North Otago’s Neil Rushton has been drafted into the Otago Volts team for the next two State Championship matches.The left-armer replaces Kerry Walmsley who is sidelined with a back strain, the injury suffered in the early stages of Central Districts’ second innings in Alexandra on Wednesday.Walmsley has been Otago’s most productive bowler this summer – in both the Championship and one-day series. He joins an ever-growing list of injured fast and seam bowlers with Shayne O’Connor, Warren McSkimming, Evan Marshall and Bradley Scott also all unavailable for selection.Rushton played three Shell Cup matches for Otago during the 1999/00 season, taking four wickets at an average of 30.75. His best effort was 2-36. If Rushton plays on Otago’s northern excursion it will represent his first-class debut.Otago plays Wellington and Auckland on its trip north, the players undoubtedly still reeling from their pitiful 425-run loss to Central Districts at Molyneux Park, the fourth largest defeat by a runs margin in New Zealand first-class cricket history.No other changes have been made.
After the loss of the second day, the warm-up match between Zimbabwe Aand the Indians petered out into the expected draw, although India didturn down a chance of an outright win when they decided againstenforcing the follow-on. In reply to their first innings of 336 fornine declared, they dismissed Zimbabwe A for 175 and then, battingagain, scored 150 for seven.In contrast to the aborted second day of the match, Day Three beganwarm and sunny. With the notable exception of Craig Wishart, theZimbabwe A Test hopefuls failed to make anything of their opportunity.Hamilton Masakadza (8) soon fell, caught at slip off Ashish Nehra, andZimbabwe A were 37 for two.Then followed the only notable partnership of the innings, betweenopener Dion Ebrahim and Wishart. Debashish Mohanty initially erred inlength and was punished by both batsmen. Wishart pulled shortdeliveries with particular relish, and also produced the odd powerfulstraight drive to the overpitched ball. He looked every inch a batsmanwith a point to prove. Had those responsible sought to boost hisfragile confidence instead of condemning him to live in constantinsecurity, he could be a successful Test regular.By contrast, current Test player Ebrahim found it difficult to timethe ball, but hung in there with determination. When Harbhajan Singhmade a belated arrival at the bowling crease, Wishart immediately hithim for six over long on, but then skied a ball safely between twofielders. Just before lunch, Zahir Khan began a collapse by havingEbrahim (47) caught at slip and then yorking Craig Evans first ball.Viljoen (5) was lbw to Harbhajan and Zimbabwe A were suddenly reelingat 139 for five.Then Wishart, his concentration apparently disturbed by the comingsand goings at the far end, hung a limp bat out feebly to Khan and wascaught at the wicket. He had hit 68 off 85 balls. Finally TatendaTaibu (1) was caught at short leg off Harbhajan on the stroke oflunch, and Zimbabwe A were 143 for seven, having lost five wickets forjust ten runs. India had struck back with a vengeance.The disasters continued for Zimbabwe A after the interval, as TravisFriend (4) had his middle stump uprooted by a quicker yorker fromHarbhajan Singh, and Bryan Strang (0) was caught at first slip offNehra. Brian Murphy (9 not out) hung on while David Mutendera (13)enjoyed some thick edges and one powerfully driven boundary beforebeing caught again by Sachin Tendulkar at first slip. Zimbabwe A wereall out, 161 runs behind, but India declined to enforce the follow-on,preferring batting practice.Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagopan Ramesh looked in need of it, as theyboth had some uncomfortable moments early on against Strang andFriend. Das was finally adjudged lbw playing forward to Strang for 12,and shortly afterwards Ramesh (6) was caught in the slips off Friend,reducing the tourists to 22 for two.Venkatsai Laxman and Tendulkar batted quietly until tea, playingoccasional attacking strokes but seeming content to wait for the looseball rather than plunder the bowling. Friend tried two short balls toTendulkar, only to have them both pulled effortlessly for four.Immediately after tea Mutendera had the same humiliating experience.However, Mutendera was to take the wicket of Tendulkar for the secondtime in the match, as the little maestro hit too early and was caughtat extra cover for 33. The same bowler had Laxman caught in the slips,also for 33. Sourav Ganguly (17) disputed his lbw dismissal in a waythat would have had serious consequences in a Test match, and two morequick wickets followed. Rahul Dravid did not bat again, and as thematch meandered to a close Harbhajan Singh (25*) entertained the crowdof several hundred, mainly schoolchildren, with a few big hits.
