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Harbhajan Singh has said that India’s effort to save this Test from the depths of 5 for 15 showed why they were the No. 1 team

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2010Harbhajan Singh has said that India’s effort to save this Test from the depths of 5 for 15 in their second innings showed why they are the top-ranked Test side in the world. “This is what the No. 1 team can do; anyone can come and perform. We believe in each other. Everyone felt that if Ishant [Sharma] and VVS Laxman can win the game in Mohali, why can’t Harbhajan Singh go out and make 60-odd, and Laxman score 150 for team India and save the game?We have lots of self belief and that’s why we are the No. 1 side.”Harbhajan won the Man-of-the-Match award for his batting exploits, something he never dreamed he would do in a Test. “May be in the one-dayers I thought I can get a chance to go up the order, slog a few, get a quick 50-odd and be the Man of the Match.He also felt that Chris Martin was the real Man of the Match for his devastating spell on the fourth day. “Hats off to this guy (Martin) for he bowled his heart out on this flat wicket. For me he is the Man of the Match; to take five wickets on this pitch was something really special.”Harbhajan has talked in the past about his team-mates have always believed he could get a Test hundred, and they shared his joy after he finally reached the landmark. “Now I know how it feels to get a hundred. I was really thrilled and excited. It helped us save the Test. You must have seen how the players were enjoying each other’s success. When I got my hundred everyone was in the balcony to support me. That was a great sign.”He was effusive in his praise for Laxman. ” toh Laxman hi hai (Laxman is the man for a crisis). I was just supporting him. He was the reason I got my hundred; He kept saying I am batting really well and to concentrate this over, then the next over and then the next. If he was not on the other side, things could have been different. He batted superbly. He was little unlucky with his decision, else he would have got his hundred as well.”Both Laxman and Zaheer Khan fell to poor umpiring decisions today, and Harbhajan was asked his opinion on the Umpire Decision Review System. “As a bowler, I don’t mind if that system comes. We had it in Sri Lanka and I quite liked it as I got couple of wickets. But I am no one to decide on this. Big people decide; my job is to just bowl, bat, and field. That’s the best I can do.”Harbhajan said a lot of the credit for his innings should go to Laxman, who told him what shots to play and what shots not to play. “He told me to not to play on-the-rise shots; that was the only thing I looked to avoid on this pitch. I was just waiting for the right kind of ball in my area where I was comfortable to hit my shots.”The lifeless pitch was reason why India decided not to declare and push for the win. Daniel [Vettori] bowled 35-36 overs to take two wickets. And you saw the replays of them to see what sort of decisions they were. There was nothing in the pitch. We made the right decision of not declaring.”Harbhajan also reiterated his pre-match statements that New Zealand are a good side, saying one bad series doesn’t make them a bad side. “I think it [the performance in Bangladesh] was over-hyped in New Zealand. We also lost to Bangladesh in the World Cup. That doesn’t make us a bad team. When two teams play, one will win and one will lose.”

For New Zealand, this series marks a continuation of their exposure to sub-continental conditions ahead of the World Cup

