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Shane Warne, the Rajasthan captain, singled out the dropped catch of Sachin Tendulkar as the turning point in his team’s 37-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, their first at the venue in nine games

Cricinfo staff12-Apr-2010Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals captain, singled out the dropped catch of Sachin Tendulkar as the turning point in his team’s 37-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, their first at the venue in nine games. Tendulkar was on 45 when he top-edged a pull off Siddharth Trivedi and was put down by Aditya Dole at fine leg. He went on to score an unbeaten 89, including 20 off the final over, to boost Mumbai to a challenging score that they managed to defend, to ensure their qualification for the semi-final.”Dropping Sachin’s catch hurt us because he went on to score the runs. We also responded poorly in the bowling and fielding department after the missed chance,” Warne said after the match.Rajasthan began their chase poorly, losing four wickets inside the first seven overs, two of them to run-outs. “The first six overs were a bit of a mess and panic,” Warne said. “We conceded 60 runs in the last four overs. I know these things happen but we had a bad start to our run chase. A few run outs also hurt us. But we batted deep with Aditya Dole and (Abhishek) Raut adding few crucial runs in the end.”Some late hitting helped reduce Rajasthan’s margin of defeat, but they are currently at fourth place with a net run-rate of -0.288, and two games left to play. They are tied on 12 points with two other teams, but, along with Kings XI Punjab, have played one game more than the rest. “It was not at all a good time to lose a match,” Warne said.Tendulkar was involved in two important partnerships, with JP Duminy and Kieron Pollard. Rajasthan had begun well with three wickets in the Powerplay, but Tendulkar and Duminy rebuilt the innings while Pollard accelerated in the death overs. “We needed a solid performance, and I thought 170-plus was a competitive total on this track,” Tendulkar said. “The target was to stay there till the end, because we had lost lot of wickets early on. So that added some responsibility on me and JP.”I knew it was a matter of a couple of big overs, and they had to come at some stage.”Tendulkar also singled out Zaheer Khan for praise, as he bowled an excellent first spell, nipping the ball away and earning the wicket of Naman Ojha. “Full marks to the way our fast bowlers bowled up front. Zaheer, especially; his first spell was terrific,” he said. “The fielding was very sharp and overall good. There were some very important run-outs and catches; when all these things gel together, it’s obviously a special performance.”

Everton are prioritising the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window next month, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Centre-back issues

The Blues are in a hugely disappointing run of form and it hasn’t been helped by a number of injuries in the centre of defence.

Yerry Mina is the most high-profile current absentee in that area of the pitch, but while Michael Keane has made 17 Premier League starts this season, Mason Holgate (five) is next up in terms of starts, with Ben Godfrey (14) often playing at full-back.

It highlights the need for a new centre-back to come in next month, and it appears as though that could happen.

The Latest: Journalist makes transfer claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke claimed that Rafael Benitez is eyeing up a central defender in January to help revive Everton’s fortunes.

He outlined: “I know Everton and Newcastle are both in the market for centre-halves in January. That’s the key position that they want to fill in the January transfer window.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

While the thought of relegation for Everton still seems unfathomable, they must make sure their current situation doesn’t get a whole lot worse.

They look weak at centre-back, conceding 29 goals in 17 league games in 2021/22, so the need for reinforcements is plain to see.

Bringing in an experienced head who can fill in alongside Keane, or in a back three, could help to plug the leak at the back and steer Everton away from the drop zone.

In other news, some Everton fans fuming after a revelation emerged. Read more here.

Chamari Polgampola, the right-arm fast bowler, will replace Shashikala Siriwardene in the Sri Lankan women’s squad for the ICC World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff02-May-2010Chamari Polgampola, the right-arm fast bowler, will replace Shashikala Siriwardene in the Sri Lankan women’s squad for the ICC World Twenty20, the ICC has confirmed. Siriwardene, the off spinner, had to pull out of the tournament due to an illness and the ICC’s event technical committee approved of her replacement on Sunday.Polgampola last played for Sri Lanka during the World Twenty20 in England in 2009. Siriwardene did not bat during Sri Lanka’s warm-up game against South Africa at St Kitts on Sunday. Sri Lanka kick-off their campaign against Pakistan at Warner Park on Thursday.

