All posts by n8rngtd.top

Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2017Club cricket in the Western Cape could be cut by up to 50% as the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) tries to heed the city’s call to reduce water consumption in the face of the region’s worst drought in over a century.In an urgent meeting on Wednesday, WPCA cricket and local league committees discussed ideas on how to save water, and discussed a reduction of club fixtures, but did not agree on a specific number. A final decision will be made in the coming weeks.Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels following a second winter with scant rainfall. Water rationing is on the horizon and all organisations have been asked to reduce water consumption as much as possible.”The WPCA has already implemented practical steps to save water. One example was the grey-water usage by curators and all the club players at Blue Downs every week to maintain the oval, a practical, proactive measure,” Nabeal Dien, WPCA CEO said. “Obviously we will consider reducing the club fixtures without knockout matches being impacted or players’ need for recreational activities being adversely affected significantly.”The club cricket season has already begun but a revision to the fixtures may yet take place.

The Dhaka Premier League’s relegation battle ended early, with Partex and Victoria Sporting Club confirmed to go down

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Partex captain Irfan Sukkur was one of only three batsmen to reach double figures•BCB

Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity confirmed their stay in next season’s Dhaka Premier League with an eight-wicket win over Partex Sporting Club in the first relegation play-off game at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Khelaghar moved to eight points, meaning both Victoria Sporting Club and Partex, who are on two points each, were relegated to the Dhaka First Division Cricket League. The remaining relegation playoffs will now be formalities.Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam took six wickets for just 18 runs from his 9.1 overs as Partex were shot out for just 73 runs in 25.1 overs. Tanvir’s figures were the best by a bowler in this year’s DPL, which also saw Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Abu Hider and Arafat Sunny take six-wicket hauls.Only three batsmen – captain Irfan Sukkur, Jubair Ahmed and Nuruzzaman Masum – reached double figures for Partex who had elected to bat. Khelaghar only needed three batsmen to reach double-figures as they completed the second-shortest chase in Bangladesh’s List A history; Robiul Islam Robi’s 34 led the chase which they completed in 15.1 overs, with 209 balls to spare.

Graham Ford’s things to do list

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan10-Jun-2007

Enter low-profile, stay low-profile
When Ford’s name was first linked to India’s coaching job one board
administrator said in half-jest: “Who is this Ford? Next you’ll say Ferrari,
Mercedes and Toyota.” Ford must take full advantage of his relative
anonymity and try, as much as he possibly can, to stay low-key. After the
tumultuous Chappell era, when the focus often shifted from the players to
the coach, Indian cricket is in need of a backroom worker, someone who
can push rather than pull. Taking a cue from Wright, India’s first
foreign coach who was remarkably inconspicuous for most of his tenure,
might be a good way to start.Getting the best out of the seniors
Some have termed them Dad’s army: watch them play and it’s more like the
Geriatrics Club of India. The team comprises men who are
staring at retirement but Ford’s best option is to get the maximum out of
them. India’s first-class system isn’t exactly brimming with exceptionally
talented youngsters and those like Suresh Raina who’ve been given a
chance have stood exposed. Ford’s biggest challenge will be the senior batsmen, something that Chappell, despite his good record coaching some of the younger players, couldn’t achieve for a sustained period of time. Ford is said to possess a
“technical eye” and comes with a hard-nosed reputation, factors that could go a long way in extracting the best out of great batsmen in their twilight years.Balancing complacency and insecurity
Wright’s final year as coach saw a number of established names take their
spots for granted and make the cut despite some woeful performances.
Chappell’s tenure was characterised by a rash of insecurity, with players
unsure of when the axe would fall – what began as ‘Perform or Perish’ ended
up, as with Mohammad Kaif in Kuala Lumpur, ‘Perform
Perish’. Ford, captain Rahul Dravid and chief selector
Dilip Vengsarkar need to find a balance – gauging how long a rope can be
afforded to each individual.Basics please
Whether he adopts rolling camps or conducts sessions at the army paratroop
centre, Ford must device a method to sort out the basics. He must get the
batsmen to run better between wickets; hammer it into them that taking the
shortest route helps and stressing the importance of grounding
their bats; he must get India to stop a few more runs on the field and
somehow put in place an efficient slip cordon that holds more than a
sieve; he must also unearth a couple of good close-in catchers. It would
help if he has a word with his countryman, Adrian Le Roux, the former
trainer who some Indian players still swear by. Andrew Leipus, the former
physio who’s always ready to help, could also be another useful sounding
board.

