The Indian cricket board has turned down a request from the team management inSri Lanka to send fast bowler Ajit Agarkar as cover for the third Test.On Saturday night the management had requested that Agarkar, who has playedin ten Tests, be sent to boost the teams fast bowling reserves for thecrucial Test against Sri Lanka, which starts on Wednesday.India levelled the three-match Test series on Saturday after a seven-wicketvictory in Kandy.The team travelled back to Colombo today and will have a voluntary practicesession on Monday morning at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Bhargav Bhatt and Aditya Waghmode continued their good form with ball and bat, respectively, to guide Baroda to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Maharashtra.Bhatt, who was coming off a stellar performance of 2 for 16 against Odisha on Monday, picked up three wickets in the 35th over and one in the 37th, as Maharashtra slid from 135 for 4 to 145 for 9 within five overs. Nikit Dhumal then paired with Domnic Muthuswami to add an unbeaten 31 for the last wicket, taking Maharashtra to 176 for 9 in their fifty overs. Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel picked up one wicket each, while pacer Rishi Arothe picked up two.Waghmode followed up his maiden List A century against Odisha with an unbeaten 77 to steer Baroda’s 177-run chase. He found an able partner in Deepak Hooda, who scored 58 not out off 78 deliveries, and contributed to the 132-run, third-wicket partnership that sealed Baroda’s win in the 40th over.Odisha suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, losing by 55 runs to an Andhra side that was guided by AG Pradeep’s 102* and D Siva Kumar’s 4 for 37.Opting to bat, Andhra’s innings was anchored by Pradeep’s second List A hundred, after Alok Chandra Sahoo sent back the openers within the first ten overs. Pradeep shared a 79-run stand for the third wicket with captain Prashanth Kumar (46), and then posted a partnership of 138 runs for the fourth wicket with Jyothi Sai Krishna, lifting the team score to 261 for 4 in 50 overs.Odisha were off to a poor start, losing two wickets to Siva Kumar in the first over. Anurag Sarangi (52) then combined with captain Natraj Behera(42) and Biplab Samantray (44) to post partnerships worth 71 and 56 respectively, but Andhra’s bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets. Odisha lost their last six wickets for 60 runs and were eventually bowled out for 206 in 48 overs.Centuries from Ganesh Satish and Jitesh Sharma drove Vidarbha‘s colossal 158-run win over Tripura. Satish’s unbeaten 140 off 134 included 12 fours and four sixes, while Jitesh stroked ten fours and one six in his 108-ball 105. The pair added 172 for the second wicket, after opener Faiz Fazal fell for 12 and the partnership took Vidarbha to a commanding 324 for 5 in their 50 overs, after they were put in. None of Tripura’s bowlers conceded less than 50 runs, with Manisankar Murasingh (79 for 1) the most expensive bowler.In reply, no Tripura batsman scored more than 40 as the side was dismissed for 166 in the 48th over. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare picked up 3 for 29, while Ravikumar Thakur and Akshay Karnewar picked up two each.
Frank McAvennie has claimed that Everton will stay in the Premier League this season despite the disappointing start under new manager Frank Lampard.
The Lowdown: Lampard’s start at Everton
The 43-year-old took over the reins at Everton on January’s transfer deadline day, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2024.
The former Chelsea manager has now been in charge for seven games and has seen mixed results during his short tenure at Goodison Park.
The Toffees have performed well in the FA Cup, beating Brentford 4-1 in the fourth round, before progressing to the quarter-finals with victory over non-league side Boreham Wood last week.
However, it is not the same story in the Premier League, where Everton have lost three of Lampard’s four games as manager. As a result, the Blues sit in 17th place, just one point ahead of Burnley, going into tonight’s clash away to Tottenham.
The Latest: McAvennie’s Everton claim…
Despite Everton’s hugely worrying league form, McAvennie is confident that the Toffees will avoid relegation.
Speaking with Football Insider, the pundit claimed: “There is no doubt in my mind Everton will stay up. They have some very good players there, they just need to get them all on the pitch at the same time.
“There are some real quality players there and they have two games in hand on Burnley don’t forget. Win both of those and they are laughing. I know that is easier said than done but I think they can do it.
“You also look at the teams around them. Leeds are tumbling and Norwich already look gone. So even if Everton don’t win, there are other teams who also aren’t winning.
“They have some huge games coming up but I’m absolutely convinced Everton will stay up.”
The Verdict: Crucial few months for Everton…
The upcoming few weeks will be crucial to the outcome of Everton and the effects it will have over the forthcoming years.
Impressively, the Toffees follow Arsenal with the longest pedigree in the top flight, having been in the first tier since the 1954/55 season. However, that enviable statistic is currently under threat, as Lampard’s side fight it out to avoid dropping to the Championship.
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Everton travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight in a crucial clash as the Merseyside club hope to capitalise on their three games in hand over 16th-placed Leeds, who have lost five of their last six Premier League matches.
