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Trinidad & Tobago produced another compelling performance to knock the Cape Cobras out and set up a summit clash against New South Wales

The Bulletin by George Binoy22-Oct-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Trinidad & Tobago have won five matches in the Champions League, and their enthusiasm remains as high as ever•Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI

The only unbeaten team in the Champions League produced another compelling performance oozing with Caribbean flair to knock the Cape Cobras out of the tournament and set up a summit clash against New South Wales. The second semi-final wasn’t anywhere near as one-sided as the first, though, and Trinidad & Tobago and the Cobras traded blow for blow, wrestling for the upper hand until Dwayne Bravo’s first significant contribution with the bat in the competition turned the contest on a thrilling evening in Hyderabad.T&T raised their intensity at crucial moments: when the Cobras’ openers made a fast start, when the middle-order batsmen batted with aggression and when, at the death, they followed up a 20-run penultimate over by conceding only two off the last. The Cobras, on the other hand, dropped an appalling number of catches and failed to contain T&T’s thrilling opening combination, which set the base for Bravo and Daren Ganga’s match-winning 93-run partnership.The T&T approach to batting has been sheer entertainment during the Champions League and they did not let the pressure of chasing 175 in a semi-final cramp their style. Their openers, Adrian Barath and Wiliam Perkins, targeted Monde Zondeki for most of the early runs. Barath played with flamboyance and cut him for four, drove for six, and whipped to the leg side boundary to take 16 off the second over. Perkins stole the spotlight soon after, with a cheeky hat-trick of fours in the fourth. Andrew Puttick gave Rory Kleinveldt a go, but he leaked 15 off his first five balls – six of those a result of a towering cut by Barath over point.T&T raced to 53 off 4.5 overs when a misjudged single led to Perkins’ run-out. Barath followed soon after, for 29 off 16, when he played back to Duminy and was trapped in front. But just when the Cobras had an opening, their fielding went to pieces. Lendl Simmons was dropped in successive overs by Henry Davids and, though those errors didn’t cost the Cobras much, the next one hurt them plenty.The spinners had brought T&T’s run-rate down and there had been no boundaries for 31 balls until Bravo pulled Justin Ontong for six in the 13th over. The asking-rate was still steep – T&T needed 68 off 38 balls – when Bravo offered Ontong a catch at long-on and was dropped. The Cobras never found a way back.Ontong watched Ganga loft the next ball over his head for six, before Bravo cut loose in Vernon Philander’s next over, hitting consecutive sixes over long-off and extra cover. The asking-rate went into freefall thereafter with the batsmen finding the boundary in every over. Bravo brought up his half-century off 31 balls by lofting Charl Langeveldt through cover, and finished the game with four balls to spare by pulling Kleinveldt to the midwicket boundary.At one stage of the Cobras innings, though, when they were consistently scoring at nine an over, it seemed they would set T&T somewhere near 200 to chase. Aided by exceptional fielding and safe catching, T&T ensured that two well-set batsmen were never at the crease together and the Cobras momentum was not maximized as a result.They had raced to 54 after their Powerplay, the out-of-form Herschelle Gibbs rising to the occasion and doing the bulk of the hitting by pummeling Bravo for four leg-side boundaries in an over. He even had a slice of luck when the third umpire deemed there was a bit of boot behind the line and ruled him not out after Denesh Ramdin had completed a sharp stumping of Kieron Pollard. That, however, cost T&T only one run as Gibbs was bowled by a slower one from Pollard for 42 off 27 balls.T&T saw off the threat posed by Kleinveldt and Justin Ontong – after Pollard’s outstanding catch on the boundary line was also given not out though replays did not show the ball touching ground – and the lack of a steady partner left Duminy with the responsibility of giving the Cobras an explosive finish. He had begun by attacking Mohammed, hitting the chinaman bowler through extra cover for four and slog-sweeping him for the flattest of sixes. He brought up his half-century off 34 balls and helped Cobras take 20 off the penultimate over bowled by Bravo, who went for 46 off three. Rampaul, however, gave T&T a last-over boost by conceding only two runs off it. And Bravo made up for his largesse with the ball with a match-winning half-century.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Ponte Preta quer aproximar cada vez mais seus torcedores das categorias de base do clube. Pela primeira vez, a diretoria e o departamento de marketing do clube vão disponibilizar a transmissão de uma partida da base pelo YouTube (youtube.com/tvponte). O jogo escolhido foi o duelo contra o São Paulo, pelo Campeonato Paulista sub-17, neste sábado, às 11h, no Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, em Campinas (SP).

