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England women have beaten India women in the Women’s Cricket World Series atLincoln, New Zealand today by 90 runs in the play off for third and fourthplace

ECB Media Release25-Dec-2009England women have beaten India women in the Women’s Cricket World Series atLincoln, New Zealand today by 90 runs in the play off for third and fourthplace.The win means England move up the world rankings, from their position offifth at the last world cup in 2000, to third.England Captain, Clare Connor speaking after the match said “it wasfantastic to beat India by such a convincing margin today after yesterday’svictory off the last ball. Our overall game was excellent today withKathryn Leng batting superbly for 80. We have discussed the need to post190 plus as a winning total.The bowlers then bowled aggressively, and straight, as we have talked aboutand the whole team effort in the field was first class. As it turned out,today’s game was the most important match of the tournament for us becausewe had a chance to move up the rankings to third in the world; and we tookthat opportunity”.England won the toss and elected to bat, having defended a winning score of208 against India team. Today, England were all out for 191; Kathryn Lengmaking 80 from 109 balls, her highest one-day score for England. Indiamissed two chances to run her out, when she was on 25 and again on 38, butLeng remained composed and drove the Indian attack with power, particularlywhen her half century was secure.England reached their 150 in the thirty-fifth over with 3 wickets down,having seen off a feisty opening spell of pace bowling from Goswami, theplayer who had missed the chance to score the winning run in yesterday’sgame which England won by one run.The experienced spinner Neetu David, who together with Al-Khadir rippedthrough the England middle order once Arran Thompson had been run out threeovers later, eventually bowled Leng. David bowled England Captain, ClareConnor for 2; Al-Khadir had Laura Newton stumped by Naik for 4 and bowledDawn Holden for 6.With England on 164-8, a recovery was led by England’s leading wicket takerClare Taylor and Laura Harper, who put on 24 before Taylor was run out for14. Taylor’s batting has improved considerably in recent years, and she haspassed her previous highest one-day score twice in this Series following asuccessful spell of top order batting with NZ state side Otago this winter.Following her elegant innings of 98 yesterday, England knew they needed toremove Mithali Raj, and with opener Paranjpe trapped lbw by Pearson in thefirst over, Raj and Sharma set about building a platform. Pearson wasunlucky to take just one wicket in a blisteringly quick opening seven-overspell which yielded just 18 runs and saw two catches dropped.But it was a day for the spinners, as Laura Harper and Clare Connor bowledin tandem to inflict irrevocable damage on India’s batters. Connor hadSharma caught and fellow Captain, Chopra, lbw. Harper gained the prizedwicket of Raj as the batsman attempted to sweep her, having found runs thesame way from the previous delivery but deceived by extra flight.At 55-4 and with Raj gone, England knew they couldn’t be caught and setabout achieving a comprehensive victory. With miserly bowling from Collyerin particular, India didn’t ever trouble the run rate. Only the ‘keeper,Naik, showed any resistance, reaching 23 before the ever reliable Taylortook a sharp catch from Harper’s bowling. India were 90-9 and added justeleven more runs before Collyer bowled Goswami for the second time in twodays to end India’s innings and ensure England the victory.

The review of Brendon McCullum’s lbw was a vital moment; one that Ross Taylor believed left the Test “evenly placed” at stumps on the first day

