All posts by h716a5.icu

The Rest of the Leeward Islands ticked off their first win in the Red Stripe Bowl cricket tournament Tuesday by beating the University of the West Indies (UWI) by nine wickets

22-Aug-2002The Rest of the Leeward Islands ticked off their first win in the Red Stripe Bowl cricket tournament Tuesday by beating the University of the West Indies (UWI) by nine wickets.The students fell for 141 off 49.3 overs and Rest of the Leeward easily motored to 141 for one in 24 overs. UWI also have three points from three matches.The result left the Leewards three points in three matches. Both team lost earlier matches to Jamaica and Barbados, who are joint leaders with six points.UWI ran into early trouble, losing early wickets and were at one stage 49 for six. It took a seventh-wicket stand of 59 between Llewlyn Meggs and captain Dave Cumberbatch to save the students.Jamaican Meggs topscored with 50 – which included six boundaries, while Cumberbatch contributed 18.Offspinner Omari Banks took three for 15 off 8.3 overs, while pacer Elsroy Powell had three for 18 from eight overs.The Leewards had little difficulty reaching their victory target, as openers Alex Adams and Lanville Harrigan put on 88 for the first wicket. Adams stroked an unbeaten 63 (nine fours), while Harrigan scored 43 (eight fours). Runako Morton made 21 not out.

For this season this contest moved to Dalby with the format being changed from the regular two day match to two limited over games

Warwick Torrens09-Sep-2002For this season this contest moved to Dalby with the format being changed from the regular two day match to two limited over games. On the first day a match of sixty overs a side was played, on Sunday the match was scheduled to be of fifty overs for each team. The venue was the home grounds of the Dalby Cricket Association located in the Dick Alland Sports Centre, just off the Warrego Highway and to the south east of the town centre.The weekend saw the return to cricket by Adam Dale who began with eight tidy overs and followed with a match saving 74 of a fourth wicket partnership of 175. Captain of the Country Origin team, Martin Love played a fine innings of 103 before being third out at 170. He was well supported by Jerry Cassell and Wade Seccombe, the Queensland keeper staying put while Love’s successor Steve Paulsen hit out for a fine 60. The lower order did not add much to the score but still kept the scorers busy as runs and wickets all came quickly. During this onslaught Dale in particular and Petrie remained quite economical with MacKenzie and Hopes being quite expensive.After the break it seemed Country Origin had control of the game when Hartley was brilliantly thrown out by the youthful Toowoomba player Peter Reimers to make the total three for 98 with 37.5 overs to go. But Duncan Betts was showing good form and now came Dale who settled in nicely. Even so the situation reverted back towards Country when these two batsmen were dismissed in successive balls by left armer Matthew Anderson. Mitchell Johnson hit firmly in his short stay and Philipson and Hopes took their team to victory, the winning run coming from a no-ball, the match concluding as darkness was setting in. Shortly afterwards a storm broke over the grounds.Though not a lot of rain came from the storm there was sufficient to sneak under the covers and this caused a problem on Sunday morning. There was a wet patch at each end, both affecting the bowlers run up and it took some time to dry each area sufficiently to allow play to commence. Instead of play commencing at nine o’clock a start was not made until 10.35am and the match was reduced to forty-five overs a side.Batting first City soon lost their captain, James Hopes, run out by Joe Dawes. Kruger and Betts shaped nicely and added 99 and the following batsmen all made useful contributions and a total of 247 provided a good challenge. The Country batsmen, led by a fine century from Daniel Payne proved equal to the task, the runs coming with four overs to spare. Towards the end Peter Reimers displayed fine promise to reach 33 not out at a time when another wicket could have been sufficient to allow City to obtain victory.Throughout the day none of the bowlers could be said to be very economical but on the day it was the old campaigners of Joe Dawes and Adam Dale who provided the least expensive returns. The spinners Anderson and O’Leary managed most of the wickets while Chris Simpson, fresh from some good cricket in Townsville in late July, managed two wickets in a four over spell in the latter part of the Country innings.

