Tag Futebol

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka batsman, has said his side will enjoy bearing the underdog tag on their tour of South Africa because they have exceeded expectations before

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2011Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka batsman, has said his side will enjoy bearing the underdog tag on their tour of South Africa because they have exceeded expectations before. Jayawardene pointed to the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, saying Sri Lanka were not favourites in those tournaments but managed to reach the finals in both editions.”When you are playing away from home and with the unit we have, we will be tagged as underdogs,” he said. “I think it’s a good way to go to South Africa. Expectations of us are going to be lower after the way we performed in the last three Tests [against Pakistan in the UAE].”Even when we went into the last two World Cups [2007 and 2011] we were not the clear favourites. We came from behind and did what needed to be done.”Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test this year and have lost three series – away to England, at home to Australia and against Pakistan in the UAE – by the same scoreline: 0-1. Their poor run prompted Kepler Wessels, the former South Africa captain, to say a South Africa A side would beat Sri Lanka on present form. Jayawardene said the only way Sri Lanka could respond to that statement was through their on-field performances.”The only way we can react is by performing and showing him what a good side we are. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. The statement is great ammunition for us to motivate ourselves and send a clear message to the players that this is how they are thinking about us so let’s try to change their mind.”Sri Lanka have lost six of the seven Tests they have played in South Africa, and Jayawardene expected this tour to be difficult too. “We have to be realistic in knowing what challenges face us. We know what the conditions are and what the attack is going to be, therefore it’s important to prepare.”Jayawardene missed the fifth ODI and Twenty20 against Pakistan with a knee injury but says he expects to be 100% fit by the first Test against South Africa at Centurion, which starts December 15. “Right now I am feeling much better with the injury but I haven’t started running yet; I’ve only batted in the nets. It’s been only two weeks since the last game I played. With the progress I have made in the last two weeks I am quite positive that I should be more-or-less 100% fit by the first Test.” Sri Lanka have brought in Thilan Samaraweera as cover for Jayawardene.During the ODI series against Pakistan, Jayawardene became the second Sri Lanka batsman to reach 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and he is just 46 runs away from reaching the mark in Tests too. Jayawardene said that getting 10,000 runs in both formats was a goal he had set himself for 2011. “I focused on that double after the 2007 World Cup and I had a target of achieving them by this year. Getting to 10,000 ODI runs is a personal achievement I am very proud of. There will be arguments that I could have done better but given the roles that I have had to play in the team I feel I’ve managed to win matches for the team rather than just play for personal achievements. In that process to get 10,000 ODI runs I am quite happy.”These are things that motivate me to be a better cricketer. Only five guys have done the 10,000-run double in the history of the game [Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara]. I will be really thrilled if I am the first Sri Lankan to do that.”

Windward Islands left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin has been included in the West Indies Twenty20 squad against England in place of offspinner Ashley Nurse, who did not meet the required fitness standard at a preparatory camp in Barbados.Mathurin, 27, has played 11 first-class games, picking up 40 wickets at 22.15 and 12 T20 games, collecting 10 wickets at 24.50 with an impressive economy rate of 5.56. He has best figures of 7 for 72 against the England Lions, followed by 5 for 86 against Leeward Islands the very next game this season.”I see this as an opportunity given to me to represent the people of the Caribbean and I’m looking to have a good tour,” Mathurin said. “I’m looking forward to fitting into the new environment and working with the coach and the other members of the team. I’m a confident person and a confident cricketer so I always keep a positive outlook.”In T20 cricket it’s all about looking to get runs as quickly as possible so the aim of the bowler is to keep the batsmen in check and restrict the scoring. My main asset is my ability to keep it tight and build pressure on the batsmen. I see this as my job in the team. Also, I know I have to contribute with the bat and I’m always looking to see what I can do to contribute to the team.”Mathurin is the third St Lucian to be picked in the West Indies national team, after Johnson Charles and Darren Sammy. “I have known Darren for a very long time, we played together at the Under-19 level and the senior level for St Lucia and Windwards and we talk a lot about the game, so it’s special for me that I get to play for West Indies with him as the captain.”West Indies play two Twenty20 internationals in England, on September 23 and 25, and have selected a young side, with many seniors unavailable due to their participation in the Champions League Twenty20.