Essa é a primeira vez que o clube do interior de São Paulo vai fazer uma transmissão pelo seu canal oficial na internet. A intenção é implementar isso em todos os jogos das categorias de base e do futebol feminino, sempre com a anuência da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF).

O time sub-17 da Macaca tem feito uma boa participação no Campeonato Paulista. Atualmente no Grupo 18, da terceira fase, a Ponte Preta tem seis pontos em três jogos. A equipe está empatada com São Paulo e Desportivo Brasil na chave. O Mirassol é o lanterna, zerado.

Nessa fase, os dois melhores times de cada grupo (são quatro chaves com quatro times cada) se classificam para as quartas de final. No último fim de semana, a Ponte já tinha batido o São Paulo por 3 a 2, em Cotia (SP).

O atacante John Kleber tem sido o destaque da Macaca na competição. Atualmente, ele é o vice-artilheiro do Paulista, com 27 gols, um a menos do que o são-paulino Brenner.

Former South African umpire Wilf Diedricks died early on Tuesday morning after a lengthy illness at the age of 64

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2009Former South African umpire Wilf Diedricks died early on Tuesday morning after a lengthy illness at the age of 64.Diedricks became a well-known figure in South African cricket as a first-class umpire post-1991. But his contribution to non-racial cricket from the mid-1970s to 1991, both at provincial level in Kwazulu Natal and nationally, was enormous.In the 1969 season, he linked up with Universals Cricket Club in the Durban Districts Cricket Union at Tills Crescent. It was during this time that he began his umpiring career. Diedricks stopped playing just prior to the first attempt at unity in 1976-1977 and together with Krish Mackerdhuj and Sagren Naidoo, joined the umpiring ranks.He helped to establish the Natal Umpires Body which was followed by the SA Cricket Board Umpires Association. In his first assignment, under the auspices of the United Cricket Board, Diedricks, along with Brian Jerling, umpired the match between Eastern Province B and Natal B at the University of Port Elizabeth .Diedricks’ first four-day game was a New Year affair at St Georges Park in a match between Eastern province, captained by Kepler Wessels, and Orange Free State, led by Hansie Cronje.He officiated in just the one Test, between South Africa and India in Port Elizabeth in 1992-93. He also stood in 31 ODIs, the last being the Standard Bank Triangular Tournament match in 2001 between South Africa and Kenya.Diedricks is survived by his wife Ethne, a cricket scorer, and his four children.Cassim Docrat, the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union chief executive, said the passing away of Diedricks was a tremendous loss to South African cricket. “He was a person who had committed and dedicated his life to the improvement of the game in all facets,” he said. “His administrative skills will be sadly missed and we extend our condolences to his family during this difficult time.”

Jonathan Trott produced a debut hundred of the highest class to set Australia a huge 546 for victory, but they aren’t about to give up without a fight

