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Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has been summoned by Mumbai Indians to spruce up their line-up

Cricinfo staff19-May-2008
Dwayne Smith: Mumbai’s ninth overseas player and a like-for-like replacement for Dwayne Bravo © Getty Images
Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has been summoned by the Mumbai Indians to spruce up their line-up after the departure of his West Indies team-mate, Dwayne Bravo. Each team is allowed nine overseas players and Smith will be Mumbai’s ninth.Bravo left after the game against the Deccan Chargers on Sunday to join the national squad preparing for the home Test series against Australia that starts in Jamaica on Thursday.Though Andre Nel, the South African fast bowler, had already joined the Mumbai squad on Sunday, the team management felt they needed someone who could be an equal replacement for Bravo, who scored 178 runs, picked up 11 wickets and took four catches in nine IPL matches.Smith has shone more as a bowler in Twenty20 games- his 11 wickets in nine games at 15.27 is more impressive than his 72 runs in at an average of eight.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted after the Gers confirmed that they will be hosting Real Madrid at Ibrox as part of their pre-season plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Gers’ pre-season preparations are well underway, even if some of their star players have not yet joined up with the squad as they recover from their Euro 2020 or Copa America commitments. The Scottish champions started off with a 1-0 win against Partick Thistle as Steven Gerrard aims to get his side ready for the new campaign.

It has now been confirmed that Real Madrid will be making the trip to Glasgow to face the 55-time Scottish champions. Los Merengues are also used to glory, having won the European Cup/Champions League a record 13 times – it will no doubt be a great occasion, and hopefully fans will be able to watch it live at the stadium.

The news was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the upcoming glamour friendly, which some supporters described as “incredible” news.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Rangers v Real Madrid

“That’s extremely random but yeah sounds amazing”

Credit: @FreeAgent_Boom

“Wow wow wow!! Get in there! Please tell me fans are allowed?! What a friendly!!!!”

Credit: @GordonStewart_

“That’s incredible. Would love to be at Ibrox for this one.”

Credit: @JKHendry

“This will be incredible, always the team I’ve wanted to see us play,”

Credit: @swallygray

“Great coup to get Royal Madrid over. Would be magic to get in to see it”

Credit: @AlfieBoy78

“Outstanding tie”

Credit: @NOTELINYI

In other news, one pundit slams this Rangers midfielder.

Luke Ronchi is used to his batting making headlines in Australian domestic cricket but in his first outings at international level it has been his glovework that has drawn praise

Cricinfo staff01-Jul-2008
Luke Ronchi has performed well behind the stumps in his first games for Australia © AFP
Luke Ronchi is used to his batting making headlines in Australian domestic cricket but in his first outings at international level it has been his glovework that has drawn praise. After the first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin flew home to recuperate from a broken finger following the first ODI Ronchi was guaranteed four games and has impressed in the initial two.Haddin has been told he does not need surgery on the finger and it should be fully healed in two to three weeks, meaning he will be fit for Australia’s three ODIs against Bangladesh in Darwin starting in late August. Ronchi is well aware that however he performs in the Caribbean, Haddin will remain the No. 1 for some time.”Hads is that good of a player and he hasn’t done anything wrong, so I don’t think there’s any way I’m going to push him out of the spot at all,” Ronchi told . “It’s just a case for me to play as well as I can when I do play, and if that happens to lead onto more and better things, then hopefully that does happen, but at the moment it’s more of a replacement position.”A destructive opening batsman in Western Australia’s limited-overs setup, Ronchi has not yet had a chance to bat in his first two ODIs. He is the owner of the fastest hundred in Australia’s domestic one-day history and he showed a glimpse of that talent with a dynamic 36 in the Twenty20 international against West Indies in Barbados.In the 50-over format his work behind the stumps has been excellent and he began his career with a sharp caught-behind first ball before following with three terrific dismissals in his second game. A diving catch was followed by a slick take to an edge off Andrew Symonds’ offspin, but perhaps best of all was a brilliant stumping when he was standing up to Nathan Bracken.The efforts drew praise from the captain Ricky Ponting, who said: “I thought his job behind the stumps in game three was outstanding. We haven’t had the chance to see him with the bat yet, but hopefully in the next couple of games we’ll get to see that.”The small crowds in the Caribbean and lack of intense media attention might have made his job easier in his first appearances for his country. Ronchi said it had also helped having just come from a stint with Mumbai in the Indian Premier League.”The big thing out of all of it was the fact I’ve gone from playing in front of 40 or 50,000 people screaming in India to here, where the crowds aren’t massive, so you’re actually a whole lot more relaxed,” Ronchi said. “The first three to four weeks of the IPL was out of this world. I’d never seen anything like it before in a game of cricket.”The first game I played, I’ve walked out to bat and the crowd was so loud, you just couldn’t hear anything. And I was shaking as the bowler was running in for the first ball, it was just the most amazing thing.”