With Spurs far from a bastion of consistency themselves, Lampard won’t be too overawed by the prospect of facing Antonio Conte’s side, who lost this fixture 1-0 at the outset of last season.
In other news: Offer made for Everton forward; talks ongoing
The Stanford 20/20 cricket project is getting ready to go global. The organisers of the event recently signed a deal with International Management Group (IMG), which will see the tournament being televised across the planet.The agreement will facilitate international distribution of the Stanford 20/20 television broadcast being produced by Century TV. Next year’s event will run from January 25 to February 24 and will be played at the Stanford Cricket Ground, outside the airport in Antigua. The winning team will again pocket US$1 million (BDS$2 million).In a media statement issued late Friday, Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire who conceptualised the event, said the international distribution of next year’s tournament will be undertaken by IMG and will include major markets in North America, Europe and Asia.”This expanded partnership with IMG, the leader in sports marketing and broadcast distribution, will ensure that not only will the people of the Caribbean enjoy the unique and exciting Stanford 20/20 tournament, but a wider global audience will be able to see it as well. This is great for Antigua and, indeed, the entire region as we are highlighted as a place where first-class events can be hosted, and hosted well,” he said.Peter Smith, senior vice-president of IMG Media, director for international sales, said it was a win-win situation and his organisation was eagerly looking forward to working with the Stanford group.”We are delighted to work with Stanford on cricket, expanding the solid relationship we’ve had in place for golf and tennis,” Smith said. “This will allow us to provide the exposure and support that will ensure this exciting Caribbean tournament, with all its flavour and fun, will reach cricket fans across the globe. This will also introduce the sport to so many more who will quickly become engrossed in this fresh new version of cricket.”In the first Stanford 20/20 tournament in the summer of 2006, Stanford invested over US$30 million (BDS$60 million). Since then the investment has increased to over US$100 million and recently the organisers signed a deal with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the event is now officially part of the board’s calendar.”We are pleased to see that the regional Stanford 20/20 Tournament, which is part of the annual cricket calendar of the WICB, will reach an audience beyond the Caribbean and provide our players with greater exposure globally,” said WICB president Julian Hunte. “This, hopefully, will motivate them to achieve higher levels of professionalism which, in turn, will give us the ‘bench strength’ or depth that we need to regain and retain our place at the pinnacle of world cricket.”T20 cricket, the three-hour version of the “gentleman’s game” has emerged as the new way to attract fans. It has taken off all across the world and other investors like Stanford have pumped money into the new concept.
Ricky Ponting insists Damien Martyn is under no pressure to hold the Test spot he won back in South Africa for the Ashes. Martyn was dropped after England won the 2005 series, but he made a strong point against them with a smooth 78 that ended any chance of another defeat in the Champions Trophy game on Saturday”In my eyes he hasn’t been under any pressure whatsoever, I see him as a vital player in our team,” Ponting said of his close friend in . “Coming in at No. 4 is a difficult position to bat, you need to be a certain sort of player to fit in there and we all saw how good a player Damien is, and how he can win you games.”Australia’s top order is jammed with Ashes contenders, but Martyn’s place has not been as contentious as the No. 6 spot, which is being fought for by Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson. Martyn returned from the Test wilderness in March for the series against South Africa, showing his class with a match-winning 101 in the final Test, and his experience of high-pressure situations is one of the reasons behind Ponting’s view. In Martyn’s past eight one-day games he has produced three half-centuries, including 52 in the final of the Malaysian tri-series last month.Ponting also said Mitchell Johnson’s “name will come up” when the selectors talk about Australia’s attack for the first Test at Brisbane on November 23. Johnson stunned Kevin Pietersen with a short ball before dismissing him on Saturday and collected 3 for 40. “I would imagine that he’s going to be spoken about a lot coming into the first Test because he’s come along as quickly as he has and he’s fitting into international cricket really well,” he said in . “Mitchell has done everything right, he’s performing on the big stage and getting good players out.”If you look at the players he’s got out in the games he’s played, he got Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in Malaysia and he knocked over Pietersen here in India. They are three of the better players going around.”Johnson missed Australia’s opening game against West Indies but was called up at Jaipur when Australia preferred him to Brad Hogg. “The first few games he played he was a little bit nervous and a bit tight … he’s starting to get a lot of that out of his system now,” Ponting said. “He’s now confident and relaxed playing at this level. He’s improving every game and doing everything that he possibly can to keep his name in front of the selectors.”
Andrew Flintoff has been cleared of any serious damage to his right wrist after copping a blow while attempting a return catch off Ricky Ponting. Flintoff was taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray, but it was later revealed that the bruise and swelling wasn’t of a serious nature, and that he would be available for the one-off Test against Australia at Sydney, which starts on October 14.The news that Flintoff’s injury is only a minor one will be a huge relief to the England camp as he is expected to be a key member of their side on the tour to Pakistan, which starts later this month. Flintoff’s injury also means that two of England’s Ashes stars have suffered in the field during this one-day series – Kevin Pietersen strained his hamstring during the second match on Friday, and was omitted from the final game. However, Pietersen too is expected to be fit in time for the Pakistan tour.
