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Cricinfo previews the ICL match between Hyderabad Heroes and Mumbai Champs on November 6

Cricinfo staff06-Nov-2008Match factsNov 7, 2008
Start time 7.30pm (1400 GMT)
Nazimuddin will look to add the two Man-of-the-Match awards he has picked up in the tournament © ICL
The Big PictureInstead of Hyderabad, the ICL teams will now return to Ahmedabad – which will host the best-of-three finals. The last leg begins with a meeting between the two overseas teams. Dhaka Warriors are buoyant after shrugging off a slow start to the tournament with three consecutive wins against Mumbai Champs, Chandigarh Lions and Ahmedabad Rockets. Two points in their final game of the league phase will assure them a spot in the last four.Lahore Badshahs have been erratic through the tournament, with three wins and three losses. Though there is an extra game in hand, they would not want to leave matters till the end, especially with their final game against table-toppers Chennai Superstars. Mohammad Yousuf’s entry will be a boost in their push to secure a semi-final spot.Where they rankDhaka, currently fourth with eight points, would look to rise further up with maximum points from this game. A win would seal a semis spot, but a loss would just make it a little nervy. Lahore if they win, will be level on points with Dhaka and with another game against already-qualified Chennai to follow, would fancy their chances to go ahead, on points, and not leave it down to net run-rate. Lahore, in sixth position with six points, will have it all to do and wins in their two remaining games are a must if they are to keep afloat in the tournament.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Dhaka: WWWLW
Lahore: WLWWLStatsLahore’s Imran Nazir holds the record for the maximum number of sixes in an innings – nine against Mumbai. Alok Kapali, has not only registered the first hundred in ICL history, against Hyderabad, but also holds the record for the most number of sixes (17) in the tournament.Khalid Mahmoood, Lahore’s wicketkeeper, shares the top spot with Bengal’s Deep Dasgupta and Delhi’s Paul Nixon for the most number of dismissals. His eight dismissals include six catches and two stumpings.Players to watchWhile Alok Kapali has been hogging the limelight for Dhaka, Nazimuddin has quietly picked up two Man-of-the-Match awards. His 29-ball 54 against Delhi and 48 off the same number of balls against Ahmedabad bears witness the annihilation he is capable of at the top of the innings.Lahore’s leading run-scorer Imran Nazir has been a revelation in the tournament with an average of 41.50 backed by an impressive strike rate of 144.34. He was merciless against Mumbai when he smashed an unbeaten 83 of 38 balls, and Inzamam will look for a similar start from the opener in the next two pressure games.Quotes”There is no room for complacency and we are not thinking of giving any team a leeway.”

According to The Guardian journalist Will Unwin, Glasgow Rangers’ Jordan Jones is closing in on a loan move to Wigan Athletic.

The Lowdown: Jones has little immediate Gers future

Jones spent the second half of last season on loan at Sunderland after controversially receiving a seven-game ban for breaking lockdown rules while still at Rangers (BBC).

As such, it feels as though he has little immediate future at the club, and it appears he could be soon on his way out of the door – at least on a temporary basis.

The Latest: Wigan close in on Jones

According to Unwin, the Latics are closing in on a move for Jones.

The reporter says the move will be a loan deal, though there are no details on who will pay the majority of his wages.

The Verdict: Makes sense

This is a move that makes sense – the Northern Ireland international just does not seem to have a future at Ibrox after last season’s lockdown blip.

He did relatively well during his time with the Black Cats last time out, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 21 matches (Transfermarkt) – he has created 29 goals throughout his career. Kevin Phillips even called one of his goals for the club “unbelievable” (Football FanCast) – high praise indeed.

With Jones having made just 19 appearances in all competitions at Rangers, it is a little surprising that they have not decided to sell him. However, a good campaign with Wigan in the English third tier may put him in the shop window a little more, perhaps boosting the eventual fee they can receive for his services.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this journalist’s tweet.

Everton haven’t been too active in the transfer window this summer but their hopes of securing a big-name signing have been quashed.

