ScorecardNetherlands made short work chasing 178 as they cantered to an eight-wicket victory over Bermuda at Potchefstroom. Ryan ten Doeschate and Bas Zuiderent both scored half centuries as Netherlands recovered from the early loss of Tom de Grooth to win with 12.1 overs to spare.Earlier veteran medium-pacer Tim de Leede’s 3 for 26 helped to dismiss Bermuda for 177, with only Saleem Makuddem and David Hemp occupying the crease for any length of team. Bermuda could only bat for 46 overs and their total never looked likely to be enough.ten Doeschate continued the fine run of form that brought him two hundreds in the ICC Intercontinental cup game between the same teams last week. But while Bermuda’s batting had shown significant signs of improvement in that game as they posted 620, here they could not deal with the extra quality of the Dutch attack. Much rested on the shoulders of Hemp and once he had gone the slump was inevitable, despite Mukuddem’s best efforts.The Netherlands have won both their games at the half-way point of the competition, while Bermuda have yet to get off the mark.
ScorecardJunior Murray and Rawl Lewis stuck it out for Windward Islands and denied Jamaica victory in a tense draw at the Alpart Sports Club. Needing 249 to win, Windwards crumbled to 88 for 6 before Murray and Lewis put on an invaluable 35-run stand that frustrated the Jamaican bowlers who had stuck to their task superbly.Romel Currency and Craig Emmanuel got Windwards off to a decent start but after David Bernard trapped Emmanuel leg before for 16, wickets began to tumble. Nikita Miller took 3 for 28 off 20 overs, while Bernard struck some crucial blows and finished with 3 for 16 off 12 overs.However, at 88 for 6, Lewis and Murray stemmed the rot by batting resolutely. Murray occupied the crease for 100 minutes for his 32 while Lewis played out 66 balls for his 25. Their partnership used up valuable overs and by the time they were dismissed (131 for 8) Deighton Butler (two not out) and Shane Shillingford (8 not out) were left with few overs to negotiate until the light was offered.Earlier, Jamaica had declared after they pressed on from their overnight score of 110 for 3 to 188 for 7. Shawn Findlay, who was 31 overnight, went on to make 70 but none of the other batsmen made a substantial contribution.
Scott Brant, one of Essex’s overseas players since 2003, has decided to leave the club after discussions with his family.Brant, 21, was born in Zimbabwe, but he has now settled in Queensland, Australia. He took 49 first-class wickets in his two summers at Essex with his left-arm fast-medium. “I have had two fantastic summers in England so far,” he said in a statement, “but feel that if I was to play county cricket next year, it would only be for part of the season. I fully understand Essex require a player who can commit for the whole season and would like to thank them for the understanding they have shown in this matter.”David East, Essex’s chief executive, said: “We thank Scott for his contributions over the last two years, and wish him well for the future.”
All Today’s Yesterdays – October 26 down the yearsOctober 25 | October 271965 Few people have had as bad a start to their Test career as Ken Rutherford, who was born today. Rutherford was 19 when he was thrown in at the deep end in the Caribbean in 1984-85, and made only 12 runs in seven innings (and was run out without facing a ball to bag a pair on debut). He was out five times to Malcolm Marshall, who did to him what Curtly Ambrose would do to Graeme Hick six years later. But Rutherford eventually came of age, and at his best was an impressively assertive performer (he cracked 317 in four hours against Brian Close’s XI in 1986), undeniably better than an average of 27 suggests. He would surely have improved on that had his Test career not ended in 1995 when, aged only 29, he lost the captaincy and his place.1987 In a winner-takes-all showdown at Jaipur, England grabbed their second victory over West Indies in their World Cup group in a thrilling match that virtually clinched their semi-final place. Graham Gooch hit a controlled 92 before John Emburey and Phil DeFreitas helped add 83 off the last 10 overs to set West Indies a target of 270. Viv Richards raced to fifty at a run a ball, including three sixes, but the tide turned when he was bowled by Eddie Hemmings. After that the lower order fell away to DeFreitas (3 for 28) and England won by 34 runs, 22 of which came from West Indian wides.1890 Birth of perhaps the only Test player to be taken prisoner during the First World War. Harry Lee was erroneously reported dead after being captured by the Germans, though he did suffer a badly broken thigh, as a result of which he was told he would never play cricket again. This proved incorrect, although he was left with a permanent limp. Despite this Lee went on to make over 20,000 runs and take more than 400 wickets for Middlesex. His one Test came in South Africa in 1930-31, when he was called up after a series of injuries hit Percy Chapman’s team. He died in London in 1981.1952 Pakistan’s maiden Test victory. In only their second