ScorecardBacked by a mammoth total, thanks to a maiden triple hundred from Yasir Hameed and 181 from Asad Shafiq, NWFP completed an innings-and-11-run win over Baluchistan in Peshawar.Yasir Shah and Waqar Ahmed shared nine wickets to bowl Baluchistan out for 345, out of which Saeed Bin Nasir scored 133, his second century of the match. Faisal Imran scored 40 and helped add 34 for last wicket , but he became Yasir’s fifth wicket for 40 in the second session.Baluchistan went into the final day still 113 runs behind NWFP, who scored 664 for 6, and lost regular wickets. Yasir took three quickly and Waqar snapped up two, including Bin Nasir, before Yasir sealed a big win. Apart from Bin Nasir’s twin hundreds, and two half-centuries from Sohaib Maqsood, there was little Baluchistan could take from this match.
Haroon Lorgat of Western Province and Border’s Peter Bacela are the two new faces on the six-man South African selection panel chosen by the General Council at the United Cricket Board’s annual meeting on Saturday.They will replace Gerald Majola and Hylton Ackerman who were both ineligible for reappointment. Majola is the UCB chief executive while Ackerman is the director of the national academy.Bacela was not among the original nominations for the selection panel, but was nominated by the General Council because of the lack of black African representation among the selectors.Rushdie Magiet was reappointed convener of the panel.The full panel is: Rushdie Magiet, Morris Garda, Graeme Pollock, Mike Procter, Peter Bacela, Haroon Lorgat.The Executive Committee was also appointed on Saturday.The Exco consists of: Percy Sonn (president), Robbie Kurz (vice-president), John Blair (treasurer), Gerald Majola (CEO), Ray Mali (Border), Tim Khumalo (Free State), Arnold Bloch (WP), Charlie Robinson (Free State).
Andrew Flintoff smacked 27 from 23 balls to take Lancashire to a thumping eight-wicket win over Scotland in Edinburgh. Scotland, inserted by Lancashire, slumped to 21 for 5 with James Anderson and Glen Chapple nipping out the top-order. Scotland didn’t help themselves, however, with three farcical run-outs, though Majid Haq at least managed to lift their total to something resembling respectability, with 23 from 64 balls. Tom Smith trapped him lbw to pick up 3 for 14 from 10 overs. A target of 74 was never going to trouble Lancashire, though they did lose Mal Loye and Gareth Cross. Flintoff, however, was in no mood to hang around, cracking four fours and lifting a six to take his side home in the 12th over.Derbyshire were bowled out for just 94 on a wet day at Headingley as Yorkshire romped home by 25 runs. In a match reduced to 24 overs due to rain, Yorkshire themselves slipped to 47 for 4 and it was only Adil Rashid’s 36-ball 41 which gave them a total that was vaguely competitive. Set 120 from 24 overs, Derbyshire crashed to 27 for 4 with Tim Bresnan grabbing two early wickets, but it was Anthony McGrath who shone with the ball, taking 3 for 16 in four overs as Derbyshire were dismissed in the 23rd over.
South East Division
A fine allround performance from Essex earned them a 14-run win over Sussex in another rain-interrupted match at Chelmsford. Essex piled up 291 for 8 from 50 overs, with Grant Flower cracking 75 from 90 balls; Ravi Bopara 59 from 71 and Ryan ten Doeschate a blistering 61 from 53. Sussex were set a revised 156 from 24 overs and Matt Prior looked to be taking them close with a brisk 50, before falling to ten Doeschate. Murray Goodwin smacked 29 from 18 but it was too little, too late.Tim Murtagh continued his excellent form for Middlesex who beat Kent by a slender six runs at Lord’s. That Middlesex reached 177 for 8 was largely thanks to Billy Godleman’s 43 from 69 balls, and he received good support from Andrew Strauss (33) and Eoin Morgan (29). With rain interrupting proceedings Kent were set a revised target of 173 from 33 overs, and were going nicely with Martin van Jaarsveld (58) at the crease. But Murtagh tore into the lower order to leave Kent requiring 12 from the last five, and they were bowled out off the last ball of the match.