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller at The Oval22-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJonathan Trott sprints through to reach his maiden Test hundred•Getty ImagesJonathan Trott entered Ashes folklore with the innings of an instant veteran, as England’s batsmen sauntered into a position of absolute dominance, only for Australia’s openers to keep their nerves a-jangling with a coolly compiled 80-run stand, on another enthralling day at The Oval. Trott’s 119 from 193 balls was the 18th century by a debutant in England’s Test history and the first against Australia since Graham Thorpe in 1993, but given the magnitude of the occasion, it ranked among the finest of all time. His efforts left Australia facing a climb as forbidding as Mont Ventoux, as Andrew Strauss declared on 373 for 9, with a massive target of 546 in the bag.But Australia, to their credit, refused to yield to any presumptions of defeat and decided attack was the best route to the summit. Simon Katich and Shane Watson banished any lingering demons from the first innings, and backed themselves to play their shots against the new ball, and the policy paid off in an opening stand of 80, as they reached the close with their hopes renewed and England’s anxieties sharpened in a manner reminiscent of the final day at Lord’s. Nevertheless, as the ball lost its hardness and Stuart Broad’s offcutters began to grip, it was clear that survival will become harder and harder the longer the innings wears on. Having collapsed from 73 for 0 to 160 in their first innings, Australia know just how tough the next six sessions are sure to be.The Oval pitch, the subject of much controversy overnight, carried on producing wild puffs of dust from almost every delivery, but as England’s lower-order clubbed a supine attack to all corners of South London, adding 205 in the last 37 overs of the innings, the heat went out of the debate about its merits. In fact, England’s progress seemed at times almost too comfortable for their series prospects, as Australia’s bowlers abandoned any hope of salvaging their team’s situation and instead settled for damage limitation with a view to batting out for the draw.Nevertheless, the steep bounce that the part-time spinner, Marcus North, had continued to extract was enough to confirm the suspicions that batting last, with men packed around the bat, would be a fraught experience. Sure enough, Swann entered England’s attack as early as the ninth over, and though he didn’t make a breakthrough with the still-hard new ball, he found sufficient purchase to suggest his time will come. For the time being, however, North, who came into the game with just two Test wickets to his name, emerged as the most potent spinner on show, with 4 for 98 from 30 testing overs.If the expectant buzz around The Oval had been dampened a fraction by the close, then it would never have become so electric in the first place, had it not been for Trott’s magnificent scene-setter. For the second time in consecutive Ashes battles at the venue, England’s visions of glory were filtered through a South African-born lens, and perhaps that same filter removed the fear of failure as well, because as with Kevin Pietersen’s unforgettable 158 in 2005, Trott scarcely blinked for an instant.He had been a controversial selection for such a pressure-cooker contest, but to give the selectors credit where it is due, the skill, determination and confidence of his performance made the men around him in England’s middle-order look like the international novices. His nerveless shot selection, at an even tempo of roughly a run every two balls, provided the scaffolding for a series of carefree cameos at the other end – including a farewell frolic from Andrew Flintoff, and a spanking 63 from 55 balls from Swann, who fine-tuned his confidence going into the defining fourth innings.Aside from a brush with a Peter Siddle bouncer, and a hairy moment on 97 when he deflected Ben Hilfenhaus inches past his leg stump, Trott barely played a false stroke until the very moment of England’s declaration, when he chopped Stuart Clark to North in the gully. In fact, his most palpable moments of alarm came from his first two deliveries of the morning, first when Siddle believed he had made the breakthrough with an off-stump lifter (umpire Asad Rauf correctly ascertained that the ball had flicked only the thigh pad on the way through to Brad Haddin) and then when Trott followed up that escape with an awkward spoon into the covers off a leading edge.Graeme Swann hit a swashbuckling 63 to increase England’s lead•PA PhotosWith impressive ease, however, he put those dramas out of his mind, perhaps sensing that he’d experienced the most capricious deliveries that could come his way. He added 118 for the fourth wicket with his overnight partner Andrew Strauss, to ensure there would be no continuation of the late-evening hiccup that had taken a layer of sheen off England’s remarkable second day, and as early as the first hour of the day, Australia’s hopes of an attainable run-chase had been quashed.Strauss’s contribution was an unflappable and agenda-setting 75, which served as a moist flannel on his country’s fevered brow. He left the ball with nerveless certainty outside off, demanding that Australia’s bowlers bowled to his strengths rather than probe for non-existent weaknesses, and when he lashed Clark for three fours from nine balls faced as England upped the ante in the half-hour before lunch, he looked a dead-cert for his, and England’s, second century of the series. With four balls remaining of the session, however, he was lured by a ball of fuller length from North, who extracted enough rip off the track to find the edge to slip.Matt Prior, for once, played only a minor role in England’s momentum shift – although he did manage to send Ricky Ponting into the lunch break with a mouthful of blood after drilling the ball into his face at silly mid-off. Three overs after the break, he called for a crazy single after picking out the dead-eyed Katich in the covers, and was run out by a distance for 4. Nevertheless, his departure ensured that the crowd got one last glimpse of the man they really wanted to see, and when Flintoff clubbed his second delivery violently through midwicket for four, it was abundantly clear how he intended to pace his final Test innings.Three more boundaries followed, each greeted with rapture, but alas the magic could not last. With 22 from 17 balls to his name, Flintoff came down the track once more to launch North into the Harleyford Road, but Siddle steadied himself on the long-on ropes to pouch a simple catch. The Aussies stood in the middle to applaud Flintoff back to the pavilion as he saluted all corners of the ground, while down the steps – replacing him in every sense – came the man of the moment, Broad.He did not disappoint either. Feeding off Mitchell Johnson’s regressive line and length, he dabbed the first of his five fours through backward point, then climbed into North in a violent over containing three further biffs down the ground, the first of which went arrow-straight back over the bowler’s head to land just inside the boundary’s rope. He eventually took one swipe too many, and picked out Ponting in the covers, but into the fray strode Swann, in a mood for violence – just as he had been in the final innings at Headingley two weeks ago, when England’s predicament could hardly have been more different, but when the licence for thwacking had been every bit as liberating.With Trott trotting along beside him, Swann belted two-thirds of England’s runs in an eighth wicket of 90 from 80 deliveries that left observers wondering if he’d win the race to three figures. Australia took the new ball in that period as well, but offered Swann far too many opportunities to unfurl his exuberant drive, which accounted for six of his nine fours before Hilfenhaus pulled his length back at last and skidded a bouncer off a miscued hook to Haddin.For the best part of their day in the field, England had simply had it too easy, and by the close, Watson and Katich had shown them just how ready Australia are to hand over their urn. All the same, the series is coming to a crescendo, and as in that unforgettable summer of 2005, there is an air of anxious expectation in SE11.

