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England Masters comprehensively defeated South Africa Masters by eight wickets to take the Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009
ScorecardEngland Masters were winners of the inaugural Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup. They comprehensively defeated South Africa Masters by eight wickets with one over to spare to take the Cup and the US$50,000 prize money.Graeme Hick, who was Man of the Series, was at the forefront of the victory with a breathtaking, unbeaten 67. He and acting captain Mark Ramprakash, who chipped in with an attacking 51 not out, put on a wonderful 116 in 14. 2 overs for the third wicket.Ramprakash finished the tournament in grand style, driving through extra cover for a boundary. He hit two fours and one six, while Hick smashed three fours and three sixes.Graham Thorpe made a quick 32 from 19 deliveries with five fours and one six to give the innings the early impetus before he skied a catch to cover.The South Africans were put into bat and made 156 for five. They were reduced to 38 for 3, but Dale Benkenstein (52) and Lance Klusener (43) pulled things around with a stand of 71 in 9.2 overs for the fourth wicket.Benkenstein hit two fours and a pair of sixes, while Klusener lashed two huge sixes in John Emburey’s final over.Pat Symcox (18) and Adrian Kupier (15) and added 33 vital runs for the sixth wicket in 3.1 overs. In the end, another 20 might have made the difference.Fast bowler Devon Malcolm picked up the first three wickets to claim three for 17 from four overs and was named Man of the Match.

Shane Warne’s greatest fear on his return to the Australian Twenty20 scene is embarrassing himself

Cricinfo staff21-Nov-2009Shane Warne hadn’t bowled for six months until he went to training on Saturday and his greatest fear on his return to the Australian Twenty20 scene is embarrassing himself. Warne will join up with his old team-mates Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden when they appear in an Australian Cricketers’ Association XI captained by Warne at the Gabba on Sunday.”For us it’s about not embarrassing ourselves, not bowling too many double-bouncers and full-bungers,” he said. Warne, 40, spent part of Saturday afternoon “trying to land a few” at the Gabba nets under the eye of Dennis Lillee, the guest coach.The pair stopped briefly to outline their plans for the match against an Australian XI led by Michael Clarke. And it was just long enough for Warne to doubt the West Indies’ credentials for the three-match series against Australia, which starts on Thursday, and Lillee to defend the future of Test cricket.While Greg Chappell, the guest coach of the Australian XI, fears for the five-day game, Lillee is confident it will remain strong. “Something that has lasted for nearly 150 years, I don’t think it’s in danger in the short term,” Lillee said.Warne believes the West Indians face too much of a challenge to upset Australia, despite the hosts’ current ranking as the world’s No. 4 team. “Let’s just hope the West Indies surprise us, at the moment their form is pretty ordinary and they need to hopefully lift,” he said. “Otherwise it’s just going to be a summer of enjoying our blokes bat and bowl.”Australian Cricketers’ Association XI Shane Warne (capt), Travis Birt, Lee Carseldine, Adam Gilchrist, Daniel Harris, Matthew Hayden, Jason Krejza, Rhett Lockyear, Graham Manou (wk), Glenn McGrath, Nathan Reardon, Nathan Rimmington.Australian XI Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, George Bailey, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner.

Gautam Gambhir notched up his seventh hundred in nine Tests, Virender Sehwag completed a feisty century, Rahul Dravid was close to his ton and India posted the highest total scored in a day in a Test in India

