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Marcus Stoinis made a fighting hundred but after two days in Alice Springs, Victoria had a mountain of work still ahead of them in their battle with New South Wales for a place in the Sheffield Shield final

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2016
ScorecardMarcus Stoinis scored the third century of his first-class career•Getty Images

Marcus Stoinis made a fighting hundred but after two days in Alice Springs, Victoria had a mountain of work still ahead of them in their battle with New South Wales for a place in the Sheffield Shield final. At stumps, the Bushrangers were 8 for 239 in reply to the 341 scored by the Blues, with Chris Tremain at the crease on 6 and Jon Holland yet to score.Victoria had been in early trouble at 2 for 4 but Stoinis, batting at first drop, steadied the innings in a series of partnerships that culminated in a 132-run stand with Daniel Christian. Stoinis scored his third first-class century and was eventually out for 107 – one of three wickets for Nathan Lyon – while Christian fell for 53.It was a busy day for Lyon, who began the morning unbeaten on 7 with New South Wales on 8 for 262. He took an aggressive approach to his tail-end innings and struck five sixes and seven fours on his way to 75 from 46 deliveries – the first half-century of his first-class career.

SLC have named the Sri Lanka A squad for the series against New Zealand A and the side includes Nuwan Pradeep, Kusal Perera, Kaushal Silva and Kithuruwan Vithanage, among others

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2013

New Zealand A’s schedule in Sri Lanka

1st 4-day match: September 17-20, Pallekele
2nd 4-day match: September 23-26, Dambulla
1st one-dayer: September 29, Pallekele
2nd one-dayer: October 1, Pallekele
3rd one-dayer: October 3, Dambulla

Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep has been named in Sri Lanka’s A team for the forthcoming series against the touring New Zealand A side. Pradeep, who last played for Sri Lanka in January this year, had been sidelined with a back injury he suffered in March. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kaushal Silva, batsmen Kusal Perera, Kithuruwan Vithanage and Angelo Perera, and slow bowlers Seekkuge Prasanna and Akila Dananjaya are among the other high-profile inclusions in the 22-man squad.Pradeep has played four Tests and two ODIs for Sri Lanka, his most recent game being the New Year Test against Australia. One of the fastest bowlers on the island, Pradeep’s career has been constantly plagued by injury and he missed the A team’s tour of West Indies after suffering an injury during Sri Lanka’s first-class season.Dimuth Karunaratne, who captained the side during that West Indies tour, has not been named in this squad, though he is part of Sri Lanka’s preliminary squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. Silva, Vithanage and Prasanna are the other Test cricketers in the squad, while Dananjaya, Angelo Perera and Mahela Udawatte have played limited-overs matches for Sri Lanka.Twenty-year-old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, who took 55 wickets at 19.56 in his debut first-class season, is also in the A squad. He was a part of the Test squad for the last two home series in Sri Lanka but was not given a chance. Kaushal was also omitted from the 27-man preliminary squad for the Zimbabwe tour.Sri Lanka A will play two four-day matches and three one-dayers against New Zealand A. The first-class matches will start on on September 17, and all five games on the tour will be split between Pallekele and Dambulla.Sri Lanka A: Kithuruwan Vithanage, Kusal Perera, Kaushal Silva, Udara Jayasundera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Ashan Priyanjan, Angelo Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sachithra Serasinghe, Niroshan Dickwella, Madura Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Nuwan Pradeep, Vimukthi Perera, Lahiru Jayaratne, Malinda Pushpakumara, Tharindu Kaushal, Chaturanga de Silva, Seekkuge Prasanna, Akila Dananjaya

The end came sooner than the clouds. West Indies began the day needing 71 with six wickets in hand, but there were no twists as the hosts knocked off the required runs in just over an hour and secured a 2-0 series win

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran05-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKemar Roach and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were involved in a half-century stand (file photo)•DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche Photography

Smart stats

• West Indies won two Tests in a series against a major Test team (excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh) for the first time since the 2-1 win against India at home in 2002.

• West Indies completed their first series win against New Zealand since the 1-0 win in 1995-96. West Indies had gone on to lose three of their past four series against New Zealand.

