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A round-up of the first day of the ninth round of Division One of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2010Multan are in horrendous form in the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy and that showed in their miserable capitulation against Rawalpindi at the Bahawal Stadium in Bahawalpur. However, it had seemed that they would be able to bounce back from their eight consecutive defeats when they bowled out Rawalpindi for 153 earlier in the day. Seamer Abdur Rauf took five wickets, new-ball partner Tahir Maqsood took four and had it not been for a half-century from Adnan Mufti’s half-century and his 67-run stand with Muzammil Nizam for the seventh wicket, Rawalpindi would have faced an embarrassment. But they were able to inflict one on Multan, whose batting simply couldn’t measure up to the pace of Rizwan Akbar, who took 6 for 50. They had been reduced to 57 for 7 at one stage and had to rely on Rauf again, this time with the bat, to take them past 100 with an unbeaten 28. The innings folded for 112, with a lead of 41 for Rawalpindi.Bowlers dominated the opening day of the contest between Faisalabad and Sialkot at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha, claiming 16 wickets. Sialkot had the advantage at stumps after skittling out Faisalabad for 88, thanks to a maiden haul of six wickets by seamer Prince Abbas. Only four Faisalabad batsmen managed to reach double-figures. Sialkot gained a lead but lost six wickets in the process in their response, as left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood took 4 for 36. Wicketkeeper Rizwan Sultan top scored with 30, while the others got starts, but was dismissed shortly before stumps, with Sialkot on 144 for 6, 56 ahead.Table-toppers Habib Bank Limited were on the back foot in their encounter against Pakistan International Airlines at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Seamer Aizaz Cheema cut through the HBL top and middle orders to take 6 for 69 and bowl them out for 211 in just 58 overs. Tottering at 49 for 6, HBL recovered thanks to an attacking 82 from wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat, who fought hard with the tail to lend some respectability to the HBL score. PIA began well in their reply, with openers Khurram Manzoor and Agha Sabir adding an unbeaten 52 before stumps.Islamabad had the advantage at the end of the opening day against Karachi Blues at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Seamers Nasrullah Khan, Rauf Akbar and Fakhar Hussain grabbed three wickets each to overcome starts by the Karachi top-order batsmen and a half-century from Atif Ali and bowl out the opposition for 237. Nasrullah took some stick, conceding 110 in 25 overs, but Karachi will rue the fact that they let it slip after being in a strong position at 118 for 2. In their reply, Islamabad lost opener Farrukh Hayat early and finished the day on 20 for 1.National Bank of Pakistan and Water and Power Development Authority ended on almost even terms at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Rafatullah Mohmand, unbeaten on 86, helped WAPDA, currently placed second in the table, fight through a middle-order wobble and finish the day on 256 for 8. Openers Ahmed Said and Jahangir Mirza had laid a solid foundation with a stand of 83 but a collapse ensued where seven wickets fell for 94. Seamer Mohammad Talha picked up four wickets but Mohmand found support in Umaid Asif, with whom he added 62 for the eighth wicket. The extras proved useful as well, contributing 28 to the score.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited held the edge against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Opener Yasir Hameed starred with 95, including ten fours, and Shahid Yousuf contributed 80 to set up ZTBL’s score of 294 for 5 at stumps. There was another significant contribution, of an unbeaten 51 by Haris Sohail, which helped consolidate the strong start provided by Hameed.

The ICC’s suspension of the three Pakistan players linked to the spot-fixing scandal is the first time cricket’s governing body has suspended cricketers under its anti-corruption code

