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ESPNcricinfo profiles the Super League teams in the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2011MumbaiRohit Sharma is bound to be hungry for runs that will put him back in the national side•ESPNcricinfo LtdWasim Jaffer, Mumbai’s spirit, voice and captain for many years now, put it succinctly after crashing out of the quarter-finals last season when he said his team had taken Rajasthan – a team that had qualified from the Plate group – lightly and were a bit arrogant for doing that. Mumbai, one short of lifting the crown forty times, are no more the elite, no more the clear favourites.In a way it is a completely new path Mumbai will walk this season. Praveen Amre, a hardworking simple man who coached Mumbai over the last five years – three times to victory – has decided to take a break for a year; Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai’s best batsman of the last three years is busy learning the ropes in the India dressing room. Ajit Agarkar and Abhishek Nayar are injured.So it is time for change. A time for Mumbai to discover new talent. A lot will depend on their captain Jaffer’s success in the middle order, a position he exchanged his opener’s slot for last year somewhat erroneously – he harbours hopes of a national call-up once the Big Three of India’s Test team make way. It might sound a tad selfish, but Mumbai’s inexperienced batting line-up can learn a lot from Jaffer’s fighting spirit.It is the bowling that would be a constant worry for Mumbai. Aavishkar Salvi and Dhawal Kulkarni are not outright fast bowlers, and both have been susceptible to injury in the past. The bench-strength is thin. The spin pair of Ramesh Powar and Iqbal Abdulla would be key if Mumbai are to go the whole hog.The selectors, too, need to have the right strategies. Last year Mumbai tried out 23 players. They tried three openers, one of which Sahil Kukreja has retired. Sulakshan Kulkarni, their new coach, once a wicketkeeper for Mumbai, is known for his sound tactics. Last year he was the brain behind Vidarbha, a Plate team, reaching the semi-finals of the Ranji one-day competition as well as the knockouts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai can do with fresh ideas.What they did last year
Till the first day of their quarter-final contest against the eventual champions Rajasthan, reigning champions Mumbai were well on course to defend their crown. They had endured a tough ride through a difficult group with four out of their seven matches being away, including trips to Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Two victories and five draws ensured Mumbai would finish at the top of Group A. Despite possessing an inconsistent bowling unit, Mumbai’s top three batsmen – Wasim Jaffer, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane – looked in good shape, supported by sound numbers.So a clash with rank outsiders Rajasthan seemed to be just another stepping stone in Mumbai’s march to the summit. But the problem was, Mumbai had assumed their opponent was a lightweight. Jaffer elected to bat on what turned out to be good pitch for the new-ball bowlers. Medium-pacer Pankaj Singh stunned Mumbai with a six-for on the first day that restricted them to a modest total, which Rajasthan overhauled patiently over the following three days. By the end Mumbai were left deflated.Men to watch
Last season Rohit Sharma finished as the second-highest run-getter. He followed it with an equally strong performance in the IPL. Then a freak injury in England, at the start of the ODI series, dashed his hopes of a possible Test call-up. So Rohit now finds himself back where he started last year, and is bound to be hungry for runs.Iqbal Abdulla was named the Under-23 player of the 2011 IPL. Abdulla bowled aggressively, even with the new ball, for Kolkata Knight Riders and played a crucial role in his team finishing in the top-four. Last year, Abdulla was Mumbai’s best bowler with 27 wickets. Given their current line-up of bowlers, Mumbai need him to click like never before.RajasthanCan Pankaj Singh replicate last season’s form?•ESPNcricinfo LtdHow do you top a fairytale? Not only did Rajasthan win the Ranji Trophy for the first time in their history last season, they did it after starting in the Plate League. They were the underdog’s underdog, yet the team, led by their professional captain, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, had been carefully crafted to maximise their chances of success.Getting to the top of the mountain, though, is always easier than staying there. As the defending champions, Rajasthan won’t be able to sneak up on anyone and the other teams will all want to knock them off their perch. But that’s exactly the position they want to be in. “Everyone likes to be an underdog,” Aakash Chopra, their veteran opener, told ESPNcricinfo. “But you don’t want to be an underdog for too long. This