Midlands Division
A slick 111 at close to a run-a-ball from Robert White anchored Northamptonshire’s chase against Warwickshire at Northampton, before Lance Klusener’s brisk 26 took the home side to a four-wicket win. Warwickshire set Northamptonshire a challenging 294 after Darren Maddy (77), Ian Westwood (65) and Jonathan Trott (60*) formed a powerful trio in the middle-order. Northamptonshire were soon in trouble too, slipping to 60 for 3 before White – who reached his hundred from 107 balls – turned the match around, and the hosts ran home with seven balls to spare.Ireland promised much but failed to play with enough conviction, falling to a 56-run defeat to Nottinghamshire at the picturesque Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin. Kevin O’Brien led Ireland’s new-ball attack very impressively, picking up career-best figures of 4 for 31 from his 10 overs and troubling most of Nottinghamshire’s top-order. Indeed, the visitors were 6 for 2 when Mark Wagh shouldered arms to a sharp off-cutter. However, Adam Voges – who also had an excellent day in the field – struck 60 from 83 balls to guide Nottinghamshire to 217 for 9. Ireland never got going in reply, stumbling to 60 for 5 as Mark Ealham showed the benefits of bowling stump-to-stump with 4 for 39. Andrew White carved 30 from 40 and Kyle McCallan was unbeaten on 20, but there was little else for the home crowd to cheer.
South / West Division
Fifties from Matthew Wood (91*) and David Hemp (50) lifted Glamorgan to 174 for 4 before rain forced a draw against Gloucestershire at Bristol. Wood and Hemp put on 119 for the first wicket, both hitting nine fours, but Marcus North (3 for 32) nipped out Mike Powell for a duck, Tom Maynard for 1 and Jamie Dalrymple for just 8 to prompt a mini-collapse before the rains came tumbling.Daryl Mitchell struck an unbeaten 48 for Worcestershire whose match against Somerset dribbled into a draw at a rainy New Road. Mitchell hit four fours in his 70-ball innings to rescue Worcestershire from a disappointing 55 for 5 and lift their total to 154 for 8 before the rain ended proceedings. Worcestershire were again without Simon Jones who failed a fitness test on the stiff neck which has kept him out of their last three matches.
David Lloyd, the former England batsman and coach turned TV commentator, made 15 on his return for Accrington against Haslingden in the Lancashire League but couldn’t help his team to victory. His comeback was delayed by rain last week.However, Lloyd managed to hold a sharp catch to remove David Bandy, the Western Australian batsman, for 60. He then walked to the crease after two wickets had gone in two balls, but was unable to haul his team across the line when he fell sweeping for 15. “It was a good 15,” he said during a commentary stint on .”It was a good pitch and a great atmosphere,” he told the . “The fans who came to watch saw two good teams and a lot of runs, it’s just a shame we couldn’t edge it.”Lloyd’s son, Graham, who played one-day internationals for England made a rapid 78.
ScorecardChris Tremain claimed his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket (file photo)•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
South Australia will aim to knock over Victoria’s lower order and set up a smallish chase on the third day at the MCG after they reduced the hosts to 6 for 123 at stumps on a rain-affected second day. Victoria’s lead was 104 at stumps in the low-scoring contest, with John Hastings at the crease on 15 alongside Dan Christian on 11.Daniel Worrall had continued his excellent match and had 3 for 34 in the second innings to add to his five-wicket haul in the first, enjoying the assistance provided by a pitch still boasting some grass. Joe Mennie had claimed two wickets and Chadd Sayers had one in the second innings, with opener Travis Dean’s 33 so far the best score for Victoria.The Redbacks had started the day at 6 for 156 in their first innings and they added 43 for the loss of their last four wickets. Chris Tremain was the most effective of Victoria’s bowlers and finished with a career-best 5 for 52, which was his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Former India captain Anil Kumble has stepped down as chief mentor of Mumbai Indians with immediate effect in order to pursue other opportunities in sports and cricket, the franchise announced on Monday.”I sign off with the obvious satisfaction of moulding a set of brilliant individuals to a high performing unit,” Kumble, who has been associated with the franchise since January 2013, said.Kumble picked out the team’s title winning run at the IPL and Champions League in 2013 as the team’s biggest achievement. Mumbai also went on win their second IPL title in 2015, when they beat Chennai Super Kings in Kolkata.The Reliance Group which owns Mumbai Indians had earlier this month appointed Sundar Raman, the former chief operating officer of the IPL, as their chief executive for their sporting operations.
