Long awaited victory for Barbados

Scorecard

Dwayne Smith made an attractive 35 but was one of four needless wickets © Nation

Barbados completed their expected three-wicket victory over Trinidad and Tobago at Crab Hill to avenge a sequence of defeats in recent times against their old rivals, but Hendy Springer, their coach, feels his men can play better.It took Ryan Hinds’s team only 39 minutes to reach a target of 191 after resuming on 163 for 4, but they lost a few unnecessary wickets in the process before winning the first-round Carib Beer Series match by three wickets.”It was a very good victory,” Springer told NationSport. “A lot of our plans came together, but I still feel we could have played some more attention to small parts of the game. We should have fielded a lot better. We dropped some important catches that could have cost us the game.”Ryan Hinds and Dwayne Smith batted freely but both weren’t around to hit the winning runs; Hinds was trapped lbw by Dave Mohammed, the left-arm chinaman, with one run required.Smith, who won the Man-Of-The-Match award for his seven wickets and innings of 38 and 35, earlier holed out to deep midwicket before Kirk Edwards was bowled behind his back.Barbados’ victory, however, was set up the previous day when they dismissed Trinidad and Tobago for 144 in their second innings and erased most of the target.Hinds, the Barbados captain, however, was not altogether happy with the way the team batted. “Many of us got starts, but they gave their wickets away softly.”Trinidad and Tobago, who beat Barbados twice last season en route to winning the Cup and the Challenge, were let down by their batsmen, especially in their second innings.”Our batting was circumspect. In both innings, if you take away the individual brilliance of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, you will find that our batting lacked application,” Daren Ganga, Trinidad and Tobago’s captain, said. “That is an area of the game we have to try and improve on. We need to do some work. We need to do some soul searching. We’ve got to put it behind us.”
Scorecard
Guyana’s newly-appointed captain Narsingh Deonarine and Azeemul Haniff stroked vital fifties for Guyana to deny the Windward Islands first-innings points as their first-round Carib Beer match finished in a draw, both teams picking up four points each.Set 393 in the rain-hit fixture at the Tanteen Recreation Ground, Guyana reached 246 for 5 when play ended at 5.30pm. While Deonarine made a responsible 56 and Haniff contributed an unbeaten 76 adding 88 for the fourth wicket. Windwards had declared at 392 for 8, 17 minutes after tea on the third day and the visitors crawled to the finish late on day four with Haniff and Mahendra Nagamootoo batting for 144 minutes in a 41-run partnership.Deonarine hammered six fours and a six from 81 balls and along with Haniff, who faced 246 balls in his first game at this level since 2003.Guyana began solidly from their overnight position of 35 for 1 and Krishna Arjune and Assad Fudadin carried the score to 66 with a confident 44-run partnership before Rawl Lewis, a Windward legpinner, forced Arjune to play an injudicious slog-sweep against the spin, skying a catch high to short cover.Arjune faced 98 balls and hit a solitary boundary in his 36 before he wasted his good start in sunny conditions. Fudadin (19) was then caught and bowled in the next over bowled by left-arm spinner Denis George as the hosts struck twice with the score on 66.Deonarine and Haniff joined forces and took their team to 83 before rain sent the players off the field 40 minutes before lunch.
Scorecard
Omari Banks struck his maiden first-class hundred to star for the Leeward Islands as they drew with Jamaica in their opening Carib Beer Series match at St Mary’s Park.Banks, the Man-Of-The-Match, hit exactly 100 in the Leewards’ second innings score of 225 that set Jamaica a challenging 269 runs for victory in mid-afternoon.Jamaica, who trailed by 43 runs in their first innings made an initial rush at the target but the effort collapsed and they finished on 185 for 7.From an overnight 122 for 5, the Leeward Islands took the score to 147 before Darren Powell sent Morton, who struck four boundaries in his innings, back for 55, ending a valuable 93-run partnership.

