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NAIROBI, Sept 8 AAP – Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie have been warned to bowl better in the final few overs of one-day cricket matches or someone else will be asked to do their job.

Michael Donaldson08-Sep-2002NAIROBI, Sept 8 AAP – Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie have been warned to bowl better in the final few overs of one-day cricket matches or someone else will be asked to do their job.McGrath and Gillespie are Australia’s premier pace bowlers in the one-day arena – especially in the first 10 to 15 overs where they can wreak havoc with the new ball.But lately they’ve been a little loose in the final overs of an innings, captain Ricky Ponting said.Saturday’s rained-out triangular series final was a case in point.Australia had Pakistan on the ropes at 6-158 after 44 overs when McGrath and Gillespie were called on to bowl three overs each.Abdur Razzaq just tore them to strips, hitting 44 runs off 19 balls before being runout for 59 off 43 balls.In total Pakistan scored 69 runs in the last six overs – 33 off McGrath, 35 off Gillespie and a leg bye – to reach 227 all out, Gillespie taking two wickets with his last two balls to finish with 5-70.Ponting was unimpressed with the carnage, particularly as he’d used up his other bowlers’ allotment of overs and had no choice but to stick with the pair.”That’s one area we’re going to have to look at,” Ponting said.”We didn’t have to do it (bowl at the death) at all through this tournament but we got put in a situation where we had to do it in the final and our bowlers weren’t good enough.”Gillespie and McGrath didn’t get enough balls in the right area.”We did the same in South Africa (earlier this year) as well.”Ponting said he would stick with the pair for now.”They’re the best two bowlers in our side at the moment and they’re more likely to get the ball in the right spot than the other guys – we’ll give them a few more goes and if it doesn’t work we’ll have to try something else.”Ponting said the pair should have been bowling yorkers but were either too full or too short.”We have to get the balls right on the crease line but we just weren’t good enough to bowl yorkers – especially against Razzaq who likes to hit down the ground.”Despite the final flood, McGrath finished the tournament with nine wickets at an average of 8.78 and conceded just 2.51 runs per over.Gillespie was the leading wicket taker with 15 at 11.00 but went for 4.34 runs per over to be the most expensive of the Australian bowlers.

Leicester City have reportedly renewed their interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to SportsLens (as reported by the Leicester Mercury), the 25-year-old has attracted the interest of several top teams across the continent after helping Sporting secure their first league title in 19 years.

The report claims that a £25.7 million price tag has been placed on Palhinha’s head, with fellow Premier League outfit Everton and Italian giants Napoli also interested in securing his signature.

Rodgers needs him

Leicester were first credited with an interest in the Portugal international back in January, although nothing materialised in the winter window.

However, with the 2020/21 campaign now complete, the Foxes may look to secure their man as they plan for another assault on the Champions League qualification spots.

Palhinha made 32 league appearances last season, achieving a highly impressive WhoScored rating of 7.22 along the way.

The defensive-minded midfielder may not grab the headlines through goals or assists, finding the back of the net just once last term, but he’s very effective at breaking up opposition moves and kickstarting attacks of his own.

He recorded 3.3 tackles per league game for Ruben Amorim’s title-winning side, by far the most in the first-team squad, while also completing 83.4% of his passes.

While Palhinha is certainly more comfortable operating in the middle of the park, his versatility has seen him deployed at centre-back on occasion throughout his career and that may be an asset that appeals to Rodgers.

Qualification for next term’s Europa League means the Foxes will have to fight on multiple fronts next season, meaning the addition of a talented utility player could prove to be extremely useful.

After the departures of Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs, Rodgers needs reinforcements, and Palhinha could provide competition for Wilfried Ndidi while providing cover at centre-half.

Whether the King Power Stadium outfit can justify or afford to spend such a figure on someone who would likely be a back-up player remains to be seen, but the current FA Cup holders need extra bodies and Palhinha is an exciting option.