Fabrizio Romano is ‘sure’ Everton target Donny van de Beek ‘will leave’ Manchester United in January if his situation doesn’t improve. 

The lowdown

Everton director of football Marcel Brands recently confirmed that Van de Beek was ‘on our list’ for the summer transfer window.

They hoped to sign him on loan in the final knockings of the window but ‘at the last minute it was cancelled’.

He said it was ‘hard to say’ at this point whether the Blues would revisit the potential move come January.

When Everton visited Old Trafford on Saturday, Van de Beek was unused substitute for the seventh time this season. In fact, he’s played a meagre six minutes in the Premier League so far (via Transfermarkt).

His only domestic starts of 2020/21 have come in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

The latest

Speaking to The United Stand, Romano said that ‘as of now’, Van de Beek is ‘planning to leave Manchester United in January’.

He could remain in the Premier League, ‘with Everton one of the clubs interested’, but there are also said to be suitors in Italy and Spain.

Barring a turnaround in his fortunes in the next ‘two-three months’, he’ll be departing.

The verdict

Van de Beek apparently nets £120,000 per week at Old Trafford, and it remains to be seen whether Everton could cover the entirety of the sum or whether a split with United would be necessary in a loan deal.

You can’t help but feel sorry for the Dutchman, who must have been given assurances during the transfer window that he had an important part to play.

As it’s transpired, he’s been given the number of minutes you’d expect for a promising Under-23 player, maybe even less than that.

You’d hope that United don’t stand in his way next time.

In other news, these comments had Everton fans buzzing. 

West Ham will host their first-ever Europa League group stage match at the London Stadium this evening and David Moyes will be looking to build on their recent form.

The Irons kickstarted their quest for glory in Europe with an impressive 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb, arguably the toughest of all the teams in their group.

Meanwhile, back in the Premier League, the Hammers secured a last-gasp victory against Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, meaning they have lost just once across all competitions since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Moyes has plenty of selection headaches facing him heading into kickoff, especially with a clash against Brentford this weekend, so what sort of side could we see in east London tonight?

Here’s what Football FanCast are predicting…

There could be as many as six changes from the win at Elland Road as the Scotsman balances injuries and rotation.

