ScorecardFile photo – James Pattinson took five wickets in his comeback from injury•Getty Images
James Pattinson’s three wickets in his comeback from injury helped Victoria extend their advantage at the top of the Sheffield Shield table with a comprehensive victory over South Australia inside three days at Adelaide Oval.Set 313 to win after Victoria were bowled out for 306, South Australia never threatened to get close after their top order was rumbled for the second time in the match.Having claimed two wickets in the first innings, Pattinson accounted for Sam Raphael and Tom Cooper with the new ball before returning to end the resistance of Alex Carey. Chris Tremain and Scott Boland were also among the wickets, and Jon Holland completed another excellent display against SA by wrapping up the tail to finish with seven for the match.Aaron Finch and Cameron White had earlier ensured South Australia would face a steep chase. Chadd Sayers’ four wickets gave him eight for the match and 46 wickets in seven Shield matches so far this season.Finch took the gloves for the Bushrangers in the second innings following the concussion suffered by Sam Harper.
England’s Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Chris Woakes are among seven players who have listed their prices as INR 2 crore in the upcoming auction for IPL 2017
Nagraj Gollapudi06-Feb-2017England allrounders Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes and their limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan are among the seven players who have listed themselves at the highest base price of INR 2 crore (approx US $298,000) for the IPL player auction scheduled in Bangalore on February 20. India seamer Ishant Sharma, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, and the Australian fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Pat Cummins are the rest of the players in this set.
A total of 799 players were part of the initial roster which would be pruned once the franchises submit their choices before the deadline this weekend. There were 160 capped players from eight countries – leaving out Bangladesh and Pakistan – and 639 from India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Of the 24 capped Indian cricketers, everyone barring Ishant has listed their base price at INR 30 lakh.Considering they will have to put a majority of their players back into the auction in 2018, some franchise officials said they would not be too aggressive in buying players this season. However, they did agree that there would be considerable interest in the English players.Although the IPL is yet to decide on the retention rules, franchises expect the right-to-match option to be available. This allows franchises to buy back a specific number of the players they have released for the auction, by matching the highest bid those players attract; if they match the bid they win the player.With the impressive all-round skills he showed during England’s recent tour of India, Stokes tops the list of marquee players that several franchises have said they would like to have.0:47
Quick Facts: IPL 2017 Auction
After Andrew Strauss took over as the ECB director of cricket last year, he has allowed England players the freedom to play in domestic T20 leagues like the IPL to gain wider exposure. Morgan, who has played for three different teams, Jos Butler (Mumbai Indians), Sam Billings (Delhi Daredevils), Chris Jordan (Royal Challengers Bangalore) have all commented on the positive influence of playing the IPL.Many England players who attended media briefings during the six-match limited-overs series in India last month spoke about the attraction of the IPL. Wicketkeeper batsman Jonny Bairstow (INR 1.5 crore), hard-hitting opening batsmen Alex Hales and Jason Roy (INR 1 crore) and fast bowlers Jordan and Tymal Mills (INR 50 lakh) have put their names up for auction.Franchises retained a total of 140 players and released 89 ahead of this IPL auction. Among those released and now trying to make a return are Johnson (Kings XI Punjab, INR 6.5 crore), Mathews (Delhi Daredevils, INR 7.5 crore), Ishant (Rising Pune Supergiants, INR 3.8 crore) and Morgan (Sunrisers Hyderabad, INR 1.5 crore).ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Former South Africa fast bowler Kyle Abbott, who recently moved to Hampshire as a Kolpak player, has listed his base price at INR 1.5 cr. Abott was bought by Kings XI in 2016 for INR 2.1 crore but was released in December. Another player attempting to make a return is New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult, who was hired by Sunrisers in 2015 for INR 3.8 crore. Boult has now listed his base price at INR 1.5 crore.West Indies ODI captain Jason Holder has also kept his price at INR 1.5 crore. He was with Kolkata Knight Riders, who had bought him for INR 75 lakh in 2014, until last season. India left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, who was the second-most expensive player bought at last year’s auction by the Daredevils for INR 8.5 crore comes into the auction with a base price of INR 30 lakh.
Persistent rain ruled out any chance of play on the third day of the second Test at Hagley Oval
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy22-Jan-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteady rain kept the square and the bowlers’ run-ups under covers right through the third day•AFPPersistent rain ruled out any chance of play on the third day of the second Test at Hagley Oval. Having begun at around 6am, the rain never really let up through the morning and afternoon, eventually forcing the umpires to call off play at 4 pm, two hours before the scheduled close.With 17 wickets falling over the first two days, there was still a fair chance of the Test match ending in a decisive result, given better weather on days four and five. At stumps on day two, New Zealand were trailing Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 289 by 29 runs, with three wickets in hand, having lost three quick wickets to Shakib Al Hasan’s left-arm spin.
Lions management stressed that Jack Leach was left out to allow him more time to prove his remodelled action in the nets before testing it in a match situation
George Dobell17-Feb-2017
Jack Leach took 65 wickets in 15 Championship matches in 2016•Getty Images
Jack Leach, the Somerset left-arm spinner, has been left out of the England Lions team for the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Pallekele after struggling with his new bowling action.Leach, the second-highest wicket-taker in Division One of the County Championship in 2016 with 65 at 21.88, was thought by some to be unfortunate not to win selection in the England Test squad that toured Bangladesh and India. But his action was found to be illegal during routine tests at the national performance centre in Loughborough after the season and he was obliged to remodel it before departing on tour.While Leach initially thought the remedial work had gone well, the pressure of playing in a match situation and for a national side appears to have exposed some unfamiliarity with the new action. He conceded 68 in 14 wicketless overs in the second-innings of the warm-up match against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI – the other specialist spinner, Ollie Rayner, took 3 for 55 from 22 overs by comparison – which led to the tour management going into the unofficial Test with Rayner as the only specialist spinner. Tom Westley and Liam Livingstone will provide spin back-up as required.The Lions management have stressed that there is no suggestion Leach has been left out due to any fears of illegality with his new action. It is, they say, to provide him more time to groove it in the nets before testing it under the pressure of a match situation. He has not been ruled out of the second match in Dambulla.While a period of readjustment was probably inevitable for Leach, it may be worth noting his county captain’s views towards the end of the season. Chris Rogers suggested Leach “emotionally… still has a bit of a way to go”, and suggested he may not quite be ready for international cricket where “the challenges… are a lot more difficult.”The ECB is also painfully aware of the case of another left-arm spinner, Simon Kerrigan, who endured a chastening Test debut at The Oval in 2013 and has never fully recovered. England are keen to ensure Leach has a more robust action and, as a consequence, a more robust sense of confidence, before he is thrust into relatively high-pressure situations.
Plans to include Salman Butt in the Test squad to tour the West Indies were afoot, but the PCB has decided to shelve them for now in the wake of the PSL spot-fixing affair
Umar Farooq20-Mar-20170:47
Quick Facts – Salman Butt
Plans for an international recall for former Pakistan captain Salman Butt have been shelved for now, in light of the continuing fallout from the recent corruption allegations emanating from the PSL.Butt has no connection to the PSL corruption issue, but his role in the spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010, for which he was banned, has forced a selection rethink ahead of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had publicly cleared Butt’s potential selection earlier this year, but it appears he will have to wait longer for a comeback.ESPNcricinfo understands Butt was even informed by a selector last month that he was being considered for the national side. But last week he was told that those plans had been set aside for now, as the present circumstances were not ideal for his return.Five players – Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed – were provisionally suspended for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the PSL and face various corruption charges. The PCB was thus keen to avoid criticism by recalling Butt, who has not featured for his country since returning to domestic cricket from a five-year ban for corruption.Butt’s name had cropped up in recent selection meetings – headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq – as a reflection of Pakistan’s continuing struggle with opening batsmen. There was reluctance among some members of the management but the proposition wasn’t rejected outright, and the chairman’s clearance was seen as a green signal.Since his return Butt has impressed on the domestic circuit. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the National One-Day Cup with 536 runs at 107.20 in 2015. He resumed his first-class career in 2016, as captain of the WAPDA side which won the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and scored 749 runs at 49.40 in the season, including twin hundreds in the final. He was also the second highest run-getter in the National T20 Cup last year.Butt was 26 when he was banned, having played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. Since then, he has attended anti-corruption rehabilitation programmes conducted by the PCB, taken part in social work and publicly apologised, though he had pleaded his innocence until 2013. Butt, who was Pakistan captain at the time, was also sentenced to 30 months in jail for his part in the Lord’s scandal. The two other players punished at the time, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, have also returned to cricket after completing their bans. Amir has been successfully re-integrated into the national set-up, and so forms a precedent of sorts for any more returns.Butt’s selection had also been mooted ahead of Pakistan’s tour to England in 2016, when the captain Misbah-ul-Haq admitted he was impressed by Butt’s form.”We have a settled line up between numbers three and seven but the opening slot is not as consistent as the rest of the order,” Misbah had told ESPNcricinfo last year. “There are issues and we are looking at a couple more options including Shan Masood and Salman Butt. Salman is playing well and overall I didn’t see any such difference since he left [in 2010]. He is a good prospect and he has also scored ample runs after his comeback.”With an average of 30.46 from 33 Tests, Butt was never prolific at Test level, but a dearth of other options has made Pakistan look towards him again. Ahmed Shehzad has not played a Test since being dropped from the side in 2015 and Masood has struggled to cement his spot at the top of the order. Mohammad Hafeez’s inconsistency has made him a less attractive option at the top.Sami Aslam had impressed with twin fifties in his first Test against England last year but faded away, with only one score above 22 in his last nine innings. Sharjeel’s suspension has deprived Pakistan of yet another opening batsman, and the only bright spark has been Azhar since being pushed up as a makeshift opener.
Emi Martinez is looking to make more history with the Argentina national team, taking a couple of records from Sergio Romero in the process.
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Helped to secure global glory in 2022
Also a Copa America winner
Wants to become a centurion
WHAT HAPPENED?
The enigmatic Aston Villa goalkeeper is already assured of legend status in his homeland after helping the Albicelste to Copa America and World Cup triumphs. His performances at those events – particularly in penalty shootouts – are set to live long in the memory.
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Martinez only made his senior international debut at 28 years of age, in June 2021, but he is already up to 33 caps and believes he can push towards becoming an Argentine centurion – something that no other keeper has achieved for the South American nation.
WHAT THEY SAID
Martinez sits eighth on Argentina’s goalkeeper appearance list at present – behind the likes of German Burgos, Sergio Goycochea and Ubaldo Fillol – with ex-Manchester United shot-stopper and current Boca Juniors star Romero topping the charts with 96 caps. Martinez has told of chasing ‘Chiquito’ down: "I cannot say that I am the best when I still have a lot to do. I want to reach 100 games and surpass it. Everyone talks about Goyco or Pato, but Chiquito did a great job in the national team. He reached a world final; two Copa America finals. We were unlucky to lose, but he did a great job.”
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Martinez also has Argentina’s clean sheet record in his sights, having secured seven successive shut-outs dating back to the 2022 World Cup final. He now has 24 to his name in total, with Romero once again topping that roll of honour on 47.
Chelsea are on course to reshuffle and reshape their dysfunctional attack.
It has already been confirmed that Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t wish to make Joao Felix’s stay in the English capital permanent, Romelu Lukaku prefers to spend another season in Italy instead of returning to Stamford Bridge, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to depart after a disastrous stint in West London.
However, the possible transfer of Kai Havertz to Arsenal is the most surprising storyline thus far, to leave the Blues extremely light up top.
Nevertheless, Nicolas Jackson has been linked to sparking the Chelsea rebuild and replacing the aforementioned quartet as the focal point next season.
What’s the latest on Nicolas Jackson to Chelsea?
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 2021 Champions League winners have decided to activate the release clause for the Villarreal striker and are set to pay €35m (£30m) in instalments for the 21-year-old.
Three unnamed clubs are also reportedly tracking the player, but Jackson wants to play in the Premier League and the Blues are planning to offer a long-term contract.
The Guardian has stated that the Senegalese has already agreed personal terms with the West London outfit.
Can Nicolas Jackson replace Kai Havertz?
The attacker made 26 La Liga appearances this year and registered 16 goal involvements (12 goals and four assists) which has attracted Chelsea to his glistening talent. He was the top scorer for a Villarreal team that secured a fifth-place finish in Spain.
Considering that this is the 6 foot 1 ace’s first full season at the first-team level in senior football in Europe, this return makes for impressive reading.
Across the continent, the £9k-per-week man ranks magnificently, as he sits within the top 11% for non-penalty goals, assists and progressive carries per 90, and his quality and effervescence could be of insurmountable importance to Pochettino.
The one-cap international has been described as “extraordinary” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig and his profile as a traditional number nine could be far more useful than the more fluid and unpredictable Havertz who scored just nine goals across 47 outings last term.
Kai Havertz Chelsea
The German has been at Chelsea since 2020 and his career has involved flashes of mercurial brilliance with the highlighting being his winning goal in the Champions League final two years ago.
However, the rest of his exploits in England have been largely unforgettable and despite making 139 appearances for the West London outfit, his best and most effective position is still a subject that is hotly debated.
Last season, under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, he was often tasked with acting as the focal point, but his distinct lack of physicality and dynamism, as well as a damaging inability to hold up play, meant he often cut an isolated figure.
The addition of Jackson, therefore, is an intelligent move, and he could the key source of firepower for Pochettino.
Marcus Stoinis’ ability with the ball and his experience with the Australia A side in the subcontinent edged him ahead of other contenders to replace Mitchell Marsh for the Test series in India
Daniel Brettig09-Mar-20172:22
‘No such thing as form, trust what you’re doing’ – Stoinis
Australia allrounder Marcus Stoinis surprised many with his extraordinary innings at Eden Park last month. He will be hoping to surprise many more by contributing to Australia’s Test tour of India over the next three weeks after being called up to replace Mitchell Marsh despite an underwhelming Sheffield Shield season.Entering into this week’s match for Victoria against Western Australia in Alice Springs, Stoinis had cobbled a mere 126 runs at 12.60 in six games. A first innings of 46 on Wednesday was his highest score of the season so far, but it remains a meagre base from which to launch an Indian campaign.However the current Australian selection panel is nothing if not clear in its convictions, and as the interim chairman Trevor Hohns stated, Stoinis’ greater heft as a bowler vaulted him ahead of the New South Welshman Moises Henriques, who has enjoyed a prolific summer with the bat. The Auckland performance helped too.”When we looked at the various options we had to replace Mitch, there were two or three people who came to mind, and certainly Marcus was one, Moises was another, another young man by the name of Jack Wildermuth was considered as well, he’s had a terrific season too,” Hohns said.Marcus Stoinis has struggled in this season’s Sheffield Shield•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
“Marcus got over the line because a couple of years ago here with Australia A he performed very well, secondly we consider to give us as many options as we possibly could have in this series, we considered the stronger bowler to be the best option at this stage. That’s what got him across the line.”[Auckland] was very impressive, there’s no doubt about that. What he showed there was his ability to perform under extreme pressure as well so that obviously was taken into account, albeit it was a different form of the game.”As a seam bowler, Stoinis has developed greater accuracy and subtle variation over the past 18 months since his international debut in a T20 in England. He is not as fast as Marsh at his fittest, but will present a strong seam and extract bounce or movement if any is available.Stoinis’ visit to India earlier in 2015, when he played in both first-class matches for one substantial score, now takes on greater significance. Pondering his chances of succeeding on the tour, Stoinis said it was vital that he knew his game and its limitations in difficult conditions – more so than worrying about the unsteady Shield ground on which he stands.”There’s no such thing as form really,” he said. “I went in and made a hundred for Australia recently and hadn’t made many runs before that. You just have to get involved and trust you know what you are doing.”Like most others in Australia, Stoinis has watched the events of the first two Tests closely. He said the touring team appeared to be doing a lot of things right, whether in preparation and strategy, or tactics and match play. What had gone right in Pune, Stoinis felt, had gone awry in Bengaluru – mastery of the key moments.”I think emotions are running high and the series is on the line … it’s a big time for Australian cricket,” he said. “Like every game of cricket there are critical moments and you just have to back yourself that you know what you are doing when you are out there.”
Anthony Martial was spotted making a flying visit to Manchester United’s training centre on Thursday morning that lasted just five minutes.
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French forward got his times wrongBattling for starting berthRed Devils set to face Brighton on SaturdayWHAT HAPPENED?
Having arrived at Carrington at 8:56am, the France international forward was seen departing again just after 9am. Erik ten Hag’s squad had been due in at that time during their previous session on Tuesday, but the schedule has been tinkered with since then.
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As a result, the reports that Martial only spent five minutes on site as he was informed that training would not take place until 12:30pm. The rest of the Red Devils began arriving for that session at 11:30am.
DID YOU KNOW?
It remains to be seen whether Martial will have a leading role to play for United in their Premier League meeting with Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday. He has started the club’s last two games, but questions continue to be asked of his value to the collective cause.
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Martial was not moved on during the summer transfer window, but United did spend £72 million ($90m) on Denmark international striker Rasmus Hojlund and it is he – fresh from making his debut off the bench away at Arsenal last time out – that is expected to lead the line for the Red Devils heading forward.
Glasgow Rangers are seemingly edging closer to completing a move for midfielder Jose Cifuentes as Michael Beale’s summer recruitment spree shows no sign of slowing down.
What’s the latest on Jose Cifuentes to Rangers?
The LAFC player looked set to be arriving at Ibrox a few weeks ago, with Fabrizio Romano telling GIVEMESPORT that “the conversation is ongoing with his agents” and that a move looked imminent, with just a fee to arrange between the clubs due to his contract not expiring until December and Beale wanting to sign him this summer.
However, a clearer timeline has emerged, with Ecuadorian source Mr Offsider claiming (via Rangers News) that the Gers will be able to secure Cifuentes’ signature following Ecuador’s final international fixture during this break on 21st June. Beale will therefore be hopeful that a deal will be reached before the month is out.
Could Jose Cifuentes improve Rangers?
Considering his performances for LAFC recently, the 24-year-old would certainly give the Ibrox midfield a boost, especially in an attacking sense.
During the 2022 MLS season, he notched seven goals and grabbed a further six assists from the heart of the midfield while also creating 11 big chances, making 1.3 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.5 of his attempted dribbles each game, showcasing his attacking capabilities. This is something Rangers could certainly do with, especially with a lack of goals coming from their central midfield options last term.
John Lundstram, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Nicolas Raskin scored eight goals between them during the entirety of the 2022/23 season, underlining just how much Beale requires a player who could push forward often and generate plenty of chances.
He could also form a solid midfield partnership with Raskin, as the Belgian can utilise his defensive capabilities in order to give Cifuentes plenty of freedom, knowing that he is doing the dirty work behind him.
Since arriving in January, Raskin was so impressive in the middle of the park that he ranked third in the squad for tackles per game (1.8) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.9), and his tenacious nature would be the perfect foil for the Ecuadorian.
Raskin’s key strengths are dribbling and tackling according to WhoScored, while Cifuentes could benefit from his passing ability as the duo would be able to link together well while dictating play for the Ibrox side during matches.
Ecuador midfielderJose Cifuentes.
WhoScored also regards dribbling as a strength, and this could give Beale an extra attacking option from deep, while knowing that the space vacated by his movement will be covered by the Belgian could lead to an exciting partnership.
Lauded as being “very dynamic” by LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos, the 5 foot 8 midfielder has shone in America, and the next step is surely to feature in the Champions League, with Rangers being the perfect team in order to continue his journey with.