The Bangladesh players have been fined five percent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third ODI against Pakistan in Lahore. Mike Procter, the match referee, also reprimanded Shahriar Nafees, the Bangladesh batsman, for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.Bangladesh were found to be one over short of the target after taking time allowances into consideration. Players are docked five percent for every over their team fails to complete within the alloted time and captains are penalised double, resulting in a ten percent cut in the match fee for Mohammad Ashraful.Nafees was found guilty of breaching clause 1.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings.” Nafees kicked and damaged an advertising hoarding after a misfield, but was let off with only a reprimand.”It was Shahriar’s third misfield in the innings and he was obviously frustrated as it was a crucial game because Bangladesh was playing to stay alive in the series,” Procter said. “But it is not the sort of example that players should be setting at any time. Shahriar pleaded guilty, apologised for the incident and promised not to repeat it again.”All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee.Nafees had scored a duck in that match, and was dropped in the subsequent game in Multan. Pakistan lead the series 4-0.
Andrew Flintoff has given England another cause for concern ahead of the first Test after reporting discomfort in his left ankle following Lancashire’s Championship match against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl.He didn’t bowl in England’s net session at Lord’s on Tuesday – which is a worrying sign – but an ECB spokesman is hopeful he will bowl on Wednesday. “We will then assess his chances of playing.”He underwent a scan on Sunday after the Championship match, and the ECB said the results would be released on Monday. So far, there is no news.However, on Monday he was positive about his chances of playing: “I’m still hopeful for Thursday. Sometimes when it is the ankle the alarm bells start ringing a bit but I’m still very hopeful.”When I was operated on it was on the back and the inside of the ankle but this pain is more on the outside. This discomfort is something I felt during the winter so it is not something completely new.”Flintoff’s left ankle has been a constant source of problems and last summer he needed surgery following an aborted comeback for Lancashire. He was ruled out of the series against Pakistan before slowly returning to full bowling duties for the Ashes series. However, his workload continues to be carefully monitored by the England management.During his three appearances for Lancashire this summer he has bowled a total of 23 overs (14 in one-day cricket and nine at the Rose Bowl last week) and generated decent pace.England’s build-up to the first Test has been hit by a list of injuries with Michael Vaughan ruled out with a broken finger and Kevin Pietersen picking up a calf strain playing for Hampshire, although he is expected to be fit for Lord’s on Thursday.
Nottinghamshire completed a 142-run win over MCC to launch their season in fine style. Despite a defiant 123 from Alex Loudon and Tim Bresnan’s aggressive 94, Nottinghamshire’s attack completed an efficient display midway through the final session.Ryan Sidebottom finished with the best figures, 3 for 77 to add his first-innings haul of 4 for 42, and jolted his team into action with two wickets in two balls during the morning session. MCC had started confidently through Alastair Cook, who made up for his first-innings failure with a boundary-filled 51. He struck 11 fours in his 55-ball stay before being trapped lbw by Sidebottom, who followed up by having Ed Joyce caught behind first ball.Rikkie Clarke also fell before lunch and when Luke Parker and Steven Davies followed early in the afternoon session a quick finish was on the cards. However, Loudon didn’t waste the opportunity to show the talent that earned him selection for the tour of Pakistan before Christmas.He struck 19 fours and a six off 191 balls as he reached only his second first-class century, three years after his first for Durham UCCE. Even though it was his off-spin that primarily caught the selectors’ attention, at the end of last season, these runs will have done him no harm as England continue to search for players to bring balance to the one-day team in particular.Loudon wouldn’t have been able to post three figures if it hadn’t been for the support from Bresnan, who arrived in the middle with him on 74. When Loudon eventually fell, top-edging a pull, Bresnan delayed the inevitable with some powerful strokeplay. He was within touching distance of a maiden first-class century, but was left stranded with the tail, and was the last-man out when he clubbed a catch to midwicket off David Hussey.This match has provided a useful showcase for some of England’s promising young players. Cook will be hoping he returns to Lord’s next month as part of the Test team to face Sri Lanka, while Loudon and Clarke have put forward their claims to be considered as allrounders when the selectors next sit down.
