Tag Futebol

Close
Scorecard

On the back foot: Chris Gayle hits out before he was caught behind for 13

Zimbabwe were denied a rare Test victory after years of defeat and failure, as the last-wicket pair of Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards successfully played out the last 32 minutes and 71 deliveries to secure a thrilling draw at Harare. The weather remarkably stayed fine to the end, but it was only to mock the earnest, but ultimately futile, efforts of the heart-broken Zimbabwe side.Zimbabwe had the game all but wrapped up when West Indies sunk to 204 for 9, but Jacobs, who finished on 60 not out, and Edwards emerged as the last-ditch heroes to hold out for the draw. Ray Price, who became only the third Zimbabwean bowler to take ten wickets in an innings, bowled his heart out, wheeling through 38 overs without a break. Heath Streak would gladly have swapped his Man of the Match award after his first-innings century and superb bowling for what would have been a wonderful victory after 11 successive defeats.Streak perhaps left his declaration too long, waiting until shortly before the close of the morning session with a lead of 372. West Indiesbegan their quest for safety cautiously, but a dramatic 15 minutes extinguished any hopes they had of an unlikely victory.After Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle departed in quick succession, Streak picked up the big wicket of Brian Lara – with a bit of help from Billy Bowden. Streak deceived Lara with a ball that moved back in on him as he padded up and Bowden gave him out lbw. The replay, however, suggested that it had not come back enough to hit off. The fielders, and the crowd, were ecstatic as the unfortunate Lara made his way back to the pavilion for 1 and Zimbabwe sensed they were on to something (38 for 3).With all sniffs of victory gone, Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan applied themselves to survival without the pressure or a required run rate. There were, remarkably in this modern era, no extras in the innings until the total reached 66 – at which point Andy Blignaut produced a superb delivery which beat Sarwan and would have trapped him plumb lbw, had Bowden not called no-ball.Both batsmen, though, cracked under the pressure created by spinners Price and Trevor Gripper. Ganga yorked himself for 16, leaping down the pitch to Price (73 for 4), while Sarwan also left his crease to Gripper, and was stumped for 39 (103 for 5).The last two recognised batsmen, Shivnarive Chanderpaul and Jacobs, put up a good fight for 78 minutes. They played well, but not with the care that one would expect with only a draw to play for. And that partnership came to an end after 68 runs when Chanderpaul clipped Price straight to midwicket (171 for 6).Even though they were making good progress, Zimbabwe struggled under the handicap of having only two threatening bowlers in Streak and Price. But Blignaut came on to bowl his fastest and most telling spell of the match. As if inspired, he bowled at a much greater speed and gave the batsmen a torrid time.He had Drakes caught by Tatenda Taibu, fending off a rearing ball (184 for 7), and then Jerome Taylor was taken low at fifth slip where Stuart Matsikenyeri juggled it and held the rebound from his hand. And after the third umpire was called to confirm the catch, Taylor was on his way for 3 and West Indies were starting the death march on 191 for 8. And the crowd knew it too, coming to life with cheers and songs in an atmosphere rarely seen outside one-day internationals.Jacobs in the meantime had reached his fifty, batting well but taking a few risks that were unnecessary considering his team’s plight. Corey Collymore was next to go, for 1, pushing a catch to silly mid-off to give Price ten wickets for the match (204 for 9). And that was that … or so everyone thought.Edwards joined Jacobs with the light fading and the big shadow of the Western Stand across the field, forcing Zimbabwe to resort to spin at both ends. But the batsmen remained obdurate. Price was no doubt tired, Gripper innocuous, and that last wicket just would not fall. By the close all the fielders were within about five yards of the bat, but the batsmen did their job marvellously. They saw out the last twelve overs and didn’t give anything away, keeping their cool as the pressure increased.For Zimbabwe, all that was left was to reflect on what might have been, and the injustice of life in a country where nothing ever seems to go right.

