Category Uncategorized

Mumbai were bowled out for 255 in 78.2 overs shortly after the tea interval in the second innings of the West Zone Ranji trophy match at MIG, Bandra, Mumbai against Baroda on Monday.Mumbai set Baroda a target of 464 runs to win the match. Baroda were 75 for one off 22 overs when stumps were drawn on the third day. Earlier in the day, Mumbai resumed the innings at 32 for one lost regular wickets and were in a spot of bother at 117 for five off 44 overs at the lunch interval. With Sachin Tendulkar back in the pavilion for five runs, Baroda medium pacers Rakesh Patel and Zaheer Khan had their tails up. They were kept at bay by a gritty innings from Amol Muzumdar (81) and stumper Sameer Dighe (52). The duo added 91 runs for the sixth wicket off 30.2 overs.Allrounder Ramesh Powar gave the crowd their money’s worth with a swash buckling innings. He scored 36 off 24 balls, hitting seven of them to the fence and one over it. Rakesh Patel was the wrecker-in-chief for Baroda as he bagged a five wicket haul that included the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. Patel had figures of five for 84. Zaheer Khan bagged the solitary wicket of Robin Morris. He bowled 24 overs giving away 57 runs.Baroda needed an improbable 464 for victory. Ajit Agarkar picked up the only wicket to fall on the day and returned figures of 17 for one. Connor Williams was unbeaten on 26 off 65 balls with five hits to the fence he had with him Himanshu Jadhav batting on 11 off 31 balls with two boundaries to his credit. Baroda still need 389 to win in 90 overs on the last day.

ScorecardJames Taylor brought his ODI form back into the Championship although was given three lives•Getty Images

A man doesn’t like to find himself saying “size isn’t everything” too often, but in James Taylor’s case, it seems almost unavoidable.Despite an outstanding domestic record, Taylor has had to be content with a supporting role in international cricket. Even his latest foray into the ODI side – during which he scored his maiden century and captained the side when Eoin Morgan was injured – only came about because Joe Root was rested.But for various reasons – not least a perception that his technique will be exposed by the best bowling attack – Taylor has had to wait a little longer than might be expected for his first Test tour. Kevin Pietersen infamously told Andy Flower that Taylor was built to be a jockey – like his father – and “not up to it” at Test level.But Taylor is the same height as Sachin Tendulkar. He could swap shoes with Murray Goodwin. He could reach up to shelves and pass things down to Alvin Kallicharran. He is plenty tall enough.And while it is true that he has a jockey’s height, it might also be said that he has a jockey’s toughness. County bowlers learned several years ago that it was foolish to equate his size and fresh-face with weakness and have long since given up trying to intimidate him. A first-class average of 47 will do that.This was, in many ways, a typical Taylor innings. It was scrappy at times, dropped on three occasions but, while nobody else in the top six could reach 25 – four of them could not reach 10 – he compiled the 20th first-class century of his career and the second of this campaign. He also recorded his 1000th first-class run of the season.He is wonderfully balanced at the crease. While other players fell to the off side as they attempted to play the inswing of the dangerous Keith Barker, Taylor waited just that fraction longer so that, instead of attempting to play through midwicket, he was able to punch the ball straight down the ground. His on-drives were a delight.But he is not much interested in being pretty. The way he throws himself into cut shots – the full MS Dhoni helicopter was on display here when an out of sorts Boyd Rankin dropped short – the way he scampers his runs with a pace that would leave a greyhound trailing – suggests a man that is utterly committed to the practical business of run scoring and will let others worry about style. Taylor maybe more artisan than artist, but he has a method that he understands and works for him. He doesn’t need to change.He had some fortune here, though. On the few occasions he allowed himself to be expansive, he offered chances. He was put down three times – on 8, 22 and 75 – and also caught off a no-ball. While the chances on 8 and 75 – both to the normally reliable Tim Ambrose – were not straightforward, the catch to Sam Hain, at point, should have been taken. Rankin and Barker were the unfortunate bowlers.Warwickshire were also convinced they had Taylor caught behind off Jonathan Trott on 99. As a result, they declined to applaud his century.”It’s not the batsman’s fault if the fielders keep dropping the ball,” his coach, Mick Newell said afterwards. “I don’t call that good luck, I just call it taking the most of your opportunity.”Ambrose, like the rest of his Warwickshire team, looked a little jaded having played through any number of aches, strains, bruises and bumps. They no longer have much to play for and the combination of a long season and a tinge of disappointment has taken the edge off their performance. There is talk of some discontent, but it looks like nothing a lengthy break from cricket – and maybe from each other – will not solve. There is no reason why both these teams should not challenge for the Championship next year.Warwickshire will be doing it without their second-string keeper, Peter McKay, though. He has been released after struggling with injuries, while 24-year-old Staffordshire keeper Alex Mellor – who made a double-century for Staffordshire a few weeks ago – has been signed in his place. Warwickshire have also released the batsman Tom Lewis, while the seam-bowling allrounder Tom Milnes is likely to join Derbyshire for greater opportunity.The pick of the bowlers here was Barker. He dismissed Alex Hales, set up by two inswingers and then guilty of nibbling at one angled across him that didn’t swing, before Steven Mullaney was caught off the boot at gully after jabbing his bat down on another full swinging ball, and Brendan Taylor’s innings was ended when he played around another inswinger. When Riki Wessels poked at an outswinger from Trott and Samit Patel was bowled round his legs as he attempted to flick into the leg side, Nottinghamshire were in some trouble.But Chris Read helped Taylor add 124 for the sixth-wicket with Taylor. He was savage on the pull, merciless on both sides of the wicket if the ball was over-pitched and very quick to punish Jeetan Patel when he gave the ball a little flight. If Newell’s hopes of overhauling Middlesex for second place in the table look optimistic, it is still possible.”I don’t think we’ll be setting up a chase tomorrow. We want to finish second in the Championship and if we can pick up 12 or 13 points from this game then we will have a strong chance of getting past Middlesex in the last round of matches.”It is to be hoped that the aim does not convince Newell to ask Hales and Taylor to play in their final Championship game. They have long, emotionally draining winters ahead which could define their careers. And in 30 years time, the difference between second and third in the Championship season may not seem terribly important.

Richard Hughes has now been put on red alert in the race to sign Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk successor ahead of Real Madrid, according to recent reports.

Liverpool on red alert in race to sign VVD heir

The Reds have had a centre-back problem ever since missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day. Left with just Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk and the injury-prone Joe Gomez to choose from, Arne Slot has seen his side suffer defensively and forced to adopt a more pragmatic approach in recent weeks.

Related Slot's own Coutinho: Liverpool lodge enquiry over signing £70m “magician”

Liverpool are looking to continue their sweeping rebuild with an ambitious target in 2026.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

It’s a problem which could become worse before it gets better, however, with Ibrahima Konate still on course to leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season. It would leave Liverpool with just two senior central defenders and desperately needing to secure Guehi’s signature.

To that end, recent reports have claimed that Anfield chiefs are ready to make an offer to sign the Crystal Palace defender in hopes of beating the likes of Real Madrid to his signature next year.

That would at least replace Konate before their Van Dijk problem emerges. The Liverpool captain has less than two years remaining on his current deal and is likely to bring an incredible Anfield spell to an end when next season concludes.

His exit will hand the Reds an impossible task. Van Dijk has been one of, if not their most important players of their most successful Premier League era and there is arguably no one like him in European football.

Nonetheless, those in Merseyside are certainly willing to give it a good go. According to TeamTalk, Hughes is now on red alert in the race to sign Alessandro Bastoni.

£66m Bastoni could replace Van Dijk

Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs to be contacted by intermediaries about a potential move to sign Bastoni in 2026. Sources told TeamTalk: “Alessandro is happy at Inter, and in Italy, but at 26, there is the belief he might look to try his hand abroad. He is at the top of his game, and not many in the world currently compare to him.”

In terms of price, Liverpool will have to splash the cash once again if they want to sign the Italian from Inter Milan, given that the Serie A giants have set their price-tag at a hefty £66m. That fee would quickly look like a bargain if Bastoni became the heir to Van Dijk’s Anfield throne, however.

League stats 25/26

Bastoni

Van Dijk

Minutes

1,223

1,440

Progressive Passes

80

110

Tackles Won

25

5

Ball Recoveries

51

32

When compared to Van Dijk it’s easy to see why Liverpool have their sights set on Bastoni. The Italian has that unique composure in possession combined with a more aggressive nature off the ball than the Anfield captain.

