Some careless batting and running from Tamil Nadu batsmen spurred acollapse in their Ranji Trophy league match against Andhra Pradesh atVishakapatnam on Tuesday.Winning the toss, Tamil Nadu skipper Robin Singh opted to have firststrike. His openers did not let him down, with Sridharan Sriram andSadagopan Ramesh posting a 55-run stand for the first wicket. Anothermini-partnership followed between Sriram and C Hemanth Kumar.After the latter was run out, however, things took a different turn.Three more wickets followed, with KS Sahabuddin taking two of them.Only Hemang Badani could stay at the crease; at the close of play,Badani was unbeaten on 40. He was accompanied by TR Arasu (5) as TamilNadu ended the day on 179/5.
Marcus Trescothick is looking increasingly like a genuine candidate for England’s one-day side later this summer.The 24-year-old Somerset left-hander underlined his immense potential with a brilliant 92 not out as the National League leaders made it maximum points from four games with a nine-wicket thrashing of Kent at Taunton.Trescothick has already been invited to join the England squad for experience twice this summer following his A tour selection in the winter and clearly rates highly with coach Duncan Fletcher.He showed why with a devastating display of clean hitting that enabled Somerset to race to their victory target of 180 with 9.5 overs to spare.An opening stand of 145 with skipper Jamie Cox offered a feast of batting. Cox drove the ball ferociously throughout his 83-ball innings, making 62, including 7 fours and 2 sixes.But even the Australian’s elegant strokeplay paled in comparison with his partner as Trescothick timed the ball sweetly from the start and became murderous as his innings progressed.He scored his unbeaten 92 off 109 deliveries, savagely pulling Matthew Flemingover mid-wicket for six and featuring a dozen other meaty boundaries in a powerful display.By the time Cox was out in the 29th over, caught by Matthew Walker at cover off another fizzing drive, Kent were already resigned to defeat.All bowlers were coming alike to Trescothick and Piran Holloway needed only to hold up an end as the victory charge reached an inevitable climax.Kent’s batting had let them down after Cox had won the toss and elected to field. Andy Caddick was predictably hostile in bowling his nine overs straight through at the start, sending back Robert Key and Rahul Dravid, in an excellent spell of 2-15.But other wickets were tossed away. Alan Wells and Mark Ealham were stumped off leg-side wides, both victims of brilliant work by Rob Turner, standing up to the medium-pacers.Skipper Fleming marched out at 84-6 and soon saw that score worsen to 112-8. But he then launched an impressive counter-attack, finding a resolute partner in David Masters.Together the pair added 66 for the ninth wicket, with Fleming flourishing after a watchful start to blast 63, off 69 balls, with 7 fours and 2 sixes.The 44th over of the innings, sent down by Trescothick, cost 21 runs. A no-ball beamer was flicked for four by Fleming, plus the extra two runs, and the following free-hit was deposited over the mid-wicket boundary for six.Trescothick’s bowling figures were transformed from 2-21 off seven overs to 2-42 off eight. Presumably, he spent the tea interval contemplating revenge.There was one oddity in the Kent innings when Wells, on one, was adjudged run-out by umpire Allan Jones after Trescothick had thrown the stumps down from second slip with the batsman out of his ground.Wells was clearly unhappy with the decision, which was rescinded when it was realised the ball had reached Trescothick via wicketkeeper Turner and was therefore deemed to be dead when the throw was made.
Given that he is currently rated at £7.2m, and is an established England international, only missing out of Gareth Southgate’s latest Three Lions squad through injury, whichever club is able to sign him would be getting a real bargain on their hands.
The Latest: Tottenham looking
As per The Daily Telegraph, Spurs are among a number of teams that are now looking at signing Johnstone on a free transfer.
Pierluigi Gollini is not expected to stay in the North London after his loan spell from Atalanta ends, and so it is likely that the hierarchy will be looking to sign another goalkeeper this summer.
The Verdict: Sign
If the Lilywhites can get Johnstone on a free, then it is surely a deal worth doing.
Dubbed ‘world class’ by Wolves legend Steve Bull, and ‘unreal’ by former Premier League ‘keeper Paddy Kenny, he has certainly received rave reviews, and the fact that he gets picked by England from the second tier shows his credentials.
Assuming that Gollini does leave, Johnstone would be a very capable understudy to captain Hugo Lloris, should he choose to accept that position, and could even surpass the 35-year-old as the number one in the future.