And, in other news…Rudkin can find Leicester’s ideal Morgan heir in £9m-rated monster, Rodgers needs him 

After humiliating defeats against India in the first two Tests, chief West Indies selector Sir Vivian Richards says drastic measures need to be taken if the side is to rise to the top again

24-Oct-2002After humiliating defeats against India in the first two Tests, chief West Indies selector Sir Vivian Richards says drastic measures need to be taken if the side is to rise to the top again.And, another West Indies cricket legend, Sir Garfield Sobers, does not believe the West Indies will be a competitive international team for a "long, long, long time".Sir Viv is also disappointed with the side’s performance in India and blamed players’ attitude for the debacle."We have not performed well. We have to come to terms with the fact that we are not being good enough on this particular tour," he said."Because of the legacy of West Indian cricket and a glorious past, I am feeling sad. I know it could have been better if attitudes were much better as well," Sir Vivian said, according to media reports.West Indies have already lost the series after suffering defeats in the first two Tests at Mumbai and Chennai and will be trying hard to save the October 30-November 3 Test at Kolkata to avoid a humiliating whitewash."There are a few good men in the team and a few negative factors, which would continue to poison the side until we get our balance right," said Sir Viv, referring to the factors affecting his team’s performance on the tour."We have to take some drastic measures in future if we want to get back at the top."He admitted that the side, which surrendered meekly to India in the first two matches, missed the services of star batsman Brian Lara."It has an intimidating effect on the opposition if you have players like Brian or Sachin Tendulkar, whether they score runs or not."Sir Garry, in an interview with Australia’s ABC Online, said the regional authorities made a huge mistake by not bringing along younger players when the West Indies were consistent worldbeaters."I think the decline was bound to happen because, during the years that the West Indies team were winning, they never really tried to bring the youngsters through. All they were saying was: `You don’t change a winning team.’"Even if you had two or three fellows in the team that were failing, they still played them because they were winning," said Sir Garry."I thought that was the time you should bring youngsters in and groom them along with the experienced players so they can have experience when those players leave the scene."They didn’t do that. And I think that is the problem. I think that is why today they’re struggling so. Although, in my own mind, I know they have some very, very good young players."

An update has emerged regarding Manchester City’s pursuit of Almeria striker Umar Sadiq.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet AS, the Premier League champions are readying an opening bid for the Nigerian this month. City are ready to swoop for the former Rangers forward and are planning to send him on loan to Ligue 1 side Troyes if they are able to land him before considering him for the first team in 2022.

The report claims that Almeria want €30m (£25.8m) for Sadiq, who has a €60m (£51.6m) release clause in his contract. It remains to be seen how much the Cityzens are willing to spend on the 24-year-old.

Pep would love him

This is an interesting move by Manchester City and could be viewed in one of two ways. One is the more cynical view that City are purely buying him for trading and profit purposes. For example, the plan could be to loan him to Troyes, hope that he can score 15-20 goals in Ligue 1 and then cash in on him and make a profit because another club in Europe may see his performances and offer Man City more than what they paid for him from Almeria.

City’s owners bought Troyes last year and the club sealed promotion to the top tier by winning Ligue 2 in the 2020/21 campaign. This means that they will be playing top-flight football next season and City could benefit from sending talent to France for them to play regular games at a respectable standard. This means that Troyes would be the ideal club for that situation to play out next term.

The other, more optimistic, view is that City are signing him with the future in mind, and that is the one we think this could be. Sadiq enjoyed a terrific season with Almeria as he was directly involved in 27 league goals in 38 games for the club, whilst also scoring twice in three cup matches.

He provided 20 goals and seven assists for Almeria in the league, which suggests that he is ready to make the step up to Ligue 1 and, potentially, the Premier League. Therefore, another year of development with Troyes in the French top flight could – as the report suggests – prepare him for City’s first team squad.

Txiki Begiristain could be striking gold with this move as the 6ft 2 beast could end up being a player worth chucking into Pep Guardiola’s first team squad. Guardiola could enjoy taking him in and coaching him into becoming a top striker in the Premier League, as he has already shown that he has the raw materials to be a good centre-forward, consistently finding the back of the net in Spain.