West Ham have seemingly turned their attentions to a new midfield target…

What’s the word?

According to GIVEMESPORT, the Hammers have made an enquiry for Rangers star Glen Kamara after he excelled at Euro 2020 for Finland and they could look to prioritise a move for him over the Czech Republic’s Alex Kral.

It’s claimed that the East London outfit have asked the Scottish champions about the potential finances involved in making a swoop for the 25-year-old former Arsenal graduate this summer.

Noble successor

On the face of it, the Irons may not need another central midfielder in David Moyes’ ranks but they are merely one or two injuries away from a bit of a crisis and this time next year, they’ll certainly need more bodies.

That’s because Mark Noble is retiring after 18 years at the club and currently, he’s the only backup to first-choice duo Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

With West Ham competing in Europe this season, it would be wise for them to add strength in depth sooner rather than later, which is why a move for Kamara makes a ton of sense.

He could well be the perfect successor to Noble’s throne at the London Stadium.

The 34-cap Finland international was one of Steven Gerrard’s standout performers as the Gers recorded their first league title in a decade – no outfield player managed a better average passing accuracy per game (90.5%) than Kamara.

In addition to that, he averaged one tackle, 0.9 interceptions and 0.9 key passes per league outing, whilst at Euro 2020, this increased to 2.3 tackles and 3.3 interceptions even though he faced semi-finalists Denmark and one of the favourites Belgium in their group, via WhoScored.

The 25-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders north of the border, at least according to former Ibrox star Charlie Miller, who told the Daily Record:

“Glen Kamara is the best midfielder in Scotland.

“He has the ability to go and play at a very high level. He is athletic, technically very good, is good in the tackle and is becoming a complete player. Maybe he could do to add a few more goals but he certainly assists in that area.

“Put it this way, there are players going for £30-£40m in England who couldn’t lace Kamara’s boots.”

Furthermore, this kind of praise was also seen during his time at Dundee, so it wasn’t merely a one-off. His former boss Neil McCann labelled him a “special talent” to reporters during their time together.

All in all, on the above evidence, this is surely the sort of player that Moyes would love to have in his squad, especially with Noble’s retirement on the horizon.

Previous reports have suggested that he could be available for just £10m, whilst Transfermarkt value him at just £5.4m. He’d surely be an absolute steal.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops encouraging West Ham transfer claim, Moyes will surely be buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making serious moves in the transfer market this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are finalising a move for Sevilla winger Bryan Gil, with the long-serving Erik Lamela expected to go the other way.

He tweeted: “EXCL. Tottenham and Sevilla are finalizing a new swap deal: Erik Lamela to Sevilla, Bryan Gil to Spurs. Agreement set to be reached on [a] permanent deal and here we go soon!

“Sevilla will also receive €25m + add ons included as part of the deal.”

Good riddance?

This could well be quite a coup for the north Londoners as they will be shifting some deadwood in favour of one of Europe’s most promising young prospects.

The 20-year-old, who is valued at £27m, has enjoyed quite the breakthrough at Sevilla, where he scored four goals and provided three assists on their way to a fourth-place finish in La Liga 2020/21.

Gil has been described as a “potential star in the making” by ESPN UK editor David Cartlidge, who also believes Spurs are landing a “very, very exciting talent”, whilst football scout Jacek Kulig once lauded him a “real gem” as he was behind only Lionel Messi, Frenkie de Jong and Vinicius Junior for progressive runs in La Liga in 2020/1.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

It also means that Spurs are finally set to get rid of Lamela, who has arguably stolen a living at the club in recent years.

The Argentine has nearly spent as much time on the treatment table as on the pitch. In 177 appearances for Spurs since joining in 2013, Lamela has only provided 17 goals, while has never surpassed five assists in any Premier League campaign.

As of April this year, the winger had missed 135 matches through injury, as per football.london. That is just not good enough considering he’s among the highest earners at the club, bringing home a reported £85k-per-week.

