Mark Bruyns, who had to left Natal during the off-season in search of a regular game, guided Border to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Boland in a Standard Bank Cup match at Buffalo Park in East London Sunday.Bruyns batted all 36 overs of the Border innings for his unbeaten 89 as the home team made light work of Boland’s modest 169 all out. Bruyns shared a 101-run opening stand with Craig Sugden (45) and then, in harness with Stephen Pope (25 not out), saw Border home with something to spare.Earlier, Benjamin Hector had top-scored for Boland with 59 while Monde Zondeki returned his best limited overs figures of four for 32.
An unbroken third wicket partnership of 61 runs off 17.3 overs between S Badrinath and Dinesh Mongia has given Jolly Rovers more than a ray of hope in their Buchi Babu all India invitation tournament pre quarterfinal against Kerala Cricket Association XI at the IIT-Chemplast ground in Chennai. At stumps on the second day on Monday, Jolly Rovers were 95 for two in reply to KCA’s first innings total of 299.Because of overnight rain which rendered the playing conditions unfit, play started only at 2 pm. The Kerala tail did not wag for long and about the only defiance was shown by skipper KN Ananthapadmanabhan who was last out for 48. Ganesh Kumar, who took two of the three wickets to fall on Monday (Kerala resumed at 275 for seven) finished the most successful bowler with four for 64.When Jolly Rovers batted, experienced campaigner Sunil Oasis removed both openers J Joseph (20) and skipper Sujith Somasundar (10) with only 34 runs on the board. But Badrinath and Mongia weathered the storm and came through unbeaten at stumps. By close, the watchful Badrinath had faced 83 balls for his 28 and had hit only one boundary but the more enterprising Mongia hit three fours while facing 55 balls for his 32. The stage is set for a keen tussle for the vital first innings lead on Tuesday.
Leeds United have only had one game with their new manager Jesse Marsch in charge, which saw the Yorkshire club lose 1-0 against Leicester City at the weekend.
Even though the Whites still have a challenge on their hands to stay in the Premier League before the end of the season, it seems as though some signs have emerged regarding what the club could look to do once the upcoming summer transfer window opens.
What’s the latest?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of the Elland Road outfit making a move to sign Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino, who they have been linked with in the past, during the upcoming summer transfer window.
He said: “Yeah, I still think it’s a position that Leeds need to strengthen.
“They’ve been so badly hit by Patrick Bamford’s absences this season through injury; they haven’t got much up there. Jesse Marsch knows all about him from his time at RB Salzburg.”
It was thought the player could cost as much as £20m as recently as January.
Dream deal for Leeds
Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2020 January transfer window from Salzburg, the Japanese international has not found regular game time particularly easy to come by. However, he has managed to make himself a useful attacking presence when he has played, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists in 53 appearances.
Having been praised for his “complete” performances in the past by Jurgen Klopp, the 27-year-old had made 22 appearances under Marsch during their time together in Austria where the attacker racked up nine goals and 11 assists.
Taking this into account, it would be safe to assume that the 48-year-old would be delighted if he were able to reunite with Minamino at Leeds, sealing a dream first deal during his stint at Elland Road.
Minamino would undoubtedly add an extra attacking dynamic to his team, which is something that they have needed throughout this season with just 29 goals scored in 27 played league games compared to the 43 they had netted at this stage in their previous campaign.
With a significant amount of experience playing in Europe and winning trophies with Liverpool and Salzburg, securing the winger’s signature in the summer could be a dream deal for Victor Orta to complete too, handing the new manager at Thorp Arch a good start in building the team to how he would want it to be.
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Furthermore, he’s been in good form too with his brace against Norwich last week drawing comparisons to one of Liverpool’s finest, as Ian Doyle claimed he was the “new Luis Suarez.” That might be a stretch too far but it shows how appreciated he is at Anfield.
With that in mind, if the Whites were to drop back down to the Championship, this would surely make it a lot harder for them to convince the Reds attacker to swap Merseyside for Yorkshire.