The City manager could help him improve and turn him into a player who is able to make an impact in the Premier League, which is why Txiki could strike gold with this potential deal.

AND in other news, Txiki heading for disaster with “complete” £8.5m beast, MCFC fans will be frustrated…

The process that took Rafa Benitez to Everton was an incredibly longwinded one.

The Spaniard revealed his desire to return to the Premier League back in March and, four months later, he’s had his wish fulfilled.

That said, if you told him at the beginning of the year that he’d be heading to Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals at Goodison Park, he’d have probably laughed.

What’s the word?

Benitez has been in the Everton hotseat for 48 hours now and details are beginning to emerge surrounding why he wanted the job.

According to Ian McGarry of the Transfer Window Podcast, the 61-year-old was given assurances over the club’s transfer budget.

Speaking this week, McGarry said: “We understand that Benitez spoke to his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti before that meeting to ask what it had been like managing the Merseyside club, which was a positive conversation.”

The reporter added: “Benitez has been assured that he will have money to spend in order to improve the squad with the aim of playing European football and also being in the space where they are considered to be on the up in terms of challenging.”

Exciting news

This news should be music to the ears of Everton supporters and the club’s new manager.

The Toffees haven’t been afraid to lash out vast sums of money in years gone by, with a grand total of £448.98m spent since the 2017/18 campaign.

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What’s happened with that money has been a rugged state of affairs. Despite Farhad Moshiri’s immense spending power, they’ve not been able to claim an elusive spot in the Champions League or even the Europa League.

Not since the days of David Moyes have the Toffees reached the qualification stages for Europe’s top club competition, so it will take a great deal of planning and work to get them back there. After all, it doesn’t matter how much you spend if the deals you’re concluding aren’t on top players.

A small improvement has been made in recent years with James Rodriguez, Ben Godfrey and Richarlison becoming regular starters and key players during Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure. However, you sense that Benitez will relish the opportunity to sink his teeth into a hefty budget as promised.

The Spaniard impressed at Newcastle by guiding them to promotion from the Championship but, once he was back in the top flight, Mike Ashley presented him with very limited funds, breaking promises in the process. Those were ultimately the main reasons behind Benitez’s departure from St James’ Park.

Consequently, the opportunity to spend more money at Everton should be enthralling for the new Toffees manager.

It should also be exciting news for supporters. If the money available is really going to be spent on players who can help them break into the top six, this could be a campaign to remember.

Perhaps this is the catalyst for supporters to back Benitez rather than grill him. They should be delighted with initial events following his appointment.

AND in other news, Everton eye swoop for “superb” 69-goal colossus, it could mean the end for DCL…

Canterbury have named four new caps in their side to compete in the State League programme this season

Lynn McConnell19-Nov-2002Canterbury have named four new caps in their side to compete in the State League programme this season.Newcomers to the side include former Otago representative Rowan Milburn, who has played international cricket for the Netherlands, leading England batsman Claire Taylor, 16-year-old Tekapo cricketer Tamara Gould and Kirsty Craig.Gould, a promising batsman, has had reward after her weekly trips for Tekapo to play and for her good form in games for Lancaster Park-Woolston this season while Craig has gained her place after serving as the non-travelling 13th man last summer.The full side named by selectors Jennifer Logan (convener), Lisa Astle and Vicki Burtt, is: Haidee Tiffen (captain), Nicola Payne (vice-captain), Sarah Burke, Selena Charteris, Kirsty Craig, Helen Daly, Rowan Milburn, Tamara Gould, Maria Fahey, Beth McNeill, Hannah Rae, Rebecca Steele, Claire Taylor.The side is coached by Burtt and its manager is Kay Gilray.

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold has now backed claims from the last few months about Tottenham Hotspur eyeing AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Spurs in for Kessie?

The print edition of Tuttosport revealed back in March (via Sport Witness) that Spurs attempted to sign him in January, claiming that they could come back in for him due to his contractual situation at San Siro (his current deal expires in 2022).