• There has not been a single draw in the last 12 matches in Jamaica. Only two other venues (Headingley and Melbourne) have a hundred-percent result record since 2000 (min 10 matches).

• For only the fifth time since 2000, West Indies completed a successful chase of a 200-plus target. Their highest chased in the same period is 418 against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

• Kemar Roach, who picked up four wickets in New Zealand’s first innings, made his highest Test score of 41. He went past his previous highest of 29 against Pakistan in 2011.

• The 70-run stand between Roach and Shivnarine Chanderpaul is West Indies’ best for the fifth wicket in the fourth innings against New Zealand and level fifth overall for the fifth wicket (fourth innings stands).

The end came sooner than the clouds. West Indies began the day needing 71 with six wickets in hand, but there were no twists as the hosts knocked off the required runs in just over an hour and secured a 2-0 series win, their first against a team other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the last three years. There were fears that the tropical storm, Ernesto, would wash away the last two days of the Test, but much to the relief of the home side the players woke up to clear skies. Kemar Roach and Shivnarine Chanderpaul played contrasting knocks but extinguished any fears that West Indies could capitulate in the anxiety of pushing for that elusive series win.Roach, who came in as the nightwatchman, was the revelation, outscoring Chanderpaul with enterprising shots. West Indies had the edge by the end of the third day but given their propensity to collapse, a couple of early wickets would have redressed the balance. The aim would have been to dislodge Chanderpaul early, but New Zealand found Roach a handful. His plan was to be positive and he wasn’t afraid to drive on the up. New Zealand, expectedly, set attacking fields but he managed to find the gaps.Roach got the chase rolling with a fierce straight drive off Tim Southee, and later in the over smacked a short one over point. Roach’s aggression took the pressure off Chanderpaul, who dropped anchor at the other end and didn’t give the bowlers an inch. Roach rubbed it in further by slapping a short delivery from Neil Wagner past cover to bring up the fifty stand. The writing was on the wall for New Zealand.Roach missed out on a half-century, though, when he drove hard at Kane Williamson and got a thick outside edge to point. When he departed, West Indies were just 23 away from victory. Narsingh Deonarine, who gave New Zealand headaches with his off spin, unleashed a couple of boundaries to take West Indies closer just as the clouds started to appear. The final honours went to Chanderpaul, who dabbed Williamson to third man to bring up West Indies’ first series win against New Zealand since 1996, and their first clean sweep since the 2002 series in Bangladesh.New Zealand, though, failed to give their outgoing coach John Wright a winning farewell. Defeat rounded off a difficult tour, in which they lost the T20s 2-0 and the one-dayers 4-1. They won’t have much time to rectify those errors, with the tour of India coming up in a few weeks.

Eight months after wondering whether or not his career might be over, Ryan Harris is ready to press his Test claims for Australia

