All posts by h716a5.icu

Central Districts completed their presentation of New Zealand Cricket’s specially numbered Black Caps during last week’s international match against India

11-Dec-2002Central Districts completed their presentation of New Zealand Cricket’s specially numbered Black Caps during last week’s international match against India.Those presented with their caps during the game were: Tom Lowry (accepted by his son Tom), Sir Jack Newman (accepted by his son-in-law Michael Moss), Murray Chapple (accepted by his grandson Peter Chapple), Harry Cave (accepted by his grand-daughter Caroline Cave) and Eric Fisher (accepted by his wife Alma and son Stephen).Mathew Sinclair, who is still playing was also presented with his cap.This leaves presentations to be still made to Jock Edwards, who was unable to attend, Bob Blair and the family of Noel Harford.Arrangements will be made at a future date for these players to be presented with their caps.

Paul Stewart reckons that Tottenham youngster Japhet Tanganga could be good enough should he cut out the mistakes.

The 22-year-old was given his first-team opportunity by Jose Mourinho in January 2020, but his progress has been stalled by several different injuries over the last two seasons.

Tanganga has missed 24 matches with back, shoulder and muscle problems, which has stopped him from getting a long run in the team.

But with Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty both unable to nail down that starting place at right-back, he did make six Premier League appearances from February onwards, all coming in two-game spurts.

Tanganga turned out seven further times in the Europe League and the domestic cups and will be hoping to remain fit and impress the new manager Nuno Espirito Santo in pre-season, especially with his ability to play in more than one different position.

But Stewart exclusively told Football FanCast that the defender must eradiate his lapses in concentration:

“Tanganga is another one, he could be a good player but has too many mistakes – too many errors that lead to goals.”

Mark Butcher’s double-hundred and Matt Nicholson’s highest ever score helped Surrey declare on 466 for 8, but Yorkshire will be well pleased with closing the gap to 174 runs

Jenny Roesler at The Oval22-May-2008
ScorecardMark Butcher’s double-hundred and Matt Nicholson’s highest ever score helped Surrey declare on 466 for 8, but Yorkshire will be satisfied with closing the gap to 174 runs, with Jacques Rudolph on the brink of his century. Rudolph, Anthony McGrath and Andrew Gale reached fifties, while Rudolph will have to wait until the third day to try for his century after bringing up 99 on the last ball of the day. Gale is not too far behind on 70.The pair forged a strong fourth-wicket partnership of 169 that was unbeaten by the close and their determination has left the game well balanced. And while not flawless, their efforts have given Yorkshire a solid base.Rudolph gave a tough chance on 75, while Gale was dropped on 9 off Saqlain Mushtaq and then struck three quick fours to apply the salt. In the closing overs, Usman Afzaal thought he had Rudolph on 93 and he may yet be in trouble for his overzealous celebration (not quite in the 2001 Ashes-style, though). The umpire turned him down and then called him over to have a chat. Rudolph’s own response needed no words; he merely drove the next ball hard – and just past Afzaal – for four. Rudolph and Gale will fight another day.Butcher played six-and-a-half hours in all for his double which included 27 fours and a six and while the sun was shining, he worked past wide mid-on off Deon Kruis to bring up his 200. He fell five runs later, driving a low, hard catch to short midwicket which Adil Rashid snaffled tidily. His efforts were warmly applauded from the displaced members’ end, which is in the OCS Stand for now.Development may be stalled over Gas-ring-gate but there was nothing halting the hard-hitting and quick-scoring Nicholson, who now has four first-class hundreds, three coming in the last three seasons of his 12-year first-class career. Tim Bresnan finally yorked him but not before he and Jimmy Ormond had manoeuvred Surrey towards an assured declaration.Ormond was also bowled missing a drive to one pitched up by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, as bowlers profited from full lengths, although Bresnan was not shy of slipping in the short balls. Butcher’s decision to make Yorkshire bat for a short pre-lunch session was also rewarded when Pedro Collins trapped a swishing Joe Sayers in front.After lunch Yorkshire got the appetite to attack. McGrath was in full flow, while Adam Lyth, in his first Championship match, was also positive. Ormond’s six overs went for 29, Nicholson’s first four for 24, while Collins had 7 overs, 1 for 37 at that stage. McGrath brought up his half-century, which included 11 fours, from 46 balls with a drive through cover off Nicholson.Then Collins fired in full again, this time from the Pavilion End, and McGrath couldn’t quite get his bat down in time. He had made 54 from as many balls. Lyth was composed, bar the occasional edge, but when Saqlain Mushtaq forced the edge to second slip for a smart catch to Butcher’s left, a livid Lyth swiped his bat in frustration with himself for falling for 40. On the evidence, though, this England Under-19 player looks one for the future.Unfortunately, the immediate future for this match looks bleak with heavy showers forecast for Friday. But there have been many bright moments in the game so far and the promise of more to come.