Taking a load off Dravid
Dravid’s job was, no doubt, made harder by a domineering coach and it’s
important that Ford plays facilitator rather than doer. He needs to play a
big role in the internal dynamics of man management and the daily media
stress test that the team is put through. Wright did that wonderfully,
despite having his differences with Ganguly; Chappell struggled and his
dominant personality didn’t endear itself to many of the players.Earning the players’ trust
“Now that we’ve experienced Chappell, we’re ready for anyone”. This
statement, from a member of the team, reflects the loss of trust in the
coach who was tactless in his off-the-record briefings to the media.
Ford will no doubt face frustrations but coaching through the media is
fraught with danger, especially when you’re riling your own players.
Earning the confidence of the players – the same players largely responsible
for his appointment – will be vital.No immediate revolution
No one doubts Indian cricket needs a drastic overhaul but trying to instigate
an immediate revolution could lead to further trouble. Chappell tried to
create order from chaos but plunged into it well before
he’d proven his coaching credentials. Ford comes in with a fine record as
coach but he needs to establish himself as the right man for the job. His
personality doesn’t suggest he will spark off any major change in the
overall functioning of Indian cricket but if he chooses to do so, he must
wait for the right time before striking.

Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer was full of praise for David Warner’s newfound professionalism and focus, after he steered Australia home against West Indies with an unbeaten fifty

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2016So single-minded a Test cricketer was Justin Langer that team-mates have often spoken of the almost monastic fanaticism with which he pursued team and individual success for Australia. So it was telling that he spoke with enormous admiration for the cricketer David Warner has become, epitomised by his busy intensity in Australia’s victory in their tri-series opener against West Indies.The past week in New York and Guyana has been the first time Langer was able to get a look at Warner up close since he resigned as Australia’s assistant coach to take up the head coach role with Western Australia in November 2012. At that point, Warner’s performances were strong enough, but he was on a spiral of bad behaviour that led to his suspension from part of the 2013 Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub.Three years on, Langer speaks of Warner in the same way as he does about former team-mates and close friends Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden – an unlikely scenario in the past, and a measure of how far the teetotal and focused Warner has come. This applied not only to the national team, but also to his work for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where Warner played a large part in securing the trophy for his side.”I just admire David Warner so much, it’s not just his performances on the field but his actions off the field,” Langer said ahead of Australia’s second match against South Africa on Tuesday. “He’d probably be the first to admit that a few years ago he was pretty hard to manage; he liked to do things his way. But really he looks super-focused at the moment. He’s super-fit, you see his running between the wickets, he’s an elite athlete now and that takes great discipline.”He’s been rewarded for that, he’s been rewarded for his discipline and he should be really proud of the fact he has become a great role model for our young Australian cricketers and cricketers around the world. He’s become so fit and disciplined in what he’s doing and he’s so consistent, that’s what great players do. I really respect David Warner’s career, but I really respect his last year or so, because you can really tell, like a lot of great players do, there’s a trigger moment where he really switched on and he’s now cashing in on that.”Expanding on this theme, Langer said he was delighted by the Australian players’ willingness to adapt to foreign conditions without so much as a warm-up match, a mindset vital for bigger battles ahead, notably next year’s Champions Trophy in England.”What I feel is it’s a fantastic team of young men,” Langer said. “There’s no trouble-makers. They’re all really good blokes. They all work hard, they’re all hungry. We had two things [to focus on before the match against the West Indies]; the first was to adapt and the second was to look after each other. We all get on well, we’ve got good camaraderie and they’re really good people.”I was nervous, particularly about some of those big fast bowlers coming back. They’re all fit and they’ve got some bowling under their belts, but not match practice. I always get nervous when we don’t have match practice. Having said that, I thought one of our main themes was being able to adapt. We’ve got a different coaching staff, we’re in a different country, we’re playing on different wickets. Our main theme was adapting to the conditions and we did that very well.”Looking after each other is a lot easier – I always maintain – when you have that good camaraderie in the group. It’s like the glue that keeps things together when you’re under pressure. I like coming into a team that gets on well and everyone’s good mates.”Langer, never one to take the game or success for granted, was aware South Africa could well be in a fighting mood following their opening defeat to West Indies. Warner’s professionalism and the team’s good spirit should only help Australia’s cause as they seek to notch up another win.