match, played on jute matting at Lucknow, they thrashed India by an innings and 43 runs. That master craftsman Fazal Mahmood was the star man, taking 5 for 52 and 7 for 42 (his best figures in Tests) as India were blown away for 106 and 182. Nazar Mohammad anchored Pakistan’s 331 with a painstaking unbeaten 124, carrying his bat after 515 minutes at the crease. He became the first man to be on the field throughout an entire Test match.1998 A historic day for Australia at Karachi. They drew the third Test to clinch their first series victory in Pakistan for 39 years. An outstanding performance from Glenn McGrath (5 for 66) gave them a first-innings lead of 28, and from there they were happy to bat Pakistan out of the match and the series. Justin Langer took almost four hours to make 51, and in all Australia’s 390 took 142.3 overs. There was only one winner after that. As the match petered out, there was another hundred for Ijaz Ahmed, half of whose 12 Test tons came against the Aussies.1961 England grabbed their first win in Pakistan at the first attempt with a five-wicket win at Lahore. Despite 139 from Ken Barrington and 99 from MJK Smith, England trailed by seven on first innings, but they whipped Pakistan out for 200 in their second knock and the captain Ted Dexter (66 not out) took them home comfortably. It was a bit of a false dawn though – England failed to win any of their next 19 Tests in Pakistan (17 of which were drawn) before Graham Thorpe’s Chinese cut off Saqlain Mushtaq sealed a famous victory in the Karachi gloom last December.Other birthdays 1950 TE Srinivasan (India) 1971 Ronnie Irani (England)
South African fast bowler Nantie Hayward has been included in a 13-man Eastern Province Jumbos squad for the Standard Bank Cup first leg semifinal against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at St George’s Park on Wednesday.But whether Hayward will play remains to be seen. He is currently the subject of discussion between South African physiotherapist Craig Smith and the United Cricket Board concerning his rehabilitation from an ankle injury suffered in Australia.The Jumbos side will be captained by Robin Peterson.SquadRobin Peterson (Capt), Kevin Duckworth, James Bryant, Mark Benfield, Umar Abrahams, Dave Callaghan, Bruce Friderichs, Johan Botha, Lyall Meyer, Garnett Kruger, Meyrick Pringle, Mornantau Hayward, Clint du Plessis.
Ajit Agarkar should never ever be given the new ball again. The feistyMumbai mediumpacer displayed such maturity bowling with the old balltoday that he should be asked to do just that at all times. Althoughhe has come in for a lot of flak for his recent bowling form, Agarkarregained some lost pride after his performance today. On a pitch whereno fast bowler got any assistance, Agarkar managed to extract reverseswing even when the ball was just forty odd overs old. Using reverseswing to superb effect, Agarkar scalped two good wickets, that ofStuart Carlisle and the all important one of Andy Flower. Aided byAgarkar, India picked six Zimbabwe first innings wickets while thevisitors amassed a healthy 359 runs, 50 less than what they need toavoid being asked to follow on.If Agarkar impressed then Sharandeep Singh certainly announced hisarrival on the international scene with a bang. The twenty-one yearold off spinner from Punjab scalped two wickets in the space of tenballs and set Zimbabwe firmly on the back foot at 166/4. Brought intothe attack for just two overs before the luncheon interval, Sharandeepcame good after lunch. Whatever the Sardar ate for lunch, it certainlydid wonders for his bowling. Extracting good turn from the wicket,Sharandeep made the ball jump on the batsmen, and this was thesingular reason for the dismissal of both Guy Whittall and AlistairCampbell. The first to go was the southpaw, presenting SadagopanRamesh at silly mid off with a sharp chance. Having floored a similarchance earlier when Campbell was yet to get off the mark, Ramesh madeno mistake the second time around. Diving to his right, Ramesh scoopedup the ball centimetres from the ground and Campell (4) made the longwalk back to the pavilion.Given the context of the game and the stubborn manner in whichWhittall had resisted the Indian bowlers, his wicket might very wellhave been even more crucial than Campbell’s. Trying to turn a ballfrom Sharandeep behind square, Whittall only managed to glove the ballto Rahul Dravid at leg slip. Whittall’s effective, if not entirelychanceless innings of 84 (12 fours, 164 balls) had come to an end.The period of play soon after lunch when Sharandeep Singh and AjitAgarkar were bowling was the only time that the Indians bowled withany real intensity. It was a serious case of blow-hot blow-coldotherwise and the Zimbabweans capitalised on this. No one more so thanGrant Flower. Having bagged a pair in the Delhi Test, Grant Flower wasdemoted to number six. At the end of the day, this has to be viewed asa wise decision. Hitting the ball crisply around the park, GrantFlower remained unbeaten on 91 when stumps was called. In the courseof his 220 minute essay, Grant Flower used his feet well to thespinners. Sharandeep Singh