Fuller, Norwell stage Gloucs fightback

James Fuller and Liam Norwell fought back with three wickets each for Gloucestershire to reduced Northamptonshire to 73 for 7 by the close on day one at Bristol.

04-Sep-2012
ScorecardJames Fuller and Liam Norwell fought back with three wickets each for Gloucestershire to reduce Northamptonshire to 73 for 7 by the close on day one at Bristol. It followed four wickets for Luke Evans as the visitors dismissed their hosts for 220.Pitch inspector David Hughes found no fault with the wicket on a day dominated by the seam bowlers and featuring some pretty ordinary batting.It was Andrew Hall with 3 for 37 who ripped out Gloucestershire’s top order, taking his wickets in the space of 11 balls at a cost of two runs as Gloucestershire slumped from 41 without loss to 44 for 4, while Evans finished with 4 for 38 from 13 overs.But the home side’s total was soon looking more than decent as Northants plunged from 30 without loss to 72 for 7. Only Stephen Peters, with 35, offered much resistance as Fuller, 3 for 25, sent back Niall O’Brien, Rob Newton and Hall with a pacy spell from the Pavilion End. Norwell’s 3 for 21 was just as impressive from the Ashley Down Road End, claiming the wickets of David Sales, Kyle Coetzer and Peters.There was little sign of carnage ahead when Gloucestershire openers Benny Howell and Ed Cowan put together a solid opening stand of 41 at the start of the day. Then Howell, on 29, was dropped at second slip by Peters off Luke Evans and it signalled a transformation in fortunes. Next ball Evans rapped Howell on the pads and gained an lbw verdict.Cowan, back in Gloucestershire’s team after a short spell as temporary overseas player earlier in the season, went leg-before for 8 in the next over as Hall began to make rapid inroads, swinging the ball and getting some seam movement from the Ashley Down Road End. His next two overs saw Dan Housego’s off stump knocked out of the ground for 1 and Hamish Marshall pinned lbw on the back foot for a duck.Alex Gidman launched a counter-attack with four fours in an over from David Willey, all punched through the off side, before, with the score on 95, Ian Cockbain had his middle stump sent flying by Willey having made 10.It was 95 for 5 at lunch and the afternoon session saw Gidman reach his half-century off 48 balls, with 10 fours. He added 33 for the sixth wicket with brother Will before falling to another lbw verdict, Willey claiming his second victim. Will Gidman was caught in the slips driving at a wide ball from Jack Brooks and when Fuller edged a catch to the wicketkeeper off Evans Gloucestershire were 151 for 8.Jon Batty and Anthony Ireland, on loan from Middlesex, saw the home side to tea at 206 for 8 and Batty reached a battling half-century straight after the interval, having faced 89 balls and hit six fours.Ireland soon perished to a catch behind off Evans for a handy 22 before Batty was last man out, caught at point making room to hit Evans through the off side.