Jorge Mendes’ association with Wolves has always been something that’s monitored closely.

Although the activity may spark controversy in some parts – an investigation was launched by the EFL in 2018 – you have to commend Fosun for establishing the relationship in the first place.

Their manager of four years, Nuno Santo, was a client of Mendes’ Gestifute agency and he has since helped bring a host of players to Molineux.

Focus on the departed Diogo Jota or think of Ruben Neves, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho; all of those players are on the books of Mendes.

He also has a stronghold over Vitinha, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo and young central defender Christian Marques.

Wolves has often been Mendes playground but they still miss some of his finest talent.

The jewel in the crown for the Portuguese super-agent has always been Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course, it would be far-fetched to suggest he moves to the Midlands but another Mendes client he rates incredibly highly represents a more realistic target.

That happens to be Andre Silva, a striker who’s been on the Wolves radar for a number of years now.

When he was at AC Milan, he was linked with the Old Gold in 2019 and the club reportedly tried to sign him back in January.

Instead, they landed Willian Jose on a six-month loan spell. He only provided one goal in Wolves colours and has now headed back to Real Sociedad.

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Silva’s career has been a difficult one, finding the net on only ten occasions in 41 outings for Milan following several years of hype at Porto.

However, he’s now found his feet in devastating fashion while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.

The 25-year-old was a brutal force in the penalty area last term, scoring 29 goals in just 34 appearances across all competitions.

Silva has gone from a shy and neglected figure in Italy to a man now carrying the weight of expectation for Frankfurt. Only Robert Lewandowski scored more goals in the German top-flight last season, as the pair finished above Erling Haaland.

Known for his poaching instinct and impeccable composure, he was described as doing a “phenomenal job” by his idol, Ronaldo.

The duo now plays together for the Portuguese national team and if he starts firing at Euro 2020, there is every chance they reach the final again.

Silva has lacked confidence in recent years but after a stunning season, now could be the time to earn his move to the Premier League.

After all, Wolves were hardly full of goals last term. Neto ended up as the club’s top scorer on just five strikes while club-record signing, Fabio Silva, found the net on only four occasions.

There are also concerns over Raul Jimenez following his fractured skull. The Mexican has made a full recovery but will have to play with protective headgear for the rest of his career.

At the age of 30, there is no guarantee that he replicates his best form. The idea of signing Silva, therefore, should be an attractive one for Bruno Lage and Fosun and they should look to reignite thier January interest in the player.

AND in other news, Wolves must act quickly to sign 61-goal tank, he’s been “phenomenal” at Euro 2020…

The ECB Academy that is based at the County Ground in Taunton has just taken the new 2002 intake on board, to take the total number of youngsters up to eleven

Richard Walsh17-Oct-2002The ECB Academy that is based at the County Ground in Taunton has just taken the new 2002 intake on board, to take the total number of youngsters up to eleven.Mark Garaway, who is the Director of the ECB Academy told me: " All of these young cricketers who are aged between 13 and 18 have got the chance of playing the game at a higher level. Quite a few are already playing national age group cricket and some will make it to become first class cricketers."The four new players, Steve Davis, Sam Spurway , Seamus Crawford and James fear are all Somerset based and join Michael Parsons, James Hildreth, Richard Timms, Stephen Wheeler, Rob Woodman James Frazer and Andrew Frazer-Harris who have been part of the set up from its beginning last autumn.The ECB Academy Director told me : "We have set up individual programmes for each of them that fall mainly into two categories. On the technical front they have two one to one sessions each week and two group sessions each month which will either be at Taunton or at Millfield School. Whilst on the physical front they have one group session per week and one individual session per week in addition to other physical activities."Each of the youngsters has a membership of their local gym, which in the case of those who are Taunton based is the Academy at the County Ground as well as having their own individual fitness kit which includes a fast foot ladder,a medicine ball and a Swiss ball that they can use at anytime wherever they are.Reflecting on the first year of the ECB Academy, Mark Garaway told me: "Its gone very well for us, and the results speak for themselves. All of the young players have had a greater exposure to cricket at a higher level, and the success of the Under 19’s team speaks for itself. We can improve upon this with through more contact with senior players, and we now have a better understanding of working with the youngsters."The establishment of the ECB Academy has without a doubt been a resounding success and bodes well for the future of Somerset County Cricket Club.