The Gloucestershire quick bowler Steve Kirby has been found guilty of altering the condition of the ball during the County Championship match against Glamorgan, at Cardiff, on May 8, and given a suspended three-day ban from all ECB cricket.An ECB disciplinary hearing was held a Bristol today to consider the two separate allegations that Kirby knowingly and deliberately rubbed the ball on concrete and tarmac after it was hit into the car park.The panel, which included the former Warwickshire seamer Tim Munton, found enough evidence to prove both charges and imposed the three-day suspension, which itself will be suspended until September 30, 2005 providing Kirby doesn’t commit any futher offences.Kirby issued a statement through the PCA and said: “I understand that I was in breach of Law 42.3 (b) but I am an honest player who has never intentionally altered the condition of the ball and I never will. I’m looking forward to putting this issue behind me, and concentrating on getting back on the field for Gloucestershire.”His sentiments were echoed by his employers. “We note that the penalty imposed is at the bottom end of the scale,” said Tom Richardson, Gloucestershire’s chief executive. “We are a team that always takes pride in playing within the rules, we are glad that a line has now been drawn under this affair and we now wish to move on”.PCA chief executive Richard Bevan commented: “The umpires are duty bound to change the ball as set out in Law 42.3 (d) (i), if the condition of the ball has been altered, as was alleged of Steve Kirby in Law 42.3 (b). According to the umpires report, there was no clear evidence that the match ball had been tampered with and the match ball was not changed.”Normally, interfering with the ball would be considered a very serious offence which would attract the maximum penalties a panel could impose. However, in arriving at its decision, the panel was not satisfied that on either occasion damaged was caused to the ball which materially altered its condition. Kirby was ordered to pay £125 towards the costs of the hearing.
ScorecardBengal reached a strong position before losing seven wickets for 45 runs, as Mumbai came out on top by just 5 runs after scoring 262 for 8 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.Mumbai’s batsmen asserted themselves against Bengal’s bowling, with the top six getting starts. Robin Morris first put on 70 with Vinayak Mane, and then 51 for the second wicket with Vinod Kambli, before falling to Utpal Chatterjee for 55, the only half-century of the Mumbai innings. With the score reading 121 for 2, he had ensured an ideal launching pad for his team. It didn’t go waste. Kambli and Indulkar both made 31, before Nishit Shetty and M Bangara came together and hammered 62 in close to seven overs. Shetty scored 41 in 38 balls, before Sanjib Sanyal, who had a good outing, nailed him to get his fourth victim of the day. The tail biffed the ball some more, and Mumbai ended their innings at 262 for 8.Bengal’s reply got off to a spirited start. Arindam Das and Nikhil Haldipur galloped to 109 in little more than 18 overs, making the target look eminently achievable. Das was the first to go, having scored a 60-ball 57. Deep Dasgupta gave Haldipur company, and both put on 59, before Manoj Joglekar ran out Haldipur for 78. With seven wickets in hand, 14 overs to go, and only 80 runs needed, Bengal then blew it. Thakur, who bowled valiantly the previous day and still ended on the losing side, returned to dismiss Dasgupta (42), Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Sanyal, and Saurasish Lahiri in quick succession, and Bengal could only watch on in horror as their last seven wickets fell in a heap, just short of the finish line.
Matthew Hayden is the hot favourite to win the Allan Border Medal forAustralian cricketer of the year tonight.Hayden is a certainty to be named the Test Player of the Year at thegala awards ceremony in Melbourne and is also expected to take theoverall Border Medal, based on his one-day international contributionsin India.During the voting period, which runs from the start of the Indian tourto the recently completed one-day series, Hayden scored 1,509 Test runsat an average of 71.85 to be far and away the best batsman of the past12 months.The one-day award has been thrown open by Glenn McGrath being ruledineligible because of his one-match suspension for dissent during therecent tri-series.Contenders include Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, match-winner MichaelBevan and this summer’s leading run-getter Ricky Ponting.Other awards on offer are the young player of the year, which shouldfall to Tasmania’s Shane Watson.Darren Lehmann looks set to win his third straight state player of theyear award.The awards are decided by votes cast by players, media and umpires andare weighted to make one-day and Test performances count equally indeciding the Border Medal winner.