The Toffees had been interested in strengthening their attacking ranks with a genuine Premier League star.

What’s the word?

Rafa Benitez and co had been attracted by the idea of luring Manchester United attacker, Anthony Martial, to Goodison Park before the window closed.

It looked as though the Red Devils were willing to him go in order to reduce their wage bill but in a devastating blow for Everton, he is set to stay put.

That’s according to the ever-reliable Alan Myers. He took to Twitter early this week to reveal the following news:

“Anthony Martial will be staying at Man Utd this summer despite links to Inter Milan.”

Although he didn’t mention Everton’s interest, various reports have linked the Frenchman with a move to Merseyside.

Gutting blow

With Everton stagnating in their bid to improve the first team this summer, this will come as a gutting blow to supporters who were hoping for a marquee signing.

Martial hasn’t been one of the first names on the team sheet for Man United but he is an incredibly dangerous player and somebody who could have taken Benitez’s attack to the next level.

Signed for £36m all the way back in 2015, the forward has long been tipped for stardom without ever realising his frightening potential.

That being said, there have been instances when he’s taken the Premier League by storm, being described as “unstoppable” by Stephen Elliott after a first-class goal against Fulham in 2019.

Martial’s record in front of goal isn’t the most jaw-dropping but he has found the net on 78 occasions in United colours. Furthermore, he has recorded 50 assists, showing he knows how to be creative.

Everton have already signed two wingers in the shape of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend but neither will be good enough to start on a regular basis.

Townsend only scored once in the Premier League last term while Gray ended the Bundesliga campaign at Bayer Leverkusen with just one strike to his name as well.

On that evidence, they could have sealed an instant upgrade in the Man United speedster. Instead, supporters will have to settle for more mediocrity; they have every right to be disappointed.

AND in other news, Benitez could discover his new Xabi Alonso if Everton sign “complete” £35m titan…

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge told Football FanCast that Gareth Bale won’t be returning to Tottenham for a third time because Carlo Ancelotti wants to keep him.

Bale was re-signed by Jose Mourinho for a sensational second spell in north London last September.

And whilst the 32-year-old hardly featured during his opening five months back at the club, he ended with an impressive return of 16 goals and three assists in just 19 starts across all competitions.

Bale had an up and down relationship with Mourinho, but following his departure in April, ended up becoming a regular under Ryan Mason.

However, the reason for Bale’s exit last summer was because his well-publicised relationship with Zinedine Zidane had fallen apart.

But the Frenchman has since left and been replaced by Ancelotti, who bought the winger to the Spanish capital back in 2013, and then won the Champions League with him in their first season together.

Asked whether Spurs could pursue another loan deal for the Welshman, Bridge told Football FanCast:

“One thing I have heard is that Ancelotti wants to keep him, so I don’t know whether has changed there. Let’s face it, Real Madrid don’t have the Galacticos like they used to.

“They’ve just lost Ramos, Varane has gone to Manchester United. Ancelotti is probably thinking, I’ve seen first-hand that there’s still a lot left in the tank for Gareth.”

The absence of key players could herald a new era for New South Wales, with promising young talent banked upon to continue the success from last year

