If there is an opportunity for this tournament’s profile to slip any further it lies in Sunday’s match in Guyana. Too much has already been taken away from the World Cup. Murder and the talk surrounding it has left a bad taste in the mouth. The teams with the biggest followings have been dismissed in the first round. Locals, alienated by the prices and culture and of this sanitised mega-event, have stayed away from even those games featuring the home side. What enthusiasm there remains in the Caribbean for their, and cricket’s, showpiece spectacle is in danger of evaporating completely should the home team be knocked out before half the competition has finished.A West Indian loss to Sri Lanka will not technically conclude their semi-finals aspirations, but will certainly make the prospect extremely difficult. Not only will they then need to win three on the run, but will also have to hope all other permutations going their way. Conversely, a revived Windies team hold the potential to inspire fans to rally round them and infuse some much-need energy into the event, on the street and on the radio, in mini-buses and in rum shops – and, it is hoped, in the stands too.Organisers expect a big turnout for tomorrow’s game, but Brian Lara’s current worries go beyond noise from the crowd. In familiar fashion, Lara chose an extraordinarily eccentric XI for Thursday’s dismal surrender to New Zealand, leaving out prime bowling firepower in the form of Jerome Taylor in order to play an inexperienced opening batsman in Lendl Simmons at No. 8.Having digested the line-up on the team sheet, Andy Roberts, one of the three selectors, went on record to say: “I can’t find the words to describe it. If you play an extra batsman at No. 8, he has to be able to bowl. All I can say is that Simmons must have changed roles since I last saw him.”Lara’s response to that had been that, “I can simply say to Andy Roberts that I did not select this World Cup squad. I was not there in the meeting. The team was selected without me. But I still go out there and fight my very best with the squad given to me.” He was still in a fighting mood in Guyana two days later: “I was caught by surprise at the press conference. I was surprised and shocked that things like that need to be spoken about in public. It’s not healthy.”Something is terribly off in West Indies cricket if captain and selectors repeatedly and publicly fall out. In last year’s tour of the Caribbean by India, weeks of grumbling from Lara culminated in a colossal salvo against the selection committee. He was appointed for a third term as captain to provide a sense of elderly calm before the World Cup, but the constant tussle with Lara and administrators has rather undermined the rationale. Quite apart from the selection clashes has been the long-running contracts dispute with the board.If the atmosphere has been less than inspirational behind the scenes, it has was scarcely more encouraging in Antigua’s new stadium during the week, where stands were about quarter full for marquee West Indies encounters.”Even if you have empty stadiums and no contracts, this is still the World Cup,” Lara shrugged. “If you’re a professional, you should be able to play under any circumstances.”West Indies have enough on their plate without the own goals. Though they eventually reached the finals of that tournament, the last time they Indies played Sri Lanka they were bowled out on a low pitch at Mumbai in the Champions Trophy for 80. Coming on second change, Farveez Maharoof, the medium-pacer, took 6 for 14. Two batsmen reached double figures. Sri Lanka hunted the target in 13 overs.The surface at the Providence Stadium is more temperate than then, one that will still suit Sri Lanka. Coach Tom Moody has promised a better batting performance than in their tense loss to South Africa on Wednesday.”We know that we really only competed in about 30 per cent of that game,” he said. “It was only because of a brilliant spell of four balls that made it look a lot closer than it was. We know that we didn’t bat as well as we could have upfront. Thankfully [Russell] Arnold and [Tillakaratne] Dilshan gave us the opportunity to compete in the match. But we will be looking for a hell of a better batting performance at the top end.”West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul,3 Brian Lara (capt), 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 DwayneBravo, 7 Dwayne Smith, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Ian Bradshaw, 10 DarenPowell, 11 Jerome Taylor.Sri Lanka (probable)1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Russel Arnold, 7 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Farveez Maharoof, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Lasith Malinga.
Kenya fly out of Nairobi today to start their five-ODI tour of Zimbabwe, and Steve Tikolo, their captain, was in bullish mood.Kenya were in Zimbabwe in October when they won all three matches against an A side. But Zimbabwe fielded most of their Test team, and since then a number of them, including Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu, have quit.”If we are going to play the same team we met last year, then Zimbabwe should brace themselves for a tough competition,” Tikolo told the Daily Nation. “This time, the selection was done when some regular players have injuries which gives the youngsters an opportunity to prove themselves.”Tikolo also said that Roger Harper had given the side a new professionalism. “His work ethic is very professional which is good for the boys,” he explained. Harper was reported to be surprised at the diet and fitness of the side, and he has been working hard over the last fortnight to bring them up to speed.Harper has given each player a personal training schedule on as well as advice on food and alcohol. “The consumption of alcohol has a dehydrating effect, takes a while to get out of the system, slows you down and prevents you from functioning efficiently,” he wrote to them. “We have to decide what we are and what we want to be: a Formula One racing car or some old tired truck.”