Ian Botham has hailed Ben Stokes’ “enormous potential” and suggested he may be a better player than he was at the same age.Stokes broke Botham’s record for the quickest Test double-century by an England player in the game at Cape Town – a moment Botham compared to his exploits in the Headingley Ashes Test of 1981 – and, despite being the youngest member of the squad, has quickly emerged as a key figure in a developing side.In statistical terms, the 24-year-old Stokes has some way to go to match Botham. By the time Botham was 25, he had scored six Test centuries (Stokes currently has three), claimed 14 five-wicket hauls (to Stokes’ two) and was captain of the side.But such comparisons are unnecessary. In terms of the aggressive role he plays with the bat and the balance he lends the side by virtue of his all-round skills, there are obvious similarities between the two. Botham recognises that and sees in Stokes a kindred spirit who will be at the centre of every plan England make for much of the next decade.
Botham on…
Nick Compton “He’s going to have to find a balance. He was left out in the first place as he had no change of tempo. There’s not a lot of point being out there for 70 balls for 15 runs. Tavare, Boycott and Brearley all scored faster than that.” England’s rise “This is the most exciting England team since they were world No. 1. England are an emerging side and they will progress quite quickly. They will be competing by the end of this calendar year for No. 1 status. They might not actually be No. 1 because of the way the fixtures work, but they will be up there and ringing the door bell.” Hashim Amla “I like his timing. He said captaincy was hurting his batting. But he went out there and showed what character he has by getting 200. If it was hurting his batting before, then God help us now.”
“As a player, he’s probably better than I was at 24,” Botham said. “What I did was yesterday’s news, what he did is today’s news.”He is not a jack of all trades and master of none. He is actually probably master of the three most important assets you need: batting, bowling and fielding.”His bowling can only get better. He has all the attributes: he has pace; he can swing the ball; he can reverse it; he can bowl orthodox. And he is terrific fielder close to the bat, in the covers or midwicket, backward point, on the boundary.”Certainly Botham holds no resentment in losing a record to Stokes. He already feels Stokes is a better player than Andrew Flintoff (who scored five Test centuries and claimed three five-wicket hauls in his career) at a comparable stage – “he’ll take more five-fors” – and suggests that Stokes should be allowed to play his natural game without complication or impediment.”I held that record for 33 years, so it was about time it got broken,” Botham said. “I enjoyed watching Ben Stokes. I have been a massive fan of his since I first saw him on the international scene. I think he has got tremendous, enormous potential to go all the way.”That was one of those moments when you can just say ‘I was there’. When you think back to Headingley ’81, I know there were only about 10,000 people in the ground but I have met three-and-a-half million who say they were. Well, I was there for Ben Stokes.”It was fun. And Ben Stokes will be enjoying it as well. He’ll see it as fun as well. You walk out and you empty the bars rather then fill them and it’s a nice feeling. Then you get out and you see them all going back in for a beer and you think ‘sorry, lads: can’t do it every day.’ And he can’t do it every day, either. That’s what people have to remember. You have to give him the right to fail.”Just let him go. Mike Brearley did absolutely the same with me. There was no leash in any way.”I didn’t think too much. There is too much thinking about the game, too much analysis, looking at computers. I don’t need to look at a computer to know I’ve played a **** shot. It’s not that hard.”But he is crucial to Alastair Cook’s selection policy. If he’s playing, then Cook actually has an option of two other players in his mind. He is the genuine article.”Ben Stokes broke Ian Botham’s record for the fastest double-hundred by an England player•Getty Images
Botham also believes that Jonny Bairstow’s maiden century at Cape Town will give him the confidence to settle into the side and improve his wicketkeeping.”I think Jonny Bairstow offers a lot to English cricket,” he said. “I have always been a fan of his. He was a rough diamond three years ago but you knew those skills were there.”He only put one down one chance and it wasn’t easy. He also had the first stumping for three years by an English keeper in Durban. I think there are more pluses than negatives. He works very hard at his game and he will only get better. I genuinely think he is good enough.”