Newcastle United could look to bring Georginio Wijnaldum back to St James’ Park in the latter part of the January transfer window, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards. 

The lowdown

The Magpies brought the Dutch midfielder to England from PSV Eindhoven in a £14.5m deal back in 2015. He made 40 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals, before moving on to Liverpool following the Tynesiders’ relegation to the Championship.

After five years at Anfield, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer, but he has found it difficult to nail down a place in the team under Mauricio Pochettino. He has started just nine out of a possible 19 Ligue 1 matches and was selected for three of the six Champions League group games.

The latest

Edwards reported in The Telegraph that a move for Wijnaldum isn’t a primary objective for Newcastle, but it could be a deal that they explore ‘later in the window’ if they miss out on their top midfield targets.

In a tweet, he added that this information was ‘based on conversations on the phone with people who know what’s going on’.

The verdict

Intriguingly, Wijnaldum admitted earlier in the season that he wasn’t ‘completely happy’ with his situation in Paris, and Sky Sports reported at the start of last month that he was open to leaving the Parc des Princes on loan. They did add that PSG ‘appear unlikely to let him leave’, but there’s time for that stance to change.

Wijnaldum earns £180,000 per week in the French capital, but Newcastle should be able to live with any wage arrangement.

In addition to Kieran Trippier, the ‘sensational’ Wijnaldum, as hailed by his former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, would inject Champions League quality into the Newcastle ranks, having played in the tournament for the last five seasons and won it in 2019.

In other news, this veteran forward is also an option for the Magpies

A day ahead of India’s departure to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, MS Dhoni has said the tournament presents a chance to start zeroing in on the combination for the 2011 World Cup

Siddarth Ravindran in Chennai12-Jun-2010A day ahead of India’s departure to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, MS Dhoni has said the tournament presents a chance to start zeroing in on the combination for the 2011 World Cup. Dhoni and several other senior members of the Indian team have had a month away from the treadmill of top-flight cricket, and will join several youngsters such as offspinner R Ashwin and quick bowler Ashok Dinda for the competition in Dambulla.”This is the time, with 8-10 months to go for the World Cup, when you can make a few changes,” Dhoni said in Chennai. “Once we get closer we want to play with a fixed side and give them more exposure, get them more used to the conditions.”Over the past few years, most venues in the subcontinent have laid out batsmen-friendly tracks for one-dayers but Dambulla, which hosts all matches of the Asia Cup, remains one of the exceptions. “It is an important tournament. We’ll (seniors) be playing one-day cricket after quite a long time,” Dhoni said. “Conditions will be a bit different, Dambulla is not one of the high-scoring venues, it will be important to keep that in the back of the head.”One of the talking points about the Indian squad has been the axing of Yuvraj Singh, who has struggled for form and fitness in the past several months. Dhoni said he was a ‘fan’ of Yuvraj and expected him to make a quick return to the team.”Last couple of years, he has been the main strength of our middle order, definitely we will miss him,” Dhoni said. “The kind of talent he has it shouldn’t be difficult for him to come back.”The squad is also missing a quartet of young fast bowlers – Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel – whose form has declined after heartening starts to their international careers. Dhoni felt that with more experience they would return to their best. “It is a difficult job, when it comes to fast bowling in the subcontinent,” Dhoni said. “The wickets are placid in ODIs, the more exposure they get, the better they will get.”The Asia Cup will be Dhoni’s first assignment since the disastrous World Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean last month. There had been reports of coach Gary Kirsten giving the team a dressing down after three defeats in the Super Eights led to an early exit, but Dhoni played down the issue.”Gary had individual sessions, it was not to bring anybody down or point anybody down,” Dhoni said. “It is the normal procedure we have most likely after every series, it was nothing more than that.”

An update has emerged on Rangers’ pursuit of a centre-back signing to add to Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Gers are set to intensify their interest in Hearts beast John Souttar and are poised to enter talks over a deal to sign him this month.

The report claims that the defender is considering offers from English Championship sides Sheffield United and Blackburn, but he wants to seal a move to Ibrox in January if he opts against a transfer south of the border.

