Pakistan’s preparations for their one-day series against Sri Lanka were disrupted after the ground they had planned to use for middle practice was booked for another game.The side nets at the Colombo Cricket Club had been reserved for the Pakistan squad, but they wanted to use the main pitch as they step up their training ahead of the series. The management tried to persuade Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to stop the game, but were unsuccessful so the players returned to the hotel.”We went to the ground as scheduled in the morning but found out some others were using it and we had no other alternative but to return to the hotel,” the team manager, Zaheer Abbas, told AFP. “After we contacted SLC we were given a different venue to practice in the afternoon.”However, the mix-up did not appear to frustrate the players too much. While they hung around for about 40 minutes some of them, including the bowling coach Waqar Younis, sent down a few deliveries for the locals.SLC officials said the inconvenience was caused by miscommunication. “We had earlier allocated the side nets for the Pakistan team, but subsequently they requested for the centre wickets and we couldn’t arrange that at the last moment.”The first one-day international is on March 17 and the three-match series is then followed by two Tests.
It’s the first time India have made it to a World Cup final – must be a dream come true? It really feels great that at last we have entered the final. All the girls are really excited.Captaincy seems to have made you more confident, something that can be seen in your batting? When I go in to bat I don’t think that I am the captain, and I’ve got to get runs and the responsibility is on me. Today was a good example where others girls chipped in with vital contributions and helped the team cause. I had good partnerships with Anjum [Chopra] and Hemlata Kala and then short handy ones with the tail. The bowlers also did their job and that’s how we won by 40 runs. In the first few overs New Zealand were 30 for four with their top-order erased. So the credit goes to everyone.You had lost to New Zealand in the league game. That must have played on the minds? Our first priority was: we to reach the semis. Once there we to make the final. We had lost in the league game to the Kiwis by 16 runs. So it was a pretty close contest, and didn’t hamper our confidence. If we had lost by a bigger margin our morale would have been down but that didn’t happen and we came back strongly.Where did India win the game today? When we made 204, we knew that the pressure was on them as they were batting second.How did you go about shaping today’s innings? I went in when couple of wicket were down – 38 for 2 – but I started in a confident fashion. I only had one thought in my mind when I walked in: “Today is the day I have to do it.” I told myself the team needed something big from me and I am glad I didn’t fail them. In that confident vein I went for my strokes. I should also give credit to the lower order who gave me good support.But at the beginning you were going very slow – at 30-over-mark India were 89 for 2? Yes, I had this thought, at one stage, that we were going slow. But we also knew that if we are settled we cannot throw wickets to get the runs faster. And that’s what Anjum and I agreed in the beginning – that one of us had to stay to get the runs.
You have been playing with an injured right knee. Are you confident of playing the big one on Sunday? I will definitely play the final – I cannot just leave my team now. I suffered the injury while playing the Nationals before the World Cup, and it had almost healed, but I don’t need to worry about that.Though India lost 4-3 to Australia in the home series, India won the last three games in a row. Does that give you the upper hand in the final? We played at home and that was an advantage. Here the wickets are hard and the bounce is high, so we know they are going to attack us with short-pitch deliveries. But we’ve worked hard and practised with the boys at the preparation camp to get used to the conditions here.What will be the plan on Sunday? Australia are undefeated so far. We just need to see off the new ball. And they just have one bowler who is very quick – Cathryn Fitzpatrick. In the first semis England lost the game when Fitzpatrick took three wickets in her first spell, thus exposing the English middle order. We need to keep that in mind and survive the first spell.
