A solid century from Herschelle Gibbs lifted South Africa to 291 for 5 and into a 2-1 series lead as they defeated England by 108 runs in the fourth one-dayer at Newlands. On a belter of a pitch, Gibbs and Jacques Kallis posted a record third-wicket stand of 143, before Justin Kemp topped things off with 57 from just 36 balls. England then slumped to 35 for 3 in reply, and a lone stand of 75 from the inevitable Kevin Pietersen couldn’t rescue them as South Africa completed a convincing allround performance to win at a canter.In an unchanged South African side, Gibbs and Kallis came together on 50 for 2 after Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers had played well against the new ball. The third-wicket pairing played a patient game at first, before upping the tempo later on. Kallis fell for 71 attempting to do just that, as he chanced the golden arm of Paul Collingwood. But by this time South Africa were on 193 and, with seven wickets still remaining, the perfect platform for more fun had been set, and the in-form Gibbs was joined by the big-hitting Kemp.Gibbs’ century was his 14th in ODIs, and was well deserved. It was a mainly chanceless innings, although he survived one hairy moment as Darren Gough clung on to one which was sailing over his head – only for the momentum to carry him over the rope. But Gibbs stood firm, adding a host of sixes as he sailed to his century, until Collingwood took a comfortable catch on the cover boundary off Harmison’s bowling to end his reign (227 for 4).Kemp wasted no time, dancing down the track to launch Ashley Giles over long-on for six to announce his arrival. He added three more sixes, and four fours as he floored the accelerator to race along to 57, supported along the way by Ashwell Prince (14 not out). South Africa clubbed 98 runs for the loss of just two wickets in the last ten overs, as Kemp went on the offensive – clattering Kabir Ali for 20 from the final over of the innings – before Giles and Geraint Jones combined to run him out. But the job was already done.
England had picked up two early wickets to peg South Africa back after Michael Vaughan won the toss and sent them in. de Villiers had time to launch Harmison over midwicket for six, but Gough trapped him lbw in front of middle-and-leg for 9 before he had the chance to do further damage. South Africa were 18 for 1, which became 50 for 2 after Kabir sent down a straight one and pinned Smith plumb for 16.Then came the onslaught, and South Africa took firm control at Cape Town after tabling the highest total in an ODI between the two sides. England could not respond to the mountainous task and, as they lost three wickets for three runs, the writing was on the wall, authored by Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock. The fiery Ntini was again on song, removing Geraint Jones and Marcus Trescothick, while Pollock (10-0-35-2) scalped Michael Vaughan for a duck as England lurched to 35 for 3.Jones was the first to go, having rattled up 19 from 20 balls, as his flamboyant swing at Ntini’s widish delivery sailed through to Mark Boucher (32 for 1). This started the rot. Vaughan fell next, his edge off Pollock rocketing to Kallis at first slip, and Trescothick departed soon after, for 13, as Ntini sent his middle and leg stumps flying.England were in deep trouble, and in need of a sturdy rescue act from Andrew Strauss and the form batsman, Pietersen.But Strauss drove Andre Nel to Prince for 17 and Ian Bell made just 2 before edging thinly to Mark Boucher off the final ball of an expensive Jacques Kallis over. Kallis, having been taken to the cleaners by Pietersen with two fours and a six, mopped up as he dismissed Bell as England wobbled to 92 for 5. Pietersen set about engineering the run-chase, but his rampant innings came unstuck on 75. He launched Nicky Boje’s left-arm spin for a four and two sixes, but next ball he fell hooking as de Villiers held on at deep midwicket.Kabir was run out shortly afterwards, and then Ntini picked up his third victim as Giles chipped up to Pollock at cover. Giles’ 20 was, tellingly, the second-highest score for England behind Pietersen’s 75 – and there was no way back from 175 for 9. Boje applied the finishing touch, as Harmison spooned to Nel at long-off to end the first one-sided match of the series to date. There are now three matches left in a see-saw series, and England will head to East London on Wednesday to try to level the series.Jenny Thompson is assistant editor of Cricinfo.