A career best 73 for Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman set Pakistan up for a convincing win over Australia in Harare

The Report by Daniel Brettig05-Jul-2018
Pakistan gained a mental advantage over Australia by dominating Aaron Finch’s team in a match that served as a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s Twenty20 triangular tournament final at the Harare Sports Club.Having beaten Pakistan comfortably in their first meeting, the Australians put in an unfocused performance, dropping far too short with the new ball after Finch sent Sarfraz Ahmed’s side in to bat to allow Fakhar Zaman to fire off a succession of pull shots on his way to the highest score of the match. They then lost a series of early wickets to the late moving ball in the hands of Faheem Ashraf and the 18-year-old left-armer Shaheen Afridi.Having slid as low as 75 for 5, Australia never looked likely to get close to their target, though the wicketkeeper and vice-captain Alex Carey played another intelligent innings down the order. Pakistan’s victory also served the purpose of preventing Australia from taking their place at the top of the ICC’s T20 international rankings.Both sides had already qualified for Sunday’s tournament final, making this game chiefly a chance to gain information and psychological high ground. Australia kept the same side that delivered comfortable wins over Pakistan and Zimbabwe to be the first team to reach the decider. Pakistan included the youthful Afridi for his second T20I in place of Hasan Ali, while Usman Khan came in for Mohammad Nawaz.4:18

‘Steven Smith is the toughest batsman to bowl to’

On a cold morning in Harare, Billy Stanlake failed to induce the sort of early collapse he had been responsible for in Monday’s match. While Jhye Richardson enjoyed the good fortune of having Haris Sohail clip his first delivery straight to square leg to depart for a golden duck, the Pakistan top order were able to feast on a generous helping of short stuff.Fakhar was the major beneficiary, flashing nine boundaries and a trio of sixes on the way to the highest score of his T20I career thus far – he is Pakistan’s leading run-maker in this tournament by a distance, and will require far more careful planning by Australia’s pacemen and coaches ahead of the decider.They reached 80 inside nine overs before Hussain Talat was cramped for room by Glenn Maxwell’s off-breaks and bowled, and from there a series of nifty partnerships ensured that Finch’s side was unable to restrict the run rate. A particularly heavy toll was taken from the bowling of Ashton Agar, while 18 runs from the final over rather disfigured Aaron Tye’s previously excellent figures.Needing a rapid start given the task they were facing, Finch and D’Arcy Short were instead confounded by Pakistan’s fast men pitching the ball much further up to the bat and finding movement both in the air and off the seam. Finch was cornered by an Afridi delivery bending back at him and was caught behind off the inside edge, then Travis Head’s minimal footwork was exposed when Faheem Ashraf seamed one back to pluck out middle stump.Maxwell managed a pair of boundaries before he played around a late inswinger from Afridi that pinned him in front of middle stump, and the innings of Nic Maddinson – who made the squad despite being cut from the New South Wales contract list – lasted only eight balls before he misread a well-pitched wrong’un from Shadab Khan and was comfortably stumped.Short had persevered without timing the ball with anything like the power of which he is capable, but was well and truly beaten by the yorker Afridi served up on his return to the bowling crease. From there it was largely a matter of damage limitation for the Australians, as Carey knocked the ball around with the sort of resourcefulness that is quickly becoming his trademark without ever looking likely to threaten a distant target.Pakistan will now go into the final with plenty of confidence, while the Australians must face Zimbabwe before reconsidering their approach to Fakhar, Afridi and the rest of Sarfraz’s team.

