In the battle of the big fish, Canterbury surged into the top spot in the State Shield points table with a convincing demolition of second-placed Otago. Michael Papps pushed his claims for a national recall with an accomplished 73 while Peter Fulton, fresh from a good one-day series against Sri Lanka, smashed 85 from 70 balls complete with seven fours and a couple of sixes as Canterbury made 257 for 6. Aaron Redmond, bowling his legbreaks, was the most successful Otago bowler with 3 for 40 from his 10 overs. Following a dismal series with the ball against Sri Lanka, Chris Cairns produced a display that will give him confidence ahead of a busy New Zealand touring season. Sharing the new ball responsibilities with the impressive Stephen Cunis, Cairns ran through Otago to finish with figures of 4 for 23 from seven overs. Cunis played his role well with 2 for 26 as Canterbury’s opening duo made a mockery of Otago. Jonathan Trott, enjoying a good season, stood head and shoulders above his team-mates in scoring an unbeaten 83.
Virender Sehwag, the Man of the Match in the deciding game of the series, admitted that the Indian team were very upset with their shock loss in the second game, and wanted to make certain there was no repeat of the fiasco. “Of course we were very upset because we lost against Bangladesh,” said Sehwag. “We don’t deserve to lose against Bangladesh. We came here with a very positive mindset and were ready to give them a good total if we batted first. We decided we won’t give them any chance to come back in this game.”Sehwag himself has had a poor run in the three-week tour of Bangladesh, but made amends with a brisk 70. “I was a little bit upset with my performance because I didn’t get runs in the last three innings against Bangladesh,” he said. “I was pretty confident. I wanted to bat the first five overs easily and then may be I would get a good, big score.”Mohammad Kaif, who won the Man-of-the-Series award for his consistent performances, explained that he has been in good nick in the last few months. “I think I have been hitting the ball well, not only in Bangladesh but it started from England I guess. I got promoted and batted at No.3 and 4. I’ve been very lucky, I’ve kept my rhythm going in the nets.”Meanwhile there was plenty to be happy about in the other camp as well. “I’m happy with the progression both with individuals and with the team, since the New Zealand series,” said Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach. “Mashrafe Mortaza has made a strong comeback and Khaled Mahmud has found some form as well.”Buoyed by Bangladesh’s strong showing against India, Whatmore and his team were eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming home series against Zimbabwe. “The series can’t come quick enough,” he said. “We want to play tomorrow.”When asked whether yesterday’s surprise win against India had proved some of the points Whatmore had been making over the past few months, he said: “It did. I know it was not a full strength Indian team but still it was a strong opposition. This match was a great effort, it was a sort of strong effort that will win you matches even against other teams. The way we fought when we bowled and fielded made me very proud.”
Durham 267 for 7 beat Scotland 153 by 114 runs Scorecard Back in May Scotland started their inaugural National Leaguecampaign with a victory over Durham, but there was no repeat atRaeburn Place in Edinburgh as Shoaib Akhtar roared in to demolishthe Scottish upper order. After Durham made a handy 267 in their 45overs, with Gordon Muchall scoring 87, Scotland had no answer to thepace of Shoaib, who took four wickets in his first three overs to reducethe Scots to 6 for 4. Shortly afterwards Rahul Dravid was bowled by NeilKilleen for 5, and after that they did well to limp to 153. Majid Haqthumped 55 not out. It was Scotland’s fifth consecutive defeat, after theirfine start in the National League.