Derby County have recently been credited with interest in signing free-agent Richard Stearman, according to journalist Alan Nixon. 

What’s the story?

Stearman spent the 2020/21 season with Huddersfield Town, and it appears as though he’s a wanted man heading into the new league campaign.

The defender’s contract with the Yorkshire-based side reached a conclusion at the end of June, and Carlos Corberan’s side opted to not extend that deal into next season.

This has resulted in Derby County being one of the teams to push ahead with their negotiations to strike an agreement to sign Stearman this summer, although it remains to be seen as to what stage they’re at in their efforts to land his signature.

Nixon has also reported that the Rams are targeting a deal for former Sheffield United defender Phil Jagielka, as well as Stearman this summer.

Better options out there for the Rams

Stearman has a considerable amount of experience under his belt in the EFL, with his most recent spell before his time with Huddersfield Town being with Sheffield United.

The experienced centre-back made 17 appearances for the Blades in the 2018/19 campaign, where they won promotion into the Premier League whilst under the management of Chris Wilder.

But Stearman found game time hard to come by with Sheffield United towards the end of his time at Bramall Lane, which resulted in him making the move to the John Smith’s Stadium in January 2020.

His spell with the Terriers wasn’t the most memorable though, with Stearman making 38 appearances for Carlos Corberan’s team, as they finished 20th in the Championship table.

However, Huddersfield can count themselves lucky that other teams struggled for a positive run of results towards the end of that campaign.

They conceded 71 goals in total during the 2020/21 league season, which is the worst defensive record out of all of the teams in the second tier, which doesn’t make for the best of reading.

Derby only retained their status as a Championship team on the final day of the 2020/21 season, as they drew 3-3 with Sheffield Wednesday.

Reinforcements are certainly needed in defence this summer, especially an experienced head to help aid the development of some of the younger members of Wayne Rooney’s squad. Andre Wisdom was one of those to depart the club permanently in the summer, whilst George Edmundson, Matt Clarke and Teden Mengi returned to their parent clubs after their loan spells at Pride Park.

But the Rams could do far better than signing Stearman, and it’s pleasing to see the club reportedly edging closer to reaching an agreement to signing Manchester United youngster Teden Mengi on loan for the upcoming season, as he’s already shown glimpses of his potential in a brief loan spell with Derby last term.

At the age of 33, some might question whether Stearman is a good enough option to have in the Championship, especially after a forgetful recent season with Huddersfield Town, where he won an average of 3.4 aerial duels, and just one tackle per game, whilst on reported wages of £15,000 per-week (according to Salary Sport).

A move for Stearman would be a real disaster for Derby given his wages, age and the fact he isn’t a real improvement on what they’ve already go.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost to their chances of keeping Sam Johnstone at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Evening Standard, who claim that West Ham United are now no longer in the race for the Albion goalkeeper this summer, as David Moyes has been put off by the £10m+ asking price that the Baggies placed on the 28-year-old.

It has been reported that Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the situation of the England international ahead of a potential move this summer, while Valerien Ismael has claimed that he expects Johnstone to leave the club before the end of the window.

Fans surely buzzing

While West Ham backing out of the race for Johnstone in no way means that he will certainly remain a West Brom player next season, it is undeniable that David Moyes’ hesitation over a move for the shot-stopper has provided Albion with a considerable boost to their chances of retaining his services this summer.

And, considering just how impressive the ‘keeper was for the Baggies last season, should he indeed remain at The Hawthorns for 2021/22, it would undoubtedly provide Valerien Ismael with a much greater chance of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, as well as being something that would have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances last term, the £7.2m-rated man helped his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 4.5 saves and 0.4 successful run outs per game, in addition to making a total of 166 stops over the course of the season.

