WBA could unearth next Bartley with Taylor

West Brom have had a mixed season in the Championship so far, having started with Valerien Ismael in charge, the Baggies now have former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce at the helm to see out the remainder of the campaign as strongly as possible.

With 37 league games played, the Midlands club have won 14, drawn 11 and lost 12, highlighting just how unpredictable they’ve been over the past months.

One player that has been a prominent figure for the Baggies this season is defender Kyle Bartley, who has appeared in 33 league games and earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.1, making him the second-highest rated player in Bruce’s squad according to WhoScored.

Despite being such a regular player for his side, the 30-year-old is the oldest defender at the Hawthorns, meaning that he may not have too many years left at the club in terms of being a first-choice pick for the team.

With that in mind, Bruce may already have his ideal long-term replacement for Bartley in his ranks at the moment with 19-year-old defender Caleb Taylor.

As a product of West Brom’s youth academy, the teenager has made 59 appearances combined for their U18 and U23 sides as well as two first-team appearances, both of which coming in cup competitions.

In the disheartening 6-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup back in August, the youngster managed to show what he can do at the back, despite conceding so many goals.

With 82 minutes under his belt against the Gunners, Taylor made two tackles, two interceptions and three clearances as well as winning four of the five duels he was involved in.

Labelled as a player that is “vocal, focused and leads by example with the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch” by the club’s U18 coach Peter Gilbert, these sorts of attributes could make the youngster a suitable long-term heir for Bartley, who has also been praised in the past for being a “good talker and a good leader” by former Baggies boss Sam Allardyce.

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Even though the youngster hasn’t been included in any matchday squads since January, Bruce should definitely start getting Taylor more involved in the senior side to see if he has what it takes to eventually become a regular first-team player for his club.

In other news: Dowling disaster: WBA will be having nightmares over “ruthless” 164 G/A “fighter” – opinion

Barbados and Jamaica seal wins inside three days

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Trinidad’s players celebrate the dismissal of Shivnarine Chattergoon © Trinidad and Tobago Express
 

Opener Dale Richards blasted 80 off 93 balls with 11 fours to lead Barbados to a thumping nine-wicket win over Windward Islands in Kingston. Richards, who capitalised on some wayward bowling to bring up his half-century off 55 balls, added 111 runs for the first wicket with Jason Haynes, before Haynes and Dwayne Smith finished off the job. Earlier, Windward, who resumed on 58 for 3, with a lead of only two runs, lost overnight batsmen Andre Fletcher and Liam Sebastian for 14 and 18 respectively as they slumped to 87 for 5. Donwell Hector looked assured before he was run out for 14, the second time that he was dismissed in such a manner in his debut match. Lindon James, the wicketkeeper-batsman, took Windward from 104 for 6 to 190 with an unbeaten 56. Smith then took the last two wickets to finish with 3 for 41. Ryan Hinds was named Man of the Match for scoring 95 in Barbados’ first innings as well as claiming three wickets with his left-arm spin.
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Guyana slumped 128 for 4 against Trinidad to gain an effective lead of only 61 runs at the end of the third day’s play in Port of Spain. Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, with an unbeaten 35, was at the crease when stumps were drawn after Guyana began their second innings 67 runs in arrears. Richard Kelly gave Trinidad the early breakthrough by getting rid of Shivnarine Chattergoon, the first innings century-maker, for four. Seamer Rayad Emrit, playing his first match as Trinidad captain, then dismissed opener Travis Dowlin and Leon Johnson for 10 to leave Guyana at 48 for 3. Narsingh Deonarine, who scored 46 of 51 balls with seven fours and a six, set about doing the repair job with Sarwan, adding 74 runs for the fourth wicket, before he was dismissed by offspinner Amit Jaggernauth. Earlier, Trinidad, who resumed on 273 for 3, lost Lara in the morning session when he gave left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul a return catch after only adding eight runs to his overnight score of 115. Trinidad lost wickets at regular intervals, but Kieron Pollord, who had resumed on 41, kept up the attack by scoring 85 off 103 balls before edging to the wicketkeeper. There was an hour-long stoppage after lunch due to rain, subsequent to which, Richard Kelly, with an unbeaten 30, took Trinidad to 401. Offspinner Zaheer Mohammed claimed the bowling honours with figures of 4 for 78.
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Jamaica, after overcoming a nervy start, were led by an aggressive half-century from Wavell Hinds, who scored 62 off 82 balls, to take them to a five-wicket win over Leeward Islands at Sabina Park. Leeward’s seamer Gavin Tonge took three wickets to have Jamaica stuttering at 20 for 4, but they could not capitalise on that opening, with Hinds and David Bernard adding 82 runs for the fifth wicket. Earlier, Leewards could only add 96 runs to their overnight 87 for 2, with legspinner Odeon Brown taking 5 for 31 to finish with a match haul of 10 for 103, his maiden ten-wicket haul at the first-class level. Brown, who was named Man of the Match, was aided by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who claimed figures of 4 for 43 to end with overall figures of 7 for 85. Montcin Hodge provided resistance from Leeward, taking his score from 38 to 64, consuming 267 deliveries in a knock that stretched five hours.

Donald backs Woolmer for England coaching job

‘Coaching is my life: it’s what I do best’ © Getty Images

Allan Donald, the former South Africa fast bowler, has said he “can’t think of a more experienced coach” than Bob Woolmer to take over from Duncan Fletcher as England coach, should the position become available.Yesterday Woolmer, the Pakistan coach who played 19 Tests for England, told that he “will be open to offers after the World Cup,” and that he “would be foolish not to be”.”I have always been proud of playing for England and just missed out on coaching them [in the past] because the timing was not right. Coaching is my life,” he said. “It is what I do best and I am keeping fit through hitting catches and walking for 45 minutes every day, and swimming 1,200 metres every other day.”And Donald, who played under Woolmer during his tenure as Warwickshire coach in the 1990s, is certain England have a worthy replacement for Fletcher. “He is such a dedicated bloke,” he said, “very professional, he understands the England system very well and will set new challenges for an England squad.”Tom Moody, the Sri Lanka coach and John Wright, the previous India coach, are two other possible names England might consider. While both have played county cricket, neither is as experienced a coach as Woolmer.

McGlashan leads Central Districts to shock title

ScorecardSara McGlashan hit an unbeaten half-century as Central Districts beat Canterbury by five wickets at Christchurch to claim their first State League title. Having dismissed Canterbury for just 150, CD coasted home with 17 balls to spare. It was just the second time that the unfancied CD side had beaten Canterbury in their history.After rain delayed the start, Canterbury opted to bat but struggled to get a partnership going and lost wickets at regular intervals to finish on 150 for 9 after 50 overs. Both Haidee Tiffen and Beth McNeill top-scored with 25. Zara McWilliams picked up 3 for 37 for Central Districts.In the second innings, Amy Satterthwaite picked up three quick top-order wickets to reduce Central Districts to 65 for 3 but McGlashan held the innings together with a well-made 55 and saw them through to the title.”Obviously, playing for New Zealand ranks very high but I think this is probably the best moment of my career,” said McGlashan. “I don’t think there’s a better feeling than this. It’s always been a team effort with us and everyone’s done really well throughout the season. We put them under pressure and they crumbled.”

Jamaica thump T&T by 142 runs

Jamaica 316 and 274 for 6 decl. (Hyatt 64, Pagon 57) beat Trinidad & Tobago 303 and 145 (Kelly 83, Miller 4-27) by 142 runs
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With three of their batsmen unable to bat, Trinidad and Tobago slumped to a 142-run defeat against Jamaica at the Alpart Sports Club. Shazan Babwah had returned home after the death of his father, while Imran Jan was resting a back injury, and once Sherwin Ganga retired hurt after being struck a painful blow on the chin by Daren Powell, Trinidad and Tobago were left with only seven fit batsmen. Chasing 288 in two session, they collapsed to 145 all out, despite a blistering 72-ball 83 from Richard Kelly who smashed seven sixes and three fours. For Jamaica, who registered a fifth successive win, Nikita Miller did the damage, picking up 4 for 27, including the wicket of Kelly, leg before wicket, as Trinidad and Tobago lost seven wickets in the final session. Earlier, Jamaica had declared on 274 for 6, with Powell making 45 and Carlton Baugh a quickfire 43.Barbados 224 and 4 for 0 trail Guyana 249 (Ramdass 57, Bennett 4-70) by 21 runs
ScorecardThe Nagamootoo brothers, Mahendra and Vishal, inspired a rearguard action that gave Guyana a 24-run first-innings lead against Barbados at the Kensington Oval. Ryan Ramdass had compiled a painstaking 57 as Guyana reached 119 for 1 in response to Barbados’s 224, but but they then slumped to 175 for 7 before Mahendra Nagamootoo chipped in with 32 to complement his brother’s unbeaten 33. For Barbados, Jason Bennett took 4 for 70 to take his series tally to an impressive 21. When bad light stopped play 11 overs early, Barbados were still 21 runs in arrears.Winward Islands 279 for 3 (Smith 135*, Murray 61*) lead Leeward Islands 262 (Jeffers 69, Sammy 6-50) by 17 runs
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Devon Smith compiled a patient and classy century as Windward Islands took charge of their match against the Leewards in St. Thomas. With Junior Murray chipping in with a defiant 61, Windwards dominated the final session after they had lost wickets either side of tea. Smith smashed 16 fours and a huge six off Omari Banks that landed on the roof of the commentary box. Earlier, Leewards were able to add just 10 to their overnight total, as Darren Sammy finished with career-best figures of 6 for 50.

Sussex take a gamble on Voros

Sussex have signed Jason Voros, a left-arm seamer from Australia, on a one-year contract for next season. Born in Canberra, Voros’s parents are Hungarian, meaning he qualifies as a domestic player through the European Union regulations.Voros, 26, played for Sussex’s 2nd XI last season and impressed by taking 14 wickets in four games. He also played for Hull in the Yorkshire League, and captured 47 wickets and scored six half-centuries.Peter Moores, Sussex’s coach, said: "This is good news for Sussex as a strengthening of the bowling department was necessary after the departure of Paul Hutchison and Billy Taylor.""It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and the start of a new career," Voros said. "I’m grateful for this chance, and to be joining the county Champions is awesome. If you’re going to play county cricket then you might as well join the best and I’m looking forward to the challenge. My signing with Sussex shows that all club cricketers can aim at the top."

Nepal has created a chance for bright future

Nepal’s effort in reaching the final of the Plate Championship of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at Lincoln University has been one of the highlights of the tournament.Nepal were only a fraction away from qualifying from the Super League stage of the World Cup, and they had victories over Test nations Pakistan and Bangladesh.But in terms of their own development they were probably best suited to learning in a less harsh environment in the Plate.The real test for Nepal lies in maximising the benefits to its players from the tournament.Whether coach Roy Dias is part of that may be decided by the Asian Cricket Council. Dias was appointed to the side by them, but he has been approached by United Arab Emirates and it could be the ACC that decides what he does.”My personal preference is Nepal – I know these guys so well,” he said.Dias believes Nepal could play at the top level in 10 years.”This has been a good tournament for them. They have had facilities to work in they have not had before.”But we find it difficult to get the kids interested back in Nepal. Soccer is their main game. And there is no schools set-up for cricket. Rumesh Ratnayake has been going around Nepal encouraging kids and trying to get them playing.”They have the talent but it is a long road ahead. There is some club cricket but it is all one-day cricket and mainly only 40 overs, so they haven’t been used to playing 50 overs.”But watching these guys the last three months I thought they could cause some surprises here, especially the spin bowlers. I knew the strength of my players,” Dias said.

Bloomfield record first victory against Moors SC

Bloomfield C&AC recorded their first win in their second match of the Premier Limited Over Tournament 2000 by beating Moors SC by 50 runs in Colombo today.The match was reduced to 36 overs after the start of play was delayed due to heavy overnight rain. Moors won the toss and, unsurprisingly, decided to bowl first, in an effort to exploit the moist conditions.Sanath Jayasuriya gave a boost to Bloomfield SC with his return to the side after his exploits in Sharjah but disappointed when Rangana Herath caught him in the covers off the bowling of Rasika Priyadharshana for just 8 runs.Pubudu Dassanayake followed soon after to leave Bloomfield in trouble on 24/2. Bloomfield skipper, Kumar Dharmasena, and T.M. Dilshan then batted cautiously to start with before taking the attack to the Moors bowlers. Until the 26th over the pair were content to work the ball into the gaps for singles and twos. However, Dilshan then took control to unleash his full array of strokes.The pair added 152 runs off just 161 balls for the third wicket before Dilshan was stumped for 88 off 77 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 2 huge sixes. Dharmasena scored 60 off 82 deliveries before Rangana Herath caught him on the boundary.Bloomfield finished with 222/4 in their allotted 36 overs. The only economical bowler was R. Priyadharshana who took one wicket for 20 in his six overs.In reply, Moors SC made just 172 for the loss of 9 wickets in 36 overs. Heshan Thilakarathna (38) and Rasika Priyadharshana were the only pair who managed to put on a decent partnership. They compiled 64 for the second wicket. When they were dismissed Moors SC’s hopes quickly evaporated as Sanath Jayasuriya picked up three wickets.