He’s had his fair share of criticism on the pitch, with Graeme Souness once claiming that the Argentine was “pathetic” in getting Anthony Martial sent off last October, before BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand questioned his attitude during a defeat to Leeds two months ago.

Therefore, this claim from Romano should have many around N17 absolutely buzzing, as it seems that Fabio Paratici has pulled off a remarkable move in the transfer market.

Spurs will be getting one of Spain’s best prospects behind the likes of Ansu Fati and Pedri, and at the same time, they are getting rid of Lamela after a disappointing eight years at the club.

AND in other news, Paratici could finally replace Eriksen with Spurs swoop for £26m-rated “revelation”…

Graham Napier turned in another stellar performance, with bat and ball, as Essex romped past Northamptonshire at Chelmsford

The Bulletin by Will Luke07-Jul-2008
Scorecard
Runs and now wickets for Graham Napier © Getty Images
Not even Graham Gooch or Nasser Hussain, two of Essex’s most loyal luminaries, could have predicted the impact Graham Napier would have on the Twenty20 Cup this season. Batting with the same freedom and remarkable power of the past three weeks, he continued his supreme form with another bruising knock, but it was with the ball that he most impressed today. His 4 for 10 eased Essex past Northamptonshire at Chelmsford and, in doing so, into Finals Day.It was with some relief that the fortress of fans at Chelmsford were able to watch a match. 6000 Durham and Yorkshire supporters were denied in the first quarter-final of the day at Chester-le-Street, owing to an administrative bungle of embarrassing proportions. Happily, Napier and Essex were on top form to sound a note of caution to other Finals Day hopefuls. This was a dominant and all-round performance from the outset.They had the rub of the green, winning the toss and batting, but immediately put Northamptonshire’s bowlers under pressure. Ravi Bopara was out of the traps with a fortunate splice over the slips, yet thereafter played with an elegance not often seen in Twenty20 cricket. Two orthodox cover-drives were struck with immense timing, as were a fierce drive down the ground and a pull over midwicket. Curiously, Grant Flower came in at No.3 followed by James Foster, and at 134 for 3 it was a surprise Essex delayed Napier’s arrival.If it was a tactic, the decision paid off handsomely as Napier took command in 20 balls of power-hitting. The first of three sixes broke a tile on the roofs at midwicket, while Andrew Hall was repeatedly mowed through the leg side, but there is class amid the carnage, as demonstrated by a hit-through-the-line maximum off Johann Louw. The same bowler was dispatched for another six when Napier scythed him over long-on – very nearly over the floodlight. It, like all three, landed in the street.Essex’s good fortune continued when a brief shower spiced up the pitch, aiding David Masters and Napier’s impressive new-ball spell in defending 175 from 18 overs. Masters had Rob White caught behind with a keen incutter before Napier, bowling with genuine pace, lured Hall into nicking an outswinger. Three balls later David Sales was clean-bowled by a searing inswinger proving, were it needed, that behind Napier’s obvious brawn lies plenty of brain. Riki Wessels also fell under his spell, and at 11 for 4, Northamptonshire had little hope.Nicky Boje carved eight fours in an entertaining fifty, which almost went unnoticed by one of county cricket’s most partisan and honest crowds, but Northamptonshire never had a hope after their top-order capitulation. For good measure, Napier added Lance Klusener to pick up 4 for 10 – the most economical Essex figures in the Twenty20 Cup – as Essex wrapped up the most emphatic of wins.So far, Napier – surprisingly modest for someone with the build of a prop forward – has dismissed his chances of a future England call-up as the stuff of dreams. Today, he responded with “we’ll see,” perhaps showing the selectors that he himself now believes the hype. Either way, the Indian Premier League dollars now surely beckon.

Many Everton fans have been left celebrating as Bernard has officially left the Goodison Park faithful.

As confirmed by their official Twitter page, the Brazilian has signed for Sharjah FC on a two-year deal.

Some supporters of the Merseyside club have previously wanted him to leave, following an ultimately disappointing spell.

Playing in 84 games in total for the Toffees over all competitions across the last three consecutive seasons, Bernard has only managed to score a mere eight goals and make just seven assists, despite mainly operating from advanced attacking areas of the pitch (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Blues will now be able to reinvest the money that they received from him back into the squad come the new 2021/22 campaign.

Everton fans on Bernard exit

These EFC fans celebrated as the exit news was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian even going as far as to claim that they were ‘delighted’, while another hailed it as ‘unreal’:

“Christmas has come early. Waster out the door.”