Tottenham’s interest in Kessie took a major turn recently, with the player’s agent claiming that they are in fact interested in a swoop this summer alongside Inter Milan and another unnamed Premier League club (TUTTOmercatoWEB Radio).

The Latest: Gold backs Kessie claims…

As quoted by football.london, Gold claims that Tottenham indeed hold an interest and Kessie is a player who the club have liked ‘for a while’.

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However, in terms of making a move, much will depend on the future of Spurs’ current midfield men and what new manager Nuno Espirito Santo decides to do with them.

Of course, the price tag will also come into consideration, but the 44-cap Ivory Coast star may well leave for less due to his contract expiring at the end of next season.

“He’s a player Spurs have liked for a while and his contract situation with just a year left on his deal at Milan will make him even more attractive,” Gold explained in a football.london Q&A.

“Whether they make a move depends on not only the price but also Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision on what is going to happen with his midfield with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in there and Oliver Skipp returning.

“The future of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko is also set to be decided. I’d imagine defence is a priority first for transfers unless Paratici negotiates a deal for Kessie that is too good to sit on.”

The Verdict: Insane target…

The 24-year-old is crucial for Milan in Serie A and a fabulous all-rounder, seemingly adept at both going forward and protecting the back four.

A natural defensive midfield player, Kessie still managed 13 goals and four assists over the 2020/21 Serie A season whilst averaging a solid 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game (WhoScored).

His quality is perhaps best summed up by former Italy international Antonio Cassano’s glowing recommendation. Speaking to Bobo TV, via Milan Live, the 38-year-old branded the Rossoneri star as ‘devastating’ for his performances under Stefano Pioli.

We’d go as far as to say that snapping up Kessie would be Tottenham’s signing of the window, if they make a move for him.

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

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced the domestic first class fixture list for the 2003 cricket season

Media Release13-Nov-2002The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced the domestic first-class fixture list for the 2003 cricket season. For the first time since 1972, there will be no Benson & Hedges Cup competition, which has been replaced by a new 20-over tournament called the ‘Twenty20 Cup’.The Twenty20 Cup begins on Friday 13 June when five late-afternoon group matches are scheduled. One of these opening games will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.All 45 group matches – the 18 first-class counties are split into three groups of six teams each – will be played over a 12-day period, thus intentionally scheduling the competition around the longest days of the year. This means that matches starting at 5.30pm will finish in daylight at 8.15pm. Essex and Sussex may stage floodlit Twenty20 Cup matches in the group stages, and the timings for any such matches will be confirmed in due course.All counties are guaranteed a minimum of two Twenty20 Cup matches at home next season. The winners of each of the three groups and the best-performing runner-up will progress to a finals day on Saturday 19 July, at which both semi-finals and the final will be played.Extensive media coverage of the competition is guaranteed. Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of six group matches live as well as the three matches on finals day; Channel 4, meanwhile, will broadcast at least one match live (a Saturday morning slot on 14 June) and the highlights of the Final, plus prominent coverage of the competition in their weekly magazine programme. BBC Radio are planning extensive coverage on their regional and local stations in addition to live ball-by-ball coverage of the Twenty20 Cup Final on Radio Five Live and both Twenty20 Cup semi-finals on Five Live Extra.A new prize money structure will be implemented to encourage both team victories and individual performances. The Twenty20 champions will receive £52,000, the runners-up will get £26,000 and the losing-semi-finalists £15,500 – equal to the prize money on offer for the 2002 Benson & Hedges Cup Final. Incentives will also be made to the best performing individuals with cash prizes of £1,500 going to the best performing batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders (see below for details).Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of the ECB, said, “I have no doubt that the Twenty20 Cup will make a significant impact on our domestic cricket next summer. Thanks to excellent support from our broadcast partners, we can already guarantee a great deal of media coverage for the tournament. And with generous prize money on offer, the players have every incentive to go flat out to achieve success on the pitch. This is one of the most revolutionary and exciting initiatives undertaken by the ECB and the first-class counties for many years.”There are 367 matches, or 799 days of cricket in total, scheduled for first-class counties across four different competitions next season. The Frizzell County Championship season starts on Friday 18 April, the 45 over League competition (sponsor to be confirmed) begins on Sunday 27 April, while the third round of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy takes place on Wednesday 7 May.The women’s domestic season, meanwhile, will include the Super Fours trophy, now in its second year. The 48 best women’s cricketers in the country will be divided into four teams and will compete against each other in six one-day matches ahead of the international season. Super Fours will run each weekend from Saturday 17th May to Sunday 15th June.Yorkshire, meanwhile, will aim to retain their title in the Frizzell Women’s County Championship which will run from Saturday 26th – Wednesday 30th July at University Grounds, Cambridge.