Andrew Puttick, a left-handed opening batsman from Western Province, has been named as cover for Herschelle Gibbs for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka. Gibbs sprained his ankle during a training session last Thursday and is a doubt for the series.Puttick, 23, has an impressive first-class record. He made his debut in the 2000-01 season, and has notched up 2062 runs in 28 games at 49, with a highest score of 250 not out. He was part of the A side that played against Sri Lanka A last season. What would also have counted in his favour is his experience of Sri Lankan conditions – he played the Under-19 World Cup there in 1999, and was among a squad which included Graeme Smith, the current captain, and Jacques Rudolph.Commenting on his selection, Omar Henry, the convenor of selectors, said: "It is clear from Andrew’s performances for his province and the South African A team that he is a player of skill and talent and he clearly has a good temperament. This will be a great opportunity for him to step up to the highest level."Puttick himself expressed surprise over his inclusion. “I was driving to the mechanic to pay a bill for repairs to my car when I got a call from Eric [Eric Simons, the South African coach] who said that Herschelle was injured and that they wanted me to join the squad.It’s something I have always dreamt about and its just fantastic to be part of the set up.”Puttick will be among the line-up that leaves for Sri Lanka on Monday, July 26. The South African board also revealed that Gibbs would travel with the squad and would undergo intensive treatment from Shane Jabaar, the physiotherapist. South Africa’s tour begins with a three-day warm-up match on July 30, while the first Test starts on August 4, at Galle.
Ridley Jacobs has been omitted from the West Indian one-day squad for theforthcoming seven-match series against Australia, which begins at SabinaPark in Jamaica on Saturday.Sir Viv Richards, chairman of the West Indian selection committee, said thatJacobs was being given extra time to recover from the groin injury thatcaused him to miss the second and third Tests in Trinidad and Barbados. Hisplace will be taken by Carlton Baugh jr, who stood in for him in thosematches.Baugh is one of five new caps in the West Indian one-day squad. Omari Banks,the hero of Tuesday’s thrilling victory in Antigua, is in line for hisdebut, as are Devon Smith, Dave Bernard jr, and Ryan Hurley, an offspinningallrounder from Barbados.
Fast bowler Allan Donald has been withdrawn from South Africa’s tour of Zimbabwe as a consequence of what seems to be a remarkably virulent dose of flu.With the first Test match against Zimbabwe scheduled to start in Harare on Friday, the South African selectors were casting about on Monday morning for a replacement for Donald.Donald attended the recent bowling camp in Johannesburg as well as the South African training camp last week, but on Sunday he was feeling so ill that he was sent home to Bloemfontein to recover.According to selection convener Rushdie Magiet, it has been decided to leave Donald behind.”Allan’s very keen to play in the Test matches this summer, and we’re very keen to have him in the Test side,” said Magiet. “So we think it would be best for him to stay behind and get himself fully fit.”Magiet, however, was unable to say why Donald was unable to travel to Zimbabwe and work in the nets once he is over his flu. He also did not wish to speculate on Donald’s fitness at the training camp.Donald, however, was quoted on Monday by the Afrikaans daily Die Volksblad as saying that he did not believe he was fit enough to play in a Test match. “I also have not had any practice,” Die Volksblad reports him as saying.The absence of Donald may open the way for Andre Nel to make his Test debut. Nel is the extra fast bowler named in the South African squad and would seem the logical choice to replace Donald.Certainly, if another fast bowler is called up and plays in Harare ahead of Nel it would represent something of a slap in the face for the Easterns seamer. It would also suggest that the selectors believe they got it wrong when they announced their original 13-man party.The other option is to use Jacques Kallis to open the bowling with Justin Kemp coming into the side. This combination was used in the West Indies earlier this year when Donald was injured.
Manchester City have turned their attention to Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos as their pursuit of Napoli’s Jorginho drags on, according to Don Balon.
What’s the word?
The Premier League champions have been heavily linked with a swoop for Jorginho for some time.
Despite stories emerging weeks ago, it does not seem like there is any sort of breakthrough with regards to a deal.
City manager Pep Guardiols is in the market for a defensive midfielder that can share the duties with Fernandinho.
How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
According to Don Balon, the North-West outfit have now switched focus to Real Madrid’s key man Kroos.
The Germany international, who has won four Champions League trophies in his career, predominantly plays more centrally, but he has equal share of defensive and attacking qualities.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255859″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Man City’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]
Is it believable?
Don Balon are known for reporting crazy transfer rumours, and at the moment it does not seem like there is much foundation to this latest speculation.
Of course, that is not to say that envisaging Kroos at City is ludicrous given the club have the funds and calibre to attract such a player.
It would, however, be highly unlikely due to the player’s current situation.
He has no need to leave the Bernabeu having just won another European trophy.
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On top of that, Los Blancos would demand a hefty price tag, which could result in City ending up in another transfer saga.
There is no doubt that Kroos would be a sensational addition to Guardiola’s team, but the timing seems off.