Category Uncategorized

Rikki Clarke: ‘I do what I do, scoring runs and taking wickets’

Michael Vaughan says your bowling needs a bit of work.
I know my bowling is my weak area. Ideally I’d like to bowl a lot more at Surrey, but basically it’s a case of working with Troy Cooley when I get the opportunity and seeing how it goes. At Surrey, I’ll bowl well in one game, but then not bowl again in the next or for a while after that. It leads to inconsistency, and that’s what I lack at the moment. I need to sort out my technique, iron out that odd short ball and odd full ball, and hit more of a consistent area at a decent pace.Was your action modelled on that other famous Guildford and Surrey seam bowler?
Bickers? No, it wasn’t planned like that. But when I joined Surrey I did work a lot with him, and he said that that sort of action would help. I had a tendency to fall away at the crease, which was something of a glitch in my technique. Bickers’s advice was to find an action that just repeated itself naturally.How are you feeling with a Test debut seemingly round the corner?
I’d like to play, and most people reckon I will play. I’ve just got to wait and see who they go with. From a very early age I’ve wanted to play for England, and now I’ve got the chance, I want to grab it with both hands. It’s all come pretty quickly. In the summer before last I was playing for Guildford, got a few games for Surrey and at the end of it I was picked for the ICC Champions Trophy. And then, at the start of this summer, I went the other way. I started off with Surrey, got dropped, went back to Guildford for two or three games. And then two months later I was in the one-day series … and now this.Would your career benefit from a move from Surrey?
It’s definitely something I’ve thought about. I’ve played all my cricket for them, but if I was somewhere else, then I’d be higher up the order and have more responsibility. But for the moment I’m a Surrey player and I just need to work hard. But moving away is something I’ve thought about, to further my England career. Because at the moment my bowling is not good enough. I’ve mentioned it to Adam Hollioake and the coach, and towards the end of last season they did give me more responsibility, and it went well – I was taking wickets and building a good rhythm. I think that’s what I need, day-in-day-out bowling. Up till now I’ve been getting a game where I’d bowl 25 overs, then in the next I wouldn’t touch the ball. It leads to inconsistency.Last season you scored a hundred and were then dropped?
Yeah, I got 127, but then the overseas players came back and it was a case of “the youngster has to go”. I missed the next four or five games and went back to Guildford instead. But I know they rate me – I’ve signed a five-year contract, and I’ve got four years left … which is pretty tidy!How’s the one-day career going?
It’s been okay, so far. In my last game against South Africa at Edgbaston, I didn’t exactly set the world alight, but I batted well and played my natural game – basically the nerves had settled. The Pakistan series earlier in the summer didn’t go so well, though I’m not sure why. Maybe it was nerves, possibly some bad shot selection. Either way the key is to play naturally. I do what I do, scoring runs and taking wickets.How do you rate your prospects in Bangladesh?
I’ve been very nervous early on in my career, so I hope to relax over here. But I can’t escape the fact that my bowling is still weak. I want to do a job as a third seamer, go for two runs an over, keep it tight and take the odd wicket. That’s what I’m working at. I worked with Troy in the summer, and to be totally honest, my bowling really progressed in that time, only to fall back again at Surrey. Hopefully he’ll help take it on again.Is Freddie Flintoff something of a role model?
Yes, definitely. Freddie is taking on more responsibility with the ball as well as bat, and he’s getting wiser as a cricketer. He’s a definite role model. I’ve heard no word for Stewie [Alec Stewart], my predecessor at No. 6 – he’s too busy watching Chelsea. But 6 is my number. I’ve done it for Surrey and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s down to me to do well now, so that when Freddie comes back, I’ll be giving the selectors a bit of a headache. I just want to be in the side.Is your fielding natural or the product of hard work?
I don’t work that hard on my fielding, to be honest. Of course, it’s the same as everyone – we have our catches in the morning. But maybe I’ve just got big hands! I enjoy standing at slip, backward point, or wherever. It’s just a question of where the skipper wants me. Down at fine-leg is not really me – I like to be in the action and maybe take a run-out.How have you adjusted to the batting conditions overseas?
Batting-wise I’ve been working with Duncan Fletcher, and he said get a bit lower at the crease. In England I stand very tall, because the pitches are so true. Over here that’s not the case, you have to stay lower, especially when you’re quite tall like me. As the allrounder I’m not quite in the Flintoff mould – Freddie is more powerful than I am. He still plays the correct shots, but hits the ball so much harder. Given time at the crease I can be pretty destructive myself, but I like to have a look first and build an innings. Freddie, on the other hand, can just come in and destroy bowlers