Cricinfo staff24-Nov-2009
Ross Taylor’s 94 was the top score for New Zealand on the opening day•Getty ImagesWhen Simon Taufel gave Brendon McCullum lbw off the penultimate ball in Dunedin, Pakistan appeared to have separated New Zealand’s last reliable batsmen and won the day. McCullum, however, asked for a review and Taufel changed his decision after replays showed the ball hitting pad just outside off stump. It was a vital moment; one that Ross Taylor believed left the Test “evenly placed” at stumps on the first day.”The last decision going our way helped us immensely,” Taylor said. “The partnership between Daniel [Vettori] and Brendon [McCullum] has probably put us back in the match. Being 200 for 6 at the end of the day’s play would have favoured Pakistan, but 270 for 6, I think it’s pretty even.”Taylor’s fighting 94 propped up New Zealand after the loss of two early wickets before a mini-collapse, during which they lost three wickets for 19 runs. McCullum and Vettori then added 65 for the seventh wicket to help the hosts recover before the scare in the final over.Earlier in the day Pakistan had also referred a close lbw shout against Taylor, which was ruled in the batsman’s favour when he was on 54. After two reviews went New Zealand’s way on the first day of the new system’s implementation, Taylor was happy with it.”I have seen it [the first referral] since I have been out, it was a little bit closer than I thought,” he said. “When I first got hit I thought it was high and might have even hit outside the line. As it worked out, the umpire made the right decision and I suppose I am happy for that. With the referrals system, last year, we had a few that did not go in our favour and today we had a couple go our way, so it is good at the moment.”Taylor began his innings after New Zealand were reduced to 27 for 2 in the sixth over and survived a testing period against the seamers. He got hit on the body thrice by Mohammad Aamer, kept getting beaten outside off by Mohammad Asif, and scored only 6 off his first 44 balls. However, he settled in and forged a 117-run partnership with Martin Guptill. Taylor didn’t make it to 100, though, edging Saeed Ajmal to first slip on 94.”Obviously the goal as a batsman is to get to three figures. To be very close in the end, but not close enough is disappointing,” Taylor said. “But I can’t really complain too much. The shot I played in the end wasn’t a poor shot. You are going to play and miss on that wicket occasionally, and you just hope you don’t nick it.”It has been a struggle over the last month and a half. [I have] been working hard on my game with various people over the last week or so. It is always good when you put in the hard work and get some reward.”Taylor had words for encouragement for Martin Guptill who batted well in his company to stabilise the innings. Guptill too failed to capitalise on his start, perishing for 60 by top-edging a pull off Aamer.”Yeah, I thought he batted very well,” Taylor said. “He has had a few starts over his career, so it is good for him to go on and get past 50. But I’m sure he will also be disappointed with getting out for 60, doing all the hard work. Hopefully we can both kick on in the second innings.”The pitch will play a crucial role over the course of this Test and Taylor said that the bounce would be unpredictable. “There are some bare patches and a lot of grass. So some get through and some don’t. Not all balls carried through to Kamran Akmal, so obviously that’s going to play a part over the next four days. Hopefully we can learn from that and hopefully maybe just bowl a little straighter for a consistent period.”

A round-up from the latest domestic action in South Africa

Firdose Moonda05-Oct-2009Last week Morne Morkel bowled a superb spell to stake his claim for national selection and this week was the turn of brother Albie at Durban. The older Morkel took four for 70 although he was the most expensive of the Titans bowlers. Morkel was overshadowed by the Dolphins’ Yusuf Abdulla. The left-armer, who rose to prominence during the IPL, showed that he is not simply a 20-over player. His five for 62 demolished the Titans as they were bowled out for 164.However, the weather had the final say as the Dolphins ended on 128 for three in their second innings, a lead of 197. There wasn’t too much to speak about with the bat in this match, with Ahmed Amla notching up a half-century. The draw means the Eagles still top the table.Rain also played its part at Randjesfontien, the Oppenheimer-owned ground, where the Lions hosted a Warriors outfit rich in national talent. But it wasn’t only the international players who starred. Arno Jacobs scored a century in his 100th first-class match and Justin Kreusch notched up his first century. Together with Johan Botha’s 88, the Warriors amassed an imposing 474. The Lions bowlers all toiled hard, with Friedel de Wet, Cliffie Deacon and Robert Frylinck each picked up three apiece.The Lions top four batsmen had three half centuries between them, with Neil McKenzie and Alviro Petersen once again finding form. But it was national under-19 captain Jonathan Vandiar who held the innings together though with a confident, undefeated 128.McKenzie made a challenging declaration for the second match in a row, calling the batsmen back on 395 for seven, and giving the Warriors a 79 run first-innings lead.McKenzie’s decision looked like it might pay off when Friedel de Wet had Ashwell Prince out for a duck but most of the final day was rained off.In the Provincial three-day league, the Free State and North West drew their match. Mohammed Akoojee and Andrea Agathagelou scored centuries while the pick of the bowlers was the North West’s Johan Mostert with four for 40.The Free State earned a comprehensive 92-run victory in the limited-overs game. Jonathan Beukes’ 130 not out helped the home side to 242 for six but it was Hancke von Rauenstein six for 21 that won the game for the men from Bloemfontein.Glen Addicott scored 104 and 21 year old Kyle Nipper took four for 97 as the KZN Inland team drew with Western Province at Pietermaritzburg. The Inland team’s enforced declaration occurred when they were on 250 for six. In response, they bowled Province out for 266. Alastair Gray’s good form continued as he scored 46. Natal’s second innings ended on 124 for three.Western Province had the better of their opponents in the limited-overs game, winning by six wickets. Mario Olivier’s five for 37 saw the Inlanders restricted to 199 for eight. Gray scored 49 opening the batting and Martin Walters was undefeated on 56 as Province reached the target with four overs to spare.Batsman of the week
Jonathan Vandiar announced his comeback to first-class cricket properly this week by notching up his second hundred. After suffering an horrific Achilles injury last season, Vandiar made a fairly quiet return to the game last week. This week, though, he catapulted himself into the top six batsmen in the table, joining two other Lions players, McKenzie and Petersen.Bowler of the week
Von Rauensterin’s match-winning performance earns him this week’s award. He removed Akoojee when the Free State were still very much in the game on 78 for two in the 13th over and then removed two middle-order batsmen (Riyaadh Bhayat and Brett Pelser) in successive balls. Four overs later, Agathagelou, who was on 51 also succumbed to the legspinner and he added two of the lower order batsman to his tally for good measure as well.