After 649 runs were scored at a rate of 7.77 to the over in the first ODI between South Africa and England in Bloemfontein, few would argue with Faf du Plessis’ assertion that “this series will be a series of the batting line-ups”. But there is more to the towering totals than aggressive approaches on flat pitches. The new faces in both attacks have also played their part in the run-fest.”Both bowling line-ups are not as experienced as they would like to be but the batting line-ups are explosive and you’ve got a lot of match-winners in both teams,” du Plessis said, referring specifically to the depth of England’s line-up. “It’s definitely not nice when you do your pre-match planning because every guy that you look at seems to be a good batter. It’s obviously why they are a stronger team now: they have got a better batting line-up.”
One eye on the IPL auction
Hashim Amla, Dean Elgar, Rilee Rossouw, Chris Morris, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan and Sam Billings may go into the second ODI somewhat distracted. They are all in the IPL auction and by the time the game gets underway, will know their fate. “I’d be lying if I say everything is on the game. You think about it. Fortunately for me I am already picked up so I will not be anxious to see about that,” Faf du Plessis, who is contracted to the Rising Pune Super Giants, said. “It’s great because this year there are England players as well. As a leadership group you try not to speak about it too much but let’s not lie, the auction is life-changing for some players. For me it will be interesting to see what the England players go for because we are used to playing an IPL without them.” South Africa have 18 players in the auction including the still-injured Vernon Philander, and nine other players retained by franchises, while England have seven players in the auction. The numbers that matter, however, will be the selling price and du Plessis thinks those could even be the inspiration for some on-field banter. “Hopefully our guys get picked up for a lot of money and the English guys don’t so we gain a bit of confidence from that.”
All of England’s top six scored runs on Wednesday and all, except Joe Root, maintained strike rates of over 100, helped by wayward bowling from South Africa’s new-look pace pack. The opening bowlers, Chris Morris and Marchant de Lange, had only played 11 ODIs between them before the Bloemfontein game and their inexperience showed. They bowled both sides of the wicket in their first spells and could not find the right length, but got tighter as the innings wore on.AB de Villiers did not want to be too hard on them but du Plessis was willing to point out where they want wrong. “It was a good batting wicket but I felt we did make a lot of mistakes. We gave a lot of boundaries away. We were not as disciplined as we would want to be,” he said.As a result, South Africa’s other wicket-taking option, Imran Tahir, was forced into a role that did not make best use of his attacking skills. “For Immi to do really well, he doesn’t have to feel he has to have all the pressure on his shoulders to be a game-changer. In T20 cricket when he can just express himself, come on and do his tricks, that’s when he is best. I suppose any leggie is like that,” du Plessis said. “If he is just bowling defensively, like he had to do in Bloemfontein, it takes away all that armoury that he has got.”To ensure Tahir can concentrate on controlling the middle overs, du Plessis explained that South Africa’s seamers need to start better, especially in Port Elizabeth where the slower surface almost guarantees Tahir will be a factor. “Our bowlers need to be smarter. It’s important to try and do that from the beginning and not wake up 10 or 15 overs into the game. The smarter team on the day will win the game,” du Plessis said.South Africa will be bolstered by the likely return of Kyle Abbott, whose hamstring niggle healed sooner than expected and he should be able to provide some control. “Something we have missed this whole series is experience, Although Kyle is not a guy who has played 100 ODIs, he is someone who has played a little bit more. Kyle brings a bit of consistency. With someone like that you just know when pressure situations present himself, he will be a bit more equipped than someone playing their first few games,” du Plessis said.Abbott’s career is only 20 ODIs old but, as he showed at the 2015 World Cup where he had the lowest economy rate among South Africa’s bowlers, accuracy is his strength.That does not mean South Africa’s batsmen are off the hook. Du Plessis stressed the importance of showing the same care with the bat as with the ball on a surface that will test both line-ups more than Bloemfontein did. “The pitch will be slower. We can’t play the same style of cricket. We have to think faster on our feet,” he said, and that applies to himself as well.Du Plessis found some form in the 50-over game after struggling in Tests and feels a big score is, as clichéd as it sounds, just around the corner. “Things started changing slowly towards the end of the Test series for me. I was unhappy to not have played that last Test match and to have scored runs in the first ODI was very nice. I feel a lot better in the nets. I feel like I am hitting the ball as well as I can,” he said. “I would still like to turn those fifties into bigger scores. I’ve been getting a lot of fifties in the last year or two but not as many hundreds as I would like. For me it’s about turning that good performance into a performance that can make the team win.”