Australian captain Steve Waugh admitted one blow from New Zealand’s Chris Cairns was the difference between a loss and a draw for his team during a dramatic day of high stakes in the first Test at the Gabba today.The match finished in a draw under lights not long after Cairns was caught on the long-on boundary by Ricky Ponting, ending an irresistible campaign by the New Zealanders to steal the Test.Waugh said if Cairns’ swipe had cleared the boundary, New Zealand would have won a Test which was brought to life by the rival captains after rain had ruined theprevious three days.Waugh and Stephen Fleming made bold declarations on the final day, engineering a finish which seemed unlikely when a torrential downpour swamped the Gabba onthe fourth night.New Zealand was set 284 to win from 57 overs and fell short at 6-274 following valuable knocks from Cairns (43 from 38 balls), Fleming (57), Mark Richardson(57) and Nathan Astle (49).The final day had it all, including 459 runs – the highest in the last 47 years of Test cricket.But that was a backdrop to the overall plot, which included the likelihood of an Australian win, the probability of a tame draw and then the real chance that NewZealand would knock over cricket’s best team only after they had been invited to the party by Waugh.”You’re here to entertain and enjoy yourself and you’re trying to win a Test match if you can. I don’t see any point playing out a dull draw,” Waugh said.”They definitely had their chances and I guess if that ball went for six they probably would have won the game so it was a fine line.”It was an ending that seemed unlikely when New Zealand began the final day at 5-186 in its first innings, trying to avoid the follow-on mark of 286.They squeaked past that with two wickets to spare and Fleming immediately called his players in, waiting for a response from the Australians.They obliged with 2-84 from 14 overs before Waugh called a halt midway through the day, setting up a one-day style chase on a perfect Brisbane afternoon.The foundations were laid before Cairns lit up the Gabba with 43 from 38 balls, dragging the Kiwis within 21 runs of victory with just 18 balls remaining.Fleming’s approach was refreshing for an Australian public which has put up with touring teams which have worked on safety-first cricket, with some even refusing to play under lights in Test matches.”It’s about the traditions of a game and it’s about breaking new mould and if you can create entertainment, I’m massively for it,” Fleming said.”I’m convinced it’s the way Test cricket has to go entertainment-wise.”The fifth day was extended to 105 overs because of the previous rain delays, and it was rewarded with plenty of action.But it was still headed for a draw until Cairns and Craig McMillan (23 not out from 22 balls) scared the wits out of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in the finalovers, taking 31 runs from two overs.But McGrath pulled the shutters down when he bowled a wide line outside off-stump, just inches inside the legal width, and Waugh later defended the tactic.”We did it when we had to and New Zealand did the same thing,” Waugh said.”There was a lot of wide stuff from their bowlers. It’s Test match cricket and you’re not going to hand out a victory on a platter.”They had to work hard for it – that’s what it’s all about.”Both teams head for the second Test in Hobart on Thursday week, with New Zealand resigned to life without paceman Dion Nash.He will return home tomorrow with an abdominal muscle injury, but he braved the pain today for an invaluable 25 not out in the first innings.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been a revelation since his arrival at the club, taking over from the rather dismal Steve Bruce earlier this season.
He joined the Magpies as they were winless and struggling at the foot of the Premier League table but has now led them to 14th place as it stands, with the side currently on a seven-game unbeaten run in the division.
One of the keys to his success so far has been how he has handled some of the players who lost their way under Bruce, with one of those being centre-back Fabian Schar.
The 30-year-old joined Newcastle from Deportivo in 2018 and Transfermarkt valued him at just £2.7m at the time of the move. However, he enjoyed a sensational start to his career at the club as he averaged a mightily impressive SofaScore rating of 7.14 in the Premier League in his first campaign and then a score of 6.89 in his second season.
That said, Schar then struggled in the latter parts of Bruce’s time at St. James’ Park as he lost his way and, subsequently, his place in the XI.
He has enjoyed a revival in recent weeks, though, as he has recorded an eyecatching rating of 7.00 or higher in five of his last season appearances for the club in all competitions. Howe has reinstalled the £40k-per-week gem in the starting XI and is reaping the rewards with the defender’s impressive performances.
Toon legend Alan Shearer previously dubbed him as “commanding” and a “danger” going forward in 2019. These comments were relevant once again last weekend as the Switzerland international produced a sublime performance against Brentford.
As per SofaScore, he won six of his nine individual duels and made seven clearances and one block. This shows that he was brilliant defensively and led by example with his dominant display, whilst he also flaunted his attacking threat as he broke from centre-back to race through and slot the ball directly into the path of Joe Willock to make it 2-0.
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His recent displays, including this one, show that he still has plenty to give to the club and is able to play a major role in the Premier League moving forward. Therefore, the club’s deal to bring him to Tyneside in 2018 was a dream signing as he has given immense value on the pitch over several seasons, despite a stutter in the middle.
At the time of writing, Transfermarkt value him at £6.3m. This means that his price has soared 133% since his initial move to Newcastle from La Liga, showing that he has improved during his time in England whilst delivering top-class displays on the pitch.