Strauss looks to positives after another defeat

Paul Collingwood was a positive for England as he continued his good form © Getty Images

Andrew Strauss was determined to look at the positives after England slumped to their fourth defeat in five matches, this time a one-wicket loss in their warm-up fixture against Pakistan A at Bagh-e-Jinnah.”It’s never ideal to lose, and the warm-up before the Test series showed that,” said Strauss, who stood in as England’s captain in the absence of Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick. “But there were some positives from today’s performance. That’s encouraging, because there are a lot of the guys who’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a long time, and it’s good for them to get out to the middle.”Strauss singled out four players for particular praise. “Matt Prior did very well at the top of the order, Colly [Paul Collingwood] continued his good form, and Liam Plunkett and Jimmy Anderson were very impressive.”But it’s important to realise that three of our biggest players weren’t playing today,” he said, referring to the absence of Trescothick, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison, all of whom sat out the match after their efforts in the Test series. “We’ll have a stronger side on Saturday, no doubt.”Strauss himself wasn’t quite at his best, having only just returned from England where he attended the birth of his first son, Samuel. “I’m a little jaded,” he admitted, “but I always enjoy captaining a side. As much as anything today it kept me awake!”I haven’t pick up a bat for ten days,” he added, after being dismissed for just 5. “I need to use the practice time constructively, spend some time with Fletch [Duncan Fletcher] and hit my straps on Saturday. Today was tricky, coming straight off the plane, but after a couple of days’ practice there’s no reason I can’t get runs.”Strauss admitted that it was England’s batting, once again, that let them down in this match. “We were probably 15-20 runs short today, but that comes with rustiness and not having played one-day cricket for a long time. We’ll look back on the game tomorrow, and see where we could have improved.”

Gloster awaits green light from Indian board

John Gloster: ‘I will come over whenever the BCCI wants me to’© Getty Images

John Gloster is all set to take over as the new physiotherapist of the Indian team, and has indicated that he is ready to join the squad whenever required. Andrew Leipus, the former physio, had earlier resigned from the post to pursue a postgraduate course in Adelaide.Leipus first expressed his desire to stand down during the Mumbai Test against Australia last year, and had said that he planned to leave at the end of January. Gloster, who has earlier worked with Bangladesh and Surrey, told : “I am more than keen to take over and will come over whenever the BCCI wants me to. If it means flying out this week, I am ready for that as well.”SK Nair, the board secretary, said that Gloster was the “first choice”, and added, “We have made an offer to him. If he agrees to our terms and conditions he will take charge. We are hoping to get a response in the next couple of days.”The NKP Salve Challenger Trophy – the annual one-day tournament played between India, India A and India B – is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from February 7, and Gloster is expected to join the squad by then.