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya04-Oct-2010Match FactsTuesday, October 5, Mirpur
Start time 9:30am (03.30 GMT)Jesse Ryder will want to get his focus back on cricket•AFPThe Big PictureThis tour was originally meant to include Tests. But the teams agreed to focus on preparations for the World Cup next year, and opted to play five ODIs instead. For New Zealand, this marks a continuation of their exposure to subcontinental conditions ahead of the big tournament. They were involved in a tri-series in Sri Lanka in July, play five ODIs this series and five more on the tour of India next month which also includes three Tests. By mid-December, New Zealand will have played each of the World Cup co-hosts on their own turf, an ideal lead-up to the event in February. By then they would hope to have settled on their preferred line-up amid some success, especially after the disappointing Sri Lanka tri-series where they failed to reach the final. Their preparation for this tour, however, has been far from ideal, with rain washing out both their practice games. But their opponents have more reasons for concern.Bangladesh have pulled off the odd surprise since they became part of the cricketing elite, including a five-run win this year against England, but the ‘minnows’ tag continues to haunt them. So many years on, Bangladesh’s occasional victories only re-ignite the belief – both within the country and from their wellwishers in the cricketing fraternity – that they are destined for bigger things. Then the flame flickers again. They have won only two and lost 17 ODIs this year, and are without the injured Tamim Iqbal as they seek to challenge their opponents more consistently.Form guide (five latest completed matches, starting with most recent)
New Zealand: LLWWL
Bangladesh: LWLLWWatch out for…Jesse Ryder missed the ODIs in Sri Lanka with an elbow injury but drinking problems returned to trouble him in July when he was fined for “intoxicated and rowdy behaviour”. He subsequently apologised and will make a comeback on this tour. An explosive opening batsman, Ryder has won many admirers but needs to retain his focus on cricket if he wishes to be part of New Zealand’s World Cup plans.Daniel Vettori singled out Shakib Al Hasan as New Zealand’s biggest threat. The two have much in common; both are allrounders, hugely influential to their teams’ performance and often have to carry a disproportionate amount of responsibility. Shakib, though, is no longer captain. While there is presumably lesser pressure as a result, Bangladesh’s challenge is for the others to step up and ease his burden.Team newsNew Zealand are without allrounder Scott Styris, who is out of the series with a back injury. The upcoming ten ODIs, including the tour of India, give them an opportunity to test some new players ahead of the World Cup. They’ve drafted in Canterbury fast bowler Hamish Bennett in their squad. They can also experiment with BJ Watling at the top of the order while Kane Williamson, who managed just 13 runs in four innings with two ducks in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, will aim for an improvement.New Zealand (possible): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Grant Elliott, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Shannan Stewart, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Daryl TuffeyShahriar Nafees is likely to replace Tamim at the top of the order for Bangladesh.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Shahriar Nafees, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Abdur RazzakStats and trivia These teams have played 17 ODIs, with New Zealand winning 16 Mashrafe Mortaza will take fourth place in the list of Bangladeshis to have played the most ODIs. He has played 111 so far – tied with former captain Habibul Bashar Bangladesh is the only Test nation to not be involved in a tie in ODIsQuotes”We are going to get the best possible warm-up and any game time in the subcontinent is going to make a huge difference to our chances in the World Cup.”

Wolves are currently sitting in eighth place in the Premier League table, two points below Manchester United and West Ham United directly above them.

With 32 games played, the Old Gold have won 15, drawn four and lost 13, showing how unpredictable their results have been throughout the campaign.

One fairly noticeable statistic is the fact that Bruno Lage’s side have only managed to score 33 league goals throughout the season.

This leaves only Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Watford and Norwich City having found the back of the net on fewer occasions.

The Old Gold did have the chance to add some extra firepower to their squad during the previous January transfer window having been mentioned with a move for Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa – also known as Gabigol.

However, as many Wolves fans will be aware, this transfer didn’t end up happening, and the club may now be paying the price for it.

Moving forward, should the Molineux outfit end their latest season in the Premier League with a whimper in terms of their ability to find the back of the net, they should definitely reignite their interest in signing the Brazilian.

Labelled as a “quality” player by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Barbosa has racked up a combined total of 179 goals and assists throughout his career with clubs such as Flamengo, Benfica, Inter Milan and Santos.

With ten goals to his name in 15 appearances this season, the 25-year-old certainly knows how to score goals on a regular basis, which is something that Wolves desperately need in their side.

Having also been described as a figure that “has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history,” according to Zico, the Old Gold must call an end to his time in Brazil and see if he can be as clinical for them as he has been for his current side.

Taking all of this into account, with the upcoming summer transfer window on the horizon, this is a deal that Jeff Shi must complete if he wants to make Lage’s side a deadlier attacking team.

If the club aren’t able to bring in a regular goalscorer or get their current attacking players to start finding the back of the net on a consistent basis, this could put an end to their hopes of playing in Europe.