In other news: Huge boost: Phil Hay drops teasing 9-word Leeds update that will have fans elated – opinion
Look at the third day’s play in isolation and you have an interesting contest:Australia 351 for 7, a good score but not necessarily a match-winning one. It wouldstill be Australia’s day but India would end it upbeat, hoping to mop up the tail inthe first hour tomorrow. They would have taken heart from their effort and looked tosustain the fight on the next day.Test matches mean nothing without context. A tepid crowd watched a game being setup, fully aware of the possibilities ahead. There was no guesswork going on. Almostdouble the number turned up for the opening day, one where Australia managed 337 for9. Only 14 more runs were scored today for two less wickets but the day but therewas hardly any buzz; just 35,000-odd people waiting for the declaration.It may sound preposterous to praise the Indian bowlers on such a day but they showedthe stomach for a fight, a quality that had served them well on the opening day.Zaheer Khan ran in with purpose, RP Singh came with a bit more fire, Harbhajan Singhslowed it down a bit and Anil Kumble refused to waver. On the hottest day of theirtrip, after their batsmen had let them down, they showed the sort of defiance thebatsmen could have done with.Zaheer’s run to the wicket has rarely been quicker. It was clear that he wasdesperate to make a point, so eager that he overstepped once too often. The in-cutterto castle Andrew Symonds was a cracker – he had almost finished his celebrationbefore he realised it was a no-ball – and the intensity of his appealing told youabout a strike bowler wanting to create inroads. He generated some lethalreverse-swing and changed his angle often enough to keep the batsmen guessing. Hehad displayed a similar zeal in the second innings at Nottingham, a match that heturned with a couple of fiery spells.What hurt India, for the second time in three days, was Australia’s urge to get amove on. It’s not only the strength they summoned to smash fours and sixes but alsothe stealth to grab quick runs. They have been stronger and faster than theIndians. Nowhere were their batsmen’s approach more evident than when Symonds wasbowled. Turning back to see his stumps shattered, he seemed to be heading towardsthe pavilion before realising it was a no-ball. One would have expected him to lookup at the heavens, instead he was furiously calling his partner for a run. Scorefirst, thank later.India’s sloppy fielding wasn’t going to help – they were always going to struggle insuch big arenas – but they would be heartened by Harbhajan Singh’s improvement. Hedidn’t extract much spin from the surface but slowed his pace and worked his angles.He is still far from being a threatening force but will take a few positives toSydney, where the surface might suit him more.He also reminded everyone about this being only his second Test in Australia. “Ittakes time to adjust to the conditions in Australia,” Harbhajan said of his poorfirst-innings effort. “These pitches have some extra bounce, something we’re notused to in India. I think we bowled well today. As a bowling unit, we’ve beenbowling well.”Harbhajan’s responses to a few critical questions summed up the bowlers’ day. “We’rehere to win the series and are not going to try and draw the game.” When provoked -“Don’t you think the series might be gone before India acclimatise to theconditions?” – he turned combative: “We won’t lose the series. Bythe time we return to India, let me show you we’re here to win.”It is a stubbornness that will serve India’s batsmen well. The Test may be gone butthere’s plenty to be gained over the next couple of days.
Mohammad Yousuf, the man who last year scored a world-record 1788 Test runs, has described Ricky Ponting as the world’s best player because of his ability to destroy any bowling attack. Yousuf said Ponting was every bit as good as modern batting legends like Viv Richards and Brian Lara and named the Australia captain as the man most likely to break his record for most runs in a calendar year.Yousuf said Ponting’s ability to score heavily in all types of conditions all over the world was one of his greatest assets. “[Ponting] is the best player by quite a long way,” Yousuf said in an interview with the . “Everywhere he goes in the world it is the same.”Sometimes we struggle in parts of the world where wickets favour the bowlers, but that does not happen to him. He used to have a little bit of trouble in places like India or Sri Lanka, but he has shown in the last few years that he now plays very well there. He is very strong, mentally and physically.”Yousuf, who made 455 more runs than Ponting in 2006, said he would like to pick Ponting’s brain in an effort to improve even further. “I think if there is somebody who will break the record, it will be Ponting,” he said. “He has scored 1500 runs in a year twice and he went very close this time as well. If I see him at the World Cup, it would be good to talk. Maybe I can learn from him.”The best batsmen I have seen in my lifetime are Viv [Richards] and [Brian] Lara, and they are some of the best in history. I think Ricky is as good as any of them. I have never seen anything like him. I have seen Ponting in a lot of matches, and he is the best player in the world at the moment. He can beat any bowler.”