AND In other news, NUFC can unearth their new Callum Wilson in £20.8m predator who has “the scoring nose”…
A scintillating unbeaten century by Test discard Younis Khan (146) enabled Peshawar amass 352 for four wickets against Lahore Whites on the first day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at the LCCA Ground on Monday.At close of play, Younis and Taimur Khan (50) were at the creae having piled up 168 runs in their 149-minute unbroken fifth wicket stand.Younis Khan came at the crease 10 minutes before the lunch interval when Wajahatullah Wasti (34) and Rifattulah (31) were back in the pavilion after Peshawar were put into bat by Lahore Whites’ captain Aamir Sohail.Younis batted with authority and belted 22 boundaries and one six during a stay of 234 minutes. He consumed 190 balls. Taimur’s 50 contained six boundaries.
ScorecardAssam lost three quick wickets towards the end of the day as Services, who had earlier taken their innings to 406, pressed home their advantage. Although Services lost two quick wickets in the morning after starting the day on 272 for 5, Ashish Mohanty and Surender Patwal added 86 for the eighth wicket to put Services in charge. Mohanty scored 57 and Patwal 34. Kushaljit Das took four wickets for Assam.Assam had made a good start as S Suresh and Palash Das made Services wait for 18 overs for the first wicket. But then three came in the space of 16 runs, Rakesh Kumar taking two in three overs. Scorecard Haryana dismissed half the Jammu & Kashmir side for 92 after they had posted 404 to tighten their hold over the match. Jitender Billa, in his second first-class match, struck thrice to leave J&K reeling, despite a half-century by Arshad Bhatt.Earlier overnight batsmen Sachin Rana and SS Viswanathan strengthened Haryana’s position before Amit Mishra scored 54 to take them past 400. Rana scored 132 and Viswanathan 65. Scorecard Manish Vardhan, the Jharkhand captain, scored an unbeaten century to take Jharkhand to 213 for 1 and to give them every chance to secure a first-innings lead against Goa’s 336. Vardhan batted at a fast pace, hitting 15 boundaries in his 157-ball 113. He was supported well by opening partner Subroto Ghosh who scored 57. For the first wicket, the duo added 103 runs.Earlier, thanks to Aditya Angle’s cameo, Goa took their overnight 251 for 7 to 336. Angle scored 45 off 60 deliveries 50 runs for the last wicket with Harshad Gadekar. ScorecardVidarbha took the last five Gujarat wickets for 40 runs and their batsmen turned in a steady performance to put them in a position from where they can go for the first-innings lead. Gujarat could add only 42 to their overnight 270 for 5 as Mohammad Hashim took four of the wickets to fall today to finish with figures of 4-63.After Vidarbha lost their first wicket for one, Faiz Fazal put them on the recovery track. Ravi Jangid, making his first-class debut, came in at 84 for 3 and scored an unbeaten half-century to see Vidarbha attain the upper-hand in the match. Scorecard The Railways lower-order frustrated Madhya Pradesh, and added 208 runs resuming from 256 for 5. Raja Ali and Karan Sharma scored half-centuries and Mahesh Rawat added 25 to his overnight 50. Ali missed his century by 12 runs and Sharma scored 61. Sanjay Pandey took three of the five wickets to fall today to add respectability to his figures.In reply, MP made a steady start as they finished the day at 50 without loss.
The retirement of Nathan Astle will create mixed emotions among New Zealand cricket fans. New Zealand are undeniably a weaker team without his experience, but at the same time it is also undeniable that Astle was a batsman on the wane.Less than two months out from the World Cup the timing is hardly ideal, but you have to admire a man who goes with the courage of his convictions. And there was plenty to admire about Astle the cricketer, too.Statistically he retires as New Zealand’s greatest one-day batsman. His 7090 runs are second only to Stephen Fleming, but his 16 centuries are ten better than Fleming and 12 better than the likes of Chris Cairns and Martin Crowe. Added to his 11 Test centuries (third on the list behind Martin Crowe and John Wright), Astle has 27 international hundreds, six better than Crowe.But statistics are cold, they tell nothing of the excitement Astle brought to the crease when he was in his pomp. He could take good length balls with a minimum of width and dispatch them through the covers for four in the blink of an eye. There was nothing flamboyant or affected about his manner at the crease but he was, particularly in one-day cricket, a brutally effective run gatherer.He was a sound bowling option too, as his 99 wickets and economy rate of 4.71 demonstrate. His Test career was never quite as impressive but he will be fondly remembered for two of the more remarkable innings.In 1997, in a test against England at Eden Park, New Zealand began their second innings 131 runs behind England, effectively having to bat out the final day on a deteriorating pitch to save the match. At 105 for 8 and then 142 for 9 New Zealand’s chances were gone, but rabbit Danny Morrison joined Astle in a remarkable unbroken 106-run stand. Astle hit the last ball before stumps were drawn for four to bring up a richly deserved century.Five years later, against the same opposition but this time on his home ground at Jade Stadium, Astle was presented with another lost cause. Chasing 550 to win, New Zealand were 119 for 3 when Astle strode to the crease. When he was last man out with the total at 451, Astle had smashed a scarcely believable 222 off 168 balls – the fastest double-century in Test history – with 28 fours and 11 sixes.