Chris Taylor has formed another impressive partnership by getting married to his long-term girlfriend, Sarah.The couple were ecstatic as they exchanged vows at a gorgeous ceremony in the Forest of Dean.The wedding is the only reason Chris is not in Australia with the Academy side, but his potential has been noted by the selectors and I am sure more opportunities will come his way in the near future.Speaking of his future, I hope you can join me in wishing Chris and Sarah a very bright one together.

Aided by a sedate 74 by Rajini Venugopal, Indian Railways completed aone sided eight wicket win over East Zone at the AC Tech ground in theCricInfo Rani Jhansi Trophy Women’s tournament in Chennai onFriday. The match provided Railways with an an excellent opportunityto have some valuable match practice before they take on arch rivalsAir India in the title clash on Saturday.After restricting East to 146, Railways stared the run chase with alittle hiccup when Rajini Sharma was caught behind in the very firstover off Jhulan. Rajini Venugopal (74 runs off 107 balls) joinedBalbir Kaur and the two added 28 runs in 5.2 overs for the secondwicket. Balbir (7) was run out while trying to steal asingle. Hemalatha (42 runs off 88 balls) then joined Rajini. With twoearly wickets having fallen as a result of misjudgements, Rajni andHemalatha put their heads down and made sure of a Railways win.The pair moved steadily towards the target with a sedate partnershipwhich saw them capitalizing on some frequent lapses in thefield. Boundaries were far and few between since the two preferred topick up the runs by placing the ball into the gaps. The standflourished and with the East bowling not upto the mark, the two wereable to rotate the strike and kept the score ticking.Rajini in particular looked at ease against the spin attack of Sabari,Seema and Saswati. She made some crisp drives on both sides of thewicket. Rajini reached her half-century in 69 balls with the help ofsix boundaries. Then the two of them consolidated and helped the teamto close out the match in 35.2 overs with a 155 run unbroken stand off171 balls.Earlier, winning the toss, East Zone openers Neetu and Kavitha (58runs off 131 balls) failed to give a good start. Neetu was caughtbehind off Sunita when trying to go for an ambitious slash behindpoint. This brought Chandrabarti (29 runs off 106 balls) to thecrease. Both Chandrabarti and Kavitha resumed from where they had leftoff yesterday when they had shared a century stand against SouthZone. They showed good understanding in picking up the runs androtated the strike judiciously.But after the first drinks, the two spinners Rupanjali and Neetu Davidstarted to contain the two. Operating from the pavilion end, Neetuespecially made use of the uneven bounce and started to trouble thetwo batswomen. She managed to find the nick of Kavitha’s bat butRupanjali at gully dropped a simple chance. From the 20th overonwards, both Chandrabarti and Kavitha were tied down by some goodbowling from the spinners. They were not able to get the ball away forruns and the scoring rate dropped appreciably.Neetu and Deepa Kulkarni, operating in tandem, hardly gave anythingaway through to the 40th over. From the 20th to the 40th over, Eastcompiled only 40 runs. After a spell of 10 overs for nine runs withsix maidens from Neetu, East were pegged back by the fact that therewas not enough runs on the board and they were already in the last tenovers.The start of the 41st over saw Chandrabarti run out in trying to geton with the scoring. This brought Rumeli to the crease. Kavitha inthe meantime reached her second consecutive half century of thetournament. But her innings was cut short by a needless run out whenshe failed to reach the crease in trying to go for a non-existentsingle. Then Rumeli was bowled by Deepa while tring to punch the balloff the back foot. Geeta Samantrai and Jhulan took the score to 136 inthe 50th over, when the latter was run out. At the end of their 50overs, East managed to score only 146 for the loss of five wickets,mainly because of some good bowling by the Railways spin bowlers.

According to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], West Ham are interested in signing Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez.

The lowdown: Return acts as a reminder

The 26-year-old is nearing a comeback following a spell sidelined through a positive Covid-19 test as well as a knee injury.

This imminent return has brought about fresh speculation regarding a possible summer move having previously been heavily linked to Inter Milan.

Now it appears that there is heightened interest in the Uruguay international as two Premier League sides show their admiration.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-3/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest: Let the bidding commence

According to Italian sources, as translated by SW, West Ham and Leeds United are both keen and Cagliari are hoping to open an ‘auction’ for the versatile midfielder.

As such, the Serie A club hopes that the interest from English clubs would allow them to achieve close to a previous €35million (£29.4million) valuation.

However, Inter are said to have taken ‘concrete steps’ to sign the 49-cap ace and would appear to be in the driving seat.

The verdict: Fits the bill

David Moyes has built a team packed full of hardworking, dyed in the wool triers for the cause in east London, traits that would perfectly suit Nandez, described as a player who ‘leaves the last drop of sweat on the pitch’ by football agent Pablo Bentancur.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Previously hailed elsewhere as ‘amazing’ by journalist Mina Rzouki following a performance against Napoli containing two key passes, two clearances and one goal (Sofascore),  the Uruguayan has certainly caught the eye in Italy, racking up nearly two tackles per game with his tenacity in midfield.

Valued at £16.2million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), signing Nandez for anything below the previous mooted asking price would be a worthwhile piece of business from the Hammers.

Stumps Devon Conway brought up a double-century and pushed New Zealand into such a strong position in Mount Maunganui that they actually got carried away with it.With their fifth-highest Test total at home – 575 for 8 declared – on their back, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Michael Rae ran in expecting wickets to tumble. They bowled far too full and were taken for far too many and, as a result, both teams have now wasted the new ball on a green pitch.West Indies were flying – 88 in 15 overs – with 13 fours coming in that time. That’s not including ten wides. Brandon King and John Campbell did not bat like they had been weighed down by 155 overs in the field or the 500-plus deficit. They focused on playing late, playing straight and were still alert enough to punish an overly enthusiastic New Zealand attack.John Campbell scored quickly in a century opening stand with Brandon King•Getty Images

West Indies go into the third day still trailing by 465 but in games like these you can’t look at the scoreboard too much. You just put your head down and keep going. That’s what King and Campbell did to produce their first century partnership as an opening pair, and only the sixth in the last 11 years for West Indies. King even had time to bring up a fifty, his second in Test cricket.Such treats were on offer on day one too, only New Zealand were at the other end now. Twenty-four hours has produced a sea change with the visitors also finding their discipline with the ball. Justin Greaves set up Kane Williamson beautifully to dismiss one of the best batters in the world for just 31 and Roston Chase bowled 25 overs unchanged from morning drinks to cover for the loss of Kemar Roach to a hamstring injury. Shai Hope is of more pertinent concern because he spent the entire day at the hotel unwell and might not be allowed to bat at his usual No. 4 spot.Rachin Ravindra powers the ball away during his unbeaten half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Ojay Shields and Tagenarine Chanderpaul were carrying niggles as well so when Greaves had to step away for a bit in the second session, West Indies had no subs left and had to rope in local Tauranga boy, 19-year-old Sebastian Heath, who is also registered with the Denmark cricket team, to field for them.Given all these handicaps, the seven wickets West Indies took on Friday, the composure that followed with the bat, and the fact that they have all their run-scoring resources in hand for when the pitch flattens out were unlikely but hard-earned outcomes.Greaves may just have heralded that with his extraction of Williamson, where he beat the outside edge several times, the batter struggling to come to terms with the pace of his own home ground. With the pressure sufficiently built, Greaves dangled the bait wide outside off stump and Williamson couldn’t resist having a go. He threw his head back – but dared not look back – when he heard the nick go through to the keeper. This was what was missing from West Indies on day one when Conway and Tom Latham cruised to 323 for 0. The ability to hold a line and length and build up to a wicket.West Indies missed the services of Kemar Roach on the second day•MB Media/Getty Images

West Indies allowed only one man to score more than fifty runs on the second day – Rachin Ravindra making 72 not out. It was a much more appropriate outcome given the conditions. Balls on a good length continued to misbehave. Jayden Seales hitting more or less that area against Conway, batting on a double-century, had the batter recoiling as one kicked up alarmingly.The opening batter’s wicket – for 227 – was the result of another ball nipping in and keeping low to trap him lbw. There is still help for the bowlers out there, just that their margin of error is small. When they focus outside the 6m length, the pitch speeding up has made hitting through the line easy.Conway was tiring at the end of his 508-minute innings. West Indies’ bowlers were right there with him. Seales had roused himself to go one-on-one against Daryl Mitchell. He was emotional enough to curse so loud it was caught on the stump mic when Greaves put down a straightforward catch off Mitchell at second slip in the 127th over. He has six wickets at an average of 50.33 on this tour. He’s bowled better than that.Day three will bring different challenges. Chase’s offbreaks were already getting grip and turn and bounce. Ajaz Patel will have a lot to say and this match remains interestingly poised, not to mention one of a kind – the first in New Zealand history to include two century opening stands in the first innings.

The Canadian squad for the forthcoming tour of Kenya and Namibia has been further weakened by more withdrawals.Already without many leading players – including Ashish Bagai, the captain – the selectors have had to bring in more replacements as a result of unavailability.Ontario’s Moishan Mulla had been called up to stand in for Steve Welsh, but work commitments means that he is now replaced by Calvert Hooper. Arvind Kandappan has been drafted in to replace Bagai and Mohammad Iqbal has also been added to the squad.A spokesman from the Canada board recently told Cricinfo: “We were extremely disappointed with the number of non-availabilities for the Kenya and Namibia games, but this is really a fact-of-life with amateur sports, particularly in the North American commercial context.”While it’s obviously disappointing, it does give us an excellent opportunity to assess the performances of players who might not otherwise have been exposed to this level of international competition – which can be helpful in the long-term development of the game here.”The squad leaves for Kenya on October 7.Canada Sunil Dhaniram (capt), Qaiser Ali (vice-capt), Trevin Bastiampillai, Mohammad Iqbal, Umar Bhatti, Chaudrey Jabbar, Ashif Mulla, Calvert Hooper, Henry Osinde, Krunan Patel, Jason Patraj, Aftab Shamshudeen, Durand Soraine, Arvind Kandappan.

Sunil Dhaniram drives during his match-winning 63 off 42 balls against Bermuda © ICC