is a rare opportunity. You get to see the world from a different side.”Rajasthan have retained the same core of players who took them to the title last year. The three professionals – Kanitkar, Chopra and Rashmi Parida – return and they will have the use of Ashok Menaria, who scored a century in each of the knockout games last year, for the entire season. Add Robin Bist to the mix and the batting has a very formidable look to it.They will also be boosted by the belief that comes from winning. “You start believing you are as good as or better than your opponents,” Chopra said. “You back yourself to perform and win games.” That self-confidence will be crucial as there will be no easy games in the Super League. With Rajasthan drawn in the same group as heavyweights Mumbai and Karnataka, even a spot in the quarter-finals is not guaranteed.The team does have a couple of injury problems, most notably to legspinner Vivek Yadav who took 22 wickets last season. They will look to offpsinner Madhu Katri to fill the void. They are a pace-dominated bowling attack though and Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar, who picked up 83 wickets between them, are both fit. They also have 21-year-old Aniket Choudhary, a left-arm seamer who is six feet, five inches tall, and could surprise a few people. “It [the season] is about putting runs on the board,” Chopra said. “We have the bowling attack to bowl people out.”What they did last season
Rajasthan began the season in spectacular style with a rout of Hyderabad, bowling them out for 21 as then debutant Chahar took 8 for 10. They followed that up with draws against Goa and Madhya Pradesh before trouncing Tripura. One more draw against Jharkhand ensured they topped their group and progressed to the quarter-finals. Drawn against defending champions and perennial nemesis, Mumbai, nobody expected them to go any further. But Pankaj Singh took 6 for 64 to bowl Mumbai out for 252 and centuries from Kanitkar, Saxena and Menaria gave them an insurmountable advantage. A first-innings lead saw off Tamil Nadu, this time Chopra, Kanitkar and Menaria made the hundreds. Menaria delivered again in the final, hitting a crucial second-innings 101 to see off Baroda’s challenge and give Rajasthan’s fairytale journey the perfect ending.Men to watch
Menaria returned after back surgery and eight months on the sidelines last season to score 373 runs in three knock-out games at an average of 93.25. His contributions were vital to Rajasthan’s success and whether he can duplicate that kind of consistency will play a large part in how far Rajasthan go this year. The new-ball pair of Singh and Chahar was the best in show, with only Baroda spinner Bhargav Bhatt taking more wickets. Chahar, especially, will be hard pressed to replicate his brilliant debut season, where he took 30 wickets at 19.63 in the Plate League and 10 wickets at 25.80 in the Super League. If these bowlers can produce the same sort of incisiveness against higher quality opponents, Rajasthan will be hard to beat.DelhiUnmukt Chand finds himself in the spotlight after his showing for the India Under-19s•ICC/Bhaskar Rao KamanaDelhi’s Ranji Trophy campaign began with a spectacular display of fireworks – appropriate given that the Diwali season is just winding down and not surprising because it is after all, Delhi. Two days before their first match against Haryana, coach Manoj Prakbhakar was given the sack, after he criticised his players in the press. The chance of Prabhakar having had a civilised discussion before leaving are far less than that of the DDCA winning a governance award.Outside this routine chaos, though, Delhi’s cricket could be a reason for delight. Despite everything, they continue to generate a stream of talent: four Delhi players were on India’s World Cup winning team, more than any other state. At the moment, though, with its headline-generating administration and a drama-generating dressing room, Delhi’s cricketers can only wait for the simple business of play to begin.Delhi begin the season with injuries to two key players: Sumit Narwal, who is not just an opening bowler but all-round performer, and left-arm quick Pawan Suyal, who was picked for the Irani Cup despite having undergone a knee surgery in the summer.Captain Mithun Manhas believes it will be a tough season for his team; the India players are tied up with higher duties and the experienced Ashish Nehra is out of the four-day game. So, the burden lies with the younger men – batsman Unmukt Chand is suddenly in the spotlight after his showing with the India Under-19 side and the bowling will rely heavily on Pradeep Sangwan and Parvinder Awana. Narwal is expected to be up and running half way through the league phase.What they did last season