Cricinfo staff20-Sep-2008
Simon Katich: “Having had some success last year and in the previous few years, the boys know what’s expected” © Getty Images
The absence of key players could herald a new era for New South Wales, who will bank upon young talent to continue the success from the 2007-08 season, when they won the Pura Cup. Simon Katich, the team captain, feels the line-up is settled even without him, Brad Haddin and Doug Bollinger, all of whom will be touring India with the national side in October-November.”We expect Mark Cameron and Nathan Bracken to open the attack and, with Doug Bollinger away, someone else will try to take that other bowling opportunity,” Katich told the . “Our attack will be fine, as will our batting.”Last year Phil Hughes did extremely well, Peter Forrest had a good season, and guys like Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith and Moises Henriques got opportunities. Greg Mail and Ed Cowan will also push for spots. There’s going to be good rivalry and batsmen who make runs early will be in the best position.”Katich said the winning experience in last year’s Pura Cup, now the Sheffield Shield, will help the up-and-coming players. “They’ve got some experience under their belts, have spent time in the squad, and I think it will be time for them to push on and show what they can do,” he said. “There’s no doubt they’ve got the ability, it’s just about having that belief that they can do it at the next level.”David Gilbert, the Cricket New South Wales chief executive, was thrilled with the advent of younger players, especially Hughes and Forrest, both of whom are in India with the Australia A squad. “It’s probably one of our most exciting eras of young guys coming through since the 1980s, when the Waugh brothers [Steve and Mark] and Mark Taylor emerged,” Gilbert said. “Phil Hughes is proof of that. At this time last year, he was still finishing school commitments – and here he is on an Australia A trip.”Hughes earned his place in the Australia A side after only nine first-class games. He got a rookie deal with New South Wales last year after he scored 387 runs at 96.75 for Australia Under-19s in five matches against Pakistan Under-19s and followed it up with a good showing in the Emerging Players Tournament. In seven first-class matches for New South Wales last season, Hughes scored 559 runs at 62.11 and, at 19, became the youngest centurion in a Sheffield Shield final.”The [Australia A] selection was also good news for Peter Forrest,” Gilbert said. “He did good things for about two years and fell away a bit late last season. But at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane he’s done very well lately. So I guess his selection was based on what he achieved over the winter up there. He’s a very determined bloke.”We’re probably not going to see much of Simon Katich and Doug Bollinger this year and that’s where it will be interesting to see how the likes of Hughes, Forrest, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Moises Henriques and others go. With the 2009 Ashes tour on the horizon the performances of many of these players will be closely monitored by the national selectors.”

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate made his debut for the Reds on Tuesday in a pre-season friendly against German side VFB Stuttgart in Austria.

Philipp Förster gave Stuttgart a shock lead on the day after just six minutes, as he finished off a well-worked move. Sadio Mane equalised for Jurgen Klopp’s side just 15 minutes later though, as the 30-minute game finished 1-1.

Konate played his part in the game, as he started in the heart of the Liverpool defence, alongside youngster Rhys Williams.

The 22-year-old signed for the club during the summer transfer window from German outfit RB Leipzig, reportedly seeing his £36,000 per-week wages doubled with the Reds, so he’ll be keen to make a positive impact with the Premier League side at the earliest of opportunities.

Konate took to Twitter following his debut, and was clearly delighted to have featured for his new team in pre-season.

Plenty of Liverpool supporters also took to social media to issue their verdicts on Konate’s recent display in their draw against VFB Stuttgart.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

“In my 50 years of watching Liverpool reds I have never seen a better player than you.”

Credit: @thre3d

“You look like a great player.”

Credit: @JAMESFF9

“Great debut Ibou. Look forward to watching you play more and of course alongside Big Virg.”

Credit: @bradharvey_

“World best defender already.”

Credit: @KopMan_

“Well done Ibou, very solid game today. Only going to get better.”

Credit: @15hotthesheriff

“Great recovery speed! Exactly the kind of defender we need!”

Credit: @RKO4ALL

“Gonna be a monster at the back.”

Credit: @ChopChops3

“Faster than Usain Bolt.”

Credit: @LFC_AdamV2

Football FanCast’s EFL Spy has exclusively said that signing Eddie Nketiah could fire Queens Park Rangers into the top-six.

An outstanding end to 2020-2021 saw Mark Warburton’s side finish ninth, just nine points behind the play-off places.

However, Rangers badly struggled for goals throughout the campaign, with only Lyndon Dykes reaching double figures in all competitions.

Such were QPR’s goalscoring problems, Charlie Austin’s eight goals from January onwards made him their second top goal-getter.

With that in mind, Nketiah, who’s scored goals in the Premier League and with Leeds in the Championship previously, could add some much-needed firepower to the Rangers frontline.