Gio will love it

Van Bronckhorst will surely love this news as it shows that the club are serious about working to bring Souttar to the club this month. Rangers are prepared to firm up their interest and enter negotiations, in which they could attempt to persuade him to reject a transfer to England in favour of remaining in Scotland.

The Dutch head coach will be delighted with this as the defender has been in magnificent form for Hearts in the Premiership and could be a terrific signing for the Gers. He has averaged a brilliant SofaScore rating of 7.43 this season, showing that he is consistently delivering top-quality displays at this level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once heaped praise on the defender, saying: “I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

This suggests that his passing out from the back could suit the way Rangers want to play as they dominate possession, whilst his aforementioned statistics prove that he can defend his own goal. James Tavernier (7.87) is the only Gers player with a higher average rating than Souttar, suggesting that he could come in and be a key player for the club.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will love Ross Wilson’s efforts to sign him in the coming weeks and, hopefully, they can get a deal over the line for him.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Morelos: GvB could form scary Rangers duo with 20 y/o “bag of tricks”…

Holders Sussex continued their impressive defence of the FriendsProvident t20 with a comfortable 28-run win over Middlesex in front ofmore than 15,000 at Lord’s

03-Jun-2010
Scorecard
Dwayne Smith starred with bat and ball for Sussex•Getty ImagesHolders Sussex continued their impressive defence of the FriendsProvident t20 with a comfortable 28-run win over Middlesex in front ofmore than 15,000 at Lord’s.Most of the spectators had come to see the former Australia wicketkeeper AdamGilchrist make his debut for Middlesex but Gilchrist made just two runs fromthree balls as his side never threatened to overhaul Sussex’s 146 for 6.Once again Sussex bowled and fielded impressively with skipper Mike Yardy againshowing the form with the ball which made him an integral part of England’s ICCWorld Twenty20 success.Yardy took a wicket with his first delivery when Scott Newman drilled to shortmidwicket and he struck again in his third over when Neil Dexter holed out todeep midwicket after top-scoring with 27.Yardy finished with 2 for 17 from his four overs of left-arm spin whileEngland team-mate Luke Wright, who conceded just 16 runs in his spell, was justas impressive.As the required rate mounted, Middlesex lost wickets regularly. Owais Shah, whohad briefly looked capable of chasing down the target when he struck DwayneSmith into the Mound Stand for six, was caught on the deep midwicket boundarywhen Smith returned to the attack.Off-spinner Chris Nash, who had opened the bowling, picked up a wicket in hissecond over when Gareth Berg missed a reverse-sweep, while Paul Stirling washeld at long leg off a top-edged pull at James Kirtley. Dawid Malan was unbeatenon 22 but his efforts were in vain as Middlesex closed on 118 for 6.It was an impressive comeback by Sussex who had started badly after winning thetoss, soon stumbling to 32 for 4 as Pedro Collins picked up two wickets andEd Joyce was run out against his former county.But Man of the Match Yardy rebuilt the innings with Smith in a stand of 74 from51 balls. Smith contributed 49 from 38 balls with three fours and two sixes buteven he was inhibited by the two-paced nature of the same pitch used for thefirst Test last week.Yardy’s 37 from 28 balls kept the scoreboard ticking and at the end he added 34in 23 balls with Yasir Arafat to take Sussex to a total they always looked likeddefending.

Having secured a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho with rumours of potential deals for Everton left-back Lucas Digne, and West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph, Aston Villa have not been shy in their attempts to strengthen their squad this month.

With this in mind, it seems as though a familiar face associated with the Midlands club has urged them to launch another transfer move and bring in a player who, similarly to Coutinho, Steven Gerrard will know a lot about.

Speaking on talkSPORT over the weekend (via Birmingham Live) former Villa attacker Gabby Agbonlahor claimed that the presence of Gerrard at the club will be an attractive factor for any player that may be linked with a move to Villa Park.

Agbonlahor then suggested that the Midlands club use Gerrard to make a move to sign his former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez.

He said: “This is no Mickey Mouse ex-footballer, this is Steven Gerrard, one of England and Liverpool’s greatest ever players.

“He is going to have the most amazing relationship with the likes of Coutinho. Go and get Suarez next! Us Villa fans we aren’t stopping.”