Lancashire keep Sussex waiting while Leicestershire are relegated

Frizzell County Championship Division One
Table
Lancashire 368 for 5 v Sussex at Old Trafford
Scorecard
The champagne in the Sussex dressing-room will have to wait for at least one more day as Lancashire and the rain further prolonged their wait for that elusive maiden Championship title. They did at least pick up three wickets, including the centurion Mal Loye, in the 42 overs possible. Loye eventually fell, caught off Robin Martin-Jenkins for 144, after a partnership of 241 with Stuart Law, who then added 56 with Carl Hooper (33). Law batted throughout the truncated day’s play and ended with 131 not out, having hit 20 fours. Lancashire closed on 368 for 5 with Mushtaq Ahmed still searching for his 100th wicket of the season, a feat not achieved since Andy Caddick and Courtney Walsh both did it in 1998.Leicestershire 295 v Kent 23 for 1 at Leicester
Scorecard
In an ominous sign for the England batsmen this autumn, Muttiah Muralitharan added a few more Englishmen to his bagful of wickets this season. Murali polished off Leicestershire’s last three wickets for 34 runs on the way to 6 for 51, and at the same time sealed their long-threatened relegation from Division One. Leicestershire’s fate was sealed when they failed to take maximum batting points. John Maunders was one of the few to escape Murali’s magic, and scored a century to boot. Resuming on 76, Maunders went on to make 129, his second hundred of the season. In Kent’s reply, Rob Key was bowled early on by Phillip DeFreitas for 11, leaving David Fulton (7*) and Ed Smith (0*) at the crease when the gloom forced an early finish.Nottinghamshire 361 v Middlesex 9 for 0 at Lord’s
Scorecard
Nottinghamshire’s problem all season has been that one good day is followed by a bad one, and it happened again today. Resuming on a strong 316 for 5, they lost their last five batsmen for 44 as Middlesex fought back at a murky Lord’s, on a day in which only 28 overs were possible. Jamie Dalrymple (2 for 5) took two of those wickets and Chad Keegan (2 for 105) took the big one of Russell Warren for 123. In their reply, had Middlesex reached 9 for no loss before bad light stopped play.Essex 249 for 9 v Warwickshire at Chelmsford (Day 1)
Scorecard
The steady old head of John Stephenson showed Essex how much they have missed him this season as he marked his Championship comeback with a rescuing 69 not out to pull his side out of the mire at 73 for 7. Stephenson, 38, put on 106 with Graham Napier, who showed signs of why he was selected for the academy with a sprightly 48 from 65 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. Andy Clarke then carried on the rescue act with 41 from 34 balls to bump Essex up to 249 for 9 before bad light brought an early close. Relief for Essex, but frustration for Warwickshire, who threw away their good early work in which Alan Richardson took 3 for 47 and Corey Collymore 2 for 60.Frizzell County Championship Division Two
Table
Somerset 409 v Derbyshire 326 for 6 at Taunton
Scorecard
Andrew Gait kept Derbyshire in touch with Somerset’s big first-innings score with 110, his fourth first-class century. Gait hammered 17 fours and a six, and put on 185 with Steve Stubbings, who scored 93 in Derbyshire’s 326 for 6. But it could have been even better, as Simon Francis hit back for Somerset late in the day. Francis grabbed four wickets for only 12 runs, three of which were catches for Rob Turner, the wicketkeeper, who pouched five in all. Francis finished with 4 for 74. Derbyshire now trail by 83, with four wickets in hand.Northants 319 and 80 for 2 v Glamorgan 203 at Cardiff
Scorecard
Graeme Swann sliced through the Glamorgan innings with 5 for 37 to put Northants into a strong position. Mark Wallace was out without adding to Glamorgan’s overnight total of 20, when he was trapped lbw by Mike Cawdron, who also nipped out the other opener, Jimmy Maher, for 29. Swann then dismissed the two top-scorers, Matthew Maynard (48) and Mike Powell (40), and polished off the tail after Jason Brown chipped in with two wickets. Northants had a lead of 116, but made a wobbly start when Tim Roberts and Phil Jaques were both out with only seven on the board. But Mike Hussey (22*) and David Sales (52*) steadied things up to give Northants a 196-run advantage.Gloucestershire 374 and 53 for 2 v Durham 218 at Bristol
Scorecard
Ian Fisher and Jonathan Lewis gave Gloucestershire the advantage as they helped to bowl out Durham for a below-par 218. Lewis (3 for 52) started things off by removing his namesake, Jonathan, and Gordon Muchall early on. And despite a stylish 98 from Martin Love, including 20 fours, the Durham batsmen were always on the rack as Fisher reeled in the last five wickets, including Love’s. Shoaib Akhtar struck back with the scalps of Craig Spearman (28) and Phil Weston (7), but Gloucestershire still ended the day with a 209-run lead, and with eight wickets left.

Steve Davie rolls the sleeves up for Otago cricket

Retiring Skeggs Foundation executive trustee Steve Davie will be assisting the Otago Cricket Association in the development of a series of events and fund-raising concepts over the new cricket season.Davie, well known for his cricket radio commentary work, has been contracted by the OCA to organise and host a variety of functions, including a 300 Club dinner honouring the five New Zealand players to have scored a triple century in a first-class innings (all five having been Otago representatives) and a luncheon before the One-Day International with England in late-February.Other duties include the establishment of a number of fund-raising events, some of which will be one-off ventures while others will be seen regularly on the OCA’s annual calendar.Davie is excited about his new role.”It’s Otago Cricket’s 125th season so there will be some genuine emotion enveloping the summer’s activities.”I’m looking forward to introducing concepts for the OCA which allow it to develop a stronger financial base. At the same time the public will enjoy some high calibre entertainment,” he said.Since announcing his resignation from the Skeggs Foundation, the highly successful sports trust he developed and nurtured for eight years, Davie has been presented with a number of event management and corporate hosting opportunities, several of which he will take up.