Munaf clinches stunning win for India

South Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya15-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The wicket that turned the game•AFPSouth Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish. In conditions less favourable for batting than what the venue has offered in the past, Graeme Smith had put South Africa on course with a positive innings but his wicket in the 33rd over triggered a collapse that was a product of panic, ill-luck and some needling Indian bowling. Munaf Patel’s spell proved decisive as he dislodged Smith and ended the South African innings with two wickets in the 43rd over, when the hosts were just a shot away from victory.The game was still South Africa’s when Munaf began bowling the 43rd over. Four runs were needed with two wickets in hand but what clinched the game for India were two short-of-a-length deliveries that the tailenders, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, who had batted calmly until then, felt were too good to resist. With three needed for victory, Morkel slashed one straight to the substitute fielder Yusuf Pathan at point and, off the last ball of the over, Parnell, keen to finish off the game, cut Munaf to Yuvraj Singh, sparking wild celebrations in the Indian camp while leaving South Africa shell-shocked at their sudden capitulation.The result had seemed unlikely with Smith’s assured presence at the crease. He had been ruthless in his treatment of the bad balls, which the Indians doled out more often than their opponents had earlier in the day, and had eased the pressure despite periodic breakthroughs at the other end. Munaf was punished for consecutive boundaries through mid-off and point, while Zaheer Khan was pulled through midwicket when he pitched short. Initially a little rusty against Harbhajan Singh, Smith stepped out to the offspinner to combat the turn and take the ball off a length. He kept threading the gaps in the outfield to squeeze boundaries off the seamers and went past 6000 runs in ODIs.Smith’s shaky yet productive stand with Colin Ingram, a fluent partnership with JP Duminy and an increasingly threatening association with David Miller had continued the one-way traffic set up by South Africa’s bowlers. But at 152 for 4, in the second over of the batting Powerplay, a reversal began.South Africa’s bowlers had exploited the movement off the pitch in restraining India, and Munaf had managed to prise out the wicket of Hashim Amla with a delivery that nipped back in. In the 33rd over, he managed to dart one back in from outside off towards Smith, who played on. In the next over, after he had been flicked to the fine-leg boundary, Zaheer shortened his length and dismissed Miller with an offcutter that the batsman failed to pull and gloved to short fine leg. And when he returned in the 36th over, Zaheer was fortunate to dismiss Johan Botha, who was given out lbw playing back to a good-length delivery, when it seemed the ball had only made contact with the outer half of the bat, not with the pad.Parnell calmed the nerves of a capacity Wanderers crowd with a square-cut boundary and a promising vigil with Dale Steyn. But Steyn’s attempt to risk a single and retain strike for the 39th over resulted in a run-out when Yuvraj barely managed to break the stumps before the ball slipped out of his hands. From 177 for 8, Parnell and Morkel braved a determined spell from Zaheer, managed a streaky boundary off part-time offspinner Suresh Raina and took South Africa to within four runs of a 2-0 lead. Only to throw it all away in the next over from Munaf.South Africa’s bowlers may have unable to finish the job with the bat but they had impressed with disciplined bowling performance under overcast skies on a slowish track. India approached their innings cautiously and, using the movement, South Africa’s bowlers capitalised on their circumspection. Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the best. His role in ODIs has largely been a containing one but his accuracy amid India’s pressure to accelerate earned him his best match haul of 4 for 22. India, too, faltered in their batting Powerplay, losing four wickets for 14 runs to undermine what Yuvraj and Dhoni had achieved during their fighting recovery stand.The pair had to build from scratch following the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in quick succession. Displaying little signs of getting bogged down, neither batsman felt compelled to take undue risks and instead ensured a steady scoring-rate by working the field. Both used the sweep and the paddle, while Yuvraj often drove straight to pinch twos because long-on that was wider than usual. Bad balls were a rarity but Yuvraj was prompt to punish them when on offer: he slashed Morkel over point and glanced Tsotsobe to the fine-leg boundary to raise his half-century. The stand was worth 83 and with 13 more overs to go, a score of 240 was on. India didn’t get that far, though given the manic developments towards the end, they didn’t need to.

Rangers missed a trick on Veerman

It’s fair to say that Rangers have had a disappointing second half of the season, despite the Europa League triumphs, the side’s Scottish Premiership form has been poor.

Coming into January with a six-point lead was the ideal scenario for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his men, then the winter break happened, and Rangers lost arguably their best player of the season, Joe Aribo, to the Africa Cup of Nations and the wheels fell off slightly.

The onus was on van Bronckhorst to strengthen, especially in the midfield areas following Aribo’s brief departure and the sale of Juninho Bacuna, however, the club missed out on an excellent opportunity.

During the summer and January windows, the Gers were constantly linked with Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman, who was playing at Heerenveen. A deal couldn’t be struck and as van Bronckhorst moved into his first transfer window with the team during January, there were hopes of a chance to secure him.

Yet again, Rangers were slack, and PSV Eindhoven eventually signed the midfielder for £5m as he joined his boyhood club.

Former Rangers striker Michael Mols lavished “perfect” praise on his fellow Dutchman and it’s not hard to see why.

Since his arrival at PSV, Veerman has scored six and notched six assists in only 21 matches, a fabulous return.

If we compare this to Aribo in the same period, two goals and five assists, it proves that the Ibrox side should have splashed the cash in January and the club may have been heading into the last four matches in the league with their six-point advantage still intact.