Veteran batsman takes charge at Grace Road, with Tom Smith joining as second XI coach

George Dobell21-Feb-2018Leicestershire have confirmed the appointment of Michael Carberry as captain and Tom Smith as second XI coach.Carberry, who joined the club towards the end of the 2017 season, replaces Mark Cosgrove as captain and will lead in all three formats. Leicestershire failed to win a Championship match in 2017 and finished bottom of the division two table.While Carberry may feel he has some questions to answer about his own form – he averaged just 17.42 in the County Championship for Hampshire and Leicestershire in 2017 – he has vast experience from a career that has seen him represent England in all three formats and win four limited-overs trophies with Hampshire.Despite his own health problems and advancing years (he is 37), Carberry has also remained impressively fit and is seen as the sort of role-model cricketer than can inspire Leicestershire’s younger players.Cosgrove, who was easily the club’s highest run-scorer in the Championship in 2017, will continue at Leicestershire as a player.Smith, meanwhile, returns to a club he represented on-loan in 2008. Having seen an impressive career as an all-rounder curtailed by injury – Smith was part of the Lancashire side that won the County Championship in 2011 and was appointed the club captain ahead of the 2015 season – he has had coaching spells with Lancashire’s academy, Lancashire Thunder and England Women. He is 32.The appointment completes a transformation of the club’s coaching staff over recent months which has also seen Paul Nixon appointed as head coach, Matt Mason appointed as bowling coach and John Sadler appointed as assistant coach.”This is an exciting opportunity for me at Leicestershire and it is great to be working alongside Nico [Paul Nixon], John Sadler, Matt Mason and all of the coaching staff,” Smith said. “I enjoyed my time here as a player alongside Nico so it was an easy decision to make. I’m really looking forward to being part of a fresh coaching team at the Foxes and can’t wait to get started.””Tom is a brilliant bloke who I had the pleasure of playing alongside here,” Nixon said. “He was a top-class cricketer who was highly skilled across all formats. Tom was named as captain of Lancashire at a young age which shows his pedigree.”He has since upskilled his coaching CV with work at Lancashire both in the men’s and women’s game and has also been working with the England Women team. We’re delighted to have Tom on board with us.”

Dinesh Karthik, hero of the Nidahas Trophy final, said he has been working on using the crease – how to use it, where to stand and what is the right position – to make maximum use of the ball

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-20183:37

‘Karthik has changed perceptions about his batting’ – Nayar

It has been two days since Dinesh Karthik pulled off a heist to snatch victory in the final of the Nidahas Trophy. His unbeaten 29 off eight balls has also breathed a new lease of life into a start-stop career over nearly a decade and a half. Karthik believes the last-ball six off Soumya Sarkar to clinch the game was probably just dessert for all the hard yards and “good things” he has done over the years.”It is probably karma I guess,” he said at a press conference in Chennai. “For all the good things I have done all through my years and cricketing career… it probably helped me hit that six. If it had been a four, it would have been a Super Over and it would have been a different scenario. That two mm extra it went, was a great thing for me. Probably all the good things you do over the years come to fruition.”I am happy to play the sport. It just feels good, that suddenly after so many years there is lot of attention on me which is different to what it is when you are playing domestic cricket. It is a hard grind out there. But at the same time you want it to be start of something special. Not be something you get too carried away with. From here on I want to do things like that consistently.”When Karthik came in to bat at No. 7, India needed 34 runs off the last two overs. He stood outside the crease and began by tonking Rubel Hossain for two sixes and a four off his first three deliveries. Karthik completed the over with another four, only this time there was more deft touch than brawn: a scoop over short fine leg for four. The defining feature of his batting has been the use of crease. Karthik credited batting coach Sanjay Bangar and his friend and mentor Abhishek Nayar, the Mumbai batsman for helping him out in this regard.AFP