If the timing of Lord MacLaurin’s remarks regarding the future of English cricket last week was designed to kick-start a debate on the subject, then it has done exactly as intended.On Thursday, MacLaurin told the BBC that to survive English cricket had to consider reducing the number of first-class counties from 18 to 12 and, as a result, decrease the number of professionals in the game by about 100. He warned that with the next television deal likely to produce far less income than the current one, the alternative was for cricket to become a minor summer sport "like croquet". Several of the county chairmen spluttered on cue, although the biggest reaction came from the world of croquet who were livid at the perceived slight.But the idea was in the public domain, and in the four days since it has been the subject of considerable discussion. At the forefront is the Reform Group, a loose collection consisting of two former England captains – Michael Atherton and Bob Willis – Michael Parkinson, David Willis (Bob’s brother), and Nigel Wray, the multi-millionaire owner of the Saracens Rugby Football Club.Over the weekend the Reform Group published an open letter outlining a four-point plan to safeguard the future of the game. They said they were responding to “England’s performances against South Africa” and supporting MacLaurin’s comments. Their proposals were:1. An end to the First-Class Forum (made up of the first-class counties plus MCC) which wields considerable power within the game, and its replacement by a streamlined management board responsible for all aspects of the game without the vested interest that the existing forum has.2: A reduction in the number of first-class teams to improve the quality of domestic cricket being played.3. A de-professionalisation of parts of the county game, allied to the establishment of a properly organised and financed county-based Premier League system.4. The creation of a true pyramid structure which allows non-professionals the chance to progress into the higher levels of the game. This would also create closer links between the professional and amateur competition.Mike Soper, chairman of the First-Class Forum, gave the proposal a mixed response. "I don’t agree with half of what the group has said. Some of it makes sense. You don’t just look at a piece of paper and agree with everything written on it, similarly you don’t dismiss it either.”But Soper did support the view that change was needed. “The ECB was formed six years ago, I think it is now time that we started looking at the whole constitution again. I don’t think the First-Class Forum will ever relinquish its power, until they are happy that the governing body and the executive can deliver."I don’t agree that there should be a reduction in the number of professional counties, but I do think Second XIs should be scrapped … and you could reduce costs by getting rid of half a dozen players from each the 18 counties.”At the moment the Reform Group is little more than a collection of like-minded souls who probably met up at The Oval and fostered a plan over a few post-match drinks. But if it builds up some momentum, it could become the focus for a genuine movement to begun to try and change a system which has proved doggedly resistant to all previous attempts to make it face up to the harsh economic realities of the modern world.
South Africa’s batsmen had a decent Test preparation on the final day of the drawn cricket tour match against Western Australia here.All the Test regulars – with the exception of the injured Herschelle Gibbs – got among the runs with Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie making centuries.Gary Kirsten and Lance Klusener added half-centuries as South Africa finished on 5-390 in its second innings before the match ended early.It was just the batting fillip the tourists needed ahead of the first Test against Australia – especially after being in the field for 10 hours over the weekend as WA made 8-600 in its first innings.Kallis was out on the stroke tea for 120 while McKenzie notched his 10th first-class ton – and probably his easiest – shortly after the break.Kallis arrived in Australia after scoring 590 runs at an average 295 in South Africa’s four home Tests this summer.He showed every sign of retaining that form with an effortless ton.His century took 199 minutes but 60 of the runs came in boundaries – 13 fours and three sixes – as he batted patiently and waited for the bad balls.He was eventually caught behind off Brad Hogg, the ball hitting his pad and bouncing off his glove as Ryan Campbell took a good reactive catch.McKenzie’s batting was delightful, full of deft wrist work and sweet timing.His century came off 141 balls and featured 10 fours and two sixes.He fell for 114 when Murray Goodwin took a spectacular diving catch at mid-off to the bowling of Stuart Karppinen.In favourable conditions, Kallis and McKenzie smashed 157 runs in the middle session, as they added 161 for the third wicket.Klusener hit a huge six off Hogg to bring up his 50 – which took 57 balls and featured 10 fours and a six.He was out off the next ball, trapped lbw by Hogg and the match ended.Earlier, Kirsten blew a chance to gain some valuable practice on the last day, getting out for 59 six minutes before lunch when he spooned a return catch to the left arm wrist spin of Hogg.Kirsten’s fellow Test opener Gibbs, after making only two in the first innings, was unable to bat because of a groin strain.Jacques Rudolph, bidding for a Test spot at No.3, was the only real failure – caught behind off Gavin Swan without adding to his overnight score of 12.But he made 59 in the first innings when batting was more difficult.The South Africans had indicated they wanted to declare late in the day to give Test spearhead Allan Donald a handful of overs after he missed a day’s bowling on Sunday with a foot injury.But in the end, they opted to bat out the day and take an early finish.South Africa’s cause was helped by the WA attack missing pace spearhead Matthew Nicholson, who made his maiden first-class century yesterday after taking fivewickets in South Africa’s first innings.He was unable to bowl because he was struck a painful blow on the toe while batting.