ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC Annual Conference, has until December 15 to ratify a new constitution

Peter Della Penna09-Jun-2016ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC annual conference, has until December 15 to ratify a constitution that gives representation to the entire US cricket community and is compliant with US Olympic Committee statutory requirements.The December deadline is an indication that USACA has been given every opportunity to have its suspension lifted before the end of the year rather than facing expulsion at the ICC annual conference later this month in Edinburgh.A new constitution is one of 39 terms and conditions laid out by the ICC for USACA to satisfy in order to be reinstated. Establishing a revised governance structure was former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley’s primary task when he took over the role in February 2013, but he could not gain enough support at the USACA AGM that November and resigned in March 2014. USACA has failed to ratify a constitution at three subsequent AGMs, including the most recent one on April 9 in Florida.In an email sent to USA cricket’s stakeholders on Thursday, Anderson said there was progress in framing the new constitution during meetings with the a 10-person advisory group in Colorado Springs on June 4 and 5. ICC chief executive David Richardson and ICC chief counsel Iain Higgins were also in attendance along with Anderson and ICC Americas regional development manager Ben Kavenagh.”Many different governance structures were considered during the two-day workshop, and significant progress was made towards reaching agreement for a number of fundamental principles which will best serve the primary objective of unifying the USA cricket community,” Anderson wrote in the email. “Further work will be required in order to complete this exercise over the coming weeks/months, and further updates will be provided as the proposed model and supporting documents are prepared.”The ICC delegation was also given a welcome reception by local dignitaries in Colorado Springs to celebrate the relocation of the ICC Americas office from Toronto. Among those in attendance were current USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun and former USOC president Bill Hybl. The reception was held by the El Pomar Foundation at Penrose House.Interviews were also held for several staff positions at the new Colorado Springs office, which is set to open next month. According to Anderson, ten candidates were shortlisted for in-person interviews from over 100 applications received for the positions of USA project manager and USA project officer.

Eoin Morgan’s moderate run has left some Middlesex supporters uneasy but he came good with a judicious half-century at Chelmsford that with the help of a partial floodlight failure proved good enough to stave off Essex’s run chase

ECB Reporters Network10-Jun-2016
ScorecardEoin Morgan recovered some form for Middlesex•Getty Images

England’s T20 captain Eoin Morgan anchored Middlesex’s second T20 NatWest Blast victory of the season with a calm reassertion of his ability which was enough to tame an out-of-sorts Essex who had to manufacture a chase with one floodlight pylon out of action.Morgan, coming in at No 4, finished unbeaten on 59, topped up by a last-over thrash in which he hit Graham Napier for what turned out to be 22 priceless runs. Morgan clubbed Napier for two big sixes in that over to add to five fours in a knock that encompassed 41 balls.New Zealand pace bowler Mitchell McClenaghan starred in his first appearance for Middlesex, taking 4 for 33.Middlesex, winning the toss and batting, went off at a fair lick and were 71 for one off seven overs. But they became becalmed mid-innings by the occasional spin bowling of Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley and lost wickets with almost wanton abandon. Even Morgan’s rescue job did not remove suspicions that they had an underpar total.However, their 173 for 8 looked better the longer Essex’s response went on. Only when Ashar Zaidi came to the wicket and cracked three sixes in a quickfire 27 did the home side look remotely in the chase.But the target grew larger and larger in the gloom of a Chelmsford evening with one floodlight pylon out of action – making it difficult for the batsmen, and the occasional fielder, to spot the ball. Ryan ten Doeschate’s unbeaten 58 could only take them within 17 runs.It had started well for Essex. Matt Quinn beat Dawid Malan for pace twice in successful balls and then had him dropped in the covers by Westley. Brendon McCullum went after him with a one-bounce four over long-on and a six over long-off before he was caught on the midwicket boundary by Callum Taylor for 16 off Napier.Quinn’s second over also went for 16 with Paul Stirling scooping a six into the balcony of the executive suite, before Malan greeted Wahab Riaz with a six over square and two fours in an over that cost 18. Riaz stopped Stirling’s 14-ball rampage the ball after he was hooked for six by knocking over his off-stump.Lawrence’s leg spin applied the brake. In his third over, he accounted for Malan and James Fuller in three balls and ended with remarkable figures of 2 for 22. Malan was caught on the long-on boundary by Jesse Ryder, and Fuller went two balls later, snapped up by Napier.Ryan Higgins was run out to an incredible piece of fielding on the cover boundary where Quinn scooping the ball into Taylor’s hands for a throw into James Foster’s gloves that caught the batsman stranded halfway down the wicket.And John Simpson didn’t last long either, caught at wide mid-on by Ravi Bopara off Quinn, before James Franklin and McClenaghan were bowled within two balls by Napier.In Essex’s reply, Lawrence had a let-off on two when he clubbed Tom Helm to wide mid-on where Fuller put down a relatively simple catch. But Jesse Ryder was not so fortunate when Ryan Higgins raced round to claim his scalp at deep midwicket off Tom Helm.Westley underclubbed McClenaghan to McCullum at midwicket before Ravi Bopara was run out as Franklin followed up a tip-and-run from Lawrence and kicked the ball into the stumps. Lawrence, on 29, tried to reverse-sweep Nathan Souter over John Simpson’s head only for the wicketkeeper to turn and dive to claim it.That brought in Zaidi, who thumped Souter’s first ball over midwicket for six, and was then dropped next ball by Stirling. Zaidi made the most of his escape with two massive heaves over wide midwicket for sixes off Stirling. But after the second maximum he advanced down the wicket to Stirling and was stumped by Simpson for a 13-ball 27. Essex then required 68 off six overs.Callum Taylor hammered Helm to cow corner for six and ten Doeschate did the same next ball by pulling McClenaghan over square for another six. But Taylor was then caught and bowled by the New Zealander, two balls later Foster lobbed into Stirling’s hands. McClenaghan claimed his fourth wicket when Napier hit to Fuller without scoring.Ten Doeschate reached his fifty off 39 balls, including four fours and a six, later sending a second six into the River Can. But it was no more than consolation for the home crowd.