In a one-day international that was a classic of its kind, India won a thrilling match by 22 runs despite a marvellous innings of 121 from Marcus Trescothick. India had looked out of it when England were 224 for 4, but a dreadful umpiring decision that sparked a woeful collapse enabled India to take first blood in the six-match series.India got off to exactly the start they wanted. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly set off at a rattling good pace, taking advantage of some English bowling that was slightly below par. There were enough wayward deliveries to allow run-scoring without risk-taking. The 50 came up in the tenth over and a total in excess of 300 could be envisaged at this stage.Paul Collingwood came on to bowl the 14th over of the innings only to be hit for a straight six by Ganguly, and was withdrawn from the attack after conceding ten from the over. Before the change could be effected, however, Andrew Flintoff had broken the partnership.The wicket, greeted with an eerie silence from the vast and otherwise noisy crowd, was something of a collector’s item. It will certainly feature prominently in Flintoff’s collection, for he hit Tendulkar’s stumps with a ball of fullish length that the batsman tried to work to mid-wicket.Three overs later, Ganguly fell to the same bowler. He also tried to fetch a ball from outside off stump towards mid-wicket with plenty of predetermination about the shot. He only succeeded in sending it high into the air for Nasser Hussain to take a testing catch with comfort.Dinesh Mongia was joined by VVS Laxman who became the third batsman to get out with mid-wicket in mind when well set. He chipped Darren Gough there when Gough had been brought back into the attack with the single aim of taking another wicket.Mongia, playing a sensible innings with a maturity that belied his inexperience at this level, reached his 50 off as many balls with only four fours and a six. He lost another partner when Virender Sehwag shaped a horrible slog to be bowled by Matthew Hoggard’s slower ball, and India appeared to have wasted a very good start.Mongia took a liking to Jeremy Snape’s off-breaks when he returned to the attack with two straight fours, despite the fact that long-on and long-off were set back, but then Snape snared his man. Mongia was bowled for an excellent 71 from 75 balls.Two more wickets then fell in quick succession. Ajit Agarkar was beautifully stumped by James Foster off a leg-side wide from an off-colour Ashley Giles, and Ajay Ratra was run out. Hemang Badani found a willing partner in Harbhajan Singh to stop the rot, and this pair manipulated the total to the level that India would have had in mind at the outset.England had been docked one over for a tardy bowling rate, and could be satisfied that it was not more than one. They were not satisfied with the start they made as they went after the impressive total.Trescothick got a single off Javagal Srinath’s first ball, but the bowler wrung an lbw decision out of the umpire as Nick Knight faced his first ball. Did it pitch outside the leg-stump? Not according to the umpire.Nasser Hussain came in with only one thing on his mind, and that was to get the scoreboard moving. Using the open face that he favours, he managed to locate the rope frequently enough, while Trescothick was totally uninhibited with his strokeplay.Both batsmen were dropped by Laxman at second slip. Trescothick was on only two when the fielder spurned a chance off Agarkar, and Hussain on 19 when Laxman again erred, this time off Srinath. That one did not prove as expensive, for Hussain was lbw to Anil Kumble’s second ball when he had scored 29. Despite the length of stride he got in, the umpire needed no time to think about his decision.Trescothick made the most of the fielding restrictions in the remainder of the first 15 overs, hitting sixes off Harbhajan Singh and Kumble and three fours off Harbhajan in the 15th over.Michael Vaughan was just beginning to look more comfortable having contributed 14 to a partnership of 59 off eight overs with Trescothick when he tried to lift Kumble over mid-off but failed to do so. Collingwood played his part before he too took an unnecessary liberty with Ganguly to offer a simple catch to mid-wicket.Trescothick meanwhile had brought up a memorable century from just 80 balls with 13 fours and two sixes. It was a gargantuan effort from a man who had left the field five times during the Indian innings feeling unwell. With Flintoff overcoming a nervous start to keep Trescothick company, they brought the required rate down to no more than five an over.Ganguly needed wickets; England needed to go steadily along. They might have done had Trescothick’s innings not come to an end in the unhappiest of circumstances. Srinath was brought into the attack, bowled a ball that pitched some six inches outside the left-hander’s leg stump. The bowler appealed and the umpire gave a shocking decision in his favour.It was the turning point in the match. There was an awful mix-up between Flintoff and Snape that resulted in Flintoff being run out at a crucial stage. Snape became the fourth lbw victim sweeping at Harbhajan Singh, and England’s challenge became forlorn.Foster chased a wide one from Agarkar to give Ratra his first victim in international cricket, Gough lasted no time at all and although Giles did his best to eke out the required runs at the end, he was out for 18 and India had won a great game of cricket.