The 22-year-old made 29 first-team appearances for Arsenal last season, although most of his game-time came in the cup competitions and the Europa League, meaning the youngster would surely benefit from another campaign out on loan in the second-tier.

Nketiah scored three times in 17 Championship appearances on loan at Leeds at the beginning of the 2019-2020 season.

The EFL insider believes a spell in the Championship could benefit him, telling FFC:

“Quality is needed for QPR to push for the playoffs this season, and with a few quid in the bank now you might see them go and get some quality from the Premier League.

“Someone like Arsenal young gun Eddie Nketiah, he could make a serious impact at QPR.”

Kyle Mills and Mark Gillespie held their nerve to seal New Zealand a thrilling and incredible one-wicket victory at The Oval. After Luke Wright produced a nerveless final over to match his effort in Napier, it came down to two needed off one ball

Jamie Alter at The Oval25-Jun-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outThe Oval flashpoint: Ryan Sidebottom collides with Grant Elliott, who was given out despite being injured during the incident•AFPOn a day that ebbed and flowed dramatically, New Zealand held their nerve to squeeze a tense one-wicket win at The Oval, to sneak a 2-1 lead going into the weekend’s series decider at Lord’s. Like England earlier in the day, New Zealand stumbled twice either side of a brisk middle-order partnership between two men searching for form, and despite a controversial moment sure to occupy the airwaves and columns for days to come, chased down 246 from the last ball of the game.Scott Styris hit 69, Jacob Oram marked his first game of the series with a crucial 38, and Kyle Mills defied the odds to remain unbeaten on 25, which all added up to a hair-raising, pulsating chase of a target that had been set up by sparkling (but unfulfilled) fifties from Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah.In easily the tightest contest of the summer, England were struggling to stay in the contest with New Zealand well placed on 173 for 4 in the 35th over, but hit back to dismiss Styris (brilliantly run out by Graeme Swann and Paul Collingwood), Oram (pulling to the deep) and Daniel Vettori (excellently held by Bopara at midwicket) in the space of 24 balls and for 16 runs – turning The Oval into a cauldron.A fourth followed in the most controversial manner. With 26 needed from 39 balls, Mills called Grant Elliott for a sharp single. As Elliott bolted out of the blocks he collided with Sidebottom, rugby style, and fell flat to the ground. Ian Bell threw the ball to Kevin Pietersen, who broke the stumps, but England did not withdraw their appeal despite the umpire, Mark Benson, offering Collingwood the chance to think again. A peeved Elliott hobbled off for 24.With 12 needed from 21, Bell knocked down the stumps with Tim Southee short of his crease. Mark Gillespie then survived a tantalizingly tense maiden 47th over from Swann, and no runs had been scored for nine deliveries when Mills, who had been sizing up the midwicket boundary, swatted Collingwood off the middle for a 106-metre six, to transform the equation from 12 from 10 to six from nine.Manic singles followed, and it came down to three from six balls. Mills pinched a single, but the next five deliveries seemed to take an eternity as Luke Wright ploughed a channel outside off and Gillespie fished and missed repeatedly. Then, on the last ball, he pushed the ball to Swann at cover and set off for the single that would have secured the tie. Swann’s shy, however, missed the stumps and with England’s fielders all converging on the stumps, New Zealand’s sprinted through for a delirious winning over-throw. England’s final blemish in the field proved decisive.New Zealand should have been in deep trouble long before that moment, after Ryan Sidebottom had nipped out Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, but a spate of nerves from the home side allowed Styris to rack up some long overdue form. James Anderson should have had him on 0 but Shah at second slip spilled a regulation catch in front of his face. Sidebottom’s figures of 5-0-15-2 were tarnished with a 13-run sixth over and nine in the seventh as Styris cashed in on his fortune.Styris kept flashing and was given two more lives, on 27 and 28, first off Stuart Broad when he slashed hard and Collingwood failed to latch on at backward point, and then when Broad himself dropped a return catch. Styris’ best shot, a front-foot drive through extra cover, brought him his first ODI half-century since December 2007.Like the Styris-Oram partnership, a solid fifth-wicket stand between Bopara and Shah formed the crux of England’s ultimately inadequate effort. New Zealand snapped a 41-run stand between a nervous Luke Wright (18) and Bell (46) and when Collingwood followed Pietersen’s 0 with a loose shot of his own, the heat was on two men pushing for long-term spots.Bopara – watchful and solid – and Shah – shuffling and hustling – applied themselves well for most of the 15.2 overs they shared. Shah started with a cross-batted six over midwicket off Southee, and played a more conventional six over extra cover off Vettori, but more importantly was always looking for quick singles, and urging Bopara to look out for the second.A player with a lot of time to execute his shots, Bopara – after flops the first two matches and a start at Bristol – looked composed during his 78-ball innings. His 58 was a career-best knock, but only a tantalising glimpse of the sublime form he’s been showing for Essex in county cricket this summer. He threw it away soon after passing fifty for the second time, playing a languid, frustratingly indifferent drive to Oram at mid-on.Shah played some stunning shots, including three powerful fours in one Gillespie over as he moved past fifty from 63 balls, but was run out needlessly going for a second run on 63, amid a lower-order collapse. England’s last pair lifted the total to 245 but overall it was a disappointing effort from a team that has lost steam with each match of the series.New Zealand backed themselves to chase when they opted to field after winning the toss, and though it wasn’t easy by any means, they go to Lord’s with the momentum – and a little sympathy – firmly their way.