A major update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for left-back Jamal Lewis…
What’s the talk?
According to Football Insider, the Magpies are willing to part ways with the Northern Ireland international for a fee in the region of £8m.
The club signed him from Norwich City for £13.5m in the summer of 2020 and he was omitted from their Premier League squad for the second half of this season, with Eddie Howe now seemingly sanctioning his permanent exit.
Disaster
PIF are heading for a huge transfer disaster over Lewis as they will make a loss of £5.5m if they opt to sell him for the £8m touted in this report.
This potential deal will evoke bad memories of Mike Ashley for Newcastle supporters as the former Magpies owner sanctioned the transfer in 2020.
The move has been a failure from start to finish for the young defender as he has struggled throughout his time at the club, as he averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.48 in his first campaign and a score of 6.46 this term.
It seems unlikely, at this point, that he will be able to force himself into the first-team fold again given his current situation. Matt Ritchie, Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth, Paul Dummett and Matt Targett were all selected ahead of him as full-back options in January, which shows how far down the pecking order he is under Howe.
Newcastle have an option to sign Targett on a permanent basis from Aston Villa in the summer and that could put to bed any chance Lewis has of resurrecting his St. James’ Park career. This means that PIF are right to decide to cash in on the left-back, but that does not make it any less of a disaster for the club overall.
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They are set to make a huge loss on him within the space of two years and it is a timely reminder of what life was like under Ashley in regards to transfers.
It will also give PIF an idea of what not to do as they will want to avoid making the same mistakes as the Sports Direct supremo, as Lewis was brought in despite his attacking style of play not suiting Steve Bruce’s defensive set-up at St. James’ Park. They must ensure that they are signing players who suit the way Howe wants to play to avoid a repeat of this transfer failure in the future.
AND in other news, NUFC plot audacious bid to sign £81m-rated “genius”, he “makes football a pleasure”…
ScorecardUAE made an excellent start to their Intercontinental Cup clash against Namibia, dismissing them for a mediocre 164 on the opening day in Sharjah. At stumps, UAE had almost closed the gap on Namibia’s poor total and trailed by 17.Namibia chose to bat and began solidly enough, with Jan-Berrie Burger and Dawid Botha putting on 29 for the opening wicket. But Botha’s demise – he was caught by Amjad Ali off Fahad Alhashmi for 9 – prompted a dramatic mid-order collapse in which Namibia lost 5 for 52. Burger eventually found much-needed support from Tobias Verwey, the wicketkeeper, with whom he put on 69 for the sixth wicket.After bringing up his fifty, Burger was bowled by Arshad Ali and Ahmed Raza cleaned up the tail with 3 for 20. Namibia were all out for 164 – but not down and out by any means. UAE got off to a dreadful start when they lost both their openers and Gayan Silva, the No. 3, with 16 on the board. Louis Klazinga then gave Namibia genuine hope of dismissing UAE for a paltry total by taking two further quick wickets, but UAE recovered well with Saqib Ali smacking 10 fours and a six in his combative 72.With Saqib unbeaten at stumps and four wickets remaining, UAE are still well placed to take a significant first-innings lead going into the second day.