A brief history compiled by Dr. Andrew Hignell (Hon. Statistician and Historian to Glamorgan CCC)Abergavenny is widely regarded by players, the Press and thegeneral public as one of the most picturesque grounds on thefirst-class circuit. Its intimate atmosphere and rural location,nestling amongst the tree-topped hills on the Welsh border, amile or so to the north of a small and friendly market town, tosay nothing of its quaint pavilion and irregular boundary, allprovide a tranquil atmosphere. The annual fixture at the groundprovides a healthy reminder of what cricket must have been likein the pre-commercial era, and for those who play, work or watchat vast, anonymous concrete stadiums, visiting the Avenue Roadground must be a godsend and a breath of fresh air. The wickethas been of the highest standard, and a host of batting recordshave been established at the pretty ground, most recently in 1995when Gloucestershire`s Anglo-Australian, hit a world record 20sixes during the Championship match with Gloucestershire.The Abergavenny club is amongst one of the oldest in South Wales.Formed in 1834, the club first played in the lush fieldsalongside the Rivers Usk or Gavenny, and during most of the 19thcentury their games were held at a variety of locations on thesegreen meadows against teams of gentlemen or traders from towns inthe neighbouring English counties. In 1884 they acquired aregular home on land owned by the industrialist Crawshay Bailey,but over time the wicket became rather poor, and the club lostfixtures as a result. A solution was found in 1896 when anapproach to the Marquess of Abergavenny, resulted in a move to afour and a half acre field off Avenue Road, called Pen-y-Pound.The Marquess was a great supporter of cricket, having beenPresident of Kent C.C.C. in 1878, and although spending littletime in the market town, he was a kindly benefactor to itsinhabitants.The club went from strength to strength after the move, so muchso, that the Marquess generously financed an enlarged pavilion.The new, improved wicket was also widely admired and in 1910Monmouthshire staged their Minor County fixture game withCarmarthenshire at Avenue Road. In 1915 the Marquess ofAbergavenny died, and much of his estate was sold for buildingland. However, Major J.R.Jacob, the Chairman and former captainof the club, helped to secure the freehold of the Pen-y-Poundground for the cricket club.Glamorgan`s amalgamation with Monmouthshire in 1935 led to theWelsh county staging second eleven, plus club and ground,fixtures at Abergavenny, and some of the club`s players were alsochosen by the Glamorgan selectors. In 1948 the ground hosted theMinor County fixture with Devon, and with Glamorgan pledging tostage first-class matches in Monmouthshire, the Abergavennyofficials hoped that their attractive home would be lucky enoughto host a Championship fixture.The superior facilities and larger pavilion at Ebbw Vale won theday, but even so, the Abergavenny club didn`t lose heart andcontinued to be the host of special Benefit matches, both forGlamorgan players as well as those from neighbouringWorcestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. However, bythe mid 1960`s, Glamorgan were starting to cut back on the numberof venues they played at, and for all of its charms, thelikelihood of Avenue Road staging county cricket looked slim, andthe club had to content itself with games in the Gwent Premierand Severn Counties League.Disaster appeared to strike in 1977 as a fire severely damagedthe pavilion and completely destroyed the adjoining tea room.But as it turned out, the fire proved to be a turning point inthe history of the club as a generous grant from the Welsh SportsCouncil helped to pay for renovations and much larger facilities.These extensions happened at a lucky time, as in the 1980`s,Glamorgan also began to take cricket around the region again.Abergavenny made a formal request to stage a Sunday League game,and in 1981 the county committee allocated the match withWorcestershire to the Gwent ground.The Glamorgan officials were suitably impressed by the hard work,both on and of the field by the Abergavenny folk, and in 1982their efforts were rewarded with the Sunday match withNorthamptonshire. Local businesses also offered generoussponsorship and in May 1983 Worcestershire visited Abergavennyonce again as the ground staged its inaugural County Championshipfixture.Worcestershire and Gloucestershire have been regular vistors tothe ground, and their batsmen, as well as the Glamorgan players,have enjoyed taking advantage of the placid wicket and smallboundaries. One of the best examples was the 1990 fixture withWorcestershire. After Graeme Hick had recorded a superb 252* ,Phil Neale set Glamorgan a target of 495 to win on the final day.They ended on 493-6, and came agonisingly close to setting a newchampionship record. However, the most famous game in theground`s short Championship history came in August 1995 as AndrewSymonds hit 254 and smashed the world six hitting record, byhitting 16 sixes in his double-century, followed by four more inthe second innings. Almost unnoticed Indian all-rounder JavagalSrinath claimed 13-150 and his supreme efforts, on a groundregarded as a bowlers graveyard, were in keeping with the almostunreal atmosphere which is generated by this most idiosyncratic,and charming, of county cricket venues.For further information about the history of this, and othergrounds used by Glamorgan, you may be interested in purchasing”The Cricket Grounds of Glamorgan”, written by Andrew Hignell andpublished in 1985 by the Association of Cricket Statisticians andHistorians. For further details, please consult the A.C.S.homepage on CricInfo, send e-mail to [email protected] or write toPeter Wynne-Thomas at 3, Radcliffe Road, Nottingham.
Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa Test player, has turned down an offer from India’s National Cricket Academy to be a fielding consultant, according to the Press Trust of India.Rhodes, 35, who was one of the world’s most exciting fielders during his 11-year international career, had been asked to take up a two-week coaching assignment, but declined. Rhodes’s priority after retiring have been his family – he has two young children – and he is currently working for a bank in South Africa. But Rhodes did admit that cricket was his first love, and that he may become a coach later on.
Imran Khan has criticised South Africa’s demand to change the venues of two matches during their forthcoming tour of Pakistan. Imran, now a member of the federal parliament, said: “I see [the] South African demand [as] illogical after assurances by the Pakistan government that the team would be given highest security. The government is the best judge of the security in the country. Terrorism can take place anywhere in the world and most countries have unpredictable security, including South Africa.”The South Africans are due to tour Pakistan from September 22 until October 27, during which time they will play three one-day internationals and as many Tests. Their itinerary includes a limited-overs warm-up game, an ODI and a Test in Karachi, and another Test in Peshawar, matches which South Africa want rescheduling to other venues.A three-man delegation from the South African board will travel to Pakistan on Sunday to ascertain the security situation. The Pakistan board meanwhile, has assured that top-level security will be in place throughout the tour.Security fears have blighted cricket in Pakistan recently with teams refusing to tour the country following two suicide-bombings in Karachi in May and June last year. As a result, Pakistan were forced to play two of their home Tests against West Indies and Australia at neutral venues last year.One of those blasts, on May 8 last year, was outside the touring New Zealanders’ hotel. As a result, they packed their bags and cut the tour short by one Test. However, New Zealand are set to compensate that match by returning to Pakistan in November this year when they will play five ODIs, even though they have refused to play in Karachi.Meanwhile, Imran blamed the ICC for this whole security palaver: “The ICC has failed to play a lead role, it’s the ICC who messed up the Zimbabwe issue in the World Cup,” he said, referring to England pulling out of their group match in Harare because of security concerns.
Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town will come alive on 2nd January 2002, with a day of cricket unlike any previous tournament. Regional stakes between locals and holiday makers are expected to be high, as Western Province prepare for battle against Natal Dolphins, Northern Titans and the Highveld Strikers in a limited overs tournament guaranteed to provide pure entertainment from start to finish.Discovery, in partnership with SuperSport, leading provider of sporting broadcast content to the African continent, today announced the re-launch of the exciting Discovery Knockout Challenge. Neville Koopowitz, Marketing Director of Discovery says, ‘The Discovery Knock-out challenge is an exciting sporting concept which Discovery is proud to be associated with’.Two `20 over’ semi-finals and a `25 over’ final will ensure the matches are truly spectacular to watch. "This format is unique to South African cricket and is an exciting injection of adrenaline into the pulse of local sport. We expect boundaries galore with plenty of big hitting," says Craig Matthews, ex-South African cricketer and Marketing Manager at Western Province Cricket Association, hosts of the event.A 15m high SuperSport `S’ on the boundary rope, used as a target for batsmen to hit in exchange for cash prizes is only one of the many innovations being used to mix entertainment into the Sporting activities and offer exceptional value to the anticipated 10,000 spectators.`Preparations for a wide range of unique fun activities are already well underway in an approach aimed at providing a holistic entertainment experience’, says Tara Kamp, Promotions Manager-SuperSport Marketing and Project manager of the event.Many of the SuperSport presenters such as Mike Haysman, Pat Symcox and Neil Andrews will be at the grounds signing autographs, shoulder to shoulder with all of the participating cricket teams. The great looking SuperSport tattoo girls will be circulating all day running a body painting competition where 3 DSTV decoders with free satellite dish and installation will be up for grabs. The Electronic Arts PS2 Cricket challenge and numerous free give aways such as Discovery t-shirts and caps and items from the exclusive Woolworths SuperSport clothing range will keep the crowds occupied all day long’ she concluded.To end the day off in style, leading South African band and current chart toppers Mean Mr Mustard will be performing over 1½ hours of their latest hits. Perfect cover versions of international superstars such as Bryan Adams combined with their own unique style of songs and a dynamic live stage act will ensure this truly is a `knock out’ finish to a spectacular day.Tickets are selling fast through Computicket or directly from WPCU, and given the amount of entertainment and outstanding cricket on offer, with a family or a bunch of friends, Newlands is the only place to be on 2nd January.
After three days of performing the role of a weather reporterat Dhaka, scribes finally had a chance to do what they had comehere for. A window of opportunity in the form of a spell of goodweather made play possible at the Bangabandhu Stadium. If thesun gods took mercy and shone hard all afternoon, Aravinda deSilva took over under the lights and dazzled. An unbeaten 96from the veteran in his first knock as opener saw Sri Lanka breezeto a nine-wicket victory in the opening match of the seventhAsia Cup.When Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and putthe hosts in to bat, Chaminda Vaas responded well, accountingfor two wickets in quick time. Even as Javed Omar waged a lonebattle at one end, Bangladesh slowly but steadily lost wicketsat the other end. Former skipper Akram Khan gave Omar good companywhile he was at the crease with some solid blows. The two cametogether with Bangladesh on 27/3 and pushed the score past thehundred mark. Just when Akram Khan looked like he was attemptingto push the scoring rate, he feel to a good running catch inthe outfield by Upul Chandana off the bowling of Aravinda deSilva. Earlier in the over he struck two boundaries off the spinnerbut could not keep the momentum going.After the fall of the burly Akram Khan, Omar found no one topartner him in any meaningful manner. Although he helped himselfto an unbeaten 85, Bangladesh could muster only 175 in theirallotted 50 overs.Debutant Kaushalya Weeraratne, who impressed with his mediumpacersin the recently concluded Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka, was apicture of delight when he picked up his first wicket in OneDay Internationals with just the fifth ball he bowled. He endedwith the most respectable figures of 7-1-18-1If watching Bangladesh take the field against the former World Cup championswas reward enough for the crowd at the Bangabandhu Stadium, AravindaDe Silva’s silken touch at the top of the innings was an unexpectedbonus. When asked before the tournament, the Sri Lankan managementdid not either confirm or deny the rumours that De Silva wouldopen the innings. Partnering the explosive Jayasuriya who isnot in the best of nick, De Silva unveiled his complete arrayof strokes. Starting with a trademark pull shot, he lacedthe ball through the covers at will. Finding the gaps with consummateease, De Silva thoroughly justified Dav Whatmore’s experimentof using him at the top of the innings.Even the loss of Jayasuriya to a rush of blood did not slow downDe Silva. Marvan Attapattu joined De Silva in the middle andthe two made the best of a flat batting track. Before the 31stover could be completed, De Silva was close to a century, Attapattuon 41 and Sri Lanka past the target.Naimur Rehman, who was run out without facing a ball earlierin the day, grassed a catch that De Silva offered when he wasjust 13. When De Silva walked up to receive the man of the matchaward, all Rehman could do was stand back, applaud and rue hisluck.If De Silva’s innings today was a hint of things to come, itwill take more than luck to stop the Lankans in this series.