In the end, the result didn’t matter. It was never meant to. What is cricket after all before life? In the sporting sense, it was odd watching the match which was billed as a one-day international, and it’s difficult to say if the players felt the same intensity as they do while turning out in national colours. But they surely knew what was at stake: it wasn’t a trophy or national pride, it was about rebuilding lives, giving hope, it was about standing up and being counted. It turned out to be a mismatch, but over 70,000 people who filled the massive MCG got what they really wanted.The magic moment of the match came after it was over, when Bob Merriman, Cricket Australia’s chairman, strode across to present a cheque for in excess of A$14million to World Vision. It was nearly as much as Cricket Australia’s accumulated losses last year, and it was, by a distance, cricket’s finest stand in many years. All it had taken was 12 days. It demonstrated, if any proof was needed, what good intentions could achieve. It was a game without losers.It would be cynical to wonder if the World XI shouldn’t have helped the Asian XI to score a few more runs and hit a few more sixes, because each run earned US$760 for the cause and each six US$38,000. But that would have turned the match into a charade. It was played as intended: in an honest competitive spirit. There’s nothing, after all, to prevent the sponsors, Toyota and 3 Mobile, from pitching in with a few more thousand dollars if they want to.Cricketers have turned out for charity matches before. Often it is for one of their own, and sometimes to support a larger cause. In 1996, a combined team of Indian and Pakistan players travelled to Colombo to play a solidarity match after a couple of teams had pulled out from their World Cup engagements in Sri Lanka citing security reasons. And the last time an Asian XI squared up against a Rest of the World XI, at Dhaka in 2000, it was for the “promotion of cricket”. Today, the cause overwhelmed all else. Humanity hasn’t known a natural calamity greater than last month’s tsunamis, and it was appropriate that cricket should respond in the best possible way. It was a grand affair for a grand cause.
Sri Lanka’s allrounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi, who was recently involved in a fatal motor accident, has been suspended from all cricket for four months and will miss the forthcoming home series against England.Lokuarachchi, 21, had been returning from a late-night party when he lost control of his car and ploughed into a woman and her adult son in the Colombo suburb of Kadawatha. The mother subsequently died from her injuries in hospital, and Lokuarachchi was arrested and released on bail.The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka suspended Lokuarachchi from all cricket pending an inquiry into the incident, and he has now been found guilty of breaching the board’s disciplinary code by breaking rest during a training period. His formal suspension will end on December 31, after which time his conduct will continue to be strictly monitored for a two-year probationary period.A court case is looming, and if Lokuarachchi is found guilty of reckless driving, he could be fined and banned from driving for up to a year.
Consider this for a statistic: in six previous tours to Australia, SouthAfrica have never won a Test series. In 1952/53 (under Jack Cheetham), in19963/64 (under Trevor Goddard) and in 1993/94 (under Kepler Wessels) SouthAfrican teams returned with a share of the spoils. The other three sides,most recently in 1997/98 under Hansie Cronje, all lost.So should it be any different this summer. Bluntly, the head says no. Evenordinary Australian teams are formidable opponents at home and this is aparticularly good one, well-organised and confident. By contrast, SouthAfrica have included two veteran fast bowlers, one of whom has barely bowleda ball in anger this summer, there are at least four batsmen in the side whoeither have questions to answer or are unproven at this level and SouthAfrica do not possess a spin bowler likely to win matches on Australianpitches.So, should Shaun Pollock’s side bother to get on the plane on Saturday. Theanswer is an unequivocal yes, if for no other reason than this is anopportunity for the current South Africans to make history. For some it willbe a last chance, for others perhaps the only chance.During the 1993/94 tour South Africa played dismally to lose a one-day gamein Hobart. Afterwards a grim-faced Wessels noted that Australia “makes orbreaks players”. The message got home and the team returned with thatamazing win in Sydney and a share of the series. The point, however, remainstrue.Wessels has again been connected with Australia this week when the UnitedCricket Board turned down a request for him to accompany the team as aconsultant. This was probably the right decision, if for no other reasonthan to give Graham Ford and Corrie van Zyl a chance to succeed or fail ontheir terms. Neither knows a great deal about Australia and both prefer to stayin the background, but they will never face a sterner test of their methodsand strategies than on this tour.The one asset they do have is the captain,Pollock. If the three can lift the side when the bad moments come – and theywill – then South Africa will have at least a fighting chance.Briefly, then, these are the question marks against the South Africans: canNeil McKenzie, one of Jaques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar and, to a lesserextent, Justin Ontong survive against an attack more disciplined thananything they have faced before and which includes the world’s best spinbowler? Can Allan Donald produce it once more for his country and, if not,can Steve Elworthy step in the breach? Has Makhaya Ntini got it out of hishead that he is an automatic selection and that he, more than most, needs tocompensate for his lack of variety by putting one ball after another forhour after hour? Can Lance Klusener quell the suspicion that he’d prefer toavoid the new ball if possible?Most importantly, can this South African side find the mental resolve tocope with all that Australia will throw at them over the next two months(and when I say all, I mean everyone – taxi drivers, waitresses, customsofficials, barmen – all of whom will be saying in one way or another: “Wait’till Warnie gets ya”).If the South Africans can find answers to these questions, then this verygood team could be remembered as a great one.