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera24-Nov-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outGautam Gambhir made his fourth century in as many Tests•AFPIt was a run orgy at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. The first session witnessed a semblance of a battle, at least in the first hour, but the rest of the day was a one-way street, with India utterly dominant. Gautam Gambhir notched up his seventh hundred in nine Tests – and his fourth on the trot – Virender Sehwag completed a feisty century, Rahul Dravid was close to his ton and the end-of-day score was the highest in a day for India.The situation was summed up by the sight of Rangana Herath bowling over the stumps and outside leg when Dravid had just walked out to the crease. It said everything about Sri Lanka’s attitude and India’s total domination. With the pitch expected to assist spin later in the Test, it could get even tougher for Sri Lanka over the next few days.It wasn’t just the runs, it was the manner in which they were compiled from the second hour on that was telling. The batsmen seemed to do as they wished: Gambhir punctuated his charges down the wicket with delicate late cuts, Sehwag went either inside-out or carved across the line, and Dravid, who hit the last ball of the day for a four, pierced the off-side field at will.Inevitably, there were plenty of records to note: it was the first time India scored over 400 in a day, it was the highest opening partnership between Gambhir and Sehwag, and even Muralitharan, at one point, was leaking more than 6 runs per over.The most telling statistic was the spinners’ figures. Sri Lanka had managed to keep the scoring rate down with the new ball but things went pear-shaped for them after the spinners were introduced, with Sehwag and Gambhir looting 73 runs off nine overs before lunch and little changing after the break. They weren’t allowed to settle in by the openers, who lashed out at them with a calculated assault that was breathtaking.Gambhir went after Herath in his first over, hitting him for three fours: he whipped one through covers, cut past point and stepped out to loft to the straight boundary. When Herath returned later, Gambhir went repeatedly down the track to drive him to distraction. If Gambhir reserved the best of his aggression for Herath, Sehwag went after Mendis in the first session and took care of Muralitharan in the second. Mendis floated a full toss, offered a long-hop and slid one down the leg side in his first spell and Sehwag sent each one to the boundary. The attacking intent was best seen in the last over before lunch when Sehwag despatched an offbreak from Mendis high over long-on. That aggression continued after lunch with Sehwag collecting five boundaries against Muralitharan, including two fierce off drives, an inside-edge, and a tuck to the fine-leg boundary which brought up his hundred. He fell to Muralitharan, though, against the run of play, trying to play an inside-out drive to a but failing to clear cover.What facilitated India’s dominance was the clarity of thought in the approach by all the batsmen. Gambhir paced himself superbly, playing out the new ball, and then indulging himself against the spinners on a first-day track. There were a couple of occasions when he hung his bat out to the new ball and was seen immediately reprimanding himself. Gambhir had different approaches to the spinners: he stepped out often against Herath, used his crease well against Muralitharan, going either well back or stretching forward, and worked the angles against Mendis. There were several delightful late cuts that showcased his skill but his stand-out stroke was a gorgeous, almost nonchalant, straight drive off Muralitharan. However, he fell to the same bowler, beaten by the dip and scooping a difficult return catch, which Muralitharan accepted with a dive to his right.Dravid was decisive in everything he did right from the start. When he defended he showed the full face of bat and deployed soft hands, and when he chose to attack, he either stretched well forward to drive or rocked right back to punch through the off side. There were many skilful punches on the back foot but his best shot was a gorgeous inside-out extra-cover drive off Muralitharan.However, the most interesting of the three knocks was Sehwag’s. Initially, It seemed he was waging a battle against himself. He chased the third ball he faced – a wide delivery from Welegedara – and edged it but was dropped when Prasanna Jayawardene dived across and distracted Mahela Jayawardene at first slip. Sehwag then tried to go hard at Angelo Mathews a couple of times and was beaten. Those near-misses could have forced Sehwag into a reckless response, but to his credit, he changed his approach, playing defensively with the full face of the bat and as close to the body as possible. That his first boundary came only off his 27th delivery said much about his mindset. There were many typical forceful hits but what stood out was a delicate late steer to third man off Welegedara, when he waited on the front foot before opening the bat face at the last minute to get it between gully and the slip cordon.The presence of three spinners and just one frontline seamer was always going to pose problems for Sri Lanka after they lost the toss. India’s emphatic opening act has set them up perfectly to put Sri Lanka under intense pressure over the next four days.

Everton will be aiming to end a two-game losing streak when they travel to Molineux in order to face an in-form Wolves side this evening.

The Toffees suffered a humiliating 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Watford last time out, and new manager Rafa Benitez faces another tough selection headache ahead of kick-off.