Those who were lucky enough to be at the ground that day testify to the incredibly ‘clean’ sound the ball made every time it found its way into the middle of Astle’s bat. Despite his one-day prowess that innings, in a losing cause, will stand as Astle’s legacy.Off the field Astle could often appear a dry personality. The truth was he was a pretty simple sort of bloke who could have happily gone through life without ever giving an interview. He liked playing cricket but not necessarily the peripheral stuff that came with it. As it is, anecdotes involving Astle are hardly thick on the ground.Instead he left it to his bat to do the talking. At his best Astle was an uncomplicated combination of power and timing. Unfortunately, as Astle’s reflexes dulled with age he didn’t have the bedrock of a sound technique to fall back on. He still had enough experience and savvy to knock out decent innings, but they were fewer and further between.Bowlers and captains had his number, stacking the cover-point region and refusing to give him the width he had made a living off. The sight of the ball angling in and thudding into Astle’s pads became more common.But that’s not what we will remember Astle for. Instead we will remember his blazing bat that often kick-started New Zealand’s success. We will remember some spectacular outfield catches, most notably the one-handed grab which robbed Dwayne Smith of a six at Jade Stadium last year.And most of all we will remember double-century.
Misbah-ul-Haq compiled a splendid double-hundred but Sufyan Munir fell in the nervous nineties as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) amassed a first-innings score of 498 for 8 against Pakistan Customs on day two of their second round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at Karachi.Misbah maintained his fine run on the domestic circuit with his 21st first-class century – and third double-hundred – which is now his highest. Batting for just over nine hours, he faced 397 balls and hit 12 fours and six sixes. Misbah was particularly severe on Murtaza Hussain’s offbreaks, launching him for for three sixes, and Stephen John, the fast bowler, who was twice struck out of the ground. Murtaza, who had five wickets in his last match against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), finished with none for 105 in 37 overs.Playing in his 99th first-class match, Misbah was first associated in a 166-run partnership in 288 minutes for the third wicket with Munir before putting on a further 165 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Salman, the wicketkeeper, to build a big total for his team.Munir was unlucky to miss what would have been his career’s eighth hundred when he was bowled by Imran Ali’s medium pace for 91. Sufyan clubbed 13 boundaries in his 91 off 250 balls while occupying the crease for almost five and a half hours. Misbah too fell just before the close, offering a return catch to Afsar Nawaz, the part-time offspinner, trying to pull him over midwicket.Salman hit an attractive 72 in 126 deliveries, with four boundaries and three sixes. Imran Ali, with a marathon 41 overs sent down so far, has been the most successful bowler with three wickets for 109 runs.Habib Bank nosed ahead of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) to take a 21-run lead on the second day of their second-round Patron’s Trophy match at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex in Karachi.After having dismissed KRL for a rather modest score of 247 on the opening day, Habib Bank reached 268 for the loss of six wickets by the close of play yesterday. Farhan Adil, the middle-order batsman, was still at the wicket with an unbeaten 73 off 134 balls with six fours. After a useful start, Hasan Raza, the Habib Bank captain, and Aftab Khan came together for an 84-run partnership for the third wicket. Aftab’s 59 runs saw him negotiate 156 balls in just over three-and-a-half hours as he hit eight boundaries.Raza followed his knock of 178 in the first-round match against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with a useful 44 off 87 deliveries with two fours. Another 62 runs came for the fourth-wicket stand between Aftab and Adil, who played for Pakistan in a Test match against Bangladesh two years ago.In their first-round match, a tall-scoring affair, Habib Bank – record seven-time Patron’s Trophy winners – claimed the three first-innings points from a draw against PIA.Service Industries were hurtling towards a certain defeat as the second day of their match against National Bank came to a close at the Sheikhupura Stadium.National Bank first gained a big 164 runs first-innings lead over Service, who had been dismissed for a mere 72 on the