Even accounting for the worst form of pessimism, Hamish Marshall would havehardly bargained for a four-year break after making an unbeaten 40 on debutat the Wanderers in 2000. With hindsight now, as Marshall rises to every newchallenge set by the New Zealand selectors, those four years seem amonumental waste.To look at it positively, timing is everything, and 2004-05 will beremebered as the Hamish Marshall’s season. Bare statistics tell the storyeffectively enough, but it is his temperament and style with the bat in handthat have signalled his arrival as a tremendous Test prospect.Marshall has had an infectious effect on the New Zealand side this season.In Bangladesh and Australia it was as an energetic squad member seeking tore-ignite his Test career after becoming a one-day regular in 2003-04. Butat home since Christmas, the vibe has stemmed from his stunning successsince moving up to assume the No. 3 position in both forms of the game. Inthe field, Marshall is set for a long rein at backward point, so long theterritory of Chris Harris.Unlike those of his teammates who’ve blown their chances when picked,Marshall made 69 on his Test return at Chittagong after surviving adead-straight lbw appeal. But luck has played a much lesser role in hissensational run since then.It was Marshall’s half-century in the white-hot atmosphere of his firstday-night ODI in Australia that put New Zealand in position to secure itsonly win in the 12 trans-Tasman battles this season. A maiden century in hisfirst Test against Australia put New Zealand in a competitive position forone of the few times this season and now, when a good start against SriLanka was vital, Marshall delivered another three-figure gem.No task seems too tough for Marshall. After batting at No. 3 in the one-dayteam last season, he slipped down to No.5 for Northern Districts after JohnBracewell, the New Zealand coach decided that the team needed him to workthe middle stages this season. Marshall assumed that spot for his province.But he soon found himself as the international No. 3, courtesy of MathewSinclair’s choke mid-way through the one-day series against Australia andStephen Fleming’s decision to open in the Tests.Ordinarily it would be a cause for alarm if a batsman refused net practice asMarshall does on most occasions. It’s not that he is shying away from doingthe hard yards. It’s just that he prefers to hone his batting skills withthrow-downs, a method every cricketer in the world can relate to. Staggering as it may seem, the beauty of Marshall’s game is that it is based on simple methods.
The former Test umpire Charlie Elliott died on New Year’s Day, at the age of 91. Elliott played 275 matches for Derbyshire, mostly as an opening batsman, between 1932 and 1953, featuring in 19 games in their only Championship-winning year of 1936. He was at his best after the war, when he topped 1000 runs in a season in six consecutive summers (1947-52).But it was as an umpire that Elliott really excelled. He joined the first-class list in 1956, and within a year stood in the first of his 42 Tests.His first match – the first Test between England and West Indies at Edgbaston in 1957 – was steeped in controversy as Peter May and Colin Cowdrey repeatedly padded away Sonny Ramadhin to earn a draw. Ramadhin was never the same bowler again, and he always claimed that he should have had both batsmen leg-before dozens of times.And his last – the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s in 1974 – was no less controversial, but not because of anything Elliott had done. Water leaked under the covers, and Pakistan were left fuming as Derek Underwood wreaked havoc with 13 for 71. Justice was done when rain washed out the final day with England on the brink of victory.Following his retirement as an umpire at the end of that season, Elliott was appointed as an England selector, a post he held until 1981. He also retained his links with Derbyshire, serving as chairman of the cricket committee and then as their president in 1993 and 1994.Elliott was also a useful footballer, representing Coventry City in 101 league and cup matches, as well as acting as caretaker-manager for six months in the 1954-55 season.Until shortly before his death Elliott ran a guest-house in Nottingham, which was festooned with cricket memorabilia and popular with itinerant journalists.