Everton have generated some incredible talent from their Finch Farm academy with Tom Cannon the latest prodigy breaking through into first-team football.

However, Farhad Moshiri could now be heading for another transfer disaster.

What's the latest on Tom Cannon's Everton future?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, the Everton striker is attracting attention for his performances out on loan at Preston North End and now the club could be subjected to a bid from Swansea City to secure his services this summer.

Nixon claimed on his Patreon subscription platform: "Everton striker Tom Cannon is a wanted man – with Swansea now rivalling Preston to take him next season.

"The Welsh outfit are strong on Republic of Ireland U21 cap Cannon who has been a huge hit for North End on loan.

"Swans had been asking about Cannon before he scored against them last week and his performance only confirmed their thoughts. Everton boss Sean Dyche will look at Cannon in pre-season and may even promote him to his first team squad."

"But if Cannon is allowed out again then Swans will be trying as hard as Preston and may even make a cash offer if they lose top scorer Joel Piroe."

Will Tom Cannon play for Everton next season?

It is no secret that Everton's biggest problems this term have come in front of goal, with the club failing to secure the services of a prolific goal-scorer to replace the contributions of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the forward line.

Whilst Richarlison made a £60m exit that earned the Toffees a tidy profit, the combination of his departure alongside the constant injury issues that have plagued Calvert-Lewin over the last two seasons, has left the side unable to find the back of the net consistently and, as a consequence, resulted in another relegation scrap at the bottom of the table.

No other team in the entire Premier League has scored fewer goals than Everton this season so far (24), so it will be imperative that the powerbrokers at Goodison Park address this issue as the highest priority at the end of the campaign, whether they retain their top-flight status or not.

Indeed, there are several financial concerns surrounding the Merseyside club with an investigation underway at present, so there will be an appeal to the hierarchy to sell on their hottest prospects to give them the best possible chance of escaping any further turmoil.

On the other hand, by deploying Cannon in the centre-forward role, they could save themselves millions in outsourcing a new addition to add depth to their attacking line, especially if the young goal machine can continue his current form at Goodison Park next season.

Over 18 Championship appearances, the Irishman – hailed "ruthless" by journalist Joe Thomas – has scored eight goals, registered one assist and created three big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 shots on target and 1.1 successful dribbles per game, with none of the current Everton forwards scoring as many goals as the rising star so far.

With that being said, it would make little to no sense for the Toffees to take a quick buck for Cannon this summer and should instead allow him the chance to become a consistent feature in the first team.

Although Richarlison was a very different case, they have already felt the true force of letting one prolific striker go, they cannot afford to do the same in this situation. Indeed, keeping the youngster at the club could pay off significantly.

The Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after the umpires walked off the BKSP-3 stadium. The match was not played on the reserve day as the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the league, had not announced its decision.* The umpires had reportedly walked out citing “illness”.The incident that triggered them leaving the field occurred in the 16th over of Prime Doleshwar’s chase when Raqibul Hasan was given not out by umpire Tanvir Ahmed off a stumping appeal from left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib. The Abahani players protested and their fans began to hurl abuse at the umpires, at which point they left the field after consulting with match referee Montu Datta.Eventually, Prime Doleshwar were asked to chase a revised target according to the D/L method, but they refused saying the weather wasn’t a factor and the interruption wasn’t their fault.”Why should we go by the Duckworth/Lewis method? Our club officials are not going to abide by it today. The match didn’t stop because of us. What happened was quite unfortunate,” Prime Doleshwar coach Mizanur Rahman Babul said.Khaled Mahmud, the Abahani coach, thought it was a case of the umpires overreacting. “There was no threat or any situation created that the umpires had to leave the field,” he said. “They could have handled the situation much better. It is quite natural that [Prime] Doleshwar didn’t want to play according to the D/L method when the situation didn’t demand of such a thing.”* 0515am, June 13, 2016. The news article was updated with the information that the match was not played on the reserve day

Liverpool will host title challengers Arsenal this afternoon in their Premier League clash at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can maintain their impeccable home record against the Gunners.

The Easter Sunday showdown will see the league leaders travel to the stadium they haven't won at since 2012, while for their own sakes, Liverpool will be desperate to put a dent in the Gunners' title dreams to earn themselves three points in their pursuit to keep their outside chance of securing a Champions League qualifying spot at the end of the season alive.

The Reds are currently 13 points adrift of fourth-place Newcastle United going into their game with Arsenal and with only ten games remaining to close the gap, there will be no room for error over the coming weeks ahead.

Klopp made a number of changes to the team that pulled off a well-fought stalemate with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this week, with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson notably missing in an effort to refresh the team following a string of disappointing performances.

However, when Mikel Arteta's phenomenally in-form side make the trip to Merseyside this weekend, the Liverpool boss won't have the luxury of dropping his most experienced players and will need them in their best condition to take on the tenacious Gunners.

One player who did feature in the Chelsea clash and should retain his spot against Arsenal is Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, whose incredible record against the side is well-known by both the Anfield faithful and supporters of the North London club.

Will Roberto Firmino start vs Arsenal?

The £180k-per-week Liverpool star has been integral to their multiple successes and has confirmed that he will not be extending his stay at Anfield when his contract expires in the summer, so one last opportunity to punish Arsenal is the least he deserves for his incredible service over the years.

Firmino has tallied up 17 appearances against the Gunners, netting ten goals and registering three assists, with only three defeats and a whopping nine victories over them, easily becoming Liverpool's most productive talisman and scores for fun when it comes to their meetings.

Not only that, the 31-year-old goal machine is currently the club's third highest goalscorer despite a troubling season, with ten goals and five assists in all competitions, as well as a better conversion rate (30%) and shot accuracy (76%) than any other Liverpool player who has scored a goal so far.

Firmino has been lavished with praise over his tenure at Anfield and talkSPORT's Darren Ambrose reserved huge compliments for the player upon the confirmation that he will leave at the end of the season:

“Does he go down as a Liverpool legend? Absolutely, 100 per cent!

“For a player who has won that many trophies, scored that many goals and has been very self-sacrificial for the team.

“It’s the end of an era at Liverpool. It was the end of an era when Mane left, really, but it’s a real end of an era now because Firmino is leaving too.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Firmino should be in the starting eleven this afternoon as it would be a phenomenal way to see out his final weeks at Anfield by scoring even more goals against Arsenal.

Arsenal return to Premier League action tonight, as they host Southampton in what is a must-win clash; although, with just seven games left as they battle for the title, every game has taken on such importance.

That is what makes their recent slips against West Ham United and Liverpool all the more frustrating, especially given they squandered leads in both.

Tonight, however, they face a wholly different challenge, as they welcome the 20th-placed team in the division with the hopes they can use it as a return to form. With a trip to face Manchester City on the horizon, tonight marks a fine opportunity to bolster confidence in preparation for such a monumental game.

However, they are to once again be without William Saliba, as Mikel Arteta admitted:

"He’s not progressing as quickly as we hoped and it is a bit delicate so we want to be certain that when we push him, he’s ready to absorb the load and the risk that we’ll take, and that’s not possible at the moment."

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko is at a more advanced stage in his recovery, a start tonight also seems unlikely given the risk it would pose in a fixture they should be able to win without. However, his absence could pose an interesting opportunity for a tactical shift.

How could Arsenal line up against Southampton

Arteta could make as many as three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at the London Stadium, with alterations made both due to necessity and with one eye on Wednesday's crunch match.

Aaron Ramsdale will be seeking to put aside his disappointment from last week with a fine showing tonight, but will have to remain sharp when his moment comes. The 24-year-old made just one save last game, yet shipped two goals.

The back four is expected to remain largely unchanged, but after his struggles to perform in the inverted full-back role, Kieran Tierney could drop out. Given Granit Xhaka deputised in his position after his substitution last time out, perhaps Arsenal could seek to add such a fine creative presence to the defence given their expected dominance of the ball.

Ben White will occupy the opposite flank, whilst Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes retain their spots through the middle.

Seeing the Swiss general move into the back four opens up an opportunity for Fabio Vieira to take his chance beside Thomas Partey. They will offer a defensive foil to supplement the creativity of captain Martin Odegaard.

As mentioned, their dominance in tonight's clash should see them through without needing a full-strength side, especially when the likes of Leandro Trossard and Emile Smith-Rowe are the alternatives to replace Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Seeking to keep the star men fresh, so they can truly wreak havoc next week, perhaps handing the 22-year-old his first league start of the season following a return from injury could be the injection of enthusiasm needed to put this game to bed early.

The Belgian's inclusion needs no explanation, with the £40k-per-week maestro having already garnered praise despite only joining in January. Journalist Richie Mills, who reports on Brighton and Hove Albion, will know more than most just what a "magic man" the 28-year-old can be.

These two will flank Gabriel Jesus, who has made a seamless return to first-team action after his own lengthy lay-off, scoring four in his last three.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Xhaka; Vieira, Odegaard, Partey; Smith-Rowe, Jesus, Trossard.

Fast bowler Sohail Tanvir and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed five wickets between them to help set up a seven-wicket victory for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Jamaica Tallawahs in a top-of-the-table clash at Providence on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFast bowler Sohail Tanvir and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul claimed five wickets between them to set up a seven-wicket victory for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Jamaica Tallawahs in a top-of-the-table clash at Providence. After skittling Tallawahs for 100 in 18 overs, Amazon Warriors got to the target with 12 balls to spare on a typically slow surface. Guyana now have three wins in three matches, having already beaten St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders.Tanvir laid down the marker, having Chris Gayle, who smashed 108* in his previous match, lbw with an inswinger off the first ball he faced. Permaul then struck twice in two balls, in the fifth over, removing Kumar Sangakkara and Chadwick Walton. Tallawahs crawled to 29 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay, having scored only two boundaries during that period.Three boundaries then came in the space of eight balls as Rovman Powell and Shakib Al Hasan threatened a recovery. They lofted Australia legspinner Adam Zampa for sixes down the ground, after Powell had hit a four over Permaul’s head.But then Shakib holed out to deep midwicket off Permaul. Zampa also struck, undoing Nkrumah Bonner – who had come into the XI for Andre Russell – and Andre McCarthy for ducks to leave the visitors at 80 for 6. The lower order folded, and Powell was the ninth batsman to be dismissed, for 38. Barring Powell, only Shakib managed to pass 20.The chase wasn’t easy for Amazon Warriors. They fared worse in the Powerplay than Tallawahs, scoring 13 while losing captain Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith to Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, who finished with figures of 2 for 6. Chris Lynn and Jason Mohammed, however, settled Amazon Warriors with a 42-run partnership for the third wicket in 9.2 overs. The stand ended when Mohammed was pinned lbw for 22 by Shakib. The wicket hardly dented the hosts though, with Lynn and Anthony Bramble teeing off for 48 in 4.4 overs to seal the chase.Permaul bagged the Man-of-the-Match award for his career-best T20 figures of 3 for 20. After the game, he said he had focused on bowling a tight line. The two wickets that I picked up earlier really set up Jamaica and we kept bowling consistently, picking up wickets at the crucial stages of the game,” he said. “It is important to bowl wicket-to-wicket [in Providence]; we know the conditions very well. It [The pitch] is a bit two-paced and keeps low.”Amazon Warriors have a day’s break before taking on Patriots at home on Saturday, and Knight Riders on Sunday. Tallawahs have three days to regroup before facing Barbados Tridents in Bridgetown on Monday.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action today, in what promises to be a hotly-contested clash with Newcastle United.

With the hosts boasting the more favourable position, as they sit three points ahead with a game in hand, a win on the road for Cristian Stellini's side would certainly make for an enthralling end to the season as both sides battle for that elusive fourth-place spot.

Despite enjoying some fine form, Aston Villa showed the rest of the league exactly how to negate the Magpies, as they dismantled them 3-0 in their last game. However, Spurs too have been left reeling after their heartbreak at home to AFC Bournemouth.

Having led early, two goals on either side of halftime transformed the game for the travelling Cherries. A late Arnaut Danjuma scorcher made it almost certain that the points would be shared before Dango Ouattara struck even later to claim the win.

It marked just one of numerous miserable results for Spurs this season, who squandered a fine opportunity to gain vital points on Eddie Howe's men.

They will not get a better chance to do so than today when they face head-on at St James' Park.

Having struggled all season, it is a wonder how they find themselves in contention for such a position. However, to give themselves the best possible chance today, they must call on Danjuma from the start.

Will Arnaut Danjuma play vs Newcastle?

Having been poached from Everton at the eleventh hour, the Dutchman moved to north London as a top asset sure to test the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son.

However, he has instead been reserved for short cameo appearances and starts in cup competitions, which they have since been knocked out of. The £53k-per-week speedster is yet to even make a Premier League start for the club.

After his goal last weekend, that could be about to change.

This would come after the pleas of journalist Rob Guest, who took to Twitter to write: "Arnaut Danjuma demonstrated on Saturday against Bournemouth that he can more than make an impact on the pitch for Tottenham. Baffling that Antonio Conte only turned to him four times despite the team's attacking woes."

These woes could now be solved by a man who scored 16 goals in all competitions as his side reached the Champions League semi-final.

Such pedigree cannot go unnoticed, and former Premier League marksman Kevin Phillips would exacerbate his need for a start by branding him a "nightmare for defenders" last year.

With Son only recently finding form, scoring three in his last five, Kulusevski has instead recorded just one goal contribution in his last 11.

Something has to change, especially for a game of this magnitude, and Danjuma's introduction could provide just that.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice was hailed for an "unbelievable" performance in this afternoon's 4-0 victory against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

What was the West Ham result?

West Ham were emphatic 4-0 winners against Bournemouth this afternoon, in what could be a vital result in the relegation battle, now sitting six points clear of the bottom three, with a game in hand at their disposal.

It was a dominant first-half performance from the Hammers, with Michail Antonio, Lucas Paqueta and Rice all getting on the scoresheet, and the latter player was the subject of huge praise from Sky Sports pundit Danny Cowley.

After the England international found the back of the net for the second time this week, having scored in the 4-1 victory against Gent on Thursday night, Cowley hailed him for the improvements he has been making to his game.

The pundit said: "Declan Rice, he's like two players for West Ham, he's unbelievable, for me world-class, and he's starting to add goals to his game as well."

How well did Rice play against Bournemouth?

The travelling West Ham fans made their feelings clear about the captain, with chants of "one more year, Declan Rice" ringing around the away end, during what was yet another impressive performance.

It remains to be seen whether the £60k-per-week earner is willing to remain at the London Stadium, amid increasing interest from London rivals Arsenal, and it is no wonder the Gunners are interested, given his display this afternoon.

The 24-year-old recorded a 90% pass accuracy, completed four tackles, and weighed in with the third goal to put the game beyond the Cherries' reach, with a fantastic finish.

The Irons are now in a fantastic position to retain their Premier League status, and David Moyes will also be hoping for similar performances from Rice in their Europa Conference League semi-final clash with AZ Alkmaar.

AB De Villiers’ 200th ODI for South Africa ended much the same way his 100th Test did; with rain forcing an abandonment, after just one over, at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday

The Report by Firdose Moonda19-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA washout in Bridgetown on Sunday meant Australia face a do-or-die clash against West Indies in their final league game•Getty Images

AB de Villiers’ 200th ODI for South Africa went much the same way his 100th Test did, as Sunday’s tri-series fixture was the first to be washed out, with only an over possible.Just as November’s Bangalore Test involved long periods of watching and waiting, the first game of the series in Barbados dragged on for over five hours because of intermittent rain, which denied South Africa an opportunity to qualify for the final. Instead they shared points with Australia, who now face a must-win clash against hosts West Indies in their final league fixture at the same venue on Tuesday.The damp squib ended the possibility of what could have been the first battle of the quicks in this tournament. Both sides bolstered their seam stocks in anticipation of a surface with more pace and bounce. South Africa handed Morne Morkel his first opportunity on tour, at the expense of left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, while Australia included Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc in their XI. Australia also dispensed with a specialist spinner in Adam Zampa to bring back Glenn Maxwell.Steven Smith decided to let his attack loose on a fresh surface, perhaps mindful of the impact rain could have on the chase. Starc bowled the first and only over of the match: an affair that included three wides, a half-volley that Quinton de Kock drove for four and two well-directed inswingers. Heavy rain swept through the ground seconds after he finished the over.The downpour lasted three hours and 20 minutes before abating. There was a possibility of play resuming when covers were peeled off at 4.30pm local time. But an inspection, and an hour and 15 minutes later, the match officials felt the outfield and the pitch were too wet for the game to resume. The final call was made at 6.25pm.