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Interestingly, the six-foot-four colossus shares the same agent as Ryan Sessegnon, and so he could help him secure the move.
In other news, find out who THFC are now fighting Arsenal to sign here!
The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has publicly condemned former West Indian fastbowler Michael Holding for casting doubt upon the legality of MuttiahMuralitharan’s bowling action in April’s edition of Wisden Cricket Asia Monthly and issued a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC).Holding, a prominent television commentator and an ICC-appointed bowlingadvisor asked to work with Shoaib Akhtar after the speedster was reported for having a suspect action for the second time, claimed to be in “110% agreement” with Indian spinner Bishan Bedi, who had accused Muralitharan of throwing, likening his action to that of a javelin thrower in the previous edition of the magazine.A Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) media release states: “The BCCSL unreservedly condemns Mr. Michael Holding’s unwarranted, and irresponsible allegations that are clearly intended to cast doubts over Mr.Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action.”It goes on to claim that Holding’s comments are “harmful to the game ofcricket as a whole” and are “a deliberate insult to his predecessors on theICC’s Advisory Panel On Illegal Deliveries, who investigated Mr. Muralitharan’s action in 1999, and found that it did not violate the laws of cricket.”The release confirms that, “since Mr. Holding is a bowling advisor to the ICC,” they have taken up the matter directly with ICC. However, it is unclear what the ICC can do – Holding is entitled to express his personal opinion; a quiet word between Chief Executive Malcom Speed and Holding seems the only option.Bedi’s comments, unpalatable as they were for many in Sri Lanka, were largely brushed aside as provocative sensationalism. Sri Lankan team manager Chandra Shaffter summed up general feeling when he said: “Not very many people take Bedi seriously, I think he thrives on controversies and that’s his style.”But Holding’s unexpected intervention has sent shockwaves through Sri Lankancricket circles, prompting fears that Muralitharan is going to be forced toendure increasing allegations in the run-up to the 2003 World Cup, as had been the case before the 1996 and 1999 tournaments.The timing is not lost on the BCCSL. The release adds: “It is also a strangecoincidence that these comments have been made in the run up to the ICCChampions’ Trophy Tournament to be held in September, and the World Cup inMarch 2003.”The local press is also suspicious of the reasons why the Muralitharancontroversy has been re-ignited. The Daily Mirror sports editorial suggestedon Friday that opponents were sufficiently scared of Muralitharan to “put him out of the game before he destructs them.”The role played by Wisden Cricket Asia is also not beyond suspicion, with Sri Lanka due to play a three-Test tour in England shortly. Such is the extent of mistrust in the cricket world that the Daily Mirror notes conspiratorially that: “Wisden Cricket Asia is a subsidiary of Wisden International in England.”Even skipper Jayasuriya, a mild-mannered leader uncomfortable with controversy, views the recent comments with cynicism. “It’s an attempt to trigger disturbance for a bowler who has been performing excellently,” he said in Lahore on Wednesday.The Sri Lankan Board are now considering what steps can be taken to protectMuralitharan over coming months, but admit to being exasperated by the factthat the controversy refuses to go despite the bowler being cleared twice bythe ICC following three separate scientific analyses.The first, a sophisticated bio-mechanical study conducted by Darrel Foster from the University of Western Australia in 1996, shortly after Muralitharan had been called by Australian umpire Darryl Hair at Melbourne, identified astructural abnormality that prevents Muralitharan from fully straightening his arm, and concluded that his bent arm did not straighten at the point of delivery.This was followed by three days of research at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which also gave Muralitharan the green light, after which an ICC panel cleared him for the first time, allowing him to take part in the 1996 World Cup.During Sri Lanka’s next visit to Australia in 1998/99, Muralitharan was called again, this time by Ross Emerson in a one-day international against England at Adelaide. Muralitharan’s action underwent further analysis at the Hugh Williamsom Gait Analysis Laboratory.Following this, an ICC Advisory Panel on Illegal Deliveries with delegates from all Test members deemed his bowling action legal for the second time.Muralitharan is tired of having electronic patches strapped to his elbow andbeing studied like a strange creature in a laboratory. A fourth study isinconceivable and, as their quick reaction to Holding’s comments clearlyshows, the Sri Lankan Board will take a hardline stance should futher allegations be made.