A Tasmanian car containing a batch of egg throwers was fortunate to escape after pelting a small group of Sri Lankans in Hobart last week. Muttiah Muralitharan would have been in hot pursuit of the drive-by yolkers if he and his fellow tourists were not so shocked by the flying object, which hit a selector in the back, but they laughed it off as a random act.While the Sri Lankans reported the incident on Friday, Mahela Jayawardene, their captain, said a green light saved the car’s passengers, who were “probably drunk”, from being chased by the men in the group.”If Murali had a stone or something near him he would’ve thrown it back,” Jayawardene said in Brisbane. “By the time they had realised what had happened the car had raced down the road. It was lucky for the guys in the car that the traffic light was green, otherwise Murali said he would have chased them.”Jayawardene joked it would have been funny if the egg had hit Murali instead of a selector. “It was a just a random thing and not a big deal,” he said. “We all had a good laugh about it. We didn’t want the matter to escalate so we lodged the complaint and left it at that. Murali was part of the group and the only recognisable person, but we all are fine with the matter.”Muralitharan has received a lot of poor treatment in Australia and even though it was unlikely the occupants of the car recognised him, the fact that a group of Sri Lankan tourists was singled out is a poor reflection on the host country.Another spinner, India’s Harbhajan Singh, has also been targeted following his part in the race controversy involving Andrew Symonds at the SCG, and Symonds’ home crowd chanted “Harbhajan’s a w***er” during the opening ODI of the CB Series.Jayawardene said it was important to “block everything” out during tours of Australia. “When you come here it’s not just the players who are aggressive, it’s also the crowd who are as aggressive as their team,” he said. “Everyone wants to win here in any sport, so teams need to prepare for that.”We should block everything else apart from what needs to be done in the middle. The Indians showed that with the way they bounced back in the Test series recently after what all happened in Sydney.”

Ricky Ponting wants his team to be “ultra-competitive” and said “nothing over the top” occurred to spark Lou Vincent’s comments about Australia’s ego-driven behaviour. Vincent complained the home players thought they were “bigger than the game” and were always talking, but Ponting said the chatter was an element of international competition.”Lou is a player who is always yapping up a bit and chirping when he is out on the field, trying to get an advantage for his team, and I think that’s just part of the game at the highest level,” Ponting said in The Australian. “There was nothing over the top that went on the other night, and what he is saying merely highlights how tough our two sides go at it out in the middle.”I want the guys in my team to be ultra-competitive. That’s what it is to play cricket for Australia, and I’m sure New Zealand are exactly the same.”The Australians have taken Vincent’s claim that they “hunt like a pack of dogs” as a compliment. Matthew Hayden said he was proud of the way the players stuck together and Brett Lee said it was what the team tried to do.”One of the reasons we have played really well recently is that we have had a never-say-die attitude, and sometimes other teams see that as a bit of ego,” Lee said in the Courier-Mail. “That is definitely not the case.”People talk about our sledging, and we play really tough cricket. We are renowned for that, but we know there is a line in the sand. We are well aware of the boundaries.”Lee said things on the field were not spoken “in a bad way”. “There are no racial things said, and nothing that represents a bad image for kids,” he told the paper. “Of course there are mind games. There is always going to be chat out there.”Stuart Clark, who is a quieter member of the squad, said he was surprised Vincent was listening to the Australians. “He should be thinking about what he has to do,” Clark said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “I don’t think we’re nasty or unfriendly, but I do think that the Australian cricket team hates losing as much or more than anyone, and I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.”John Buchanan did not feel there was a problem with his team’s behaviour. “We play the game hard, there is no doubt about that,” he said in The Australian. “But we play it fair and within the spirit of the game.”

ScorecardPankaj Singh’s six-wicket haul guided Rajasthan into Friday’s Ranji Trophy Plate final with a nine-wicket win over Orissa.Resuming their overnight score of 91 for 5, still 55 in arrears, Orissa lost Niranjan Behara early with the score on 97. Priyabrata Pradhan made 26 before being dismissed by Singh. Debashis Mohanty, the Orissa captain, and Rashmi Parida did offer some resistance with a 58-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Singh removed Mohanty five runs short of his half-century and Orissa were finally dismissed for 220, with Parida not out on 67.Rajastan will face either Saurashtra or Madhya Pradesh in the Plate group final on February 2.

Scorecard

An unbeaten 70 from Marcus North kept Western Australia in the hunt for the outright win they need to make it to the Pura Cup final. At close of play on the second day at Brisbane, the Warriors were 6 for 298, still 56 away from Queensland’s first-innings total of 354.Several of Western Australia’s batsmen got starts, but none could go on to a century. Chris Rogers made 82, and put together 117 for the second wicket with Murray Goodwin (59), but Queensland made regular inroads thereafter to keep the Warriors in check. North, though, kept the fight going with a patient innings which had so far consumed 158 balls and included seven fours.North was also helped by some poor catching by Queensland. He was dropped twice in one over from Shane Watson – first Wade Seccombe, the wicketkeeper, spilled a sharp legside chance, and four balls later Craig Philipson dropped a straightforward catch at square leg. It was a big blow for Watson too, who was returning to the bowling crease after a month due to a side strain.”My sides feel really good and I’m just working on a few technical things so I’m pretty happy with how I went,” Watson said after the close of play. “I’m not going to charge in every over and try to bowl a rocket the first ball because I want to make sure it’s nice and warm but I haven’t felt it at all and the more I bowl the more confident I’m going to be.” Watson did take one wicket, though, that of Ryan Campbell, and finished the day with 1 for 47 from 17 overs.Earlier Seccombe powered to 69 to help his side add 52 runs for the last two wickets in the morning. Each side can seal a home final with outright victory.