Football is a very popular sport all over the world. As you might imagine, people like to bet on this sport every now and then. This is especially true in the UK. British football fans have deeply rooted affection for this sport.
After all, they invented it. That’s why football betting is widely spread across the UK. Some of the best payout casinos even offer sports betting for UK customers because they know how much it means to them.
You can also say that football betting is part of the tradition. Placing a friendly wager on your favourite team just before the game is about to kick off is considered good luck. With that in mind, if you’re trying football betting for the first time, here’s a beginner guide that can help you out.
Choose the right sportsbook
Whether it’s a land-based or an online bookmaker, you have to choose the right one. Normally, sportsbooks have many different sports, betting types and odds available to you. What you want to do is look for a sportsbook that specialises in football.
What that means is that these types of sportsbooks have a plethora of football leagues, specialised offers and welcome bonuses for football bets and, of course, custom bets and odds for football only. This will give you more options and more flexibility, which will make your first experience that much better.
Go for beginner-friendly bets
As you may already know by now, there are many types of bets, especially when it comes to football. Some betting types are quite complex and difficult to master. You should focus on the beginner-friendly ones instead. Such bets include winning bets, over under and spread point bets, for instance.
As an example, you may bet on Liverpool losing the next match because one of their players suffered an injury. Winning bets are simple win or lose scenarios, there’s nothing complex about it and you make your estimation based on the information you have at the moment.
Look for preferred payment method
Many online bookmakers and casinos, such as CasinoWings have multiple payment options available but not all of them. If you have something specific in mind that will allow you to make transactions with lower or no fees whatsoever.
That said, you may have to look for a sportsbook that supports your preferred payment method. This may take a while because you have to match other criteria as well but you will find it eventually. After all, you’re looking for a full experience that’s seamless, not just part of it.
Closing Words
Football betting in the UK is very popular. However, betting itself can be quite difficult to master. That’s why it’s important to take it easy and learn as you go.
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Match abandoned Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe rain left the outfield too wet for play at McLean Park•AFP
The second ODI, in Napier, was abandoned without a ball being bowled, after heavy rain persisted until mid afternoon, and left the ground too sodden for play to begin. The skies had begun to clear well ahead of the game’s cut-off time of 7:19 pm, but with the outfield having received more than 24 hours of persistent rain, umpires Billy Bowden and Bruce Oxenford decided not to risk player safety.The game was called off just before 6:30pm. At that time, portions of the field still appeared waterlogged despite hours of drying withsuper soppers. Pakistan can now only draw the series at best, as the action moves to Auckland, for the final match of the tour, on Sunday.
AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher struck belligerent hundreds to lead the South Africans to a convincing 176-run win over Pakistan Cricket Board XI in a warm-up match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah Stadium in Lahore.Boucher, opening the batting in place of the rested Graeme Smith, and de Villiers came together at 36 for 2 and added 165 runs for the third wicket to propel South Africa to a massive total. Boucher hit 14 boundaries and a six in his 106-ball innings while de Villiers was more aggressive, remaining not out on 113 off 95 balls.Earlier, Abdur Rauf began to justify captain Taufeeq Umar’s decision to field by removing Herschelle Gibbs and Jean-Paul Duminy early. But Shaun Pollock, playing his first game of the tour, made a mess of Rauf’s figures. He smashed sixes off the last four deliveries of the innings and finished not out on 33 off 11 balls.The PCB XI were never in the hunt, losing wickets at regular intervals before being bowled out for 152. Albie Morkel and Charl Langeveldt were the main beneficiaries of a poor batting display, claiming three wickets apiece. The only resistance came from Mansoor Amjad, who top-scored with 42, and Ahmed Shehzad, the 15-year old opener, who hit Pollock for two sixes on his way to 35″It is nice to get hundred in the warm-up match but the real match, the one-day international, is coming up and I look forward to that,” said de Villiers, ahead the first of five ODIs starting on October 18.