During his time at Liverpool, Suarez managed to rack up a total of 82 goals and 47 assists in 133 appearances across all competitions before joining Barcelona in the summer of 2014.

With 69 of those goals coming in the 110 Premier League appearances he’s made, the 34-year-old would certainly provide Villa with a lot of experience of playing in England’s top division as well as a winning mentality of having picked up a plethora of individual awards and team trophies throughout his career.

Having been labelled as a “relentless” player by Gerrard in the past, a swoop for Suarez this month could be a direct replica of their move for Coutinho as an experienced, former Liverpool player that the Villa boss will know what to do to get the best out of him having made 95 appearances together.

In addition to this, with Villa having 13 attempts at goal but not managing to score in their recent 1-0 defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup, perhaps adding a player such as Suarez, who knows how to find the back of the net with 433 club goals to his name, could be just what Villa need to be more clinical going forward.

However, with the Uruguay international having played in all but one of Atletico’s games across all competitions so far this season, they could be reluctant to let Suarez leave this month halfway through their season, potentially disrupting their chances of finishing in the top four as a result.

In other news: “We’re told” – Journo drops AVFC transfer claim live on Sky Sports, it’s smart work – opinion

Zimbabwe Cricket has announced the construction of a major new cricket ground close to the iconic Victoria Falls, widely considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world

Martin Williamson01-Jul-2010Zimbabwe Cricket has announced the construction of a major new cricket ground close to the iconic Victoria Falls, widely considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world.The venue, which will have a capacity of up to 12,000, will be of Test standard, the first such major site outside Harare and Bulawayo, and will utilise the latest ecologically-friendly features. Approval has been obtained from the local authorities and ZC is now working with architects on the final design. The board hopes tenders will go out by the end of August.”Victoria Falls is a wonderful location,” ZC chief executive Ozias Bvute told Cricinfo.”Its climatic conditions create the ideal environment for year-round cricket and its status as an international heritage site and one of the amazing wonders of the world will aid to the excitement of teams visiting it.”Victoria Falls has always been a fascinating destination for visiting teams and they will undoubtedly revel at the prospect of playing between the mighty falls and surrounding wildlife”.”The ongoing 2010 World Cup means that the eyes of the world are focused on Africa as a sports tourism destination more than ever before and as one of the most loved sports in the world, it is only right that we play our part in making Zimbabwe a sporting destination of choice.”

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Aleksandr Golovin to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sport Witness, who claim that a source close to the AS Monaco attacking midfielder has revealed that both West Ham and Everton are interested in a move for the 25-year-old this month.

The report goes on to state that David Moyes’ side have made contact with the Ligue 1 side regarding a deal for the Russia international, however, it is also claimed that Monaco are unlikely to want to part with Golovin in the current transfer window – with Russian media outlet Championat suggesting the French side would demand a fee of around €50m (£41m) in order to sanction his sale.

Moyes’ next Lingard

Considering just how impressive Golovin has been for Monaco since his £27m move from CSKA Moscow back in 2018, it is easy to see why West Ham would be interested in a move for the attacking midfielder this month.

Indeed, over his 114 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, the £22.5m-rated man has scored 16 goals and registered 22 assists, with arguably his best season for the Monegasques coming over his 21 league outings last season.

In this campaign, the £78k-per-week forward scored five goals, provided nine assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes and taking 1.3 shots per game.

These returns saw the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed a “playmaker” earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Monaco’s best performer in the league, but also as the sixth-best player in the division as a whole.

Indeed, Golovin’s form in this campaign was not dissimilar from that of Jesse Lingard last season, who, over his 16 Premier League appearances while on loan at West Ham, scored nine goals, registered four assists and created three big chances for his teammates, seeing the 29-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19.

Furthermore, both the AS Monaco attacking midfielder and the Manchester United man possess impressive positional versatility, with each player more than capable of operating from either flank or in the number 10 role.

As such, should Moyes be able to get a deal over the line for Golovin this winter, the 58-year-old Hammers manager could very much have the club’s next Lingard on his hands for the second half of the season – something that is undoubtedly an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: West Ham submit Jan offer for “outstanding” £70k-p/w tank, Moyes desperately needs him