All posts by h716a5.icu

New Zealand’s Academy team continues to make a big impression in their matches against the Australian Academy side in Adelaide

Lynn McConnell26-Apr-2001New Zealand’s Academy team continues to make a big impression in their matches against the Australian Academy side in Adelaide.Having won the first two-day game on the first innings, the side was in a strong position on the second day of the second game when starting today.The New Zealand Academy batted first and scored 399 off 78.5 overs.Two fine top order partnerships allowed the side to recover from the loss of Jamie How when the score was only 11.Reece Young and Nick Horsley added 110 runs in 90 minutes off 140 balls with their partnership ending only two minutes before lunch. Young having played shorter pitched bowling with power and precision was caught at short cover from the left-arm bowling of Xavier Doherty for 46.After lunch Horsley and Shanan Stewart put the Australian bowlers through the grinder. Horsley had great reward for a positive innings and scored his century off 132 balls with 15 fours and a six.Stewart chimed in also with some fine attacking play. They added 150 runs when Horsley was run out for 123 scored in 190 minutes off 158 balls and his innings included 18 fours and a six.Two wickets fell just before the tea break. Greg Todd hit a six off Tim Welsford and was out straight afterwards, caught at cover, and was followed immediately by Stewart, who was caught at long on, having hit 95 off 91 balls, including five huge sixes. At tea, New Zealand was 306/5.New Zealand attempted to hit out in the final session with a score of 400 as their aim but the loss of four wickets for six runs saw them fall one run short.Doherty took four for 107 from 19 overs while Beau Casson had three for 69 from 17.5.Australia then lost opening batsman Duncan Betts for a duck when the score was 12. However Scott Meuleman and Shaun Marsh, both of whom have played first-class cricket for Western Australia, saw the side to 38/1 at stumps.On Tuesday, New Zealand managed a first innings win over the Australians. Chasing Australia’s 320, New Zealand were in trouble at 47/4. However, Jonathan McNamee and Brendon McCullum added 99 runs for the fifth wicket.McCullum was out for 56, caught at square leg from left-arm wrist spinner Beau Casson for 56.Luke Woodcock joined McNamee and they took New Zealand to tea in the encouraging position of 232/5. McNamee built on the 78 he had scored before the break and recorded an elegant century which featured some deft placement mixed with strong drives and a fine demonstration of patience.When he was out for 123, scored off 200 balls in 279 minutes of batting which included 16 fours and three sixes, he had shared 154 runs with Woodcock.Coach Dayle Hadlee said: “Luke Woodcock was typically tenacious, showing defiance in the face of the taunts from the opposition. He demonstrated patience but was selective as he hit the loose ball firmly.”Woodcock followed two runs after McNamee but Nathan McCullum hit three quick boundaries to give New Zealand the first innings lead.Geeves was the most successful of the Australians with three for 41 from 21 overs while Casson had two for 99 from 23 overs and Welsford two for 18 from eight.

Tottenham Hotspur’s mooted interest in Scott Parker is increasing, according to emerging reports this week…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claimed that Spurs’ former midfielder, who is now in charge of Championship-bound Fulham, is a potential candidate to replace Jose Mourinho in north London, with Daniel Levy hugely keen on bringing him back to the club.

Spurs have reportedly put the feelers out to gauge the 40-year-old’s interest in the job, whilst the Lilywhites chairman is said to “think the world of” of him and is now pushing to secure him as his next manager.

Parker began his coaching career at Hotspur Way, taking charge of the under-18s in 2017 before making the switch to the Cottagers as first team coach under Slavisa Jokanovic. He was then promoted to the manager’s job following the Serbian’s departure, leading them to the Premier League last year.

Shades of Hoddle

Levy ought to be careful in his next appointment and there have to be major question marks over whether or not Parker is ready for this step up. Fulham are very likely to be going straight back down to the second tier, despite vast improvements in form and performances under the 40-year-old in recent months.

The Daily Mail waxed lyrical about how his ‘defensive rebuild’ had been key for the west London outfit. When they were relegated from the top flight last time, they had leaked a whopping 81 goals but now they’re set to head down having conceded only 45 times so far – the second-fewest of any team below 11th.

Parker has even earned the praise of Pep Guardiola, who dubbed him “incredibly good”, whilst ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson recently lauded him as “bright, young and intelligent”, although he did suggest that the Fulham boss would be a “big gamble.”

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A big gamble, indeed.

Levy should know all about appointing former players and how badly that can turn out. After sacking George Graham, he looked to Glenn Hoddle, who as a player was one of the best in his generation but delivered two seasons of pure underachievement as a manager.

Poor judgement and arrogance were two factors attributed to his downfall, according to The Guardian, whilst Levy himself claimed he was “very difficult” to work with.

That’s not to say Parker is anything like this, because he’s not, but it does go to show that a good player doesn’t necessarily make a good manager.

The 40-year-old could probably benefit more from further time at Fulham, or at a ‘bridging’ club in between one being relegated and one challenging for Europe.

Hoddle’s fatal reign as Tottenham manager should never tarnish his ability as a player but it probably did damage his reputation, and many in N17 may still have nightmares about his stint in the dugout.

The Spurs job is just too soon for Parker, and Levy must now look elsewhere for Mourinho’s successor.

AND in other news, Levy’s “criminal” decision could deal Spurs huge hammer blow as fresh update emerges…

The complete wash-out of the first two days deemed that bonus points would bethe only realistic aim for both sides and it was Yorkshire that proved themost successful, taking the full quota of eight points

Paul Hiscock19-May-2001The complete wash-out of the first two days deemed that bonus points would bethe only realistic aim for both sides and it was Yorkshire that proved themost successful, taking the full quota of eight points.They added the necessary 24 runs in the morning session in 13 overs tocollect their fifth batting point before declaring and when Paul Prichardwent to the first ball in the Essex reply, the visitors may have held hopesof an improbable victory.Two further wickets fell inside 20 overs before Stuart Law and Ronnie Iranibegan to repair the damage with a fourth wicket partnership of 75 runs.Law played a typically forceful innings, taking four boundaries in one overfrom Paul Hutchison and he eased to his half-century having faced 75deliveries and struck eight boundaries.But with his score on 53, he was caught behind the wicket off the bowling ofmedium-pacer Gary Fellows who produced a scintillating spell of 3-0 in 11deliveries.Irani was next to go, trapped leg before wicket for 34 and then GrahamNapier, still to get off the mark, top-edged an intended drive to slip tocomplete Fellows trio of quick wickets.With the score 134-6, Essex were facing the follow-on but Stephen Petersemerged to form the bedrock of two useful partnerships. Firstly, he added 32with Barry Hyam, who made 17, and then with Ricky Anderson who swunglustily for 21 before he was bowled by Ian Fisher.Paul Hutchison returned to have Ashley Cowan caught for a duck but Petersresisted stoutly and found a further ally in No 11 Mark Ilott.The combination added 38 runs and were just one run short of achieving asecond batting point for their side when Ilott cllpped Darren Lehmann tomid-wicket to leave Peters stranded on 49 not out.Yorkshire take 12 points and Essex eight points from the drawn match.

Alasdair Gold has revealed that, while Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Paris Saint-Germain remains uncertain, he has not yet had contact with Tottenham in regards to a potential return to the club.

The Lowdown: Manager search continues

Pochettino was replaced by Jose Mourinho in November 2019, who himself was sacked last month just a few days prior to the Carabao Cup final.

The managerial position at Spurs remains vacant as Daniel Levy continues his search for the next man to step into the hot seat.

The Latest: Pochettino future uncertain but not yet in Spurs frame

As it stands, PSG are three points behind Ligue 1 leaders Lille with just two games left to play (BBC), so it seems unlikely that they will retain their league crown.

In an article for football.london, Gold has said that the 49-year-old’s future at the Parc des Princes is up in the air, but added that there has not yet been any contact between the Argentine and Levy.

The Verdict: Up in the air

Pochettino replaced Thomas Tuchel at PSG in December of last year on an 18-month contract – he will earn £467,000 per month (gentside.co.uk), or about £8.4m overall. The Parisians have won seven of the last eight league titles in France, so to not finish top of the table would be a huge disappointment.

Pochettino remains a hugely popular figure from his time in north London (The Boot Room) and there could well be a contingent of the support who would welcome him back with open arms.

However, returning to his former club, who are further away from success than PSG, could be perceived as a step backwards, so it remains to be seen what the next few months hold for the former Southampton manager.

In other news, Levy is reportedly desperate to hire this man for Spurs.

Liverpool have struggled without their leader at the back Virgil van Dijk this season, and Paul Stewart, who was signed by Liverpool for £2.3 million in 1992, spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern about how much of a difference the Dutchman will make next season.

After appearing to be complete outsiders to qualify for the Champions League Liverpool are now favourites to finish in the top four as they just have to win their final two league games against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

In recent weeks  Van Dijk has confirmed that he will not be going to the European Championships with the Netherlands this summer as he looks to continue his recovery from an ACL injury which saw him ruled out for the season back in October.

When the Dutch international returns next season he could be just like a new signing and an expensive one, that is according to Stewart who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I’m assuming Van Dijk will be fit for the start of next season, which will be like buying a new £100 million centre back for them.

“He has been missing for so long though and Liverpool have sorely missed him this season.”

Liverpool kept their Champions League hopes alive last weekend when Alisson scored a 94th-minute header to send fans, players and Jurgen Klopp into delirium over what they had just witnessed.

When Van Dijk plays for Liverpool the whole side becomes better as he can bring the ball out of defence into midfield and his ability to cover any of the other three defenders is something that allows Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to stay further forward.

Sri Lanka’s spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan has emerged as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year 2000-01

CEAT Media Release09-Jun-2001Sri Lanka’s spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan has emerged as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year 2000-01. Murali topped the CEAT Cricket Ratings with a tally of 111 points, 16 ahead of the first runner-up, his own team-mate Marvan Atapattu.The CEAT Year of 2000-01 has been a memorable one for Murali. Among his most unforgettable feats this year were his 13-wicket haul in a Test match against the South Africans at Galle, a spell of 7-30 against India which was the best-ever performance by any bowler in one-day internationals, and of course, his 300th Test wicket.The ‘Top Five’in the CEAT Cricket Ratings were:Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Laka) 111 pts.Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka) 95 pts.Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 93 pts.Jacques Kallis ( South Africa) 87 pts.Sachin Tendulkar (India) 85 pts.Sachin Tendulkar’s CEAT Efficiency Quotient (CEQ) of 3.04 was the highest among the leading contenders for the Award.South Africa have topped the CEAT Team of the Year Ratings. Three Test series wins, including one in the Caribbean and a successful run in one-day internationals have enabled South Africa to top the Ratings with a tally of 98 points, which included 57 from the 14 Tests and 41 from the 26 ODIs which they played during the CEAT Year.Previous winners of the ‘CEAT International Cricketer of the Year’ Award are:Brian Lara (1995-96)Venkatesh Prasad (1996-97)Sanath Jayasuriya (1997-98)Jacques Kallis (1998-99)Sourav Ganguly (1999-00).The annual CEAT Cricket Ratings were instituted in 1995-96. Supervised by three legends of the game; Clive Lloyd, Ian Chappell and Sunil Gavaskar, the Ratings take into account all international cricket played between the 1st of May and the 30th of April.The ‘CEAT Team of the Year’ Award was instituted in 1996-97. The Award has since been won by:Pakistan (1996-97).Australia (1997-98 and 1999-00)South Africa (1998-99).