Shaun Tait, the Australia fast bowler, is set to add to his tally of Twenty20 teams after agreeing terms with Zimbabwean domestic franchise Mid West Rhinos. Tait will play for Rhinos during Zimbabwe’s domestic Twenty20 competition in late November this year.Tait, who signed up to play for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia’s Big Bash League six weeks ago and will also represent Dolphins, the Durban-based South African franchise, for the Pro20 competition early next year, said he hoped his Zimbabwe stint would help boost his match fitness ahead of his Big Bash outing.”That’s the thing with Twenty20 tournaments, you’ve got to pick which ones are at the right time to keep your match fitness up, and rest in between,” he said. ”It’s just [before] the Big Bash, so it’s perfect timing.”The dates for Zimbabwe’s fortnight-long Twenty20 tournament have not been finalised but it is expected that the competition will be completed by December 3, which will allow Tait to travel back to Melbourne well in time to prepare for the Big Bash.Tait retired from Tests in 2008 and quit ODIs too following Australia’s exit in the quarter-final stage of the 2011 World Cup. He then represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this year, grabbing six wickets in four games. He was forced to turn down a deal with Surrey earlier this year due to an elbow injury sustained during the IPL. His Zimbabwe deal was set up by his former teammate Jason Gillespie, who has also re-signed as coach of Rhinos.”The way it’s going I’m just going to play [Twenty20] tournaments,” Tait, who is still available to play Twenty20 cricket for Australia, said. “If clubs are keen to sign me, that’s great. I’ve become sort of a freelance Twenty20 player.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIrfan Pathan surprised everyone by rediscovering old-ball swing, but not much else changed for Delhi as they continued to flounder•Associated Press