Aston Villa: Preece hits out at Leon Bailey

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece believed that Leon Bailey wasn’t strong enough for his involvement in West Ham’s second goal in his team’s 2-1 defeat on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Bailey’s performance

Steven Gerrard brought on the winger shortly before the hosts went 1-0 up with 20 minutes to go through Andriy Yarmolenko. The Jamaican is yet to start a game this year due to injury but looked bright in the closing stages in east London. 

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old ended with a match rating of 7.3/10, creating one big chance, completing 100% of his dribbles and recording seven accurate passes.

However, with Villa looking to get back into the game, Bailey lost out to Declan Rice following John McGinn’s attempted pass, with Pablo Fornals doubling the hosts’ lead.

The Latest: Preece’s post on Bailey

Preece relayed the key moments from the London Stadium via Twitter on Sunday afternoon and believed that Bailey was ‘not strong enough’ in the build-up to the second West Ham goal.

He tweeted: “Goal, West Ham, Fornals! Leon Bailey not strong enough to receive McGinn’s pass as Rice nicks in, drives forward, plays Benrahma who checks it back to Fonals who fires home. Villa done on the break. Clinical from the hosts.”

The Verdict: Hard done by?

Villa came into Sunday’s clash in fine form, winning their previous three games without conceding, and Gerrard may feel that his side should have taken something from the capital today.

The visitors had more efforts on goal, a greater share of possession and also hit the woodwork, as per SofaScore, with Bailey helping towards those stats with his all-action display upon coming off the bench.

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Unfortunately, Gerrard’s side have nothing to show for it, and they’ll be looking to put that right next time out against Arsenal, where we may see another cameo from the bench from Bailey – or possibly even from the start.

In other news: Big Villa update emerges; NSWE may not need to find £33m to sign Coutinho

BCCI decide to issue show-cause notice to Vengsarkar

A second warning by the BCCI didn’t deter Dilip Vengsarkar from speaking to the press © AFP

The Indian cricket board has decided to serve a show-cause notice to Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors for defying an official gag by continuing to write his weekly column and giving an interview to , a Mumbai-based newspaper.Rajiv Shukla, vice-president of the Board for Control of Cricket in India told PTI that the decision to serve the notice was taken by Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president. “An explanation will be sought from Vengsarkar for the columns which have appeared in Hindi and Marathi dailies,” he said. His column appeared in a Marathi paper, , and Hindi daily, .”The BCCI is of the view that if he wants to continue as a columnist, he can give up the post of the chief selector,” Shukla said. However, the board secretary Niranjan Shah said that the notice hadn’t yet been served. “It will be done some time by today,” he told Cricinfo. “We have decided to issue it, maybe by evening.”The BCCI had earlier imposed a seven-point diktat to the national selectors, and one of the main points of the directive was to restrict them from airing their views by writing newspaper columns or even interacting with the media.Vengsarkar had earlier flouted an oral directive by the BCCI after a piece carrying his byline appeared in , a Marathi daily run by the brother of Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president. That prompted the board to seek an explanation from Vengsarkar as well as impose further restrictions on all the national selectors by banning them from accompanying the team on foreign tours.Vengsarkar has been writing his columns ever since he took over as chairman. There is a view, especially with selectors enjoying only a honorary post, that Vengsarkar shouldn’t be asked to sacrifice what is effectively a regular salary.In his latest interview, Vengsarkar spoke of India’s Test captaincy issue, following Rahul Dravid’s resignation after the England tour. He hinted that Dravid’s batting form may have contributed to his decision and the selectors felt it was best to give him a break by dropping him from the one-day squad.”I feel he [Dravid] is a very sensitive person and I guess too much media pressure affected his batting,” Vengsarkar told the paper. “Dravid looked mentally down when we gave him a break. At such a time, it is always better for a player to play domestic or even club cricket to get his confidence and rhythm back. Dravid has done that and I’m sure he will score loads of runs in the future.”On the appointment of separate captains for Test and one-dayers, Vengsarkar said the selectors were in favour of an experienced candidate for for the Tests keeping in mind India’s challenging tour of Australia next month. He added that Mahandra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were close contenders for the one-day post.”It is really difficult to differentiate between the two because both have some great qualities to take Indian cricket to the top,” he said. “I guess Dhoni’s cool demeanor in a crisis tipped the scale in his favour.”Kumble is highly respected by his team-mates but also by the opposition. Most importantly he knows how to handle the Aussies in their own backyard.”

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