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Round-up of the third day of the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy Plate League

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2010Three wickets stand between Rajasthan and the quarter-finals as they reduced Maharashtra to 280 for 7 in Nasik, after declaring on a mammoth 641. Aakash Chopra, unbeaten on 262 overnight, duly completed his first triple hundred, remaining unbeaten on 301. Chopra’s marathon effort lasted over 13-and-a-half hours, took 582 deliveries, and contained 36 fours and three sixes. After being in the field for more than two days, the strain showed on Maharashtra’s batsmen as most of them got out after getting starts. Deepak Chahar got Rajasthan the breakthrough with a double strike in the tenth over, sending back Harshad Khadiwale and bowling Swapnil Gugale. Sangram Atitkar (42) resisted briefly before Pankaj Singh and Chahar struck to reduce Maharashtra to 149 for 6. Nikhil Paradkar led a recovery with an unbeaten half-century, but Rajasthan are still ahead by 361 runs, and firm favourites to progress to the Super League.Madhya Pradesh had their noses in front going in to the final day in Indore, as Andhra finished on 284 for 9, giving them a lead of just 173. Andhra, having no choice but to go for quick runs in order to set a target, were anchored by B Sumanth, who remained unbeaten on 85. Shankara Rao made a half-century while Venugopal Rao and Hemal Watekar chipped in with thirties. Andhra rattled along at close to five an over, but also kept losing wickets regularly, mainly to MP’s opening combination of TP Sudhindra and Anand Rajan. Ankit Sharma (68) had earlier added useful runs to extend MP’s lead past 100, before they were bowled out for 341, a lead that could prove vital in the final analysis.

Aston Villa are expected to make a ‘serious offer’ for Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson.

The Lowdown: Nelsson profiled

Nelsson, a Denmark international, is 23 years of age and is primarily a centre-back who can also play in midfield.

He made a £6.3m move to Galatasaray from FC Copenhagen last summer and has turned out 41 times in Turkey since.

Nelsson, described as a ‘Danish lion’, has a €25m (£21m) release clause in his Galatasaray deal, and it looks as if he has caught the eye of fellow countryman Johan Lange.

The Latest: Villa interest

Reports from Turkey on Wednesday looked at six Galatasaray players who have been catching the eye across Europe.

One of those was Nelsson, with Aston Villa the only side name-checked with an interest, reportedly ready to make a ‘serious offer’ in the summer.

The Verdict: Needed?

Steven Gerrard has just four senior centre-backs on the books, two of which are Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, with reports casting doubt over their Villa Park futures.

Therefore, a number of defensive reinforcements may well be required ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge, with Nelsson possibly one of those.

Nelsson is at the top of his game with a career-high £9m Transfermarkt valuation, and you’d like to think he still has room for improvement, potentially at Bodymoor Heath.

In other news: Gerrard now happy for ace to leave Villa Park; he’s ‘central to a lot of the problems’. 

Clint McKay, the right-arm bowler, is out of contention for the World Cup after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011Clint McKay, the right-arm bowler, is out of contention for the World Cup after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot. McKay, who grabbed 27 wickets at 19.59 for Australia in 2010, requires an operation and faces a 10-week recovery.The news is another blow for Australia, who still hold the No.1 ranking in ODIs and are aiming for their fourth World Cup in a row at the tournament starting next month. Australia’s final 15-man squad for the event will be named next week.McKay, 27, was Man of the Match in Australia’s last one-day international, taking 5 for 33 against Sri Lanka in November, and he collected three wickets in the Big Bash game for Victoria in which he felt pain in his foot.”Obviously his workload over the past two years has been a lot higher – he’s played for Australia, he’s played some cricket in England as well – but he’s been good considering the workload he’s had,” Victoria’s physiotherapist Thihan Chandramohan said in The Age. “It’s the first major injury that’s put him out for a long period … and it’s one that’s hard to prevent because it’s just related to the bone not handling the load that’s going into it.”McKay is hoping he can be fit for the start of the IPL in April, although that might be a little too ambitious. He was signed to Mumbai Indians for $US111,000.

According to ESPN, Manchester United are emerging as the favourites to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. 

The lowdown: Rice a wanted man

The 23-year-old has quickly become one of the hottest properties in European football following a rapid rise to prominence for both club and country.

Having left the acclaimed Chelsea academy to join West Ham in 2013, Rice has become an established member of David Moyes’ side, and also for Gareth Southgate at international level following a switch of allegiances from the Republic of Ireland.

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With interest previously mooted from Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, a fresh update has suggested that Old Trafford could be the most likely destination for the midfielder…

The latest: United frontrunners to sign Rice

As per ESPN sources, the Red Devils could have a ‘clear run’ at the 29-cap England star this summer.

The report states that United want Rice to become a ‘modern-day version’ of Paul Ince and will look to snap up the enforcer at the end of the season.

It’s also claimed that incoming manager Erik ten Hag will view the man likened to United legend Roy Keane by Stuart Pearce – who also called the 23-year-old “dynamic” – as a ‘statement signing’ as the Dutchman attempts to stamp his authority on the Premier League.

The verdict: No brainer

With United set to wave goodbye to Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, there are certainly spaces to be filled in the Old Trafford squad.

Despite a lofty £150m price tag handed down by Moyes, Rice could be worth the investment in the long run owing to his tender years and already top-class productivity.

So far this season, the powerful midfielder has earned an outstanding 7.17 average Sofascore rating whilst boasting a 92% passing accuracy and winning five duels and 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League.

Therefore, it seems a no-brainer for United to try and bring him to Old Trafford, particularly if they are now in such a dominant position to win the race for his services.

In other news: Spanish source makes La Liga transfer raid claim…find out more here

Celtic took another step towards securing the Premiership title today as they beat Hearts 4-1 at Parkhead.

The hosts found themselves 1-0 down with just three minutes on the clock as Jam Tarts striker Ellis Simms put the ball past Joe Hart.

The Hoops then managed to not only equalise but also go ahead by half-time thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.

Two more goals from the home side in the second half secured the victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side after their early scare. Midfielder Matt O’Riley scored the third before Giorgos Giakoumakis found the net in the 90th minute after he replaced Furuhashi earlier in the half.

Despite having four different scorers, it was another Celtic figure who wowed on this occasion, namely Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Hailed by Greg Taylor as being a “huge part” of why the Hoops have been so successful in the league this season, the USA centre-back proved his worth yet again this time out.

Even though Hearts managed to break the short-lived deadlock at the start, the defender made sure that the away side didn’t end up scoring again.

With 90 minutes under his belt, the £2.7m-rated American had 72 touches of the ball in total and ended up completing 55 of the 60 passes that he attempted, as per Sofascore.

From a defensive point of view, the 24-year-old racked up six clearances, two tackles, two interceptions and blocked one shot from the opposition. He also ended up winning 83% of his duels, showing just how tough he was to play against and why the visitors only found the net once.

This display ultimately earned the centre-back an impressive overall match rating of 7.4/10 from SofaScore, which is higher than the likes of Furuhashi and Maeda managed.

His performance also caught the attention of the Scottish Daily Express, who called it a ‘solid showing from the centre half again with no problems’.

Having been praised by Chris Sutton for his “immense” performance against Rangers last month, that is what he was again today for Postecoglou’s side.

If the on-loan Tottenham defender can keep up this level until the end of the campaign, he will be a big reason why the Bhoys will almost surely end up lifting the league title.

In other news: Enquiry made, then joined rivals: Celtic had the last laugh over “huge” 161 G/A dynamo

USA captain Steve Massiah believes his side’s early arrival in Hong Kong for the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament will help them gain promotion to Division 2

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011USA captain Steve Massiah believes his side’s early arrival in Hong Kong for the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament will help them gain promotion to Division 2. USA, who were in Division 5 at the beginning of 2010, will arrive in Hong Kong on January 15, and will play two practice games before the tournament starts on January 22.”It’s tough for us to get together ahead of the tournament with people spread out across the country, but we’ve all got training schedules to stick to and we will all definitely have the fitness levels needed ahead of the tournament,” Massiah told the ICC.The hosts Hong Kong’s biggest advantage is that they have played plenty of cricket leading up to the tournament, their coach Charlie Burke said.”We played in the Asian Games [in Novemer 2010], albeit in the shorter format, but the opposition we faced was strong, and playing on a big stage against the likes of Afghanistan has really helped us prepare for Division 3,” Burke said. “We’ve just come back from a tour of Sri Lanka where we played three games against strong domestic teams and we won two out of three of those games. It’s the first time we’ve had wins in Sri Lanka which to me is an extremely positive sign ahead of this tournament. We’ve also had turf practice-nets put down now in Hong Kong which has been a huge plus for us when it comes to training.”Hong Kong and USA will compete with Italy, Papa New Guinea, Oman and Denmark for two promotion spots to Division 2.There are four uncapped players in USA’s squad for the tournament – left-arm spinners Ryan Corns and Asif Khan, wicketkeeper Ritesh Kadu and seamer Durale Forrest – and Massiah said they have all settled into the side.”Forrest, Corns and Kadu are all young, exciting prospects for us,” Massiah said. “Forrest is a former West Indies Under-15 player, Corns has represented the USA at Under-19 level, while Kadu has been a consistent performer in his local league in Southern California. Asif Khan is also a positive addition for us as we’ve been in need of a left-arm spinner and Asif provides that along with bringing the experience he’s had as a former first-class cricketer in Pakistan.”Hong Kong’s squad for the tournament has an average age of 21 as compared to 29, which it was when Burke took over as coach in May 2010. “Our vice-captain Courtney Kruger, who is a right-hand batsman, is definitely one to watch for this tournament,” Burke said. “Mark Chapman, who is just 17-years-old, was our highest run-scorer in Sri Lanka and is technically very sound for someone so young.”Then when you look at our bowlers, the Ahmed brothers – Irfan and Nadeem – are the ones to watch in our side. Irfan is a great strike bowler, who knows how to bowl with great pace and can deliver yorkers. His brother Nadeem knows the conditions here and gets some good spin.”Burke said he has a good knowledge of all the teams competing, especially Papua New Guinea whom he worked with in his previous role as the ICC East Asia-Pacific development officer.”I have a very good knowledge of the PNG side and in regards to planning for the other teams, I’ve seen recent footage of the USA and we’ve done our homework on Denmark too. I suppose Italy and Oman are the interesting teams as we don’t know too much about them.”Since the USA only received promotion after winning the Division 4 tournament in Italy in August 2010, they have not faced many of the Division 3 teams in recent times, but Massiah is not too concerned by that. “We don’t know all the teams particularly well apart from Italy who we played in August,” he said. “I personally have played Oman, Denmark and Papa New Guinea before, but that was over ten years ago now so I’m sure the sides have changed. We’ll be sure to do our research so that we can get on and execute our game on the day.”

Glasgow Rangers reportedly now face a ‘big fight’ to keep Ryan Kent this summer.

The Lowdown: Europa League hero

Kent was just one of many Europa League heroes for the Teddy Bears as they overcame RB Leipzig 3-1 at Ibrox on Thursday night to book themselves in the final against Frankfurt.

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The winger grabbed the assist for the opening goal of the game by James Tavernier, and also recorded a team-high two key passes, while he won three of his duels, made two tackles and one interception (SofaScore).

The Latest: ‘Big fight’

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team now face a ‘big fight’ to keep hold of Kent in the summer, as he is ‘attracting interest’ from a number of clubs in the Premier League.

Expanding in his latest piece for 90min, Bailey added that the Light Blues have accepted that they will not be able to match teams in the top flight in terms of contract offers, given that he only has a year left on his current deal.

Bailey’s sources have confirmed that the uncertainty over his contract is now attracting interest, with Leeds United, Everton, Wolves and Fulham named as possible destinations.

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying for the supporters to hear of uncertainty over Kent’s long-term future, as they will no doubt find it difficult to pull him away from the attraction of the Premier League.

He has been one of their best performers in both the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership, and at 25 years of age, has not yet reached his full potential.

Nonetheless, if the Gers do decide to sell him, then they need to make sure that they get a sizeable fee in order to help find a suitable replacement.

In other news, find out which ‘absolute legend’ Andrew Dickson hailed against Leipzig here!

Kenya have secured a new sponsorship deal with Indian conglomerate Karuturi Global

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2011Kenya have secured a new sponsorship deal with Indian conglomerate Karuturi Global, has reported. The one-year deal will begin with the World Cup, who starts on February 19.Cricket Kenya (CK) said the sponsorship, which is the single largest deal to have been undertaken by the association in recent years, would cater for all the financial requirements of the team during the World Cup.”We have had disputes on the issues of money in the past,” said CK chairman Samir Inamdar. “The last thing we should be worried about going into this World Cup is money. Having negotiated our way into a formal aggrement with the players, everybody will now go into the World Cup and claim it.”Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande welcomed the move, saying: “Our main concern was that we could go to the World Cup without a team sponsor. But with Karuturi having come on board, all is well.”The sponsorship, whose sum was not disclosed, will also cover the development of cricket from the grassroots to the national level.

Transfer insider Dean Jones says that Newcastle United will now ‘listen to offers’ for Allan Saint-Maximin in the summer.

The Lowdown: Time up?

Saint-Maximin has been linked with a big-money move away from St. James’ Park this summer, with Aston Villa thought to be one of the clubs interested in his signature.

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With just five goals and four assists so far this season (Transfermarkt), perhaps we have not seen the best of him, and so he could be sold in order to help fund a mega spending spree which could comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Latest: Jones update

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has shared that the North East club will now ‘listen to offers’ for Saint-Maximin, claiming that he ‘didn’t help himself’ by asking for a new deal earlier this season:

“Saint-Maximin didn’t help himself by asking for a new contract at a time where he probably didn’t need one or maybe deserve one. From what I understand, Newcastle will listen to offers for Saint-Maximin in the summer.”

The Verdict: At the right price

The Tyneside outfit should only be looking to sell Saint-Maximin for the right price.

Dubbed a ‘top-class’ player by Kevin Phillips, his influence on the team is still unquestionable, as he currently ranks as their second-best performer in the Premier League overall, and top in terms of assists, shots and dribbles per game (WhoScored).

However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) may want to aim even higher in the market now that they have secured their Premier League safety, and so Saint-Maximin could be sold to help balance the books for FFP.

In other news, find out which ‘absolute beast’ NUFC are now eyeing this summer here!

England and Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies has received support from senior figures throughout the game after revealing he is gay

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2011England and Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies has revealed he is gay, becoming the first playing professional cricketer to so. Davies, who was part of England’s successful Ashes tour, went public with the news in an interview with the Daily Telegraph . He said he was comfortable with who he is and hopes his announcement would make it easier for others to be open about their sexuality.”I’m comfortable with who I am – and happy to say who I am in public,” Davies said. “To speak out is a massive relief for me, but if I can just help one person to deal with their sexuality then that’s all I care about.”Davies came out to his friends and family five years ago and confided in England coach Andy Flower ahead of the Ashes tour, with Flower and captain Andrew Strauss then letting the rest of the squad know.”It was a fantastic thing to do, telling the lads,” he said. “The difference is huge. I am so much happier. I told Andy Flower first. It was a tough thing for me to do, to tell him face-to-face, but I had to do it. He supported me 100%, [both] him and Andrew Strauss. It was the right thing to do as I felt I couldn’t live like this anymore.”I didn’t enjoy going on tour too much because of the secret, and the Ashes was going to be a 3½-month tour. That’s a long time and I would have really struggled to finish it. My sexuality is an essential part of who I am, so I wanted the boys to know.”Strauss said that he would tell half the squad, with Flower telling the others. Two days later, Davies met his team-mates at Lord’s, where their reaction could not have been more supportive.”I was so nervous,” he said. “I got there really early — I was the first one. I couldn’t think of anything except what they were going to say and how they would react. In fact, everyone was great. They just said it wasn’t an issue.”Matt Prior, who was his rival for the wicketkeeping position and is playing that role in the World Cup, came over to give Davies a hug. “He couldn’t believe I had kept it to myself for this long,” Davies said. “He said I should have told him. That was special.”Davies becomes one of only a handful of professional sportsmen to come out. Footballer Justin Fashanu, who died in 1998, and dual-code rugby international Gareth Thomas are the only two British sportsman to previously do so during their playing careers. “Gareth Thomas’ story helped me,” Davies said. “It showed me it can be done. He was brave enough to stand up and say who he was. If I can help anyone else like he helped me, that would be great.”Flower said he has the full support of the England set up and backed Davies to regain his place in the one-day squad he lost just prior to the World Cup. “This is something Steve chose to discuss with me and the squad some time ago. I would like to make it very clear that Steve is first and foremost a very talented cricketer and a valued member of the England set-up.”Steve has had and will continue to have the full respect and support of the entire squad and everyone involved in England cricket. I have no doubt that he will continue to work hard to regain a place in the England squad.”Davies’ England team-mate batsman Ian Bell said the news had no affect on team whatsoever. “For us as a group, it didn’t affect anything for Steve or any of the other lads,” Bell said. “It helped him by speaking to the guys and we just got on with it. He’s a fantastic cricketer and we’re all with him. We support Steve as any of the other lads. He’s a good mate of mine and that doesn’t change absolutely anything. He’s a massively important person in our team going forward. The more cricket he can play for England, the better.”Vikram Solanki, chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and Davies’ former team-mate at Worcestershire said: “Steve has the full support of all his colleagues in cricket. Many of those Steve plays with and against have known about this for some time and none of them regard it as anything other than an entirely personal matter.”