A report in The Sunday Times says that Darrell Hair will be backed in his legal action against the ICC for racial discrimination by Billy Doctrove, his fellow umpire during the controversial Oval Test in 2006.The case, which will be heard at the London office of the Tribunals Service, starts on October 1. Also expected to appear on Hair’s behalf are John Jameson, former assistant secretary of MCC, and Jimmy Adams, the former West Indies captain.Although Hair has remained on the ICC’s elite panel, he has not officiated in a major match since August 2006 and has been limited to a handful of Associate games. His contract with the ICC expires in March next year and will not be renewed.Hair will be represented by Robert Griffiths QC, an MCC committeeman, while he will be opposed by Michael Beloff QC.”I look forward to this matter being over and done with so my wife and I can get on with our lives,” Hair said.
Sinhalese Sports Club won the Sri Lanka Cricket-conducted Under 23 Division One final by virtue of obtaining a first-innings lead over Nondescripts Cricket Club despite a late fightback staged by Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga, who took a hat-trick on the third and final day of the 3-day final which ended in a draw at Maitland Place.Replying to SSC’s first innings of 308, NCC, who resumed the final day on 207 for 6, were dismissed for 285 to trail by 23 runs. Malinga then made a late attempt to seize back the initiative for NCC with a fiery spell of bowling that brought him 4 for 26 runs off 14 overs.Coming to bowl the eighth over of the innings, he sent back Shalika Karunanayake, Suraj Mohamed and Dunil Abeydeera with the second, third and fourth deliveries of the over. All three victims were bowled.SSC however survived the storm to end the match on 123 for 9 with opener Randhiv Fernando hitting a patient 34 not out in 232 minutes (162 balls) to make sure his club did not lose the first innings advantage.When play resumed on the final day a great deal depended on the NCC overnight pair Kosala Kulasekera and Tharuka Kottehewa who had added 77. But NCC suffered a big blow when Kottahewa was run out for 38. However, Udara Waruna stuck it out with Kulasekera carrying the score to 241 before Kulasekera’s fine knock of 80 was ended when he gave a catch to Abeydeera off Manjula Silva.Waruna and Komasaru added a further 37 runs for the ninth wicket before another run-out ended NCC’s hopes of overtaking SSC’s total. On this occasion it was Waruna who was the victim after scoring a valuable 39. Milinda Siriwardene of Sebastianites was named Player of the Tournament while the Best Batsman and Best Bowler awards went to Dimuthu Karunaratne (Colts) and A.V. Atapattu (Police SC) respectively.
India’s Under-21s defeated Pakistan by 99 runs in the fourth and final one-day match at Lahore on Sunday, to whitewash their hosts 4-0 in the first-ever women’s cricket series between the two countries. India made 215 for 4 in their 40 overs at the Gaddafi stadium, with half-centuries from Thirush Kamini and their captain Karuna Jain.They then wrapped up the match by restricting Pakistan to 116 for 9 in their allotted 40 overs. “It was a fantastic series,” Jain told AFP, “and we are thankful to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the hospitality and look forward to more Indo-Pak series.”Jain, who was declared player of the series for her magnificent batting, stroked a masterful 59 while Kamini topscored with a punishing 63. Sana Mir chipped in with for 15 for Pakistan. But the home side were never in the hunt for the target, losing wickets at regular intervals and falling 99 runs short.”The Pakistan team is inexperienced because they have started recently,” Jain added, “but I would say they showed improvement with every match. We were looked after very well and the hospitality proved the traditional values and we would always love to come to Pakistan.”India won the earlier three matches at Lahore by margins of 30 and 33 runs, and then by eight wickets. Pakistan team captain Shamsa Hashmi said that the series was the “first big step” for her team. “This series has given us the courage to take the sport forward and it will help us take on bigger challenges in the future,” she said.The Under-21s tour is the first time any women’s sport team from India has played in Pakistan. The success of this tour has paved the way for India’s senior side to visit in December, when Pakistan are due to host the first-ever Asia Cup for women. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will also take part.
Nottinghamshire have announced that Jason Gallian has been awarded a benefit in 2005.Gallian moved to Trent Bridge as captain in 1998 after eight seasons with Lancashire, and in 2004 led them to promotion in both the Championship and National League. A former Australia Under-19 captain, he played three Tests for England while at Old Trafford.”Jason has enjoyed an outstanding season in 2004 and as he was born in Australia, it is fitting that he should receive a benefit in an Ashes tour year,” explained David Collier, Nottinghamshire’s chief executive. “He has given outstanding service to both Nottinghamshire and to English cricket and we wish him every success in this well deserved benefit year.””I wish to thank the club for awarding me this honour,” Gallian said. “It caps a most enjoyable season and I look forward to an equally successful summer during my benefit year in 2005.”
