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Sri Lanka Under-19 took a 2-1 lead in their five-match one-day series against England Under-19 as opener Ramith Rambukwella’s industrious half-century set up an 11-run win in the fourth match at Canterbury

Cricinfo staff13-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Sri Lanka Under-19 took a 2-1 lead in their five-match one-day series against England Under-19 as opener Ramith Rambukwella’s industrious half-century set up an 11-run win in the fourth match at Canterbury. Set 222 to win, all but one of England’s top-order batsman got off to starts but none could push on, and the hosts were eventually bowled out for 210 after 49 overs.Sri Lankan captain Chathura Peiris opted to bat first at the St. Lawrence Ground but his side were soon in trouble, losing Rumesh Buddika and Bhanuka Rajapaksa inside the first seven overs to slip to 28 for 2. The visitors fought back through a 94-run partnership for the third wicket between Rambukwella (68) and Kithuruwan Vithanage (45) to reach 122 in the 29th over before Rambukwella was dismissed by England captain Paul Best.Although none of the lower order were able to make a significant contribution Sri Lanka managed to post 221 before being bowled out with five balls remaining. Left-arm seamer David Payne led the way for England with 3 for 46, and Best put in yet another good performance to pick up an economical 2 for 35 and take his series wicket tally to six.Openers Joe Root and Jack Manuel got England off to a decent start with a partnership of 36 but wickets then fell at regular intervals and the hosts soon got behind the required run rate. Luke Wells top scored with 47 but when he was caught behind off Lahiru Jayarathne England still needed 40 to win from 30 balls with three wickets in hand. The target proved too much for the lower order batsmen and England were bowled out for 210.

In his first January transfer window as Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard has seen three new faces come through the door at Villa Park as the Midlands club look to strengthen their squad and push up the Premier League table as high as they can go under their new boss.

One of the new players that made the move to Villa this month was Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, who played in 81 games with the Villa boss before making the move to Barcelona, who the Brazilian is now on loan from.

Despite only making two appearances for Villa, Coutinho has had a fairly mixed start to his second spell in the Premier League, firstly with a goal on his debut from the substitutes bench in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United, which then followed with a lacklustre performance in their recent 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

While it’s still early days in his spell with the Midlands club, Gerrard still has enough time left in the January transfer window to bring in a player that would certainly raise the roof of Villa Park.

Having been mentioned with an audacious transfer swoop for Real Madrid and former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard in recent weeks with Villa “looking” at the player, bringing the Belgian back to England for another spell in the Premier League, in a similar way they did with Coutinho, would surely be a massive boost to Gerrard’s squad, ensuring they end their January transfer window with a flourish.

Madrid reportedly accepted a €40m (£33m) proposal from Newcastle for the winger’s services, only for the player to reject them. That has now left the door open for Gerrard to swoop in.

With a total of 245 appearances in the Premier League under his belt including 85 goals, 61 assists, two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, the 31-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £381k-per-week according to Salary Sport, could bring a serious amount of experience and winning mentality with him to Villa Park.

Labelled as an “exceptional” player during his time with Chelsea by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Hazard could be tempted with a move to Villa considering he’s only started seven La Liga games so far this season.

Either way, if Villa do think that adding the former Chelsea star to their already strengthened squad this month would be worthwhile, they should definitely make an approach to him and his club to see if the winger would relish another spell in the Premier League under Gerrard’s guidance.