West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is likely to stay put at the Hawthorns for the whole of this season, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with move

Johnstone ended up staying put at West Brom this summer, despite constant reports claiming he would move to a Premier League club.

Tottenham have now been tipped to sign the England international in the January transfer window, seeing him a possible replacement for Hugo Lloris.

The Latest: Johnstone tipped to stay

Speaking to Football Insider, however, former Leeds United striker Whelan claimed Johnstone would likely see out the campaign with the Baggies, highlighting his importance and explaining why allowing him to leave wouldn’t make sense:

“You’ve got to look at West Brom’s predicament. They’re sitting at the top, they’re looking to get promoted back to the Premier League. He’s a big part of that.

“Can you afford to lose a player like that or sell a player like that in January when you’re so close to maybe getting back to the Premier League? I’m not so sure.

“They might be better off keeping him until the end of the season. Making sure you’ve got a quality international goalkeeper in between your sticks.

“It could be that the fine line of you’re getting promoted or not. It’s a double-edged sword, risk and reward. You’ve got to take that chance to keep as many international players in that team as possible.”

The Verdict: Vital player in promotion push

Johnstone is a massive player for West Brom – he has been hailed as ‘magnificent’ by former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce in the past – so losing him in January would be a huge blow.

The goalkeeper is integral to Valerien Ismael’s side’s promotion push, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.

It could be that Johnstone wants to move on at the end of the season – whether or not West Brom have gone up could be key to that decision – but they need him to stay for the time being.

In other news, some West Brom fans are keen for one player to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.

Southampton managed to perfectly move on from getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup against Chelsea last week by securing their second Premier League win of the season at the weekend with a 1-0 win away at Watford thanks to a goal from Che Adams.

Their next game sees Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side take on Aston Villa at St. Mary’s to see if they can grab another win and move even further away from the relegation zone.

On the chalkboard

With this clash in mind, one Saints player that featured in the win at Watford that we feel should be in the starting XI to face Villa is striker Adam Armstrong.

Armstrong played the full 90 minutes against the Hornets and not only did he assist Adams’ winning goal that sealed the three points on the day, but he also managed to have five shots at goal in what was a swashbuckling attacking display.

On top of that, he made two key passes and completed one accurate long ball which ultimately earned him a solid match rating of 7/10, higher than his strike partner Adams on the day according to SofaScore.

Since joining the south-coast club back in August on a four-year deal from Championship club Blackburn Rovers for a reported fee of £15m, Armstrong has made an appearance in all but one of Southampton’s Premier League games so far this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists along the way.

Despite the lack of goals, the fact that the attacker, who has been praised for his “explosive” pace in the past by Tony Mowbray is getting plenty of minutes under his belt this season shows that Hasenhuttl has enough faith in him to keep playing him.

Also, the fact that the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, has managed to rack up an average of three shots at goal per game in the Premier League so far this season which shows that he is a useful attacking outlet for the Saints but has merely had trouble finding the back of the net.

This says to us that Armstrong’s attacking prowess could make him a real nuisance for Villa and potentially terrify them on Friday night, especially given how they have lost their previous four league games, conceding 12 goals in the process. Combine that with Ezri Konsa’s absence after he picked up a red card in their recent 4-1 defeat against West Ham and it makes Southampton’s task easier.

If Hasenhuttl does start Armstrong against Villa and the striker manages to score, this could well be a big confidence boost for the player, one that could push him on to a consistent run of form which would undoubtedly please everyone at the club.