Queensland left hander Matthew Hayden has tonight capped a sensational 12 months by being named the 2002 Allan Border Medallist. At a glittering black-tie function here at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, the opening batsman’s insatiable run scoring over the past year ensured that he became the third player in history to win Australian cricket’s most coveted individual award.Hayden, 30, honoured his status as the pre-count favourite by recording a seven-vote win over leg spinner Shane Warne. Wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist ended the night in third place.It was only narrowly short of being the biggest margin of victory in the award’s three-year history, following Glenn McGrath’s 10-vote win in 2000. Steve Waugh triumphed by only one vote in a desperately tight triumph last year.The award – an annual honour which recognises Australia’s highest-performing player over the previous 12 months – is a tribute not only to Hayden’s skill. But also to his consistency over the total of 14 Test and 19 one-day international matches played by Australia over the 12 months between February 2001 and February 2002.”I’ve kept the game very simple throughout these last 12 months,” said Hayden after his win.”I believed that I could play the sort of cricket for Australia that I have done at other levels.”I really appreciate the opportunities (that I’ve been given) by the selectors. At the end of the day, they’ve believed (in me) and it’s been a great honour to be able to start paying the selectors back that belief.”The Queenslander enjoyed a remarkable 12 months at the head of his country’s batting order as a career that has yielded a glut of runs at domestic level in both Australia and England translated itself into equivalent success in the game’s top flight.He dominated Australia’s ill-fated Test tour of India in March and April, setting the tone for a memorable year by more than doubling the run output of any other Australian player in the series. In all, he amassed 549 runs at the phenomenal average of 109.80.Late in the year, a record-breaking association with fellow left hander Justin Langer at the top of the order helped to decisively confirm his berth among Australia’s elite and to rewrite existing marks for first wicket partnerships at international level.Their batting – which produced an amazing five double century partnerships in the space of seven Tests – represented the highlight of Australia’s home campaigns against New Zealand and South Africa between November and January.Hayden’s Ashes series in England in the middle of 2001 was underwhelming by comparison but still failed to threaten his status as a runaway winner.During that period, his right of passage to the award was challenged briefly by both Warne and Gilchrist.But he polled so strongly at both ends of the voting period that they were never a genuine chance of catching him.Hayden duly becomes the third player to win the award but the first from outside New South Wales.In other award categories, Hayden was also named Australia’s outstanding Test player of the year, and Ricky Ponting its best at one-day international level.South Australian captain Darren Lehmann was honoured as State Player of the Year for a remarkable third time in succession; boom Tasmanian all-rounder Shane Watson as Young Cricketer of the Year; and Greg Chappell and Stan McCabe were elevated to the select band of cricketers who form Australia’s Hall of Fame.National vice-captain Karen Rolton also carved her own slice of history by becoming the inaugural recipient of the Women’s International Cricketer of the Year award.
In 39 Test matches since making his debut against England back in 1995/96, Jacques Kallis has always been viewed as a player of prodigious talent capable of matching the best in the world. In his 40th Test match, the first in the Castle Lager/MTN series against New Zealand in Bloemfontein on Friday, he demonstrated that he now is one of the best in the world.Kallis utterly dominated the first day’s play, making an unbeaten 153 as South Africa stormed to 270 for three before bad light halted played 34 minutes before the scheduled close.The South Africans have laid a platform for a massive first innings score, and perhaps the tone of the entire series, and Kallis was at the root of it all. He came to the crease for the third ball of the day, after Boeta Dippenaar had gone for a second ball duck on his home ground, caught at second slip off Shayne O’Connor, and played with imperious ease.The outfield at Goodyear Park was heavy for Friday’s first day, but you would not have know it from the way Kallis played, combining the great strength of his shoulders and upper body with exquisite timing to reach the boundary 25 times.He came as close to perfection as South Africa could have wished and he showed, in this innings, that he now has the mental toughness to break an