It ought to have been the series showcase but Scotland’s batting crashed in the final of the World Cricket League at the Gymkhana Ground in Nairobi before a fierce innings from David Obuya carried Kenya to the title on home soil.For a tournament that had produced so much fine batting it was disappointing that it finished on a low-scoring note, but Kenya’s attack proved too much for Scotland. Only some stubborn lower-order efforts lifted then beyond 150 but it was never likely to test Kenya.Bar one nonsensical run-out, they attacked the lowly target of 156 with vigour led by the efforts of Obuya and Maurice Ouma. The pair batting sensibly before the tensions that still surround Kenya cricket made a brief reappearance.Obuya cut Craig Wright to point and called no – but Ouma wanted a single, and wasn’t stopping, leaving both stranded at one end as Neil McCallum sent in a direct throw. Obuya’s response – hurling his bat several metres behind him, waving and shouting at the departing Ouma – said more than enough. Winning doesn’t always heal everything.But it was a blessing in disguise for Kenya as Obuya took out his anger at the careless wicket by attacking Scotland’s wayward bowlers, smashing Wright over his head for four before pulling him over midwicket for a livid six.Kenya’s hundred was brought up in brilliant style, Obuya creaming Majid Haq inches past the window of the press box for his second six. It didn’t matter where Scotland bowled, Obuya was in no mood to hang around while Ravi Shah, at the other end, played the perfect deadbatting foil. Although Obuya fell shortly before the end he had left a lasting impression on Kenya’s march to the trophy.Scotland had not left quite such a flamboyant memory after choosing to bat first on a firm, easy-paced pitch. They lost Haq to the first poor shot of the day, edging Thomas Odoyo to Steve Tikolo at second slip.But Fraser Watts and Ryan Watson soon made the most of the excellent batting conditions with Watson looking in particularly good touch, crashing Odoyo down the ground and twice carting Lameck Onyango through cover.It didn’t last. After registering their fifty partnership Watson fell to a lazy shot, trying to hook Onyango. A skier was easily snaffled by Peter Ongondo and the gates were open. Watts fell to to Kenya’s best fielder, Tanmay Mishra, stationed at short midwicket who was floored by a fierce pull shot but parried it up in the air, taking it expertly on the second attempt and Gavin Hamilton edged one behind to leave Scotland in a perilous state at 62 for 4.It got worse, too, when Neil McCallum was farcically run out when, defending Varaiya, he hit it straight to Collins Oboya at silly point who threw down the stumps leaving him a foot short. It summed up Scotland’s morning. It summed up Scotland’s morning and the tail was left with plenty to do.Some solid resistance from Craig Wright stopped a complete collapse while Ross Lyons made 23 off 47 balls. However, the Kenyan spinners kept the scoring rate down before some late blows from Paul Hoffmann. But it couldn’t make the match into a contest and Kenya impressive romped home, to confirm their standing as the best of the rest, and possibly a match for one or two above them.
Australia’s selectors have no plans to drop Adam Gilchrist to No. 7 when he returns from a week off. Trevor Hohns denied on Sydney radio last night a report in the that said Australia’s wicketkeeper would be demoted for Thursday’s match against Sri Lanka at Adelaide.Ricky Ponting also defended his out-of-form team-mate, who has been rested for two VB Series matches. “He’ll go back into the opening position,” Ponting told . “I just love having Gilly at the top of the order in my side. Looking back over the years he has won us so many games. Even if he makes only 30 or 40 he generally gets them pretty quickly.”He really gets the momentum of games going in our favour. He is really important for us at the top of the innings. I would love for him to play the rest of his one-day cricket there.”Gilchrist has been struggling for runs in both forms of the game and concerns have been raised that wicketkeeping and opening the batting have taken their toll. “Gilly is just going through one of those trots at the moment as a batsman that everyone goes through,” Ponting said. “It’s just taken Gilly a lot longer than most to go through it at international level.”
Two British explorers, about to undertake an expedition to plot the exact location of the Magnetic North Pole, are planning to play the world’s most northerly game of cricket if they do find it.London banker Matthew Hancock, 26, and 28-year-old Kilkenny-based engineer Matt Coates will trek over parts of the Arctic Ocean never before covered by man while gathering vital scientific data into the damaging effects of climate change on one of the world’s most remote areas.They will face extreme dangers throughout the expedition, not least the threat of the Arctic’s 20,000 polar bears as well as the obvious hazards posed by the elements … hypothermia, frostbite, gangrene and hypoglycaemia, as well as the further risk of injury caused by falling through thin ice.The Climate Change Magnetic Pole Expedition 2005, sponsored by the European Climate Exchange, the Chicago Climate Exchange and Brit Insurance Holdings, will involve the two explorere trekking more than 500 miles in around six weeks, dragging sledges weighing more than 120 kilos.Brit Insurance, which also sponsor Surrey CCC and The Brit Oval, have challenged Hancock and Coates to celebrate their arrival at the Magnetic North Pole by attempting the most northerly game of cricket ever played.
SUPPORT ASIAN TELEVISION NETWORK AND PRESIDENT & CEO SHAN CHANDRESEKHAR FORHIS COMMITMENT AND ENTERPRISE.PLease pass this on and have posted on provincial and league websites.We were informed on the phone tonight that the Tri Nation Series of ODI’sbetween Australia India and New Zealand will be carried on Asian TelevisionNetwork – Toronto 1 (Channel 15 in Toronto or 602 and Channel A in other areas. Itwill also be carried on Bell ExpressVu on Channel 802 we understand.In addition, next Saturday morning at 9:00 am India and New Zealandhighlights are scheduled to be seen.Please let ATN, Rogers and Bell Expressvu KNOW if you appreciate more cricket.Enjoy. Use it or lose it?