In other news: Hasenhuttl could unearth a new Jack Stephens at Southampton in 17 y/o starlet – opinion

Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, will miss his team’s two practice games against the Highveld Lions this week as part of his rehabilitation from a tennis elbow surgery

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2009Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, will miss his team’s two practice games against the Highveld Lions this week as part of his rehabilitation from a tennis elbow surgery. However, the team physiotherapist Brandon Jackson assured that Smith was progressing well, and that he should be fit for the Champions Trophy warm-up match against West Indies in Potchefstroom on September 17.”Graeme’s elbow is healing well post surgery,” Jackson was quoted as saying in Cricket South Africa’s official website. “He is in week 11 of a structured 13-week return to full activity programme. He is currently batting against tennis balls and against underarm bowling with a cricket ball, together with intensive gym strengthening and boxing.”This excludes him from matches this week. We expect him to return to full batting activity in ten days’ time.”Smith first suffered the tennis elbow injury during the IPL in 2008 and that forced him to miss the last three ODIs against England in August. He was adviced to undergo surgery but was still fit to continue playing. He kept postponing the surgery, in order to make himself available for South Africa’s busy season later in the year, which included the tour of Australia. He finally went under the knife after the World Twenty20 and was confident of recovering before the Champions Trophy at home, starting September 22. He has already been named in South Africa’s squad for the tournament, as well as the Cape Cobras’ squad for the Champions League in India next month.

Having joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in an initial £10m move back in the summer of 2020, Ki-Jana Hoever may not have progressed as quickly as many had initially expected at the time of his signing.

Indeed, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo last season, the 19-year-old was handed just five starts in the Premier League, making a further seven appearances from the bench.

Although, despite this lack of game time, the £6.3m-rated man nevertheless managed to turn in a number of impressive performances for the club – most notably in the 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion back in May, in which the teenager earned a SofaScore match rating of 7.1, as well as the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the subsequent fixture, in which Hoever received a match rating of 7.0.

However, upon Bruno Lage’s appointment at Molineux this summer, the £40k-per-week right-back has once again seen his first-team opportunities limited, with the 46-year-old manager handing the teenager just one start in the league, in addition to two more appearances as a substitute.

This continued lack of game time is somewhat surprising, as the defender once again impressed in his solo start, making one key pass, two interceptions, four tackles, completing two dribbles and winning 10 duels in the club’s 1-0 defeat to Leicester City, with these returns seeing the 19-year-old earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.4.

As such, considering the fact that, when handed the opportunity of a starting spot, Hoever has more often than not turned in an impressive performance, it would appear highly advisable for Lage to place his trust in the Netherlands U21, or else the 46-year-old risks slowing the former Liverpool man’s progression in senior football.

And, with the Reds academy director Alex Inglethorpe stating his belief that the youngster is an “outstanding talent” who boasts “serious potential” to become “a top player”, it would very much appear as if Hoever has the ability to make a real impact in the Wolves first-team, all he needs is a chance to do so.

In other news: Wolves set for negotiations over “spectacular” £7.2m-rated gem, Lage would love him

West Ham United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League came to a gutting end as they were defeated by former loan star Jesse Lingard and his Manchester United side on Sunday afternoon.

After coming on as a substitute, the 28-year-old midfielder cut inside and curled an effort past Lukasz Fabianksi with just two minutes remaining after Cristiano Ronaldo had made it all-square before the break following Said Benrahma’s 30th-minute opener.

There was to be late drama as visiting defender Luke Shaw was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area in stoppage time and David de Gea managed to save the spot-kick from Mark Noble, who had come on moments earlier specifically to take it.

Some may be quick to blame the retiring Hammers skipper but on his day, he’s among the finest penalty takers in the division and you’d back him to score nine times out of ten.

Other members of David Moyes’ squad were far more culpable for their struggles on the pitch at the London Stadium, one of whom was arguably Pablo Fornals, who was quite poor out wide.

He played the entire 90 minutes and recorded 56 touches – the fourth-highest of the home side – but he failed to contribute much in an attacking sense.

As per SofaScore, the £26m-rated Spain international failed to keep his two shots on target, and whilst he made two key passes, they failed to result in anything notable.

Fornals struggled against the likes of Paul Pogba, Shaw and Ronaldo on his side of the pitch and it saw him earn the lowest rating in the West Ham squad with 6.1.

He lost 11 of his 14 duels (79%) both on the ground and in the air, and from those 56 touches, he lost the ball 13 times – or once every 4.3 times and once every seven minutes.

Fornals was also dribbled past three times, only reinforcing the fact that he couldn’t match his opposition on the flank and he recorded one error that nearly cost them hugely, via SofaScore.