An injury to key midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure saw Tom Davies partner Allan in the engine room against the Hornets, and although the 23-year-old found the back of the net, the duo’s lack of mobility was brutally exposed.

Doucoure’s natural ability to cover a vast amount of ground in a short space of time has allowed Benitez to play just two midfielders in the opening weeks of the campaign, but without him in the side, Everton were left with too many gaps to plug.

The Frenchman’s capability to turn defence into attack with a well-timed tackle before marauding up the pitch and playing an intelligent pass is a unique set of skills that one player simply cannot replace.

As such, Benitez may be better off changing his system to cope with Doucoure’s absence rather than simply the personnel.

Playing a 4-3-3 rather than a 4-4-1-1 would allow Allan extra protection in the centre of the pitch while still having the bodies available to join in the attacks. And the Merseyside outfit may have the ideal candidate to come in and perform that role.

Since arriving at Goodison Park in August 2019, Jean-Philippe Gbamin has had some horrendous luck with injuries.

In two years, the Ivory Coast international has made just four appearances for Everton, but now could be the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his true potential on the Premier League stage.

When recovering from his latest fitness setback, the £65,000-per-week Gbamin enlisted the help of Theo Chapelle, a senior personal trainer, and consultant at the Odysium rehabilitation centre in Paris, who described his former client as a “monster”.

“He really impressed me during his stay here,” he told The Athletic. “The work we did together went really well. He appreciated working with us and that was reciprocated.

“He’s a great guy — kind, funny, respectful, calm, with his head on his shoulders. As an athlete, he’s a monster. I’ve never seen that in football, only athletics. He has exceptional physical qualities and a foolproof mentality.

“I’m certain that he’ll return stronger and whatever the obstacles in his way, will have a great career,” Chapelle concluded.

With Doucoure not expected to return for several weeks, Benitez will be forced to come up with a solution to his enforced absence, yet the answer could be a rather simple one.

Gbamin deserves a change of luck after his awful time on English shores, and that could begin with a start against Wolves, he just needs the faith of his manager behind him.

And, in other news…Everton receive big injury boost ahead of Wolves, Benitez will be delighted 

Aston Villa have confirmed a major injury boost over Leon Bailey ahead of their Premier League encounter with Arsenal on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side have been without the summer signing for the past three games in the Premier League after being forced off in the second half against Everton back in mid-September.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium, the Villa manager said: “Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore have both trained over the last couple of days and both will be available for the squad down at Arsenal.

“But we have to be aware that Bailey’s had a thigh injury for four weeks so we have to assess how much of a risk we take with him. We are building up their fitness, they will be in the squad, but we’ll have to assess where they are. They have both been out injured for a few weeks, so they are lacking minutes.”

The Jamaica international has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 85 minutes of football in the Premier League, but even in that limited amount of game-time, he has shown exactly why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the Jamaican flier showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barnstorming cameo against Everton.

Having come on as a substitute once again, Bailey whipped in the corner which was turned in by Lucas Digne, before firing in a superb goal of his own to seal an impressive 3-0 win for Villa.

Speaking before the Midlands club officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

The fact that he’s now back in the frame to play against Arsenal tonight is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing, especially at a time when Villa have fallen into a bit of a slump.

Meanwhile, Villa must start this £7.2m-rated gem against Arsenal…

West Ham have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their Europa League clash this week…

What’s the latest?

According to Claret and Hugh, an Irons source has confirmed that both club captain Mark Noble and right-back Ryan Fredericks are back in full training and are set to be available for selection heading into Thursday.

The retiring midfielder missed the win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, whilst the latter has been out since his early withdrawal against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup last month.

The Hammers could go one step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages with a win over Belgian outfit Genk, so having further players available at David Moyes’ disposable is certainly a benefit.

Double boost

Whilst neither is a regular starter in the Scotsman’s starting XI, particularly in the Premier League, both are more likely to be handed opportunities in competitions like this one.

Fredericks provides valuable cover for Vladimir Coufal, who has been injured in recent weeks too, whilst Noble could be crucial this week with Alex Kral unavailable.