Underachieve. Manhas believes that Delhi suffered a combination of misfortune and cricket’s cruelty to miss out on the knockout round completely. Early on, Delhi lost first-innings’ lead points to Bengal and then struggled to make the most of their matches against the weakest teams in their group, Gujarat and Saurashtra, after play was curtailed – two days against Saurashtra and 140 overs against Gujarat. In their last league match, Delhi needed just a single point from a draw to make it through to the last eight. With the northern winter closing in and Manhas indisposed, Railways drove Delhi into the ground with a fiercely determined defence of 135.Men to watch
Unmukt Chand, 19, will be put through his second-season examination, to see if he is the next big thing from the Delhi batting battery. Manhas describes him as a ‘flashy, hard-hitting 21st century prototype’. “It will be a good season for him to learn, and we will know in another two-three first-class seasons as to how far he can go,” Manhas said. Newcomer Rishit Saini’s medium-pace for the Under-22s has raised hopes in Delhi’s pace department. Manhas and Rajat Bhatia are the only two players above 26, in a team that has an average age of 22. So, even away from the familiar names, Delhi are loaded with plenty of possibility.Tamil NaduL Balaji will shoulder the extra responsibility of captaining Tamil Nadu•AFPEvery year, Tamil Nadu enters the Ranji Trophy as one of the favourites on paper. Their talented line-up lives up to the billing through the league phase, before inevitably failing in the knockout stages. The theme occurs with remarkable consistency every year – in the last 11 years, they have made the knockouts eight times, including two finals, without going all the way. The pressure to break their big-match jinx will weigh heavy on Tamil Nadu this year, and to make matters worse they will be without some of their big players, while some others are not in the best of form.S Badrinath is out for at least two weeks with a rotator-cuff injury, while R Ashwin will miss out for extended periods, having made it to the national side. Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay come into the season low on confidence, having lost favour with the India selectors. L Balaji, who has carried the attack on his shoulders for many years, will be saddled with the added burden of captaincy, and will have to work with an inexperienced attack, with C Ganapathy being axed. The absence of regular names like R Sathish and S Anirudha means TN will be fielding more than their share of new names.While the bowlers will ease their way into the season, batting will form the key for Tamil Nadu’s progress. Vijay and Abhinav Mukund form a formidable opening combination, while the Karthiks – Dinesh and Arun – have the pedigree to fill the void left by Badrinath in the middle order. Ashwin’s absence is an opportunity for left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas, who topped Tamil Nadu’s wicket-charts in the 2010-11 Ranji season. Will the new-look combination click for Tamil Nadu as they resume their hunt for the trophy that has eluded them since 1987-88?What they did last season
Tamil Nadu made the knockouts despite winning only one of their seven league games. The victory came in their season opener, when L Balaji and Sunil Sam starred with the ball against lowly-ranked Assam. Ashwin snared 10 wickets against Delhi, but a batting implosion meant Tamil Nadu lost first-innings points despite a Badrinath century. A double-ton from Abhinav and 195 from Badrinath ensured Tamil Nadu got the decisive lead against Saurashtra, and the pair was among the runs again in the rain-marred encounter with Railways. Rain at home continued to spoil their fixtures, as points were shared against Bengal, but they managed to get the lead against Mumbai and Gujarat. They held off Haryana in a rain-marred quarter-final in Rohtak to set up a semi-final showdown against Rajasthan.The bowlers, who had been lulled into a comfort-zone by now, struggled to dislodge Rajasthan’s stubborn line-up in Jaipur. Aakash Chopra, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Ashok Menaria made tons to lift the score to an imposing 552 for 7, and despite a fighting 175 from Badrinath, Tamil Nadu fell well short.Men to watch
Abhinav Mukund’s first tour with the national team, to the West Indies, suggested he was overawed by the quality of the opposition and the big stage. By the time he came to grips with that challenge, he was facing an attack of far greater pedigree at the most-anticipated match of the year – the 2000th Test at Lord’s. There he showed superb composure to overcome the gravity of the moment and work his way to a start. Despite the promise, Abhinav is back on the fringes after failing to display his ability to bat on and on at the highest level. The break can only do Abhinav good, as it gives him another chance to return to the familiar grind of domestic cricket, and revive his confidence and appetite. A good start to the season could see him regain the third opener’s slot in time for the tour of Australia.