Liverpool are no longer interested in signing Schalke defender Ozan Kabak, despite his impressive six-month spell at Anfield last season.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old joined the Reds on a short-term loan deal back in January as Jurgen Klopp sort defensive cover following an injury crisis.

Liverpool had the option to make Kabak’s stay on Merseyside permanent in an £18 million deal but chose to sign Ibrahima Konate instead.

However, the possibility of Klopp returning for the Turkey international was not completely off the cards, although that is no longer an option, according to well-respected journalist James Pearce.

Fans should be gutted

Responding to a tweet asking if Liverpool would be looking to bring Kabak back to Anfield this summer, Pearce replied: “No. That ship has sailed.”

The youngster helped the 19-time English champions recover from a terrible start to the 2020/21 campaign, keeping three clean sheets in his nine league appearances as they finished third in the Premier League standings.

Kabak’s impressive performances alongside Nat Phillips in the heart of the Liverpool defence earned several plaudits, including Klopp himself.

“Ozan and Nat do really well. Hopefully, it can stay like this, so they can play a lot of games. They have started seven games together, that is good. I’m really happy for them,” said the German tactician.

“Ozan came in at 20 from Germany, was a big prospect but wasn’t lucky with the last two teams he played for; one went down (Stuttgart), and the other will probably go down (Schalke). But nobody really doubted his quality.

“We were convinced (of his quality), but in the end, you never know, and he really proved that point.”

While Klopp’s decision to bring in Konate over Kabak is understandable, news that the Schalke man definitely won’t be returning to the club should leave their supporters feeling gutted.

Virgil van Dijk will be returning from a potentially career-changing injury next season, while the trio of Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Konate have all had extensive fitness concerns of their own throughout their careers.

With reports linking Phillips with a move away as well, the addition of Kabak would be a very welcome addition to Klopp’s charges as they attempt to regain their Premier League crown next term as there are no guarantees that Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip will be able to pick up where they left off after such long injury lay-offs.

And, in other news…James Pearce drops an exciting Liverpool transfer update, fans should be buzzing 

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans are ecstatic after an official announcement by the club.

Over these last few weeks, the club have taken strides in either tying down promising young talent or bringing them in from elsewhere.

West Ham have already snapped up Thierry Nevers, Pierre Ekwah Elimby and Armstrong Oko-Flex with the exciting trio all putting pen to paper on a move to east London (football.london).

Meanwhile, from their own academy, West Ham have also tied down the likes of Jayden Fevrier to professional contracts, and it appears he isn’t the only one.

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Indeed, as announced by the club, talented young midfielder Freddie Potts has also signed his first professional deal.

The 17-year-old enjoyed a fine 2020/2021 season in the academy, featuring 21 times for the Under-18s before then being promoted to the U23s – scoring his first goal for the side soon after (whufc.com).

Son of former West Ham man and current youth coach Steve, Potts’ impressive form has resulted in the club rewarding him with a three-year deal until 2024.

Flocking to this official announcement, it’s safe to say many supporters were delighted – find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans rave over Potts professional deal

“Get him in. Love him already”

Credit: @spencer7ii

“If he’s even half has good as his old man , he’ll do for me”

Credit: @WHUFCGeezer

“Congratulations”

Credit: @SandieBarrick

“Aww delighted”

Credit: @Lorrain94741983

“Great genes his dad is one of my favourite players, so underrated. Wishing you all the best in claret and blue”

Credit: @TheChar10

“He caught the eye in a few latter epl2 games at the end of the season. Good luck Freddie.”

