All posts by h716a5.icu

As they prepare to fight their cricket battles of the future, New Zealand’s cricketers will be having their Christmas Day breakfast with the soldiers of the past

Lynn McConnell24-Dec-2002As they prepare to fight their cricket battles of the future, New Zealand’s cricketers will be having their Christmas Day breakfast with the soldiers of the past.The TelstraClear Black Caps are visiting the Ranfurly Returned Services Rest Home in Auckland for breakfast with the war veterans.It is a break from the usual Christmas Day routine where the players have tended to visit sick children in local hospitals, in Wellington where the traditional Boxing Day Tests have been played.Team manager Jeff Crowe said he called for eight volunteers for the duty, and the whole team said they wanted to take part.He was delighted with the response.Team media liaison officer Simon Wilson said it was all too easy to forget thinking about senior citizens when it came to this sort of duty.”There are a lot of cricket lovers among our old people,” he said.

Celtic target Jean-Kevin Augustin was more highly regarded than Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele when the trio were younger, French football expert Adam White has told The Transfer Tavern.

Augustin is currently being linked with a move to Celtic, with French outlet Homme du Match recently claiming that the Glasgow club are interested in signing the Nantes striker this summer.

Meanwhile, Edouard is, of course, currently at Celtic, while Dembele finds himself at Lyon following a successful two-year spell with the Bhoys between 2016-2018.

The trio, all French, are around the same age. And, according to White, it was Augustin who French football once had the highest hopes for.

“I think in terms of talent, Augustin was perhaps out of those three players, when he was younger, the most highly regarded,” the Get French Football News writer said.

Things, however, have not quite gone to plan for the 24-year-old. For example, during a loan spell with Leeds United in the Championship, he played just three times and failed to score a single goal.

Augustin has also had his struggles at Nantes, though that has been partly down to him having long Covid-19, so he should be given more time there. But if both parties do decide it is best for them to go their separate ways, then perhaps he could revive his career at a club like Celtic.

Half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni outdid a superlative century from Sanath Jayasuriya in Dambulla

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga28-Jan-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

With his hundred, Sanath Jayasuriya corrected his poor personal record at this venue – 364 runs in 17 innings before this © AFP
Half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni outdid a superlative century from Sanath Jayasuriya as India successfully chased the highest total in a day game in Dambulla. The pursuit never got out of hand for India, despite the early fall of Sachin Tendulkar. Once Gambhir and Raina got going, the asking-rate went above five only towards the last ten overs.India got vital contributions from three batsmen, and were disciplined in the field. Sri Lanka relied on a spectacular Jayasuriya alone for their runs, and dropped both Gambhir and Raina in the initial stages of their innings.Both the chances came in a frenetic first Powerplay of India’s innings, after Kumar Dharmasena erroneously sent Tendulkar on his way as his first umpiring victim, lbw off a ball that pitched outside leg. In the over following that dismissal, Nuwan Kulasekara came up with an athletic effort to catch a low leading edge from Gambhir off his own bowling. But after various replays Gambhir benefited from lack of sufficient evidence, although the take could well have been clean.In the next over Raina cut Thilan Thushara straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan at point and survived. Insult was added to injury in the next over, when Raina unleashed two delightful straight drives and a lofted six off Kulasekara. Two overs later, Gambhir edged Farveez Maharoof, but Mahela Jayawardene failed to hold on to a high chance.Both went on to hurt Sri Lanka – Raina was 6 when dropped, and Gambhir 11. On a slow track, in hot and humid conditions, India needed a quick start, and that’s what they provided. The chances notwithstanding, they took India to 54 in the first 10 overs. After that they settled down. Gambhir took the aggressor’s role, often stepping out to medium-pacers and looking to go over extra cover. He also showed cheek when he upper-cut a Thilan Thushara bouncer over slips.When the two fell within 11 runs of each other, Dhoni was there to guide India through to the target. He negated the threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis by playing them extremely late, often taking the ball virtually out of Kumar Sangakkara’s gloves and placing it. His first scoring shot was a slice from in front of stumps, guiding it past the wicketkeeper for four. The slow pitch didn’t help the spinners either.The outstanding feature of Dhoni’s knock was not the power, but the placement: two of his five boundaries came after he had ensured India would win. He nudged and patted his way to 27 singles and seven twos. True to his image, he stayed unbeaten. How Jayasuriya would have wished that somebody in the Sri Lankan batting line-up followed up on his effort, like Dhoni did after Gambhir and Raina’s dismissals. That Jayasuriya played a different game from his team-mates was evident: when he got out in the 40th over he had scored 107 in 114 balls, while the rest had managed 64 in 122 deliveries.Joy for JayasuriyaJayasuriya became the oldest man to score an ODI centuryWhen he brought up his 37th run, he also became the second man to reach the 13,000-mark in his careerHe also crossed 50 for the 95th time to go one clear of Sourav Ganguly, and in second place behind Sachin Tendulkar who has 132His knock was the second ODI century in Dambulla, and the highest individual score as wellJayasuriya’s innings came on the 212th day of his 40th year, making him the oldest centurion in ODIs. He did owe the team a big performance, however, after being implicated in the first over run-out of Dilshan. Jayasuriya responded to Dilshan’s call but stopped after taking two steps, and with Sri Lanka’s in-form batsman out of the equation, what followed was an asphyxiating opening spell by Zaheer Khan. But Jayasuriya targeted Munaf Patel from the other end. He took at least one boundary – choosing to go over covers – in the first four of Munaf’s overs, not letting the scoring stagnate.But the runs hardly came from the other end. By the time spin was introduced, in the 16th over, Sangakkara had scored 18 in 47 deliveries and Jayasuriya 38 in 41. With spin came further shackles, and the slow nature of the pitch made boundary-hitting all the more difficult. In demanding conditions, Jayasuriya showed he was supremely fit at his age – running 18 twos, six of them for Sangakakara and four of those back-to-back. He cramped up, kneeled down between deliveries to recover, but the short cut was not to be taken.He broke the ten-over boundary-less spell, hitting Pragyan Ojha onto the sightscreen, and followed it up with a pulled four off Yusuf Pathan in the next over. But he lost Sangakkara at a stage when one of the two could have gone for an all-out assault. Jayasuriya himself fell at an inopportune time, the second over of the batting Powerplay, but he had lost all his energy by then and lobbed a slower full toss to mid-off. The batting bar was lowered once again, as Zaheer and Ishant Sharma bowled superbly in the final overs. They used the change of pace to good effect, and Zaheer also managed some late swing. Mahela Jayawardene’s struggle continued, and only 82 runs were scored in the final 12 overs.