The East Zone Cooch Behar Trophy match between Tripura and Orissa atthe Polytechnic Institute Ground in Agartala ended in a draw withTripura taking 5 points due to a massive 130 run lead while Orissa hadto be content with three.It was always a tough asking to score 250 runs for a win on the finalday and Orissa managed to scratch 207 runs while losing nine wicketsin the bargain. S Biswal (85) was the chief contributor, sharing a 220ball, 100 run partnership for the fourth wicket with N Behara (62). JDebnath (3 for 69) and T Saha (3 for 34) were the successful bowlersfor Tripura.In the morning, Tripura who resumed at 101 for 8 in their secondinnings, were all out for 119. Rasudeb Dutta (47), who waged a lonebattle for over 173 minutes, was the top scorer for Tripura. SKJahangir (4 for 45) reaped a rich harvest for Orissa.On the opening day, Tripura who opted to bat put up a fighting 240 onthe board. Tripura were chiefly helped by many small but usefulpartnerships along the way. The topscorer being Sandip Bannerjee witha well compiled 47 off 114 balls. In reply Orissa had to confront themedium pacers of J Debnath (7 for 37) and finding him too hard tohandle were bundled out for just 110 runs.

Crystal Palace and Leeds are just two clubs name-checked with an interest in Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, TEAMtalk report.

The Lowdown: Impressive Blades loan

Gibbs-White is currently on loan at Championship side Sheffield United, where Billy Sharp has described him as ‘instrumental’.

The 22-year-old has scored eight of his 12 senior career goals with the Blades this season and has registered an impressive seven assists.

His form has helped Paul Heckingbottom’s side into the playoff places and it has also caught the eye of Palace officials, it seems.

The Latest: Eagles interest

According to TEAMtalk, Gibbs-White will be playing Premier League football next season, with Palace, Leeds and Southampton all keen, should parent club Wolves decide to sell.

Championship leaders Fulham are also name-checked with an interest, although Wolves are yet to decide on the player’s future.

The Verdict: Shrewd target?

Gibbs-White, who shares the same agent as Joachim Andersen and Odsonne Edouard, has enjoyed the best season of his career so far, playing in a variety of midfield and attacking roles in Yorkshire.

He could be a shrewd replacement for Conor Gallagher, with the Eagles not having the option to make his loan permanent from Chelsea in the summer.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If Patrick Vieira fails to get Gallagher back at Selhurst Park next season, a replacement will be required, and Gibbs-White could be the ideal player going off his age, versatility and recent form.

In other news: Palace and John Textor now hit with off-field blow as news emerges. 

Mark Shields has said that the ICC had ruled out a match-fixing link in connection with Bob Woolmer’s death © AFP

Jamaica’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields has testified at an inquest that the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Team had ruled out a match-fixing link in connection with the death of Bob Woolmer, the former Pakistan coach.”The ICC anti-corruption and security team undertook to investigate if there were any allegations of corruption that may have contributed to Woolmer’s death,” Shields said. “And over the period of March, throughout the investigation, we were in frequent dialogue with the team, which informed us that they found no evidence linking the death of Mr Woolmer to cricket.”Shields, who led the Jamaica Police’s investigations, said the ICC team had conducted their own investigations into Woolmer’s death. He also said that there was no link between a book Woolmer was planning to write and his death and that he had visited Cape Town in May where he interviewed Woolmer’s family and professor Tim Noakes, co-author of the proposed book.Though Shieds said he didn’t see the draft, he said all concerned told him it contained nothing about match-fixing. “I trusted the integrity of professor Noakes and the Woolmer family that Mr Woolmer was not writing about the dirty side of cricket,” he was quoted in the . “I concluded that the manuscript was about the technical side of cricket.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Sanath Jayasuriya blitzed seven fours and five sixes in his 44-ball 70 © AFP

Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers, galvanised by a supremely skilful spell of left-arm swing bowling from Chaminda Vaas, overpowered New Zealand to level the series 2-2 with one game to play. Set a challenging 263-run target, New Zealand collapsed in spectacular fashion and were bowled out for an abysmal 73 in 26.3 overs, their second lowest ODI score, to record their heaviest ever defeat.Vaas was superb, swinging the ball through the air and cutting off the seam during an eight-over new ball burst that ripped New Zealand’s top order to shreds. Unrelentingly accurate, Vaas pinned Fleming, Ross Taylor and Hamish Marshall (three) lbw with full-length deliveries that swung late, reducing New Zealand to 25 for 4 by the seventh over.Like Sri Lanka, New Zealand had shortened their batting order for the fourth game in favour of extra bowling options and, after those initial blows, the match was effectively over. Lasith Malinga, recalled for a second spell after a solitary over with the new ball, created further mayhem in the middle order with a fiery three-wicket burst of his own before Muttiah Muralitharan finished off the game.Sri Lanka’s winning position had been forged earlier in the afternoon by Sanath Jayasuriya, who blazed an astonishing 70 from 44 balls, an innings that contained five of the sweetest sixes you are likely to see, including one monster strike that ended up in the top stand of Eden Park. Kumar Sangakkara then consolidated the innings with a composed 79 after a mini-collapse.Sri Lanka, trailing 2-1 after back-to-back defeats at Queenstown and Christchurch, changed strategy for this crucial game, reverting to six specialist batters and five frontline bowlers, a combination that worked so well for them in England. The batsmen responded well to the heightened responsibility after Mahela Jayawardene won his first toss of the series.Jayasuriya led the way after a cautious start against a lively Shane Bond, playing with the same breathtaking freedom that he displayed at Napier. He started relatively slowly but once Sri Lanka had established a solid platform on 48 without loss after 10 overs, he decided to cut loose clubbing three back-to-back sixes off Michael Mason’s sixth over. Having broken the world record for the most sixes hit in an ODI career (now 222 from 374 matches), he surged to his 61st fifty from just 32 balls. The six-hitting continued with another burst off Andre Adams who was launched over midwicket, smashed over cover and then pulled to the square leg fence in an over that yielded 17 runs.After a steady start, Sri Lanka were flying along having scored 54 runs between the 10th and 15th over. But Mark Gillespie held his nerve amid the carnage and Mason held onto a good catch at deep fine leg off a top-edged pull from Jayasuriya. Two balls later Gillespie bowled an outswinger and induced an out-of-touch Jayawardene, to edge the ball to Fleming – back at the helm after a three match rest – who dived full length, and low, to his right and took an stunning catch. In the next over, Upul Tharanga, who had been playing a responsible second fiddle to Jayasuriya, was bowled off the pad after Gillespie nipped one back.

‘Chaminda Vaas was superb, swinging the ball through the air and cutting off the seam during an eight-over new ball burst that ripped New Zealand’s top order to shreds’ © Getty Images