Victoria have been boosted by the inclusion of Brad Hodge and Mick Lewis in their 12-man squad for the Ford Ranger Cup match against New South Wales at the MCG on Wednesday. But the Bushrangers will be without Shane Harwood, who is expected to miss two to three weeks with a calf injury.Hodge has recovered from a quadriceps strain and Lewis from a hip muscle injury. Both found form immediately upon their return in the Pura Cup game that finished on Monday, with Lewis claiming eight wickets and Hodge scoring 88. Grant Lindsay has been omitted from the one-day team.New South Wales have named Matthew Nicholson and Aaron O’Brien in their squad, while Jason Krejza and Aaron Bird, who has been reported for a suspect bowling action, have been left out.Victoria pulled off a remarkable win when the two sides met at Canberra last Sunday, thanks to centuries from Cameron White and Michael Klinger. Both sides have three wins this season and victory on Wednesday will put one state a step closer to catching competition leaders Queensland.Victoria squad Michael Klinger, Jon Moss, Brad Hodge, Cameron White (capt), David Hussey, Aiden Blizzard, Rob Quiney, Andrew McDonald, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Clinton McKay, Mick Lewis, Darren Pattinson.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Ed Cowan, Simon Katich (capt), Brad Haddin (wk), Daniel Christian, Dominic Thornely, Aaron O’Brien, David Warner, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Nicholson, Nathan Bracken, Scott Coyte.
Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria ripped England apart with two stunning spells on the final afternoon as Pakistan surged to an outstanding innings and 100-run victory sealing a 2-0 series win. Pakistan claimed eight wickets in 69 balls after lunch, producing one of the more stunning demolitions of a batting line-up witnessed in recent times. Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood had seemingly given England hope of a draw but Pakistan have played some special cricket in this series and saved their best until the final day.It was a breathless display of pace and spin from Pakistan’s two world-class bowlers; a combination that, if they remain fit, can carry them forward to a period of sustained success. The key moment came in the first over after lunch when Kaneria switched his line of attack back to over the wicket. During the morning session he had been too quick to bowl around the wicket, which negated some of his potency, but whatever the discussions had been during the interval they produced rewards beyond Pakistan’s wildest dreams.Kaneria started with the perfect leg-break to Collingwood which was comfortably held by Hasan Raza, who also held a stinging chance off Kevin Pietersen which really set the ball rolling for Pakistan. Kaneria then opened up his box of tricks – his variations have been a constant threat to England throughout the series – and Andrew Flintoff was comprehensively beaten first ball. He has such control over his googly that it invariably pitches in just the spot that makes the batsman uncertain and Flintoff was drawn in hook, line and sinker. On another day Kaneria could have had a hat-trick as he struck Geraint Jones in front with another wicked googly. Darrell Hair said no but it was the briefest of respites.When a batting line-up is wobbling Shoaib does not need a second invitation to crash through the defences. He may be the fastest bowler in the world but it has been the slower ball that has left the batsmen flummoxed. It takes something special to dislodge a batsman who is well set on 92 and Shoaib’s slower delivery to Bell ranks up there with the deliveries of the series. His variation in pace is as significant as Kaneria’s spin, leaving the batsmen guessing at what as coming next.From 205 for 2, England had crashed to 212 for 6 and Pakistan were carrying all before them. In situations like this decisions sometimes go with the fielding side and Geraint Jones can count himself unlucky when he was sent packing despite a huge inside edge on to his pad. But that was justice for Pakistan who had been denied two very close lbw appeals in the first session when Bell and Collingwood both survived.