Northants hit back to win after Leach hat-trick

ScorecardJoe Leach took a hat-trick from the first three balls of the match (file photo)•Getty Images

Worcestershire Rapids allrounder Joe Leach took a hat-trick from the first three balls of the match but finished on the losing side as Northamptonshire Steelbacks edged home by 21 runs in the Royal London Cup at New Road.In a gripping, low-scoring game on an unpredictable pitch, Northamptonshire reached a creditable 126 – despite having been 19 for 6 – and carried on their recovery with Azharullah taking 4 for 22 as the home side were dismissed for 105 in the 32nd over.Leach’s feat is not unique in modern times. In 2003 Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas – who played county cricket for both Northamptonshire and Worcestershire – began a World Cup match with three wickets in three balls against Bangladesh in Pietermaritzburg.Softened up by the opening salvo, Northamptonshire staggered into further trouble, losing three wickets to Jack Shantry before the lower order – starting with Rory Kleinveldt’s 33 from 39 balls – kept them in the contest.Leach’s first two wickets came from new-ball seam movement as Richard Levi and Rob Keogh edged to wicketkeeper Ben Cox and Ben Duckett was third out when steering a shorter delivery to Shantry at gully.The 24-year-old Leach came back to end Josh Cobb’s stubborn resistance, the opener edging to slip after making 31 out of 99 by the 27th over. Leach and Shantry both returned personal-best figures in one-day competitions.The parade of ducks at the top of the Northants order was followed by another unusual event as play was held up for a few minutes when a low-flying swan made at least half-a-dozen circuits of the playing area. The delay was of no help to the Steelbacks. Their heads still in a daze, another procession followed with three wickets in 11 balls for Shantry.With the pitch providing some disconcerting bounce, the game could easily have been over by lunch but for a let-off for Kleinveldt when he had made only 8. If Tom Fell had held a low chance at third slip off Shantry, Northants would have been 27 for 7.Instead the South Africa international clouted seven fours in a partnership of 50 in 12.2 overs with Cobb. A top edge looping to mid-on did for Kleinveldt in Ed Barnard’s first over but Graeme White and Olly Stone scrambled what proved to be decisive runs.Although Worcestershire avoided a calamitous start, wickets soon began to fall and at 48 for 6 in the 22nd over, when Daryl Mitchell was caught on the leg-side off Azharullah for 18, the Rapids were in as much trouble as the Steelbacks had been.Leach then took centre stage again, sparking a spirited comeback by making 21 with five fours until top-edging to third man, but wickets continued to tumble. The innings and a brave effort by Cox ended when the wicketkeeper skied Kleinveldt to deep cover after making 36, the top score of the day.

Carling Cup final: Arsenal 1 Birmingham 2

Arsenal’s six-year wait to win a trophy continues after Birmingham City’s Obafemi Martins scored an 89th minute winner at Wembley on Sunday.Martins late clincher came from a defensive blunder between Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and centre-half Laurent Koscielny.The match was billed as the moment when Arsenal would finally be able to celebrate for the first time since lifting the FA Cup in 2005. But instead underdogs Birmingham clinched a dramatic victory to win the club’s first trophy since 1963 and deny Arsene Wenger’s side yet again.Former Newcastle striker Martins sent Birmingham fans home delirious with his late winner. He celebrated with a series of somersaults. Arsenal, without injured captain Cesc Fabregas and winger Theo Walcott, dominated much of the second half and created a string of chances – with Birmingham keeper Ben Foster named man of the match.But Birmingham can say they deserved to lift the trophy after a battling display.Nikola Zigic headed them in front on 28 minutes before Robin van Persie equalised with a fine volley, set by Andriy Arshavin, following a superb Arsenal breakway moveArsenal then forced Foster into some fine saves, notably from Samir Nasri, but Fahey also hit the post for Birmingham.All Arsenal’s work was undone when Szczesny spilled Zigic’s knockdown after Koscielny’s mis-kick and Martins had a simple task to tap the ball home with a minute left.

Heskey defends lack of goals

England striker Emile Heskey says that there is far more to his game than goals, having found the net a mere seven times in 58 appearances for his country.

The 32-year-old Aston Villa frontman is a key member of Fabio Capello's squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa and Heskey is confident that he has much to offer to the cause.