In other news: Lange can replicate Digne masterclass as AVFC plot move for “phenomenal” £10m dynamo – opinion

Iain O’Brien, the former New Zealander seamer, faces an uncertain future at Middlesex after Australian opener Chris Rogers’ recent move from Derbyshire to Lord’s

Cricinfo staff10-Sep-2010Iain O’Brien, the former New Zealander seamer, faces an uncertain future at Middlesex after Australian opener Chris Rogers’ recent move from Derbyshire to Lord’s.O’Brien signed a three-year contract with Middlesex before the season started but there is a clause that states if he can’t qualify as a domestic player in years two and three the deal can be withdrawn.Unless O’Brien can persuade the ECB to class him as a domestic player – because he is married to a English woman – Rogers’ move means O’Brien will be unlikely to stay at Lord’s.”In the contract was a clause that gave Middlesex CCC an option to terminate the agreement should the club’s requirements change and if Iain’s attempts to qualify as a local player failed,” Middlesex chief executive Vinny Codrington said on the club’s website.”To date, ours and Iain’s attempts to sign him as a locally registered player for 2011 and 2012 have proven problematic, leaving him in an extremely difficult position contractually. We have spoken at length with Iain, and support him in his quest to challenge this decision and to gain registration in England as a domestic player.”After a largely injury-free career, O’Brien has been hampered by injury at Middlesex this season. He has played only seven of the 16 first-class matches, taking 23 wickets at an average of 27.30 with a best of 8 for 105.

Leeds United are in line for a massive boost ahead of their return to action next week…

What’s the word?

Key first-team trio Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Charlie Cresswell have been pictured in training as the Yorkshire giants prepare for their Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The club captain and defensive midfielder were two of the first names on Marcelo Bielsa’s teamsheet this campaign until the pair suffered hamstring injuries during their 2-2 draw with Brentford in early December.

On Wednesday, the club shared two photographs on their social media to bring fresh hope to the Argentinian head coach and the Elland Road faithful with Cooper, Phillips and Cresswell all back training on the grass at Thorp Arch.

Major boost

There has certainly been an ongoing injury crisis in west Yorkshire this season but these images provide encouragement that things are starting to look up heading into the second half of the season.

The winter break has given Leeds a perfect opportunity to welcome back several names from the treatment table and that puts them in a strong position ahead of next week.

In the very same game that Cooper and Phillips got injured, a returning Patrick Bamford stepped off the bench to bag the vital equaliser, only to pick up a hamstring problem himself, following a lengthy lay-off to an ankle injury.

Without the three players, Leeds suffered a disastrous December, losing heavily to the likes of Man City and Arsenal.

Whilst form has turned around in the new year, where the Whites have recorded impressive victories over Burnley and West Ham United, there has still been worries off the pitch to contend with.

During the clash against the latter, Bielsa had to name eight academy prospects among a nine-man bench, whilst at times, he’s had as many as 11 players missing through injury.

Cooper and Phillips had return dates of March at the earliest, so to see them back training this early is certainly exciting. Bielsa will surely be buzzing as some of his most influential players near a much-awaited comeback.

AND in other news, Leeds missed out on Premier League ace on deadline day, it’s not Kenedy or Minamino…

Former India captain Anil Kumble has said that his responsibilities as National Cricket Academy (NCA) chairman will involve the moulding of the personalities of young players in addition to imparting cricketing skills

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2010Former India captain Anil Kumble has said that his responsibilities as National Cricket Academy (NCA) chairman will involve the moulding of the personalities of young players in addition to imparting cricketing skills. Kumble’s appointment to the role, replacing Ravi Shastri, was announced by the BCCI on Wednesday.”The way I see it, it’s an opportunity to put together a structure that will help in the development of young cricketers,” Kumble told . “The role of the NCA is not just to churn out cricketers, but to churn out really good personalities and well-rounded individuals.”This is not something that will happen in a year or two. It’s a continuous process for various sets of cricketers, right from the youngsters who are in the NCA to those who come back to it at different stages.”Kumble retired from international cricket in 2008, finishing as India’s highest wicket-taker in the Test and ODI formats. He has continued playing in the IPL, with his elevation to the captaincy role for Royal Challengers Bangalore sparking a revival in the team’s fortunes. After finishing seventh out of eight teams in the inaugural edition, they reached the knock-out stages of the next two seasons under him, making the cut for the Champions League on both occasions. The NCA role puts him in a good position to pursue his ambition of guiding India’s young cricketing talent.”It will help that I’m still involved in that many of the youngsters around would have played either with me or against me. It will help that they have some sort of comfort level with me and that they can approach me if they need something,” Kumble said.While saying he was keen on developing the next line of cricketers for the country, Kumble did not lose sight of the present. Rigorous schedules and lucrative Twenty20 leagues have had their say on fitness, forcing India to play important tournaments without their first-choice cricketers. Kumble was aware of the situation and told the newspaper that the NCA would address the challenge of keeping the players match-fit.”There must be a pipeline in place for a fresh talent pool to emerge, but we must also make sure the present talent pool remains focussed, motivated and in the best physical and mental shape to keep delivering for the country,” he said.