In other news: Sky Sports: Wolves may now lose “sensational” £36m-rated “maestro”, Lage surely fuming

England duo Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn batted out the last 12 overs as Middlesex held on for a draw against Sussex in Division Two of the County Championship at Uxbridge

24-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Monty Panesar had the better of Andrew Strauss on his way to a five-wicket haul, but could not force a win•PA PhotosEngland duo Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn batted out the last 12 overs as Middlesex held on for a draw against Sussex in Division Two of the County Championship at Uxbridge. Monty Panesar had looked to have put leaders Sussex on course for a dramatic victory as he took five wickets to help reduce Middlesex to 175 for 8 in pursuit of a target of 343.But after England colleagues Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah both failed, Morgan dug in for over two and a half hours for his unbeaten 58 and got good support from Finn to frustrate Sussex, as Middlesex finished on 204 for 8.The visitors had started the day 211 ahead with five remaining wickets but lost nightwatchman Lewis Hatchett in the sixth over to give Steven Finn his third wicket of the innings and sixth of the match. First innings centurion Luke Wright and Michael Thornely put on 86 for the seventh wicket in 21 overs, reaching their half-centuries off successive balls. Wright got there first with his taking 65 balls while in comparison Thornely’s lasted three hours and 133 balls.Thornely’s stay came to an end soon afterwards when he chopped a ball from Neil Dexter onto his own stumps while Wright departed to the first ball he received after lunch for 62, trapped lbw by Shaun Udal. Udal then had Ollie Rayner caught on the boundary which prompted Sussex skipper Mike Yardy to declare on 240 for 9 and leave Middlesex chasing a target of 343 from a minimum of 58 overs.England skipper Andrew Strauss began positively having made just eight in the first innings but was lucky to be given two reprieves by Sussex. First Rayner was unable to hold on to a difficult chance at second slip when Strauss was on 14 and then Matt Prior missed a tough stumping opportunity off Panesar when he was on 18.Panesar also saw Lewis Hatchett put down John Simpson before three wickets fell in the space of 21 balls to give Sussex hope. Panesar trapped Simpson lbw as he padded up to a straight one and had Dawid Malan caught at short leg, while Owais Shah was caught behind for just 14 off part-time seamer Thornely.Strauss’s luck finally ran out when he was bowled by a quicker ball from Panesar for 37 to leave Middlesex in trouble at 89 for 4. Neil Dexter and Morgan looked to have ended Sussex’s hopes of victory with a partnership of 71 in 23 overs but then Middlesex lost four wickets in seven overs to blow the game wide open again.Dexter and Gareth went in the space of three balls to Rayner before Panesar picked up the scalps of Udal and Tom Roland-Jones to finish with figures of 5 for 89, but it wasn’t enough.

Josh Hazlewood is in a position to hope for an Ashes Test after being picked in Australia’s squad to face India next month

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2010Josh Hazlewood, the 19-year-old fast bowler, is in a position to hope for an Ashes Test after being picked in Australia’s squad to face India next month. While Hazlewood and Peter George are the young, uncapped quicks in the unit, they are growing in status and will be ready to stand up if one of the main men breaks down over the next four months.”I hadn’t thought too far ahead but definitely [I’m thinking about the Ashes] now I’m in the Test squad,” Hazlewood said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Obviously there’s quicks coming back but if I get a chance I’ll put my name forward.”Mitchell Johnson will lead the attack in the two Tests in India and the first-choice support will be Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus, who came back from a knee injury against Pakistan. Peter Siddle (back) and Ryan Harris (knee) are close to returning and could figure in the one-day series after the games in Mohali and Bangalore.”A lot of the other quicks are getting on, so definitely Georgie and I are the younger group coming through with a couple of the other guys,” Hazlewood said. “You do get the sense it could be not too far away.”Things have happened quickly for Hazlewood over the past two years and he is so fresh he has only played six first-class matches. It did not stop him from being picked on the limited-overs tour of the United Kingdom during the winter and he collected 1 for 41 on debut against England. He has never been to India but hopes he will be comfortable bowling on the unfriendly surfaces.”I don’t think you know until you’re in that position but taking the new ball in Sheffield Shield cricket is just one step below,” he said. ”I had not too bad a season last year, playing five games, so there’s a lot of experience there. Hopefully if given a chance, I feel ready.”

A number of Manchester City fans have flocked to the transfer news that AC Milan are interested in defender Nathan Ake.

According to a report by MilanNews.it (as relayed by City Xtra), the potential transfer of Ake to Milan is proving to be ‘difficult to achieve’, and sources close to Man City have stated that the centre-back will not be leaving the club in the January window.