attack’s heart. Since an uncertain start to his Test career, Kallis has based his technique around a solid defence and six centuries in his previous 39 games suggest that there was at least some merit in this approach.But there had always been the sense that he still had another gear to shift into, that at times when he was at the crease he tended to drift along with the game. On Friday Kallis took an inexperienced New Zealand attack to the cleaners and it may now be difficult for the tourists to come back in this match, and in the series.After Dippenaar’s early departure there was some support for Kallis from the veterans Gary Kirsten and Daryll Cullinan, who both got themselves in and then got themselves out for 31 and 29 respectively, before Neil McKenzie came in for the fourth wicket.McKenzie has played in Kallis’ shadow in their unbroken 106-run partnership, but he gave solid support and produced some class of his own when he picked the same gap at extra cover to drive Craig McMillan for three successive fours in the over before the evening drinks break.But it has been all Kallis and it is a terrible pity that he declined to talk to the media afterwards. Two generations of South African batsmen would have stood in queues to talk to the Press after making a Test 150.Kallis was also involved in an unusual incident just after lunch when Daryll Cullinan drove O’Connor back down the wicket and the ball deflected off the bowler’s arm onto the stumps. The naked eye suggested that Kallis was well short of his ground. Certainly, the New Zealand dressing room believed it.But e tv, televising their first Test, could not call up the replays to give third umpire Rudi Koertzen a defenitive view. Kallis, then on 76, was allowed to bat on. Some 90 minutes later e tv managed to untangle their tape machine and find pictures that proved Kallis had, in fact, regained his ground, thereby vindicating Koertzen’s decision.It later emerged that in the interests of economy e tv had employed only two fixed cameras to film line decisions instead of the four that have been accepted practice in South Africa for several years. Inevitably, the video machine with the tape that could have resolved the matter instantly was the one that jammed. It is e tv’s first go at a Test match, and they have learned the hard way that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong.As, perhaps, have New Zealand. Their seam attack on the first day sprayed the ball on both sides of the wicket, seldom, if ever, putting Kallis and his partners under any sustained pressure. Daryl Tufey was particularly wayward and after a promising start, O’Connor felt the sharp edge of Kallis’ bat.The pick of the New Zealanders, in fact, was the young legspinner Brooke Walker, playing his first Test only because of injuries to Danny Vettori and Paul Wiseman. Walker has modelled his action on Shane Warne and he gets a fair bit of spin although he was punished whenever he dropped it short. He, though, bowls leg breaks and is very young, so he has an excuse. The other members of the attack simply bowled badly.
He was seen in the background of a training video with a ball at his feet and there is hope that he could make a return to action against Rangers following the current international break, leading to much excitement from some in the media.
The Latest: Hutton’s comments on Kyogo
Hutton, who contributes as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Furuhashi’s impending return and what that will means for Ange Postecoglou and Celtic.
The 36-year-old believes that it will be ‘really difficult’ for the Hoops boss to decide who to omit, having backed the Japan international to come back in once fully fit, saying:
“It’s a really difficult one for Postecoglou.
“He’s got all these attackers doing well. Maeda, Jota, Giakoumakis, Abada – they’re all flying.
“It’s a tough side to break into. But I’m pretty sure that once he’s fully fit, he will break back in and find a place in that side.
“Whether he has to tweak the formation or someone has to sit out – I just think from what I’ve seen so far, Kyogo is a cut above the rest.
“With the options they’ve got at the moment they can afford to feed him in slowly and take their time, but when he’s fully fit – he has to play.”
The Verdict: Options
Furuhashi will more than likely take a while to get back up to speed in green and white, but having multiple options in attack could be vital for Postecoglou in the final games of the season.
The 27-year-old is still Celtic’s top scorer despite missing several months of action, so having Furuhashi on the bench over the coming weeks will be a massive boost for the Hoops.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Postecoglou likes to switch things up anyway, so even when the Japanese star is fully fit, the likes of Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda should still get plenty of game-time.
