ScorecardFile photo – Scott Boland ripped through Western Australia•Getty Images and Cricket Australia
Chasing 459, Western Australia were wiped out for 102 in 28.2 overs, as Victoria romped home to pick up their second win and rise to the top of the table.Right-arm pacer Scott Boland scythed through Western Australia with career-best figures of 7 for 31. Each of Western Australia’s top three managed double-digit scores but failed to build on it, the last nine wickets tumbling for only 57 runs. James Pattinson collected two wickets while Fawad Ahmed pitched in with one.Earlier in the day, Marcus Stoinis completed his second first-class century, taking his match tally to 185. Rob Quiney managed only nine runs to his overnight score before he was out for 71. Peter Handscomb (63) gave Stonis good company before Aaron Finch struck a quick 45. Victoria eventually declared their innings at 322 for 7, after the fall of Pattinson (0).
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHamilton Masakadza started 2016 with another vital knock for Zimbabwe•Chris Whiteoak
The new year brought in new fortunes for Zimbabwe’s bowlers, but not their batsman, as they snatched a 117-run win from Afghanistan in the third ODI in Sharjah to keep the five-match series alive. Their medium-pacers struck from the very first over and allowed a biggest partnership of only 23 runs as Afghanistan were routed for 58 in their chase of 176. Luke Jongwe took his maiden ODI five-for and Neville Madziva finished with 3 for 27 from six overs to dismiss Afghanistan in only 16.1 overs.It barely looked like Zimbabwe would get anywhere close to victory when they were 49 for 7 after choosing to bat, but Hamilton Masakadza and Graeme Cremer staged a comeback for them, striking fifties and sharing a partnership of 104 runs to help the side move past 150. With a more respectable total to defend, Zimbabwe’s bowlers dismantled the Afghanistan line-up, by having most of their frontline batsmen caught behind. Unlike Zimbabwe, Afghanistan could not recover from their score of 47 for 7 and, except for an Mohammad Shahzad, no other batsman reached double-figures.Strangely, both teams were 0 for 2 and Zimbabwe’s recovery was better. Madziva and Jongwe didn’t allow the Afghanistan batsmen to breathe at all. Madziva struck off consecutive deliveries in the first over to remove Noor Ali Zadran with a yorker and Mohammad Nabi with a wide delivery which he edged to the wicketkeeper. The other opening bowler and left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro, who came in for Wellington Masakadza, also chipped in with two big wickets to reduce Afghanistan to 39 for 4.Shahzad, meanwhile, had done a bit of damage early on to keep Afghanistan alive by scoring 31 of their total of 39 by the sixth over. He used brute force and targeted the leg side for most of his blows before failing in his attempt to clear mid-off and Elton Chigumbura dived forward for a good, low catch. The rest of the damage was then inflicted by Jongwe, who stuck to an asking line and length outside off, extracted good bounce and produced frequent outside edges.He moved the ball just a bit to make Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mirwais Ashraf edge the ball to Masakadza at wide slip, in the ninth over. In his next over he also had Samiullah Shenwari edge one behind with marginal seam movement to move the ball away and, with the score on 49 for 8, Afghanistan’s chase had virtually ended there. Jongwe didn’t leave that to anyone else; he got his fourth wicket when Rashid Khan cut him powerfully to cover point and finished things off by strangling Amir Hamza down the leg side, on the first ball of his sixth over. Afghanistan, who had seized the early momentum by bowling beautifully in the beginning of the match, folded meekly in their attempt to convert their 2-0 lead into a 3-0 series win.Zimbabwe’s top and middle order collapsed for the second time in three matches as Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers Hamza and Dawlat Zadran pounced early on by removing the openers in the first eight balls. Left-arm spinner Hamza slid one in from wide of the crease to trap Peter Moor lbw, and five balls later Chamu Chibhabha poked at an outswinger to hand a catch to the wicketkeeper. 0 for 2.Richmond Mutumbami assisted Masakadza in a stand of 33, but an unnecessary sweep for a ball well outside off resulted in a bottom-edge to the wicketkeeper for 14. Their hopes rested on middle-order batsmen Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza but medium-pacer Ashraf’s double-strike removed both of them to leave Afghanistan reeling. Masakadza tried to unsettle Nabi by welcoming him with a straight six in the ninth over but lack of partners meant he had to rely on singles and doubles after that. To deepen Afghanistan’s woes further, a mix-up between Malcolm Waller and Masakadza ended in Waller’s run-out and they were soon 49 for 7.Cremer then joined Masakadza and the two responded with a rather unagitated approach. They nudged the spinners around to keep the score ticking, and Cremer also collected fours when Rashid Khan and Hamza bowled shorter to knock the run rate above three runs per over. Cremer’s first six, off Dawlat in the 32nd over, showed that the two batsmen were not going to give in. His hook brought up the fifty stand and also the team’s 100, and they switched gears further by scoring 36 runs from the 36th to 40th over.Cremer, though, fell to a full-toss soon after the 100 partnership came up and Masakadza added another 14 to his name before holing out to deep square leg off Dawlat, for 83.