The Dutchman has struggled for Premier League playing time this season, having made just eight top flight appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.

However, lately Ake has been utilised in the various cup competitions that City are still in the running for, including the club’s recent 4-1 FA Cup victory against Swindon Town.

It would certainly be a surprise were he to leave, given he is just now beginning to stamp his mark after joining 18 months ago (BBC), particularly impressing against Brentford and Leeds in recent weeks.

These Man City fans flock to the Ake transfer news

Manchester City Twitter source City Xtra shared the news to fans, with many flocking to the comments to share their joy for Ake, who looks set to remain at the club. Supporters were reluctant to see the Netherlands international exit due to a number of fantastic recent performances.

Here’s what some of these fans said…

“Ake is getting better & better at City, top player, at CB or LB, hope he stays and sure he will”

Credit: @MCFCTone

“He’s absolute class and isn’t going anywhere. I was so wrong about him”

Credit: @ManCityKD

“You think Pep will let our defensive depth and stability go now that we finally have it again? In JANUARY? In such a crucial part of the season? Lmaooooooo”

Credit: @mvx_mcfc

“Def don’t give up Aké. That save against Arsenal should keep him a blue for quite a while.”

Credit: @NathanDean904

“AC Milan is one of my favorite clubs in Europe, but Ake needs to stay because he’s actually been very solid when starting.”

Credit: @SoraPalmer

“Tell those Italians to go shop somewhere else, Ake ain’t leaving, no chance”

Credit: @mxnxl_

A promising update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Lille centre-back Sven Botman in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Whilst linking to an article from his colleague Simon Jones, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has provided an update on the situation, tweeting: “Newcastle remain in contact with Lille over defender Sven Botman.”

This comes after The Athletic reported earlier this week that the deal is all but dead and the defender is poised to remain in France until the end of the season.

Excitement for Eddie Howe

This news will surely leave Eddie Howe feeling excited, as it leaves the door open for Newcastle to sign Botman before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month. It shows that the Magpies have not given up on a move for the 22-year-old just yet and are continuing to attempt to change Lille’s stance in order to bring in the centre-back.

Howe will be delighted with this, as the Dutchman could be an excellent addition to his squad in an area where the Magpies are in desperate need of strengthening. Only Norwich (44), who have played an extra game, have conceded more goals than Newcastle (42) in the Premier League this season, so they could need to resolve their defensive issues before they start to think about avoiding relegation.

Federico Fernandez’s SofaScore rating of 6.77 leads the Newcastle squad in terms of centre-backs this season, whereas Botman has averaged a score of 7.02 for Lille in Ligue 1. The former Ajax man also helped his side to win the league title whilst keeping 20 clean sheets in the French top division last term, showing that he can be a part of a successful defence.

This shows that the youngster could come in and improve the team in the short-term by putting in consistently high-quality performances, if he is able to translate his form from France over to England. He could also have a significant impact in the long-term, as he has plenty of potential left in him at the age of just 22.

Howe could get excited about this possible deal as he could have the opportunity to work with Botman on the training pitch in order to help him develop his game. The former Bournemouth boss could enjoy watching the Dutchman improve as a player over time, whilst also enjoying his displays on the pitch in the shorter-term.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have erupted over an injury update from ExWHUemployee regarding Aaron Cresswell, with many shocked at the severity of the injury he has sustained.

The 32-year-old has proven to be a critical component of David Moyes’ side this season, having started all 13 games in which he has appeared. However, in the Hammers’ 2-1 loss to Manchester City a month ago, the left-back was substituted on the hour mark after slamming his back into the goalpost.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It has not been made clear just how severe the injury is, with Moyes originally claiming that Cresswell was a doubt for the Irons’ following game, refusing to provide a return date. West Ham have won just one of the seven matches they have played in all competitions since that fateful afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Hammers fans react to Cresswell’s injury news

ExWHUemployee took to Twitter to provide fans with an injury update on the defender. He claimed that the player has chipped a bone in his back which is causing him a lot of pain, and that no recovery date has been given by either Cresswell himself or the club.

These Irons fans took to the replies on that tweet to provide the 32-year-old with their sympathies, as many were left gutted by the “horrific” news on the injury.