Credit: @Agarwoodgreen

“lad just knuckle down do the business you will get your chance in the first team in the near future”

Credit: @markwake15

“Brilliant news Freddie is a great asset to the club it’s great for us to get him on a professional contract.

I’m excited about this one”

Credit: @ZaynafamilyMary

In other news: West Ham fans fume at update over 28 y/o maestro, find out more here.

South Africa, already full of confidence after their emphatic three-day win against the Sri Lankans, have been further boosted by the news that opener Herschelle Gibbs is set to make a return in the second Test at Centurion after recovering from a

Charlie Austin14-Nov-2002South Africa, already full of confidence after their emphatic three-day win against the Sri Lankans, have been further boosted by the news that opener Herschelle Gibbs is set to make a return in the second Test at Centurion after recovering from a back injury.Gibbs was forced out of the opening Test at Wanderers minutes before the start of play after complaining of back spasms, providing right-hander Martin van Jaarsveld with a surprise chance to press his claims for a regular place.Van Jaarsveld missed his opportunity as medium-pacer Hasantha Fernando knocked back his middle stump with a curving inswinger and South Africa will revert back to their planned top three with Graeme Smith and Gibbs opening and Gary Kirsten first down.Gibbs played a full part in training on Wednesday and passed a fitness test on Thursday. Barring another last-minute mishap he will play. "I’m not feeling any after affects and I am sure that I will be alright," said Gibbs after practice."Herschelle is obviously a fine player, he’s been playing well this season and it’s good to have him back in the fold," said Shaun Pollock. "I hope he goes out there and scores some runs."Pollock warned his players against complacency: "If you perform like we did in the last game then you are going to gain confidence, but although we have a slight psychological advantage, this is a new game and we have got to go out there and produce the goods again."South Africa may be reluctant to change a winning side, successfully gambling on a five-pronged pace attack in the opening Test, but the selectors will seriously consider the inclusion of left-arm spinner Claude Henderson on a brown, flat-looking pitch that is less well-grassed than had been expected.However, that would mean dropping Andrew Hall, who produced a good all-roundperformance in the first Test, adding valuable depth to the batting order, or Steve Elworthy, who bowled well in both innings, troubling the Sri Lankan top order."The wicket doesn’t look as grassy as normal," said Pollock. "It might wear later in the game and we will have to weigh that up."Despite a pitch that promises a fairer contest between bat and ball and thepossibility of complacency after such a commanding victory, South Africa’s fast-bowling strength makes them firm favourites to win the game and the series.The improved bowling form of Pollock only adds to the suspicion that South Africa possess the firepower to overcome a Sri Lankan top order that is struggling to come to terms with unfamiliar conditions.Coach Eric Simons was delighted with Pollock’s performance in the first game, revealing that he’d made mental and technical adjustments in an effort to reclaim his best form."He bowled quicker in the first Test than he has done for quite a while and I believe that it will get better from here on," said Simmons. "Part of the problem is that he has stopping think himself as a fast medium bowler and that has had an effect."He has to start reconditioning his thoughts and we have worked on that. It is a psychological thing, basically. But opening up his action has helped. He had become a little bit closed in his delivery and that had inhibited his rhythm."South Africa squad:Shaun Pollock (capt), Mark Boucher (vice-capt), Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Claude Henderson, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Graeme Smith.

A number of Liverpool supporters are excited after a journalist provided a key update on the Reds’ pursuit of Lille midfielder Renato Sanches.

The Reds may need to sign a new central midfielder this summer, following the exit of the influential Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain.

Not only that, but Jordan Henderson and Thiago are now both in their 30s, while Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain consistently struggle to stay fit.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Liverpool is Sanches, who played his part for Lille in the Ligue 1-winning season in 2020/21, scoring once and registering three assists.

The 23-year-old also shone at Euro 2020 for Portugal, despite their relatively early exit, and journalist Pedro Almeida has claimed on Twitter that a deal to take him to Anfield is “very close”.