Simon Katich handed national selectors a timely reminder with an inspired century to guide Western Australia to within sight of an ING Cup final berth tonight.The crushing 116 run win over Victoria elevated the Warriors into second position in the ING Cup table just one point behind competition leader Queensland.Western Australia is four points clear of equal third-placed NSW and South Australia, but they both have a game in hand.Katich set up the win with his highest score in one-day domestic cricket, 118, which was the foundation of the Warriors 7-234 off 50 overs. He and Michael Hussey (61) combined for a record fourth wicket one-day partnership for Western Australia, combining for 167 off 174 balls.But it was Western Australia’s second string pace attack that earned the bonus point by running through the disappointing Victorian lineup for a paltry 118.With Matthew Nicholson and Brad Williams unavailable, big Jo Angel (5-16) ripped through the Bushrangers middle order after debutant Michael Clark (3-34) impressed by taking the first three wickets including captain Matthew Elliott.The Victorians provided little resistance besides Elliott’s quickfire 35 off 32 balls.Earlier, in between some glorious strokes, 26-year-old Katich had his fair share of luck on his way to his second one-day domestic ton.He received a life on 22 after he top-edged a catch to Ian Hewett on the boundary with the score at 3-73.But the lanky paceman’s momentum sent him sprawling ball in hand over the boundary rope to give Katich a six.And on 83 Katich was again fortunate when Jon Moss dropped an easier catch at mid-on.But in between Katich and Hussey provided fantastic entertainment for the home crowd with a mixture of slogging and great improvisation.Katich was eventually out trapped in front in the second last over by Andrew McDonald while Hussey was caught in the deep by Moss from Michael Lewis’ bowling.Lewis ended up with figures of 4-41 off nine overs after capturing three wickets in the 50th over.Western Australia was in trouble early after opening pair Justin Langer and Scott Meuleman were dismissed with only 26 runs on the board.Test opener Langer didn’t help his chances of a national one-day call up after he skied a hook shot to Lewis off the bowling of Mathew Inness for three.
A century for Craig Spearman, runs for Nathan Astle and a pair of quick wickets for Shayne O’Connor in the early evening added up to a handy day’s work for New Zealand as they started their final pre-Test warm-up against North West at the North West Stadium on Saturday.With bad light twice interrupting play during the afternoon, it was a disjointed day, but it has to be said that North West were a good deal more disjointed than the tourists who declared at 280 for six and then grabbed two wickets with the home side still to get the scoreboard going.Spearman’s 100 followed the 173 not out made by Mark Richardson in Paarl and leaves New Zealand in the happy position of having both openers in the runs ahead of the Test. It wasn’t the most challenging attack, perhaps, and Spearman was occasionally bogged down – he was stuck on 88 for 27 deliveries – but the century was runs under his belt and there’s nothing quite like three figures to get batsmen believing in themselves.Astle, meanwhile, made 63 before he tried to let one from Francois van der Merwe go and had to watch in embarrassment as it crashed into middle and off. But he looked in fine nick, middling it right from the start and he may be a little more circumspect in Bloemfontein in deciding which deliveries to leave.Astle had the Paarl game off as did Stephen Fleming, but Fleming’s return to action was a shade more forgettable. He made 16 and then tried to drive one that wasn’t quite there and lifted a catch to cover. Fleming has made some runs in South Africa, but not as many as he might have liked. Perhaps they’re waiting for him in Bloemfontein.There wasn’t a great deal to write home about as far as North West were concerned. Van der Merwe finished with three for 76, but their chief contribution to the day was to lose two wickets without troubling the scorers.Andrew Lawson and Arno Jacobs were both caught Fleming at first slip, bowled O’Connor and perhaps the biggest plus among a number of setbacks for New Zealand since arriving in South Africa has been the form of O’Connor.He started to swing the ball in the fifth one-dayer at Kingsmead and bowled well at Newlands until he bowled a brainless last over at Lance Klusener. He got swing and bounce at a fair pace on Saturday evening, and if he can take all this to Bloemfontein, the New Zealand attack may have at least a few teeth.