfectly pitched turning deliveries to bowl Aneesh Kapil and Brett D’Olivera, both pushing forward defensively, before Ben Cox fell to a brilliant catch at mid-wicket by Arul Suppiah as he pulled a short ball from Steve Kirby.It was 129 for 8 when Chris Russell was snapped up at leg-slip by Trego off a Rehman arm-ball, having made only a single. Kervezee stood defiant, reaching his half-century off 64 balls with six fours, although he was steadily running out of partners as Nick Harrison played on to Thomas and departed for a duck.Kervezee was the last wicket to fall, pouched at slip by Trescothick off Man-of-the-Match Rehman.

Nathan Coulter-Nile has been squeezed out of the Western Australia XI for the Sheffield Shield opener because Mitchell Johnson cannot be relied upon to bowl in an economical fashion

Daniel Brettig11-Oct-2011One of the more promising young fast bowlers in Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile, has been squeezed out of the Western Australia XI for the opening round of the Sheffield Shield because Mitchell Johnson cannot be relied upon to bowl in an economical fashion.Coulter-Nile, widely expected to push for higher honours in coming seasons, has been handed drinks duties for Western Australia in the match against Tasmania at the WACA ground, as Cricket Australia encourages its international players to take part in as much state cricket as possible.He was not chosen primarily because Johnson, playing at home for his state for the first time since moving from Queensland three years ago, is considered an attacking bowler too likely to concede runs in the search for wickets, despite his international pedigree and considerable experience.This is understood to have ruled a line through Coulter-Nile’s name because his own bowling is also geared towards aggression, and WA team management considered the risk of leaking runs was too great. Another factor was the absence of the young allrounder Mitchell Marsh on Australia duty, meaning the Warriors picked only four bowlers in the team to face the Tigers.Michael Hogan, Matt Dixon and the left-arm spinner Michael Beer were considered better options to support Johnson at the WACA ground, in an episode that recalled numerous selection dilemmas in the Australian team over the past four years.The inconsistencies of Johnson’s bowling have influenced Australia’s team balance for quite some time, forcing the selection of steadier pace bowlers around him and also piling pressure on a succession of spinners to be parsimonious in their methods despite lacking international experience.Johnson was available for the fixture because he has been dropped from the Australian Twenty20 team, having conceded too many runs during his most recent T20 appearances in Sri Lanka. He will depart for the ODI leg of the South Africa tour at the conclusion of the Shield match.At the age of 24, Coulter-Nile has played seven first-class matches for his state, claiming 32 wickets at 23.71 and also showing potential with the bat.He has been described by Mickey Arthur, the WA coach, as “the one player in this group who will definitely go on and play higher”, and bears more than a passing resemblance in method and physique to Ryan Harris, Australia’s outstanding bowler on the recently completed tour of Sri Lanka.

Rangers defender Borna Barisic came under fire during his side’s 1-1 draw in the Old Firm derby on Sunday afternoon. 

The lowdown

The Gers fell behind after 21 minutes at Parkhead when Jota found the net for the home side, with the Portuguese forward able to steal a march on the Croatian full-back to convert Daizen Maeda’s low cross.

Fashion Sakala later equalised midway through the second half to earn a point which keeps the Light Blues six adrift of the Hoops with just three league matches remaining.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst had selected Barisic at left-back in his 4-2-3-1 formation for the third Premiership match in succession, and the 20th overall.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-4/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Barisic’s lapse in concentration in the lead-up to Celtic’s goal drew plenty of scorn from the watching media.

Heart & Hand, one of Rangers’ official media partners, accused the 29-year-old of ‘sleeping at the back post’, while The 4th Official tweeted that it was a ‘really bad’ error from the Croatian.

On Sky Sports’ live coverage of the game (via Ibrox News), Andy Walker noted that Barisic had been ‘caught on his heels’. Fellow commentator Ally McCoist agreed with that assessment, with the club’s all-time record goalscorer fuming: “Once again, Barisic switches off”.

The verdict

Was Barisic able to redeem himself for his error?

On the one hand, he did win four out of his five ground duels and both aerial battles that he contested (via SofaScore). On the other, the statistics suggest that he offered little when on the ball.

The 29-year-old misplaced nine of the 10 crosses that he attempted and all three of his long passes. In all, he lost possession a whopping 26 times – second only to James Tavernier among all 29 players who were involved in the match.

Barisic certainly can’t afford any more lapses in concentration when Rangers take on RB Leipzig on Thursday, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit to reach the Europa League final.

In other news, Jordan Campbell was critical of another Rangers player on Sunday

Aston Villa are ‘really keen’ on a deal for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: January links

Described as ‘incredible’ by Villa coach Austin MacPhee during the pair’s time at Hearts, Hickey was linked with a move to the Midlands in the January window.

Reports even suggested that Villa made a late winter window offer for Hickey which was rejected, with the Scot remaining in Serie A beyond the deadline.

Villa’s failed bid was thought to be worth £8.3m with a 20% sell-on clause, and it looks as if the club will go back in for the 19-year-old this summer.

The Latest: Precee’s claim

Preece held a Birmingham Live Q&A on Thursday morning, discussing a whole range of Villa Park topics.

As to be expected, one of those was on transfers, with one supporter asking Preece if he thinks a move for Hickey will materialise. This is what he had to say in reply, revealing Villa are still ‘really keen’.

“Villa really keen on that one. Club will wait for Targett to tie up £15m Newcastle move (expected to go through start of July) before progressing to sign Hickey.”

The Verdict: Smart move?

As Preece states, Matt Targett looks set to seal a permanent move to Newcastle, which will leave Gerrard with just Lucas Digne and Ashley Young as left-back options heading into his first full season in charge.

Young is out of contract in the summer and will be 37 before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, while Digne may not feature again this season through injury.

Therefore, bringing in Hickey, who has been a regular in Italy this season and even earned his first two Scotland caps, could be a smart move, with many in the media expecting him to explode in 2022.

He’d rival Digne for a starting spot in the Midlands and would also provide Gerrard with an option as a left-midfielder and even on the right-hand side if required.

In other news: ‘I’m told…’ – Preece reveals big Aston Villa ‘deal’ Gerrard wants now on the verge.