Credit: @irish_toffee87

“Get in”

Credit: @therangarich

“Delighted with this”

Credit: @MarkReidMITM

“Yeah good move this for the club. He was pretty dreadful. Never seen a player fall over as much as him.”

Credit: @nickjones314

“Walcott, Bernard and Bolasie gone. That’s 150k a week straight away….unreal!”

Credit: @Tom_Challinor

“Don’t care, he’s off the wages. Good enough for me.”

Credit: @18GEOTUS78

In other news, find out what club update has Toffees gushing here!

Hashim Amla’s fifth Test hundred guided South Africa safely to a draw on the fifth and final day at Lord’s. Two days ago, it seemed unlikely the visitors would survive into the fourth day, let alone scrap it out into the fifth, yet it was England – the te

The Bulletin by Will Luke14-Jul-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Hashim Amla’s resilience bodes well for South Africa in the rest of the series © Getty Images
Hashim Amla’s fifth Test hundred guided South Africa safely to a draw on the fifth and final day at Lord’s. Two days ago, it seemed unlikely the visitors scrap it out into the fifth, yet it was England – the team who so dominated the first three days – who trudged off wearily 75 minutes after tea. South Africa may not have won, but they will take heart from their characteristically dogged performance with the second Test only four days away.Remarkably, this was the sixth draw in as many Tests at Lord’s. Indeed, the home of cricket hasn’t witnessed a win since Australia’s 239-run win in the 2005 Ashes, and barring a spectacular collapse by South Africa, it was unlikely that the trend would be broken today by Michael Vaughan’s men. This isn’t to discredit a wholehearted bowling performance, more to emphasise the benign surface that Lord’s has produced over the last few years. In truth, they needed an Andrew Flintoff, and shortly after play his name was included in England’s 12-man squad for Headingley.Amla and Neil McKenzie deadened the match in the morning session, surviving unscathed at lunch, though by no means did England simply go through the motions. They persisted in a war of bouncers against Amla, attacking his supposed weakness; James Anderson, in particular, cranked up impressive pace from the Pavilion End, and fired in bumper after bumper to try and unsettle Amla. Yet not even an extraordinary leg-side field reminiscent of Bodyline could waver Amla’s concentration, as he ducked, weaved and evaded all Anderson threw at him. Anything on his legs was duly whipped through midwicket with subcontinental elasticity. With Amla nudging and nurdling on a lifeless pitch, this was more Lahore than Lord’s.Meanwhile, McKenzie continued where he left off last night, showing remarkable resolve as he notched up his 400th ball faced. Such were England’s attacking fields that anything wide could be easily dispatched, as was the case when Stuart Broad offered McKenzie a gift outside his off stump that was languidly back-cut.Not even the introduction of Monty Panesar could turn England’s fortunes for the better.In fact, Panesar bowled the first over of the day to McKenzie, and could well have had him caught at short-leg, the ball narrowly evading his bat. Yet thereafter, for all his guile and occasional turn, Panesar was rarely a threat – unsurprisingly given the pitch’s lack of bounce. Only occasionally did the odd ball leap alarmingly, and Amla’s concentration failed him for once when he drove loosely at a wider spinning delivery. The very next ball was thumped through cover for four, before Amla nurtured more runs through midwicket to bring up the pair’s hundred partnership from 250 balls, and his own cultured fifty from 116 balls. The match was subsiding into a draw.Smart statsSouth Africa saved a Test after following on for the tenth time in 38 matches. England have failed to win a Test the last three times they have asked South Africa to follow on.South Africa batted 167 overs after being asked to follow on, which is their second-highest in the second innings since their readmission into Test cricket. They had faced 209.2 overs against the same opposition after following on in Durban in 1999.Three South African batsmen hit hundreds in their second innings, only the second time a team following on has managed three centuries in their innings.South Africa closed their innings at 393 for 3 declared, the lowest total in which three individual centuries have been scored.Monty Panesar bowled 60 of the 167 overs in South Africa’s second innings, the most he’s bowled in an innings. Only Ashley Giles has bowled more overs in an innings for England since 2000.Ryan Sidebottom gave away 46 runs in his 30 overs, equalling the most economical spell of 30 overs or more in this decade by an England bowler.Or was it? England were given cause for brief hope just after lunch when Anderson, visibly tiring in the field, offered McKenzie a wide to which he slashed behind to Tim Ambrose. In strode the ominous figure of Jacques Kallis, who made just 7 in the first innings, and again he struggled to pick up England’s seamers, driving streakily just wide of Alastair Cook in the gully. Panesar troubled him in the next over, too, with one that finally spat up off a length, but Kallis responded in commanding style to pull him over midwicket. The authority he showed in one stroke eluded him entirely a few overs later, however.Sidebottom chose this moment to produce his best ball of the match to South Africa’s best batsman. Appearing to angle across Kallis, it bent back markedly on the right-hander to rip out his middle stump. South Africa were effectively 11 for 3, and the excitement of the situation chivvied Panesar into producing a fine over to the new batsman, Ashwell Prince. Two very close shouts for lbw were turned down by Daryl Harper, while Prince insisted on padding up to viciously-spun balls turning out of the rough.As South Africa took the lead, Amla visibly settled, working twos through midwicket and occasionally pouncing the odd boundary off any strays that England offered. His was a controlled, disciplined innings – the type none of his team-mates, with the exception of Prince, could muster in the first innings; the like of which South Africa will need at Headingley, too. A back-cut for four brought up his hundred from 231 balls, and the match was as good as saved.Farce briefly threatened to scuff the shine off South Africa’s gutsy effort when the umpires halted play for bad light – in near-bright sunshine. And a patient crowd were then victim to watching Alastair Cook’s time-stalling offbreaks for an over, before common sense prevailed and an exhausted Graeme Smith gave the thumbs up to Michael Vaughan from the balcony. The match might have petered to a draw, but both sides have given a tempting glimpse into the battles that lie ahead in the final three Tests.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa target Leon Bailey, regarding his thoughts on a move to the Premier League…