Having signed for Everton last month for a fee believed to be around £16m, there is certainly a lot of hope for young right-back Nathan Patterson.

The Scotsman is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Toffees since his move from Scottish champions Rangers having played once for the U23s, however, it’ll only be a matter of time before the youngster is given an opportunity…or at least it should be.

On the chalkboard

With first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman now 33-years-old and in his 13th season at Goodison Park, there is little doubt that the loyal servant will have to step down in the near future.

Although the Irishman appears to be new manager Frank Lampard’s preferred option too, having started the 4-1 FA Cup win over Brentford, there will surely be a chance for Patterson to show the new manager what he can do before the end of the season.

Patterson has been highly rated up in Scotland over recent seasons, particularly at an international level, having made his senior Scotland debut in June, just before the start of the European Championships, in which the right-back played six minutes.

Recently, the 20-year-old was subject to serious praise from Scotland teammate Che Adams, who described the Scotsman as “fantastic” after scoring his first goal and assisting the Southampton striker in a World Cup Qualifier against Moldova in November.

Moreover, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard directed plenty of praise towards the youngster, saying after another impressive Scotland performance: “It was certainly no surprise. You’re talking about a kid who is really hungry, he’s full of desire and commitment. I think you could see that in his performances.

“It was really good for me to see him playing with other top players like Andy Robertson and Billy Gilmour, these type of players.”

However, whilst in charge at Ibrox, Gerrard didn’t give Patterson as many opportunities as his price tag would’ve suggested, with the right-back making just five appearances in the Premiership as the Gers secured their first league title in ten years.

The Scotsman did make 14 appearances in total in all competitions last term and also scored a goal against Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.

This campaign, prior to the move to Merseyside, the right-back got slightly more of a look in, making six league appearances as well as two in the Europa League, two in the League Cup and one in the Europa League Qualifiers.

There’s little doubt that the Everton hierarchy signed Patterson thinking that he could certainly be the long-term heir to Seamus Coleman’s throne. However, the 20-year-old will need to be trusted by Lampard and given opportunities to prove that he has what it takes.

In other news: Lampard drops worrying injury update that’ll have Everton fans sweating

Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a Leeds United claim following Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch’s talks last week.

The Lowdown: Orta and Marsch’s meeting

Adam Pope shared details of Orta and Marsch’s recent talks ahead of the Whites’ trip to Watford, with the visitors coming away from Vicarage Road with three points to take them nine clear of safety.

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Pope revealed that the pair created profiles of players they want to sign but didn’t make decisions in regards to specific incomings and outgoings.

The Latest: Jones’ Leeds claim

Talking to The Transfer Tavern, Jones had this to say when asked about Orta and Marsch’s recent transfer talks, admitting that they will ‘reassess’ at the end of the season, with the club’s plans having a lot to do with possible departures:

“I think all the names that we’ve heard already are still in mind. They’re going to reassess at the end of the season and a lot of it will do with who they end up losing to be honest.”

The Verdict: Busy summer for Leeds?

Raphinha appears to be the most likely to depart Elland Road over the coming months, with the Brazilian’s agent reportedly in advanced talks with Barcelona.