Jason Roy sat out England’s net practice in Bloemfontein due to a back spasm and will undergo a fitness test ahead of the first ODI with South Africa on Wednesday.Roy suffered the injury during the warm-up but England expect him to be able to bat during Tuesday’s session in order to prove his fitness. His absence would break up the opening partnership he has established with Alex Hales and possibly lead to Moeen Ali returning at the top of the order.The Surrey batsman has previously spoken about using the tour to build confidence ahead of the World T20 in India next month. Roy scored his maiden ODI hundred in the UAE last year and has been part of an England side that has won five limited-overs series out of six.
BBL ‘great experience’ – Rashid
Adil Rashid was one of the stars of the BBL, having been left out of the Test leg of England’s tour, and he has returned to international duty with confidence high. Rashid, who took 3 for 55 in England’s warm-up win in Kimberley, is likely to be be a key player for England at the World T20 and he backed the ECB’s decision to prioritise his white-ball development above a spell carrying drinks for the Test side. “It went well personally for me,” he said of his trip Down Under. “It was a chance to play against different players in different conditions in what is probably now one of the biggest competitions in cricket, after the IPL. It was a great experience to play in front of 40-50,000 people. “It was a good decision to go out there, playing in a big competition as opposed to being here and maybe not getting any match practice.”
South Africa, meanwhile, have added allrounder David Wiese to their squad as injury cover. Albie Morkel had been due to join the squad but also suffered a back spasm playing for Titans in the Momentum One-Day Cup, ruling him out of the first two ODIs.An MRI scan showed some damage to the vertebrae in his lower back but Morkel could still be involved later in the series.”I think I have been playing some of the best cricket of my life in the last year and a half,” Morkel said. “If you cannot accept setbacks like these, remain positive and move on, the sporting world will be a dark place.”South Africa will also be without Kyle Abbott for the first two matches, in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain suffered during the fourth Test against England. Marchant de Lange was called into the squad as pace-bowling cover on Sunday, with South Africa looking to manage the workloads of Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada.Wiese and de Lange formed part of the South Africa A attack dismantled by England in Kimberley at the weekend – taking 2 for 73 and 2 for 69 respectively – but JP Duminy denied that the hosts were below strength. South Africa go into the one-day series having beaten India 3-2 in India last year, following a 2-1 home win over New Zealand.”I don’t think we’re weakened. I think the replacements are good enough to stand in for those players,” Duminy said. “It’s not an interruption in any way for us. We know what’s needed as a squad and it’s important for us to stay unified as a team, no matter who the personnel are.”The confidence from the one-day cricket point of view has been pretty good… We’ve won our last two series. But we know this is a tough challenge that faces us, and that England have also been playing really well in this format.”
Bangladesh Under-19s batsman Nazmul Hossain Shanto said his unbeaten 113 against Scotland Under-19s was special and stated that he had planned to rely more on singles than boundaries on a slow track in Cox’s Bazar. Shanto’s hundred took Bangladesh to 256 for 6 and they dismissed Scotland for 142 to make it to the quarter-final stage.”This is a special day,” Shanto said. “We have made it through to the second round. I got a century and the team won. There was a bit of pressure because we lost two early wickets. The pitch wasn’t great, the ball not coming on to the bat. I just wanted to rotate the strike.”Coming in to bat in the eighth over with the score at 17 for 2, Shanto scored a boundary through cover in his first ten deliveries but then held back his shots. His next boundary came after seven overs and he hit three more fours on his way to 50 off 71 ballsHis next fifty, however, came off only as 40 balls as he reached his second Youth ODI century off 111 balls, with a whipped four of Scotland’s best bowler Mohammad Ghaffar, in the 48th over. Shanto was pleased that he could finish the innings, something he said he has struggled with previously. The knock also helped him surpass Pakistan’s Sami Aslam as the batsman with most runs in Youth ODIs. Shanto’s tally in Youth ODIs is at 1747, with two centuries in the format.”It is fun to bat in these situations which don’t come every day,” he said. “I tried to take my team to a better position. I haven’t been able to finish the innings in the past. But today I could, and that was a good sign. It will help me in the future.”Bangladesh will play their last league game against Namibia Under-19s on February 2.
Rain may have threatened to limit the Otago-Northern Districts to a first innings contest but that didn’t prevent an exciting end to the third day’s play today at Carisbrook.Northern Districts did not add to their overnight total of 232/9 and it wasthis target that Otago set out to attempt to pass and gain the two pointsavailable for a first innings lead.Otago started at a quick clip with Andrew Hore forcing the pace initiallywhile Mark Richardson was content to gather runs but wisely keep his wicketintact. Hore played some smart cover drives and was eventually out when Otago was 84 aftergiving two hard hit chances in his 54 scored from 73 balls.Richardson was joined by Craig Cumming and together they proved a real thornin Northern Districts side as they both added to their respective scoreswith a few “dried up” periods. Richardson, after two disappointments for himin the game against Canterbury, obviously wanted a score and concentratedhard but was just not timing or placing the ball as well as he can and many great shots went straight to fieldsmen.Finally when he was 76 he skied one to substitute fieldsman GraemeAldridge from the bowling of Grant Bradburn and was out.Cumming, now on 67, was joined by Chris Gaffaney, the former Cromwellian,who has established a reputation for himself as one who likes to really geton with it. He tried just that but only managed eight before being dismissed, caught Parlane bowled Bradburn.Otago was obviously determined to get the first innings lead but reached aslow and frustrating period when runs were hard to come by but finallyCumming hit Bradburn for two fours and took Otago past the NorthernDistricts total and his own score to 87. Otago finished the day on 236/3.
WAGS, WAGS, WAGS… the media just can’t get enough of them and as we finish the Premier League season we couldn’t resist creating our very own WAG Idol, to find out which player has the loveliest bit of skirt on his arm.
We are running a series of club heats – so please select the wag that gives your club the best chance of taking the Wag crown.
Just click on the individual images of beauties to upload their galleries, so you can get a look of them in greater detail!
Abbey Clancy – First up is lanky Spurs striker Peter Crouch’s long-term girlfriend Abbey Clancy. The blonde bombshell is one of Liverpool’s finest exports and the model has been flying the flag for England ahead of the 2010 World Cup in a Sports Illustrated shoot. The leggy blonde first caught the eye when she appeared in Britain’s Next Top Model in 2006 and since then she has been the lady of choice for a number of TV and magazine ads. Crouch’s fiancé seems to be down to earth and added to her undoubted beauty makes the Tottenham and England striker one lucky man.
Claudine Palmer – Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is currently away from White Hart Lane as he’s on loan until the end of the season to SPL giants Celtic, but as he’s still officially contracted to Spurs then Claudine deserves her spot here. Keane has been with his missus Claudine Palmer for over six years and the happily married couple seem to have a pretty solid relationship. The Irish model is a former Miss Ireland contestant and the pretty blonde got married to Keane in 2008 in Dublin. But how does she compare to Clancy in the battle of the Tottenham blondes?
Kimberley Mills – David Bentley has profited from an injury to Aaron Lennon in recent weeks to earn his place in the limelight once more after an extended period of time left sitting on the bench, but his long-term girlfriend does an admirable job of keeping herself to herself. However, that means that we haven’t got to see much of Kimberley Mills and that’s a real shame as she scrubs up rather well. The blonde hairdresser did make an appearance in Nuts TV’s Real Footballer’s Wives in one of her few public appearances, but a lack of exposure shouldn’t be held against her.
Imogen Thomas – Although apparently single at the moment (watch out ladies), one of Jermain Defoe’s most recent WAGs was Welsh beauty Imogen Thomas. The 2003 winner of Miss Wales appeared in Big Brother in 2006 and by dating Defoe she became one of many reality TV stars to become a footballer’s WAG. She took the conventional route from reality TV to general celebrity but her relationship with Defoe was always likely to be short lived. The glamour model cited that she preferred to stay at home and with Defoe renowned for hitting the nightclubs their time together was quickly over.
Danielle Lloyd – Lloyd is never one to shy away from the limelight. The former Miss England and Miss Great Britain got into strife in the 2007 edition of Celebrity Big Brother during a race row, whilst more recently she has shown a better side of herself by appearing in a documentary about domestic violence. O’Hara isn’t the only footballer that the often unhealthily tanned Lloyd has been involved with either, with the likes of Jermain Defoe, Teddy Sheringham and Marcus Bent all been seen on her arm over the years.
REMEMBER – Just click on the individual images of beauties to upload their galleries, so you can get a look of them in greater detail!
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So who do you think deserves to be Tottenham’s representative in our search for the greatest Premier League WAG?