What’s the talk

According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa target Leon Bailey is interested in a move to the Premier League this summer from Bayer Leverkusen. The Villans have had a £25m bid rejected for his services, but have not given up on the race as of yet.

Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell is also said to be a player who is being looked at as a potential signing should Jack Grealish depart for The Etihad in the coming weeks.

Smith will be delighted

Johan Lange must make sure that he takes advantage of this latest update to secure a deal for the exciting attacker before the end of the transfer window. The forward wants a transfer to England and this could play perfectly into Villa’s hands as it could end with the Jamaica international pushing for a move, forcing Bayer Leverkusen to cede their ground in terms of pricing.

Dean Smith would be delighted if Lange could get this one of the line as the £70k-per-week gem could be a terrific addition to the team. He has proven his quality over in Germany and shown that he has what it takes to perform consistently at the top level, playing domestically and in Europe.

Ex-Ajax coach Ronald de Boer once praised his attributes, highlighting his speed and ability on the ball. He said: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voller lauded his “extraordinary” speed. He said: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

The attacker enjoyed a sensational 2020/21 campaign as he racked up 15 goals and 11 assists in all competition for Leverkusen, including five goals and two assists in eight Europa League games. This shows that he could come in and make an impact in the Premier League, whilst he also has the potential to be a key player for the club if they are ever able to qualify for Europe.

Smith could also enjoy working with him on the training pitch to aid his development. The former Brentford coach has helped Jack Grealish improve in recent years and Bailey could follow a similar path as he only turns 24 in August. This means that he still has room to grow as a player and could flourish at Villa Park, which is another reason why Lange must go in with another offer for his services.

AND in other news, Update emerges over Villa target with “god-given” talent, Lange must avoid big howler…

Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, has insisted that Simon Jones’s latest knee injury does not threaten his long-term future in the game

Cricinfo staff20-Aug-2008Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, has insisted that Simon Jones’s latest knee injury does not threaten his long-term future in the game.Jones, who was forced to pull out of the England Lions matches against the South Africans last week, will undergo an arthroscopy to clean up the knee as soon as possible. It blights what has been an encouraging season for his new county, after switching from Glamorgan, but Rhodes is adamant that Jones will return.”Simon is a bit down,” he told PA. “He is sick to the back teeth with injury problems and he is disappointed not to reach some of the targets he has set himself, such as 50 championship wickets this season.”But he has done marvellously for us. He has given our attack something it didn’t have. He’s been an aggressive, impact bowler and I’ve been delighted with him.”He’s made the England selectors notice him and to make the initial squad for the Champions Trophy was a fantastic effort.”The goal was to get him through to the end of the season, and we almost got there, but if you had asked me at the start of the season, I’d have settled for what we’ve had from Simon during the past four months.”