Cricinfo staff03-Sep-2010The ICC’s suspension of the three Pakistan players linked to the spot-fixing scandal is the first time cricket’s governing body has suspended cricketers under its anti-corruption code. The clause for provisional suspension was included in the code less than a year ago.The Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel was updated and came into force on October 6, 2009 after unanimous approval from all ICC member nations. The updated code has also instituted an independent panel to investigate the matter, which cannot include the member country involved – in this instance, Pakistan.On Thursday, the ICC took the unprecedented decision to suspend Pakistan’s captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who are at the centre of the allegations concerning the Lord’s Test. They announced the decision hours after the PCB said that the players had decided to “opt out” of the remainder of the series against England, and added that they had not been suspended by the board.An ICC press release, however, said the three players had been charged with “various offences under Article 2” of the code “relating to alleged irregular behavior during, and in relation to, the fourth Test”. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat announced that the players would have 14 days to respond to the charges.The players can contest their suspensions under the system of a provisional hearing. The burden will rest on the ACSU to establish a “strong, arguable case” for the charges made against the players, which in the circumstances could have “seriously undermined the integrity of the sport”.Under Article 4.6 of the anti-corruption code, relating to provisional suspension, the three Pakistan players cannot play any cricket. They will also be prevented from participating or being involved in any “other kind of function, event or activity (other than authorised anti-corruption education or rehabilitation programmes) that is authorised, organised, sanctioned, recognised or supported in any way by the ICC, a national cricket federation or any member of a national cricket federation”.According to the code, a charge is laid and a suspension decided upon only after the ACSU’s general manager consults with the ICC’s chief executive and the head of the legal department. Any player ultimately found to be guilty of committing an offence under the code would be subject to the sanctions described in Article 6. In this case, the alleged offences, if proved, would involve the imposition of a ban. There is also a possibility, at the discretion of the independent tribunal, that a fine would be imposed in addition to a ban.A full hearing needs to be convened within three months of the imposition of the provisional suspension, after which the player can apply to the ICC Code of Conduct Commission for his suspension to be lifted.

For the tenth time in 11 seasons, Celtic have done it, they are the Scottish Premiership winners and few can argue that the Hoops don’t deserve it.

When Ange Postecoglou arrived in Glasgow, the Bhoys were in disarray. Their fiercest rivals had won the title and it looked as though a number of players would depart.

Indeed, as the likes of Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer all headed for pastures new, the future looked rather bleak.

Yet, Postecoglou’s transfer policy and the way he’s crafted and fine-tuned players this season has been nothing short of sensational.

The rebuild had no right to be this quick but it’s a testament to his hard work at Lennoxtown. He is a Premiership title winner in his first campaign in Scotland and even if they could only muster a 1-1 draw with Dundee United on Wednesday evening, the performance of a certain Anthony Ralston typified the graft that some have put in under Postecoglou’s tutelage.

The full-back only played once in the league throughout the entirety of last season but despite the arrival of Josip Juranovic last summer, Ralston has become vital and is now rather surprisingly one of the most consistent figures at Parkhead.

This term, the Scot has featured on 27 occasions in the Premiership, scoring four times and registering eight assists, the last of which came at Tannadice on Wednesday.

It came from one of the defender’s seven crosses throughout the game as he put in a tantalising ball for Giorgos Giakoumakis to fire home and seal yet another league title.

Throughout the encounter, Ralston took a whopping 130 touches of the ball – the most of anyone on the pitch – and also amassed 87 accurate passes, the third most of any player on Wednesday.

The fact he was so involved is a credit to the confidence he’s taken on this term and as a result, he’s gone from a bit-part player to someone who will only become more important to Celtic as the years go on.

Described as a “ballet dancer” and “superman” by Dominik Diamond, he was also compared to one of the greatest passers of a football in modern football by the Celtic Way’s Tony Haggerty.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Celtic blogger said: “The right-back produced a sensational 60-yard Andrea Pirloesque diagonal cross-field pass to Forrest before blasting a left-foot shot over the bar in the opening exchanges. He marauded forward at will and had a lot of joy down the flank. It was no surprise when he stood up a brilliant cross from which Giakoumakis buried a header seven minutes after the interval.”

That typifies his all-action nature and also why he’s one of the manager’s greatest successes since penning terms at Paradise.

Ralston has gone from underused and underappreciated to one of the real heroes of their title success in 2022. What a story.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jota: Ange can form scary Celtic duo by signing “dangerous” £15m machine…

New Zealand wrapped up a thumping 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad to set up a victory that will reinvigorate their World Cup campaign