A whirlwind century from Chris Gayle, the ninth-fastest in Tests, led West Indies’ fight back against South Africa on the second day of the third Test at Cape Town. After Mark Boucher had guided his side to a dominating 532 with an unbeaten 122*, Gayle blitzed 112 not out from 105 balls as West Indies closed on 178 for 1, but still 354 behind.It wasn’t a day for the bowlers. In all, 402 runs were plundered on a beautiful batting track for the loss only five wickets. The first batsman to shine was Boucher, who scored his fourth Test century to give South Africa the early advantage. However, some of that supremacy was then taken away by Gayle, who’s dynamic innings took the polish off what was otherwise a good day for Graeme Smith and his team.Whatever plans the South African bowlers had of taking early wickets, Gayle blew them out the window with an astonishing assault. Still feeling the effects of his sore hamstring, Gayle simply decided to cut down the running and hit the boundaries – and he did just that in devastating style. He smashed 20 fours and a six in all, laying into anything slightly off line – he was a man on a mission.He gave a taster of what was to come with a flick for six over square leg in Makhaya Ntini’s first over. He then crunched Shaun Pollock off the back-foot through the covers, but he saved most of the treatment for Andre Nel. Gayle bludgeoned two consecutive pulls and the next ball he cut Nel to race to his half-century off only 37 balls. Nel then disappeared over mid-off twice in a row and before anyone had noticed, the West Indies hundred was up – and Gayle had scored 77 of them. It was a case of blink and you missed another booming boundary. It was pure carnage.Jacques Kallis couldn’t keep him quiet either. Gayle cut him to the boundary, and then drove him through the covers on one knee. He had already rocketed into the nineties, and, by his standards, he took a while to get to three figures – about ten minutes. He pushed Kallis into the leg side to record a memorable century off only 79 balls Oh, and he passed 2000 Test runs at the same time.It was easy to forget that Daren Ganga was at the other end. He was his usual studied self and while he wasn’t watching and admiring Gayle’s fireworks, he gave his partner good support until he lost his patience and edged Nel onto the stumps (126 for 1). While Gayle then calmed down, Ramnaresh Sarwan took over the wheel, belting eight boundaries in his 39 not out, as West Indies put their poor bowling performance earlier in the day behind them.After their late fightback yesterday evening, West Indies began the day in a competitive position, but Boucher, along with Kallis, quickly dampened their spirits with an excellent display of attacking, aggressive batting. Boucher added an authoritative and, at times, effortless stand of 146 with Kallis before putting his foot down after the lunch break. Boucher smashed 21 boundaries in all and gave the innings its impetus.Fidel Edwards started brightly, and he made an early breakthrough with the wicket of Pollock, who edged Edwards behind to Ridley Jacobs for 9 (315 for 7). After that, though, it was a horror show for the bowlers, who completely wasted the new ball.
Boucher was in his element. Initially letting Kallis take the majority of the strike, he rolled up his sleeves and kept up the run rate with ones and twos on both sides of the wicket, as well the odd boundary. He did, however, have two strokes of fortune. He was bowled off a no ball by Edwards on 15, and was dropped on 59 by Carlton Baugh, but Boucher deserved his luck as he continued to tuck in to the frequent loose balls.Adam Sanford gave the fielders some cheer when he rather fortunately trapped Kallis lbw for a classy 73 (461 for 8). Boucher, meanwhile, continued unfazed and he soon brought up a well-deserved century. The packed crowd at Newlands rose to applaud his first hundred in 47 Tests, his last was against England at Durban in 1999. And he wasn’t finished there. He carried on the fun, smacking anything wide or short, including three eye-catching pulls off Edwards.Ntini got in the act too when he twice walloped Dave Mohammed high down the ground for a four and a six. Mohammed got his revenge, though, when Ntini tickled him behind to Jacobs (513 for 9), and Nel gave Jacobs his fourth catch of the innings when he nicked Sanford behind. South Africa’s total represented an impressive effort from their overnight 308 for 6, and it was mainly thanks to Boucher. Even though his sparkling innings was later overshadowed by Gayle’s knock, South Africa are still in a strong position.
This is the last issue of ZCO for 2002. We plan our next issue for 3 January, and extend our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all our readers.CONTENTS
Zimbabwe v Kenya, 3rd ODI – Scorecard | Report
Club cricket:
P.G. Timbers Vigne Cup, Round 4
P.G. Timbers Vigne Cup, Rounds 6 and 7
Round 5 appeared in our last issue. We apologize for the continued absence of Round 3 and the fact that Rounds 6 and 7 are incomplete, but we are still waiting for the scoresheets from the Mashonaland Cricket Association.