As the summer transfer window looms on the horizon, Ross Wilson can’t afford to let similar players of that class escape their grasp again. After all, with Aribo touted with an exit, 23-year-old Veerman would very much have been the perfect heir.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine

Sadio Mane rescued Liverpool vs Villarreal

Liverpool are through to the Champions League final after being Villarreal at El Madrigal on Tuesday evening, and to say the game was one of two halves is an understatement.

Jurgen Klopp’s side conceded two goals in the first half after Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin found the back of the net to put the two teams back on a level playing field on aggregate going into the second half.

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Despite Unai Emery’s team showing overwhelming character and quality in the first half against Liverpool matching them for possession (50%), it wasn’t enough to hold off their opponents with Luis Diaz completely changing the game when he was brought on to give his team a fresh attacking perspective.

Liverpool instantly improved on their shocking first-half performance and eventually found a way to break down their opponent’s defence and goalkeeper when Fabinho found the back of the net in the 62nd minute, closely followed by a goal-hungry Diaz just five minutes later and inevitably Sadio Mane killed the game completely with a third second-half goal in the 74th minute.

Yet again, Mane proved he is worth his weight in gold to Liverpool with the Senegalese winger securing his third Champions League final in an exceptional all-round performance that ultimately rescued his team in the second half of the game.

The 30-year-old who was once dubbed a “wild animal” by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was successful in 100% of his dribbles, made two key passes and two tackles as well as winning 14 of his 19 duels combined to complete a phenomenal performance that has led him to his fourth final for club and country in just five months.

Mane not only proved how incredibly integral he is for his team, but also matched Chelsea legend Frank Lampard’s record for goals scored in the knock-out stages of the Champions League with 15 strikes in the competition, and has now become the highest scoring African player in the knock-out stages of the competition by surpassing Didier Drogba with his finish on Tuesday.

Liverpool have now earned themselves a spot in a third final this season, after winning the Carabao Cup and securing a spot in both the FA Cup final and the Champions League final in Paris.

Klopp, however, still has a huge job on his hands to keep the quadruple dreams alive for the Merseyside club.

AND in other news: “I’m told…”: Romano drops major LFC transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Manchester United eyeing Goncalo Inacio

Manchester United are eyeing up a summer move for Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio.

The Lowdown: Inacio profiled

The 20-year-old Portuguese starlet is primarily a centre-back but can also line out at left-back when required.

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Under contract until 2026, Inacio has been hailed as ‘underrated’ by journalist Zach Lowy and has made 69 senior appearances for Sporting Lisbon.

The Portugal under-21 international has been a regular for his club during the current campaign and has even weighed in with five goals in all competitions.

The Latest: Man United interest in Inacio

Sport Witness relayed a transfer update from Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha regarding Inacio and Manchester United.

They claimed that the Red Devils have tracked the defender for ‘some time’ and that their interest is now ‘real’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

Inacio’s price tag is ‘simple’ – a €45m (£38m) release clause, with Newcastle United also name-checked in the report in a potential two-way battle.

The Verdict: United need him

A major shake-up is needed under Erik ten Hag this summer, and following United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday evening, defensive reinforcements certainly seem to be required.

Inacio could be a shrewd prospective addition in both the short and long-term due to his versatility, age and impressive displays this season.

The centre-back is clearly comfortable on the ball, with a passing completion rate of 91.1% in the current Portuguese top-flight campaign, while he also tops Sporting’s ranks when it comes to clearances made per 90. [WhoScored]

A £38m swoop would also be in United’s price range, and you’d like to think the club could fund a deal for Inacio by offloading a few players this summer.