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRangpur Riders walked off a happy lot after dismissing Sylhet Super Stars for 59•BCB
Sylhet Super Stars coach Sarwar Imran had said on Sunday that the side’s last three matches would all be “knockout games”. On Monday while, they were not technically knocked out of the tournament yet, Rangpur Riders belted them in an eight-wicket win.Arafat Sunny took his second four-wicket haul in T20s, giving away just 14 runs in four overs while Mohammad Nabi took three wickets. Shakib Al Hasan picked up two wickets while Thisara Perera had one as Sylhet were bowled out for 59 runs in 11.5 overs, the second-lowest innings total in the BPL, narrowly beating Barisal Bulls’ 58 all out, against them in their previous game.However, Sylhet now hold the record for getting bowled out in the least number of overs in a BPL innings. The previous lowest was 13.5 overs, in which the Chittagong Kings bowled out the Sylhet Royals for 74, in the 2013 edition. Mohammedan Sporting Club hold the record for getting bowled in the leas tnumber of overs in Bangladesh – 8.4 overs.Shakib decided to bowl, predictably, and straightaway opened the attack with Sunny. Darren Sammy dropped a simple catch in the first over of their innings, before Sunny bowled the survivor, Dilshan Munaweera, off the next ball. Junaid Siddique gave Sunny a simple return catch in the next over before Mushfiqur Rahim couldn’t connect a switch-hit and was caught at point.Sunny’s fourth wicket was Nazmul Hossain Milon who was bowled trying to slog him in the seventh over. Sylhet captain Shahid Afridi was stumped by Shakib who also removed Nurul Hasan earlier for a catch at mid-off.Perera had Ravi Bopara leg-before and there was a danger that Sylhet would break the record of being bowled out for the lowest score, 58, which they had inflicted on Barisal in their previous game. Thankfully for them, Sohail Tanvir struck a six and four before Mohammad Nabi removed the last three wickets, giving away just 15 runs. When last man, Rubel Hossain, tried to loft him in the 12th over, Nabi ran back 20 yards and completed a stunning catch to end the Sylhet innings.In the chase, Mohammad Shahid took two wickets – getting Lendl Simmons to edge to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim in the second over and having Soumya Sarkar caught at deep square-leg in the sixth over, before Rangpur wrapped up the chase with consummate ease as Shakib anchored the innings with an unbeaten 29.
An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone…
What’s the talk?
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Magpies and Atletico Madrid both hold an interest in the centre-forward ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that he is set to be available for a fee in the region of £20.8m (€25m) after the Serie A side sign him permanently from Cagliari at the end of the season.
New Wilson
Eddie Howe can find the club’s new Callum Wilson with a deal to sign Simeone ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as he could be the figurehead of the attack moving forward.
Wilson is the club’s top scorer with six Premier League goals this term and ended the previous season with 12 strikes – four more than any other player. This shows that the Magpies have been reliant on the ex-Bournemouth attacker for the majority of his time on Tyneside, with January signing Chris Wood yet to get off the mark since his switch from Burnley.
Howe will be able to ease the burden on the Englishman by bringing in Simeone to replace what he brings to the side, which will mean that any injury absences he takes will not be as big of a hindrance in the future.
Last month, journalist Toni Padilla claimed he has found “the scoring nose” and his statistics back that up. In the Serie A this season, the Argentine has scored 15 times and provided three assists in 21 starts – his fourth campaign of scoring 12+ goals in the Italian top-flight.
He has proven that he can find the net on a regular basis in the top-flight and this means that he would be able to replicate Wilson’s impact if he is able to adapt to Premier League football, with the pair – who both stand at 5 foot 9 – scoring at a similar rate in the top-flights of their respective countries.
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At the age of 26, he is also heading into the prime years of his career and Newcastle could pick him up at the right moment as he continues to blossom. Howe can work with him on the training pitch to ensure that he fulfils his potential and is able to be the prolific goalscorer that his Verona form suggests he is.