All the three teams Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad and Karnataka fully utilisedthe advantage of playing on home turf to score convincing wins overKerala, Goa and Andhra respectively in the recent round of matches inthe Under-16 South Zone league Vijay Merchant Trophy tournament.A tally of nine wickets in the match by Rajesh helped Tamil Nadu teamscored an innings and 11 run win over Kerala at the MA Chidambaramstadium in Chennai on Saturday. Having won the toss on the openingday, Kerala opted to bat and were shot out for a paltry 78. Rajeshripped through the visitors’ line up ending with figures of 7 for 17while the other three wickets were shared by Varun, Raina and SatishKumar.In response, Tamil Nadu took a massive 202 run lead thanks to 160 runfourth wicket stand between KDK Kartik (99) and M Muthupandey (79).Tamil Nadu skipper Vasudeva Das declared the innings at 280 for 7.Kartik who missed a well deserved century by a run, was at the creasefor 213 minutes and faced 192 balls while finding the boundaries oneight occasions.Kerala’s batting woes continued in their second innings and were shotout for 191. Only four batsmen JS Kurien (26), skipper NJ John (59),PR Prem (50) and P Prasanth (18) reached the double figures. Thewickets were shared allround with Vasudeva Das (3 for 53) and Varun (3for 11) being the pick.In the second match of the tournament at the MJWSC Ground inBangalore, Karnataka had to sweat a bit even as they scored an inningsand 2 run win over Andhra on Saturday. Opting to bat, Andhra werebundled out for just 164 runs by Chetan Williams (6 for 30) andChauhan (4 for 64).In reply, Karnataka declared their first innings at 370 for 9, a leadof 206 runs. The Karnataka batsmen were in good form with opener PTTrishul (70), MK Manjunath (76) and GVK Agarwal (78) making the bulkof the scoring. Andhra in their second innings fell short by two runsto make the home side bat again, scoring 204 runs. Chauhan andWilliams were among the wickets again taking three apiece. Moinuddinalso ended taking three wickets.The last match of the present round of South Zone matches sawHyderabad defeat Goa by ten wickets at the Nuclear Fuel Complex Groundin Hyderabad. Having to score just 69 for a win on the final day,Hyderabad openers SP Peter (42) and Mohd Imran (30) accomplished thetask off 15.4 overs.Earlier on the opening day, Opting to bat the hosts, Hyderabad,amassed 355 on the board. PS Niranjan (75) was the top scorer whileGoa’s SS Shetty (5 for 119) and SB Yadav (3 for 122) shared thebowling honours. In reply the Goan batting failed to take off and werebundled out for just 130 with the top scorer being Yadav (27).Following on, Goa fared a bit better scoring 294 with Yadav againcoming to the team’s rescue with a timely century. During his 136minute stay at the crease, Yadav faced 128 balls for his 102 which wasstudded with 14 fours and one six.
Manchester United must take an important three points against Tottenham Hotspur this evening at Old Trafford as the race for Champions League qualification gets tighter.
Conceding a second consecutive defeat against Spurs today would put United in a vulnerable position in their pursuit of a top-four finish, as three points for Antonio Conte’s side would see them push the Red Devils further down the table into sixth, leapfrogging them in the Premier League table.
With that in mind, the German will need to put out his best team today following a disappointing defeat last weekend in the Manchester derby, and following another week of negative headlines for the club, this could be Rangnick’s opportunity to drop an out-of-form and unsettled Marcus Rashford.
It is no secret that the 24-year-old forward has been having problems at his boyhood club this season, and these issues were further highlighted when it was revealed that he is now considering his future at Old Trafford according to reports from Fabrizio Romano, the day after he was not selected to start against Manchester City.
Rangnick spoke in his pre-match press conference regarding the reports and was clear about his feelings on the forward’s potential exit, saying: “Even suppose he and his agents or his family at one stage of the summer think about maybe going to another club, well then he can do that but in the summer.”
In terms of Rashford’s output this season, he has been scathed repeatedly for poor performances. Jamie Carragher claimed that the 24-year-old’s performances are “not acceptable” and former Man United player Micky Gray labelledthe forward “absolutely shocking”, and it’s no wonder when you look at his statistics in the Premier League.
Rashford has become more of a hindrance than a help in the attacking ranks at Old Trafford, scoring just four goals this season during his 18 league outings, losing possession of the ball on average once every 2.8 touches. He has also lost the majority of his duels (58%), and his goal conversion compared to his shots is 21% according to SofaScore.
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With a high-pressure match against Spurs this evening, it would be best for Rangnick to axe Rashford from the team. Given the headlines surrounding the player’s future, alongside his disappointing performances, the forward could do with being kept out of the firing line.
In other news: One Man Utd player has hit his highest-ever market value
Russel Arnold blitzed a 40-ball 66 to inspire the Chennai Superstars to a nail-biting victory over the Kolkata Tigers in Hyderabad. Set a challenging 186 to win, Arnold and the Superstars held their nerve to post their first win of the tournament, with two balls to spare.While it was Arnold who applied the finishing touches, it was the in-form opener Ian Harvey who laid the groundwork with an express 49 featuring three sixes and four fours. He and G Vignesh gave the Superstars a flier, raising 49 off the first five overs.By the time Harvey was dismissed in the tenth over, the Superstars had raced to 92.Though Hemang Badani fell cheaply soon after, the asking-rate wasn’t allowed to increase too much from the initial 9.30. It was the Arnold show from then as the other batsmen contributed a mere 11 of the required 53 runs. A torrent of boundaries flowed from his bat and even his mishits cleared the ropes, including a top-edged pull which flew over fine leg.Earlier, after opting to bat, the Tigers were reduced to 14 for 3 by the third over. However, a brutal onslaught from captain Craig McMillan (69 off 41, five fours, four sixes) and a relatively tempered half-century from Abhishek Jhunjhunwala enabled them to reach a formidable total. At that stage, it seemed the Tigers would condemn the Superstars to their third successive defeat but Arnold’s pyrotechnics carried the Chennai side to victory.Despite the defeat, the Tigers are in third place, one above the Superstars. The Lahore Badshahs top the table having won all three of their games so far.
Drop of the Day Mk 1 Ashwell Prince’s parry at square-leg had all the makings of a match-sealing moment. When you’re defending 193 and the batsman of the tournament, Scott Styris, gives a chance while still in single figures, there’s really no forgiving the culpable fielder. In mitigation, the ball was whipped through square leg with such power that it pulled up just yards inside the rope, but on the other hand, South Africa’s reputation in one-day cricket has long been based upon their superlative fielding. At 54 for 2 it was a vital opportunity squandered.Drop of the Day Mk 2 Ditto, with knobs on. Mark Boucher will need little reminding of the last time New Zealand and South Africa met in the World Cup. At Centurion in 2002-03, he dropped Stephen Fleming on 52 – a sitter of a chance off Jacques Kallis – and Fleming went on to make a fantastic match-winning 134 not out. Two weeks later, the hosts had been ejected from their own party. Today’s chance was tougher – a thin top-edge that a leaping Boucher could only parry onto his nose – but the impact on his team-mates was very much the same.Drop of the Day Mk 3 Ok, so it’s cruel to labour the point, but déjà vu is a powerful thing, especially when poor old Herschelle is involved. For eight painful years, he’s had to live with the memory of that aberration at Headingley in the 1999 World Cup, and like a particularly rubbish punchline, the joke gets wearier every time it is repeated. So, all together now, for (surely?) one last time: “You just dropped the World Cup, Hersch!” Of course, he could well cling onto a blinder to seal victory over England next week, and all will be forgiven. (At least, until the fourth-placed South Africans take on Australia in the St Lucia semi-final…)Call of the Day Win the toss and bowl – it’s a tactic that’s been fraught with danger down the years. But today it worked a treat for Fleming, who unleashed his seamers in drizzly overcast conditions that were more Queenstown, Otago, than Queen’s Park, Grenada. Shane Bond was magnificent, James Franklin was rejuvenated, and at 66 for 2 at the end of the Powerplays, the pattern of the match had been established. Who knows what South Africa might have achieved if Graeme Smith had called correctly, but their decision to omit their leading wicket-taker and leading swing bowler, Charl Langeveldt, suggests they were not banking on bowling first.Bowling spell of the Day If a cricketer could be designed to get under the skin of the rigidly orthodox South Africans, then he would doubtless look and sound something like Craig McMillan – a chippy, chirpy little irritant of a character who tempted three of South Africa’s finest into wicket-surrendering indiscretions. McMillan once got the better of Steve Waugh in a bouncer offensive, so his bowling is not to be underestimated. That, however, is just what Gibbs, Ashwell Prince and Boucher all did, as South Africa crashed from 128 for 3 to 149 for 6. Each wicket was celebrated with double clenched fists and a cheeky knowing grin, the sort of reaction that doubtless made the incoming batsman want to smack him even further …Duck of the Day How good would AB de Villiers be if he could start every innings on 1? Unfortunately for him and for South Africa, that initial notch in the scorebook is proving infuriatingly hard to come by. Today was the fourth time in eight World Cup innings that he had been dismissed without scoring, and on none of those occasions has he survived for more than six balls. When he does get stuck in, however, woe betide the opposition. His other efforts have been 62 from 45 balls against Scotland; 92 from 70 against Australia; 15 from 39 against Bangladesh, and last week’s outrageous 146 from 130 against West Indies.Innings of the Day Sporting a beard that makes him look like the celebrity chef, Anthony Worrall-Thompson, Styris is absolutely cooking in this World Cup. Today he produced his fifth half-century in eight innings. Three of those have been unbeaten scores of 80 or more, including the recent 111 not out against Sri Lanka. He is one of only three players to have made 400 runs for the competition (Jacques Kallis and Matthew Hayden are the other two), although his average of 108.75 is unsurpassed. And if that’s not useful enough, he’s also grabbed eight vital breakthroughs with his medium-pacers. It’s not a bad time to hit the form of your life.Number Crunching of the Day The calculators were working overtime in the press-box today (at least, for those who have such things – one chap was too busy clacking away on his 1970s typewriter). But by the end of the New Zealand run-chase, the numbers were stark. South Africa’s net run-rate, that issue that Smith insisted was totally under control, is now drifting uneasily at a measly – 0.2097. That means that England (NRR +0.079) are as good as through if they win in Barbados on Tuesday. It’ll be a big “if” on the bouncier Bridgetown wicket but, should that happen, South Africa’s only salvation would then come if West Indies delivered a judgment of biblical proportions in England’s own final game next Saturday.