Frizzell County Championship Division One Essex v Kent at Chelmsford After a fortnight of frenzied Twenty20 Cup action, it’s back to something more like normal as the four-day Championship returns. Also returning will be Nasser Hussain, who wasn’t required in the short-form stuff, and Aftab Habib after a niggling hamstring injury. Kent are still without a win after six Championship outings, and that dread word “relegation” is beginning to be heard around the Canterbury lanes. Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, makes his Championship debut for them. David Fulton is set to play only his second four-day game of the season after eye and hand problems. Essex look more comfortable in mid-table, but they have played a game more than all the other teams. Their leading wicket-taker this season is a bit of a surprise – Jon Dakin, with 25 Championship victims at 22.92.Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire at Leicester Leicestershire still have no Championship victories, and lie bottom of the table, although they have a game in hand on all their rivals. They will fancy their chances at home to Nottinghamshire, who were promoted last year. Only Paul Nixon has managed a Championship century for Leicestershire so far – mind you, most of their matches have been spoiled by the weather – and it must be time for Virender Sehwag to make a mark. Rupesh Amin, a close-season signing for Surrey, could make his debut for Leicestershire. Topping the Notts batting averages is the giant Kevin Pietersen, who slammed a double-century in his last game, and he may be joined by Chris Cairns, making an earlier-than-expected return after a broken hand.Middlesex v Surrey at Lord’s Surrey swing back into action for their first four-day match in almost a month – during which time they have added an unbeaten Twenty20 record to their impressive Championship one. Rikki Clarke is away with England, but that only means that Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe might actually get a game at the same time for once. Surrey have already had eight different centurymakers in the Championship this season – and two more batsmen (Alec Stewart and Azhar Mahmood) who have managed 98s. Stewart replaces Jon Batty behind the stumps. Middlesex only have three – Ben Hutton, Ed Joyce and their captain Andy Strauss. But Middlesex do have a cutting edge to their seam-bowling attack, with Ashley Noffke and Abdul Razzaq in form, even if they are still missing that twirling King of the Jungle. Middlesex’s coach john Emburey is upbeat: “Surrey are the best team in the country and we know it will be a tough game,'” he said, “but we seem to play better against the better sides.”Sussex v Warwickshire at Hove It’s third v fourth at Hove, where this year’s surprise packets Sussex – who were expected to struggle after being promoted last year – take on 2002 runners-up Warwickshire. Sussex’s Robin Martin-Jenkins (480 Championship runs and 12 wickets so far) continued his good form in the Twenty20 competition, while James Kirtley (32 wickets at 25.09) will want to send a reminder to the England selectors who keep sending him away from international squads. Warwickshire will be missing Jim Troughton, but will field their intriguing overseas pairing of Waqar Younis and the Kenyan legspinner Collins Obuya. And their captain, Michael Powell, returns after a shin problem.Frizzell County Championship Division Two Glamorgan v Worcestershire at Cardiff Worcestershire lead the way in Division Two – they’re the only unbeaten side, and have won their last three matches – but they will be without the injured Graeme Hick and Steve Rhodes for their visit to Sophia Gardens, while Vikram Solanki is one England duty. There’s a Worcester debut instead for Justin Kemp, the hard-hitting South African allrounder. Glamorgan have no such worries, although Steve James is still out with a long-term leg injury. Matthew Maynard has been in top form so far this term, scoring 524 Championship runs at 47.63, but he runs up against Worcestershire’s in-form South African, Nantie Hayward, who has so far taken 27 wickets at 23.14.Hampshire v Gloucestershire at Southampton Hampshire aim to climb off the bottom of the table against Gloucestershire (third) at the Rose Bowl. They haven’t managed a Championship win yet, although they fell just one wicket short of one in their last match, against Durham. The in-form batsman for Hampshire is Nic Pothas, the South African with a Greek passport: he has 514 runs in the Championship so far. Gloucestershire’s bowling hopes are pinned on Mike Smith (26 wickets at 21.15 so far) and Jon Lewis (29 at 22.51). One familiar face returns – Robin Smith comes back after missing Hampshire’s Twenty20 campaign – but another will be missing: Jack Russell is out for a month with a broken hand.Northamptonshire v Derbyshire at Northampton All eyes will be on Michael Hussey at Wantage Road – Northamptonshire’s Australian captain smashed 264 in his last Championship match (against Gloucestershire) then was among the pace-setters in the Twenty20 Cup. Perennial strugglers Derbyshire lie eighth, level on points with the bottom club Hampshire, but they do have one of the season’s leading runscorers in Michael Di Venuto, who has slammed 603 so far. Derbyshire’s captain Dominic Cork is struggling with the ankle problem which prevented him bowling in the last three Twenty20 games, while wicketkeeper Luke Sutton has not shaken off a hamstring strain. If Sutton fails a late fitness test then Karl Krikken will make his first Championship appearance of the season.Somerset v Yorkshire at Taunton Somerset may be lacking Marcus Trescothick and Richard Johnson but they’ll still fancy their chances against under-achieving Yorkshire, who themselves will be missing Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and their captain Anthony McGrath, all on England duty. Somerset’s Jamie Cox, after a quiet time last year, has made 575 runs in the Championship already this time, while Nixon McLean leads the way for the bowlers with 31 wickets. Both are slight injury doubts: “Jamie had a bit of a twinge in his back but he seems to be OK now, and Nixon had a niggling knee problem, so we rested him for the one-dayers,” said Somerset’s captain Michael Burns, who added: “It will be an absolute pleasure to get back to Championship cricket,” referring to his side’s four defeats in five Twenty20 games. “We have been back in the nets the last few days and it feels like the start of the season.” Yorkshire’s top man is Michael Lumb, with 480 runs, while they also hope that Craig White will be able to start bowling again.