His statistics indicate that the predator will be able to come in at St. James’ Park and take over from Wilson on the goalscoring front and become the new frontman for Howe; that is why PIF must get this deal over the line in the summer.
AND in other news, Ashley endured Newcastle howler with “really strange” £15m dud who’s “badly damaged”…
An ECB working party has examined ways of maintaining well-behaved crowds following a few isolated incidents last season. Gordon Hollins, the head of venues, led the group after the 2007 domestic Twenty20 tournament was marred by unruly behaviour at some games.Last season at Southgate some Middlesex players had their wallets stolen and the Hampshire team bus was pelted by stones. Robert Croft also spoke about the abuse he took while fielding on the boundary at Taunton.Now the ECB are implementing the same crowd standards that apply for international matches, which includes encouraging the grounds to designate one area a family zone and a ban on bringing in alcohol.”ECB want to ensure that the type of behaviour which caused some unfortunate headlines last summer is not allowed to resurface in cricket during the summer of 2008 and spoil the enjoyment of the majority,” said Hollins. “We were adamant that we had to be proactive in this area to nip these issues in the bud.”There will also be a zero-tolerance policy concerning foul language, and anyone using racist language shall be subject to prosecution. We are trying to ensure that all those who do wish to drink at matches also consider the spectators around them.”David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “We have a great tradition of sporting crowds at cricket in England and Wales and so were concerned by a limited number of examples last season which if not addressed could lead to a decline in the standards of behaviour we are seeking to preserve at cricket events in this country.”
Ricky Ponting has admitted to being disappointed by the timing of Damien Martyn’s shock retirement last week. Martyn stunned the cricket community, including his Australia team-mates, when he quit the game mid-series.Speaking as his side prepared for the third Test at Perth, Ponting said he would have liked Martyn to play a farewell game at home. “When I sat back and digested that he had retired, I thought why didn’t he give it one more week?” Ponting said. “He would have had a home Test match and the chance for us to win the Ashes in this Test was there.”I guess it was the timing that was the real big surprise for me. I am really shocked and surprised. I am as close to Marto as any of the guys in the team and I didn’t see it coming.”Martyn is believed to be on holiday in Hawaii with his wife and Ponting said he had been hard to contact since the announcement. “We have all tried to be in contact with him as much as we can over the past few days, but he has been pretty aloof. He will talk to us after the game, he doesn’t want to get in the road at the moment. He wanted to do the right thing by the team and get away and not have the spotlight on the team.”Ponting wondered if the mounting pressure on Martyn to retain his berth, with speculation Shane Watson would replace him as soon as the allrounder was fit, had got to him. “He probably didn’t make the runs he would have liked in the first two games,” he said. “Knowing Marto he would have put a lot of extra pressure on himself.”Martyn, 35, has not spoken publicly since his decision. His only statement on his retirement came in a letter, which it was later revealed was prepared by the Australian radio personality Alan Jones.
Hugh Morris, the former Glamorgan and England batsman, has been appointed as deputy chief executive of the ECB. Morris, 42, has previously been the ECB performance director.He will head up the cricket department in addition to his roles as deputy chief executive, and John Carr will take responsibility for the performance of the international team matters.David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “I am delighted for Hugh. He did a magnificent job as acting Chief Executive in the time last year between Tim Lamb departing and my appointment. Hugh’s strong cricket background is important for the ECB and, as a former Test player, he brings strong qualities to the management team. His work with the National Academy has been outstanding and has been recognised around the world.”Morris was highly successful and consistent with Glamorgan, scoring almost 20,000 first-class runs at an average of 40.29. He won three England caps in 1991 and also captained England A to South Africa, the West Indies and Sri Lanka as well as becoming Glamorgan’s youngest ever captain in 1986.