Twenty20 Prize MoneyTeam awardsWinner (1 x £52,000)                £52,000Runner-up (1 x £26,000)             £26,000Losing Semi-Finalists (2 x £15,500) £31,000Man-of-the-Match awardsGroup Matches (45 x £300)           £13,500Semi-finalists (2 x £550)            £1,100Final (1 x £1,750)                   £1,750Series awardsBatsman - most runs             (1 x £1,500)Batsman - 2nd most runs         (1 x £1,000)Batsman - most 4's & 6's        (1 x £1,500)Batsman - best strike rate      (1 x £1,500)All-rounder - best              (1 x £1,500)All-rounder - 2nd best          (1 x £1,000)Wicket keeper - best            (1 x £1,500)Bowler - most wickets           (1 x £1,500)Bowler - 2nd most wickets       (1 x £1,000)Bowler - fastest                (1 x £1,500)Bowler - best economy rate      (1 x £1,500)    15,000Total:                             £140,350

After a break of nearly a month the fourth round of the Standard Bank Cup starts again Friday 20th with Griqualand West hosting North West and Namibia going to Paarl to do battle with Boland

Keith Lane20-Dec-2002After a break of nearly a month the fourth round of the Standard Bank Cup starts again Friday 20th with Griqualand West hosting North West and Namibia going to Paarl to do battle with Boland.On Saturday a near full strength Western Province with host a top of the table clash against Free State who head the table with one point. With Allan Donald and Nicky Boje turning out for Free State and Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis for Province a titanic battle should materialise.Sunday sees KwaZulu-Natal travel to Centurion for an all day affair against Northerns with the hosts maybe better off after their win in the Discovery Challenge.

Celtic are ready to pay £4m for Rubin Kazan defender Carl Starfelt, according to Sport Expressen reporter Anel Avdic.

The Lowdown: Romano claim

The Hoops’ interest in Starfelt emerged on Tuesday afternoon. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared the news on Twitter, revealing Celtic were in direct with the 26-year-old regarding personal terms.

Romano added that an opening bid was set to be made for the Sweden international, with talks underway between the two parties.

Starfelt is under contract with the Russian side until 2024 and has made 42 appearances for Kazan, however, it seems as if Celtic want to take him to Scotland.

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The Latest: Avdic post

Sport Expressen reporter Avdic quoted Romano’s tweet and added some more information regarding a potential move.

He claimed Celtic were ready to pay £4m for Starfelt, with 10% of any deal going to former side IFK Goteborg.

“According to our sources at Sport Expressen Celtic is ready to pay around £4 m to Rubin Kazan. 10% of the transfer fee will go to Starfelt’s former club IFK Göteborg.”

The Verdict: Starfelt and Vuskovic for Ajer?

Norwich are thought to be preparing an improved £12m offer for Kristoffer Ajer, so the Hoops could end up signing two defenders with that money, while also having funds left over.

Ajer wants to leave Parkhead, so it would make sense to cash in, especially as he has just 12 months left on his Celtic contract.

Should the Hoops be successful with a £4m bid for Starfelt and in their attempts in a £5m move for Mario Vuskovic, they could end up bringing in two high-quality replacements with money left to spend.

In other news: Celtic now ‘moving’ to sign ace on Top-100 prospects list alongside Sancho, Foden and Saka, find out more here.