In light of England’s disappointing World Cup a novel idea to prepare for the next one could be to use Euro 2012 to try out the next group of youngsters.
Although ultimately England probably wouldn’t get very far in the competition and it would be another two years gone by where England hasn’t won anything, it could give them a real chance of winning the big prize of the World Cup. Italy tried the same technique in Euro 1980 and their young team actually managed to finish fourth, they then went on and won the World Cup in 1982. This proves that it could work but of course World Cup success is no guarantee and as England are desperate for some success, they may not be able to afford to squander another tournament.
However although the public haven’t been satisfied with England’s performance, they have also been quick to complain about youngsters not being given the chance such as Adam Johnson, Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson. Fabio Capello obviously deemed them too inexperienced to play them in the World Cup and the Euros could be a chance for them to gain experience. But in order for this to happen the public would have to be patient and lower their expectations, they would possibly need to be told in advance that England were not looking to win the competition.
Should England be able to pull it off then these youngsters that England have coming through could really thrive at the Euros. They’ll be less pressure on them as it isn’t a World Cup and then hopefully there would be less expectation from the English public if they were forewarned. England’s Under 21, Under 19 and Under 17 squads all reached the final of their respective Euros last year so it shows that the talent is definitely there, it just needs to be utilised in the right ways. England could consider shelving players like Emile Heskey and instead use technically gifted players which the senior team seems to be lacking. In the senior squad there is only really Joe Cole and he got far too little game time in South Africa, it is possible for England to play exciting, fluid football with a young team if the right players are picked as Germany have shown.
Using Euro 2012 to blood the next generation of youngster could be a tremendous idea for England. But in order for it succeed the main stumbling block would be getting the press and the public to lower their expectations, which would be very difficult to achieve.
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
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Roberto Mancini seems to be the busiest Premier League manager so far as the Italian has already managed to acquire the services of midfielder Yaya Toure, Patrick Viera, Jerome Boateng and just recently Spanish star David Silva, even before the window has officially opened.
So, with all these players making their way to Eastlands this season, and considering the current size of the City squad, does Mancini’s transfer policy continue to confuse?
Manchester City have a massive squad which consists of (including the recent acquisitions) three goalkeepers, twelve recognized defenders, eleven midfielders, and seven strikers…a total of 32 players (an equivalent to just under three teams), which makes City undoubtedly one of (if not) the biggest squads within the Premier League.
Mancini has sufficient funds available to him this summer and it looks as if the scarf wearing manager is scouring for even more players to add to his already enormous squad. Many neutral fans and maybe some City ones will question the Italians transfer policy this summer which seems to be focusing mainly on midfielders and defenders, which he doesn’t really require.
It’s rather confusing to see the City boss purchase players in this area as the club already have several options in both departments. There will no doubt be a number of departures for with the new faces coming in, so the signings he has made are good ones up until now. However, why did Mancini sign Patrick Vieira for another season and is reportedly looking to get rid of fan favourite Nigel De Jong? De Jong is clearly one of city’s best performers, and to see him leave the club this summer would be a big disappointment for a lot of the fans.
It’s quite a task just to figure out what the City team will actually look like for the upcoming season. A few names such as, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Carlos Tevez are surely going to be starting, but as for the other places in the team, they look to be up for grabs. Jerome Boateng would likely feature in the starting eleven, but who’s position will he be taking is another mystery due to the defender’s versatility. Mancini has way too much midfielders, (who are all capped at international level by the way) and reports suggest that he is looking to bring yet another midfielder in the form of James Milner…its almost becoming an obsession for the Italian.
Mancini maybe accused of splashing the cash just for the sake of it by many fans, which in all fairness appears to be what he’s doing. However, you have to take into consideration and understand that this will be Mancini’s first full season in charge, and as such, will want to bring in and rebuild a team suited to his style. Yet, as an outsider looking in, you can’t help but be baffled at the players he is bringing in, as it seems he already has good options in these positions. It’s going to be very interesting to see who else Mancini targets this summer, because it doesn’t look like the City boss will stop now that he is rolling. Only time will tell.
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
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Jimmy Bullard's proposed move to Celtic has collapsed over the Hull City midfielder's personal demands.
Hull's head of football operations, Adam Pearson, has revealed that Bullard's wage demands are to blame for the proposed season-long loan switch to the Scottish Premier League side hitting the buffers.
Bullard had been involved in lengthy negotiations with the Bhoys with Hull keen to reduce their wage bill following their relegation from the Premier League last season.
"The deal is off as far as we are concerned because of absolutely ridiculous financial demands being made by the player," Pearson told the Daily Mail.