In other news: Sources close to Celtic drop positive Karamoko Dembele update as contract deadline looms
It’s never easy to tell what’s going through Steve Harmison’s head, but on a day when he produced his first five-wicket haul of the New Zealand tour, the good vibes were more clearly visible than usual. While his fellow bowlers succumbed to injury and illness – and in Chris Tremlett’s case, ended up being booked on a flight back to England – Harmison bowled ten overs off the reel to finish with figures of 5 for 100, a performance that sparked his side’s fightback against the New Zealand Select XI.Even so, Harmison has suffered too many barren days of late to allow one day of success to go to his head. “I got marginally better the more and more I bowled,” he said. “It feels as though I’m getting better, and to get a five-wicket haul is great. I’ve been in the country eight days, I’ve bowled in three innings and I’ve got eight wickets. There’s a lot of improvement to come from that, and hopefully it will carry on through the three Tests.”Harmison’s arrival in New Zealand was delayed by five days following the birth of his fourth child, Charlie, which put a significant dent in his preparation time, especially since he had not bowled competitively since the tour of Sri Lanka before Christmas. “I wouldn’t swap the world for coming here late,” he said, “but I am the sort of bowler that does take time to [get used to] being in a different country. I’ve acclimatised better than I thought.”Though he bowled with good rhythm and stamina in the Sri Lanka series, Harmison admitted his performances at the end of last year would count for little now. “It’s a new scenario and new pitches because I’ve had six weeks off,” he said. “But I feel in as good a shape as I’ve ever been. I had a good blowout after Christmas as everyone needed, but then I got into the gym and worked hard for five or six days a week. I’ve been working on my strength and stability, and I’m not as floppy as I used to be, and I feel as though that has shown today.”His rhythm and control was slightly awry at the start of today’s spell, but Harmison found his line and length as the innings went on. “I get better through lengthy spells,” he said. “I’m going to take each day as it comes, keep going and keep trying. I was picking things up and changing things the more the day went on, but today a few things clicked in my action and I came up with a few wickets.”To be tinkering with his approach so close to a Test match is far from ideal, but Harmison conceded that where his form is concerned, there’s no real alternative. “I’m as frustrated as anybody, but it’s the way I am and it’s not for want of trying,” he said. “I try my nuts off every time I go on the field. Sometimes at the top [of my action] things aren’t going right, but it’s at the top and you can’t drag it back. All I’ve ever done is to try my best on the field, and sometimes on trips things get better through time.”Harmison, however, admitted he wouldn’t find his full range until he takes the field at Hamilton for the first Test. “There’s still a bit more in there,” he said, “but that always comes with adrenalin, when you’re being watched by 10-15,000 people. The intensity always up when it’s a Test match and you’re representing England against another country. That’s not a negative thing, it’s just something you do as an individual, to lift that one or two percent more.”I bowled some quick balls, some good balls, and some bad balls as well,” he said. “but the more and more this trip has gone on there have been more good balls in an over than bad. I’ve got to be relatively happy.”He was also relatively happy with the way England’s warm-up match had panned out. “Sometimes you need days like that,” he said of England’s first-innings collapse. “If you bowl a team out for 80 and get 500 it’s a waste of time. You want to be tested and do a bit of soul-searching, lick your wounds and have a look deep inside. I think the majority of us have done that and it’s the ideal workout for Hamilton next week.”
New South Wales will regain Simon Katich, their captain, for the Pura Cup final against Tasmania starting next Monday. Katich has recovered from an injured thumb and takes back the leadership from Dominic Thornely for the Hobart match.The Blues will hope Katich, who has averaged 74.77 this season, can add some stability to a batting line-up that collapsed for 53 against the Tigers last week. Matthew Nicholson, the veteran fast bowler, also returns to the squad having missed their last game as he and his partner prepared for the birth of twins.Beau Casson, whose seven Pura Cup games in 2006-07 have yielded a disappointing seven wickets at 72, makes way for Nathan Hauritz. Although Stuart MacGill has again been consistent, the Blues have struggled to draw results from their back-up spinners – Hauritz has three wickets at 58.66.Ben Rohrer, the batsman who made 163 on debut last week, retained his place in the 13-man outfit. Peter Forrest, who impressed in his first two matches, is also in the squad but could be the unlucky batsman to make way for Katich in the starting line-up.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Ed Cowan, Simon Katich (capt), Dominic Thornely, Ben Rohrer, Peter Forrest, Daniel Smith (wk), Grant Lambert, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Nicholson, Doug Bollinger, Stuart MacGill.
ScorecardNew South Wales’ campaign to retain the Pura Cup title hit a big hurdle today as Queensland piled up a huge 287-run first-innings lead. Martin Love’s 116 and half-centuries from Andy Bichel and Daniel Doran saw Queensland amass a mammoth 456 before Phil Jacques steered NSW to 1 for 63 by close of play on the second day at Brisbane. NSW will now have to bat out of their skins in the remaining two days to escape an outright defeat.Love, resuming on 77, lost his overnight partner Clinton Perren to Stuart MacGill the very next ball after bringing up his century. Soon MacGill struck again, trapping Love and Grant Lambert removed the next man in, Chris Hartley, to reduce Queensland to 6 for 268. But Bichel shared in two fifty-plus partnerships with Brendon Nash (42) and Doran to keep NSW hopes at bay. MacGill and Lambert shared seven wickets between them but the Queensland tail wagged – the last two wickets added 48 – to extend the agony for NSW.Jaques, who lost his opening partner Craig Simmons in the final over, guided NSW to stumps, remaining unbeaten on 37.