Celtic have officially completed a deal for Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Hoops announced the forward and his green and white shirt number on social media, which led to a number of Celtic fans delighted.

The club revealed earlier this month that an agreement had been reached with J1-League club Vissel Kobe for the 26-year-old.

A deal was subject to international clearance at the time, but a move has now officially gone through.

Furuhashi, who netted 49 times in 111 appearances for his previous employers, has penned a four-year deal at Parkhead and will wear the number eight jersey, previously of Scott Brown.

Celtic’s new signing paid tribute to Brown after taking the number, describing him as ‘one of the club’s true heroes’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-11/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Celtic fans react

The Hoops announced the move on their official Twitter page on Friday evening. This is what these Celtic fans had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘beautiful’.

“A ray of hope. We badly need some spark.”Credit: @jfmward”Siiiiiiii”Credit: @AMC__88″Number 8 – wow that’s a very bold choice “Credit: @oliviarose18xx”That’s really beautiful”Credit: @StupendousShved”Excited for this signing. Something I’ve not said in a number of years.”Credit: @thewhills3127″Very happy to see this”Credit: @Sus_L_

In other news: Journalist in Turkey drops Friday transfer development; Celtic now close to signing 5-trophy ace. 

Ali Brown is being released by Surrey at the end of the season

Cricinfo staff05-Sep-2008
Ali Brown celebrates his finest hour © PA Photos
Ali Brown is being released by Surrey at the end of the season.Brown joined Surrey as an 18-year-old in 1988 and made his first-class debut in 1992. In 246 matches for the county he scored 14,864 runs at 43.20, passing 1000 runs in a season on eight occasions. But it was in the one-day game that he really made his name, with the highlight being his 268 off 160 balls against Glamorgan in 2002. He played 16 ODIs for England between 1996 and 2001.His form has dipped in the last two years and his last outing for the county was in June, contributing to the decision not to offer him a new contract.”Alistair Brown has been a great servant of Surrey and played a leading role during his successful career with us,” Alan Butcher, the county’s director of cricket, said. “We all wish Alistair every success for the future.””Brown has been one of the most prodigious run makers for Surrey in recent years,” Paul Sheldon, the chief executive, added. “His record in one-day cricket is almost unparalleled and the club owe him a great debt of thanks for all that he has achieved.”

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting negatively to Gini Wijnaldum’s comments regarding some Reds fans’ treatment of him.

The 30-year-old’s time at Anfield has come to an end, following five memorable seasons on Merseyside.

Wijnaldum proved to be a vital player for Liverpool during a hugely successful period in the club’s history, with both Champions League and Premier League glory achieved.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Despite being adored by many supporters, Wijnaldum has opened up about his treatment from others on social media, telling The Times that some people singled him out if the Reds lost a game.