His presence could hand a rest to either Tomas Soucek or Declan Rice, who won’t be able to keep up this consistent rate of matches into 2022.

The report also states that West Ham are in line to receive around £670k if they manage to clinch a victory at the London Stadium, taking their overall earnings beyond £2m, which is a welcome financial boost.

Their chances of clinching a result, whilst keeping the squad fresh, have certainly been bolstered thanks to this latest development.

Moyes’ men currently sit top of Group H with a three-point cushion over Dinamo Zagreb in second place, and a victory over Genk could see that lead double should Rapid Wien defeat the Croatian side.

The Irons also have the small matter of a London derby this weekend as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium, so the 58-year-old may well have that game in mind heading into Thursday’s clash.

That’s why Noble and Fredericks’ potential involvement is so significant this week and exactly why Moyes will be delighted ahead of kick-off.

AND in other news, Newman can seal West Ham bargain in 6 ft 4 “diamond” who was once “very keen” to join…

Former Test umpire David Shepherd has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

Cricinfo staff28-Oct-2009David Shepherd, the former England umpire, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.Shepherd was a renowned international umpire and officiated in 172 ODIs, including three consecutive World Cup finals, and 92 Tests between 1983 and 2005. His good-humoured approach to officiating and quirky superstitions – most notably his ‘jig’ when scores reached 111 or a multiple thereof – made him a favourite with players and spectators the world over.Shepherd was appointed a first-class umpire in 1981, and made his international debut at the 1983 World Cup. He would go onto become one of the game’s most decorated and beloved officials. Only Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen have stood in more Tests.His last Test match was between West Indies and Pakistan in Kingston in June 2005 – after which Brian Lara presented him with a bat inscribed with a message thanking him for “the service, the memories and the professionalism” – and his final county appearance came at his former home ground of Bristol. Shepherd had represented Gloucestershire as a batsman over a 14-year career, which included 282 first-class matches and 12 centuries.Upon his retirement from umpiring, Shepherd returned to Devon and remained involved with his local club. He married Jenny, his long-time partner, in 2008.In confirming his passing on Wednesday, a statement on the Gloucestershire website spoke of Shepherd’s “cheerful west country approach.” “He was respected by all with whom he came in contact, especially the international players whom he encountered in so many Test Matches,” the statement continued. “He always brought a smile to all our faces. For him cricket was a lovely game, a simple game and a game to be enjoyed. He himself brought so much enjoyment to so many of us.”One of the first personal tributes to come in was from his long-time colleague, Dickie Bird. “I feel very saddened this has happened,” Bird told Sky Sports. “He was a fine umpire, we spent many happy hours together. He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he’ll be sadly missed.”ICC President David Morgan called him a true gentleman of the game, a match official of the very highest quality with an immense positive influence on the sport. “The example he set as someone who took the art of umpiring very seriously while also enjoying what he did immensely will leave a lasting legacy for the game,” Morgan said. “He was an engaging character which meant players and other umpires were always delighted to be around him.”The current international umpires issued a statement saying many were indebted to him. “Every time we see Nelson on the scoreboard, we will be thinking of Shep’s little jig and saying a quiet ‘thank you’ for having him as one of us. As Shep would always say to every umpire he worked with on the way out to the middle, we now say to him: ‘Good luck mate, and may your God go with you.'”

There is a feeling that this generation of South Africans can make amends for all missed opportunities