South Africa seamer Charl Langeveldt has been signed up by Kent County Cricket Club (KCCC) for the Friends Life t20 tournament that begins on June 1

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2011South Africa seamer Charl Langeveldt has been signed up by Kent County Cricket Club for the Friends Life t20 tournament that gets underway on June 1. Langeveldt is expected to arrive in time for Kent’s opening game against Somerset at Tunbridge Wells on June 3.He has been on the fringes of the strong South African seam attack since his debut in 2001, and has played 72 ODIs and six Tests, in addition to nine Twenty20 internationals. He has had recent Twenty20 experience, having played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise that reached the final of IPL 2011. Langeveldt got to play only three matches in the IPL, and picked up five wickets.”I am delighted that Charl will be playing for Kent,” Paul Farbrace, Kent’s director of cricket said. “His considerable experience in Twenty20 will give us a boost, and we look forward to welcoming him into the team.”Langeveldt said he was looking forward to his time with Kent, and the opportunity to play in the tournament.

Derbyshire edged the second day of their County Championship match againstNorthamptonshire at Wantage Road despite Rob Newton falling just short of acentury

George Dobell at Wantage Road21-Jul-2011
ScorecardRob Newton could have been forgiven for feeling some frustration of late. After capping an impressive first season with a maiden Championship century against Leicestershire in the final game of last year, he might well have expected a prolonged run in the side at the start of this campaign.Instead he has had to wait until now for his opportunity. The 21-year-old has been forced to bide his time as Northants have put their trust in the experienced middle-order trio of Mal Loye, David Sales and Rob White. Indeed, had Sales or Alex Wakely been fit for this match, Newton may well have missed out once again.As it is, however, Newton has seized his chance with both hands. Demonstrating a naturally positive approach, he dominated the Derbyshire attack with some style and fell just six short of what would have been a second century in successive Championship games.It was an impressive innings. Newton thumped 18 fours – that’s 72 of his 94 runs – as he took full toll of some loose Derbyshire bowling. His cutting was especially impressive, but he also drove and pulled with proficiency. He’ll prove hard to leave out now.Stephen Peters was the only other Northants batsman to look comfortable for any period of time. Though he adopted a more watchful approach than Newton, Peters leaned into some typically elegant drives and helped his partner add 139 in 34.3 overs for the third-wicket.For much of the afternoon session, Derbyshire’s bowlers lacked the discipline to apply the requisite pressure. Though the immaculate Tony Palladino produced a fine ball for White, well caught by Luke Sutton as he edged one he had to play, and Ben Howgego steered obligingly to the keeper – a shot that left the batsman with his head in his hands – there was too much loose bowling to trouble Newton or Peters.Jon Clare stuggled with his length, Ross Whiteley was wild and Mark Turner, in his early spell, was all over the place allowing Newton, in particular, to put the poor balls away with ease. On a pitch that provides just a hint of uneven bounce, Derbyshire may yet come to rue their profligacy.They still hold the upper hand, however. Peters fell, very well caught at short-leg, as he tried to turn an off-break behind square, before Newton’s fine innings ended when he edged a full ball that may have left him slightly.More importantly, Derbyshire produced a much improved performance after tea. Turner emerged almost unrecognisable, bowling not just with pace but with excellent control and consistency, too. Those are words that may surprise followers of Durham or Somerset, Turner’s previous two clubs, but he showed in his post-tea spell why he has always been seen as a bowler of some potential.Loye, who looked horribly out of touch as he laboured over 50 balls for his six runs, was put out of his misery as Turner induced a tentative edge to the slips, before Andrew Hall missed a straight one and was leg before.Earlier Palladino and Groenewald extended their overnight partnership to 78; a Derbyshire record in first-class matches against Northants. Palladino, launching into a series of crunching straight drives, recorded the third half-century of his first-class career and his first for his new club but, more importantly, the pair helped their side to a fourth batting bonus point and a strong platform in a game that could go a long way towards earning them promotion. Derbyshire’s final total – 364 – represented a fine recovery from the depths of 39 for 5 the previous morning.

Chris Gayle smashed his way to his first IPL century, the second fastest in this edition of the competition, and was the architect of Bangalore’s victory over his former team, Kolkata