The scorecard will say Paul Valthaty hammered 62 to power Punjab to an eventually match-winning 170, but that’s not even half the story. Through 50 balls of clueless flailing, Valthaty put on a display completely out of place in the beautiful setting that is Dharamsala. Delhi Daredevils matched his ordinariness with a shoddy show on the field, followed by the sort of batting display that can be expected from a one-man team, when that one man is missing. Punjab’s bowlers, led by a resurgent Piyush Chawla, capitalised on Delhi’s woes to run to their third win on the trot, keeping their late-blooming campaign alive.By all counts it was an average game of cricket, and the tone for the ordinariness was set right at the start. There was swing for Irfan Pathan, but not enough pace. There were swings of Adam Gilchrist’s bat, but not too many connections. At the other end, Morne Morkel’s other-worldly bounce systematically exposed Valthaty’s limitations. The pressure was on Punjab and the chances promptly followed, but Delhi graciously fluffed them. Yogesh Nagar and Irfan combined to mess up a straightforward run-out opportunity, before Venugopal Rao dropped a chance at slip. Delhi’s generosity was duly reciprocated by Punjab, as Gilchrist gifted his wicket soon after the botched run-out. It was like watching two football sides trying to outdo each other in an own-goal contest.Shaun Marsh’s advent sought to bring sanity to the proceedings – he began by charming Aavishkar Salvi over mid-on, before shredding him through point – but Valthaty’s methods continued to spoil the scenery. Initially he attempted on-the-up thumps, regardless of length, and often missed by ridiculously large margins. He later tried to counter the bounce with cuts, but rarely made contact. He then resorted to the pull, and it was soon evident why he doesn’t play that shot too often. On the one occasion when he managed to middle the ball, Varun Aaron at fine-leg ran in too far, and the ball sailed over the boundary.Valthaty eventually found his match against James Hopes’ trundle and ignited the innings with two violent sixes over the leg-side and an edged four through third man. Bowling listless lengths to Valthaty wasn’t Hopes’ biggest mistake of the innings though. He brought on S Sriram’s nondescript left-arm spin in the 13th over and Marsh indulged himself to some slog-sweeping violence. The over bled 25, including three big sixes over the leg side, as Punjab galloped from 70 for 1 in ten overs to 115 for 1 in 13.Delhi managed to contain the damage in the remaining overs, through Aaron’s pace, and Irfan’s surprising rediscovery of old-ball swing. Marsh and Valthaty perished to Irfan’s stock indippers off successive balls in the 15th over. Delhi could have taken control in the next over, but Naman Ojha grassed a chance to let off Dinesh Karthik, allowing Punjab to motor along to 170.Delhi’s chase followed a now-familiar template: David Warner’s shocking loss of form – he had cobbled up 47 runs in his last six innings before the game – and Virender Sehwag’s absence meant the innings lost steam quickly. Along with Naman Ojha, Warner played out ten successive dot balls early on, in the process giving Praveen Kumar his fourth maiden of the season. Ojha eventually found release by clouting Shalabh Srivastava for two sixes and a four in the sixth over, but it proved to be a false dawn. Ojha guided Srivastava behind in the eighth over for a run-a-ball 28, before Warner miscued the same bowler for a run-a-ball 29. Run-a-balls were, however, not going to be enough.Chawla has endured a rough time recently: he struggled for impact in the World Cup and his place in the team became a national debate; his struggles continued in the IPL, and he’s been left out for the West Indies ODIs. On Sunday, he finally came into his own with a sprightly spell, in which he refrained from his old failing of over-doing the googly. He accounted for Sriram, Rao and Hopes in successive overs, as Delhi went down with the setting sun in Dharamsala.

Australia’s newly manufactured Twenty20 teams will make extensive raids on West Indies cricket.

Daniel Brettig18-May-2011Australia’s newly manufactured Twenty20 teams will make extensive raids on West Indies cricket as the only readily available source of international talent for next summer’s expanded Big Bash League.Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, all unavailable from their national side’s current Test series against Pakistan due to the Indian Premier League, will be the most sought-after players, but others like the stylish young batsman Darren Bravo, speedster Kemar Roach and the captain Darren Sammy will all be wooed by the eight franchises.Such a vast raid on Caribbean playing stocks is sure to add to problems of disunity and disconnection between the players, their union and the West Indies board, who have fought out a long series of public arguments over a myriad of issues.While Gayle (Western Australia), Pollard (South Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (Victoria) all have previous relationships with certain states, they are likely to field plenty of additional offers for their services as administrators come to terms with the fact that marquee names will be in short supply at the time of the competition.During the tournament’s December/January timeslot, West Indies are the only international team not heavily committed to bilateral tours. India has quickly ruled out allowing its touring players to take part in between matches against Australia, while South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh and even Zimbabwe have international commitments.England limited-overs players may be available pending the release of the schedule for matches against Pakistan, while the likes of Shahid Afridi and Lasith Malinga should also be accessible. Muttiah Muralitharan has elected to play in New Zealand’s T20 competition rather than returning to Australia.A desire for marketable players has been made all the more intense by the creeping realisation that Australian cricket audiences seem unlikely to warm instantly to the concept of fabricated teams, having been initially drawn to domestic T20 cricket by the combination of a bright new format, cheap ticket prices and the pre-existing traditions of state versus state.Negotiations between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association over the MOU governing player payments are close to compromise if not complete resolution, and the broad terms of player recruitment have become clear. Free agency will allow players to pick the team of their choice, while a $1 million salary cap will be put in place without a maximum contract stipulation, allowing sides to offer a particularly lucrative deal to players of Gayle’s ilk. Two overseas players will be allowed per team, although it will be possible, as in the IPL, to recruit more imports and rotate them through the XI.The relationship between BBL and state contracts is complex, with one-team states seemingly in a better position to offer two contracts to their most valued players while New South Wales and Victoria will have less to offer their best players due to the presence of two sides. State administrators believe it would be most equitable to open up the BBL recruitment window only after state contracts have been finalised, though the practicalities of such a move are becoming increasingly cramped by a lack of time.