Once the middle order had been blown away the tail had no chance of resisting the fury of Shoaib and guile of Kaneria. Shaun Udal received a vicious blow on his left hand from the first ball he received and continued to take a peppering. Liam Plunkett’s harsh education in Test cricket continued, handing Shoaib his 12th five-wicket haul in 39 Tests before Inzamam relieved his spearhead of the destruction duty.A breathtaking afternoon was completed with exceptional efficiency when Udal and Matthew Hoggard fell in two balls. The end came so quickly that the new ball, set up to be the deciding factor as to whether Pakistan would force the win, wasn’t even required. It was a performance that would have done Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – two masters of the batting collapse – proud and the final wicket, Hoggard bamboozled by another googly, was a fitting end. It summed up the major difference between the two teams in this contest – the ability to produce something special at any moment.The rapid end of the match made the wicketless morning session seem a lifetime ago. Bell became England’s leading run-scorer in the series – not bad for a player who wasn’t going to take part in the first Test – and Collingwood showed his increasing confidence at this level. But those two innings, while handing England crumbs of comfort amid the wreckage of their collapse, fade into insignificance after what followed. When the end came it was dramatic, clinical and memorable.How they were outEnglandMarcus Trescothick lbw b Shoaib 0 (0 for 1) Michael Vaughan c and b Shoaib 13 (30 for 2) Paul Collingwood c Raza b Kaneria 80 (205 for 4) Kevin Pietersen c Rana b Kaneria 1 (212 for 4) Andrew Flintoff b Kaneria 0 (212 for 5) Ian Bell lbw b Shoaib 92 (212 for 6) Geriant Jones lbw b Shoaib 5 (227 for 7) Liam Plunkett lbw b Shoaib 0 (227 for 8) Shaun Udal c Butt b Sami 25 (248 for 9) Matthew Hoggard b Kaneria 0 (248 all out)
Scorecard Joginder Sharma tore the Vidarbha batting line-up apart and his six-wicket haul, and 14 in the match, helped Haryana triumph by 41 runs at Nagpur and post their third win of the season. Vidarbha were within striking range of the 328 needed for victory with Faiz Fazal, the opener, anchoring the chase with a fighting half-century. But Fazal’s wicket, at 176 for 5, pegged them back and Joginder seized the moment immediately. He snapped up four of the next five wickets to fall and Harshal Shitoot’s fighting 53 and baburao Yadav’s breezy 33 wasn’t enough to reach the target. Joginder finished with 6 for 92. Scorecard Rajiv Kumar weathered the storm and steered Jharkhand to 137 on the final day at Jamshedpur. Rajiv helped Jharkhand recover from a perilous 24 for 3 with help from Nikhilesh Ranjan and Sunil Kumar. Rajiv was unbeaten on 61, off 142 balls, when the target was reached. With this win, Jharkhand moved to second place in Group A while Orissa’s semi-final ambitions suffered a setback. Scorecard Vineet Saxena made 105 as the game between Goa and Rajasthan finished in a draw. Goa’s only chance lay in forcing an outright victory but Rajasthan thwarted their bid, making 214 for 5, and collected two points by virtue of the first-innings lead. Saxena, who cracked seven fours and a six, received good support from Dishant Yagnik (55) and the two shared a 137-run stand. Four quick wickets fell in the end of the day, including three to run-outs, but Rajasthan held on to get the better of the stalemate and moved to fourth place in Group B. Scorecard Arun Sharma spun Services to a comfortable ten-wicket win over Tripura at Agartala. Sharma, the left-arm spinner, finished with 11 wickets in the match, five of those came in the second innings, as Services leapfrogged to the second spot in Group B. Resuming on 65 for 1 Tripura lost wickets to Sharma and Yashpal Singh (3 for 26) with only Rajashekhar Shanbal, the import from Karnataka, managing a half-century. The Services openers then knocked off the 12 required for victory in just one over. ScorecardJammu & Kashmir collapsed for just 158 in their second innings as Himachal Pradesh romped to a massive victory at Dharamasala. After crumbling for 93 in the first innings, J&K were given a solid start by their openers, with a 58-run partnership, the second time around. But once they were separated, wickets tumbled at regular intervals and only Manzoor Dar’s defiant 43 delayed the inevitable. Vishal Bhatia, the left-arm spinner, snapped up four of the wickets as Himachal cruised into the semi-finals with three rounds still to go. ScorecardKerala suffered a humiliating innings-and-29-run defeat after being bowled out for 114 in their second innings at Palghat. Having collapsed for 117 on the first day, Kerala conceded a 143-run lead as all the Saurashtra batsmen chipped in with valuable contributions. S Jobanputra’s breezy 44 was one of the highlights before he accounted for both the Kerala openers with the ball. His partner with the new ball, S Maniar, finished with 4 for 33 as Kerala were shot out in 41.5 overs.
Hampshire Hawks moved into the third promotion spot in the National League Division Two when they comfortably defeated top of the table Northamptonshire Steelbacks at The Rose Bowl in a day/night encounter on Monday.Man of the Match Derek Kenway set the tone with a well struck 78, holding the innings together on the slowish wicket. He and James Hamblin gave the innings some structure after Simon Katich was lbw to Michael Cawdron. Together they compiled 82 runs, and although losing a steady stream of wickets the home side posted a useful 216 for 8 in their 45 overs. Their cause was greatly assisted by 16 wides and four no-balls added to the tally, one of the no-balls was given when only five fielders were in the circle when a ball was bowled.Dimitri Mascarenhas and Chris Tremlett left the Steelbacks reeling as the first three wickets fell for 19 runs. David Sales was the only Northamptonshire batsman to come to terms with the accurate Hawks attack being last man out, as the visitors failed to catch up the asking rate following their poor start.Mascarenhas the countries leading wicket taker in National league this season bowled his 9 overs together finishing with 4 wickets for 22 runs, his third four wicket haul of the season. Shaun Udal also chipped in with 4 wickets to send the 6,000 crowd home happy.