who met with early success was at thereceiving end of this ploy on more than one occasion. Against themediumpacers, Grant Flower took more chances than would have appealedto the purists. Then again, none of the balls that flew off the edgeof his bat went to hand.The same can’t be said of Andy Flower or Dirk Viljoen. When AndyFlower (55) went after a widish ball from Agarkar he looked back indismay as Vijay Dahiya dived to his left and picked up a good lowcatch. There were murmurs that India’s wicketkeeper problems werefinally solved. If any further proof was needed, it came soon afterwhen Viljoen slashed hard at a quick delivery from Zaheer Khan. Justwhen it looked like the ball would fly over the head of first slipDahiya leapt across and plucked the ball out of the air. Thesensational catch left Dahiya winded but a little medical attentiongot him back on his feet in a hurry.Zimbabwean skipper Heath Streak joined Grant Flower in the middle andsaw Zimbabwe safely through to stumps. The pair will return tomorrowwith the score on 359/6 to continue the quest to save this match.Although the visitors did better than expected on the third day, thereis still a lot of hard work to be done if they want to save this Test.
The news that dominated football today was rather staggering as Chelsea supporters received the blow they’d all been dreading; Roman Abramovich’s assets have been frozen.
What’s the word?
The Russian oligarch was looking to sell Chelsea following tensions in Russia and Ukraine but his chances of doing so have now been put in major doubt.
That’s because his assets have been frozen by the British government, leaving the London club in turmoil.
They are unable to put tickets on sale, cannot renew player contracts and won’t be able to sign any new players until a new owner arrives.
However, in order for that to happen, a special license will need to be given to Chelsea.
There has been a number of parties interested in acquiring the club and one broker sent a text message to journalist Matt Slater this morning, issuing their response.
They simply said: “So. It’s toast.”
Chelsea in ruins
This statement aptly sums up the current situation that the Blues have found themselves in.
The worst-case scenario right now is Chelsea finding themselves in administration, an eventuality that could also see them docked nine points in the Premier League.
That would have a huge bearing on their ability to finish in the top four but it would also put the future of the club in increased doubt.
At the moment, it is difficult to see a way out of this scenario for Chelsea but things can change very quickly in the world of football.
Abramovich arrived at Chelsea and saved them from a financial viewpoint so the very fact he leaves them behind in uncertain terms is rather ironic.
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He has done so much for the west Londoners, taking them to multiple domestic and European titles, as well as luring some of the game’s best players and managers to Stamford Bridge.
Yet, as the broker alludes to, it could be ‘toast’ for any party now wanting to buy the club. If it does happen, Abramovich won’t get a single penny and Chelsea can get back to being the superclub we know they are.
For now, however, they are on the verge of crumbling apart. Supporters will be sweating over every decision the British government decides to take on this saga.
Manchester United have been stepping up their search for the next manager to take charge at Old Trafford, and now information has emerged on the potential appointment of the leading favourite Erik Ten Hag.
What’s the word?
Sky Sports journalist Angelo Mangiante has given a fresh update on Manchester United’s progression with Ajax boss ten Hag, Tweeting to his followers:
“Erik ten Hag is now very close and he still leading the race to become the new Manchester United manager. For sure, he wants a final answer from Manchester United as soon as possible. In any case, compensation for Erik ten Hag is not an issue for Manchester United.”
Supporters will love it
Ten Hag has been a clear favourite amongst Manchester United fans ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked back in November, so the news that the club may finally be close to sealing the deal with the 52-year-old manager will be a huge relief for the long-suffering Man United fans and they will surely love it.
There was concern that the Dutch coach could be snapped up by another club with speculation of interest from two other European sides who want to also hire him this summer, but if Mangiante’s statement is true then surely it will now be only a matter of time before he is announced by the club as the new manager to take the reins at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has been successfully managing his current side, Ajax, after leading them to a Champions League semi-final in 2019 and then going on to win two Dutch league titles and three Dutch domestic cups with his squad, and fans will be hoping he can inject this winning mentality back into their team over in Manchester so that they can return to consistent trophy winning.