The star-studded PIA have the edge over National Bank in the other semifinal of the National One-day CricketChampionship under floodlights at Gaddafi Stadium Tuesday

02-Apr-2002The star-studded PIA have the edge over National Bank in the other semifinal of the National One-day CricketChampionship under floodlights at Gaddafi Stadium Tuesday.Led by former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, PIA have Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Malik – all named in Sharjah Cup squad, in their ranks.Ex-internationals Ghulam Ali and Asif Mujtaba add solidity to a side which finished runners-up in Group-I of the final round after being forced to play without current Pakistan stars in the first two games.National Bank are captained by discarded Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed. They will rely heavily on Pakistan captain Waqar Younis and the vastly experienced Inzamam-ul-Haq to increase their prospects of victory.Teams (from):PIA: Moin Khan (captain), Ghulam Ali, Faisal Iqbal, Yasir Hameed, Asif Mujtaba, Yousuf Youhana, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, WasimAkram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, Fazle Akbar, Mohammad Imran, Nadeem Khan, Nadeem Afzal, Aizaz bin Ilyas, Sohail Jaffar, Mahmood Hamid.National Bank: Mushtaq Ahmed (captain), Imran Nazir, Hanif-ur-Rehman, Qaiser Abbas, Naumanullah, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Akhtar Sarfraz, Sajid Ali, Imran Javed, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Javed, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Zahid Saeed, Khalid Latif, Naeem Khan.Umpires: Salim Badar and Aleem Dar.Match referee: Azhar Khan.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes it would be an ‘absolute disaster’ if Marcelo Bielsa took over at Tottenham this summer.

The Lowdown: Priceless figure at Leeds

The Whites are in the middle of a special period in their history, having finally returned to the Premier League this season.

Bielsa has been the undoubted key reason for Leeds’ success, transforming the club’s fortunes and playing an exciting brand of high-energy attacking football.

Worryingly, the Argentine is yet to commit his future to the club for another year, with his current deal expiring at the end of June.

The Latest: Robinson bemoans Bielsa rumour

Tottenham have been linked with acquiring Bielsa’s services and bringing him as their new manager, following Jose Mourinho’s departure earlier in the year.

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson admitted it was exciting from a Spurs perspective, but disastrous for anyone of a Leeds persuasion:

“From a Spurs point of view, I would love to see Bielsa there.

“When you compare the Spurs and Leeds squad there is not much comparison, and that is no disrespect to the Leeds squad. Tottenham’s squad is made up of top international players.

“Look at what Bielsa got from that group of Leeds players in the Championship, it makes you wonder what he could get from those Spurs players. It could be unbelievable.

“From a Leeds point of view though it would be an absolute disaster. It really would.

“He would be a very shrewd appointment but I don’t think they’ve got any chance of luring him away.”

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The Verdict: Too loyal to leave

The thought of Bielsa suddenly leaving Leeds is a horrendous one, considering he has been the catalyst for such a memorable few years at Elland Road.

Losing him now, at a point when the Whites are primed for a possible European push next season, would be extremely hard to come back from, such is his level of influence.

Bielsa is a fiercely loyal, principled character, however, so it would be a big surprise if he didn’t extend his stay and moved to north London instead.

In other news, one Leeds player has been blasted for his recent behaviour. Find out who it is here.