These returns saw the man Sam Allardyce dubbed a “magnificent” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Baggies’ second-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, keeping the £28k-per-week man at the club this summer would be a fantastic outcome for the club, perhaps even being one of the best pieces of transfer business Ismael could do ahead of next season, and, with West Ham no longer interested in the 28-year-old, the chances of his departure appear to have significantly decreased.

In other news: West Brom transfer news confirmed on “exciting” highly-rated gem, fan surely buzzing

Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has joined Sussex for their Twenty20 Cup campaign after being signed as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2008
Dwayne Smith is Sussex’s short-term recruit for the Twenty20 Cup © Getty Images
Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has joined Sussex for their Twenty20 Cup campaign after being signed as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He is expected to make his debut in their opening match against holders Kent on Wednesday.”We are excited to have Dwayne join us,” Mark Robinson, Sussex’s coach, said. “We’ve had to move quickly on this following injury to Mushy, and at a day’s notice I feel very lucky, to have gained such a high-quality player.”Robinson said Smith’s addition will benefit the county when Luke Wright takes up his international commitments. “The fact that he bats, bowls and fields means he will, in theory, be a like-for-like replacement for Luke when he joins England.”Chris Adams, Sussex’s captain, also expressed confidence in Smith’s abilities. “I think it’s an exciting signing. I haven’t got a great knowledge of Dwayne but he is an outstanding one-day cricketer. He is a great fielder, hits the ball a very long way and he is an improving bowler,” he told the .Meanwhile, Adams said Mushtaq will re-join the squad for the County Championship. “The timing [of Smith’s signing] is right because Mushy needs three weeks of rest so he is ready to go for the Lancashire game in the Championship on June 29.”There’s no point in rushing him [Mushtaq] back, we need him back fully fit and refreshed and in the meantime we get an exciting young West Indian who will give us a great chance of doing well in Twenty20.”Smith joins the county after taking part in the Indian Premier League, where he represented the Mumbai Indians. He played four matches, but had limited success, with 45 runs and five wickets from four matches.

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has been linked with a shock loan move to Sky Bet League One side Sunderland, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Departures expected as Celtic squad takes shape

With competitive football once again on the horizon at Celtic Park, new manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to cultivate a squad capable of reclaiming the Premiership title once more.

However, the Hoops are not immune to the prospect of high-profile departures this summer. Kristoffer Ajer looks set to complete a move to Premier League side Brentford, whilst Odsonne Edouard has been linked with a move to West Ham United.

On the topic of potential outgoings, could the Celts now be set to sanction the exit of Scotland international Griffiths in the near future?

The Latest: Griffiths eyed by Sunderland for loan switch

Sunderland are said to be readying a loan swoop for the 30-year-old ace. Out in the cold at Celtic, Griffiths was sent home from their pre-season training camp over reported off-field misdemeanours, whilst he hasn’t completed a single minute of pre-season football thus far [The Scottish Sun].

Griffiths is believed to be told where he stands in Postecoglou’s plans shortly for the forthcoming term [The Scottish Sun].

Having looked set to leave the Bhoys at the end of last season, the Edinburgh-born marksman was handed a lifeline at Parkhead after signing a one-year contract extension at the beginning of this month [Sky Sports].

The Verdict: Right move for Griffiths and Celtic

All things considered, it may be the correct time for Griffiths to move on following seven years at the club.

Despite registering 123 goals and 51 assists in 262 games for Celtic, he has found himself mired in hot water over the last year due to issues surrounding his fitness and conduct.

This infrequent reliability translated on to the pitch in 2020/21, where Griffiths notched seven goals in 26 fixtures, although he did not complete a single 90-minute appearance throughout the campaign [Transfermarkt].

Once labelled as ‘a very exciting player’ by former Celtic manager Ronny Deila [Herald Scotland], a move to Sunderland for Griffiths may be the best solution for all parties in this situation given his unenviable fortunes of late .

In other news, a journalist has dropped an exciting claim regarding the Hoops.

