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West Indies cricket continues to lurch from crisis to crisis and each time there is a glimmer of light they find a way to hit new depths

Andrew McGlashan29-Apr-2010OverviewDwayne Bravo can win matches with any of the three disciplines and West Indies need him to fire•Brooks La Touche Photography and DigicelCricketWest Indies cricket continues to lurch from crisis to crisis and each time there is a glimmer of light they find a way to hit new depths. Ottis Gibson has returned home to take on the demanding role of trying to instil some fight and spirit back into the team and at least the recent one-day series victory against Zimbabwe reversed a depressing run of results. In truth, though, a revival has rarely felt further away.However, a quick-fire Twenty20 tournament could provide the kick that is desperately needed. Throw in home advantage and, hopefully, some passionate support from the locals and it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that they could last the distance – at least until the semi-finals. Any tournament is better the longer the hosts can maintain a challenge and it only takes a couple of innings from Chris Gayle – whose form is a barometer for the rest of his side – and suddenly the belief will begin to return.In the broader picture it is vital that this tournament is a success for the Caribbean after the debacle of the 2007 World Cup. The organisers have promised a more sympathetic handling of the event than three years back, by embracing the local culture, but nothing would help more than seeing Gayle lead his team out in the final. It’s a long shot, but not impossible.Twenty20 pedigreeThey reached the semi-final stage in England last year – dispatching Australia and the hosts on their way – while Gayle still holds the record for the highest individual score in World Twenty20 tournaments with his 117 in the opening game of the first event in South Africa. Of late their form has been less impressive with an embarrassing defeat against Zimbabwe in Trinidad when they limped to 79 for 7 chasing 106 on a turgid surface. The opening match against Ireland is a potential banana skin, but they have a good record against England in Twenty20 having beaten them in last year’s tournament.Strengths and weaknessesWest Indies are not short on batsmen who can clear the boundary. Brett Lee is still waiting for Gayle’s strike from last year to come down somewhere near The Oval, while Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are also fearsome strikers of the ball. One area of concern will be the pace-bowling department which is still without Fidel Edwards while Jerome Taylor is nursing his way back from injury. There is also the fear that if things start to go wrong they can unravel very quickly. In a short tournament like this you can be gone before it’s barely started.Key menOf course it’s difficult to look past Chris Gayle because the team responds to their captain but Dwayne Bravo, despite a pretty woeful IPL where he scored 61 runs in eight innings and claimed four wickets at 57 for Mumbai Indians, is a wonderful cricketer and is the embodiment of the spirit that the team so desperately needs. He will want to reconfirm his credentials and should rise to the big occasion. Often outstanding at the death with the ball, he is among the finest fielders on the world.X-factorSulieman Benn doesn’t come across as the most natural of Twenty20 cricketers; he isn’t the best of fielders and can’t offer much with the bat but with the ball he could be a vital weapon if the pitches remain slow. Don’t be surprised if he takes the new ball, as he did against Zimbabwe when he finished with the extraordinary figures of 4 for 6.Vital statsGayle’s Twenty20 international strike-rate is a more-than-handy 144.92 and he has struck 25 sixes in 14 inningsKemar Roach’s IPL didn’t quite go to plan. He played two matches, bowled eight overs and went for 80 runs. The faster they come, the faster they go.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli…

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies’ chances of landing the England international in January have diminished, with there now being an expectation that he will remain at Spurs until next summer.

The report claims that Newcastle previously viewed him as a realistic transfer target due to his lack of game time, but they could now abort their plans to sign him.

Save NUFC’s season

Nick Hammond has been appointed as a short-term transfer consultant for the club and he must now use his expertise to secure a deal for Alli in January.

He needs to convince Tottenham to part ways with him and then make sure that he is able to offer him a suitable package to go along with whatever pitch Eddie Howe produces to tempt him into making the switch.

The former Reading chief could save Newcastle’s season by doing this, as Alli has previously shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level.