Andrew McGlashan at Trent Bridge17-Jun-2009Ten years on from semi-final at Edgbaston, South Africa are ready to bury the ghosts of the past once and for all. The country’s record when it comes to the crunch at world events isn’t one of the nations’ prouder sporting achievements but there is a feeling that this generation of players can make amends.South Africa’s only ‘global’ title came in 1998 when they won the first mini World Cup in Bangladesh and the following year came their most harrowing tournament exit when they tied with Australia. The pressure told again in 2003 when a misread Duckworth-Lewis chart sent them out of their own World Cup and twice in 2007 – against Australia at the 50-over World Cup and against India at the World Twenty20 – batting collapses ended their campaigns.You wouldn’t blame supporters for hiding behind the sofa when the semi-final against Pakistan, at Trent Bridge, starts on Thursday, but the South African team is far more confident. “We’ve been in pressure situations before and have come through them,” Mickey Arthur, their coach, said. “It’s a different team of players, a different set of management and coaching staff.”Yes, we could get beaten tomorrow and then the chokers tag might surface but for us that’s not an issue so long as we are playing the game to the best of our ability. We aren’t scared of losing. Mentally our team is very strong.”While Arthur is right to say this is a new team, there is still a strong element of the past involved, with three survivors from the 1999 campaign in Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher. It is impressive sustainability – few teams can boast such continuity from the late 90s – but even one of those directly involved believes times have changed.”We have been in a few semis before but there’s a different feeling about this team,” Boucher said. “We’ve been through a lot of tests in the last couple of years which we have come through with flying colours. We’ve handled pressure pretty well and hopefully that is a sign of things to come in the final stages of this tournament.”That confidence is not misplaced, either, after a two-year period where they have confronted and overcome some of cricket’s toughest challenges. They have won in Pakistan, Australia and England and drawn in India. Only the home Test series defeat to Australia is a blip.For a significant portion of their successful run they have used the services of Jeremy Snape, the former England offspinner turned psychologist, and while this very modern of roles is often viewed cynically by former players the current set-up are happy to accept Snape’s methods.”He’s been on my couch once or twice,” Boucher joked. “There’s always something you can learn. I don’t think anyone in our side is arrogant enough to think they know too much about the game. We are always welcoming new ideas to move the game forward. He has added a lot of value to our side.”Time for The Gibbs?We’ve seen Tillakaratne Dilshan’s scoop and Mahela Jayawardene’s back-of-the bat sweep, but are we in for another new shot? Not wanting to be left behind, Herschelle Gibbs has been working on a few innovations of his own.”It’s imperative that you encourage that. Our guys are learning all the time,” Mickey Arthur said. “I had a discussion with Herschelle a couple of days ago and he is working on two more shots that he hasn’t unveiled yet because he doesn’t want to be caught in the pack.”He wants to set himself apart. He doesn’t like being upstaged by ‘The Dilshan’, he wants to get ‘The Gibbs’ out there.”There were no more clues on what the shots entail, so will ‘The Gibbs’ come out in the semi-final? “Maybe not,” Arthur said. “Hopefully he’ll save it for Lord’s.”Snape has come up with the phrase that the chokers have become the stranglers because of the effectiveness of South Africa’s bowling attack in tying down the opposition. Bowlers have certainly had their say in this tournament. A score of 160 has proved very defendable and the semi-finalists (with the exception of West Indies) have progressed on the strength of their attacks. And variety has been the key word.Even South Africa, a team once renowned for fielding an assortment of right-arm pace bowlers, now barely have two of the same kind. There’s the pace of Dale Steyn, the left-arm angle of Wayne Parnell, the swing of Kallis, the offspin of Johan Botha and the left-arm spin of Roelof van der Merwe.”When we were doing our warm-down [following the India game] I said to the guys how playing India in those conditions a few years ago we’d have probably been bowled out for 70 and they’d have got it in three to four overs,” Boucher said. “It’s great to be in a position where you can rock up to a ground, look at the wicket and know you have all the bases covered.”For Arthur it is the reward for a year’s worth of planning. “It’s always very pleasing when you sit down and plan and things work. We started this planning when we were over here touring England,” he said. “We saw quite a bit of the local Twenty20 on television and saw spin bowlers have a good effect.”It all came to fruition in the Australia series when we identified pace off the ball as one way of getting amongst them. And all credit to our spinners because they have come in and done the job. Yes, we have backed them, but eventually you need performances and our guys have given us that.”Now the pressure to maintain those performances has risen to another level. Any slip-ups and all that hard work will come to nothing. “We’ve tried to prepare as though it’s any other game,” Arthur said. “I don’t think we want to put too much emphasis on it being a semi-final.”