Perhaps it’s fitting that the opening passages of the 2001-02 domestic first-class season will be played out against the backdrop of a Federal election campaign. Because, from its starting point tomorrow, this is a summer that will either help to entrench something rapidly approaching the status of a dynasty or to pave the way for the emergence of a new ruler.In securing four of the last seven first-class titles on offer in Australian interstate competition, Queensland has not only effectively dispelled time-honoured jokes about its inability to win a crown from any of 62 previous attempts. It has also helped take the quality of state cricket in Australia to a new level, establishing a robust benchmark against which every other team is now forced to measure its own performance.The Queenslanders have the entirety of their title-winning squad of 2000-01 on call again, together with the likes of national representatives Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds, who were in India when the Pura Cup Final was won back in March. An injury-free Michael Kasprowicz is also effectively a new recruit, having appeared in just one first-class match for Queensland last season.But, while the Bulls might have played with great confidence and assurance on their way to back-to-back titles, history shows that the task of winning three in a row (elections or cricket trophies, it scarcely matters which) is not so easy.Having served an impressive apprenticeship over the last three years, Victoria shapes as at least one side likely to challenge the Queenslanders’ authority. The Bushrangers have forged a powerful rivalry with the Sunshine State in recent times, resisting the Bulls’ renowned ploy of bowling to packed off-side fields and coming the closest of any team to upsetting their dominance in an engrossing Final at the ‘Gabba.The Victorians were ultimately left to rue the impact of a slow start to the season, but enjoyed a powerful finish as their combination of vigilant batting and accurate bowling served to bring a succession of opponents undone. As he nears retirement, hard-working captain Paul Reiffel is likely to play a more understated role this time. But a team which contains names like Matthew Elliott, Damien Fleming, Colin Miller, Mathew Inness, Jason Arnberger and Brad Hodge can never be discounted.Tasmania’s third-placed finish last season can be viewed in contrasting ways. It might either be seen as an inaccurate result following a string of poor performances in the middle of the season, or an appropriate reflection of the fact that it closed out the program in form as convincing as anyone’s. Its array of young talent is impressive and it was certainly no accident that its turnaround last summer coincided with the arrival in the state of talented all-rounder Shane Watson. Improving contributions from players like Sean Clingeleffer and Scott Kremerskothen were also influential. Its bowlers remain underrated and, if it finds the right mix of batsmen to appropriately support Jamie Cox at the top of the order, it might well be the summer’s surprise packet.New South Wales is again likely to rely heavily on the impact of its international representatives at the start of the season. Like Tasmania, though, its policy of placing an accent on youth in recent years might well begin to reap a range of tangible rewards this summer. Greg Mail and Michael Clarke look ideally suited to berths in the team’s top order, Mark Higgs continues to make rapid strides as an all-rounder, and Don Nash is quickly earning a reputation as one of the country’s best fast bowlers. And don’t overlook the fact that Michael Slater and Stuart MacGill could be available to the team for almost all of its matches in this campaign.In ending the 2000-01 season in fifth place, Western Australia returned its worst result at first-class level in as many as 11 years. It was an experience that was as unfulfilling as it was unfamiliar, and it culminated in the departures of coach Wayne Clark and two long-serving heroes in Tom Moody and Brendon Julian. Yet it is rare for the Warriors to enter any season without high hopes and without looking like they have the firepower to be genuinely competitive against all opposition. Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn seem destined to be absent for most of the season, and Justin Langer and Simon Katich may also only appear sparingly as a legacy of their commitments with the national team. But, in the likes of Mike Hussey, Murray Goodwin, Marcus North, Matt Nicholson, a hopefully injury-free Brad Williams and the emerging Shaun Marsh, the core of a potentially great side still exists. Down but by no means out of the picture remain the Warriors.South Australia’s senior core of players continues to provide yeoman service, but the state team has not received quite the same level of output from its next bracket of cricketers. Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann’s performances with the bat mean plenty but they have found that their back-up has been limited, while holes in the bowling attack were similarly badly exposed last summer by the loss of Jason Gillespie to international commitments and Brad Young and Paul Wilson to injury. Chris Davies, Graham Manou, Paul Rofe and Luke Williams shape as important players this season, standard-bearers as they are for the next wave of successful Redbacks. Though injuries are again a blight before the first-class season has even commenced, it could ultimately be an exciting year for the South Australians if the vagaries of good fortune and form at last turn in their favour.In all, it shapes as another intriguing six-way battle between the states in what remains arguably the world’s premier first-class competition. Unlike the contest in Canberra, the winner here will not be required to kiss babies along the way nor will it ultimately assume any of the weighty responsibilities of elected office. But it could be just as close a race for power.