While he doesn’t use this as the reason for his exit, it could be argued that it played a part in him not extending his stay beyond this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-8/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react to Wijnaldum’s remarks

The response to Wijnaldum’s comments has been mixed, but these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to criticise the midfielder, suggesting he is no different to any other player and that left because he wanted more money.

“Absolutely not true. He was loved here at Liverpool, no idea what this is all about”

Credit: @CiaranM88

“Embarrassing himself here. Fans that went the game loved him. And he knew. We sang his song at the ground. His move wasn’t about a lack of feeling loved”

Credit: @PaulSmithJnr

“I’m sorry but for a professional footballer to concentrate so much on what people say online is ridiculous. I love Gini, respect him to the highest level as a Liverpool player. But seriously, get over yourself”

Credit: @matips_men

“I’m sorry, but he was nearly putting pen to paper on a deal with Barcelona whose fans were outspoken about not wanting him”

Credit: @chattingwham

“Such a cry baby”

Credit: @frizzyfroze

“Rather just say he went for the money”

Credit: @BillyCarney85

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly received an inquiry regarding one player – find out who it is here.

Amanda Staveley has given an insight on some potential issues with the proposed takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Staveley speaks out

Staveley, who is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group looking to take over at St James’ Park, has now given a number of public interviews ahead of the club’s arbitration case against the Premier League this month.

She spoke to Sky Sports referencing a letter that she wrote urging both the UK government and football regulators to ensure that the arbitration process is to be made public, and admitted in an interview with ITV journalist Chris Conway that she remains ‘committed’ to the deal.

The Latest: Staveley insight

Speaking to Tyne Tees (via The Chronicle), Staveley has now given some insight on the potential issues surrounding the takeover with regards to piracy and human rights, and what the consortium has been told about them by the Premier League. She revealed:

“We’ve been told by the Premier League that those sort of issues are not the reason why this transaction has not proceeded.

“I would like to say, and I can’t speak for PIF, or the Saudi state, I can just put my opinion forward, but I have seen incredible change in Saudi in human rights and particularly on the piracy issues.

“Saudi have said they want to be transparent about piracy.

“They’ve shut down BeoutQ, diplomatic relations have improved with Qatar which is incredibly important.

“There’s always going to be commercial issues in sport, it’s business and we have to find a compromise.”

The Verdict: Transparency key

It is no surprise to see Staveley reference transparency once more in her interview, given that she has called for the upcoming arbitration process to be made public.

This time, she has claimed that the Saudis have said they want to be transparent about their piracy issues, and have duly shut down pirate TV channel BeoutQ and improved their diplomatic relations with Qatar.

The question marks over piracy and human rights do not seem to be too much of a problem for the Premier League when it comes to their potential approval of the takeover, and it all seems to be boiling down to the forthcoming arbitration hearing.

There is no doubt that the results of the proceedings will give a much clearer indication over the direction of where the bid is heading, and Staveley will be hoping that it goes in her favour.

In other news, find out what promising Mike Ashley insight Lee Ryder has dropped on the potential takeover

The Australians rounded out 2009 with their most clinical final day bowling performance of the year to seal a 170 run victory over Pakistan