Moeen Ali, the Worcestershire batsman, has signed a new contract that will keep him at New Road until the end of the 2013 season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2011Moeen Ali, the Worcestershire batsman, has signed a new contract that will keep him at New Road until the end of the 2013 season.Mooen, 23, scored 1,260 first-class runs last season having moved from Warwickshire in 2006.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and have been looked after very well,” said Moeen.”I am grateful for the opportunities I have had and I hope to progress further over the coming years.”Moeen was part of the Worcestershire side that won promotion back to County Championship Division One last summer.”Moeen played exceptionally well during 2010 and played a major part in our four-day promotion push,” said director of cricket Steve Rhodes.”The development of younger players is paramount to our future and I am delighted to have a talented all-round cricketer, such as Moeen, commit his future to the club.”

West Ham United could reportedly pass up the chance to sign on-loan ‘keeper Alphonse Areola on a permanent deal, owing to the player’s hefty salary.

What’s the word?

According to respected insider ExWHUemployee, (via westhamzone), the Frenchman’s current wage could prove a major stumbling block in the Hammers’ hopes of keeping him at the club beyond this summer, with the 29-year-old reportedly taking home roughly £125k-per-week at parent club Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking about the situation on the West Ham Way Podcast, the trusted source said of the three-cap international that: “The manager likes Areola and it’s just that his wages are £125k/week. This would mean that he would be the highest-paid player and if he’s going to be backup to Fabianski next year, you can’t pay your backup keeper the highest wage at the club.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]

The World Cup-winning stopper made the move to the London Stadium on a season-long loan deal over the summer, although do have the option to make it permanent.

A poor decision?

Although there is a sense in not handing out such a vast wage to a player who hasn’t even been the regular number one in the Premier League this season, it would seem foolish to discard the Paris-born giant at the end of the campaign, particularly following his impressive form in the Europa League.

Dubbed “remarkable” by commentator Peter Drury, the £8.1m-rated man has featured in ten of the club’s 11 games in the continental competition, only sitting out the very first group stage clash away at Dinamo Zagreb.

Since then, he has registered five clean sheets in the Hammers’ surge to the semi-final stage, conceding just 0.7 goals per game and making 2.8 saves per game, while also averaging a 7.12 match rating – the sixth-best among David Moyes’ squad in Europe this term.

In his 17 appearances in all competitions for the club this season he has conceded just 14 goals, while counterpart and rival Lukasz Fabianski has shipped 45 goals in 35 outings across all fronts.

The Poland international has been the undisputed number one over the last few seasons – having joined from Swansea in a £7m deal back in 2018 – although at 37 he is now perhaps coming towards the end, with a younger replacement on the agenda.

There have been rumours of a deal for Burnley’s Nick Pope and West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone, perhaps showing signs that Moyes and co are looking towards the future in the goalkeeping department.

Declan Rice’s future is also of great importance to the club but in Areola, they have someone who they must also do their best to keep in east London.

He is already a man who has shown his worth at the London Stadium and supporters would surely agree that it would be a mistake not to snap him up permanently.

IN other news, “He wants..”: Insider drops big Rice claim that will have West Ham supporters buzzing

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side will make the short trip from north to west London this afternoon as they take on Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium, looking to boost their top-four hopes with a victory.

The Italian’s outfit are currently fourth in the Premier League but have very close competition from arch-rivals Arsenal, who are behind on goal difference alone.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Spurs had been on a good run of four consecutive victories in the league before last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

Now, they’ll be looking to make amends for that loss by getting back to winning ways against the Bees.