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As Ralf Rangnick discussed following the draw with Leicester City, there is still a huge amount of work to be done at Manchester United over the next few seasons and the interim boss revealed it could take “two to three transfer windows” to catch up with Liverpool, but with ten Hag, that timeframe could well be lessened.
In other news: Man Utd now dealt huge new manager setback, supporters will be furious
Former Queensland allrounder Brendan Nash turned in a fine performance with both bat and ball to help Jamaica coast to a six-wicket victory over Barbados in their final Zone A league match of the KFC Cup. Both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals but Jamaica topped the table as a result of this victory.Nash bowled a miserly spell of 10-2-11-1 and Jerome Taylor took three wickets as Barbados were restricted to 170. Even that modest total was reached because of a 34-run stand for the tenth wicket. After a brisk start, the scoring-rate fell as the batsmen struggled on a pitch which was not conducive to strokeplay with Kirk Edwards facing 70 balls to make 17.In reply, Jamaica lost Brenton Parchment early but the rest of the batsmen played handy knocks to help overhaul the target with seven overs to spare. Chris Gayle, the captain, top scored with 49. Shawn Findlay chipped in with 39 while Nash remained not out on 36 as Jamaica maintained it’s unbeaten streak in this year’s tournament.Barbados coach Henry Springer blamed the batting for the loss. “It was a lack of situation awareness. Our batsmen need to understand what situation they find themselves in and to be able to deal with it,” he told the ScorecardIn a match between two teams who had no chance of progressing further in the tournament, Leewards Islands rode on a solid all-round performance from Omari Banks to beat West Indies Under-19s by five wickets.Despite some wayward bowling from Leewards Islands, who gave away 28 extras including 19 wides, the Under-19s could only manage 159. Banks bowled a tight spell of 2 for 18 in his ten overs while offspinner Chaka Hodge took three lower-order wickets to keep the Under-19s in check. Opener Chesney Hughes top scored with 31 while no other batsman passed the 25-run mark.In reply, Leewards Islands started shakily as fast bowler Jason Dawes took three wickets to reduce them to 40 for 3. Spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Steven Jacobs bowled economically giving away just 35 runs in their 20 overs to make the Leewards Islands’ batsmen work hard for their victory. Banks, who batted with a runner because of a hamstring injury, remained unbeaten on 55 while Steve Liburd and Tonito Willett played useful knocks to ensure the target was reached with two overs to spare.The result was a consolatory win for the Leewards Islands and means that the Under-19s are the only team to have not picked up a point during the tournament.
Australia have thrown out the possibility of using two spinners and asked for fast-bowling reinforcements as they search for a 2-0 Ashes lead in Adelaide from Friday. The national selectors met over two days to consider their options following Shane Watson’s second consecutive withdrawal with a hamstring injury and Shaun Tait joined Mitchell Johnson in the 13-man squad.Tait was part of the outfit before leaving Brisbane ahead of the first Test, which Australia won by 277 runs at the Gabba, and Johnson was released for Pura Cup duty when a seam attack of Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark was preferred. McGrath and Clark excelled with seven wickets each, but the expanded squad indicates the selectors are concerned with McGrath’s bruised heel.McGrath had a pain-killing injection in his left foot on Sunday and returned 1 for 53 to follow his 6 for 50 that rocked England’s first innings. Lee was the most disappointing of the trio, but he is unlikely to be overlooked after one below-par performance and the option of a five-man frontline attack disappeared with Watson’s slow recovery.Shane Warne is currently irreplaceable, especially on a surface in which he has 25 wickets from his past four Tests, and only an injury or doubts over fitness can realistically provide an opening for Tait or Johnson. Stuart MacGill tipped yesterday that he would miss the squad and his hunch was correct.”The possibility of using two specialist spinners continues to be discussed,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “That decision is made more difficult while Watson is unfit, but it will be reviewed depending on the particular conditions we will face at each venue.” There is a chance Watson and MacGill could be required in Perth for the third game following the WACA’s transformation from a fast-bowling haven to a batsman-dominated arena.Michael Clarke retained his spot at No. 6 following his 56 in the first innings at Brisbane and his left-arm spin will be a handy asset during the second Test. “I’ve been ultra-impressed with the way Clarke’s gone about his cricket over the last 12 to 18 months,” Ricky Ponting said after the victory. “He’s extremely hungry and he’s trained hard and he’s worked on his technique for the longer form of the game. It’s great to see him play well.”Australia squad Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait.