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Two months ago in the Caribbean, Shane Watson brutalised the West Indies attack to register his first one-day international century while suffering from a broken toe. Now back to full fitness, he is looking forward to discovering what he can do to the Ban

Brydon Coverdale in Darwin02-Sep-2008
Shaun Marsh hits “normal cricket shots” harder than anyone, according to Shane Watson © Getty Images
Two months ago in the Caribbean, Shane Watson brutalised the West Indies attack to register his first one-day international century while suffering from a broken toe. Now back to full fitness, he is looking forward to discovering what he can do to the Bangladesh bowlers on Wednesday.The injury to his left big toe hampered his preparation for the Darwin series and minor leg soreness kept him out of Saturday’s 180-run triumph. He is likely to slot back into the opening role alongside Shaun Marsh, who he played junior cricket with but saw little of at senior level before they successfully joined forces in the West Indies.”Shaun’s a great guy, he’s an amazingly talented batsman,” Watson said. “The first I really saw of him exploding in the seniors, during the IPL I bowled against him in one of the games and it’s some of the best batting I’ve ever bowled to. He hits the ball harder than I’ve probably seen anyone hit the ball just on normal cricket shots.”Matthew Hayden’s ongoing heel injury has allowed the two men to establish themselves and the combination could be the future for Australia’s ODI team. Hayden will be an automatic selection when he returns but Watson said there was no rivalry between him and Marsh to become Hayden’s full-time partner.”I’m sort of past that,” Watson said. “I used to, probably three or four years ago, compete myself against other players in the team but I don’t worry about that anymore.”Marsh’s 76 was one of the reasons Australia had such a comprehensive victory on Saturday and Watson was in no doubt who should win Wednesday’s rematch. “If we’re playing our best, we should be able to beat them pretty easily,” he said. “They are ranked ninth in the world and we are number one.”It is that difference in class that is a concern for the Bangladesh coach, Jamie Siddons, who said his team would have no excuses if they offered up a repeat of Saturday’s dismal batting display, when they capitulated for 74. He believes his men were overawed at the rare opportunity to face the reigning World Cup holders but they should now know what to expect.”Any first-game player in a big occasion it can get too big,” Siddons said. “I’ve seen it with the Aussie team, with guys coming in in an Ashes series or a big occasion game, they don’t go out there with the same talent or assuredness as someone of a Ricky Ponting stature.”We don’t have anyone like that that’s been successful against Australia. So no-one’s walking out there with a super amount of confidence. There’s no examples for them to draw on of being successful against Australia, apart from [Mohammad] Ashraful three years ago, and you can’t keep bringing up that as an example because there’s been so many failures in between.”Until several of the players manage individual successes against Australia, Siddons believes it will be difficult to expect Bangladesh to triumph. He hopes Wednesday might be the day when a handful of players discover they can match it with the Australians.”We don’t have that at the moment so it’s hard to throw that aura away, or throw that confidence at them,” Siddons said. “They just don’t have it because they haven’t had the experience of being successful against those sides.”

West Bromwich Albion are considering a move which would bring Adam Reach to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Express & Star, who claimed that Valerien Ismael is weighing up a move for the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, who is a free agent following his departure from Hillsborough upon the expiry of his contract with the Owls at the end of last season.

The report added that Blackburn Rovers are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the 28-year-old ahead of a potential move this summer, while it is claimed that the former England under-20 international is one of several targets being monitored by the Baggies.

Reach could transform West Brom

While Reach may not be the most headline-grabbing transfer Ismael could get over the line at West Brom this summer, the possible addition of the midfielder could easily be viewed as a key signing in the club’s transformation under the Frenchman’s leadership.

With the 45-year-old often deploying a 3-4-2-1 in his time at Barnsley, and with the 28-year-old being adept at playing left-back, left midfield and left-wing, Reach could well become an important player for Ismael as a result of his versatility, as well as his consistently impressive level of Championship performances.

Indeed, over his 44 appearances in the division for Darren Moore’s side last term, the £2.52m-rated man bagged five goals, provided three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, taking 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £23k-per-week midfielder also helped out for his team defensively, averaging 0.9 interceptions, one tackle and one clearance and winning 2.8 duels per match.

These returns saw the man who George Elek dubbed a “creative” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as the Owls’ sixth-best player in the league last term.

With West Brom currently only having Conor Townsend as a viable option for the left-back slot, it is evident that greater depth is required ahead of an arduous Championship season.

As such, Reach could well prove to be a very astute signing for Albion this season, and one who could help transform West Brom into a quintessential Valerien Ismael side.

In other news: Reliable journalist drops West Brom transfer development, Ismael will be gutted

Upul Tharanga’s big hundred outweighed Gulam Bodi’s century to give Sri Lanka A a 26-run victory and a 2-1 lead after the third ODI against South Africa A in East London

Cricinfo staff25-Sep-2008
Scorecard

Upul Tharanga set up Sri Lanka A’s huge total with a career-best 173 © Getty Images
Upul Tharanga’s big hundred outweighed Gulam Bodi’s century to give Sri Lanka A a 26-run victory and a 2-1 lead after the third ODI against South Africa A in East London.Upul Tharanga smashed a career-best 173 as he carried his bat on a placid track. He laid the ideal platform with Tharanga Paranavitana by adding 91 at a run-a-ball for the first wicket. He was involved in three other substantial partnerships, including 95 off 70 balls for the second wicket with Dilruwan Perera.Faced with a target of 336, Bodi began with an assault on Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, who leaked 36 runs in his first three overs. The opening stand of 87 with captain Alviro Petersen provided a solid start but with six of the South African batsmen managing only single-digit scores, Bodi was left with too much to do.Wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn and Vaughn van Jaarsveld provided some support but fast bowler Ishara Amerasinghe sliced through the middle order to dampen South Africa’s chances. The hosts’ troubles were compounded when Bodi was bowled by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, the most successful of the Sri Lankan bowlers with four wickets, soon after bringing up his 150 with a six. Bodi was the eighth man out, by when the asking-rate had climbed to almost 12, a rate the tailenders were unable to keep up with.The two remaining matches in the series will be played on Friday and Sunday.

Mark Ramprakash has been suspended for Surrey’s first two County Championship matches of the 2009 season

Cricinfo staff06-Oct-2008
Mark Ramprakash makes his feelings known to the Sussex players © Getty Images
Mark Ramprakash has been suspended for Surrey’s first two County Championship matches of the 2009 season, and fined £1500, after pleading guilty to using abusive language towards an umpire during Surrey’s match against Sussex, at The Oval, on August 20.The incident began with a heated confrontation between Ramprakash and Murray Goodwin, which required the umpires to step in. Ramprakash then swore at John Steele.An ECB cricket discipline commission panel comprising David Gabbitass (chairman), Ricky Needham and Alistair Webster QC convened at Lord’s on Monday to hear a charge brought by the ECB against Ramprakash.The financial penalty is made up of a £1500 fine and he is also required to pay costs of £1000. In imposing the penalty, the panel took into account that Ramprakash was captain at the time of the incident, his previous good character, and the fact that he was contrite, had unreservedly apologised to the umpires and had already been fined £1000 by Surrey.

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer can still see Dan James leaving Manchester United this summer despite Marcus Rashford undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

The England forward is now set for a spell on the sidelines, meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may need James to play a bigger role at the start of the season.

James is the subject of long-term interest from Leeds, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay claiming that Marcelo Bielsa tried to bring him to Elland Road before the capture of Raphinha.

The Argentine is said to still have an interest in the player, and Palmer is refusing to rule out a transfer to Leeds this summer.

Asked by FFC if Rashford’s shoulder surgery had scuppered the Whites’ chances of landing James in this transfer window, the retired England international said:

“I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s a problem for him to let him go. He’s made a lot of signings this summer, so he’s been pushed down the pecking order.

“I did my shoulder on the last day of the season, dislocated. I had it pinned and I was back for the first game of the season, so I don’t think Rashford is going to be out for months and months on end.”

It remains to be seen whether Leeds’ interest materialises into anything in this transfer window. But if they got James, they would obviously be signing a winger who would bring so much pace to the side.

“I’d put myself top,” the Wales international said earlier this year when discussing who the fastest player at Old Trafford is.

Paul Robinson has offered his thoughts on Leeds’ pursuit of Wolves forward Adama Traore.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has admitted that he would love to see Marcelo Bielsa’s side sign Adama Traore from fellow Premier League side Wolves this summer. Leeds and Spurs are both reportedly interested in signing the forward, who is said to be valued at around £45m by his current club.

Robinson told MOTLeeds: 

“That’s good money. He’s a good player, I rate him.

“He’s not the finished article yet but he’s a lot more polished than when he left Middlesbrough. He was a bit rough around the edges, his final ball wasn’t there and it was just his raw pace and power.

“Now, he’s combined that with intelligence and delivery of the ball final with goals.

“He’s a player that I’ve admired for the last couple of seasons because he’s really come on. I’d love to see him at Leeds.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

Victor Orta must work hard to secure a deal for Traore in the coming weeks, with Robinson outlining why he would be an excellent signing for the club.

He still has room for growth and development, but already has the pace, power, and quality to make an impact in the Premier League. The Leeds chief could form a terrifying attacking line-up by adding Traore to the club’s wing options alongside Raphinha.

Traore has provided six goals and 11 assists in the past two seasons for Wolves in the top-flight, showing that he has been able to add end product to his all around play. To highlight these qualities, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp previously hailed Traore as unplayable. He said: “He is unplayable in moments, it’s unbelievable. What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good.”

He only managed two assists in the Premier League last term but averaged 1.5 key passes per game – more than the 1.3 he averaged the previous year when he registered nine assists. This could be linked to Raul Jimenez’s injury, with the Mexican scoring 17 goals in the 2019/20 season before only playing 10 times the following season due to his unfortunate head collision.

Therefore, it may have been his teammates at fault for his unimpressive assist total. He could fare better at Leeds, with the likes of Raphinha, Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison alongside him – who managed 31 goals between them.

Raphinha racked up six goals and nine assists for the Whites in the Premier League, whilst averaging 2.1 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game. Traore, meanwhile, averaged 1.5 key passes and a mouth-watering 4.1 dribbles completed per game.

This shows how effective the pair are at running at defenders and creating chances for their teammates in the top-flight. So, imagine both of them in the same team, sprinting at opposition players with the ball and getting supporters off their seats in anticipation of a moment of magic. It could be terrifying for opposition teams.

AND in other news, Leeds receive transfer boost in chase for “wholehearted” beast, fans will be buzzing…

Darren Pattinson is in line for his first game for Victoria since making his Test debut for England earlier this year

Cricinfo staff29-Oct-2008Darren Pattinson is in line for his first game for Victoria since making his Test debut for England earlier this year. Pattinson missed the first few matches of the domestic season with groin soreness but has been named in a 13-man squad to take on New South Wales in Sunday’s FR Cup game in Sydney.The Bushrangers have had to include the British-born Pattinson as an overseas player this summer following his surprise call-up to the England Test side in July. He picked up two wickets in his only Test against South Africa but was quickly dropped and concedes he is unlikely to add to his international career.Pattinson has been joined in the Victoria squad by Aiden Blizzard, the middle-order batsman who has had a broken finger. Blizzard replaces Michael Hill, who made his FR Cup debut on the weekend but did not get the opportunity to bat.New South Wales have named a squad of 14 for the match. They have gone for the same group that lost to South Australia last week with the additions of Nathan Bracken and David Warner, who both missed the game due to minor injuries.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Peter Forrest, Daniel Smith (wk), Usman Khawaja, Dominic Thornely (capt), Moises Henriques, Steven Smith, David Warner, Grant Lambert, Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Hauritz, Aaron Bird, Nathan Bracken, Mark Cameron.Victoria squad Chris Rogers, Rob Quiney, Brad Hodge, David Hussey (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Andrew McDonald, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Damien Wright, Clint McKay, Shane Harwood, Jon Holland, Darren Pattinson, Dirk Nannes.

Newcastle must avoid signing former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey this summer amid a recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Magpies have made a shock enquiry for the Wales international as they look to revamp their midfield, and that Steve Bruce’s side have sounded out Ramsey’s availability for a move away from Juventus.

In response, Dean Windass threw his backing behind a potential move for the 30-year-old. Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Newcastle would suit him. Why wouldn’t he go there? It all changes, the supporters coming back, get your career back on track. He will play in that attacking midfield role.”

Another Andy Carroll nightmare

Make no mistake about it, Ramsey showed in his time in the Premier League with Arsenal that he has plenty of ability in his locker.

Arsene Wenger raved about the Welshman’s ability to get into the box and find himself on the end of moves, saying: “In my head, Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year. He is a Frank Lampard type. He is (about) getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run. Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.”

Described as an “outstanding technician”, Ramsey would offer that same knack of getting into the box at the right times and scoring those poacher-type goals. In fact, Lampard himself wrote in a column for The Evening Standard about the 74-goal star: “It will probably come as no surprise to people that I like Ramsey. Like me, he makes late runs in the penalty area and he showed that with aplomb for the second goal at AC Milan last week.”

However, the Welshman is someone who will turn 31 later this year, and he is on a mammoth £400k-a-week contract in Turin, Even if he were to take a significant pay cut which would see him earn half that amount, it would still place him in the highest bracket of earners at St James’ Park.

Couple that with his injury record, which is less than stellar to say the least over the years, and the Magpies are facing enduring another nightmare akin to Andy Carroll.

A player on decent wages, with a worrying history of injuries, and on the wrong end of the scale in terms of the kind of progress Newcastle want to make on the pitch – the Magpies just got rid of one in Carroll, so why sign another one in Ramsey?

Meanwhile, Newcastle could sign a huge Jonjo Shelvey upgrade in this star…

Matthew Hayden becomes the 11th Australian to play 100 Tests but his unbending belief in his own qualities is being examined again

Peter English27-Nov-2008
Matthew Hayden: power and poise © Getty Images
Of all the brutal innings Matthew Hayden has played he rates one of the ugliest as the most important. At The Oval in 2005 he scratched and shuffled and defended over 303 balls, edging to 138 in a performance that made him look like a man who was headed for the exit. Instead it was another re-birth in a career that has contained patches where he was immortal and unstoppable, expendable and unusable.Hayden becomes the 11th Australian to play 100 Tests on Friday and his unbending belief in his own qualities is being examined again. At 37, every failure starts the speculation over his future and after oblique references to retirement before the Brisbane game there is a chance this match could be his last. Or he could score a century and, one day when he’s bobbing on his surfboard at North Stradbroke Island, look back at the past eight months as another one of the lulls that preceded a huge swell of runs.Three years ago his hundred at The Oval was the start of four in consecutive matches and until he suffered a heel injury while training in the Indian Premier League he was as invincible as Achilles. In five Tests since his return he has posted two half-centuries, and 8 and 0 over the past week in what was almost certainly his last five-day game at the Gabba. His spluttering form in the opening two matches in India last month was one of the reasons why the hosts were able to dominate the tourists and claim the series.It’s not hard to argue that Hayden, with 8484 runs at 52.04 and 30 centuries, is Australia’s greatest batsman at the top of the order. No specialist long-term opener averaged above 50 before. Of the full-timers Bill Ponsford, Bill Woodfull, Arthur Morris and Bill Lawry were in the high 40s; Justin Langer and Bob Simpson achieved comparable means during stints there, but spent large chunks of their careers lower down the list.The purists say bowling standards have dropped and Hayden is a brutal basher without charm or subtlety. It has never been the Hayden way.In 2004, when Hayden had 20 hundreds in 55 Tests, his conversion rate to triple figures was second to Bradman’s. He is also one of the rare batsmen to have fewer fifties than hundreds.The purists say bowling standards have dropped and Hayden is a brutal basher without charm or subtlety. It has never been the Hayden way. He grew up on a farm in country Queensland, left for boarding school in Brisbane, was rejected by the Academy because Rod Marsh wanted only those who were potential first-class cricketers, and was stuck behind Mark Taylor and Michael Slater in the 1990s despite years of consistent domestic excellence. The setbacks galvanised an already superior and confident outlook. His self-belief has never been seen to waiver.A published chef, Hayden will regularly talk about his hunger for runs. Until recently he has gorged on them with his bush style, using a big step forward and a wrecking-ball swing of the bat to frighten bowlers and enliven spectators. During his then world record 380 against Zimbabwe, when he muscled 38 fours and 11 sixes in Perth, there were calls for him to get out before reaching Don Bradman’s Australian mark of 334. Giving up his wicket, or his quest for time in the Australian team, was not in his nature. Even in six-a-side fun days he would put on his helmet and play like it was the innings that would determine his future.The attitude kept him bouncing back and eventually allowed him to develop in to the block that Australia’s order has been built on since he became a regular in 2000. Only twice, against India in 2001 and West Indies in 2003, have Australia lost when Hayden has scored a century. Only 16 times has he been in a defeated Test team.In the past he was part of an outstanding team, but now he is one of two greats, along with Ricky Ponting, in an outfit that is finding its level. The new Australia needs him in form, crunching the new ball, attacking the spinners, setting up 400-plus totals and delaying the entry of a fresh middle order. If his heavy legs cannot regain their spark the selectors can feel safe looking to a younger man. But until they are certain he will not reach the 2009 Ashes there will be no discarding of an outcast who has achieved so much.