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Liverpool fans react to Sanches update

These Reds fans reacted to the update with plenty of positivity, with some viewing him as an ideal signing.

“Perfect Wijnaldum replacement. Might even be better lowkey”

Credit: @lfc04c

“Honestly, Gini won’t be a serious loss anymore”

Credit: @IamForPowerstar

“Make it happen”

Credit: @JOUBCHEGO17

“Let’s goooo”

Credit: @nas300_

“Would be a revelation under Klopp”

Credit: @AndyBoyJFT96

“Don’t care what anyone says he’ll be a top-class signing if we get him”

Credit: @KV02__

In other news, Liverpool have received some encouragement in their attempts to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-Everton defender Michael Ball expressed his concerns over the possibility of players at his old side hiding behind Rafael Benitez.

Benitez arrives at Goodison Park as not the most popular of figures after his stint on the other half of Merseyside with rivals Liverpool.

In the build-up to his appointment as Everton manager, some Evertonians made it clear to owner Farhad Moshiri that they did not want the Spaniard at their club.

It fell on deaf ears, though, with Benitez now in charge of the Toffees. And Ball now fears that unpopularity will give players the opportunity to shield themselves behind the manager if things start to go wrong.

“If we do have a poor performance, who’s going to get the blame?” the former Everton full-back said. “Will the players hide behind the manager? That’s my biggest problem.

“I feel that a few players over the past four or five years have hid behind managers and this one could be a very easy one for them to hide behind.”

Without a doubt, it is not hard to imagine a scenario where things are going bad and the fans instantly go for Benitez while the players fail to take any responsibility.

Simply put, considering that Liverpool connection, the 61-year-old is an easy target.

According to a report by Sport, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have now entered talks to sign Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic, with the Lilywhites ‘already negotiating’ over a loan move.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Pjanic?

Tottenham have only just recently entered contention for Pjanic, with Sport reporting last week that the Lilywhites have made an approach over his signature.

Indeed, Barcelona are apparently trying to offload the Bosnian in an effort to reduce their massive wage bill, with Sport now bringing another update on Pjanic to Spurs.

The Latest: Spurs ‘already negotiating’…

As per the Spanish outlet (via Sport Witness), Tottenham have now entered talks to sign the 31-year-old on loan and are ‘already negotiating’ with the La Liga giants. The player is reportedly determined to leave this summer and does not want to return to Barcelona for preseason.

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Pjanic is also regularly speaking to his representatives and wants to resolve his future this week, with his agent ‘working against the clock’ to secure a move for the player.

The 31-year-old would prefer Juventus, but the Serie A club’s own need to offload midfielders before signing one has prompted his agent to look at other options. As a result, Tottenham have entered the fray and are already in talks over a possible loan deal.

Everything apparently indicates that he will leave on a temporary basis this summer, and Spurs are willing to take care of Pjanic’s wages as long as the loan is free.

Furthermore, new manager Nuno Espirito Santo has approved the move whilst giving the green light to swoop.

The Verdict: Good move?

The 100-cap midfield maestro would provide a wealth of experience at Spurs, having made 80 appearances in the Champions League over a long career at the top level (Transfermarkt).

It’s clear that his latest campaign at Barcelona didn’t quite work out like his previously fruitful seasons in Serie A, but over his 19 La Liga appearances last term, he still managed an impressive 91.4% pass accuracy (WhoScored).

This perhaps points to a player who can provide composure and technical quality in Tottenham’s midfield, with pundit Noel Whelan certainly impressed by the links to Pjanic. Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker branded the Bosnian an ‘amazing player’ and feels that he is the kind of signing Spurs fans will want to see.

While his £210,000-per-week wages could prove complicated, it’s little wonder why Spurs are reportedly in negotiations for the Barcelona man.

In other news: Spurs frontrunners to sign ‘absolutely sensational’ player with Nuno set for final call, find out more here.