We may see PSG loanee Alphonse Areola return between the sticks, handing veteran shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski a rest, whilst there is one enforced change to the backline.

It’s believed that Vladimir Coufal is a doubt for this clash, so he may not be risked, even if he does make the squad and with his usual back-up, Ryan Fredericks also out through injury, Moyes may have to turn to 21-year-old academy graduate Ben Johnson.

He will join Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell, who both remain from Sunday, with Issa Diop coming back in after he was described as a “colossus” for his performance against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup last week.

The 6 foot 4 titan’s involvement also allows Angelo Ogobonna a rest.

Elsewhere, Declan Rice was doing pre-match press duties, which could provide a clue into him starting but he may be joined by Alex Kral, rather than Tomas Soucek as the usual Czech starter needs a break.

Further up the pitch, we could see Manuel Lanzini and Nikola Vlasic return to the starting XI, playing alongside Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio.

It means there is no place for either of Said Benrahma or Jarrod Bowen, who are likely to start on Sunday against the Bees.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops exciting behind-the-scenes West Ham claim. fans are surely buzzing…

Luke Edwards has revealed that Newcastle United are now considering both Lucien Favre and Frank Lampard to be their next manager.

The Lowdown: Manager search on

It looks increasingly likely that Steve Bruce will be sacked by the St. James’ Park faithful sooner rather than later following the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, with Edwards claiming that it is expected to be done ‘in the next 48 hours’.

Thus, they will have to bring a new manager in, with names like Steven Gerrard being mentioned as potential candidates in recent days.

The Latest: Favre and Lampard considered

Writing in his latest piece for The Telegraph, Edwards has revealed that the North East club are now considering one of Favre or Lampard to be their next boss.

It is not clear when the appointment would be made given that Bruce is still in the job, but the likelihood is that a change will be made sooner rather than later as the Tyneside outfit prepare for their game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Verdict: Wait

There is no rush for the new owners to bring a coach in, as whoever they choose must be the perfect candidate to lead them into a new era.

Lampard would certainly be an odd choice, given that he has not won any trophies in his admittedly short managerial career so far, and trophies are something that the owners will want to bring.

On the other hand, Favre has won a few trophies, but none that really stand out in terms of major honours, while his record transfer in terms of players brought in is Mats Hummels at £27.45m, and so the owners may want a manager who has handled much bigger fees given their ambitions.

He has also reportedly not had the best relationship with Allan Saint-Maximin in the past either, apparently wanting to sell him after one training session while at Nice (Get French Football News).

Nonetheless, bigger and better names will certainly emerge as the January transfer window draws nearer.

In other news, find out what ‘great news’ will have SJP ‘bouncing’ on Sunday here!

MatériaMais Notícias

Dois jogadores do Fluminense foram submetidos a processos cirúrgicos nesta semana: Luiz Fernando e Marquinho. O experiente meia realizou na quinta uma artroscopia no joelho direito para tratamento de uma tendinite do tendão patelar.O procedimento foi realizado pelo cirurgião Dr. Rene Abdalla, Instituto do Joelho do HCor – Hospital do Coração,e teve duração de cerca de 1 hora.

-Realizamos uma artroscopia e retirada do tecido inflamado, além de transposição do tendão para reforço do local. A cirurgia foi bem sucedida e o atleta iniciará sessões de fisioterapia e fortalecimento muscular. Em cerca de 4 meses pode retornar às atividades normalmente – comenta o ortopedista.

Com esta previsão, Marquinho só voltaria aos treinos no fim de novembro, faltando poucos jogos para o fim da atual temporada. Assim, como o meio-campista terá que buscar o recondicionamento físico, a tendência é que o camisa 7 só defenda o Fluminense no próximo ano. O contrato de Marquinho com o Tricolor das Laranjeiras é válido até 12 de julho de 2019.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoUm terço do Campeonato Brasileiro já foi disputado. Veja balançoBrasileirão14/07/2017FluminenseFluminense dá OK para usar o Maracanã contra o CorinthiansFluminense13/07/2017FluminenseFluminense pode ter mais de duas mudanças para jogo contra o CoritibaFluminense13/07/2017

Já Luiz Fernando foi operado na quarta-feira e já recebeu alta. O volantesofreu ruptura do ligamento cruzado anterior na partida contra o Palmeiras, em 10 de junho. O procedimento foi feito pelo coordenador médico do Fluminense, Douglas Santos, e considerado um sucesso. Nesse caso, a recuperação costuma ser de seis meses. Portanto, Luiz Fernando também só deve voltar em 2018. O jogador de 22 aanos tem contrato com o clube até 29 de dezembro de 2020.