Kalvin Phillips, Robin Koch and Jack Harrison have also been linked with exits in recent weeks, so it could be a busy summer ahead of Marsch’s first full season in charge.

The American inherited a small squad from Marcelo Bielsa, so you’d like to think that there will be a few arrivals even if nobody leaves, but firstly the Whites need to fully guarantee their Premier League status for 2022/23.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer blow for Leeds as key 21 y/o target now set to move elsewhere

On the first morning of the 77th Ranji Trophy, Rajasthan bowled Hyderabad out for 21 in Jaipur, breaking the record for the lowest team total, set in the first edition of the tournament in 1934-35

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2010On the first morning of the 77th Ranji Trophy, Rajasthan bowled Hyderabad out for 21 in 78 minutes of mayhem in Jaipur, breaking the tournament record for the lowest team total and equalling the Indian first-class record. Debutant Deepak Chahar, Rajasthan’s 18-year-old medium-pacer, did the damage with a spell that read 7.3-2-10-8.The previous Ranji record was set in the first season (1934-35), when Southern Punjab were bowled out for 22 chasing 114 against Northern India in Amritsar.Chahar – son of an Air Force employee who gave up his job to facilitate his son’s cricket career – extracted prodigious swing both ways, an attribute that set Praveen Kumar apart in 2005-06, his debut season. In his third over of the day, Chahar got Akshath Reddy to edge one that swung away late. By now he had the Hyderabad batsmen expecting big outswingers, and that set captain DB Ravi Teja up for a dismissal that made him look silly. Teja saw the ball start wide, was prepared to leave it alone, and had no response to the big inswinger that caught him dead in front.Anoop Pai followed with a not so remarkable shot, getting an edge even as he looked to leave a ball away from his body. Syed Quadri, though, got a jaffa that started on middle and off, then swung away to take the edge. Chahar completed his five-for when that big inswinger found its way through the high back lift of Hyderabad vice-captain Ibrahim Khaleel. Chahar then went on a celebratory run, having completed a debut five-for even before the first drinks break of the match. There was no letting up either: he removed the last three with inswingers, for a matter of two runs.”If you haven’t played Chahar before, there is a chance you will get fooled by the inswinger,” team-mate Aakash Chopra wrote of the debutant. “His stock ball is the one that goes away, and swings appreciably, and the inswinger comes in like a banana.”That nobody had seen him before helped, as did his ability to swing the ball both ways. I won’t say he is rapid, and you don’t expect a swing bowler to be rapid. If you had to draw a parallel with somebody, he would be like a Praveen Kumar or a Manoj Prabhakar, who had good control over the swing, and a really good wrist position that got them the swing.”Chahar was on a hat-trick once, removing MP Arjun and Alfred Absolem with the last ball of his seventh over and the first of his eighth. Pagadala Naidu, the No. 11, kept the hat-trick ball out but got out to the next one. He was not close to getting a perfect 10, though: Pankaj Singh claimed the second and fourth Hyderabad wickets.His figures fell just short of the record effort on debut. Maharashtra’s Vasant Ranjane took 9 for 56 on first-class debut in 1956-57, bowling Saurashtra out for 83 in Khadakvasla and setting up an easy innings win.Not one of Hyderabad’s batsmen got to double figures, and Reddy’s six was the highest individual score. Incredibly, there were only three ducks, and no extras. The whole innings lasted 15.3 overs.Hyderabad’s effort equalled the record for the lowest total in all first-class cricket in India, a mark that has stayed for 95 seasons. During the Bombay Quadrangular in 1915-16, the Europeans bundled the Muslims out for 21.