The Bulletin by Alex Brown30-Dec-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outNathan Hauritz achieved his maiden five-wicket haul•Getty ImagesThe Australians rounded out 2009 with their most clinical final day bowling performance of the year to seal a 170 run victory over Pakistan. Nathan Hauritz, placed on notice by Australia’s selectors prior to the series, claimed his first career five-wicket haul as Pakistan crumbled from 3 for 170 overnight to be all out for 251 shortly after lunch on the final day.Hauritz’s ability to exploit wearing pitches had been called into question of late, not least by Andrew Hilditch, and he proved himself worthy of the challenge on Wednesday. Unable to replicate the biting turn that accounted for Faisal Iqbal the previous day, Hauritz instead utilised flight and bounce to challenge Pakistan’s lower and middle orders and was rewarded with four final-day scalps.Australia began the day in emphatic fashion with Mitchell Johnson removing Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq with consecutive deliveries in his first over. Hauritz then repeated the dose with the back-to-back dismissals of Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Aamer shortly after the first drinks break to extinguish any hope of an improbable Pakistan fightback.Mohammad Yousuf showed admirable determination to post 61, but support for the Pakistan captain was thin on the ground. With wickets falling in clusters, the Australians required only four overs after lunch to seal victory and claim a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three series. The result took their Test record in 2009 to an encouraging seven wins, three defeats and three draws; a substantial improvement on their 5-5-4 record from the previous year.The younger Akmal was the first victim of the final day, pushing at a fast, swinging delivery from Johnson that was claimed millimetres above the MCG turf by a tumbling Brad Haddin. Misbah fell to an identical mode of dismissal, albeit to a straighter ball, leaving the tourists’ hopes of a fightback in tatters less than an over into the day. Kamran Akmal denied Johnson his hat-trick, but almost triggered one for Hauritz when, after an hour of stern resistance, he was stumped attempting a reckless charge to a slower, bouncing delivery. Hauritz then beat Aamer for bounce with his next ball, resulting in a gloved catch to Simon Katich at short leg.Abdur Rauf survived Hauritz’s hat-trick delivery – which featured the rare sight of nine fielders around the bat – but fell soon after to Doug Bollinger. Rounding out a forgettable match, Rauf played onto his stumps to expose the Pakistan tail shortly before lunch. Hauritz completed the rout after the break by removing Yousuf to another bat-pad catch, and Saeed Ajmal to a wild swipe that was accepted by Shane Watson, who was later named Man of the Match.The breakthroughs ensured Johnson and Hauritz a positive end to a 2009 campaign that has proved testing in the extreme. Both bowlers have been subjected to criticism – Johnson for his erratic ways during the Ashes series, Hauritz for his lack of penetration on deteriorating tracks – but have emerged better for the experience. Though not quite back to his wrecking ball ways of South Africa, Johnson is nonetheless a bowler far improved from that which struggled for much of the Ashes series. Hauritz, meanwhile, has continued his steady evolution as an international spinner, as demonstrated by his subtle changes of flight and angle on Wednesday.For Pakistan, there is much to ponder before the Sydney Test. The selection of Rauf over the experienced and versatile Umar Gul was flawed, and the catching at the MCG largely lamentable. The likely return of Danish Kaneria and the possible reintroduction of Younis Khan could prove a significant boost for the tourists, but on the evidence of the past five days, there remains much work to do.If nothing else, Pakistan have at least closed the chapter on the that was 2009. In a year that witnessed the Lahore terrorist attack, and the subsequent stripping of host venue status, the Pakistanis can look ahead to the New Years’ Test with hope for healing and renewal.

Guernsey have become the 34th country to be granted Associate membership of the ICC after their application was unanimously approved during the annual conference in Dubai

Cricinfo staff04-Jul-2008Guernsey have become the 34th country to be granted Associate membership of the ICC after their application was unanimously approved during the annual conference in Dubai.Vanuatu had also applied but they failed to meet the necessary playing requirements as they had not beaten two existing Associates in competition. Mozambique withdrew their application.A further three countries from the Europe region – Bulgaria, Estonia and Turkey – were granted Affiliate status, taking the ICC’s total member count to 104.The decision to promote Guernsey to Associate status comes only three years after they were granted Affiliate membership. One senior ICC member praised their facilities as being among the best of any Associate, with a vibrant club and coaching structure in place.In 2007 Guernsey won the ICC European Under-15 Division 2 Championship beating nine other European Associate and Affiliate members, and finished second and third in the European U-19 Division 2 and U-23 Division 2 respectively.Commenting on the news, Richard Holdsworth, the ICC’s regional development manager, said: “Cricket is a well established sport in Guernsey and it is fitting that after only three years of ICC Affiliate membership that the country has been promoted to an Associate member. The infrastructure on the island has developed well in recent years with good support of local sponsors and government organisations. Their excellent facilities including grass pitches and a new indoor cricket centre will help them to further develop at International level.”

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, journalist Rob Guest has made a claim about Toby Alderweireld after news emerged of his desire to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The Lowdown: Alderweireld tells Spurs he wants out…

As broken by The Athletic, the Belgian defender has let Tottenham know that he wishes to leave this summer and is confident that he can secure an exit from north London. Partly due to their sell-to-buy summer transfer policy, Spurs won’t stand in his way if a suitable offer comes in.

Alasdair Gold also believes that the 32-year-old actually made his feelings known a while ago, with Guest now shedding more light on this development.

The Latest: Guest makes Alderweireld claim…

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, Guest has explained that Spurs may already have plans in place as far as Alderweireld is concerned.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-3/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Due to Tottenham knowing his stance for a while, the reporter believes that chiefs behind the scenes in N17 have had time to sufficiently prepare for this outcome.

He explained: “In terms of Toby Alderweireld, he is believed to have informed the club a while ago that he wants to move on so Spurs will already have plans in place for their summer business.”

The Verdict: Could be crucial…

Spurs’ need to offload players before they can make crucial signings will be a running theme of this transfer window.

Reports indicate that the Lilywhites could hold out for big money before they let Alderweireld go, with The Sun going as far as to say that Tottenham want £25m for him.

While this fee may arguably be a little steep, especially considering his age and diminishing sell-on value, it is still imperative to get as much money as possible for the centre-back as much money amid a projected major summer overhaul.

In other news: Tottenham want ‘absolutely phenomenal’ 6 ft 6 beast, his club are already hunting for replacement…find out more here.