Allrounder George Codrington is captaining Canada for the first time on the current tour to South Africa. Speaking on Wednesday, as the side traveled back to Pretoria, he said “The trip is going pretty well The guys have worked really hard in the last couple of days and have shown great commitment to get acclimatised in about four days and play two pretty solid games.”The journey from Toronto via London was a long one, with many hours spent at Heathrow Airport. After arriving on Wednesday the team were soon undergoing fitness workouts around the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre grounds. Indeed, the squad was soon in the nets on Wednesday after the trip from Potchefstroom, about two-and-a-half hours south of Pretoria.Codrington was clearly disappointed that the hard work had not paid off with a win over Netherlands. “Extras could be seen as a source of defeat. If we could have cut the number of extras in half that would have made the [winning] total lower.” He also mentioned a couple of dropped catches, one that allowed young Alexei Kervezee to keep the Dutch innings going in the final seven or eight overs.”However, our commitment and thought processes were good.”He was “pretty happy” that the win over Bermuda meant the side had given “solid back-to-back performances. If we keep doing this we will have more success.” He certainly was optimistic. “I think once we put the next two-three games together with the same effort, we will go into the World Cricket League with a bit of confidence. As long as we stay consistent, we’ll be OK.”The Canadian squad went into this series without their overseas-based batting strength and Codrington held the individual highest ODI score of the squad with 45 not out. After two ODI’s there are now a number of players who have passed the 50 mark. Others came close and probably should have broken that mark, but there is a positive feel around the squad. Some, but not all, of the runs came from Canadian participants in the recent ICC Winter Training Camp. Ashish Bagai hit 50 in consecutive matches, and Sunil Dhaniram put in a stellar performance to push his side towards victory over Bermuda. Don Maxwell and Desmond Chumney did well with the bat, showing the shot selection against the Netherlands that coach Andy Pick has sought since his first match in May against Zimbabwe.”It is always encouraging to see personal bests,” said Codrington. “If we keep going that route, we can only improve as a team and our performances will be a lot more consistent.”

Scorecard

Adam Griffith’s four-wicket haul put Tasmania on top © Getty Images

Ben Hilfenhaus and Adam Griffith took four wickets apiece and scuttled Victoria for 167, giving Tasmania a 180-run first-innings lead on day two at Bellerive Oval. Tasmania resumed on 5 for 299 and their hopes of making 400 received a severe double blow when Scott Kremerskothen, who was trapped leg before by Gerard Denton for 32, and Sean Clingeleffer (44) went without adding a run.Damien Wright, the allrounder, hit a quick 41 but after he fell Mick Lewis, who was later charged with using an obscenity, quickly wrapped up the tail and ended with 4 for 73. However, Lewis’ efforts were wasted when Victoria immediately lost 2 for 2 and they failed to form any significant partnerships as Hilfenhaus and Griffith chipped away at regular intervals. Nick Jewell top scored with 43 in the first innings and after following on Victoria were 0 for 7 at stumps.”Obviously tomorrow’s a fairly big day for us to try and roll them again and prove it wasn’t a fluke,” Hilfenhaus, a 22-year-old bricklayer in his second Pura Cup match, told . “I’ve just got to try and bowl well and keep my spot. That’s my goal at the moment, just go from there.”

Scorecard
Younis Khan hit a quickfire century in the last session at the James Oval in Perth to put the Pakistanis in command against Western Australia’s 2nd XI on the opening day of the first match of their two-month tour of Australia. The Pakistanis finished on 235, having skittled WA for 158 ealier in the day.During his innings, Younis hit 23 fours and one huge six that went into a campus of the University of Western Australia next to the ground. The other tourists looked less assured: three had fallen before tea, including Yousuf Youhana, who was standing in as captain for the resting Inzamam-ul-Haq. Matthew Petrie was the pick of the WA bowlers, finishing with 4 for 26.In the morning, Shoaib Akhtar bowled just five overs as he struggled with his run-up and later complained of blisters, but still produced some express deliveries. It was left to Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Khalil to lead the attack and they responded with three wickets apiece as WA struggled with their pace. Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi and Scott Meuleman (32) put on 70 for the fifth wicket to give the total some respectability, and Ronchi’s 66 pushed it above 150.Shoaib Akhtar spoke to reporters after the game. “We want to put up a good fight out there and give them a tough time,” he said. “We won’t let them have the win easily. If we can’t win it, let them win it in a hard way.”Pakistan will hope to add to their 77-run lead tomorrow.