He told reporters:"As a striker you're judged on goalscoring. I know people will look at that.

"But I'd like to think I bring a lot more to the game than just that, even though I know people will look at that and I have to take it.

"I do take as much pleasure in assists, even if I am self-critical. I like to be part of a winning team and that is what my job is about.

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


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

"I do sometimes think 'I could've done better and got a goal myself', but I guess that's part and parcel of the game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Some appear to appreciate him at Aston Villa, if not the fans

Aston Villa fans could be forgiven for not feeling optimistic about the start of the new season. With the appointment of Alex McLeish from relegated rivals Birmingham City, fans were sceptical about the direction of their club, and this scepticism has remained throughout their opening games. Despite the negativity around Villa Park it appears that McLeish is having the desired effect on the Villa players.

Previous manager Gerard Houllier did not bring the results fans demanded, but was credited by many with improving their style of football. However, during his short tenure at the club many senior players were alienated, finding themselves dropped to the bench, or excluded from the club completely. Villa also lost the knack of being hard to beat, and consistently conceded soft goals, which saw them battling against relegation for large parts of the season.

It is already clear to see that McLeish has had a positive impact on the Villa players and has galvanised the whole squad. James Collins and Richard Dunne who looked as if they might be on their way out of Villa Park after a public fallout with Gerard Houllier and his staff, have looked rejuvenated at the back for Villa. With two clean sheets already this season, McLeish has sured up the defence and restored them to their previous high standards, with Dunne in particular, returning to the form he has characteristically shown over the last few years of his career.

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

Gabby Agbonlahor has continued out of position on the wide, but looks revitalised, he has been given a license to run at people and has proved successful at tearing past defenders. Whatever McLeish has been saying to Agbonlahor it appears to have been working. The local lad had gone stale under Houllier’s regime, but he has been Villa’s most exciting player so far this season, and finally seems to be back to fulfilling his talent and potential. He has three goals already this season almost surpassing his previous effort of five from last season.

Senior players have been quick to praise McLeish and criticise the Houllier reign. Agbonlahor has said he would have left his boyhood club had the Frenchman remained in charge, and blamed the way Gary McAllister set things up at the club. He has certainly started the season as if he is keen to make up for lost time, and has a point to prove, and the improvements in many of the senior players have not gone unnoticed.

McLeish may not have won over the fans quite yet, but he has certainly won over the dressing room. It seems much more balanced, and the players seem a lot more focused. He faces a huge task to get the fans on board, as the majority seem to have already prejudged and written McLeish off this season. This negative attitude ringing around Villa Park isn’t likely to help Villa and McLeish, but at least he has the players on side.

Villa are in a transitional period and McLeish appears to have steadied the ship with limited resources. They have had a solid start to the season currently lying in sixth place, but the doommongering by the Villa fans needs to end before it starts to wear the players and the manager down. McLeish has created a new atmosphere at the club that has filled certain players with a new lease of life and enthusiasm, and the team has certainly grown from last year. Now he just needs some of that to rub off on the supporters.

What do you think of Alex McLeish’s start at Villa? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.

Fancy winning a million pounds??

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


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

Take up our exclusive offer with Goaldash below to be in with a chance – what have you got to lose?

New Brazil kit a bottler

Five-time world champions Brazil will take to the field in 2011 wearing a Nike shirt made from recycled plastic bottles.

The yellow, green, blue and white colours of the Brazil national strip were made famous throughout the world by the exploits of Pele and his teammates at the 1970 World Cup.

And kit manufacturers Nike have now released a new take on the iconic shirt – one that will allow the players to do their bit for the environment while representing their country.

“These shirts were developed and manufactured with threads from recycled plastic bottles,” Nike Marketing Director Thiago Pinto said.

“The shirt’s cloth maintains its technologic characteristics, being able to ease the sweat evaporation and preserve its lightness and shape.”

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


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

“For each jersey, around eight plastic bottles are eliminated from the environment. Therefore, each time a Brazilian player walks into a field, we are sure that he has the best technology to improve his performance and also that he is working for sustainability, as he removes these dangerous elements from nature.”

Game
Register
Service
Bonus