Moyes would’ve expected a lot better from one of the more experienced members of the squad, particularly as he knew the Spaniard would need to step up to help fill the void left behind by Michail Antonio, who was suspended for this fixture.

Fornals badly let the Irons down on Sunday afternoon, and he must improve if he’s to keep his place in the team, particularly with the likes of Nikola Vlasic arriving in east London.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Upson in 17 y/o “monster” who’s “got everything”…

Surrey have made an audacious bid to lure Rory Hamilton-Brown, the Sussex allrounder, back to The Oval and are believed to be ready to offer him the captaincy

Andrew McGlashan01-Dec-2009Surrey have made an audacious bid to lure Rory Hamilton-Brown, the Sussex allrounder, back to The Oval and are believed to be ready to offer him the captaincy. Sussex have called the approach “unwelcome” and are considering their options.Hamilton-Brown, 22, began his career with Surrey but struggled to establish himself in the first team and moved to Sussex in 2008 where his game has developed, especially in the one-day format. He made a mark in the Championship towards the end of last summer with a career-best 171 against Yorkshire. However, his first-class career equates to the grand total of eight games. He is currently with the England performance squad in Pretoria as a level B player, meaning the selectors view him as being one to three years away from international level.”This approach is most unwelcome and the timing is very unfortunate when Rory should be focussing on his time in the England performance programme as he seeks a place in the England Lions squad after Christmas,” Jim May, the Sussex chairman, said. “We had already offered Rory a contract extension on improved terms prior to the official approach from Surrey.”We regard him highly as a player who has developed well since joining us. At the age of 22, Rory has very strong potential to develop an excellent career with Sussex, where we strongly believe his cricketing development will be best served. This is a complex situation as we have absolutely no wish to lose a player of Rory’s potential, and we will consider our response carefully before any further communication.”Surrey, who confirmed they approached Hamilton-Brown on November 13, are still searching for a long-term captaincy successor to Mark Butcher who retired midway through last season with a persistent knee injury. Michael Brown had the role at the beginning of 2009 after his move from Hampshire, but by the end of the season it had passed to the relatively unknown 26-year-old Stewart Walters, who made a positive impression despite Surrey’s poor season.It would be a huge gamble from Surrey to put the captaincy in Hamilton-Brown’s hands with his only previous leadership experience being a short spell as England Under-19 skipper and it would make him the youngest captain in the county game.Hamilton-Brown is the latest target of Chris Adams, the former Sussex captain and now Surrey cricket manager, as he strengthens his squad ahead of the 2010 campaign. He has already plucked Piyush Chawla, the India legspinner, from Sussex’s grasp to be their overseas player and Adams is clearly hoping Hamilton-Brown will want to rejoin him at Surrey.Adams has already been busy recruiting big names to The Oval as part of his long-term rebuilding plan for the team with Steven Davies and Gareth Batty both joining from Worcestershire.

Liverpool could finally replace departed winger Xherdan Shaqiri after being linked with a move for Porto ace Luis Diaz.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet TodoFichajes (as relayed by CaughtOffside), the Reds are one of several sides interested in securing the highly-rated 24-year-old’s services.

The report also lists Bayern Munich, Barcelona and AS Roma as potential suitors for Diaz, while his current club are thought to value their prized asset at a minimum of £43m.

Edwards must sanction Liverpool move

Colombia international Diaz arrived at the Estadio do Dragao from his homeland back in 2019 and quickly established himself as a key player for the Dragons. In 106 appearances for Sergio Conceicao’s charges, he has bagged 30 goals and provided a further 14 assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their domestic double in 2019/20.

He then featured heavily for his nation last summer in the Copa America, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with four strikes.

Diaz scored the winning goal for Colombia as they won 3-2 in their third-place play-off with Peru, earning the praise of teammate Juan Cuadrado, with the former Chelsea man insisting that Los Cafeteros wouldn’t have won without the skillful forward.

“We won because of Lucho, he has an excellent level, and he will achieve great things,” Cuadrado said after the game.

With former Liverpool attacker Shaqiri departing for Lazio in the previous window, manger Jurgen Klopp is currently light on options in the final third of the pitch.

Therefore, director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a swoop for Diaz, providing the German with a plethora of options across the front three, allowing him to rest and rotate his star performers.

Although Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have started the new campaign in impressive fashion, the pair are approaching their 30th birthdays and Diaz’s arrival at Anfield could ensure Liverpool remain a potent attacking force for years to come.

In other news… Report reveals exciting Liverpool transfer update, fans will be absolutely buzzing