Interview: Kevan Barbour
Zimbabwe’s World Cup 15 Preview
10 years on: Zimbabwe v New Zealand, Second Test, 1992/93
Alistair Campbell first-class Career statistics
Visit the CFX Academy website
Letters
As I write the news has just come through that the ICC has confirmed Zimbabwe as the venue for their six first-round matches in the World Cup, thus confirming their claim that their judgement would be based on safety rather than political grounds. Their statement said that they found no good reason to change the venue in terms of security, but they will, of course, be monitoring the situation regularly.Kenya must have been disappointed with their tour of Zimbabwe, especially the last match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Their strong batting line-up never really fulfilled its potential, although Zimbabwe’s bowling was not particularly demanding by international standards. In none of the three one-day internationals was Kenya able to exert any real pressure on Zimbabwe, although when Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe were together in Bulawayo it looked for a while as if they might compile a really competitive total. But a run-out changed everything, and the batting collapsed to give Zimbabwe a relatively easy victory.In this issue we interview Kevan Barbour, who has been appointed to the ICC panel of umpires for the World Cup. He praises the Kenyan players and administrators for their attitude both on and off the field, an attitude that should be copied by players of more illustrious teams worldwide. The Kenyans have always been popular opponents for Zimbabwe, and not just because we can beat them. They have always been friendly, courteous and true to the traditions of the game.Unfortunately, this tour again showed the huge gap between Kenya and the Test-playing countries, apart from Bangladesh. If Zimbabwe, who are struggling against the eight senior Test-playing countries at the moment, can beat them so convincingly, how can anybody say Kenya is ready for Test status? What if they were to play Pakistan, who gave us such a hiding on our own soil and then lost four-one to South Africa?No doubt I will cop a lot of flak from certain people for saying so, but in my view Test cricket is degraded if it is not a true test, a true contest, between two teams in a competitive match. If the result is a foregone conclusion and the weaker team is unable to exert any pressure on the stronger, then Test cricket is devalued – and by this measure even Zimbabwe only just qualifies these days. We have played too many one-sided matches during the past year, and when South Africa hammered us for 600 runs for just three wickets last year it made Zimbabwe’s Test status seem a joke. Only the fighting spirit of the great Andy Flower saved us from one of the greatest humiliations of all time.Bangladesh occasionally have a brief flurry but in the end lose every Test match easily, except for the one against Zimbabwe where the last two days were lost to rain. The ICC should several years ago have started a major programme of home and away tours for both Bangladesh and Kenya with A teams from other countries to prepare them for Test cricket. Had they done so, right now Bangladesh would have been a lot more competitive than they are and would have been spared all their present humiliations.Some believe that after this World Cup Kenya will be awarded Test status, and I would have been all for it, had they been prepared properly. But valuable time has been lost, and it will at best be three or four years before Kenya can be competitive in Test cricket, whatever is done. If Kenya do earn Test status next year, I would be only too happy to be proven wrong, but with the sorry saga of Bangladesh before us, still unable to compete after 16 Test matches, I cannot see Kenya doing much better.Both teams deserve better than to be flung in at the deep end without first being taught how to swim. I am not saying keep Kenya out of Test cricket; I am saying that the ICC should pull out all the stops to prepare Kenya adequately for Test cricket so they will not embarrass themselves when they make the step upward.
Michael Powell played the perfect captain’s innings to boost Warwickshire Bears to a five-wicket win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.Powell hammered 78 from only 62 deliveries with a six and seven fours, and his stand of 128 in 20 overs with Dougie Brown (73) enabled the Bears to pass the hosts’ 216-4 with five balls to spare.The pair came together at 82-3 with the game in the balance, but a combination of skilful improvisation, urgent running between the wickets and the occasional meaty blow settled the issue and left Northants still without a Norwich Union League point this season in the wake of three defeats.Only Mal Loye, with an entertaining 90 from 123 balls, came to terms with some accurate Warwickshire bowling in the early stages of the innings. Vasbert Drakes sent down 25 dot balls at the beginning of his stint before conceding a run.Much-needed acceleration came from Alec Swann, with an unbeaten 37 off 21 balls including two big sixes, but it was still a below-par total on a good batting pitch.Kevin Innes then removed Neil Smith and David Hemp to bring the Steelbacks into contention again, and when Dominic Ostler was stumped off Jason Brown the home side sensed an opportunity to turn the match around.But it was to prove their last positive moment of the afternoon, at least until Powell and Brown went in successive overs at the end with the points all but in the bag.
Manchester City’s first-choice attacking options are amongst some of the best in the Premier League. Erling Haaland is the leading scorer in the Premier League and has been largely unstoppable. Rayan Cherki has been flourishing, and Phil Foden is looking back to his best.
Yet, Pep Guardiola does seem reluctant at times to use the full extent of his squad in those forward areas. Perhaps the best example of that is Omar Marmoush, who has only played 206 minutes in the Premier League this term. Oscar Bobb and Sabvnho have only played 467 minutes apiece.
Thus, City are looking to add another attacker to the squad this winter, with Antoine Semenyo a real option.
What Semenyo could add to City’s attack
It does seem like City will push to sign Bournemouth winger Semenyo this winter. The former Bristol City star is a key target for Guardiola’s side, and they will go up against rivals Manchester United to get his signature.
If this deal were to get over the line, there are certainly a lot of positives to Semenyo’s game. He has been sensational for the Cherries this term, with eight goals and three assists in 16 appearances so far.
However, he will bring so much more than goals to this City side. The Ghanaian winger is an “explosive” attacker, according to football scout Ben Mattinson. He thrives in transitional scenarios and could add a new dynamic to this City squad in that sense.
His versatility will be a huge benefit for City’s Spanish manager, too. Guardiola can depend on Semenyo to play on either wing, with Mattinson noting he has “both footed ball striking” ability. The forward can even operate up front, as he has done under Andoni Iraola for Bournemouth.
However, if City had decided against releasing a former academy star, they may have been able to save a fortune on Semenyo this summer.
Big-money star is better than Semenyo 8 years after leaving
Over the last few seasons, City’s academy has produced some excellent footballers. Perhaps the most notable two are surely Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, who are key players at international level for England.
However, it might be a little-known fact that Bayern Munich and France star Michael Olise was once in the Citizens’ academy. The ex-Crystal Palace man represented the club for one season at youth level before moving to Reading in 2017.
Of course, his career has gone from strength to strength since becoming a professional player. He shone in the Premier League for Palace before moving to Bayern, where he has established himself as a world beater.
The London-born attacker has played 80 times for the Bundesliga giants. In that time, Olise has scored 30 goals and amassed an impressive 37 assists. He’s also become a first-choice starter for France under Didier Deschamps, alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe.
Bayern legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge certainly knows a thing or two about making it to the top in Bavaria. He has been full of praise for Olise since his move, putting him on the same pedestal as legendary duo Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
His numbers compared to Semenyo are nothing short of sensational. For example, the French winger is averaging 2.92 key passes and 1.15 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to the Cherries winger’s 1.44 key passes and 0.44 goal-creating actions each game.
Olise & Semenyo key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Olise
Semenyo
Goals and assists
1.15
0.69
Key passes
2.92
1.44
Goal-creating actions
1.15
0.44
Take-ons completed
2.31
1.56
Progressive carries
6.23
3.69
Stats from FBref
Signing Semenyo this winter would be quite the coup for City; there is no doubt about that. However, if they had kept hold of Olise all those years ago, they might not have needed to add the Cherries star to their attack.
Now, the French star is valued at a reported £100m, and there are no links at present, so it seems unlikely City will move for him. But their fans may well look back on that and wonder what could have been.
Maresca upgrade: Man City target "contagious" title-winner as Pep successor
Manchester City are reportedly looking at this manager as a possible replacement for Pep Guardiola next year.
Aaron Bird is in line for his first state match since clearing his name over a suspect bowling action. Bird, the New South Wales fast bowler, has been included in the Blues’ squad for their FR Cup game against Western Australia at the SCG on Wednesday.Last season Bird’s whippy action was reported by several umpires but it took until September for his bowling style to be passed as legal after stress fractures in his back significantly delayed his biomechanical testing. Bird replaces Mark Cameron, who has a side strain, in the New South Wales squad.He said facing a potential ban from state cricket had been devastating. “It was the worst point of my career,” Bird told the . “For something you love so much, and you work so hard for, to be taken away like that breaks your heart.”I always knew I was right to go and I proved that. Whenever there is a different action, people are going to have questions or queries on it. When there is enough mud thrown, sometimes it sticks.”What has come out of all of this is how much I love the game. Even though I was struggling so much with it all, I was still enjoying playing.”Wednesday’s one-day game is followed by a Pura Cup match between the two sides that starts on Friday. Western Australia have regained their captain Marcus North for both encounters, and he is set to play his first state games for the season after missing more than half the summer with a degenerative knee condition.New South Wales FR Cup squad Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich (capt), Daniel Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Dominic Thornely, Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Nicholson, Nathan Bracken, Aaron Bird, Doug Bollinger.New South Wales Pura Cup squad Phillip Hughes, Greg Mail, Simon Katich (capt), Brad Haddin (wk), Peter Forrest, Dominic Thornely, Steven Smith, Grant Lambert, Moises Henriques, Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson, Nathan Bracken, Doug Bollinger.Western Australia FR Cup squad Justin Langer, Luke Ronchi (wk), Shaun Marsh, Marcus North (capt), Adam Voges, Luke Pomersbach, Sean Ervine, Theo Doropoulos, Aaron Heal, Brett Dorey, Steve Magoffin, Ben Edmondson.Western Australia Pura Cup squad Chris Rogers, Justin Langer, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Marcus North (capt), Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi (wk), Aaron Heal, Brett Dorey, Steve Magoffin, Ben Edmondson, Mathew Inness.
Andrew Symonds can be named in Australia’s World Cup squad and be replaced if he fails to recover from a serious arm injury, the ICC has ruled. Australia made the request because they are unsure how long Symonds will be out with a torn biceps.Symonds suffered the injury during Friday night’s loss to England and had surgery on Sunday morning. Estimates on the speed of his return seem to vary from six weeks to six months, but he is in serious doubt for the tournament in the Caribbean. Australia’s first game of the World Cup is against Scotland on March 14 while the more important Super Eight stage begins on March 27.Australia must announce their 15-man squad by Tuesday and Cricket Australia did not want to be forced into a situation where Symonds would be picked in the outfit and then have to drop out, leaving them a player short. AAP reported Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager of cricket, allowed the change.The deadline has come at a difficult time for Australia as they still have the best-of-three CB Series finals to play followed by the Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand, which starts on February 16. The selectors have hard decisions to make after Stuart Clark and Shaun Tait were left out of the 13-man group for the match against England at the MCG on Friday.
ScorecardSaurashta took the honours on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group final at Rajkot thanks to an impressive spell of fast bowling from Sandip Maniar that dismissed Rajasthan for just 201.Maniar struck blows at vital junctures: he drew first blood by forcing Mithun Beerala to edge behind in the fourth over, and then, broke a threatening 89-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Nikhil Doru and Ajay Jadeja, Rajasthan’s captain. Following Doru’s dismissal, Maniar ran through Rajasthan’s tail en route to his fifth first-class five-for.Maniar’s initial strike opened the gates for Sandeep Jobanputra to prise out additional wickets at the top, leaving Rajasthan at 91 for 4 going in to lunch. Rajasthan’s fightback came in two spurts: in the first session Rahul Kanwat smacked a 58-ball 50 to add 44 with Doru, while in the afternoon Jadeja scored an impressive 71. Barring these three, no other Rajasthan batsman contributed anything of note, and this may prove costly as the match progresses.In reply, Kanaiya Vaghela and Sagar Jogiyani, Saurashtra’s openers, put up 36 in 13 overs.
Nathan Bracken destroyed Queensland’s Pura Cup home final with 6 for 27 as the Bulls fell for a miserable 102 at the Gabba. New South Wales, who decided against flying in Brett Lee from New Zealand, steamed through a disrupted opening day and held a pressing advantage as they reached 1 for 26 at stumps.Needing only a draw to win the trophy, Queensland started badly when Clinton Perren, Jimmy Maher and Shane Watson fell in 16 balls before Andrew Symonds (36) and Martin Love (24) shared the innings’ highest partnership of 42. But Grant Lambert, the allrounder preferred to Ed Cowan, dismissed Love, Matthew Nicholson added the important wicket of Symonds to go with Watson’s scalp, and Bracken returned with four more successes.Bracken was on a hat-trick after cleaning up Wade Seccombe and Ashley Noffke, but Joe Dawes defended his next ball, a swinging yorker, before becoming his sixth victim. The figures of 6 for 27 from 13.2 overs were the best since Wayne Holdsworth collected 7 for 41 against Queensland in the 1992-93 final.New South Wales suffered one setback in their chase when Greg Mail edged Watson to Andy Bichel at third slip, but bad light ended any hopes of more Bulls charging. Rain interrupted the first session and only six overs were possible before lunch, Queensland moving to 0 for 10 after being sent in by Brad Haddin.The Bulls appeared in their sixth consecutive Pura Cup final but they have not won the trophy since beating Tasmania at the Gabba in 2001-02. New South Wales also upset Queensland’s home advantage two seasons ago when they delivered a crushing 246-run victory.