Unlike the manic fireworks of the first game, Friday was more of a slow-burning scrap. Pakistan were, once again, second-best at the halfway stage but survived a tight finish to win the match and seal the series

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran14-Nov-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Umar Gul took 3 for 44 in Pakistan’s series-clinching win against West Indies © AFP
Unlike the manic fireworks of the first game, Friday was more of a slow-burning scrap. Pakistan were, once again, second-best at the halfway stage but survived a tight finish to win the match and seal the series. Like in the first match, there was a typical century from a senior West Indies batsman – a dogged one from Shivnarine Chanderpaul this time – but there wasn’t enough support from the rest.Sohail Tanvir’s menacing opening spell helped Pakistan fight back after a disciplined West Indies bowling had kept them down to a less-than-average total. He was the star performer but each member of the Pakistan attack played his part: Umar Gul hounded the batsmen with a mix of bouncers and yorkers, Iftikhar Anjum kept probing away just outside off stump and was unlucky to not get more than one wicket, Shahid Afridi provided the crucial breakthrough by removing Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Saeed Ajmal confounded West Indies with his doosras.Tanvir had the ball jagging around viciously and danger man Chris Gayle struggled to pick which way it was moving. He lasted only six balls, as the final delivery of Tanvir’s first over, an overpitched inswinger, homed in on leg stump. He also dismissed the other opener, Sewnarine Chattergoon, for a duck after the batsman nibbled at an away-going ball to the keeper.That brought Chanderpaul to the crease, and he wasn’t dislodged till the end. There were several close lbw calls, a couple of dropped catches, a french cut, a run-out appeal, but Chanderpaul soldiered on. His forte is survival and that’s just what he did today. He hauled his team within sight of the finish line but ran out of partners before crossing it.He found an early ally in Ramnaresh Sarwan, who rode out his share of troubles against Tanvir. With Anjum also making life difficult, the pair made cautious progress; West Indies had dawdled to 49 for 2 after 17 overs. Chanderpaul was struggling to time the ball early on and it was Sarwan who was in charge during that phase.He was unafraid to loft the bowlers in the air and used the cut shot well but was done in by a quicker ball from Afridi while attempting that stroke. West Indies were 103 for 2 in 28.2 overs, and with a settled Chanderpaul, were still the front-runners.However, none of their other batsmen made more than 12. The slide started with a couple of run-outs: both Xavier Marshall and Shawn Findlay wanted a single but were sent back by Chanderpaul and couldn’t make their ground.West Indies were made to scrounge for every run and the asking-rate steadily inched towards 7.5. Their troubles were compounded by the slow outfield and long boundaries, as the ropes had been pulled back for the match. Chanderpaul decided to use the remaining Powerplay: he kept the boundaries coming and it was down to 65 off 55 before he lost two more of his partners.Ajmal and Tanvir came back and dried up the runs before Umar Gul finished things off with a couple of well-directed yorkers. Chanderpaul remained unbeaten on 107.The target of 233 was one Chris Gayle would have fancied chasing down. His bowlers rarely allowed Pakistan to get out of first gear: the quick bowlers exploited the swing available early while the spinners, who were solid rather than spectacular, didn’t offer the batsmen much to work with.
Daren Powell took three wickets, effected a run-out and claimed a catch to restrict Pakistan to 232 © AFP
Both of Pakistan’s openers were undone while attempting reckless across-the-line shots. The big holiday crowd that had turned up was silenced but found its voice soon after when Younis Khan took Powell for three consecutive boundaries. That, however, was an aberration in a quiet period for Pakistan, tied down by Lionel Baker’s steady line-and-length. Younis was cleaned up by a full, swinging delivery from Powell as he tried to get a move on. Pakistan’s troubles were exacerbated when Shoaib Malik was run out after a misunderstanding with Misbah-ul-Haq.Misbah scrapped his way to a half-century, an innings in which he rarely looked fluent, and perished while attempting to clear the long-off boundary off Nikita Miller. The run-rate continued to flounder with no boundaries for 132 balls, and it was not until the introduction of the friendly part-time gifts from Sarwan in the 38th over that the shackles were released.”Afridi, please don’t disappoint today” said a poster held up by a young fan, and, for a brief while, he didn’t. He crunched Sarwan down the ground for a four before dispatching a leg-side full toss over midwicket. Kamran Akmal was playing a calm, polished knock at the other end, and Pakistan were beginning to find their feet with the partnership realising 50 runs quickly. But they made a mistake by not taking the remaining Powerplay when their last two recognised batsmen were looking settled.Both batsmen were dismissed soon after and the final Powerplay was left to the tail-enders. Some big hitting from the late order, led by Tanvir – who slammed three boundaries off a Taylor over – lifted Pakistan. At that point West Indies clearly held the advantage but in the end it was a case of so near yet so far.