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene expressed disappointment after his team lost both matches of the two-Test series against Australia.”We had a bit more to offer than this as a team. We had a lot of talented guys in the group and unfortunately we couldn’t get all that talent together in a couple of games. That was the most disappointing factor for us,” Jayawardene said at the end of the second Test, which his team lost by 96 runs.”I felt that we had a very good bowling attack but the way we played wasn’t very consistent. We could not penetrate through the Australian top order which was very disappointing. The way we batted in the first innings of the two Test matches was also disappointing. That alone gave us a lot of problems in the whole series because we put ourselves under pressure.”Especially against a side like Australia, you want to challenge yourself and see how far you’ve come and need to improve. But looking back at the series there are a lot of areas where we definitely need to improve. We have to sit down and talk about where we need to improve and show a lot of character to get back as a group.”What we have to realise is that we played against the best team in the world right now and they were in form – all their top-order batsmen. We came across a very good side. We challenged ourselves and we tried a lot of things but the way we lost was the most disappointing factor. We just need to refocus and get ready for the three Tests against England.”Questioned whether there would be major changes in the team for the series against England, Jayawardene said: “You just can’t chop and change players because they fail in a couple of games. That won’t help us in the long run. We just have to make some sensible decisions when we go back home.”We tried a few guys and extended their periods in our line-up but no one’s actually been very consistent. We have to be a bit more patient and wait for the right people to come in. We are heading into a transitional period and we just need to make it smooth and make sure the guys who are coming are comfortable and not under pressure to perform.”Our domestic structure underneath is not that strong for them to step into international cricket straight away. You have to be with them for quite some time and give them that encouragement to come up to the standard because they are not being challenged underneath. For them to step into international cricket straight away is a huge leap. It’s a big bridge for them to leap. You have to be patient.”Sri Lanka’s next Test series is at home against England starting on December 1.
The controversy surrounding Muttiah Muralitharan’s run-out in the first Test at Christchurch has been reignited by Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain, on the eve of the second Test at Wellington. Two days after Sri Lanka said they had put the issue behind them – while maintaining the run out was bad sportsmanship – Fleming accused the tourists of taking the gloss off New Zealand’s five-wicket victory.”We won’t necessarily move on,” he told reporters. “It’s a mistake by them and they covered it up by taking the moral high ground. We won a good Test match and it’s been diluted by that situation. We’re very proud of any Test win we get and to have that not mentioned or talked about is annoying.”Mahela Jayawardene, Fleming’s opposite number, was surprised that the issue had been brought up again but stood by his original opinion. “I’ve played enough cricket to know that was unsportsmanlike,” he said. “It’s over for us now. If Stephen wants to talk about it then he obviously has something in his mind which is bothering him.”New Zealand’s batting has been an issue of concern – as Fleming pointed out, “We weren’t convincing winners [in Christchurch], there’s still enough areas of concern to have us twitchy going into this game,” – and the major threat remains Muralitharan.New Zealand’s top spinner, meanwhile, has voiced his opinion on the seam-friendly pitches used both at Christchurch and Wellington. “It’s disappointing, it makes it tough being a spin bowler in this country,” Daniel Vettori told stuff.co.nz. “It makes it difficult growing up aspiring to be a spin bowler. What do you have to look forward to? You want wickets that everyone can play a role in. I haven’t seen those for an extended period of time. In terms of the wickets we play on and the conditions, you get so much more done with fast bowling and medium pace.”Vettori admitted that playing a supporting role on such pitches was difficult. “It’s a little bit depressing sometimes not actually bowling,” he said. “I’m so used to contributing in most games I play that when you stand out in the field and not do much it makes it tough.”In Vettori’s view, such pitches could precipitate a downslide in New Zealand’s fortunes overseas.”If we want to produce teams to win test matches we need to keep encouraging spinners to come through the system because otherwise we’re never going to consistently win overseas,” he said. “The only teams that win in India and Pakistan, and even Australia, are teams with good spin bowlers. If you don’t have one of those you’re not going to compete at Test-match level.”Teams (from):New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt), Craig Cumming, Jamie How, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori, James Franklin, Shane Bond, Chris Martin, Iain O’Brien (one to be omitted).Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekaratane Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Akalanka Ganegama, Muttiah Muralitharan (three to be omitted).