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill04-Mar-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum carried New Zealand to a resounding 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe•Getty ImagesNew Zealand wrapped up a thumping 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad, surpassing the Zimbabweans in every department to set up a victory that will reinvigorate their World Cup campaign. They started by making light work of a timid batting line-up, Tim Southee picking up 3 for 29 as four of the top seven failed to reach double figures and Zimbabwe limped to 162. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum then sealed the result with the highest opening stand of this tournament and New Zealand’s best in World Cups, as the target was overhauled with more than 16 overs to spare.New Zealand went into this game level on points with Zimbabwe, the teams ranked fourth and fifth in Group A with one victory and one defeat each and separated only by net run-rate. Beating Zimbabwe, especially considering the sheer scale of their win, means that, in all probability they will need only one more victory to book a place in the quarterfinals, with a game against Canada in hand.Zimbabwe talked themselves into a corner before this game, letting anyone who would listen know that they were targeting New Zealand in a must-win match. Their words seemed to build more pressure on themselves than the opposition, however, and the batsmen froze under the weight of expectation to reach a challenging total after captain Elton Chigumbura won the toss and decided to bat.The rot started as early as the second over for Zimbabwe, Charles Coventry setting off for a non-existent single to the second ball he faced and not even bothering to dive as Hamish Bennett’s throw from mid-on hit the stumps directly. New Zealand looked like the more inspired team from the start, maintaining intensity and energy with the ball and in the field, and they soon had Zimbabwe in even deeper trouble when Tim Southee recovered from the disappointment of having Tatenda Taibu dropped at mid-off to pin him in front of middle and leg with his very next ball to reduce them to 27 for 2 in the eighth over.Some inventive captaincy from Vettori was backed up by his bowlers’ discipline, Craig Ervine falling to a well thought-out off-side trap, and Vettori also took no time to win the battle with his opposite number, dismissing Chigumbura with his first ball of the match. He added another scalp in the same over, Regis Chakabva flapping haplessly to slip as Zimbabwe slid to 46 for 5 in the 15th over. All the while Brendan Taylor had looked like his team’s most composed batsman, cracking four boundaries to enter the 40s and keep Zimbabwe afloat. When he missed a full, straight delivery from Scott Styris to be out for 44 their hopes of setting a challenging total had all but evaporated.Graeme Cremer and Prosper Utseya’s stubborn rearguard was ended when Mills found the edge of Cremer’s bat for 22, but Ray Price did at least manage to stick around long enough to help Utseya take the score past 150. Southee, who found appreciable reverse swing with a scuffed up old ball, swung one into Price’s pads to remove him for 11 and two overs later rattled Utseya’s stumps with another inswinging delivery to end the innings.Smart stats

This is New Zealand’s sixth ten-wicket win in ODIs, and their second in World Cups. Their first one was against Kenya in their opening game of this tournament.

It’s Zimbabwe’s second ten-wicket defeat in World Cups – their first one was in 1983 against West Indies.

The 166-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum is New Zealand’s fourth-highest for the opening wicket in ODIs, and their highest in World Cups. It’s only their fourth century stand for the first wicket in World Cups.

Guptill and McCullum have an average of 51.38 per completed partnership for the opening wicket in ODIs. Among pairs who’ve scored more than 500 runs for New Zealand, only two have a higher average.

Before this knock, McCullum had gone 12 innings without getting a half-century, averaging 17.54 during that period.

In 46 ODIs against the top nine teams since the beginning of 2008, Zimbabwe have been five down for less than 50 nine times, and lost half their side for less than 100 on 22 occasions.

Guptill and McCullum’s plan appeared to be to deny Zimbabwe’s slow bowlers any early breakthroughs through utmost caution and attack the seamers on a placid pitch. Without a decent total on the board, Zimbabwe’s spinners were unable to create any pressure to force a breakthrough, and both batsmen simply waited for the bad ball to put away.Guptill started in a hurry against Tinashe Panyangara, smashing 14 off from his first six balls and lofting two imperious sixes as his first three overs were dispatched for 25. In comparison, Price’s first three yielded just nine, with barely a shot played.Whatever pressure there might have been at the start of New Zealand’s chase – and if there was any, it was minimal – quickly dissipated and even though the spinners maintained generally tight lines, the docile pitch meant there were few alarms for the batsmen. New Zealand eased past fifty in the 12th over with a brace of boundaries off Price and after he had been seen off, with both batsmen settling in, offspinners Utseya and Greg Lamb were easily milked.With his options severely limited by the under-par total, Chigumbura simply ran out of ideas and the white flag was waved when the field was set back to allow easy singles on both sides of the wicket. Guptill, who proved the more aggressive of the two, punched one into the covers to bring up a 68-ball half-century in the 22nd over and the batsmen barely broke a sweat in bringing the 100 up shortly afterwards.The match was practically over as a contest at that point and Zimbabwe simply went through the motions as the runs continued to flow, 21 runs from Elton Chigumbura’s three overs hastening the end. McCullum reached his own half-century, from 74 balls, and New Zealand cantered home in the 34th over in a flurry of boundaries.While New Zealand could not have asked for a better team performance, a fighting defeat might at least have spurred the Zimbabweans on to believe they could still take down Sri Lanka or Pakistan. The nature of their capitulation will have sapped the morale from their campaign, however, and they will do well to follow Chigumbura’s advice after he said he hoped his side would forget the defeat quickly and move on.Match Timeline