The Bulletin by Firdose Moonda22-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle has arrived. He smashed his way to his first IPL century, the second-fastest in this edition of the competition, and was the architect of Bangalore’s victory over his former team, Kolkata. Gayle formed powerful partnerships with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli as Bangalore were untroubled in their chase of 172, winning by nine wickets.The pitch was proving to be tricky for the quicks and Kolkata opted to start with a spinner after having posted 171. Yusuf Pathan, who was battling a knee niggle, opened the bowling. After three good deliveries, Yusuf strayed on the leg stump and Dilshan cashed in with four through square leg. With that, the flood gates were opened.In the fourth over, Gayle had scored just three singles – while Dilshan had notched up 19 – when he was offered a full toss. He drove it down past the non-striker for the first of his 17 boundaries. It didn’t matter what Bangalore tried after that. Jaidev Unadkat was dispatched with disdain as Gayle went down on one knee, smacking him for six over long-on. Shakib Al Hasan was tossed around like a limp ragdoll, slogged over midwicket and mowed over deep square. Yusuf was smoked through the covers. Gayle even showed a touch of deftness, playing one fine to the third man boundary.It didn’t matter who was given the ball, even though spin proved difficult to get away during the Kolkata innings. Manoj Tiwary was slapped over long-on and even mishit for six. Medium pacer Rajat Bhatia was hit for 17 runs in his second over, 16 off Gayle’s bat. At the end of 12 overs, Bangalore were cruising on 123 for 1 when Dilshan was bowled by L Balaji, who controlled the swing admirably.The Gayle force blew on though. Together with Kohli, he brought the required run rate down to less than a run a ball. Kohli was given some room to express himself too, taking advantage of full balls offered by Balaji and showing off his wrist work against Bhatia. Kohli almost had too much fun and denied Gayle a century with a boundary off the first ball of the 18th over, that left Bangalore with just two to win. He blocked out the rest of the over to make amends.Even a wide from Iqbal Abdulla couldn’t stop Gayle, who ended the innings with a smashing shot through the covers, winning the match with 11 balls to spare. Gayle, who was picked up by Bangalore as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes, wore a jersey with 333 – his highest Test score – on the back and made light work of a total that Kolkata should have been able to defend.Their innings was held together by a classy 48 from captain Gautam Gambhir, patience from Jacques Kallis and a measured assault by Yusuf.Things started disastrously for Bangalore with Zaheer Khan’s first over going for 19 runs. It consisted of three wides, one of which went for four, and three boundaries, all off the bat of Kallis. Sreenath Aravind fared a little better, his first over going for 14.Daniel Vettori rung in the changes immediately, replacing Khan with left-arm spinner Syed Mohammed. Together with Dilshan, he hauled the run rate back to reasonable 8.33 per over. Mohammed was impressive in his initial two-over spell and was rewarded for tight bowling when Haddin tried to hit him over mid-off but got an edge that Kohli collected at point.Kallis and Gambhir batted with patience against the slower bowlers and unleashed when Khan was brought back in the 11th over. Gayle played a role in the field as well, taking the catch that sent Kallis on his way. Vettori bowled a shorter one which Kallis drove on the up towards extra cover where Gayle dived to his left and plucked the ball out of the sky.Yusuf, batting at four, allowed himself five balls to settle before depositing a Mohammed delivery over long-on. After Gambhir was caught by Dilshan at extra cover, Yusuf unleashed. He destroyed Aravind, pulling the short one for four, smashing the full one for six and dispatching the low full toss to the boundary.The quicks redeemed themselves a bit with Khan bowling a decent last over, mixing up slower balls and yorkers, and Aravind claiming the wicket of Yusuf, who was trying to force the ball over long off but only got it as far as Kohli.

Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake is confident that his young and inexperienced charges can spring a surprise on England in the upcoming three-Test series