In other news: Man Utd want to hijack Man City’s move for ‘explosive’ star who ‘has no weakness’

World Cup final a dream – Tendulkar

Every time Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat he has the hopes of billions rested on his shoulders, but when India co-host the World Cup next year expectations will reach even greater levels

Andrew McGlashan14-Jun-2010Every time Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat he has the hopes of billions rested on his shoulders, yet when India co-host the World Cup next year expectations will reach even greater levels. The final will be hosted in Mumbai, Tendulkar’s home town, but he is refusing to let his mind wander towards the prospect of a moment that would crown his career.”As far as the World Cup is concerned it is a process. We don’t want to jump to the 50th floor straight away, we must start on the ground floor,” he said. “We must take it step-by-step but to get there would be a fascinating journey. It is our dream, not just mine but the entire nation, to get there. To play the final in Mumbai is something you can only dream of and everything has to come together.”But if we can play to the best of our potential then I think we can do something we have been longing to do for quite some time.”Tendulkar is currently taking a break from the game but will return to Indian colours for the Test series against Sri Lanka next month. The five-day format has suddenly taken on a much greater priority in India – although Tendulkar, himself, has always been adamant it is the main brand of the game – after the team reached No. 1 in the world.They will look to consolidate that position against Sri Lanka before a mouth-watering contest in South Africa at the end of the year as the top two ranked teams go head-to-head over three Tests at Centurion, Durban and Cape Town. It will be a huge challenge for India to compete in foreign conditions against the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, but Tendulkar doesn’t want to let the top spot slip away after working so hard for the honour.”To be number one is special, it was our dream and our target to get to the number one spot in Test cricket,” he said. “We have had a good run in the last 20 months. Everyone wants to be number one and we cannot relax because there are other countries who want to be number one. It means a lot to us.”At 37, it won’t be too long before Tendulkar calls time on his stellar career. He has already cut back his Twenty20 commitments and doesn’t play that format internationally, while he also declined a deal with Middlesex this season to spend more time with his family. However, for the time being he has no plans to end his Test or one-day days.”I want to play for as long as possible and as long as I have the desire and the hunger I will carry on,” he said. “The day I do not want to get out of bed and do anything then I know it will be time to go in another direction.” Sachin Tendulkar is an RBS brand ambassador and was speaking in London to mark 30 years of NatWest involvement in English cricket

ECB compensate Glamorgan for Pakistan T20

The ECB have given Glamorgan a partial refund on the staging fee for the second Twenty20 international against Pakistan in September

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2010The ECB have given Glamorgan a partial refund on the staging fee for the second Twenty20 international against Pakistan held in September.The SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff hosted two Twenty20 matches in the immediate aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal and suffered poor ticket sales as the rumours surrounding the Pakistan players led to uncertainty over whether or not the matches would go ahead.The effect on walk-up sales at the ground was clear as a crowd of just 6,000 attended the second match on September 7 – a drop of around 5,000 on the first encounter 48 hours earlier. Glamorgan claim they have been given half of their staging fee back but, while an ECB spokesman confirmed that a rebate had been granted, no figures have been confirmed.Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell told BBC Sport: “We have come to an agreement with the ECB because we were faced with a set of circumstances that were not entirely of our making to put it at its mildest.”[The second match] was still in doubt the day before the game because of rather silly statements and claims that were being bandied around,” he said. “Because Pakistan, more than any other nation, attracts a following that turns up on the day, of course all of the shenanigans led to us having a [poor crowd].””The way it works is that you pay the ECB fee for the game. What we suggested was that it was unfair that we should be charged a full fee on the Tuesday because of the circumstances which affected the crowd which were beyond our control. The ECB have agreed with us and reduced the fee accordingly. They reduced it by 50%. As a result we have not made a loss on the international Twenty20.”

Martin places emphasis on swing

If New Zealand are to be effective in the Test series against India, it will be important to get the ball to swing for as long as possible, according to pace-spearhead Chris Martin

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2012The previous time New Zealand toured India, they lost the three-match Test series 0-1. Among their bowlers who sent down ten overs or more in the series, none could manage an average of below 34 – in fact, only Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori (who is out of this series with injury) averaged below 56. If they are to be more effective this time round, it will be important to get the ball to swing for as long as possible, according to pace-spearhead Martin.”If you can swing it for longer, with conventional swing, you feel in the game more,” Martin said ahead of the first Test, which begins in Hyderabad on Thursday. “You feel – even through long periods of not getting a wicket – that you are still in the game.”Especially against the Indian batsmen, who are used to batsmen-friendly tracks, a bit of swing would come in very handy, Martin said. “I suppose against guys who are used to batting on flat wickets, perhaps not using their feet as much, the swinging ball is still a valuable thing to have.”We are trying to get a pack mentality and a good set of plans going for each batsman. These are things you have to use on an ad-hoc kind of way in this part of the world, and be flexible. And the guys have enough skills to swing the ball and enough variety in the attack to feel competitive.”The conditions in Hyderabad, in the lead-up to the Test, have been encouraging, he said. “It [the pitch] had reasonable carry, a good batting surface but not your traditional Indian track. Enough bounce for us to challenge the edge. And it has been humid, not hot as normal but definitely cloudy. The ball has swung [in the nets], and I think it is a better one than the ball we used in the West Indies that tended to not swing for very long.”New Zealand are coming off a poor tour of the Caribbean, where they lost eight of nine matches, including both Tests. Martin was left out of the XI for the second Test, and that has raised his desire to do well, he said. “I’m always hungry and to get dropped, as a senior guy, is enough of a motivating factor to make you even hungrier. You either take it on your chin or run away with your tail between your legs. I’m not that kind of guy, so I am quite looking forward to preparing like I am getting another game.”New Zealand will not be intimidated by India, Martin said. “There are a lot of reputations on the other side we have to deal with. This young group doesn’t care about that stuff: it showed in Hobart, and at various stages through their careers, that they get in the fight and they match you quite well.”[Even on the 2010 tour] we competed pretty well. Generally, if you get the Indian side for a par score in their own conditions, you have done pretty well. And we were matching [India with] the bat up until the final game.”New Zealand had drawn the first two Tests in that series, after giving India a scare in the first, where it was left to Harbhajan Singh to dig India out of trouble in the second innings with a century. In the third though, two batting failures meant India won by an innings and took the series.VVS Laxman, typically, had played a role in helping India save that second Test, scoring 91 in a crucial partnership with Harbhajan. Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s absence – both having retired this year – could add a bit of pressure on India, Martin said. “I understand from past experience that when you lose people like that from your change room, you are looking around and trying to figure out [where the] your bulk of runs is going to come from. If you don’t have a Laxman or a Dravid, I’m sure it will play on your mind a little, make the pressure on your own game a little bit tougher. The experience side of things is something they will lack.”

Everton agree van de Beek deal

Everton have reportedly agreed a deal with Manchester United to take Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek on loan for the rest of the season.

What’s the story?

According to The Guardian, the Toffees have an agreement in place with United to take the 24-year-old on loan and pay his full salary with the deal likely to be the first under the management of Frank Lampard.

The former Chelsea boss is set to return to management after a year out of work by taking the Everton vacancy after Rafa Benitez was sacked just under two weeks ago.

The Merseyside club’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace were also in the hunt but, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, van de Beek has chosen to join Everton for the rest of the season.

Ornstein tweeted: “Donny van de Beek has this morning decided to join Everton on loan from Manchester United for rest of season.”

Fans will be elated

Everton are desperate for a midfielder with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph all sidelined until March, making a swoop for the Dutchman essential.

Moreover, with the Toffees stuck in 16th place, fans will be desperate to see quality added to the squad in order for their side to squash any relegation fears as soon as possible.

The 24-year-old’s difficult situation at Manchester United has been well documented over the past months, however, the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as the club’s interim manager has worsened the midfielder’s predicament, having played just seven minutes of Premier League football under the German.

The midfielder has also lost his place in the Dutch national team.

Since joining from Dutch giants Ajax in summer 2020, van de Beek has made 50 appearances for United and has struggled to pin down a regular starting place.

Despite limited football, there is no doubt about the ability van de Beek possesses having been a kingpin for Ajax’s first team after come through the youth ranks in Amsterdam.

The Dutchman made 175 appearances for the Eredivisie outfit, scoring 41 goals and registering 34 assists.

If he can replicate that sort of form in Merseyside, fans will no doubt be elated with the acquisition.

Meanwhile, Patrick Boyland has dropped an Everton transfer update…

Gibson happy to face old friends

Group D in the World Twenty20 is resembling Friends Reunited. Ottis Gibson and Phil Simmons, former West Indies team-mates, have already gone head-to-head as the coaches of the hosts and Ireland while Eoin Morgan will also face his former colleagues on Tu

Andrew McGlashan in Guyana02-May-2010Group D in the World Twenty20 is resembling Friends Reunited. Ottis Gibson and Phil Simmons, former West Indies team-mates, have already gone head-to-head as the coaches of the hosts and Ireland while Eoin Morgan will also face his former colleagues on Tuesday. However, the most intriguing match-up will be when Gibson is brought up against England little more than three months after leaving the role of bowling coach.It was a rapid turnaround between jobs for Gibson who was given permission to speak to West Indies just a week after finishing England’s tour of South Africa. A few days later it was confirmed he would return home to take on the head coach role, but he still keeps in close contact with a number of the England squad which will create an added edge to the contest at Providence.”I speak to Colly [Paul Collingwood] a lot and also Broady [Stuart Broad],” he said. “We [West Indies] are excited and there’s a bit of banter going around about that game, but I don’t play cricket anymore so can pretty much say what I want. It’s up to the players in the middle to produce and it will be fun seeing those guys again. It was only two or three months ago that I was spending a lot of time with them. Somebody reminded me that West Indies have a good record against England in T20 so we’ll look forward to the game.”There are some new guys in there I don’t know much about. Craig Kieswetter is one, Michael Lumb another and Yardy I haven’t been involved with much. In T20 plans can change every day so what I knew about them three months ago could have gone full circle now so we just have to make sure we are well prepared.”Gibson’s appointment as West Indies coach was generally viewed as a positive move, bringing in someone who understands the culture and can relate to the players. However, Viv Richards’ recent outburst, relating to a Test against South Africa in 1998-99, has been the loudest descenting voice and took many people by surprise.”I saw the now present coach Ottis Gibson with his two feet on the balcony, earphones in,” Richards said. “West Indies were just about to go down the chute – and he was having fun, where the music was concerned. That has left an impression on me, seeing him in the present position he is now.”That is not saying he will not be a good coach, but I doubt he would like to see one of his players [behaving as he did] at that particular time, with him being in the position he is now.”Comparing Gibson 11 years ago to the coach he now is forgets the prolific form in the closing stages of his first-class career with Durham and the work he has done to gain his coaching credentials with England. Gibson, speaking before Richards’ comments were made, said he was settling into his new role and felt confident about the future.”I have a passion for West Indies cricket and now the challenge is to bring people together which slowly is happening,” he said. “The signs are very good and the guys are getting used to how I operate. This tournament will give us a good indicator of where we actually are.”With his bowling background that remains the area where most of Gibson’s hands-on coaching continues. He has brought in Jimmy Adams to help on the batting front for the World Twenty20 and is eyeing a permanent batting coach in the future. He admits that moving from working with just one part of a team to oversee a whole operation has been a challenging experience.”When I was bowling coach I generally only had four or five people to look after on a tour or a net session and now I’m in charge of the whole team,” he said. “You have to make sure they are getting what they need in training and when people are left out you have to make sure people are okay about that as well. Then you are scouring the internet at time trying to get stats and information on opposition teams so it keeps me up at night I can tell you that.”However, Gibson’s remit extends beyond the West Indies side. He has been charged with looking at all levels of the game and he has already implement new systems including a High Performance Centre in Barbados which is headed by Toby Radford, the former Middlesex batsman, who played a key role in Andrew Strauss’s return to form two years ago.Radford has also worked closely with Morgan so should be able to pass on some useful advice about England’s new Twenty20 star. “He will try and instil the right attitude into those people who have been picked for the HPC and hopefully when they get into the senior team they will know what is required and can make a contribution to international cricket,” Gibson explained of Radford’s role.He also emphasised what he said when he first took the role, that it’s vital West Indies cricket only looks forward. “We want to stay away from the glory days and start a new era of glory. They are long gone and we have to start again. We should never forget the past but we can’t keep looking back. We want to get players from that era to come in and share their experiences, but it is about this group of players to set new standards for themselves and start a new page.”

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