Derbyshire have signed the gifted Australia batsman Usman Khawaja for the first half of the 2011 county season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2011Derbyshire have signed the gifted Australia batsman Usman Khawaja for the first half of the 2011 county season.Khawaja, 24, is still awaiting a No Objection Certificate from Cricket Australia but could be with the side from the beginning of the season through to conclusion of the Friends Provident t20 tournament. He would follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian Chris Rogers, who was with Derbyshire until the end of last season.Rogers has moved to Middlesex and John Morris, the Derbyshire head of cricket, is excited about his replacement. “He has scored runs consistently for New South Wales and is a very entertaining player to watch,” he said.After waiting on the sidelines for half a year Khawaja made a much-anticipated Test debut against England in the final Ashes Test at Sydney in the beginning of the year. Though his returns – 37 and 21 – were modest, the poise and temperament he displayed were warmly welcomed by the Australian media.His first-class average above 50 demonstrates the talent Derbyshire secured and Morris hopes the time playing county cricket will aid Khawaja’s development. “Successful stints in county cricket have played an integral part in the development of many successful Australian cricketers and I’m sure Usman will benefit hugely from this experience.”In all, Khawaja is eligible for eight Championship matches and six Clydesdale Bank 40 fixtures as well as the 16-match t20 campaign.

Tasmania jumped to a 10-point lead on the one-day table with a convincing five-wicket win over Queensland in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2010Tasmania 5 for 168 (Paine 71, Bailey 51) beat Queensland 9 for 167 by 5 wickets
ScorecardTim Paine, who spent the off-season with the national team, steered Tasmania with 71•Getty ImagesTasmania jumped to a 10-point lead on the one-day table with a convincing five-wicket win over Queensland in Hobart. The Bulls were dismissed for 75 and 96 in the Sheffield Shield last week and continued to have trouble with the bat, struggling to 9 for 167 in 45 overs.Only having the best Nos 10 and 11 in the game helped the Bulls get to the end of the innings, with Chris Hartley (27) and Ryan Harris (13) putting on an unbeaten 40 for the final wicket. The visitors had packed their batting line-up but were undone by Brendan Drew (4 for 38) and Gerard Denton (3 for 47).Tim Paine, who did so well for Australia in the off-season, set up Tasmania’s chase with a brisk 71 and George Bailey added 51. James Hopes and Luke Feldman picked up two wickets each but the hosts reached the target in the 32nd over. The Tigers moved to 21 points after five games, 10 ahead of Victoria and New South Wales.

West Ham United are currently failing in a bid to bring Darwin Nunez to the London Stadium on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by David Ornstein, who revealed in a recent article for The Athletic that, despite it being reported West Ham had agreed a fee with Benfica regarding the transfer of the 22-year-old, Nunez has informed David Moyes that he has no intention of joining the Irons this month, and he is hoping to move to a Champions League side in the summer.

In his report, the transfer insider wrote: “West Ham also enquired about Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, but sources have told The Athletic that the player was not interested in the move and is hopeful of joining a Champions League club in the summer.”

Fans will be furious

With the clock ticking down to Monday evening’s transfer deadline, the news that West Ham have failed in their bid for Nunez is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful furious with Moyes.

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Indeed, while the Benfica hitman would have made a fantastic addition to the 58-year-old’s first-team squad, in truth, a deal to sign one of the hottest prospects in European football never appeared to be overly likely – with ExWHUemployee even revealing at the time of the Hammers’ bid that the club’s chances of landing the £28.8m-rated striker were extremely slim.

And, with Moyes undoubtedly being aware that this was the case at the time of his bid for the Uruguay international, exactly why the Scot left making a move for a striker, when he himself admitted the position was his upmost priority this month, until the final day of the window is beyond us.

Indeed, should West Ham fail to bring in a new centre-forward over what remains of the January transfer window, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the club’s top-four chances this season – a setback that Moyes could quite easily have avoided.

In other news: “We have…”: WHU insider drops huge deadline day development, Moyes is finally acting

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a teasing transfer hint regarding the future of on-loan winger Jota.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, the 56-year-old suggested that, following reports which claimed that Celtic are locked in ongoing negotiations regarding a permanent £6.5m deal for the 22-year-old, a move for the Benfica winger will take care of itself in due course.

Speaking about the future of the Portugal under-21 international, the Hoops coach said: “In terms of [Jota remaining at Parkhead] beyond this season, that will take care of itself at the appropriate time.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Jota has been since his arrival in Glasgow last summer, Postecoglou’s suggestion that the permanent signing of the winger is just a matter of time will have undoubtedly left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £4.95m-rated winger has been in remarkable form for the Hoops. He has already bagged five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking three shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

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These returns have seen the player who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” talent average an excellent SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the sixth-best player in the entire league.