ScorecardFile photo: Shreyas Iyer finished the opening day 33 runs shy of his second double-hundred of this season•PTI
Shreyas Iyer’s rapid 167 not out off 176 deliveries lifted Mumbai to dominant 317 for 3 on the first day of their match against Baroda in Vadodara. Iyer’s knock was complemented by fifties from opener Akhil Herwadkar (67) and Suryakumar Yadav (66 not out), after Mumbai won the toss and opted to bat. Mumbai’s move to promote Dhawal Kulkarni as an opener failed but Herwadkar steadied things, taking the lead in a 42-run partnership with Shrideep Mangela. He then added a brisk 57 for the third wicket with Iyer before falling for 67 to Hardik Pandya. Iyer kept up the tempo of the innings with Suryakumar – the pair added an unbroken 196 runs at more than four runs an over – and struck 13 fours and 4 sixes during the day to finish 33 runs short of his second double-century of the season. ScorecardAndhra pacers CV Stephen and D Siva Kumar took three wickets each as Uttar Pradesh crumbled to 170 all out on the first day of the Group B match in Ongole. In reply, Andhra’s opening pair of DB Prasanth and Srikar Bharat took the side to 77 for 0, with Bharat finishing the day on 56 not out off 79 deliveries. Only two UP batsmen – opener Tanmay Srivastava (42) and captain Praveen Kumar (47) – scored more than 40 and it was the 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket between the two batsmen that allowed the side to stretch their score to 170. Put in to bat, UP had been reduced to 52 for 4 by Siva Kumar and DP Vijaykumar and once Praveen was dismissed, the side suffered another collapse, losing the last six wickets for only 53 runs. ScorecardMadhya Pradesh opener Aditya Shrivastava’s fourth century in only his seventh first-class innings helped his side recover from a middle-order collapse against Punjab in Patiala. Shrivastava and Jalaj Saxena added 152 for the first wicket after Madhya Pradesh opted to bat, but Saxena’s dismissal for 70 allowed Punjab to fight back through quick wickets. Madhya Pradesh lost five wickets for 51 runs – offspinner Pargat Singh and legspinner Sarabjit Ladda took two each – before Shrivastava and Rameez Khan saw them through to the end of the day. Shrivastava’s unbeaten 105 came off 267 deliveries and included six fours and a six. ScorecardRailways’ bowlers struck with late wickets to limit Gujarat to 286 for 6 in Delhi, after a century from opener Priyank Kirit Panchal had given the visitors a chance to post a stronger total. Gujarat lost early wickets to the pace pair of Krishnakant Upadhyay and Ranjit Mali after being put in to bat, but the 120-run, third-wicket partnership between Parthiv Patel and Panchal led the side’s recovery. Y Venugopal Rao supported Panchal in a 73-run partnership after Parthiv was dismissed, but the Railways bowlers – each had a wicket to show at the end of the day – kept chipping away. Panchal was the last wicket to fall on the first day, caught by Ashish Singh off Arnab Nandi for 141.
The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has claimed that the Hoops ‘definitely’ want to make Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan move from Tottenham permanent in the summer.
The Lowdown: Premier League clubs keen
The 24-year-old has been a regular under Ange Postecoglou this season and the Hoops have an option to make his loan move permanent at the end of the season in a deal worth an initial £6m.