Daniel Brettig23-Aug-2011Eight months on from surgery and wondering whether or not his career might be over, Ryan Harris is ready to press his claims as a senior member of Australia’s Test bowling attack in Sri Lanka. Though he had been primarily concerned about the longevity of a battered knee, it was a fractured left ankle that ended Harris’ Ashes summer in the fourth Test at the MCG, following a nine-wicket haul at the WACA that demonstrated his value.Since returning to cricket via the IPL, 31-year-old Harris has been earmarked as a Test match bowler, and was not selected for the Twenty20 or limited-overs legs of the Sri Lanka tour. He has been able to prepare with longer spells in mind, an approach advocated for Australian fast bowlers in the Argus review.”I’ve bowled a fair bit in the nets over the last four to five weeks, probably 40 to 50 overs a week,” Harris said after Australia’s training session at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. “It’s been good to know I was in the mix for selection, so I could prepare for it.”Michael Clarke, Australia’s captain, has a bevy of bowlers he will want to play in the three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan board president’s XI from Thursday, and Harris is in need of some match practice to build up ideal rhythm for the first Test in Galle that begins on August 31.”Personally I haven’t played any longer forms of cricket since I broke my ankle, so if I play [the tour game], I just want to get out there and get a few longer spells under my belt.”I’ve played a lot of Twenty20 cricket in the last three or four months, so I’m just looking at it as a good opportunity to get out and get more fit, and hopefully do enough to secure a spot [in the Test XI]. But I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself by saying it’s an audition.”The pain of the MCG injury was compounded by the doubts that followed it, as, not for the first time, Harris wondered if his journey from the fringes of the South Australian state team to Test cricket via Queensland had reached an abrupt end.”[It was] very frustrating, doing that in Melbourne and having surgery virtually the next day,” Harris said. “I spent the next few days laid up, thinking about whether or not I’d get back. The negative thoughts go straight to your mind, but I always thought deep down I’d get back. It just took a lot of hard work and patience.”At times, when I felt I was ready the physio just held me back and the bonus is where I am now, rather than rushing it and getting injured again. The first few outings definitely [you worry about an injury relapse]. I probably came in a week early for the IPL – I really wanted to get over there and use it as a launching pad. I went there with a bit of tenderness where the surgery was, not so much the break. I was told by the physios that it would just be a bit of stiffness and scar tissue. I got through that period and the pain went away.”Harris has also been pleasantly surprised about the strength of his problem knee, which has clearly benefited from the rest a broken ankle necessitated. “My knee is surprising me every day – it has not blown up the day after a big session and it’s not sore. How that’s working I’m not sure, but let’s hope it stays that way.”It had a good rest [because of the ankle injury], but I’d rather be resting in four or five years’ time when I’m retired – I don’t want to be missing too much more cricket.”

Pakistan could be forgiven if they slept a little uneasily tonight after Australia battled back at Headingley

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan22-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRicky Ponting began compiling another captain’s innings as Australia hauled themselves back•Getty Images

Pakistan could be forgiven if they slept a little uneasily tonight after Australia battled back at Headingley. It started with Shane Watson taking career-best figures for the second match running, as his 6 for 33 removed Pakistan for 258 to limit the lead to 170, then Ricky Ponting dug deep into his resolve to compile a battling half century during which he passed 12000 Test runs.Ponting and Michael Clarke settled Australia after both openers departed for 55, carrying the total to 136 for 2 when bad light brought an early close with 26 overs remaining in the day. Even though they remained 34 behind there was a growing feeling that the momentum was beginning to tilt Australia’s way as Salman Butt seemed happy to set his field deep. Pakistan’s players will have to be mentally strong to prevent their minds from wandering back to what happened at Sydney at the start of the year where they tossed away an invincible position, but Australia can use it as inspiration.Particularly ominous for Pakistan on this occasion is that Ponting is starting to look as settled at the crease as at any time during this short series. Pakistan will rue that he survived a very close lbw shout first ball when he padded up to an inswinger from Mohammad Aamer. But from that moment he started growing in confidence and when he steered Aamer to third man to reach 40 he became the second batsman to cross 12,000 Test runs and a short while later notched fifty from 73 balls.Clarke formed a solid ally and was quick to use his feet against Danish Kaneria, but was also fortunate to survive a torrid working-over from Mohammad Asif shortly before the light closed in. He was beaten on three occasions by perfect outswingers and the final one brought a huge appeal, but Rudi Koertzen correctly ruled bat had clipped pad, and he might also have been given out padding up to one that came back in.Pakistan’s last five wickets were blown away for 36 after lunch as Watson found himself on a hat-trick, but his success only went to confirm that conditions remained heavily in the bowlers’ favour. It made the 170-run advantage substantial and Pakistan began with high hopes of making inroads. Aamer found immediate movement with the new ball and slanted one behind Simon Katich’s pads to take out leg stump, but Asif couldn’t quite conjure the same threat as the first innings during his first eight overs.However, for the second time in the match, Butt pulled off an inspired change when he threw to ball to Umar Amin and the part-time medium-pacer forced Watson to play into his stumps. Still, it was slightly odd when Butt persisted with Amin after tea and that allowed Ponting and Clarke to ease into their task during the evening session as the pace of the game plateaued after a manic five sessions.Watson’s full swing, delivered at a fairly gentle pace, was too much for a string of batsmen as he produced a performance that had been out of reach for the frontline pacemen and edhis figures from Lord’s. Kamran Akmal, who was dropped on 10 by Mike Hussey in the gully, edged low to first slip where Marcus North took the catch inches off the turf then Aamer was given a taste of his own medicine when he padded up to an inswinger. It looked out on first impressions, but Hawkeye said it was missing off stump.There was no stopping Watson as a full, straight delivery demolished Gul’s stumps and Shoaib Malik, left stranded as wickets tumbled, top-edged a slog to Tim Paine before the innings ended with the slightly comical run out of Kaneria.The day had begun in equally chaotic style with Umar caught off a no-ball from the fourth delivery when he had an almighty mow across the line and skied a catch to cover off Mitchell Johnson. It’s hard to believe he had time to hear the call – which replays suggested was harsh – and it was clear Umar was in no mood for consolidation.Predictably, he didn’t survive long as Johnson located the right line outside off and found the edge, but Australia’s early bowling was again varied. Ben Hilfenhaus strayed onto leg stump which allowed Amin to collect easy runs through the on side while Johnson struggled to maintain a consistent line.Amin had battled hard to lay a foundation which made his dismissal more disappointing when he failed to pull his bat down as he ducked a Hilfenhaus short ball and a catch flew off the toe end to square leg. Maybe it was a sign that Australia’s fortunes had turned in this match and they, more than most sides, know how to pull themselves back from the brink.

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Sky Sports have reported that contract talks between Liverpool and their talented academy midfielder Rafael Camacho have broken down in recent days, meaning the 18-year-old looks set to leave.

What’s the word, then?

According to Sky Sources, the talks have stalled with Camacho out of contract at the end of next season and a series of top European clubs circling for him ahead of the summer transfer window.

The youngster was recently given his first-team berth in January’s Emirates FA Cup third-round defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers before coming off the substitutes’ bench in the 4-3 win over Crystal Palace in the same month for his Premier League debut.

A Portuguese youth international at every level between under-16 and under-20 so far, he started his career in his native land with Sporting CP before a big move to Anfield in 2016, via a short two-year spell with Manchester City’s academy.

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Much like the famous lyrics of Liverpool’s most notable band, the biggest club in the city should “let it be” in terms of Camacho’s contract.

Jurgen Klopp and the other relevant parties must simply decide to leave things on the star’s front, allowing him to either transfer away this summer or next January or leave on a free in 2020.

At present, Camacho is surrounded by similar talents of very similar ages and positions in the central attacking midfield and attacking winger areas.

It’s for this reason that the Premier League title chasers very much can afford to lose this starlet who clearly isn’t making the matter of a possible new contract an easy one – suggesting the possibility of the teenager wanting to leave anyway.

With names such as Ben Woodburn, Sheyi Ojo, Ryan Kent, Harry Wilson and Curtis Jones, to name a few, all still on the books with the Reds, Klopp is very much covered in terms of attacking midfielders and wingers coming through the famous academy in the next couple of years.

Finally, the fact a team of Man City’s calibre allowed Camacho to leave Manchester previously is just another amongst many signs to suggest the hotshot has no real future with the Merseysiders.

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With Kieran Trippier struggling for form and Serge Aurier injured, Kyle Walker-Peters would surely have been expecting to get the nod against West Ham United on Saturday when it was confirmed that the former would be on the substitutes’ bench.

It didn’t prove to be the case however, and now his career in north London must be in doubt.

On the chalkboard

Well, despite the struggles of Trippier and Aurier at times this term, Walker-Peters has still struggled to get many first-team minutes himself.

Now he is 22, the England U21 international is at an age where he could be making a real impression for the Champions League semi-finalists given how we have seen the likes of Dele Alli perform previously, but instead he has played just 615 minutes of football in total for Tottenham during the current campaign.

Even though England’s 2018 World Cup semi-final goalscorer missed out on a spot on the team-sheet against the Irons, the London-born right-back didn’t make it either as Mauricio Pochettino selected Juan Foyth there instead.

Walker-Peters’ fate sealed

Given his age and lack of football this season, Pochettino has surely sealed his Spurs fate by picking a centre-back ahead of him at the weekend.

The Argentine boss clearly doesn’t trust the 5 ft 8 man enough otherwise he would have been in the XI to deal with Felipe Anderson.

Even though he has often impressed when he has been on the pitch – the three assists in the 5-0 win against Bournemouth on Boxing Day springs to mind – he appears to have something in his game that his manager doesn’t like.

It’s not as though he isn’t playing because he has teammates ahead of him that are performing really well, and that must be a worry for Walker-Peters.

Relive all the drama of Man City v Spurs through the eyes Spurs’ fans in the video below…

It is appearing more and more likely that he will need to leave if he wants to play more regularly, as Pochettino clearly doesn’t have enough faith in him.

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Aston Villa managed to recover from a goal and a man down against Rotherham on Wednesday night as they secured their seventh win on the bounce.

Key to that was right-back Ahmed Elmohamady, who provided the assist for Jack Grealish’s winning goal.

It was as far from a comfortable victory as you could get for the Villans but Dean Smith’s men were fortunate enough to prevail.

Speaking about the performance after the game, a host of Villa fans praised the Egyptian defender.

One fan labelled him as Mr Consistent, as they were quick to congratulate him for his performance at the New York Stadium.

Another supporter said the 31-year-old’s display was an unbelievable effort whilst a fellow member of the Villa Park faithful claimed he was as cool as a cucumber.

Elmohamady has stepped up in place of the injured Alan Hutton and has had a brilliant impact on the side.

Hutton is nearing a return to first team action but recent displays from his fellow right-back suggest he’ll struggle to get back into the side.

He has started 28 times in the Championship this term and provided seven assists in the process.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Twitter to his midweek performance.

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Manchester City 3-2 QPR. Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal. Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool. All incredible games, all involving teams that looked dead and buried before they pulled off stunning comebacks.

So what is the greatest Premier League turnaround of all time? According to Paul Merson, it’s Everton’s 2-0 win over Chelsea before the international break.

Making his predictions for this week’s clash at the London Stadium, Merson told Sky Sports when reflecting on the last outing at Goodison Park…

“I’ve never seen a turnaround like it in the Premier League. You see them on a Sunday morning when then wind is gale force and a team plays downhill, but not in the top-flight.”

Compelling stuff from Sky Sports’ resident butcher of any name with a hint of exoticism, as if he’s been secretly running Brexit’s native advertising campaign for the last decade.

In fairness, Everton were a completely different side in the second half against Chelsea, the statistics tell us as much. 3 shots in the first half compared to 12 in the second, 0 corners compared to four, and of course no goals compared to two.

What’s more, the shift in momentum after an incredibly dire opening 45 minutes was pretty much instant; Richarlison reacted quickest after Dominic Calvert-Lewin connected with a corner to put Everton ahead four minutes on from the interval. Whatever Marco Silva said at half-time clearly worked.

But just consider the strength of that claim – “I’ve never seen a turnaround like it in the Premier League.”

This is a man who has been paid to watch the Premier League every week for years, whose own club were on the receiving end of arguably the Premier League’s greatest ever comeback at the hands of Newcastle, when the Magpies scored four goals in the final 22 minutes to pull off a draw back in 2011.

Does Merson actually think Everton’s turnaround against Chelsea was more impressive, more unprecedented, more special? It’s either hyperbole for the sake of a predictions column, or genuine stupidity.

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According to The Sun, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is a summer target for Premier League champions Manchester City.

The report has claimed that City could expect to pay as much as £70m for the 20-year-old, who has been in impressive form for the Hammers this season.

Rice recently signed a new long-term contract with West Ham, meaning that he is contracted to the capital outfit until the summer of 2024.

As a result, the Hammers are in a very, very strong position to negotiate, should a huge bid arrive in this summer’s transfer window.

The West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer report.

And it would be fair to say that the supporters are absolutely desperate for their club to keep hold of the 6ft 1in midfielder.

Many even feel that £70m would not be enough to sign the London-born youngster.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: