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The ECB will consider a proposal to reduce the County Championship season to 14 matches from 2014

Andrew McGlashan23-Nov-2011The ECB will consider a proposal to reduce the County Championship season to 14 matches from 2014 having received recommendations from the review into the English domestic game while a return of 50-over cricket is imminent.The review was led by David Morgan, the former ECB chairman and ICC president, and was presented to the board on Wednesday at Lord’s. If the recommendations are accepted in full, and another presentation will be made at the next board meeting in January before a vote, the 2014 season would also compromise ten 50-over matches – to bring the county game into line with the international arena – and 14 Friends Life t20 games, which is an increase on the 10 matches set for the 2012 season.Losing from one competition and adding to another is an example of compromises Morgan has felt he needed to make having gained input from over 300 people – including players, media, spectators and sponsors – while compiling his report. It also means there will not be a drastic reduction in the volume of cricket played.There were no immediate recommendations over how to achieve the cutting down of four-day matches although another attempt to introduce a conference, or three-tier, structure has been suggested. However, the retention of two divisions is also possible with counties no longer playing all opposition home and away.In 1997, the Raising the Standard report led by Lord MacLaurin, the ECB chairman, proposed a conference structure including play-offs but it didn’t gain widespread support and the current two division set-up was implemented for the 2000 season. Then again, in 2007, the Schofield Report, implemented following the Ashes whitewash, highlighted the volume of Championship cricket but no action was taken. A year ago another proposal to slim the Championship to 14 matches was rejected.Creating a more understandable and coherent fixture list was also part of the review and Morgan has recommended that t20 cricket is played on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, and that County Championship matches begin on Fridays in the early season, on Sundays in mid-season, and Mondays at the end of the season.”There are divergent opinions concerning the optimum structure to strengthen the domestic game,” Morgan said. “There was however a consistency of views expressed that the success of the Team England and Cricket Partnerships departments within ECB should be complimented with the strengthening of the department responsible for the domestic professional game.”The volume of domestic cricket has made it impossible to schedule consistent start dates and I believe that spectators, players and administrators alike would welcome the certainty which a predictable programme would provide.”I am convinced that there are no substantive commercial benefits evident from a 40-over format in comparison with the 50-over format which is the standard for international one-day cricket. I have therefore concluded that the board should adopt the 50-over format from 2014. I am pleased that the Board recognised the value of the extensive consultation which has been central to this review and appreciate the kind comments expressed by the board on my initial presentation.”David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “The board was highly impressed with the diligent consultation and findings presented by David Morgan. It is clear from David Morgan’s initial work that in order to compliment the Team England goal of mirroring success in the Test and Twenty20 formats at the forthcoming World Cups, the format of ODI cricket must be introduced within domestic cricket from 2014.”To support and strengthen the domestic county game, 14 FL t20 matches should be played, and to provide preparation time for high quality four day cricket, the County Championship should be reduced to 14 matches. The board unanimously endorsed the Morgan Review comments to create an appointment to view with consistent start dates in the County Championship and FL t20 competitions.”Another of Morgan’s recommendations involves the salary cap that each county operates under and he has said that this should be reduced slightly, with an increase in the incentive payments for fielding younger players.

Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board should replace the outgoing coach Waqar Younis with a foreigner, free from the influence of Pakistan’s domestic politics

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2011Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board should replace the outgoing coach Waqar Younis with a foreigner, free from the influence of Pakistan’s domestic politics.”I said it when I left as well, Pakistan need a foreign coach,” Lawson, who was sacked as Pakistan coach in 2008, told the from Australia. “Whether you come from Karachi or Lahore, the pressure on you from external sources doesn’t let you do the work properly.”A foreign coach won’t have that excess baggage. He won’t worry about politics but will just concentrate on making the best team he can. In my time, language wasn’t a problem. The common language was cricket and that’s all they had to understand.”Lawson, who currently coaches the Kochi franchise in the IPL, stressed that the language barrier wouldn’t be a problem for a foreign coach.”In my Kochi team, some players don’t speak Hindi so they communicate in English,” Lawson said. “It’s just an excuse for not appointing a foreign coach despite all the experience and assistance he can bring to Pakistan cricket.”Waqar recently announced that the upcoming Zimbabwe tour will be his last, citing personal reasons including his and his wife’s health. During his tenure Pakistan lurched from one controversy to another, including the spot-fixing scandal and Zulqarnain Haider’s mysterious disappearance from the team hotel, but they also managed to show a revival in Test fortunes and belie expectations to reach the World Cup semi-finals.Pakistan have changed coaches frequently in recent years, which Lawson said could be a deterrent for potential replacements. “They will have a very, very difficult time [replacing Waqar],” he said. “Not many will be willing to trust them because of how they’ve acted in the past but I’ll still tell the PCB to get a foreign coach even if it’s on a short, six-month contract.”It’s not so much the situation but the chairman’s [Ijaz Butt] reputation just isn’t good enough for him to invite foreign coaches over to Pakistan.”Lawson was highly critical of Shahid Afridi, who announced a ‘conditional’ retirement from the game after being axed as one-day captain.”He’s playing well enough and I’d love to see him in the team,” Lawson said of Afridi. “However, he needs to realise he’s not the most important person in the team. He’s a part and that needs to dawn on him. He doesn’t accept criticism and thinks he’s bigger and better than the team. That won’t lead him anywhere.”

A round-up of matches from the sixth weekend as Kenya’s new East African Cup and East Africa Elite League both reach the halfway point

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2011East Africa Premier LeagueRwenzori Warriors put themselves in an almost insurmountable position at the halfway point in the 20-over competition with a six-wicket victory at Kongonis, their third win over their main rivals in eight days. Led by a fifty from opener Rakep Patel, Kongonis posted a useful 158 for 4, but a 51-ball 71 not out from Rwenzori skipper Roger Makasa led a well-paced chase and the visitors eased home with seven deliveries in hand.That result opened an eight-point gap over Nile Knights, who beat winless Coast Pekee by six wickets. Pekee, who are slowly beginning to find some king of form, made 121, a total that the Knights passed with ten balls to spare.In the mid-table battle, Nairobi Buffaloes were made to work hard for their three-wicket win against Rift Valley Rhinos

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Rwenzori Warriors6600024+1.505775/105.5640/110.0Nile Knights6420016+0.795641/104.1643/120.0Rift Valley Rhinos6330012+0.033556/109.2544/107.4Nairobi Buffaloes6330012-0.046652/110.0660/110.3Kongonis624008-0.034564/103.4584/106.4Coast Pekee606000-2.280587/120.0704/98.1East African CupKongonis finally beat Rwenzori Warriors, in what was their fourth clash in nine days, by 69 runs and in so doing moved to the top of a closely packed table where only four points separates the leading four teams. Kongonis recovered from losing Patel to the second delivery of the day to score 194, and then 18-year-old Emmanuel Bundi ripped through the Warriors’ top order to leave them 38 for 4. A partial recovery was ended when Bundi claimed his fifth victim, top scorer Ronald Ssemanda – he finished with 5 for 44 as Rwenzori were eventually bowled out for 125.Nile Knights completed a winning weekend with a four-wicket victory against Coast Pekee in Mombasa, but again the home side showed glimpses they are beginning to come to terms with the competition. Pekee managed 177 for 9 in their 50 overs, and when the Knights were reduced to 129 for 6 an upset briefly appeared on the cards. But Davis Arinaitwe (26*) and Deusdedit Muhumza (26*) put on an unbeaten 52 for the seventh wicket to see the Knights home and keep them in second place.Rify Valley Rhinos need to win against Nairobi Buffaloes in Mombasa to keep in touch with the leading pack, but slid to a 17-run defeat to leave them six points adrift in fifth position. The Buffaloes seemed well set at 109 for 3 before losing their way and being bowled out for 179. The Rhinos lost wickets steadily to limp to 88 for 6, and while Ramesh Mepani (47) kept them in the hunt he found little support and was last man out with plenty of balls in hand.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Kongonis6410118+1.036877/214.2573/187.3Nile Knights6310216+1.211656/137.2542/152.0Nairobi Buffaloes6310216+0.169648/171.5631/175.1Rwenzori Warriors6320114+0.886607/135.1721/200.0Rift Valley Rhinos624008-0.585917/277.5976/251.1Coast Pekee606000-1.702807/241.01069/211.4

It was overcast and damp in Manchester on Friday, the sort of conditions that make England a force to be reckoned with in one-day cricket, but the forecast for match-day is more sunshine and less cloud

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford08-Jul-2011It was overcast and damp in Manchester on Friday, the sort of conditions that make England a force to be reckoned with in one-day cricket, but the forecast for match-day is more sunshine and less cloud. If the series to date is any guide that will give Sri Lanka a good chance of bouncing straight back from their Trent Bridge thrashing to take the one-day series, even though the momentum is with the hosts.The four matches, which have left the series tied at 2-2, have just reinforced where these two teams’ strengths lie. Under cloudy, bowler-friendly conditions, at The Oval and Trent Bridge England have demolished their opponents, led by James Anderson; on warmer – you could say proper summer days – Sri Lanka’s subcontinental skills of spin and wristy batting have come to fore.England were delighted not just by overhead conditions in Nottingham, but also the 22 yards produced by the groundsman. They may not be quite so delighted by what they get at Old Trafford, in what will be the first international since the pitch was turned 90 degrees to face north-south rather than east-west, to avoid the setting sun whenever it decides to appear.Lancashire have only played one-day matches on the ground so far this season, but have filled their side with spin bowlers. Sometimes they have played four – Gary Keedy, Simon Kerrigan, Stephen Parry and Steven Croft – while the opposition have taken note and utilised slow bowling too. In a sense that’s nothing new, Old Trafford has always been a good surface for spin – just ask Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann or Shane Warne. But the pitch is unlikely to have the bounce and carry that England so desire although Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive, thought it would go through nicely at least from one end.”They used to have pace and carry and I think that may change the characteristics by turning the pitch around,” Alastair Cook said. “Lancashire have been playing three or four spinners. It has changed a little bit.”I think we’re getting a bit too carried away with the wickets,” he added. “To me it’s our skill levels and we haven’t been good at certain times and haven’t won. I think there was a directive sent out by Hugh Morris [managing director of England cricket] at the beginning of the year suggesting what wickets we would like. At certain times squares are quite hard to change, but as an English side we always want carry on the wicket.”Neither team was able to have a look at the pitch, however, as it remained covered throughout the training sessions which were held indoors. Predicting pitches is a notoriously difficult job so decisions on playing elevens are likely to be left until the last minute, although the odds favour an unchanged England side, even if there is temptation to play Samit Patel for his left-arm spin.The slower the better will be the case for Sri Lanka so they can make the most of their spinners, but Tillakaratne Dilshan said he still wanted a balanced attack unlike the spin-heavy combinations that can be used on the subcontinent. Regardless of what conditions confront his team on Saturday, Dilshan believes the main threat will come from Anderson who will have a home crowd supporting him.”In the two matches with flat wickets we won easily and on two seaming wickets they won easily,” Dilshan said. “Anderson is the key man and he’s why we lost two matches. If we get some runs against him we have a good chance.” Intriguingly, Dilshan hinted they have looked at new tactics to Anderson although he wouldn’t confirm exactly what. “It might be to play some shots, you never know,” he said.This game will decide whether Sri Lanka’s tour has been a success or not. They were never expected to win the Tests, but the one-day matches were a very different prospect. If they can secure their first series of the post-Muralitharan era, it will bode well for maintaining their position as a limited-overs force.”We have played very good one-day cricket in last three or four years,” Dilshan said. “We have been the runner’s up in the last two World Cups. We came here as No. 3 in the world now we are No. 2. There is a good balance between senior players and youngsters.”However, Cook knows that, from his point of view, a series victory against Sri Lanka will be a superb way to start his full-time leadership. “My first two series are against India and Sri Lanka, the two World Cup finalists, and we know what strong sides they are,” he said. “It’s something we can win. We wanted to test ourselves against the best.”

Paul Dixey scored the first County Championship half-century of his career to help Leicestershire salvage a draw against Gloucestershire at Grace Road

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2011
Scorecard
Paul Dixey scored the first County Championship half-century of his career to help Leicestershire salvage a draw against Gloucestershire at Grace Road. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper, released by Kent at the end of last season, made an unbeaten 72 in sharing an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 111 with Jigar Naik to deny Gloucestershire victory on a tense final day in the Division Two clash.Following on 181 runs behind, Leicestershire were deep in trouble when they slumped to 134 for 5 with seamer Will Gidman claiming three of the wickets. But Dixey and Naik stayed together for 31 overs, and the teams shook hands on a draw at the start of the final hour, with Leicestershire at 245 for 5, leading by 64 runs.Although Dixey has a first-class century to his name for Durham University against Lancashire, he never played a championship game for Kent, and has been taken on trial by Leicestershire this season. He is currently standing in for the injured Tom New, and this valuable innings will have done his chances of securing a contract at Grace Road no harm at all.Dixey faced 112 balls and struck 10 fours and a six, while Naik provided excellent support with an unbeaten 32 off 106 balls. The sixth-wicket pair changed the course of a game that looked to be in Gloucestershire’s grasp from the moment Ian Saxelby bowled last man Nadeem Malik in the third over of the morning. That left Leicestershire, all out for 323, still needing another 181 runs to avoid an innings defeat.They were soon on the back foot with Gidman having opener Matt Boyce caught low down at mid-wicket in the 11th over. Will Jefferson followed a few minutes before lunch, trapped lbw as he tried to work offspinner Kane Williamson away on the leg side.Three more wickets fell in the afternoon session, with Saxelby finding the edge against Kadeer Ali, and Gidman claiming the wickets off Josh Cobb and Andrew McDonald. Cobb was out lbw, and McDonald taken by wicketkeeper Jon Batty as he tried to drive on the off side.At that stage Gloucestershire looked firm favourites to clinch victory, but Dixey and Naik pulled things round with some sensible and solid batting. Dixey reached his maiden half-century by sweeping Vikram Banerjee to the boundary, and then illustrated his growing confidence with a superb six off Williamson that brought up the century partnership.The draw earned Leicestershire seven points, while Gloucestershire collected 11.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Calcio Mercato reporter Daniele Longo has revealed that the Magpies are set to swoop for the Nigerian centre-forward.

He Tweeted: “Il #Newcastle pronto a fare una offerta al Napoli per Osimhen.”

This roughly translates to “The Newcastle ready to make an offer to Napoli for Osimhen.”

It has been reported that the Italian club will be looking for a fee in the region of €100m (£85m) but it remains to be seen how much the Toon are willing to offer.

Eddie Howe would love him

The Magpies head coach would love the attacker at Newcastle next season as he has proven his quality throughout the season with Napoli and has the potential to get better.

In the Serie A this season, he has scored 13 goals in 22 starts for the Italian side and averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.18. He has been a consistent performer, and goalscorer, in the division as he has been able to deliver the goods on a regular basis, earning plenty of plaudits along the way.

Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo previously showered his international teammate with praise, saying:

“He’s the future, he’s going to do so well in football. I love him, he’s down to earth, he’s hard-working, he has a future and he has the mentality of a winner, that’s what I love about him.

“He has that lion’s heart. I love him, I just want him to keep working hard the way he’s doing, he’s going to break so many records in Europe and Nigeria.”

He was also dubbed a “thoroughbred bomber” by Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti and these comments from his manager and teammate highlight how impressive he has been.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson is Newcastle’s top scorer in the Premier League with six strikes this term and this illustrates how badly Howe needs a consistent goalscorer to bolster his squad. He would, therefore, love Osimhen as the forward is exactly what he is missing, as proven by his excellent form so far for the Serie A giants this season.

At the age of 23, the Nigerian also has time on his side to continue his development. He can hone his finishing skills and improve his consistency, with the ex-Bournemouth boss potentially getting the chance to play a part in helping him fulfil his potential.

AND in other news, Howe plotting NUFC swoop for £9m-rated “goal machine”, he’s a huge upgrade on Wood…

Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall struck a magnificent century to put Kent to the sword on the second day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2011
Scorecard
Andrew Hall’s unbeaten hundred helped Northants build a sizeable lead•Getty ImagesNorthamptonshire captain Andrew Hall struck a magnificent century to put Kent to the sword on the second day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road. Former South Africa international Hall’s superb knock of 141 not out off 239 balls included 14 fours and four sixes and is the 12th ton of his first-class career.He was part of a sixth-wicket partnership of 114 with wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, who blasted 71 off 101 balls, which tilted the match firmly in Northamptonshire’s favour as they recovered from 124 for 5 to reach 429 for 7 at the close.They began the day on 86 for 3, 116 runs behind Kent, who they bowled out for just 202 yesterday, with Mal Loye resuming on 42 and David Sales on 14. Loye became the first batsman in the match to make a half-century, his coming off 131 balls, in the third over of the day. But he walked two overs later on 51 when he was trapped lbw by paceman Robbie Joseph and Sales later went in the same fashion for 31 off the bowling of Darren Stevens.Hall and O’Brien, both former Kent men, then made the first 50 partnership of the match between them as they guided their team to 187 for 5 at lunch. Hall ran two to put Northamptonshire ahead in the 79th over before Ireland international O’Brien reached 50 off 89 balls with a four smashed through cover.Joseph then claimed a vital breakthrough for Kent by pinning O’Brien lbw in the fourth over after the second new ball was taken. Hall went on to complete his half-century off 115 balls later in that over as he and Chaminda Vaas added 50 between them before tea to leave the hosts on 288 for 6.Hall was given a reprieve on 85 in the seventh over of the evening session when his attempted sweep off James Tredwell came off Kent wicketkeeper Geraint Jones and was dropped by Martin van Jaarsveld at slip. But Vaas (27) did not survive when he became the fifth Northamptonshire player to be given out lbw, this time off the bowling of Matt Coles, to end apartnership of 77.Hall then reached his century off 211 balls with a four through extra cover off Coles before James Middlebrook reached 50 off 70 deliveries by launching Joe Denly for six over square leg.The eighth-wicket pair added 114 runs between them with Middlebrook finishing the day unbeaten on 50 with the hosts utterly dominant.

George Bailey played the quintessential captain’s innings, scoring an impressive, unbeaten 160, to guide Tasmania to their improbable fourth-innings target of 315 against Victoria at the Bellerive Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2011
ScorecardGeorge Bailey’s career-best score steered Tasmania to victory•Getty ImagesGeorge Bailey played the quintessential captain’s innings, scoring an impressive, unbeaten 160, to guide Tasmania to their improbable fourth-innings target of 315 against Victoria at the Bellerive Oval.Bailey’s tenth first-class ton was also his career-best effort, and came under steady pressure. Resuming at 1 for 1, Tasmania lost opener Nick Kruger with only 21 on the board. Bailey walked out to join Alex Doolan, and the pair set about stemming the rot with a determined stand. They remained together for a ball short of 34 overs, and added 112 runs to take the sting out of Victoria’s bowling, before Peter Siddle got Doolan to edge behind for 54.Mark Cosgrove could not contribute much to the cause, and perished for 12 to give Victoria a chance to target the lower middle order. Travis Birt scored 26, adding 47 with Bailey before Jon Holland trapped him in front, with Tasmania 106 short of the target with five wickets remaining. Things seemed set for a tight finish, but Bailey shut the door on Victoria with an emphatic array of strokes.He waded into the Victoria attack, hitting 18 boundaries in his innings, that spanned 235 balls. James Faulkner steadied his end, with an unbeaten 47 off 77 balls, and the pair finished the game in the 91st over of the day.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will need to carefully manage his squad in the coming weeks as his side face a hectic schedule to end the campaign.

The Gers have five more games before the end of the month as they play three Premiership matches, a Europa League final and a Scottish Cup final.

They face Dundee United in the Scottish top-flight today at Ibrox after winning 3-1 in Europe on Thursday night, as they currently sit six points adrift of the league leaders.

How many changes will Gio make to his team? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make six alterations to the side, with Leon Balogun, Steven Davis, Fashion Sakala, Scott Arfield and Aaron Ramsey all coming in.

Borna Barisic, who was once dubbed “mind-boggling” by Richard Foster, let van Bronckhorst down against Leipzig and should be axed from the team. His exit from the XI would then allow Nigerian enforcer Leon Balogun to come in at centre-back, with Calvin Bassey slotting in at left-back.

In midfield, we are predicting that Steven Davis and Scott Arfield will both come in to provide an experienced presence in the middle of the park. This will allow Glen Kamara and John Lundstram to both have a deserved rest after their goalscoring exploits on Thursday, keeping them fresh for the midweek clash with Ross County.

We are also backing van Bronckhorst to unleash Ramsey from the start after he was on the bench against Leipzig. The Wales international may replace Scott Wright to play on the right of the front three as he needs to get minutes under his belt to build up his match fitness after just under a month out injured.

Finally, we are predicting that Fashion Sakala – who was once dubbed a “firework” by Alan Hutton – will be given the go-ahead through the middle with Ryan Kent and Ramsey either side of him. Joe Aribo came off against Leipzig with a head injury and was replaced by the Zambian – suggesting that he is next in line to start up front if the Nigeria international is unavailable.

AND in other news, Big setback: Rangers hit with huge injury blow that’ll leave GvB fuming…

An exciting Newcastle United claim has emerged regarding their plans for the upcoming transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has hinted that PIF will be looking to spend more than £50m in the market this summer, whilst not going overboard with their dealings.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think their plan is to run it like a business and I think their plan will be to keep costs as low as they can.

“I very much doubt they will manage to keep it to £50million, but I do think what they’ll try and do is bring money in, in terms of player sales as well.”

Supporters will be delighted

Newcastle supporters will surely be delighted with this claim.

Last summer, the only senior addition to the squad was the signing of Joe Willock from Arsenal for a reported £25m. He joined on a permanent basis after spending the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan and was the only player brought in by Mike Ashley to bolster Steve Bruce’s squad.

The lack of investment in the team came back to bite the Sports Direct supremo as the Toon became just the fourth team in Premier League history to not win any of their first 14 matches in a top-flight season.

In the last 14 games in the top flight, however, Newcastle have picked up 31 points and are third in the form table behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

The difference between these two stretches of games? The appointment of Eddie Howe and the January transfer window. PIF came in to take over the club from Ashley and invested in the squad by bringing in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood in the winter market.

Their work in January gave Howe the ammunition he needed to fire Newcastle to safety and that is exactly what he has done, with the Magpies currently sitting 14 points clear of the bottom three. This suggests that the signings earlier this year gave the club a massive lift, and that is set to save them from relegation.

Therefore, supporters will be excited by the prospect of PIF dropping more than £50m on further signings, as it means that Howe will be backed again and given what he needs to take the Toon to the next level. He will not be hung out to dry like Bruce was by Ashley, which is why fans will be delighted with the owners’ plans.

They will also be buzzing with the claim that PIF still want to run the club like a business and are not going to risk the financial future of Newcastle. The consortium are not looking for instant success which could lead to irreversible financial damage further down the line, and this measured, thought-out approach will surely go down well with the fanbase as it shows ambition and clarity over what the owners want to do.

AND in other news, Journalist reveals two names on Newcastle’s transfer “list”, Eddie Howe will be excited…