Having only made the move to Fulham at the beginning of the month, new manager Marco Silva is already facing a battle to plug a significant and newly-emerged gap at Craven Cottage after the club lost the services of a key member of their first team recruitment setup.

James Ellis had been a senior scout at Fulham since his arrival at the club back in 2015, helping the Cottagers to recruit players both domestically and from the continent, often to great effect.

However, as an unfortunate result of this aforementioned success, the club will now no longer be able to rely on the eagle eyes of Ellis. The Leicester-based talent spotter has just secured a move to Premier League side Arsenal, where he will be responsible for the assessment and recommendation of UK-based players.

Silva will be gutted

While Silva may not have directly benefited from the work Ellis put into Fulham during his six years at the club, the exit of the scout feels like a significant blow to the Cottagers’ recruitment team, with his departure potentially leaving the newly-installed manager gutted to have lost a reliable backroom presence so early in his tenure.

Indeed, Ellis had played a key role in a number of Fulham’s most impressive signings of the past few years, with players such as Tom Cairney, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Alphonse Areola, Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson all being targets who would have been run through him prior to a decision being made regarding a move in the transfer market.

With some of these players now having cult level status at Craven Cottage (Cairney and Mitrovic), while others are being touted for significant transfer fees this summer (Adarabioyo and Robinson), it would indeed appear that Ellis got many decisions right during his time in west London.

As such, with his departure leaving a considerable gap in the backroom team at Fulham, Silva – as well as Shahid and Tony Kahn – will need to act quickly to replace Ellis this summer in order to minimise disruption to the Cottagers’ transfer plans ahead of the club’s upcoming Championship campaign.

In other news: Fulham dealt transfer blow over “exceptional” £41k-p/w machine, Silva surely furious

Sydney viewers are guaranteed live coverage of the opening VB Seriesone-day international between Australia and England from the SydneyCricket Ground this Friday, December 13 after the match was officiallydeclared a sellout today.

Nine Network11-Dec-2002Sydney viewers are guaranteed live coverage of the opening VB Seriesone-day international between Australia and England from the SydneyCricket Ground this Friday, December 13 after the match was officiallydeclared a sellout today.The Nine Network has been given the green light to broadcast the matchlive into the Sydney market by the Australian Cricket Board with abumper crowd now expected at the SCG.Wide World of Sports will screen the entire match – the first sessionfrom 2.00pm to 6.00pm and the second session from 7.00pm to 10.30pm.The clash will kick off the VB Series of one-day matches involvingAustralia, England and Sri Lanka.