Leewards fast bowler Adam Sanford has been called into the West Indies squad as a replacement for Omari Banks, who had to pull out of the tour with a back injury. Sanford made the last of his seven Test appearances in 2002 against New Zealand.Banks had a cortisone injection to counter inflammation in his lower back last week, but after no improvement, the team doctors advised him to rest the injury for the next three months.Banks is the third player to return home with injury. Jerome Taylor was the first casualty, also with a bad back, and Marlon Samuels will miss the tour with a knee injury.The first Test starts on December 12 at Johannesburg.

The XXXX Queensland Bulls’ “department of youth” tonight welcomed itslatest admission with the elevation of 19-year-old left-armer pacebowler Scott Brant to the team for the Pura Cup match starting tomorrowin Adelaide.Brant was rushed into the twelve following a foot injury to allrounderJames Hopes at training in Adelaide today.The Bond University sports management student was called out of alecture and made the dash from the Gold Coast to Brisbane to catch thelast flight to Adelaide.Hopes will stay on in Adelaide to receive treatment and remains incontention to play for the Bulls in their vital ING Cup match againstthe Southern Redbacks on Sunday.The Zimbabwean-born Brant, who turned 19 on Australia Day, was set tomake his 2nd XI debut for the Queensland Academy of Sport later thismonth in Canberra before the SOS came from Adelaide.He bowled an impressive spell for Norths in the Final of the K&RPlumbing One Day competition on Sunday, taking 3-34 from 10 oversagainst Valley.A member of the Australian Under-19 train-on squad, Brant was unable toplay in the World Youth Cup won by Australia last week as he had not metthe ICC residential qualifications to represent his adopted country.Brant has played for the Australia Post Queensland Under-19 team for thepast two season after he and his mother, brother and two sisters movedto Brisbane from Zimbabwe three years ago.Brant is set to make his first class debut tomorrow if Bulls coachBennett King and captain Jimmy Maher opt to use him to fill the thirdpace bowling spot behind Joe Dawes and Ashley Noffke.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Southern Redbacks, Pura Cup, Adelaide Oval,Wed-Sat: Jimmy Maher (c), Jerry Cassell, Martin Love, Brendan Nash,Andrew Symonds, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz, AshleyNoffke, Scott Brant, Joe Dawes, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).Southern Redbacks: Greg Blewett (Capt) Nathan Adcock, Chris Davies,David Fitzgerald, Ben Higgins, Ben Johnson, Brad Young, Mike Smith,Graham Manou, Peter McIntyre, Paul Rofe, Mark Harrity (12th man to benamed).

A sparkling 107 by Sri Lankan wicket keeper batsman, Romesh Kaluwitharana, enabled Colts Cricket Club to register a 17 run victory over CCC at Maitland Crescent today. It was their third successive win in the Premier League Limited Overs Tournament this year.After being put in to bat, Colts CC Openers, Chaminda Mendis (72) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (107), put on a188 run partnership to compile up an imposing total of 265/9 in 50 overs.Kaluwitharan returned to form after a disappointing performance in Sharjah with the bat. He batted in his normal aggressive manner and scored his runs from just 120 balls, hitting one six and nine fours over the thick outfield.After the dismissal of Kaluwitharana, with the score on 188 runs in the 35th over, Colts lost their momentum losing three quick wickets: Sajith Fernando, Dulip Samaraweera and Eric Upashantha.Jeewantha Kulatunga (38) and Duleep Samaraweera (20) then chipped in to give Colts a final score of 265 runs in 50 overs. Indika Gallage and Hemantha Boteju accounted for two wickets each.In reply, CCC were required to chase the runs in just 48 overs because of a slow over rate. They lost Bradman Ediriweera early in their innings wth just two runs in the board. Wicket-keeper batsman Indika de Silva top scored with 61 from 55 balls. Michael Vandott (43), Hemantha Boteju (42*), Damitha Hunukumbura (34) and Roshan Mahanama (32) were all among the runs but failed to covert their good starts into the needed match winning innings. They were eventually dismissed for 248 runs in 47.3 overs. Sajith Fernando, Kaushalya Weeraratne and Dinuk Hettiarachchi captured two wickets apiece.