England chipped away at South Africa’s batsmen on an unexpectedly sunny third day of the fourth Test, reducing them to 306 for 6 by stumps. Matthew Hoggard’s four wickets, including the dangerman Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, lit up proceedings. But, towards the close, a century from Herschelle Gibbs – his first for nearly a year – and 64 from Mark Boucher on his return to the Test arena brought more than a ray of light to their team: a positively beaming South Africa were back on top while none of England’s weary bowlers could find a consistent line. And, although Boucher fell in the last hour, Geraint Jones dropped Gibbs off the penultimate ball of the day, neatly summing things up for England.And their day began as it had finished: gloomily. Before the start of play, dark skies and the artificial light suggested some serious lateral movement was in the offing and Michael Vaughan made a positive declaration. But, no sooner had the players taken to the field after a delayed start, the sun came out, the floodlights came off and South Africa came to life asSmith and Gibbs took the attack to the bowlers on a pitch which had suddenly swung in favour of batting.They started solidly, and looked set for another big partnership as they rattled up a stand of 50 in 80 balls, each cracking a spate of fours as the bowlers struggled to find their line: Steve Harmison was replaced by James Anderson after bowling just two wayward overs. But Anderson could do no better and, in the first nine overs, only three of the 54 balls delivered would have gone on to hit the stumps. But finally Hoggard got one on target and Smith, forced on to the back foot, fell – literally – to his knees, and was trapped lbw for 29 (64 for 1). It was the third time he had been trapped lbw by a Hoggard inswinger in the last four innings – and England’s mood brightened as the sun blazed above.It became even more radiant when Jacques Rudolph flashed a widish delivery from Hoggard to Ashley Giles at gully. He was gone for 4, but what was a bad break for South Africa – as they wobbled on 75 for 2 – was also a hard knock for Giles: he dislocated his right thumb, holding on at the second attempt. He left the field for treatment, but he made a return later and even managed to bowl, albeit fruitlessly.But it was Hoggard’s third victim which England so desperately wanted: Jacques Kallis. Not for the first time this series, he had looked ominously set but Hoggard found a way through to his leg stump and Kallis was gone for 33 – a score England would have taken at the start of play (138 for 3). Dippenaar fell soon after, as Flintoff tempted him to edge to Marcus Trescothick at first slip for a good, low catch (149 for 4). Despite all the hoohah in the build-up to the game, Flintoff barely seemed troubled by his sidestrain, as he sent down 23 overs.It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the South African batsmen, however, in the afternoon: as a stand between Gibbs and Kallis yielded 63 runs and some cheer. Gibbs made his first half-century of the series – which included ten fours – and he went on to convert this to an unbeaten 136 by the close. They tucked in to some loose bowling from Anderson, who was out of sorts but, having not played a first-class match since the fourth Test in August against West Indies, his form was hardly a surprise. Harmison, with less of an excuse, also struggled to find his line, and – having been struck for a towering hooked six by Kallis – he limped off to have a scan on a damaged calf.AB de Villiers was the fourth scalp for Hoggard; after a breezy knock of 18, he top-edged a swivel hook down the throat of Giles who had been sheltering at long leg to protect his thumb (184 for 5). De Villiers found nowhere to hide, however, and his dismissal brought Boucher to the crease for his first, eagerly-awaited innings of the series. He didn’t disappoint: having been overlooked by the selectors for the first three Tests, this time all of the surrounding fuss was justified, as he stroked 64 off 90 balls. He looked at home and, my, how South Africa’s followers were glad to have him back in the fold as he brought up a century stand with Gibbs in the last hour, and then lifted them past the 300-mark.Yet, just before the close, as England’s bowlers were tiring, Anderson got a lucky break as Boucher inexplicably failed to roll his wrists over a cut shot which flew to Andrew Strauss at point (306 for 6). Gibbs was lucky to survive with two balls to go in the day, as he edged to Geraint Jones, who could only get a glove on it as he dived across Trescothick, who was better positioned at first slip. Now England will have their work cut out on the fourth day in polishing off the last four batsmen of a South African line-up which has been much bolstered since the first Test.
Hampshire keep faith with the same eleven that pulled off the exciting victory over Nottinghamshire Outlaws last Monday evening under the Trent Bridge floodlights with the only alteration being the inclusion of fit-again spinner Shaun Udal.Both Robin Smith and Nic Pothas are still troubled by their hamstring injuries and will miss this floodlit Rose Bowl match against league leaders Northamptonshire Steelbacks, which starts at 4.10pm on Wednesday evening.Derek Kenway will continue to deputise behind the stumps for this crucial match, which is likely to be a sell-out.Squad: James Hamblin, Simon Katich, Derek Kenway (w-k), John Crawley (capt), John Francis, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Will Kendall, Lawrence Prittipaul, Shaun Udal, James Bruce, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally.