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A preview of the fifth-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League 2008-09

Cricinfo staff28-Nov-2008

Will the Rajasthan bowlers suffer at the hands of Cheteshwar Pujara © Cricinfo Ltd
:Group AGujarat v Punjab in Ahmedabad
Gujarat, equal on 12 points with Saurashtra but third in the table, would be wary of slipping up against Punjab, who have seven points from four games. With the Mumbai-Hyderabad match postponed due to the terrorist strikes in Mumbai, Gujarat could move up a place or two with a win or a first-innings lead. They began their season with a big win followed by a loss, but have since collected six points by virtue of the first-innings lead in draws against Hyderabad and Delhi. Punjab have had a disappointing run so far. Five of their seven points came from a win against bottom-placed Rajasthan, and they lost and conceded the first-innings lead in the other two.Saurashtra v Rajasthan in Rajkot
There have been been centuries galore so far at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, where Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara has piled up 675 runs in five innings. Saurashtra would be frustrated after failing to beat leaders Mumbai, who hung on for a draw on the final day, in their last game. Currently in second place, Saurashtra are expected to force a win against Rajasthan. Under a new captain, Venugopal Rao, Rajasthan have been unable to match up to the other teams. However, if the pitch favours the batsmen, Rajasthan could fancy their chances of boosting their point tally – they have two – by winning the toss and scoring a big total; if that happens, they will also increase their chances of moving out of the relegation zone.Group BAndhra v Tamil Nadu in Vijayawada
Tamil Nadu are the in-form team in the group, with one big win and two first-innings leads in three games so far. The bowlers and batsmen performed in unison in their previous game and the result was an innings-and-238-run win against Uttar Pradesh, last year’s finalists. Coach WV Raman would be hoping his team continues to remain focused after a short break – they did not play the last round of matches. They take on neighbours Andhra, who come into the game on the back of two losses. They are last in the group, with two points from four games, and another poor batting display could jolt their chances of staving off relegation.Baroda v Maharashtra in Vadodara
Both Baroda and Maharashtra are two points above Andhra but have a game in hand. A win for either will put them back in the reckoning for a quarter-final place. Baroda battled to avoid defeat in their previous game in Bangalore, but a rejuvenated Karnataka ensured the visitors did not go home with any points, completing a ten-wicket win on the final day. Baroda’s four points so far have come against teams placed currently above them. Their opponents, Maharashtra, conceded first-innings points against Tamil Nadu, lost to Uttar Pradesh, and gained two against Andhra. Both teams would look to score more points in the second half of their league matches.

Southampton are reportedly asking for £50m for Aston Villa target James Ward-Prowse this summer.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Villa were first linked with a move for the Saints captain at the beginning of June.

They have since made five first-team additions and have even had a £25m offer turned down for Ward-Prowse during that time.

The Saints were insisting that the 26-year-old was not for sale this summer, however, that may well have changed.

According to The Athletic, relayed by Birmingham Live, Southampton are demanding £50m for the central midfielder – half of the figure what took Jack Grealish to Manchester City.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared the update on Twitter on Wednesday, which led to plenty of interaction.

Here’s what some Villa fans had to say in reply, with a few believing he may have asked for the door following the latest information.

“Went from “he’s not for sale at any price” to “50m and he’s yours” Seems to me like Mr JWP has asked for the door…..”Credit: @AVFCJoshuaa”Get it done”Credit: @AVFCTheReligion”Bargain. Snap him up! Pacey players running at defenders. A newly appointed set-piece coach and a set-piece specialist. We’ll win the league!!!!”Credit: @JuanPablosband”Thought he wasn’t for sale? Now he has a price…”Credit: @JayVtid”GET. HIM.”Credit: @dpfinna”Go get him @AVFCOfficial definitely worth it!!”Credit: @chrisavfc82

In other news: ‘The master’ – Ashley Preece drops teasing under-the-radar Villa transfer post on Johan Lange. 

Paul Russell, Glamorgan’s chairman, has hinted that Cardiff could be given the right to host Tests until 2016

Cricinfo staff08-Dec-2008Paul Russell, Glamorgan’s chairman, has hinted that Cardiff could be given the right to host Tests until 2016.”We have already secured games for 2010 and 2011 … two one-day internationals against Australia and India and a five-day Test against Sri Lanka,” Russell said. “We heard a whisper last week that our staging agreement as a Test match venue has been extended until 2016.”Sophia Gardens hosts its first Test in July, the opening match of the Ashes series, despite it only having a capacity of 15,600.Almost £10 million has been spent on a massive redevelopment of the venue, but it was widely criticised after staging a rain-ruined ODI against South Africa in September. In the weeks that followed the county’s chief executive and head groundsman both left.Whether the ground hosts more major matches could depend on how it acquits itself next summer.

An update has emerged about Sunderland target Daniel Jebbison, regarding interest from the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Everton are one of three Premier League clubs eyeing up a permanent deal for Sunderland transfer target Daniel Jebbison, who Sheffield United value at over £5m.

The Black Cats are reportedly keen on signing the teenager striker on loan to bolster their squad before the transfer window closes next week but it appears that there is serious interest in the forward from top-flight teams.

Fans will be gutted

This is a worrying update for any Sunderland fans hoping to see Jebbison arrive at the Stadium of Light in the next six days. Sunderland will not be able to compete financially with any Premier League clubs in terms of securing a permanent deal for the centre-forward, hence their loan interest, which means that they could now be out of the race entirely if this report is accurate.

Sunderland, if they are in the market for a new striker, will need to move on to other targets and assess their options as a Premier League move may be more appealing to Jebbison. Instead of going out on loan to the third tier, he could sign for Everton and get minutes in the Premier League whilst training alongside the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and James Rodriguez.

Ex-Manchester City full-back Micah Richards called him the shining light of Sheffield United’s Premier League last term. He told Sky Sports (via Yorkshire Live): “I really like the look of him. He just gets in the right areas, and they needed that with all the negativity that’s gone on at the club.

“You want to bounce back straight away, and you want to go to the end of the season with positivity. They’re playing for pride, and he’s the shining light.”

This suggests that he does have the potential to play in the top-flight, which is why some Sunderland fans may want him to join the club in League One. He has already scored a goal in the Premier League and could, therefore, thrive in the third tier as it is two divisions lower and offers less of a challenge in terms of the quality of opposition.

Therefore, Black Cats fans will be gutted that they are now unlikely to get the chance to see what Jebbison could do in League One as the Premier League interest could end any hope the club had of signing him.

AND in other news, “Desperate”: Alan Nixon drops Sunderland transfer update which will leave fans excited…

Jamie How has been dropped from the New Zealand squad for the last two ODIs of the five-match series against West Indies

Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2009
Jamie How’s form has been ordinary in his last three ODI series © Getty Images
New Zealand batsman Jamie How has been dropped from the squad for the last two ODIs of the five-match series against West Indies following his extended run of poor form. Martin Guptill, the 22-year-old right-hand batsman who plays for Auckland, has been called up as a replacement.Allrounder Jacob Oram, who limped off the field with an Achilles tendon injury after bowling two overs in the third one-dayer in Wellington, was also excluded from the squad.How disappointed in his last three ODI series, scoring 105 runs at an average of 21.00 in the five-match series in England last year, and 80 at 21.33 in Bangladesh. In the current series against West Indies, he has managed only 27 runs in two matches. Glenn Turner, the head of New Zealand’s selection panel, said How will have the opportunity to return to domestic cricket, “and hopefully find the form we know he’s capable of.”Guptill, on the other hand, has scored 965 runs at an average of 38.60 in 28 List A games. He is currently fourth on the batting charts in the State Shield, New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition, with 207 runs at a strike-rate of 103. He also finished the highest scorer in the 2007-08 State Shield.Turner said Guptill was included due to his consistent form. “Martin really impressed on the tours to Australia and India last year with the Emerging Players and New Zealand A,” he said. “He’s continued that form this summer – since coming back from injury at the start of the season he’s had a couple of great knocks including 124 off 97 balls for Auckland against Northern Districts, and 58 from 66 balls against Otago on Monday.”The one-day series between New Zealand and the West Indies is level at 1-1. The two remaining matches will be played in Auckland on Saturday and in Napier on Tuesday.Squad: Daniel Vettori (capt), Neil Broom, Grant Elliott, Daniel Flynn, Mark Gillespie, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (wk), Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee and Ross Taylor.

West Brom could turn Jayson Molumby’s temporary summer move into a permanent one, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: West Brom sign Molumby on loan

The Baggies have made a commanding start to their Championship season, looking every bit promotion hopefuls and playing good football under new manager Valerien Ismael.

On Friday, they completed the loan signing of Molumby, with the 22-year-old joining from Brighton, having made five appearances for the Seagulls to date.

The Latest: Deal could become permanent

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic‘s Madeley claimed it is ‘very likely’ that the move will become permanent eventually, with Brighton seemingly not seeing a future for Molumby at the club.

The midfielder’s current Brighton deal expires next summer, meaning West Brom could snap him up on a free transfer in 2022.

The Verdict: Shrewd addition by Baggies

Molumby may not be good enough to be starting regularly for a Premier League club, but he could be a strong addition to the Baggies’ squad, having made 51 appearances in the Championship.

He could add depth in midfield areas and allow Ismael to rotate his squad more, and if he does impress, getting him for free next year could prove to be a bargain as an upgrade to the depth at the club, whether he can improve to be a Premier League regular or not.

In other news, one West Brom player has been tipped to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, believes his side will need to avoid mistakes if they are to challenge a ‘confident and consistent’ India

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Colombo02-Feb-2009
Mahela Jayawardene: “I don’t have to tell the boys. They understand the situation that we are in” © AFP
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, believes his team will need to cut out the mistakes they made in the first two games if they are to challenge a ‘confident and consistent’ Indian side in the remaining three matches of the ODI series. Down 2-0, Sri Lanka are one loss away from conceding the series, and Jayawardene said the team realises the importance of Tuesday’s game at the Premadasa Stadium.”We know exactly if we lose this we lose the series. This game is very crucial for us. We can’t think too far ahead of ourselves but try and concentrate on the game at hand,” he said. “I don’t have to tell the boys. They understand the situation that we are in. I am happy with the way the guys are playing. There is nothing for me to tell to pull their socks up. They understand the mistakes we made in different areas of our game.”Sri Lanka lost the toss in both defeats, but Jayawardene felt it had not been that big a factor. “You can’t complain about it,” he said. “Like what we showed the other day it’s not going to make much of a difference if you really work yourself into it [Sri Lanka lost by 15 runs chasing 257 under lights at the Premadasa]. The first ten overs with the new ball, whether it’s under lights or not, is going to do a bit. That’s something both teams have to cope with. After that you can bat normally I guess.”In contrast to what the scoreline suggests, Jayawardene said the teams were evenly matched, but admitted his side had been unable to “finish the job”. “India’s confidence level is pretty high because of what they have been doing in the last six months. They have been very consistent. India are in a stage where the players realise what their roles are in the team and they’re trying to consistently do that. That’s something we lack. We have the talent in doing it but we are not finishing the job for the team. If we can do that and create more pressure on them we can probably ask a few questions.”The lack of wickets for Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis – they have combined figures of 40-1-175-3 – was not a worry for Jayawardene. “The Indian batsmen are not taking chances against our spinners,” he said. “I think that can work for us because they are not going for too many runs. At the same time if they can pick up one or two wickets I will be very happy.”They have been consistent although they are not picking up wickets and they are bowling well. The other bowlers who have been match-winners for us are going for a few runs. If they can tighten up a bit more because they know India are taking chances against them they can create opportunities to pick up wickets.”

Muttiah Muralitharan has questioned whether the terrorists who perpetrated Tuesday’s attack on the Sri Lankans had received inside information as to the team’s movements

Cricinfo staff04-Mar-2009
Muttiah Muralitharan: “They were shooting both sides of the bus and they counted 39 holes.” © AFP
Muttiah Muralitharan has questioned whether the terrorists who perpetrated Tuesday’s attack on the Sri Lankans had received inside information as to the team’s movements. In a chilling account of the Lahore shootout, Murali said the precise timing of the attack suggested the terrorists could have been tipped off about timing and security arrangements.”Somehow in this incident there were no police with guns on the bus,” Murali told Australian radio. “If someone was there with a gun we would have had a chance of defending ourselves. Normally all the buses go and we have four or five escorts. We left at 8.30am and Younis Khan (and the Pakistanis) at 8.35am. We divided into two, maybe they knew the information for the right time. They tried to shoot the driver. Then they were shooting both sides of the bus and they counted 39 holes.”Murali’s comments, if proven, would prove a crushing blow to Pakistan’s hopes of hosting cricket in the near future. Law enforcement agencies in the country have long been accused of aiding Taliban militants, and any suggestion that the attack on the Sri Lankans was executed with the assistance of local security forces will heighten concerns that Pakistan is unfit to accommodate touring teams.Murali emerged physically unscathed from the attacks, but said he feared for the life of team-mates as the team bus was sprayed with bullets. “There were gun shots going on and the bullets were passing us,” he said. “I saw [Tharanga] Paranavitana was bleeding in the chest. I thought he was gone, actually. Thilan Samaraweera was bleeding, Kumar Sangakkara was bleeding from the shoulder. There was blood everywhere. It was frightening.”Murali would not confirm whether he would play for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. “I don’t know, we have to speak to them, see how the security is, make sure everything is right … not only IPL, England, anywhere. I never in my dreams thought we would be attacked.”

Paddy Kenny has claimed that Newcastle United will be ‘devastated’ that they missed out on signing Hamza Choudhury in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Choudhury talks

As per Football Insider, talks between Leicester City and the Magpies had been terminated, and a source from the northeast claimed that a deal was close.

It is understood that the Tyneside club were not able to offload a player in order to make room for the 23-year-old’s arrival in the squad.

The Latest: Kenny on Choudhury

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Kenny has claimed that Steve Bruce’s side will be feeling ‘devastated’ that they could not get a deal for Choudhury over the line before the window shut. He said:

“They’ll be devastated to lose out on deadline day like that.

“He’s a good player but why leave it so late? There’s just no need. Why leave things to the last minute like that when you’ve had all summer?

“They haven’t been able to get rid of a player out of the squad and that’s meant they can’t register him.

“It just makes things more difficult for them now because they haven’t been able to strengthen and get that player they wanted.”

The Verdict: It’s a shame

It is a real shame that the Magpies ended up losing out on Choudhury, given their lack of transfer activity throughout the window.

They only managed to bring in one player permanently in Joe Willock from Arsenal, and he had already spent the second half of last season on loan at St James’ Park.

Choudhury has plenty of experience at Premier League level and would have offered Bruce another combative option in the middle of the park, having won 1.2 tackles per game over the course of his career.

Nonetheless, it is a deal that Newcastle may look to explore once more in January, seeing as they left it too late this time around, as Kenny has suggested.

In other news, find out which five players NUFC could sign outside the transfer window

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming over a revelation on how VAR has affected each Premier League team.

As per Amazon Prime Video Sport, the Midlands club ranks the lowest in terms of decisions made by VAR that have gone in favour of ever-present teams in the Premier League since the start of the 2019/20 season.

They have only had a mere six decisions overturned in their favour, compared with both Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion at the top of the list, who have had 19 each.

The Molineux faithful have certainly been one of the unluckier sides in the top flight when it comes to being subjected to VAR controversy, and there have been a fair few examples of this over the past two campaigns.

Nonetheless, it is no surprise at all to see so many WWFC supporters raging at the news.

Wolves fans on VAR revelation

These Wanderers were left fuming as the revelation on VAR was shared by Talking Wolves on their Twitter page, with one supporter facetiously calling the news a ‘shock’:

“There is the bias for all to see”

Credit: @Ianph61

“Scrap VAR and use the money to improve the quality of refereeing”

Credit: @Twocanvandan

“There’s a shock!!!!”

Credit: @tuckers2912

“Corrupt”

Credit: @shadrach1988

“I knew it. Wim cursed ay we!”

Credit: @stevecomic

“Like I’ve been SCREAMING for the past two seasons VAR hates us”

Credit: @__Grav

In other news, find out what Adama Traore update has Wanderers gushing here!