The USA international, who has been hailed as ‘incredible’ by his former Luton Town boss Graeme Jones, is on £22,000 per week but is now attracting interest from a number of English teams.
According to reports in the week, eight English clubs are showing an interest in the 24-year-old, five of which currently ply their trade in the Premier League.
The Latest: Devlin’s comments on Carter-Vickers
Here at The Transfer Tavern, we asked Devlin on Sunday morning for an update on Carter-Vickers following the links with numerous teams south.
This is what he had to say in reply in his Q&A on The Athletic, claiming that the Hoops ‘definitely’ want to sign the defender:
“Nothing new, really. Celtic have first say with their option-to-buy and they definitely want him, but ultimately it’ll be down to the player I believe.
“Newcastle was his preference in August but their interest wasn’t serious enough, so when Spurs called Celtic and offered them him on deadline day they readily accepted – they’d enquired about a loan with option-to-buy earlier that month but Spurs initially rejected it wanting only a permanent move, but by deadline day they just wanted him out the squad.
“Not sure how that’s changed and wouldn’t want to speculate – whether he now feels at home at Celtic or whether his performances attracting EPL attention will swivel his head.”
The Verdict: Fingers crossed
Postecoglou has trusted Carter-Vickers throughout the season and has reaped the rewards, with the defender impressing in Glasgow.
No Celtic player has won more aerial duels per game than the American, who also leads the way in terms of clearances per game at Parkhead and is dribbled past the least. [WhoScored]
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A £6m permanent deal would make him the club’s ninth-most expensive signing of all time, but following his performances this season, it could prove to be a shrewd move in the long run, especially with plenty of Premier League sides now keen on him.
In other news: Journalist drops ‘insane’ Celtic transfer claim regarding Ange moving for Real Madrid winger
Lauren Cheatle and Naomi Stalenberg, who have both impressed with the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League, are in line to debut for Australia after being named in the squad to take on India in six matches over the next month.Australia’s selectors have named a squad of 15 for the matches, beginning with three T20s in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, followed by three ODIs in Canberra and Hobart. The three T20s will be broadcast by the Nine Network and have been scheduled as double-headers to correspond with the T20s being played by the Australia and India men.Cheatle, 17, a left-arm fast bowler, and Stalenberg, 21, a middle-order batsman, have been named in the T20 squad only, after their strong WBBL performances. Cheatle is equal second on the WBBL wicket tally with 17 victims at 15.76 and an economy rate of 6.38, while Stalenberg has proven herself one of the tournament’s quickest scorers, with 160 runs at a strike-rate of 150.94.”The T20 squad has been selected with an eye to the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in March and includes two new faces,” Shawn Flegler, the Women’s National Selection Panel chairman, said. “We have chosen the Sydney Thunder’s Lauren Cheatle and Naomi Stalenberg, after some very impressive recent performances in the WBBL and WNCL.”Cheatle is a 17-year-old left-arm quick who can swing the ball into right-handers and has shown great composure in her second and third spells during the WNCL. Naomi Stalenberg has been a real standout with her aggressive middle-order batting, displaying great power and a healthy strike rate.”Stalenberg and Cheatle will be replaced for the ODI portion of the series by legspinner Kristen Beams and top-order batsman Nicole Bolton. Beams is recovering from a dislocated thumb and her fitness will be monitored closer to the start of the one-day internationals.Australia squad Meg Lanning (capt), Alex Blackwell (vice-capt), Kristen Beams (ODI only), Nicole Bolton (ODI only), Lauren Cheatle (T20 only), Sarah Coyte, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg (T20 only).
South Africa 232 and 86 for 1 dec (Benade 51) beat Netherlands108 (Loubser 5 for 37) and 50 (Loubser 3 for 22) by 159 runs ScorecardSouth Africa crushed Netherlands on the final day of the one-off Test at Rotterdam, to win by 159 runs with Sunette Loubser returning match figures of 8 for 59 from 54.3 overs. Netherlands crumbled twice on Tuesday – they lost their final six wickets for 19 runs in the first innings, and then were all out for 50 in the second, after South Africa set them 211 to win.The visitors rushed to 86 for 1 from 22.3 overs before declaring to leave Netherlands an ask which was way beyond them. Susan Benade led South Africa’s run-glut, with 51. South Africa weren’t always on top in the match, though, after a first day wobble to 159 for 5.However, this score was soon put into context when they showed their true class on the last two days (with the third day washed out).The result is bound to put into question the value of Netherlands playing another Test. This form of the game is already played infrequently, and while the side’s first outing in this game was promising to begin with, it quickly unravelled.