Honours were even at the end of the first day of the CricInfo Championship match at Headingley when Yorkshire were 61 for two in reply to Surrey’s 278 after winning the toss on a good batting pitch.Surrey had five players missing on England duty and Yorkshire three, but the large crowd was hugely entertained during an action-packed morning session when runs piled up and wickets fell.Openers Michael Carberry and Jon Batty rattled up 35 from the first nine overs before Gavin Hamilton had Carberry caught at the second attempt by Matthew Wood at second slip and soon afterwards Batty saw his edge off Steven Kirby ricochet from Anthony McGrath at third slip to David Byas at first.Skipper Adam Hollioake then joined Nadeem Shahid and the pair lashed 58 off six overs with Hollioake hitting some rasping boundary shots.He had raced to 33 off 23 balls with seven fours when Kirby found an inside edge on to his pad and the ball flew to Byas who completed another slip catch.There was no end to the drama and Kirby pinned Shahid lbw for 25 to give him three for 52 off 8.2 eventful overs.Gary Fellows took over from Hamilton to remove Brown’s off-stump in his second over and when Ryan Sidebottom returned in place of Kirby his third ball had Gary Butcher caught behind by Richard Blakey.Surrey were 141 for six at lunch but they staged a good recovery in the afternoon after Ben Hollioake had been beaten and bowled by Sidebottom at 152.Martin Bicknell, dropped by Byas on 12, went on to make 32 before becoming Kirby’s fourth victim, but Salisbury and Saqlain defied Yorkshire with the most determined batting of the innings and they had put on 72 in 25 overs when off-spinner Richard Dawson had Salisbury caught behind for a courageous 54 from 90 balls with eight boundaries.Saqlain was last out for an enterprising 38, slicing Hamilton to third man where Sidebottom took the catch cleanly.Yorkshire made an uneasy start to their reply as both Matthew Wood and debutant Chris Taylor fell to slip catches in a demanding opening spell by Bicknell, but Darren Lehmann came in to accompany Anthony McGrath to the close.
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini is keen to bring exciting Boca Juniors forward Cristian Pavon to the London Stadium this summer, and Irons fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.TEAMtalk report that the 22-year-old, who has been named in the Argentina squad for the Russia World Cup, is keen on a move to London, with the east London outfit, who should launch a bid for a £70,000-a-week Newcastle United star if the Magpies complete a deal for a 21-year-old, hopeful that they can get a deal for him over the line.Pavon, who can play on either flank, scored seven goals and provided a further 17 assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for Boca during the 2017/18 campaign, and would provide competition for the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio – and potentially new addition Felipe Anderson – for a starting spot under Pellegrini next term.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the rumour, and while one said “he reminds me of Dybala”, another labelled him as “Jonathan Calleri Mk 2”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
The stand-off between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and leading news agencies over contentious accreditation clauses for the Twenty20 tournament starting on April 18 has been termed as a matter of concern by franchises, with some of them planning to discuss the issue with IPL officials if media coverage of the event is affected.”If the issue escalates to a point where media or sections of the media will choose to ignore the IPL, we will have to step in, meet with IPL and seek clarifications. We need to find an amicable solution,” Charu Sharma, the chief executive of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, told Cricinfo.Fraser Castellino, the CEO of Jaipur’s Rajasthan Royals, said they had invested heavily in the venture and would like the entire media on board to ensure that the event “reaches every heart”. J Krishnan, of Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers, said he was sure the IPL officials would sort out the issue.Sharma is a well-known television professional while the Jaipur franchise is backed by the UK-based Investors in Cricket, a media group with significant interests in television. The Hyderabad franchise is owned by Deccan Chronicle, the newspaper group.The Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s leading news agency, on Friday joined leading international agencies in calling for modifications in IPL’s coverage norms, failing which they have decided to ignore the event. The News Media Coalition (NMC), the umbrella body that covers global news and photograph agencies Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Getty Images, had earlier expressed deep concerns about IPL’s media norms, including curbs on selling photographs to websites and a press-box bar on websites.The Editors Guild of India has expressed reservations on the IPL’s media clauses and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), a representative body of newspaper publishers, said it was disappointed about the accreditation terms, even after the IPL revised them following discussions with media representatives on Monday.”As far as we are concerned, this issue involves the IPL’s IPR, and has to be sorted out by the IPL. However, if the situation [on media accreditation] escalates we will have to have a say in the matter and will want to discuss the issue with IPL,” said Sharma. “If push comes to shove, we will want to get involved as a franchise on this matter. Generally, we believe that nobody can go forward on an event of this magnitude without getting the media on board and addressing all their concerns.”Castellino offered help to resolve the