Unbeaten half-centuries from Manprit Juneja and Rujul Bhatt steered defending champions and table-toppers Gujarat to 262 for 4 in a game they would like to win considering how tight things are in Group B. There is the possibility of a two-way tie, even a three-way tie. So to stay safe in such circumstances six points – or seven if they could manage it – could be vital.Jharkhand chose to bowl on home turf but ran into a very stubborn opening batsman in Samit Gohel, who faced 179 deliveries for his 64. Nevertheless, he struck eight fours and a six. His partner Priyank Panchal, who came into the game with back-to-back hundreds, fell for 33. Bhargav Merai (23) and Parthiv Patel (33) didn’t trouble the scorers too much either and when Gohel fell in the 61st over, Gujarat were 179 for 4. That’s when Juneja and Bhatt (who made 40 of his 51 runs in boundaries) came together to string a stand worth 83 runs in 22 overs.Their regular No. 3 was busy scoring a hundred for India so Avi Barot was left to play the innings Cheteshwar Pujara might have, batting almost the entire day to remain unbeaten on 128 as Saurashtra battled for qualification into the Ranji Trophy knockouts. He came to the crease in the 10th over and, with Robin Uthappa (59) and Sheldon Jackson (54*) for support, took the score to 286 for 3 against Rajasthan in Jaipur.With Saurashtra needing nothing short of a win – and even then they could find themselves out of the title – they could not afford a bad start. But the openers couldn’t get past 20 and it was down to the middle order to regain the upper hand. Uthappa struck 11 fours to bring up his third half-century in as many matches and when he fell, Jackson took over striking seven fours in a 93-ball innings. Left-arm seamer Tanvir-ul-Haq was Rajasthan’s most successful bowler, picking up 2 for 48 in 21 overs.Kerala‘s Sandeep Warrier and Vinod Kumar took six wickets between them to reduce Haryana to 207 for 9 in Lahli. The two medium-pacers have kept their team alive in the race towards the quarter-finals, bowling 37 overs between them for only 90 runs.But they had to wrench the upper hand back from Haryana, who at one point were 94 for 1. Then they became 158 for 6 and finally ended the day clinging on to their last wicket. None of the hosts’ batsmen could make a score higher than Rajat Paliwal’s 45. He was dismissed in the penultimate over before stumps, and Kerala received a bigger boost when Warrier picked up a wicket with what became the last ball of the day to push his tally to 4 for 50.
Junior Firpo was Leeds United’s silver lining in their 4-2 defeat to Manchester United, and he didn’t even start the match at Elland Road.
The 25-year-old, signed in a £12.8m deal from Barcelona in the summer, had missed the Whites’ last three league outings with injury but returned to action just half an hour into Sunday’s encounter.
With centre-back Robin Koch being forced off with what looked to be a serious concussion, manager Marcelo Bielsa tinkered his backline so the Dominican Republic native could slot right in at his natural left-back role.
Soon after his introduction, the visitors romped away to a two-goal lead after Harry Maguire headed home Luke Shaw’s corner and Bruno Fernandes soon did the same from Jadon Sancho’s cross.
Bielsa used his last two substitutes at the break and the Yorkshire giants got back into it, thanks to Firpo for providing the assist for their first. He found Rodrigo in space before his cross somehow found its way in past David de Gea. Fellow substitute Raphinha then poked home the equaliser.
But the Red Devils would go on to snag another two strikes late on to seal all three points.
Defensively, Leeds were really appalling but Firpo can come away with his head held high, unlike some of his teammates like Diego Llorente and Luke Ayling.
As per SofaScore, he won a whopping ten duels and also registered four tackles, – only bettered by the starting Adam Forshaw (five) – two clearances and one interception.
Meanwhile, further up the pitch, Firpo looked to be a major creative outlet for the side as he created four key chances, delivered 100% of his crosses accurately and successfully pulled off 100% of his dribbles.
He was an absolute threat against Aaron Wan-Bissaka down that left-flank for the hour he was on the pitch.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The £10.8m-rated machine got a bit leggy as the game went on but that was understandable considering his lack of game time over the past month or so. As LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross claimed in his post-match column, ‘Firpo was good’ as he ‘Put his foot in and competed.’
If there’s any positive from the defeat, then it’s certainly the return of the left-back to the side.
AND in other news, Raphinha snubs fresh Leeds United contract talks…