Furthermore, the £7.1k-per-week forward has also scored two goals and provided two assists over his five Europa League outings, in addition to netting one goal in his two League Cup appearances – returns which take his total haul to eight goals and six assists in just 18 games for Celtic.

As such, it is clear to see that the signing of the Benfica starlet on a permanent basis, particularly for a fee of just £6.5m, would certainly be a major coup for the Bhoys, so Postecoglou’s latest update on the winger will come as music to the ears of Celtic fans.

In other news: Postecoglou must finally sanction Celtic swoop for “strong” £3.7m beast, he’s the next Fred

A key Newcastle transfer claim has been made regarding their pursuit of Reims’ Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Magpies have failed with their first bid to sign the attacker from the Ligue 1 side this month.

He tweeted: “Reims are not intentioned to accept Newcastle opening proposal for talented striker Hugo Ekitike. Deal more than complicated – there’s interest also from West Ham but nothing advanced yet. #NUFC Reims want also a sell on clause included into potential Ekitike deal.”

This comes amid rumours of a move for Burnley attacker Chris Wood, who the Toon are believed to be on the verge of signing.

Infuriation for Hammond

This will surely infuriate Nick Hammond as he goes about looking to improve Eddie Howe’s Newcastle squad in the January transfer window.

The Magpies are in desperate need of reinforcements, and bringing in players as quickly as possible could be vital with big games coming up in the Premier League. They are currently 19th in the table and have only won one of their 19 matches in the division so far this term, whilst also conceding the joint-most goals along with bottom club Norwich.

This shows how desperate their situation is and why signing targets before the final few days of the window could be crucial as every point counts. Newcastle face Watford on Saturday with a chance to move out of the bottom three, and any signings before that clash could improve their chances of winning, which is why failing with this offer for Ekitike will frustrate Hammond.

Callum Wilson is currently out injured and this puts added pressure on those at the top end of the pitch. He is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League with six goals and is one of just two Magpies players to score more than once in the current top-flight campaign. This means that they will be missing his clinical touch in the final third, and the signing of Ekitike could have alleviated some concerns over his absence, although it remains to be seen if a deal for Wood will be completed in time for him to play.

The 19-year-old has eight goals and two assists in ten Ligue 1 starts this season, which suggests that he could have an immediate impact at St James’ Park if he adjusts to English football. Just imagine a talented young player linking up with the more experienced Wood, someone who has already bagged 50 times in the top-flight.

With that in mind, the duo may well have made a difference in the beat to drop.

Furthermore, they could have made the difference against Watford and, unless something dramatic happens in the next couple of days, the club’s failure to sign Ekitike this week could negate Howe’s chances of beating the Hornets in this weekend’s relegation six-pointer.

AND in other news, “Hearing”: Luke Edwards drops exciting Newcastle transfer claim which will delight fans…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist and ‘transfer insider’ Dean Jones of Eurosport has dropped an exciting update as Southampton eye Fulham attacker Fabio Carvalho.

The Lowdown: Carvalho on the move?

The 19-year-old, as things stand, could leave Craven Cottage on a free deal at the end of 2021/2022 with a plethora of Premier League sides allegedly eyeing a move.

Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Carvalho’s stellar form for Fulham in the Championship this season has attracted interest from the Saints and, by extension, transfer chief Martin Semmens.

The likes of Tottenham, West Ham United and Liverpool are also interested alongside Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side with Fulham apparently growing fearful of losing the dazzling prospect (TEAMtalk).

Jones, speaking to GMS, has now made a promising transfer claim involving Southampton and Carvalho.

The Latest: Jones drops promising Carvalho update…

According to his information, the south coast side are real frontrunners to sign the talented teenager and are apparently ‘leading’ for his signature.

“There is competition from various clubs,” he explained.

“Particularly from Southampton, who have really been leading the race to sign Fabio Carvalho.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

While arguably unproven at the very top level thus far early in his career, we believe Carvalho could be a nailed-on star for the future if he continues this fast progression.

Having only made his full professional debut last season in September 2020, he’s already gone on to catch the eye of some real English top flight heavyweights including Liverpool, backing his obvious ability.

Scoring seven goals and assisting two others over 13 league outings this campaign, snapping him up for free could be a genuine bargain for Southampton, with former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips even calling Carvalho a ‘very exciting’ talent.

In other news: Dan Sheldon drops big Broja update in great news for Saints, find out more here.