The IPL governing council has deferred its final decision on Kochi franchise to December 5

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2010The IPL governing council has deferred its final decision on Kochi franchise to December 5. Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, said that the Kochi owners had submitted their reply on Saturday evening to the board’s termination notice asking them to resolve their differences. He said the council did not have enough time to review Kochi’s response at its meeting in Nagpur on Sunday morning, and will seek the board’s lawyers’ opinion before taking any decision.”They submitted a new ownership pattern yesterday,” Manohar said at a media conference, immediately after the hour-long meeting. “We had no time to examine it. All of you are aware that everyday we are in court in a legal battle and hence we would like to have the opinion of our legal experts before we take any decision.”As part of the new agreement Rendezvous Sports, the promoters of the franchise, have agreed to shrink their ownership stake to allow the rival investors group to have a bigger say in running of the company, which will be now called Kochi IPL Cricket Pvt. Ltd. “They have entered into an MoU whereby the stakes of Rendezvous is diluted from 26% to 10%,” Manohar said. “They have also given various affidavits which all need to be looked into.”A BCCI insider told ESPNcricinfo that the board was being cautious with Kochi because they had received conflicting letters over the last three days. “If we [the BCCI] had gone ahead based on the document today and if we had found something missing later it wouldn’t have looked good. A problem which could not be solved for months together suddenly seemed resolved. It would look very foolish if we were to re-visit this issue couple of days later. So, as part of any good administrative practice we have decided to verify everything.”He also said that the one-week extension did not mean the board was thinking of getting a replacement team through a fresh auction process.”We can’t just throw them out for no reason. If we are convinced their reasoning is healthy and they have put a good company structure in place, they will stay on board.”This latest patch-up among the owners is a fresh twist to the long-running saga at the Kochi franchise which has been riven with differences right from its day of inception. The biggest problem has been the ownership pattern with the investors unhappy about the promoters holding 26% of sweat equity. The investors in the consortium – Anchor Earth, Parinee Developers, Rosy Blue and Film Wave -hold 74% of the equity. The remaining 26% has been given to the Gaikwad family – Shailendra, his brother Ravi and their parents plus a few others, all part of Rendezvous Sports World – as free equity for services rendered in successfully bidding for the franchise.The league’s governing council, at its emergency meeting on October 27, felt Kochi was far from resolving those issues and issued a notice asking both factions to explain why the franchise should not be scrapped.The chances of both factions reaching a compromise seemed bleak when the investors sent a letter on Wednesday to Manohar, stating that they were withdrawing support to the franchise because of the inability to resolve the problems with the promoters.

Everton have conceded their fair share of goals in the Premier League season, with 52 goals let in throughout their 30 games.

One figure that hasn’t had a particularly successful campaign as part of Everton’s backline is Mason Holgate.

With an overall performance rating of 6.48 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players still in the squad to have started more than two league games, the Englishman also has a rather poor points per game average of 0.94.

Having been slammed for his “reckless” play in the past by Micah Richards, the 25-year-old even has a lower combined total of tackles and interceptions (65) than Lucas Digne (66), who left Goodison Park in January.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Merseyside club are looking at bringing another defender in that could well end up pushing Holgate out of the club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing Torino defender Gleison Bremer this summer.

To highlight what a capable defender the Brazilian is, no other Torino player has racked up more blocks, interceptions, clearances or successful pressures than Bremer in Serie A this season.

Labelled as a “powerful” player by Forza Italian Football editor in chief Conor Clancy, Bremer is currently listed as Torino’s highest-rated outfield player with an overall performance rating of 7.26 from WhoScored.

This rating would comfortably make him the highest-rated player in Frank Lampard’s squad by the same metric, highlighting how capable he would be playing in the Premier League.

Moving forward, should Lampard decide that Holgate is not good enough to continue in his side beyond this season, replacing him with Bremer could be a great bit of business from the Toffees if they manage to secure his signature this summer.

However, with this latest report also claiming that the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Leicester City and Newcastle United are eyeing the £27m-rated centre-back, Everton will have a challenge on their hands getting him to Goodison.

Before that, Lampard will have to make sure his team stay in the Premier League before thinking about any potential incoming transfers.

In other news: Everton could repeat Pickford masterclass as exciting behind-the-scenes news emerges – opinion