It was only a few days ago that a headline like that was confined to events of a purely cricketing nature, such as when England reached an all-time low by being bowled out for just 84 by Australia at Old Trafford to lose a match in the NatWest Series

Ralph Dellor18-Jun-2001It was only a few days ago that a headline like that was confined to events of a purely cricketing nature, such as when England reached an all-time low by being bowled out for just 84 by Australia at Old Trafford to lose a match in the NatWest Series. What happened at Headingley on Sunday represented an entirely different situation. Cricket was secondary to the pitch invasion by over-excited elements of the crowd. That resulted in England captain Alec Stewart conceding the game to Pakistan and a steward being taken off to hospital having become the victim of the unruly mob.There was no doubting that Pakistan would have deservedly won. There were 10.1 overs to be bowled, six wickets in hand and only four runs to be scored when a large section of the crowd burst over the boundary rope as if the game had finished. Such was the scale of the pitch invasion, and with a steward lying near the wicket with internal and head injuries, the game had to be regarded as finished. Rather than going out again when the pitch was eventually cleared, Stewart decided that England would accept the inevitable and so the unique entry in the record books: “England conceded the match.”Stewart said “It was a sad decision but it was a decision I felt was right for the long term good of the game. For the sake of the players and the umpires, I felt it was the only decision I could make. Hopefully it will mean that we won’t see scenes like that again and the ICC will now take very, very strong measures to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”John Read, the Director of Corporate Affairs of the England and Wales Cricket Board, acknowledged the gravity of the affair. “It was an incredibly sad day for cricket in this country and we condemn unreservedly what happened,” he said. “We’re resolved to ensure that the grounds are as safe an environment as possible for the players, spectators and umpires and that these sort of things don’t happen in the future.”But what can be done? Heavy fines, like those imposed in Australia for similar behaviour? Extra security, with snarling dogs as seen in South Africa? Fences, as used in Asia? None are usually necessary in England, but there is a dilemma for the authorities. Both crowd invasions in this series have involved predominantly Pakistani supporters, yet most are British citizens. Unlike when there is crowd trouble at football, it is not easy to identify a target for sanctions and punishment.The decision to concede the match was a brave one, and seemed correct at the time it was made. However, it could prove to be a dangerous precedent. It might send the wrong signals to those who seek to affect the outcome of a match. The game at Headingley was as good as over and meant little anyway. It would not be the same in, for example, a tense match that could have implications on qualification for the final stages of a world cup. It should not be up to either captain to concede. There is no provision for that in the regulations and nor should there be. In such circumstances the ICC should have the powers to determine the outcome, including abandoning the match as was threatened at Edgbaston.The scenes there might have been excused a merely exuberant enthusiasm. Perhaps over-exuberant, but nonetheless borne of high spirits. So too, essentially, were those at Headingley, but this time a steward was seriously injured. Next time, someone might be killed. The warnings must be heeded before an unfortunate incident becomes a major tragedy. That is not a question of “if” but “when”. The effects that would have on cricket and the social structure of the country do not bear thinking about.

Frank Lampard has emerged as a managerial candidate for West Brom this summer, as the Baggies look to replace the departed Sam Allardyce.

The Lowdown: Search for a new manager

After a disappointing season that saw West Brom relegated back to the Championship, the search is on for a new manager at the Hawthorns.

Allardyce has moved on after failing to keep the Baggies in the Premier League and a host of names have been linked with replacing him, including Barnsley boss Valerian Ismael.

The Latest: Lampard linked with job

The latest name to emerge is Lampard, with the Express & Star reporting that West Brom are keen on acquiring the Chelsea legend’s signature.

The 42-year-old is on the lookout for a new job and open to Championship offers after being sacked by the Blues earlier in the year, and has been hailed as ‘amazing’ by their current manager Thomas Tuchel.

The Verdict: A risky choice?

Lampard remains a relatively unknown quantity in management, making West Brom snapping him up a risk, but he is an exciting young option.

The former England midfielder did an impressive job with Derby in the Championship, guiding them to the playoff final in 2019 and playing good football along the way – the Rams escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth this season with Wayne Rooney at the helm.

Another Premier League job may arguably be too soon for Lampard, but taking charge of a promotion-chasing team could be ideal, and he could also boast good links to Chelsea in terms of attracting loan signings – Blues star Mason Mount scored nine times under Lampard at Pride Park back in the 2018/19 campaign.

In other news, another manager has been linked with the vacant West Brom job. Find out who it is here.