However, after last weekend’s slip-up, Conte could be tempted to make changes to his side and axe some of those who let him down against the Seagulls, with left-wing-back Sergio Reguilon certainly a culprit.

On the chalkboard

Prior to Ryan Sessegnon’s hamstring injury, the Spaniard had lost his place in the side to the 21-year-old with the Englishman offering plenty of attacking flair in the final third.

The 25-year-old was left out of the starting lineup by Conte for six out of seven league matches between late January and early March, only coming back into the side when Sessegnon was withdrawn in the 5-0 victory over Everton.

Ironically, Reguilon did score in that match and has missed just one game since with a knock.

However, Sessegnon has since recovered from his injury and has been on the bench for Spurs’ last two matches. Whether Conte has kept the £68k-per-week Spaniard in the starting lineup for tactical reasons or concerns over the 21-year-old’s fitness is unknown.

What is known though, is that Reguilon is walking on a tightrope in terms of keeping his place in the side after coming back into the starting lineup last weekend for the injured Matt Doherty, who is now out for the season.

The Spaniard, who has made 25 Premier League appearances so far this term, averages just 24.3 accurate passes a match – at an accuracy of 79% – whilst winning just over half of his duels at 52% with 4.6 a game.

However, against Brighton last weekend, the wing-back was well below par for his standards.

The 25-year-old completed just 17 passes with an accuracy of 63% and couldn’t manage to complete a dribble, attempting just one.

Moreover, it was a timid performance defensively, offering 0 clearances, blocks or interceptions whilst making just one tackle. The only positive was a 70% duel win rate.

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs insider John Wenham recently labelled the wing-back as “average” whilst also stating that “he’s the worst of the bunch.”

With Reguilon’s popularity amongst the Tottenham faithful at a low, now is the time for Conte to axe the Spaniard with the Italian unable to make mistakes if his side are to secure Champions League football for next season.

AND in other news: Conte must finally unleash “absolutely fantastic” Spurs sensation, he’s a “big talent”

Ruben Vinagre’s loan move from Wolves to Sporting Lisbon is to become permanent, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Vinagre out on loan

The 22-year-old joined the Portuguese champions on a temporary basis last summer, with Bruno Lage seemingly not considering the left-back part of his plans.

Vinagre has only featured sparingly for Sporting this season to date (albeit partly due to injury), only making six Primeira Liga starts and also appearing twice in the Champions League.

However, it now looks as though the youngster has played his final game for Wolves, in light of a significant development from his native Portugal.

The Latest: Sporting move to be made permanent

Speaking to A Bola [via Sport Witness], Sporting manager Ruben Amorim confirmed that Vinagre’s move had become permanent.

The 37-year-old said of the defender: “He’s part of our project. We have young players we want to bet on. We really believe in Ruben. The situation was already thought of at the beginning of the season, but the purchase is now official. He had an injury that limited him.”

Sporting will reportedly pay €10m (£8.33m) for Vinagre’s services, with some reports also suggesting that Wolves could possibly receive 50% of a future sell-on fee, potentially pushing the Old Gold’s total income from the deal into eight figures.

The Verdict: Good move for Vinagre

The move makes perfect sense for Vinagre, allowing him to flourish at a club where he is clearly valued and kick on further in his career by settling permanently in Lisbon.

The left-back did his best for Wolves, scoring three times in 70 appearances, but the emergence of Rayan Ait-Nouri had pushed him down the pecking order at Molineux.

Assuming it goes through, it is a good piece of business by Wanderers, with Lage now hopefully able to use the funds from the sale towards new signings in the summer transfer window.

In other news, one Wolves player has been linked with a move to another Premier League club. Read more here.