issue because the franchises needed “the entire media” on their side. “Definitely, the possibility of the media ignoring the event is not a great development from the franchise point of view. We are concerned and may need to discuss with the IPL if the situation is not resolved,” he said. “We have invested heavily in this venture, and we need the event to touch every heart. For that, we need the entire media on our side. We hope the two parties, like two sensible people, will sit across the table and resolve the issue. We really have no time but we, as a franchise, are willing to step in and help resolve this situation.”Krishnan said Hyderabad will leave the issue to the “capable” IPL officials. “We really don’t want to comment on this matter, except to state that we are sure the IPL will find a solution to this issue.”The inaugural IPL tournament starts in Bangalore with the Royal Challengers, the home team, taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders. A Knight Riders spokesman declined to comment on the issue.
The ECB has blocked Ian Harvey from playing as a non-overseas player because of a delay in the paperwork relating to his British Citizenship. His application is currently with the Home Office and legally he doesn’t qualify until the final documents have been completed.During the opening weeks of the season Harvey has been covering for the injured Travis Birt at Derbyshire, but now that Birt is ready to play Harvey will have to stand down until he is officially cleared. However, there was a similar situation with Ottis Gibson in 2004 when he was trying to join Leicestershire and the ECB allowed him to play despite his papers being stuck at the Home Office.Tom Sears, the Derbyshire chief executive, told the club website: “We are extremely disappointed with the ECB’s stance on this issue. Ian has played in this country since 1999, his wife is a British citizen, he has met all the criteria to qualify for British citizenship and completed the required fours years of residency.”He submitted his application for citizenship at the earliest opportunity but the ECB is still not allowing him to play even though they have in a previous case.”The ECB has said that Gibson had to wait longer than Harvey which is why his case was treated differently but Derbyshire are not happy with what they see as double standards.”The Home Office have said that Ian is entitled to live and work in this country but the ECB are saying he can only play as one of our two overseas players until he gets his citizenship.”The question I have asked of the ECB is if they can impose a limit on players given indefinite leave to remain, why can they not do the same with EU or Kolpak players? All these players have been told they have the right to work on this country but we can set limits on some and not others? It needs clarifying and sorting out quickly.”The club have said they will not be offering a legal challenge to the decision, which means that Harvey will remain on the sidelines for the near future. He has been in impressive form during early season with two centuries in the County Championship, where he currently averages 144.
Pakistan have refused South Africa’s request to split their tour to the country early next year before the World Cup in the Caribbean. A report in South Africa had said that the board was keen on splitting the tour and playing seven ODIs instead, as final preparation before the World Cup, and postpone the Tests until after the tournament.Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, confirmed that such a request had been made but that Pakistan was not in favour of splitting it and wants to play three Tests and between three to five ODIs in one stretch.Shaharyar told Cricinfo that the schedule was reviewed after Bob Woolmer and Inzamam-ul-Haq insisted they wanted time to rest. “Our management wanted to be back in Pakistan from the tour by February 12. Inzamam and Bob Woolmer both wanted to be back in Pakistan by then to make sure they had enough rest before going to the Caribbean.”We asked the South African board to reduce the series by one Test or one ODI. It suggested splitting the tour and playing the Tests later. But I am not in favour of splitting tours so it sent a counter-proposal suggesting three Tests and between three and five ODIs. The tour now ends around February 15.”Shaharyar also spoke about problems in drafting the Future Tours Program (FTP) which schedules international series and tournaments between now and 2012. Pakistan are scheduled to play up to 54 Tests and 143 ODIs in that period though that is much less than countries such as India (74 Tests and 208 ODIs), Australia (73 Tests and 178 ODIs) and England (76 Tests and 157 ODIs).Despite ongoing concerns about cramped schedules, Pakistan’s problem actually lies in an uneven spread of commitments. For example, while they are due to play as many as 10 Tests between now and April next year and 13 Tests between May 2009 and April 2010, they will have a period between May 2008 and April 2009 when they play only three Tests.Additionally, they are due to play at least five two-Test series in this period. The board has publicly spoken of its dislike of two-Test series in the past, as have a number of players (including Inzamam) but with apparently little success.Shaharyar argued, however, that the FTP wasn’t a final, binding document and that there was room for manoeuvre within it. “There was lots of compromise on the final program. It was only the 10th draft that everyone agreed on and it is a difficult process. Now as far as the two-Test series are concerned and the distribution of matches, I will say that there is scope within the FTP to negotiate with boards themselves. Nobody likes two-Test series so we hope to work with individual boards and maybe tinker around a few things, change the schedule a little.”
The Indian women’s cricket team, who reached the final of the World Cup in South Africa, were received with much fanfare at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. The team, decked out in their India colours, faced uncommon glare and attention from the media, as their sponsors, Sahara, called a press conference to congratulate them on their performance.The team, the first from an Asian country to reach the final of the women’s tournament, got the slightest glimpse of the attention and publicity their male counterparts are used to day-in and day-out. “It’s almost overwhelming to see the kind of support and publicity we have got,” said one team member as the press conference got underway.When the hue and cry – aided at every step by Mandira Bedi, who has almost become the brand ambassador of the women’s team, clapping and cheering – died down, Mithali Raj, the captain, fielded questions with poise. “Australia, with an experience of having played four or five World Cup finals, played better than us,” she said, explaining India’s stumble at the final hurdle. “It was a dream come true for us reaching the final. Many expected us to reach the semis, but we exceeded their expectations by reaching the final.”India’s strength has traditionally been its spin bowling, and this was seen as something that could be a problem on the pitches in South Africa, which traditionally aid medium pacers. “Our spinners did very well even on those pace-friendly pitches, with three of them in the top five of the wicket-takers’ list,” continued Raj. “But fielding is one area which we need to improve. We have progressed but need to improve more.”Another of India’s weaknesses has been chasing targets, and in the final they began well, restricting Australia until halfway through their innings. But Karen Rolton ran away with the game in the latter half, scoring a matchwinning centuryand then India faltered chasing a large total. “In most of the matches we chased small targets, but in the final we lost our way chasing in excess of 200,” said Raj. “We restricted Australia in the first 30 overs, but then couldn’t sustain it.”Sanjay Lal, CEO of Percept D’ Mark, was asked if Sahara were likely to announce a cash bonus, or perhaps go further and gift members of the team with apartments in Amby Valley, a township near Mumbai which they have developed, as they had when the men’s team returned from the last World Cup in South Africa having lost to Australia in the final. “We have been discussing similar matters in management circles,” he said, “but have not decided on anything yet.”For the moment at least, the team, who walked away with a purse of merely 10,000 Rand (US$1600) for being runners up, will have to be content with attention and praise.
Australia’s injury problems deepened on Wednesday morning as Brett Lee’sankle injury flared up again after a training session the previous day. Tomake matters worse, Michael Kasprowicz also suffered a sprained shoulderinjury which prevented him from bowling again in Sri Lanka’s first innings.Lee had initially injured his left ankle during Australia’s practice matchlast week. X-rays revealed no structural damage and Australia hadbeen hopeful that he would be fit in time for the secondTest in Kandy next week. But post-training soreness forced the teammanagement to send him home.”Brett [Lee] is suffering from inflammation at the back of his ankle joint,”said Kontouri. “As a result we felt it was prudent for him to be seen bydoctors in Australia, rather than remain on tour where it is now apparentthat his condition is not improving.” Lee will have his ankle checked by Dr Martin Sullivan, a foot specialist.”Initially I felt pretty good after the training session but once the painreturned I knew I was in trouble,” Lee said in a statement. “I amreally disappointed. I guess it’s back to square one now to rectify theproblem. That’s tough but I need to be as positive as possible to get backas soon as possible.”Lee’s withdrawal paves the way for a possible return of Glen McGrath.McGrath failed to convince the selectors of his form or fitness when theTest squad was initially selected but he has now returned to first-classcricket and claimed he is ready to return to the national team.Kasprowicz, meanwhile, sprained his shoulder after colliding with a ball boyjust before close of play on the second day. Kasprowicz did not appear to haveinjured himself at the time but he suffered pain in his right shoulderafterwards and the team management decided not to risk further aggravation.
The in-form XXXX Queensland Bulls will know tomorrow whether they willfinally gain the services of fast bowler Ashley Noffke for Friday’s INGCup day/nighter against Victoria at the Gabba.Noffke has been on the verge of making his return from a broken rightindex finger for the past two weeks but has been ruled out prior to thepast two ING matches, which have resulted in handsome victories for theBulls.The right-arm quick made a comeback in Brisbane First Grade cricket onthe weekend, taking 1-31, and bowled in two separate sessions today.He will face a final check tomorrow at Queensland’s last session beforethe match.If Noffke is not given the all-clear to return, the Bulls will field thesame side that demolished the Bushrangers on Australia Day in Ballarat,dismissing them for 65 and claiming a 10-wicket win.The Bulls (22 points) currently lead the ING table, two points clear ofsecond-placed Tasmania (20 pts) with Western Australia (17 pts) and NSW(15 pts) bringing up the rear.Friday’s day/nighter will be the Bulls’ final home ING Cup match, withtheir remaining two matches against the Redbacks in Adelaide on SaturdayFebruary 8 and the Tasmanian Tigers in Hobart on Saturday February 15.The leading two teams will play in the Final on Sunday February 23, withthe top side earning the right to host the Final. The Bulls hosted lastyear’s Final that was won by NSW.Bulls pace bowler Michael Kasprowicz needs two more wickets to becomeQueensland’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the ING Cup.Kasprowicz (66 wickets) trails former Queensland allrounder ScottPrestwidge (67 wickets) on the all-time domestic limited overs list.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Victorian Bushrangers, ING Cup, Gabba, Friday,2.30pm start: Martin Love (c), Daniel Payne, Lee Carseldine, ClintonPerren, Stuart Law, Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, NathanHauritz, Michael Kasprowicz, Scott Brant, Damien MacKenzie, AshleyNoffke. (one to be omitted).
In a follow up to the betting and match-fixing scandal, the CBI hasdecided to provide further assistance to the International CricketCouncil to unravel the entire ramifications of the menace.A CBI team, which was recently in London, met the Anti-Corruption headof the world cricket body, Paul Condon, and discussed “certain thingsof mutual interest,” official sources said in New Delhi today. Theysaid the ICC has shown great interest in “picking up the threads” fromthe CBI investigations in the case of nine foreign players named byvarious Indian bookies.The CBI, in its 162-page report had named nine foreign players, whohad either been named or had allegedly accepted money from Indianbookies. The agency had clarified in the report that the probe againstthe foriegn players could not be completed as it was beyond itsjurisdiction.The sources said the ICC had assured the CBI that almost all cricketboards of the countries, whose players have been named in the report,were probing the role of these players at their end and the worldcricket body was constantly monitoring the developments.The CBI also shared some more information about the bookies questionedby it during the six-month long investigations into the case, thesources said.The ICC has sought addresses and telephone numbers of some Mumbaibased bookies which the agency has agreed to provide, the sourcessaid.In particular, the ICC has asked about the addresses of two Mumbaibased bookies, who have allegedly been involved with cricketers ofPakistan and Sri Lanka, the sources added.The ICC has also furnished to the CBI some names, which have come upduring the apex cricket body’s probe into the scandal, for locatingtheir whereabouts and the agency has assured necessary help in thecase, the sources said.They said the probe could be completed only with assistance from theinternational organisations like ICC and other countries. The sourcessaid that sleuths of Special Crime Branch had made some headway intothe investigations into the nexus and preliminary reports indicatedthat some bookies were acting at the behest of underworld mafia infixing cricket matches. They said the accounts and other importantbooks of bookies had been scrutinised but added this was a wide areaand needed a detailed investigation before fixing responsibilities.
The last few weeks haven’t all been smooth sailing, but Arsenal are now going to be top of the Premier League table for Christmas.
Mikel Arteta’s side had the challenging task of playing Everton at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night, a task made all the more difficult by Manchester City’s comfortable win over West Ham United earlier in the day.
However, while it wasn’t necessarily easy, the Gunners did come away with all three points, and deservedly so.
Moreover, while it wasn’t a vintage performance, there were a few starters who made their mark on the game, including one who was even better than Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal's standout stars vs Everton
Starting at the back, it was a good night for David Raya.
Now, the Spaniard only had to make one save in the game, but his performance was so impressive for two other reasons.
Firstly, he commanded his area masterfully, making five high claims in the match and coming out on top both times he ran out of the penalty area.
Second, the former Brentford star completed seven long balls throughout the game, and had the forwards been a little more on their game, those could have led to more chances.
Moving into the defence, and once again, Jurrien Timber is coming away from a game looking like one of the best signings Arteta has ever made.
The Dutchman was solid as a rock at the back, and combined with Saka on more than one occasion, ending the game having completed 44 passes and 100% of his dribbles.
Speaking of Saka, the Hale End star was, as he usually is, undoubtedly the Gunners’ best attacker.
He might not have scored, but the 24-year-old was a constant threat on the right-hand side and on more than one occasion moved over to the left to help out there.
By the end of the game, the winger had taken four shots, completed four of six dribbles, played one key pass, won seven of 11 ground duels, and generally looked every bit the attacking talisman he is.
However, as sensational as Saka was, one of his teammates did just about outperform him.
The Arsenal star who outshone Saka vs Everton
The good news for Arteta and Arsenal fans is that at least a few other starters put in reasonable performances.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Viktor Gyokeres, for example, might still not be offering as much as some would like, but he did get his goal, and aside from the potential penalty shout, William Saliba had another stellar game at the back.
However, there was only one player in red and white who managed to just about outperform Saka on Tuesday night: Declan Rice.
Yes, the all-action midfield monster was just that on Merseyside, playing a role in all phases of play and looking every bit the £105m man he is.
Subscribe for in-depth Arsenal and Rice analysis Want more expert Arsenal and Premier League coverage? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear match breakdowns, player metrics, and tactical insights that turn key performances into meaningful analysis you can rely on. Subscribe for in-depth Arsenal and Rice analysis Want more expert Arsenal and Premier League coverage? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear match breakdowns, player metrics, and tactical insights that turn key performances into meaningful analysis you can rely on.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
One moment, the “world-class” machine, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, was helping Martin Zubimendi protect that backline by winning the ball, and the next, he was marauding with it up the pitch and creating a chance for the team.
It was a brilliant display from the Englishman and one that more than justified David Moyes’ post-match claim that he’s “probably the best midfield player in the world” and the 8/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Matt Verri.
Unsurprisingly, the former West Ham United captain’s statistics more than back up the praise.
Rice vs Everton
Minutes
96′
Touches
116
Accurate Passes
87/97
Key Passes
2
Big Chances Created
1
Shots
1
Tackles (Won)
3 (2)
Interceptions
3
Clearances
4
Recoveries
10
Ground Duels (Won)
6 (4)
Aerial Duels (Won)
3 (3)
Dribbled Past
0
All Stats via Sofascore
In his 96 minutes of action, he created one big chance, played two key passes, completed 87 of 97 passes, made three interceptions and four clearances, took one shot and 116 touches and won seven of nine duels.
Ultimately, the scoreline might have been a little close for comfort, but Arsenal were most certainly the better team against Everton, and Rice was their best player.
Bad news for Nwaneri: Arsenal have already agreed to sign their next Dowman
Nwaneri could have some serious competition for game time at Arsenal in the future.