In 266 games for Spurs, he has produced 67 goals and 61 assists. This includes 51 strikes and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches. The 25-year-old has proven himself in the top-flight of English football and, therefore, would surely come in and provide a lift to the Magpies.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino previously handed him high praise by comparing him to two footballing icons. He said:

“You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing.”Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.”Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”The £100k-per-week dynamo, who was previously dubbed a “freak” of a talent by Darren Anderton, has enjoyed four seasons scoring eight or more goals in the Premier League in his career. Last term, Callum Wilson (12) was the only Newcastle player to find the back of the net more than eight times.Howe’s side are 19th in the table after 18 matches and have only picked up one win all season. This shows how dire the situation is and why Alli’s goals and assists could be crucial for them, as he could come in and pop up with match-winning contributions that win vital points in the battle against relegation.That is why Hammond can save Newcastle’s Premier League season by working hard to complete a deal for Dele, whether that is by getting Spurs or the player himself to push for it to happen.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could unearth a new beast for NUFC in “extraordinary” 6ft1 machine…

David Moyes’ West Ham United side head into Tuesday afternoon’s Premier League clash against Watford in a disastrous run of form, with the Hammers having won just one of their last eight fixtures in all competitions.

The most recent of these was the 3-2 home defeat against Southampton on Sunday afternoon, a game in which practically all of the West Ham players who stepped onto the pitch had a performance to forget.

However, the display of Pablo Fornals was undoubtedly one of the worst on the day, with the £34m-rated midfielder offering next to nothing going forwards or in a defensive capacity against the Saints.

Moyes must axe Fornals

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch last weekend, the Spain international failed to take a single shot at the Saints’ goal, had only 26 touches of the ball – the second-lowest of any outfielder who started the game – completed just 58% of his attempted passes and failed to find his man with either his one attempted cross or one attempted long ball.

The £79k-per-week Spaniard also lost possession of the ball on 12 separate occasions, won just one of his three duels and was dribbled past by an opponent twice, with these returns seeing the 25-year-old receive a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.3. Only Lukasz Fabianski earned a lower rating than the midfielder.

Meanwhile, Fornals’ half-time replacement Manuel Lanzini turned in a much better performance for the Irons, enjoying 62 touches of the ball, completing 46 of his 49 attempted passes (94%) – four of which were key passes – successfully completing all four of his attempted dribbles and winning four of his five duels.

These returns saw the 28-year-old receive an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.3 for his efforts, ranking him as West Ham’s best performer on the day.

As such, with Moyes in desperate need of three points against Watford if he is to keep the Hammers in the top-four hunt going into the new year, the 58-year-old simply must axe the player who he once dubbed “incredible”, as a repeat of the Spaniard’s performance last time out could once again cost his side dearly.

In other news: Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Rio Ferdinand with move for “eye-catching” £21k-p/w “Rolls-Royce”

The BCCI has appointed former IPS officer Ranjit Kumar Das as its full-time security advisor

Cricinfo staff18-May-2010The BCCI has appointed former IPS officer Ranjit Kumar Das as its full time security advisor. The move comes after the 2010 season of the IPL was threatened by terror attacks, and ahead of the ICC World Cup, due to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011. Das was also a security advisor to the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this year.The ICC had made it mandatory for all full members to appoint a full-time security manager or consultant before December 2009. While all other members had done so in good time, the BCCI is the last one to comply with the direction.”India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will co-host the ICC Cricket World Cup, cricket’s showpiece event, early next year. The addressing of security concerns is paramount,” the BCCI said in a statement. “The preparations for the same have begun, and no effort is being spared to put together an event that will not only enhance the image of the sport, but also that of the subcontinent.”Das is a retired IPS (Indian Police Service) officer and served on several security agencies in the country. He was director of the Special Protection Group of the Prime Minister of India and special director of the Intelligence Bureau. He also had a stint at the Indian embassy in Washington DC as liaison officer for international counter terrorism efforts.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Kieran Trippier regarding the fee they are expected to shell out…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed how much the Magpies are set to pay for the Atletico Madrid defender before add-ons come into play. He tweeted: “Hearing fee for Kieran Trippier is in region of £12m”

It has also been reported elsewhere that the England international is not in training with the Spanish giants on Tuesday. He is officially out with fitness issues, although the noise suggests that a transfer back to the Premier League could be behind his absence.

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this update from Hope as it suggests that the club will be landing a bargain for the defender. The Guardian reported that the deal is worth a fee in the region of £25m, with Hope now claiming that it is £13m cheaper than that, although add-ons could take it higher.

This means that the Magpies may be getting an excellent deal for Trippier which represents a coup in the market for his price and the quality that he could provide. He is an experienced top-level defender who could make a huge impact on the team in the second half of the campaign, as he knows what it takes to perform consistently at Premier League level.

Gareth Southgate previously heaped praise on the ex-Burnley full-back, saying: “What Kieran has, firstly, is hugely underestimated. People are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atlético Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good one-v-one to stop crosses and his talking is really good. There was always going to be changes to our back four and we felt that communication and organisation was an important part.”

Trippier has played for England at the World Cup and European Championship, whilst also playing in the Premier League and La Liga for Tottenham and Atletico during his career. This highlights his experience, whilst his career average WhoScored rating of 7.13 shows that he has performed to a high level on a consistent basis. That is why fans could love to see him join Newcastle this month, especially for just £12m.

AND in other news, Hammond could save NUFC’s season with £20m January deal for “extraordinary” predator…

In the five games so far, the team chasing has won all games so tomorrow’s contest offers a chance for the team batting first to get sufficient practice in case they are put in again in the final

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran06-Jun-2010Match FactsJune 7, 2010
Start time 0900 (0700 GMT)Zimbabwe will have to find an answer to Sri Lanka’s spinners•Associated PressThe Big PictureIndia’s inept showing in the tri-series is the main reason why the final league match tomorrow, between the hosts and Sri Lanka, is a dead rubber. What was billed to be an evenly-matched tournament, with India and Sri Lanka sending under-strength teams, has turned into a contest between just two teams. Zimbabwe’s twin victories against India upset all predictions and hence put enormous pressure on India in their final match on Saturday to not only beat Sri Lanka but by a comfortable margin to keep their chances alive. But the Sri Lankans, led by Dinesh Chandimal, oozed class and were the deserved winners. The finalists were already decided and the penultimate game is now a dress rehearsal for the final.In the five games so far, the team chasing has won all games so tomorrow’s contest offers a chance for the team batting first to get sufficient practice in case they are put in again in the final. Zimbabwe struggled against the Sri Lankan spinners in their previous game, which was a very one-sided encounter. If they can work on that area, then the two remaining games should promise to be more competitive. If they could upset India, there’s no reason why Zimbabwe can’t do the same against Sri Lanka.Form guide (most recent first)Zimbabwe: WLWLL
Sri Lanka: WWLWLWatch out for…Since his record-breaking unbeaten 194 against Bangladesh last year, Charles Coventry has scored just one fifty. Although it’s too much to expect a repeat performance, the best he can do is show more consistency in the middle order, and prove that his blinder of a knock was no fluke. His cameo 32 was crucial in Zimbabwe’s shock win against India in the first match, but in the next two games, he scored just 11 and 20.Sri Lanka’s biggest gain against India on Saturday was Dinesh Chandimal.The wicketkeeper-batsman was initially selected for the World Twenty20 as an attacking T20 batsman, but though he didn’t make much of an impact in the Caribbean, he made the chase of 269 look ridiculously simple, smashing 111. He impressed with his shot selection, footwork and aggressive bent of mind. He looked at ease against pace and spin, and the towering sixes underlined his worth as a promising batsman.Team newsSri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said after Saturday’s game that they will look to experiment before the final and try out some of the players in the bench. Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne hasn’t played a game yet so there’s an opportunity for him. One of the seamers can also be rested, in order to give Dilhara Fernando a game. Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt.), 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Jeewan Mendis, 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilan Samaraweera / Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Thissara Perera, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara / Dilhara Fernando, 11 Ajantha MendisZimbabwe’s Ed Rainsford hasn’t got a game yet. He could replace one of the spinners.Zimbabwe (possible) 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Brendan Taylor (wk) 3 Charles Coventry, 4 Greg Lamb, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Tatenda Taibu, 7 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 8 Andy Blignaut, 9 Graeme Cremer, 10 Prosper Utseya/Ed Rainsford, 11 Ray Price.Stats and trivia Of his 75 wickets, Ajantha Mendis has 18 of those in Zimbabwe alone. Zimbabwe last beat Sri Lanka in an ODI back in April 2003, in Sharjah.Quotes”I’m very impressed with Dinesh Chandimal’s positive intent. I’ve always backed the youngsters to play their natural game.”

Leeds United are active in the January transfer window and are ‘progressing’ in their pursuit of new additions, according to reliable reporter Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Drameh on the move…

It has been a quiet start to the winter window when it comes to incomings, even though Victor Orta is thought to be after two midfield signings.

However, even though the Whites are yet to get any players through the door at Thorp Arch, it appears as if they are happy to allow Cody Drameh to leave on loan.

The young right-back is set to join Cardiff City on loan until the end of the season, and according to Smyth, Orta is working hard on potential incomings too.

The Latest: Smyth’s post

Smyth, chief football writer at The Yorkshire Evening Post, replied to a fan on Twitter on Monday morning who asked about updates on new signings.

This is what he had to say in reply, providing a positive outlook.

“They’re active. Things are ‘progressing’ we’re told.”

The Verdict: Good signs

Leeds have question marks over 11 players ahead of the trip to West Ham this weekend, so there’s no doubt that fresh faces would give the whole squad a much-needed boost.

You could argue that letting Drameh leave on loan puts more pressure on Luke Ayling and the versatile Stuart Dallas, so another player capable of adding depth in multiple positions like Dallas could prove priceless.

Leeds are short of midfield and attacking options and have a number of defenders injured, so it remains to be seen where the club may strengthen first. A versatile midfielder would be a good starting point, however, time is quickly running out, so Orta could do with making things happen before the weekend.

In other news: Radz and 49ers may now finance Leeds move for versatile ace with ‘great acceleration’. 

Alfonso Thomas claimed five for 41, his best figures in this country, as Somerset bowled out Warwickshire for 127 on the opening day of their County Championship Division One clash at Taunton

24-May-2010
ScorecardAlfonso Thomas claimed five for 41, his best figures in this country, as Somerset bowled out Warwickshire for 127 on the opening day of their County Championship Division One clash at Taunton.The South African allrounder took four of his wickets in the space of just 23 balls during the morning session, reducing the visitors to 80 for 5 at lunch after they had been put in. Varun Chopra top scored with 45.A green pitch made batting unusually testing at the County Ground. But by the close Somerset had reached 145 for three, Arul Suppiah unbeaten on 61 and James Hildreth 35 not out. The home side elected to leave extra grass on the wicket in a bid to make it more bowler-friendly and Marcus Trescothick must have been delighted to win the toss.But Warwickshire’s demise was more the result of poor batting than any extravagant seam movement. After the early loss of Ian Westwood they progressed to 63 for 1 as Chopra was dropped on 2 by Peter Trego at third slip off Ben Phillips.But Thomas turned the tide with a devastating spell from the Old Pavilion End, varying his pace and sending back Chopra, Darren Maddy, Rikki Clarke and Tim Ambrose at a cost of just 14 runs. There was no sign of a recovery after lunch as Ant Botha was bowled by a delivery from Phillips that nipped back. Jim Troughton made 22, but then drove at a wide ball from Charl Willoughby and got an inside edge onto his leg stump.It was 112 for 8 when Imran Tahir had two of his stumps flattened by Willoughby after a poor innings that failed to trouble the scorer. Then Boyd Rankin missed a Thomas full toss and was also bowled. Chris Woakes put the pitch in perspective by making 28, but had to take risks as he ran out of partners and was the last man dismissed, having hit three fours and a six.Somerset were soon in trouble themselves as Trescothick got a leading edge to Andrew Miller and was brilliantly caught right-handed by the bowler on his follow through. When Nick Compton drove at a good length ball from Miller and gave a thick edge to wicketkeeper Ambrose it was 29 for 2 and Warwickshire were back in the game.But Zander de Bruyn steadied things with 34, including seven fours, and Suppiah reached a studied half-century off 102 balls. Batting was looking a lot easier as he and Hildreth added 67 before the close.Compton was in the Somerset side as a substitute for Craig Kieswetter, away with England’s World Twenty20 winning squad attending a celebration function at Downing Street. Kieswetter is due back at Taunton on Tuesday to take part in the rest of the match.