Sa'adi Thawfeeq15-May-2011Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake is confident that his young and inexperienced charges can spring a surprise on England in the upcoming three-Test series. Ramanayake, who played 18 Tests and 62 one-day internationals from 1988 to 1995, will have to make the most of limited resources especially in the pace department.Without the retired Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga the onus will be on Dilhara Fernando, who has played 35 Tests, to lead the attack. Fernando missed Sri Lanka’s first warm-up match against Middlesex, at Uxbridge, but will play against England Lions next week ahead of the opening Test in Cardiff. The total experience of Sri Lanka’s five seam options is limited to 105 wickets in 43 Tests with 90 of those coming from Fernando.None of the fast bowlers picked for Sri Lanka’s last tour to England in 2006 are around in the present squad namely, Vaas, Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Zoysa and Farveez Maharoof, although the latter was drafted in for the first week of the tour. Fernando toured England in 2002 and is the only bowler with some kind of experience in English conditions.”Yes, we have one of the most inexperienced fast bowling line ups taken to England. Except for Dilhara Fernando the others haven’t played much Test cricket at all,” Ramanayake said. “It’s an opportunity for the youngsters to take over and continue. We have the disadvantage of inexperience but looking at it the other way none of the English players have played against our fast bowlers before. It’s an unknown attack to them. I think with that we can unsettle them.”England will know plenty about Fernando and did have a brief taste of Chandaka Welegedara, the left-arm quick, when he made his Test debut at Galle in 2007 but their preparation for the rest will rely in video footage and some advice from Andrew Strauss who hit 151 against them at Uxbridge.”The Englishmen don’t know much about these bowlers and they have not faced them,” Ramanayake said. “It will take some time for them to gauge them and get to know what they are doing. They all bowl quite sharp. Nuwan Pradeep and Thisara Perera bowl in the 140s, Suranga Lakmal has already played two Tests against West Indies and bowled really well.”Perera is waiting on the wings to get into the Test team and has done well in the past year and a half in ODIs. We’ve got some good youngsters and I am quite happy to take this squad because we can really work something with these boys. They can improve and you’ll never know they’ll get wickets in English conditions. I have great belief in them that they can do well.”Pradeep, who had an IPL contract but left early along with captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, is one who comes in for particularly praise from Ramanayake. “You take Pradeep he hasn’t played any cricket at all in his younger days and at school,” he said. “He’s got raw pace, beautiful rhythm and consistency. Consistency comes from rhythm. If the rhythm pattern changes then you don’t bowl a consistently good line and length. You’ve got to be smart as well nowadays.”You got to expect what the batsman is going to do, assess conditions and adjust to the situations and bowl. All these young fast bowlers they haven’t got it yet, but they are getting it from the exposure we give them. They got the right ingredients and this is the best bowling unit we have right now.”Ramanayake also hopes that responsibility will help bring the best out of Fernando who has always been foil for the likes of Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan but now has to be a spearhead on his own. “Dilhara hasn’t played much cricket in the last few months but still the selectors have faith in him,” he said. “He has to deliver the goods because he is the only experienced bowler and he has to show that he is good enough to play Test cricket. That will give him a little bit of responsibility to take up the challenge and do well in England.”Ramanayake thinks Sri Lanka will play three quick bowlers in the Test series, although there best chance could come if the dry weather continues and their spinners – Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv – can play both an attacking and defensive role.”The two warm-up games are vital for us and whoever performs well will have a good chance of playing because you got to get used to the conditions,” he said. “Depending on the pitches three will definitely play or maybe four if there is a lot of grass on the wicket. We are expecting some seaming tracks, but you never know.”England has been quite warm. The weather pattern has changed and we might get warm weather but normally in early summer the wickets are expected to seam. We’ve also got three good spinners in our attack. Rangana very experienced, Suraj has been bowling really well and Ajantha has also got some experience.”

Younis Khan was pleased with his half-century on day three at the Basin Reserve as Pakistan went to stumps 11 runs ahead of New Zealand, having made 376

Andrew Fernando17-Jan-2011Younis Khan was pleased with his half-century on day three at the Basin Reserve as Pakistan went to stumps 11 runs ahead of New Zealand, having made 376. Younis’ 142-run stand with Misbah-ul-Haq formed the bedrock of Pakistan’s total as the pair ground New Zealand down for the best part of two sessions, scoring at less than three-an-over and batting out sixteen maidens between them.”I had a hundred against South Africa and now I have a good innings here as well,” said Younis. “Before the World Cup you need a couple of good innings like today’s one, so I’m happy about that.”He was also relieved to end his run of poor form on the tour, having made only 40 runs in five outings, which included three Twenty20s, a tour match and the first Test in Hamilton. “I needed an innings because I couldn’t make any runs in the Twenty20s and in the first Test I only scored 20 plus,” said Younis. “Today at the crease I just wanted to stay in, face more balls and play some shots.”Younis and Misbah batted patiently as the hosts toiled in the field, the pair happy to wait for the bad balls to put away rather than attempting to break the shackles, even with Daniel Vettori at his miserly best during the middle session. The partnership was cut short by a bad umpiring decision when Younis was given out, caught at short leg, after he had failed to get a touch on a Vettori arm ball. “We were a little unlucky because we were almost at 150 runs with the partnership. It’s in the nature of the game and the umpires are also human so I think you can’t blame anyone for that decision. In future I think we need referrals in Test games, in One Dayers and in Twenty20s as well.”The ferocious winds that buffeted the Basin Reserve on the first two days had eased on day three, and Younis was grateful at not having to battle the weather as well as a disciplined New Zealand attack. “It was my first time playing in these windy conditions. But as an international cricketer you’re supposed to do well in these conditions. I’ve already played eight or nine years in international cricket, so I should be used to it. The wind today wasn’t as bad today as it was in the last couple of days, so I was lucky.”Younis claimed that Pakistan’s performance tomorrow will crucial to the outcome of the match after the teams had little to choose between them at stumps on day three. “The match is quite even at the moment and whoever plays well tomorrow will have a good chance. The pitch is slow and it’s turning as well. It’s not a pacy one, so if you play proper shots at the crease you have a good chance to score good runs at the end.”