opening day, and then restricted them to 90 for 5. Service still need another 75 runs to make National Bank bat again. Wasim Khan, the fast-medium bowler from Lahore, proved to be Service’s tormentor yet again, taking 4 for 39 to add to his first innings 6 for 38.National Bank, five-time Patron’s Trophy winners, had equalled the Service first-innings total by stumps on the first day, for the loss of only two wickets. Yesterday, they took their tally to 236 all out but still attained a substantial advantage. No National Bank batsman crossed 50 but there were three individual scores in the 40s. Mansoor Amjad, the allrounder, top-scored with 47 from the No.7 spot, with five fours and a six. The Service bowlers were wayward, conceding 26 no-balls as the extras column reached a shocking 44. However, Rizwan Akbar, the young fast bowler, achieved first-class career-best figures of 6 for 76 from 11.5 overs.Earlier, Imran Nazir, the former Pakistan opener, hammered a characteristic 46 off 64 balls with seven boundaries. Naved Latif, who has also represented Pakistan, needed a mere 28 deliveries to smash 42.Service qualified for this season’s first-class circuit after having won the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II tournament in 2004-05. They were beaten by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) in their first-round Group B encounter.Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) cleared the first hurdle when they gained the first innings advantage over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), on the second day of their clash at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.PTCL finished the day’s play at 265 for 6 – which took them six runs ahead – after ZTBL made 259 on the opening day. PTCL’s sound position was made possible by a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Zulqarnain Haider, the wicketkeeper, and Aamer Bashir, the captain. While Bashir hit a quick 77 off 114 deliveries with 12 fours, Zulqarnain remains at the wicket with an unbeaten 88 runs to his name.PTCL had started the day precariously placed at 3 for 2 before a third-wicket stand of 82 between Zulqarnain and Ashar Zaidi, the left-handed opener, steadied them. Zulqarnain, who has so far faced 250 balls and hit seven fours, found another able partner in Shahzad Malik (33) as 44 runs were added for the fifth wicket. Shahzad got his runs off only 36 balls with two fours and a six.ZTBL, who have won the Patron’s Trophy title four times, were beaten by their 2003-04 runners-up Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the first round. PTCL, however, took six points from their win over Service Industries in their opening game.
Namibia finished their tour of Zimbabwe with a good match against Matabeleland, although they lost in the end by 23 runs with 13 balls unbowled. The decisive performance was a century from Mark Vermeulen, who should have played his way into the national team for the upcoming one-day series against England. He made a rapid century, although the most notable incident was the unusual manner of his dismissal.Namibia were required to field first for the only time on their tour. Matabeleland’s openers battled through some very good early bowling, with Tinashe Hove going on to make an impressive 80. This laid the foundation for Vermeulen’s 105 off 96 balls, with ten fours. He was finally dismissed when he went for a hasty second run to his partner’s hit into the deep. He was probably not in real danger of being run out, but as the throw passed him, with the bowler preparing to receive it, he thrust his bat at it and deflected it to the boundary. On appeal he was given out obstructing the field.Matabeleland totalled 272 – exactly the same score as in their previous game, in which Vermeulen made 91 – but Jan-Berrie Burger gave Namibia a rollicking start with 71 off 58 balls. The rest put up a good effort right to the end, but did not have quite enough batting depth to pull off an unlikely victory. Chris Mpofu was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 45. Scorecard In a good match at Kwekwe Sports Club, Midlands beat Manicaland by 65 runs. It was a good allround performance, with the most encouraging individual effort being a disciplined 64 from the often-prodigal prodigy, Vusi Sibanda.Midlands, batting first, scored 254. Besides Sibanda, Conan Brewer made 46, and Prosper Utseya contributed an aggressive 41 from just 24 balls. Manicaland looked in the hunt at 135 for 3 at the halfway stage, with Stuart Matsikenyeri going strong. But Matsikenyeri was then dismissed for 59, and the rest of the batting failed sadly, with the offspinner Hilary Matanga returning the best figures of 3 for 27.