Sri Lanka slumped from 102 without loss to 103 for 3 in the space of 13 balls and the innings was back in the balance. Aware that their partnership was utterly crucial considering the reduced depth of the batting order, as well as the decision to rest the in-form Chamara Silva to make room for Chamara Kapugedera, Sangakkara and Marvan Atappatu took few risks early on. The partnership run rate was slow, averaging around three runs per over for much of the stand, but gradually Sangakkara picked up the momentum, finding the boundary with increasing frequency. Atapattu, though, currently looking uncomfortable in his new middle-order role, laboured throughout his innings, using up 75 deliveries for his 34 runs.However, their 91-run stand, broken as Atapattu tried an ambitious lofted drive, carried Sri Lanka into a position where they could attack again in the final ten overs. Sangakkara pushed down hard on the accelerator some more, mixing innovative strokes with some classical shots, and then Farveez Maharoof provided some icing with two huge sixes and a four in a quick 21 from 11 balls.Vaas needed just seven balls to claim his first scalp, the all-important Fleming, who missed an inswinger that would have hit the inside of leg-stump. But the next victim belonged to Maharoof following a shrewd bowling change in just the fourth over and an acrobatic one-handed diving catch from Sangakkara off the inside edge of Brendon McCullum’s bat. With Nathan Astle not playing, and New Zealand’s two most dangerous batsman back in the pavilion, Sri Lanka sensed the opportunity to drive home their advantage. Sure enough, Vaas soon exposed the technical deficiencies of Taylor and Marshall against the swinging ball. Both were set-up for their lbws beautifully, gradually pulled across the crease by his offcutter and then pinned by the inswinger.Malinga, brimming with energy after his rest in Christchurch, was unleashed for the second time in the 12th over and he struck immediately, beating Peter Fulton for pace first ball. Adams was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to a Malinga toecrusher – the only one of the six lbws that was a poor decision. Bond was deceived by a slower one.Craig McMillan provided some resistance, top scoring with 29 not out, but was far from convincing, especially against Malinga who should have claimed his fourth wicket when McMillan took evasive action and the ball ballooned up to Dilhara Fernando at third man. The straightforward chance was spilled; the one blot on Sri Lanka’s fielding performance.Fleming summed up New Zealand’s performance by saying: “It was rubbish, that’s what it was.”

Ozias Bvute: no truth in suggestions he had been ousted © ZC

Earlier reports that Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the managing director, had been removed from office have been fervently denied by Bvute himself.Speaking to Cricinfo, Bvute said that the rumour that his house had been raised by police at 4am was “simply not true” and that, contrary to reports, both he and Chingoka were still in Harare and in full charge of ZC.The original suggestion that the pair had been removed from office was made by Tatenda Taibu, the former Zimbabwe captain, in an interview with the BBC. He suggested that Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, had stepped in and had them removed from office. “The president said, ‘Enough is enough, they had to go’,” Taibu claim. “But when they looked for them, they couldn’t find them.”Bvute said factions opposed to the ZC board had “found it convenient to tell these malicious stories to discredit us. I was asleep at 4am and left my house at 8am this morning to go to work. I have not been raided and I don’t believe anyone has raided Mr Chingoka’s house either.”

Jason Gillespie was the first Test cricketer to acknowledge Aborginal descent in 2001© Getty Images

The annual cricket match to commemorate the 1868 Aboriginal team that toured England has been scrapped for the next two summers, according to the Melbourne-based newspaper.”It’s gone straight on to the scrap-heap,” said Geoff Clark, the official at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) who came up with the idea of the match in the first place. The Australian government has tried to sack Clark, and to bring an end to ATSIC.In 2001, the first match, between the Prime Mininster’s XI and the ATSIC Chairman’s XI, was made memorable after Jason Gillespie was selected as captain of the ATSIC XI: he was the first Test cricketer to acknowledge an Aboriginal ancestry. At the time, John Howard, the Prime Minister, fully endorsed the fixture: “There are a lot of things that contribute towards the reconciliation process, and this is one of them.”