Allied Bank (ABL) have paid one million US dollars to become one of the co-sponsors of the Pakistan-India series, a top bank official said here on Saturday. Naveed Masud, ABL’s Senior Executive Vice President, told reporters that ABL has signed an agreement with Nimbus Sports, a move that marks the bank’s arrival as a sponsor of a major international sports event.ABL has come under the microscope for closing down its sports department last year but Naveed said that the move does not mean that the bank has stopped supporting sports. “We have changed our policy and now rather than supporting individuals, we are spending our sports funds to sponsor events.” Naveed said that sponsoring sports events like the Pakistan-India series would give “us a lot of mileage”. He asserted that ABL would continue investing funds in the sponsorship of sports in the coming years.Meanwhile, after signing the contract, ABL has joined Allianz, Hutch and Grassim Cement as sponsors of the Pakistan-India series. Allianz are the title sponsors for the three-match Test series while Hutch are the lead sponsors for the five-match ODI contest.”The decision to sponsor the India-Pakistan 2006 series was taken with the knowledge of the passion of the game shared by both the nations and our intention to be an active part of the same,” said Khalid Sherwani, ABL President, in a media statement. A Nimbus official welcomed ABL’s entry as one of the series sponsors. “Allied Bank has beaten Indian banking sponsors to the line on this series — one of most important events in the cricket calendar in 2006,” said the official.
The Duleep Trophy, the Indian domestic competetion between zonal teams, has been advanced so that the national players can participate in the tournament. It will now be held from February 15 to March 12. The Indian board also announced that Bangladesh would take part in the tournament.According to Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the board, the dates had been brought forward “in order to give the Indian players better exposure to the longer version of the game prior to the Test matches against Pakistan.”The Duleep Trophy was previously scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 22 in various venues across central zone. Pakistan are scheduled to visit India in the last week of February to play three Tests and five one-day internationals.The Ranji Trophy one-day knock-out tournament has been postponed by two months and will now be held in Mumbai from April 8 to 14. The other domestic ODI tournaments – the league phase of the one-day tournament, the Deodhar Trophy and the Challenger Trophy – remain the same. However, the dates of the Ranji Trophy semi-finals will now be held between March 18 to 22 while the final is scheduled for March 30 to April 3.Click here for revised Duleep Trophy schedule
Rameez Raja, the chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has said that he will use his visit to Mumbai next month for an International Cricket Council committee meeting to press for a restoration in ties between the two countries.”The matter of cricket revival with India will definitely be the issue,” Rameez explained. “The world is waiting for the standoff to be broken. Pakistan have been willing to play India and we believe that ties should be resumed as early as next year.”Rameez admitted that initially he was not going to travel to the meeting. “I was reluctant to attend because of matches in Pakistan, and also because normally cricket officials from Pakistan have not been issued visas to visit India for any purpose,” he told the News. “But now I have changed my mind and we have sent the visa application for processing. I believe given the media interest that will surround the meeting it is the best time to get across Pakistan’s point of view to Indians in India on cricket relations.”Raja added that the ICC has also hinted at the possibility of matches between Pakistan and India in the United States and Canada next year. He said that the proposal “would give a huge boost to the sport in that part of the world”.
Debutant opener Lou Vincent justified his selection with an unbeaten 86 on day one of the deciding third cricket Test against Australia at the WACA today.New Zealand put on 103 for the session to go to tea at 2-190, with Vincent unbeaten on 86 and captain Stephen Fleming on 79.The pair came together in the first hour of play with the Kiwis in trouble at 2-19 and Australian quicks Glenn McGrath (1-15) and Jason Gillespie (1-36) looking dangerous.But the tide swung in the visitors’ favour after nine overs when McGrath limped from the field and was taken to hospital for precautionary scans on his back.Vincent, who went to lunch level with Fleming on 33 not out, lifted his scoring rate after lunch.Fleming beat him to 50, but then the plucky right hander became more aggressive after he was bounced by frustrated leg-spinner Shane Warne (0-40).He signalled his intention to punish the Australian attack the very next ball when he hooked a Brett Lee (0-71) bouncer for six.He is closing in on his maiden century, but a century on debut has never been a particularly good omen for Kiwi openers.Jack Mills, who scored 117 in his first Test against England at Wellington in 1929-30, went on to play just six more.Second on the all-time list was left-handed Rodney Redmond, who smashed 107 on debut against Pakistan at Auckland in 1973, his only Test.Australia’s spirits received a boost 43 minutes into the second session when paceman Glenn McGrath returned to the field after a lengthy absence.McGrath will be assessed again during tea, but is unable to bowl until 4.10pm (7.10pm AEDT).