Aaron Bird, the New South Wales fast bowler, has been suspended for an illegal bowling action

Cricinfo staff25-Feb-2009
Aaron Bird’s season is over following Cricket Australia’s ruling © Getty Images
Aaron Bird, the New South Wales fast bowler, has been suspended for an illegal bowling action following tests at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Bird, the leading wicket-taker in the Twenty20 competition, was reported three times by umpires during the season and his ban of at least three months started with Cricket Australia’s ruling on Wednesday.He was named for New South Wales’ crucial Sheffield Shield match against Queensland on Thursday, but has been replaced by Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler. Bird was tested on February 11 in the AIS biomechanics laboratory and not all of his deliveries were within the 15-degree range of allowable elbow extension.Bird was confident the suspension would be a “temporary setback”. “Although I am obviously disappointed with the result, the findings of the analysis showed that all but one of my deliveries complied with the elbow extension allowed,” Bird said. “I will now go away with the coaching staff and analyse the test findings and make any adjustments required to make sure that I am ready to go in 90 days’ time.”A Cricket Australia spokesman said Bird could challenge the results through a bowling review group hearing. “Any player found to have displayed an illegal action is suspended from interstate competitions until he is able to complete a biomechanical analysis that demonstrates his action is legal,” the spokesman said. That can occur “no earlier than 90 days after the date a suspension commences”.Bird, who had to change his action following similar concerns in 2006-07, collected 13 Twenty20 wickets at 14.07 and was third on the FR Cup list with 21 at 22.19. He was reported last month but was allowed to continue playing until the results were released, and dismissed three batsmen in the Blues’ innings defeat to Victoria last week.David Gilbert, the Cricket New South Wales chief executive, said the state would support Bird in his remedial work. “Aaron is an important member of our squad and we will provide all the assistance needed to help him over the 90-day period,” he said.

Arsenal will be looking to build on their recent form as they play host to the first north London derby of the 2021/22 season this afternoon.

After a difficult start to the new campaign, the Gunners have seemingly turned a corner with three straight victories in all competitions and manager Mikel Arteta is blessed with a fully fit and available squad for the very first time.

It does, however, give him a number of decisions to make in terms of team selection.

Here’s the starting XI we’re predicting at the Emirates Stadium today…

The north Londoners’ recent change in fortunes has been, in part, down to their changes at the back as summer signing Aaron Ramsdale has excelled in the place of Bernd Leno.

He should come straight back into the side, whilst the youthful backline of Kieran Tierney, Gabriel, Ben White and fellow new addition Takehiro Tomiyasu are expected to all start, having been rested against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Further up the pitch in midfield, things start to become a bit tricky for Arteta.

He has gone for a three-man engine room in recent matches, with Thomas Partey pairing up with Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe and all three could still remain in the starting lineup. However, the return of Granit Xhaka hands him a fresh dilemma.

Given his experience in this fixture, the Swiss international could come straight back in to partner the Ghanian in a deeper role, with the academy gem reverting to the left flank and the former Real Madrid star going back into the no.10 role.

They could be joined by Bukayo Saka on the right, meaning there is no place for Nicolas Pepe, though expect him to feature from the bench.

Whilst upfront, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to be preferred to Alexandre Lacazette.

In total, there could be ten changes from their Carabao Cup triumph only a few days ago.

Arsenal’s predicted XI vs Spurs (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tierney, Gabriel, White, Tomiyasu; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Smith Rowe, Saka, Aubameyang

AND in other news, Arteta must unleash Arsenal’s £18m-rated “warrior” vs Spurs, he can thwart Kane & Son…