"We have bent over backwards to try to make this happen and four weeks ago there was an agreement with Celtic in place over a one-year loan.
"But now it seems Jimmy wants extra cash on top as well and he has jeopardised the chance to play for a great club.
"Who would not want to play at Celtic, with a chance of European football and silverware?
"Hull City were prepared to subsidise a year in Glasgow for Bullard. Let's just say we would have made a significant contribution to the overall wage package.
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"But unless he has a dramatic change of heart overnight, we expect him back here rather than being in the United States with Celtic.
"He has had four weeks to make up his mind and has strung people along, frankly."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There probably aren’t many people around today who haven’t heard the phrase ‘everyone’s a winner’. It’s a expression that is used time and time again in life, but just recently it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear it uttered in the corridors of Villa Park or the City of Manchester Stadium.
As a public staring harsh financial times in the face, it seems we are obliged to criticise both the player and the purchasing club in any megabucks transfer. Fair enough. In the case of James Milner, a talented and likeable young English player who has, we assume, been corrupted by the club labelled ‘big, bad Manchester City’ by Randy Lerner, the feeling of anguish is particularly vehement. The protracted transfer left such a bitter taste that it helped drive Martin O’Neil to resignation, while just a few minutes of watching You’re on Sky Sports on Wednesday gave a clear indication that Britain’s football-loving community considered the transfer as a confirmation of the cruel financial dominance of Manchester City and the limitless greed and lack of loyalty present among Premiership footballers.
But why exactly are we so riled by this transfer? After all, hasn’t everyone done pretty darn well out of it?
Despite all of their high profile activity in the market this summer, it is only with the signing of Milner that City have finally landed their main target, and at a price that, if we are to believe widespread media reports, they had always been willing to pay. Roberto Mancini didn’t consider Stephen Ireland sufficiently talented or glamorous to warrant a place in his team. But for all their defensive midfield players, without Ireland City lacked a player who can score goals from the middle of the park last season. Milner is that player, and his signing could push them into the top four.
The transfer also emphasises City’s new position as a ‘big club’. If Manchester United want a player, they usually get him. City are following the same blue print, and their ability to lure Milner is a statement of intent to their rivals. Three years ago, City and Villa were at a similar level. Those days are gone. When Milner heard of City’s interest he jumped at the chance to join Mancini’s revolution. This signing, above all others, demonstrates to the whole Premier League that City really are one of the big boys.
If City are pleased to have their man, Milner will undoubtedly be ecstatic with the deal. As well as bumper wages and a sizeable signing on fee, the former Leeds midfielder has also signed up for a chance to genuinely compete for top honours. Some have questioned whether he will get into City’s starting eleven, but with all due respect to Villa, at 24 the time has come for Milner to test himself at a higher level. If he wants to become a top player, and we have to assume that he does, he needs to be training with players like David Silva and Yaya Toure every day.
There’s little doubt that this move is make or break for Milner, but if he’s good enough, he’ll develop into a fine player at Eastlands and could become a fixture in a City side that challenges for the title and Champions League. It’s an opportunity he should relish and one that probably justifies his decision to navigate a route away from Villa Park.
So if Manchester City and Milner are clearly winners in the transfer, then poor old Aston Villa must be losers? Wrong. Villa will be disappointed to have lost Milner, who was arguably their top performer last year, but in reality they have sold him for a huge sum, one which even Milner’s biggest fans would struggle to argue that he is worth. The fact that Ireland was included in the deal is a further bonus for Villa, as he will provide the attacking drive from midfield that made Milner such a valuable asset.
The exact quantity of Milner’s sale revenue that will be available for transfers is open for debate, but if they spend wisely, preferably on a striker who can guarantee them 15 goals a season and take some pressure off Gabby Agbonlahor, then there is no reason why Villa can’t improve as a team and push on from last season’s sixth place finish. Yes, they have lost Martin O’Neil, but the storm clouds have been present for some time. The Irishman had grown disillusioned at Villa Park, and his departure has long been a formality. The king’s ransom gained from the Milner sale and the new signings that should follow will soften the blow that has already been aided by Kevin MacDonald’s impressive start in the Villa hotseat.
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So Man City have their man. Milner has his move, and will surely develop into a top player for England as a result. Villa have a replacement and a hefty load of Arab gold to boot. What exactly is all the fuss about? Yes, there’s silly money involved, and yes, it could be spent on other things, but that’s not what the transfer market is about. It’s about paying millions of pounds for someone whose only talent is kicking a plastic sphere around. Football transfers are rarely morally sound, but they are exciting. With eleven days of the transfer window left, I’m hooked, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.