With the joint-second smallest squad in the Premier League with 25 players according to Transfermarkt, Wolves now have the chance to increase their strength and depth during the current January transfer window.

In terms of what business deals the Midlands club could be looking to do in the next few weeks, it seems as though they have identified one player that they could bring to Molineux that would surely please Bruno Lage.

What’s the news?

Speaking on a live Sky Sports programme, presenter Rob Wotton revealed that Wolves are “interested in” signing Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car who is apparently “on the market” this month for a potential sale.

Since Caleta-Car joined Marseille back in the 2018 summer transfer window from RB Salzburg, the 25-year-old has gone on to make 104 appearances for the French club across all competitions in which he has managed to chip in with four goals and two assists along the way, showing that he is capable of being an attacking threat on occasion.

Lage would be thrilled

Given how Wolves currently have Romain Saiss away on international duty after starting all 19 of their Premier League games so far this season, as well as having Willy Boly in and out of the squad with injury, a swoop for a defender such as Caleta-Car could be the right move for the Old Gold this month, especially with Lage saying that signing a centre-back is their priority at the moment.

As a result, he would surely be delighted to not only actually sign a central defender, but also bring in someone of the Croatian’s ability.

Labelled as a “very strong” player in terms of his physicality on the pitch by former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, Caleta-Car has been in and out of the team for Marseille this season, which may well suggest that he’d be tempted with a move to play in the Premier League with Wolves if he’d be guaranteed regular game time there.

Even though Manchester City (13) are the only team in the Premier League this season that have conceded fewer goals than Wolves (14), adding Caleta-Car, who is currently valued at £14.4m according to Transfermarkt, to their squad could help improve their already sturdy backline and help them achieve European football next term.

As a consequence, Wolves should definitely make an approach to Marseille this month to see if they would be willing to part ways with the defender and give Lage what he wants.

In other news: Journalist drops behind-the-scenes January update that’ll have Wolves fans sweating – opinion

Sanath Jayasuriya smashed a dazzling 87 as Worcestershire ended a grim run of defeats with a crushing nine-wicket win over Northamptonshire

25-Jun-2010
ScorecardSanath Jayasuriya smashed a dazzling 87 as Worcestershire Royals ended a grim run of defeats with a crushing nine-wicket win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the Friends Provident t20 match at New Road. After losing their previous six North Group games, the Royals stormed to their 141-run target with 34 balls to spare.Jayasuriya, whose three previous knocks since arriving at New Road had yielded just 21 runs, smacked five sixes and 10 fours off 45 balls. The was backed up by Australian Phil Jaques, who was undefeated on 47 – which contained one six and five fours off 41 deliveries.They put on 138 in 14.1 overs before Jayasuriya was caught at deep backward square by David Willey off Nicky Boje. Worcestershire, however, remain bottom of the table while it was only Northamptonshire’s second defeat in their last six outings.The Steelbacks, after winning the toss, were restricted to 140 for 5 with Royals’ spinner Moeen Ali taking a career-best 3 for 25. Northamptonshire lost their first wicket off the first ball of the third over when former New Road campaigner Chaminda Vaas was smartly run out by a diving underarm throw from James Cameron off Jack Shantry.It was an important wicket for the hosts, particularly as Vaas top-scored with 54 when his side won by 21 runs against Worcestershire in the match at Northampton on June 11. The Steelbacks’ unspectacular start to their innings was largely down to the Royals’ left arm paceman Shantry, whose opening three overs, including a maiden, cost a mere six runs.Niall O’Brien and Alex Wakely, however, stayed together to take the visitors on to the 50 mark in the ninth over. Their partnership was worth 49 in seven-and-a-half overs before Wakely drove Moeen to Richard Jones at long on for 31.Shortly afterwards Jones was unable to hold on to an awkward chance at long-off to dismiss O’Brien when he was on 23. He moved on to 34 before becoming the first of two wickets in successive deliveries for Moeen, who also accounted for David Sales.Rob White fell cheaply to Jayasuriya before Northamptonshire moved into three figures in the 17th over. They were then given a valuable lift by Elton Chigumbura, who cracked an undefeated 39 off 20 balls – including three sixes and two fours.