Doug and Michael Bracewell, nephews of New Zealand coach John, have been named in the Under-19 squad for New Zealand’s tour of England in July

Cricinfo staff17-Jun-2008Doug and Michael Bracewell, nephews of New Zealand coach John, have been named in the Under-19 squad for New Zealand’s tour of England in July.Michael Bracewell has been selected for the one-day matches and one player will drop out of the squad after the four-day series. Doug Bracewell is the son of former New Zealand bowler Brendon Bracewell, who played six Tests and one ODI.”The squad is a blend of experienced U-19 players and new players, looking to make their mark,” said U-19 team manager Kevin Pulley. “Nine of the squad played in the U-19 World Cup and the remaining six are new to this level.”The tour fits within NZC’s high performance initiatives to create greater depth at the elite end of the game and aims to prepare players for first-class cricket, New Zealand A and the international side.”The team will play two four-day Tests, at Taunton and Worcester, and five one-day matches.Squad Kane Williamson (Northern Districts, capt), Joe Austin-Smellie (Wellington), Nicholas Beard (Otago), Harry Boam (Wellington), Doug Bracewell (Central Districts), Michael Bracewell (Otago), Craig Cachopa (Auckland), Tamati Clarke (Northern Districts), Fraser Colson (Wellington), Andrew Mathieson (Northern Districts), Greg Morgan (Auckland), James Neesham (Auckland), Dean Robinson (Central Districts), Anurag Verma (Northern Districts), George Worker (Central Districts).

Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Fernando’s return to Test cricket suffered a setback when he complained of knee pain and was unable to take the field during India’s second innings

Sa'adi Thawfeeq20-Jul-2008
Dilhara Fernando’s injury worry comes a day before the selectors pick the squad for the first Test © AFP
Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Fernando’s return to Test cricket suffered a setback when he complained of knee pain and was unable to take the field during India’s second innings on the third and final day of the practice game at the NCC on Sunday.Fernando, who last played a Test in December, against England, was in discomfort during his six-over first spell on Saturday. Chandika Hathurusingha, the Sri Lanka Board XI coach, said after his initial complaint, Fernando returned to bowl two short spells of four overs with his leg strapped.”Dilhara has a niggling knee injury which he picked up in his first spell of the first innings,” Hathurusingha said. “We didn’t want to risk him in the second innings. He’s coming out of a long lay-off.”Fernando’s injury comes a day before the national selectors meet to pick the squad for the first Test against India starting at the SSC on Wednesday.Sri Lanka are already without two other fast bowlers due to injuries, Lasith Malinga (knee) and Farveez Maharoof (side strain) and will be hard pressed to find a suitable partner for Chaminda Vaas. In their last Test series in the Caribbean, Thilan Thushara and Ishara Amerasinghe supported Vaas.

Kevin Phillips has predicted that Kyle Edwards would excel in the Premiership amid growing links with Scottish giants Celtic.

The Lowdown: Celtic set to scour far and wide for talent

With the 2021/22 season set to get underway, new Bhoys manager Ange Postecoglou will be keen to cast the net far and wide to find financially viable deals to facilitate a Premiership title charge.

Relaxed cross-border rules have proved to be an avenue of acquiring quality signings for nothing more than small compensation fees, illustrated by the additions of former Sheffield Wednesday pair Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide in the last few weeks [Yorkshire Live].

Another man who would fall into this category is former West Bromwich Albion winger Edwards, who would be available for a development fee of just £300,000 due to his extensive upbringing in the Baggies academy.

The Latest: Phillips backs Edwards to ‘do really well’ in Glasgow

Celtic have opened talks with Edwards over a possible move to Parkhead, which has prompted Phillips to respond positively in an interview with Football Insider about the impact the 23-year-old could have in Glasgow. He said:

“If you’re going from the Premier League to the Scottish Premiership, I think he’d do really well up there.

“I think he needs a change of scenery. He can go and play regularly or hopefully at least be involved in matchdays, on the bench or whatever just to show what he can do.

“So it wouldn’t surprise me if he went up there and did really well. Then all of a sudden it might be one of those where West Brom fans are asking: ‘Why did we let him go?’”

The Verdict: Edwards would be an astute signing for Celtic

Former Sunderland striker Phillips correctly identifies Edwards’ previous disposition within an elite-level division such as the Premier League, which could bode well in the pressure-cooker environment at Parkhead.

He registered four goal contributions in 13 matches combined for West Brom’s first team and under-23s last season, with one goal and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Intriguingly, despite his limited time on the field, Edwards recorded a commendable 91.2% passing accuracy, which was actually the highest in the West Bromwich Albion squad across the campaign [WhoScored].

Lacking depth on the left hand-side of attack, Celtic should look to tie up a deal for Edwards as soon as possible, especially if they could get him for a measly six-figure fee.

In other news, Celtic have opened talks with this England international.