Scorecard
Scotland clinched the 2010 European Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier with a convincing allround team display which saw them beat Jersey by 109 runs at Stormont.Batting first, wicketkeeper Matthew Cross (33), Aman Bailwal (28), Peter Legget (26), Anjan Luthra (21), Sam Page (21), and Tom McBride (20) were the top scorers as they batted with purpose and intent, safe in the knowledge that it would have taken something extraordinary for Jersey to overhaul them, given their vastly superior run rate.Jersey’s fielding and catching has been a feature of their play all week, but today half chances went to ground, and tiredness crept in as the effects of five games in seven days took their toll on the young island side. Charles Perchard (3 for 54), Aidan McGuire (2 for 26), James Faudemer (2 for 30) and Ben Stevens (1 for 23) were best with the ball for Jersey as Scotland finished on 208 all out in 49.5 overs.The Jersey reply got off to a disastrous start when pinch-hitter William Falle was run out before the lunch break. Scotland captain Paddy Sadler’s impressive tournament continued as he bowled with great pace and control to finish with the impressive analysis of 4 for 22. Fellow opening bowler Stan Shillington (2 for 17) was also among the wickets, as were Scott McElnea (1 for 5), Aman Bailwal (1 for 18), and Peter Legget (1 for 34).Corey Bisson provided the only real semblance of resistance for Jersey in a fluent and entertaining 32. In the end Jersey were dismissed for 99 in 40.3 overs, leaving Scotland victors by 109 runs and worthy champions.

Scorecard
Ireland made sure of second place and a vital Under-19 World Cup Qualifier place when they beat Netherlands by 82 runs at Waringstown.Batting first, Ireland posted a competitive 238 all out. They lost Jason van der Merwe and Adam Berry early, before the Donemana pairing of Andy McBrine (34) and Ryan Hunter (28) started a recovery. However when they and George Dockrell fell in quick succession, the game was in the balance at 91 for 5.However Shane Getkate (47) and his Malahide team mate Adam Coughlan (40) added 69 for the sixth wicket, to put Ireland back in control. Graeme McCarter provided some late fireworks as he hit 46 from just 40 balls to take Ireland to 238 in 46 overs. Philip van der Brandeler (4 for 30), Sebastiaan Braat (2 for 40), and Robert van der Harten (2 for 55) were the most successful with the ball for the Dutch.In reply, James Gruijters (29) continued his consistent batting form this week, and opener Sverre Loggers (20) gave his side a decent platform. However Barry McCarthy (2 for 21) and Getkate (2 for 39) both made sure wickets fell at regular intervals.It was the introduction of Dockrell which proved the downfall for the Netherlands, as the left-arm spinner showed just why he is so highly rated in cricketing circles. He finished with 5 for 34 as the Dutch finished on 156 all out in 38.4 overs. Ireland’s 82 run win confirmed their second place in the group, and they now go into the World Cup Qualifiers, hoping to reclaim the title they won last year in Canada.

Scorecard
Guernsey won the battle of the bottom two teams when they inflicted a six-wicket defeat upon Denmark at the picturesque Laurevale ground.Batting first Denmark rallied from a precarious 58 for 6 to post a respectable 139 all out in 43.3 overs. The batting honours went to wicket-keeper Vijayasai Sasitharan who top scored with an undefeated 28. The Danish total was boosted by 23 extras. In the bowling department, Dale Mullen (3 for 30), Guy Batiste (2 for 4), Thomas Kirk (2 for 28), Andrew Hutchinson (2 for 34), and Glenn Le Tissier (1 for 12) were the wicket-takers for Guernsey.Chasing the modest total, Guernsey were given a perfect start when Adam Martel (21) and Isaac Damarell added fifty for the first wicket. Thomas Kirk made 28 from 30 balls, while Glen Le Tissier blasted 19 not out from 11 balls. It was Damarell who did the real damage, though, as he recorded a superb unbeaten 57 from just 63 balls to steer Guernsey to the win with six wickets and 24.3 overs to spare.