It leaves Arthur Masuaku as the squad’s only recognised left-back and comes at a time when some other defenders are also sidelined.

“Ouchie !!! Poor Cress”

Credit: @Els_ie

“Wow, didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

Credit: @AlexThomsonWHU

“that sounds pretty horrific”

Credit: @BoogersWestHam

“Hope he recovers well. Just sums up our luck. Best 4 defenders we’ve had in years all out for months at some point this year. Cress, Zouma, Ogbonna and Vlad”

Credit: @camwestham

“Yikes, that’s Cresswell out for the season then”

Credit: @Bielsalmighty

“This is such a blow. A new LB is massively needed, Masuaku can’t be our LB in a flat back four”

Credit: @antoni_dad

In other news – ‘I think’: Journalist drops claim on ‘special’ West Ham target tipped to become ‘world-class’

Steffan Jones earned career-best bowling figures as Derbyshire launched their Twenty2 cup bid with an 11-run win over Leicestershire

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2010
Scorecard
Steffan Jones earned career-best bowling figures as Derbyshire launched their Twenty2 cup bid with an 11-run win over Leicestershire. The 36-year-old Welsh seamer took 3 for 20 in his four overs to restrict Leicestershire to 154 for 8 as they failed to chase down a victory target of 166 at Grace Road.Jones’s victims included Australian allrounder Andrew McDonald, who hit a blistering 67off 50 balls to keep Leicestershire in the chase after they had lost early wickets. Fellow Australian Brad Hodge, signed by the county as their second overseas player for the competition, went in the second over and then the home side collapsed from 41 for 1 to 64 for 4 in the space of four overs.McDonald was in tremendous form reaching his half century off 37 balls with seven sweetly-struck boundaries and by the time he skied a catch to long on off the bowling of Jones, had reached a career-best score in Twenty20 cricket.But his effort was not enough to give Leicestershire a winning start with a tough run of three successive away matches now to follow. Only Paul Nixon provided any real assistance to McDonald, scoring 24 before being caught off his trademark reverse sweep.Derbyshire also struggled in the early part of their innings with only 23 runs coming off 10 scoring shots in the first six overs. Left-arm seamer Harry Gurney conceded only one run in his first two overs and in all there were a total of 25 dot balls.But Derbyshire’s innings gained momentum as Loots Bosman smashed 16 in an over off McDonald and Greg Smith hit a six off Claude Henderson. When Bosman cleared the ropes for a second time at the expense of Hodge the visitors had more than made up for their slow start.Although Hodge gained his revenge by bowling Bosman for 39 the rest of the Derbyshire batsmen maintained the run rate and 101 runs were scored off the last 10 overs to post a challenging total which proved out of the home side’s reach.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC CEO, today said the ICC was on the verge of finding a solution to the contentious whereabouts clause of the WADA Anti-Doping code

Cricinfo staff14-Apr-2010Haroon Lorgat, the ICC CEO, has said the ICC is on the verge of finding a solution to the contentious whereabouts clause of the WADA Anti-Doping code and could find a consensus on it by next week.”We are very close to resolving the issue of the whereabouts clause. It is the only contentious point of the WADA resolve,” Lorgat said. “We have got a board meeting coming up next week with the ICC executive board members. We are working closely with all our cricket members. We will present that final proposal to the board and hopefully, by next week we should have found a consensus on that particular proposal.”The clause requires cricketers to furnish details of their whereabouts three months in advance to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Players rejected the WADA code because of this clause, saying it represented a violation of privacy and a security threat.The subcontinent is set to host the ODI World Cup next year and Lorgat said the ICC was working in collaboration with the DDCA to improve the standards of the Feroze Shah Kotla wicket. The ground has come under the scanner since the abandoned ODI between India and Sri Lanka last year. It has also drawn flak from IPL captains Anil Kumble and Gautam Gambhir during the course of the tournament.”The only thing we can do is to work with the DDCA. We have got Andy Atkinson, the ICC pitch consultant, he will work with them over the next few months. It is an important World Cup venue. So now to the end of the year, we will work with the DDCA to get the pitch upto the required standard,” Lorgat said.