West Ham are looking to make a move for Lyon winger Tete as David Moyes seeks to improve his squad ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to talkSPORT, who have reported that the Hammers have joined the race for the 22-year-old.

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

The Irons would be able to sign him for free as his short-term deal at the Ligue 1 club expires in the summer, after FIFA granted special permission for players to flee Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

The east Londoners may face a battle for his signature, though, as the likes of Brentford and Southampton were all linked with him before his move to Lyon.

Imagine Tete and Benrahma

Moyes and West Ham have had a stunning season so far, falling just shy of a historic Europa League final spot and hoping to hang onto seventh place in the Premier League or possibly finish higher.

With the Hammers often relying on goals from their wingers this season, with Jarrod Bowen grabbing 16 and Said Benrahma scoring nine, adding Tete to the squad would be a shrewd acquisition.

The Brazilian has scored 11 times this season for Shakhtar Donetsk and Lyon, and he could well thrive in the English top flight.

Imagine him and Benrahma pulling the strings on both flanks next season! Moyes could duly take West Ham to the next level, and the prospective signing of Tete may well be the catalyst for the level of success which has so far eluded them.

The move could also work out well from a financial point of view for the Irons, with Tete’s market value sitting at £18m. Therefore, if the move didn’t work out for whatever reason, a financial windfall could be gained, particularly if the Hammers don’t pay a transfer fee to acquire his services.

There has been plenty of praise directed his way, and his “hurricane” nickname due to his attacking style of play could please the West Ham faithful, given the club’s long-standing tradition for exciting football.

AND in other news, Forget Cresswell: £69k-p/w West Ham dud who lost 100% of his duels let Moyes down badly on Thursday night

After securing the signing of Luke Plange in January, Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira is reportedly keen on another Derby County transfer swoop, this time for Rams winger Malcolm Ebiowei.

Vieira sees Ebiowei as a long-term prospect and according to reports from The Sun, has reportedly made a decisive move to land the 18-year-old who will be a free agent in the summer.

The next Zaha

Former Arsenal and Rangers academy product Malcolm Ebiowei has enjoyed a breakout year in Wayne Rooney’s Derby side, with the financial issues at the club paving the way for regular minutes.

His performances in the U18 Premier League saw him score seven goals in seven appearances and clearly attracted the attention of the English coach. Ebiowei has continued in that vein, having seized his opportunity under Rooney this season.

The 18-year-old winger has started in 53% of Derby’s Championship games this season. And whilst he has just one assist to show for his 14 appearances in England’s second division, his underlying numbers are promising.

So promising in fact, that considering his position and versatility in attack, he is reminiscent of Palace’s talisman Wilfried Zaha.

Comparing their numbers, Malcolm Ebiowei completes an average of three dribbles per game and makes around one key pass per game. Zaha, on the other hand, has completed an average of two dribbles per game and around one key pass per game during the Premier League season.

Ebiowei’s average of one shot per game is not too far off Zaha’s average of two, whilst the teenager edges Zaha’s offensive participation as he is dispossessed on an average of just once per game, whilst the Ivorian international is dispossessed around four times per 90.

In fairness to Zaha, his 11 goals and one assist in England’s top-flight demonstrate the current difference in end product, though with Ebiowei’s similar numbers for offensive participation, Vieira would be right to take a chance on a player that Rooney claimed has “enormous ability.”

In other news: Forget Gallagher: £53k-p/w Palace ace who lost 71% duels let Vieira down vs Leeds…