“That is one thing Sanjay Bangar has been talking about,” Karthik said. “Use of the crease – that was one of the things I worked with Nayar also. How to use it and where to stand so as to get a feel what the bowler will be doing and what is the right position for you to be in the crease to make maximum use of the ball. And it paid off.”Karthik’s composure was evident as much in his subdued celebration after hitting the six as his mentoring of Vijay Shankar, who was struggling to connect with the ball. Shankar had played out four dot balls off Mustafizur Rahman in the 18th over, and despite scoring a boundary in the last over got out off the penultimate delivery, leaving Karthik with five runs to score off the last ball.Karthik, however, defended Shankar, who hadn’t batted before in the tournament. “The good thing about him is he is very calm. Everyone thought he was flustered, he had a lot of thoughts,” Karthik said of Shankar. “He was looking to hit the ball. The only thing I told him was the outfield was fast..look to hit a four and not a six. The only idea behind it was sometimes you look to hit a six, you end up losing head positions. When you want to hit a four, you will have good base and look to time the ball. I wanted him to time the ball and he was just trying to do that.”Every cricketer goes through some days that things don’t connect and it was first time he batted for India. But the beautiful thing is even in that pressure situation he hit a boundary which was crucial. He has the skill. He has done really well. He is probably someone who is seen more as a batting allrounder but for him to take the pressure as a bowler and deliver consistently is fabulous and I can see a really good time for him in the future. If I’m right, I think they are impressed with him. He has got great attitude off the field, his work ethics are beautiful.”Karthik was quick to avoid comparisons with the finishing role that MS Dhoni has owned. “When it comes to Dhoni, I am studying in the university in which he is the topper,” he said. “So, it is unfair for me to be compared with him. I have started my journey. With time lets see how I go. His journey has been totally different. I am happy with where I am.””I have always enjoyed playing as a batsman. I think fielding comes naturally to me and i enjoy doing it. Whenever I get a chance to field, I get excited. With keeping you are standing at one place and moving.”

Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor lands a new contract thanks to an impressive season that has put the club in the WSL title race.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Taylor signs new Manchester City contract
• Deal to run until summer 2027
• Team competing for 2023-24 treble

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City have announced that Taylor has signed a new contract, with his previous deal due to expire at the end of this season. He will now be in charge until the summer of 2027.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Taylor came under presure last season when City, having experienced major player turnover in the summer of 2022, finished outside the WSL top three for the first time since their debut top-flight season in 2014. But he was handed a new one-year deal to cover 2023-24 and that patience from the club has been proven right, with City only being kept off the top of the WSL table with just seven games left by Chelsea's marginally superior goal difference. Overall, Taylor's team have won their last 12 successive games in all competitions.

• WHAT TAYLOR SAID

  Speaking to , Taylor said: "I'm very happy to be able to commit to City for another three seasons. I think what we're doing here and trying to achieve is a build and a long-term project of sustainability and success. Our ambition was always to be right at the top and we’ve done that. It's taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people behind-the-scenes. The players have really bought in to what we're trying to do and achieve."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Taylor was a journeyman striker during his playing career that lasted 20 years from 1991 until 2011. As well as turning out for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Wrexham during that run, he also spent three years at City and appeared as a substitute during the club's iconic 1999 Division Two play-off final victory over Gillingham at Wembley.