Ajit Agarkar puts in some practice ahead of the Irani Trophy

The 2003 Irani Trophy has been billed as a match worth going miles to watch. A full-strength Rest of India (RoI) team attempts to defend their trophy in Chennai against Mumbai, who have been rejuvenated by Sachin Tendulkar’s return to the captaincy. A three-hour shower on Thursday night delayed the morning practice session of the Mumbai side, as the RoI players arrived in a trickle from various parts of the country, with Sourav Ganguly, the captain, bringing up the rear. It’s to be hoped that this isn’t a sign of things to come.”Let me say on behalf of the Mumbai team that we’re here to win,” said Tendulkar in the sweltering Chennai heat. “We will fight all the way. It will be a tough match – Rest of India is almost the full Indian side. The youngsters in our side have a lot to learn, but the idea is to win.” Mobbed by photographers, television cameras and journalists, he spent more than a few minutes overstating the obvious.When it came to practice, though, Tendulkar was very much in his element. Playing a headmasterly role, he marshalled his team into small groups and took a hands-on approach to the drills. Sairaj Bahutule and Wasim Jaffer were stretched to the limit, spilling a few tough chances as Tendulkar sliced slip catches to them. The RoI will be hoping that the practice session has put Tendulkar in the edging frame of mind.Apart from Tendulkar, the Mumbai team looks adequate rather than impressive. Vinod Kambli, a sleeker version these days with tramlines running wild across his bald pate, must prove once more that he is a class above the average domestic cricketer. The batting, traditionally a Mumbai strength, has an unusually shaky look. Jaffer, with a keener eye on an Indian opening slot than Mumbai glory, teams up with Vinayak Mane to see off the new ball.Nishit Shetty, the left-hander who has played just one full first-class Ranji season, has impressed observers. Although a late bloomer – he’s 30 now – he has made rapid strides of late. His two centuries came at a time when Mumbai really needed runs, especially in the second innings of the Ranji final against Tamil Nadu.Over the last season, however, Mumbai have been bolstered by their late-middle order. The tenacious batting of Vinayak Samant, the wicketkeeper, Ramesh Powar and Bahutule kept opposition attacks at bay, although the retirement of Paras Mhambrey, who chipped in with valuable runs himself, has opened up a pivotal slot in the team.Tendulkar will have a tough choice ahead of him on the morning of the match. He might be tempted to play Nilesh Kulkarni as the third spinner, but would be hard pressed to leave out Bhavin Thakkar. An RoI attack including Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble is likely to force him to prop up the batting. After all, he has the pace of Ajit Agarkar and Aavishkar Salvi, the spin of Powar and Bahutule and, well, just about anything he wants from himself.”We all know each others’ strengths and weaknesses, but I don’t want to discuss them,” said Tendulkar. “We’ll leave it to tomorrow. You only need one ball to get a batsman and whoever makes a mistake will pay the price. We all have to be on our toes.” Tendulkar will be hoping, though, that reports about Zaheer’s stiff back are true. If Zaheer does not play, it will be up to Amit Bhandari and L Balaji to take the new ball on a Chennai pitch that’s difficult to read. It’s like a Perth wicket for the first four overs, then gets flatter and slower and, according to a local scorer, by the third day is a typical Indian wicket.Kumble and Harbhajan will be a major factor, especially against some of the inexperienced Mumbai batsmen, who would have played very little competitive cricket against spinners of this quality. The batting of the RoI team is a Who’s Who of Indian cricket: Virender Sehwag and Sanjay Bangar open, with Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh making up the middle order.This is a big break for Yuvraj, who signalled his return to form with a dominating hundred in the Challenger series after a disappointing run with Yorkshire in county cricket. For the others, there’s little more than pride at stake. The bowling looks well settled, with only a question-mark over Zaheer’s fitness. Rohan Gavaskar, whose contentious selection must have brought personal joy, will probably have to be content carrying drinks for his more illustrious peers.”The Irani Trophy is a very prestigious competition. It’s not a practice match. We want to grab the title from Rest of India and I’m sure they too will want to win,” said Tendulkar. With luck it will be hard-fought match, unlike the Challenger series, which some people reckon had more in it for selectors than spectators.Teams
Mumbai (from): Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Mane, Sachin Tendulkar (capt), Nishit Shetty, Vinod Kambli, Bhavin Thakkar, Vinayak Samant (wk), Ajit Agarkar, Sairaj Bahutule, Ramesh Powar, Aavishkar Salvi, Nilesh Kulkarni, Swapnil Hazare, Vinit Indulkar, Robin Morris.Rest of India (from): Virender Sehwag, Sanjay Bangar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel (wk), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, L Balaji, Murali Kartik, Amit Bhandari, Rohan Gavaskar.

Glamorgan CCC will confirm today the appointment of John Derrick as firstteam coach for the coming season.

Watch these pages for further details.