The incident occurred in the vicinity of a Chennai Super Kings fielder, prompting the intervention of the police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai10-Apr-2018A group of spectators flung a pair of shoes at the edge of the boundary at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in the vicinity of Chennai Super Kings players, prompting the intervention of police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game against Kolkata Knight Riders, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody.The incident followed calls, in the lead up to the game, for people to protest over the hosting of IPL games in Chennai. Several local political parties and fringe groups had called for a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the lengthy Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and neighbouring state Karnataka is resolved. While there was no confirmation that the shoe-throwing incident was directly related to this issue, it was expected to be the likely cause.The group was carrying flags, which are not permitted inside the venue, and flung the shoes near Ravindra Jadeja, who was posted at the long-on boundary, and Faf du Plessis, who was seemingly carrying drinks for team-mates. CSK officials and the police subsequently intervened and diffused the tension.Hours before the start of the match, there were protests on Wallajah Road near the MA Chidambaram Stadium, albeit amid beefed-up security. Later, the toss was delayed by 13 minutes; match officials reportedly arrived late at the venue due to heavy traffic around the stadium, but play began on time.

Seamer managing “chronic” problem and won’t return before India series but Ben Stokes is progressing well after a hamstring injury

George Dobell18-Jun-2018England have confirmed that Chris Woakes will take no part in the limited-overs series against Australia as he deals with a “chronic” knee injury. Ben Stokes is also not expected to play in the three remaining ODIs but could return in next month’s T20 series with India.Woakes sustained a tear in his right quad during the second Test against Pakistan in Leeds, but a statement released by the England management now suggests it was caused in part by “a flare-up of a chronic right knee problem”. He was given an injection in the knee a week ago and has begun a rehabilitation and conditioning programme.England are putting no date on his return to action, but he will not feature in any of the games against Australia or the T20s against India. He will be reassessed ahead of the ODI series against India that starts on July 12.”I’m aiming for the India ODIs and fingers crossed I can play some cricket before then so I’m ready,” Woakes said. “Whether it’s for Warwickshire or England I’m not sure. The word chronic makes it look like it’s drastic but the knee is not something I’m worried about.”Woakes’ absence has been felt keenly by England in recent days. As their top-ranked ODI bowler, and easily most impressive white-ball seamer in Australia and New Zealand, he has the responsibility for bowling at the start and end of the innings; areas that have been exposed a little in the defeat against Scotland and, at times, during the victory over Australia in Cardiff.Woakes missed almost the entire Champions Trophy in 2017 after sustaining a side strain during the opening moments of the game against Bangladesh. He has managed the knee problem for several years, having had surgery in 2015.”I’ve had the same problem for about eight or nine years and it’s been niggling away at me but I’ve got on with it and put up with the odd niggle because it’s not the sort of thing that will get better overnight,” he said.”With the quad injury it was a good time to get a jab in there and settle it down. I don’t know what the definition of chronic is but it doesn’t really stop me from playing cricket. It just flares up and during Headingley it felt sore but compared to a couple of weeks ago it feels like a million dollars.”There may also be some concern at Warwickshire. The county felt that Woakes required more bowling before returning to Test cricket following his spell in the IPL. To go from bowling a maximum of four overs to bowling in a Test, they felt, required more time and conditioning work. It will have been noted that both England seamers who went from the IPL to the Test team – Woakes and Stokes – without a warm-up match sustained injuries.With the World Cup looming as England’s priority for next year, Woakes suggested he would consider whether managing his fitness might mean missing out on the IPL.”IPL is a great thing for players to have the opportunities to improve themselves, at the same time as earning a hell of a lot of money, but I think next year will be tricky,” he said. “If I don’t get retained that’s when I will have to ask myself whether it’s worth going in the auction again, with such a big summer ahead. It’s something I’ll know nearer the time, especially going into what could be the biggest summer of my career. You want to make sure you’re in tip-top condition for a home World Cup.”There is better news of both Stokes and Eoin Morgan. Morgan, who missed Saturday’s game in Cardiff due to a back spasm, took part in training at Trent Bridge on Monday morning and hopes to play in the third ODI against Australia on Tuesday, while Stokes is said to be “progressing well” after sustaining a torn left hamstring a couple of weeks ago. His batting is unrestricted and he is able to run at 90% capacity so will begin a “return-to-bowling programme” this week.Stokes will be with the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs in the hope that he is fit to play in the T20s against India in July.