All posts by h716a5.icu

Bruno Fernandes threw a pitch at Rate Field while attending the Chicago White Sox' MLB game against local rivals Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The Manchester United captain enjoyed a break from pre-season preparations as he took some of his colleagues to watch the Baseball action. Fernandes was also able to meet White Sox stars such as Miguel Vargas.

Bruno threw first pitch for White SoxUnited stars attended MLB gameAmorim granted players day offFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the , Manchester United ambassador Wes Brown was supposed to throw the first pitch and had even practiced throwing. However, once Fernandes managed to gather a bunch of current United stars to visit Rate Field, the pitching duties were immediately handed over to the Red Devils skipper.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fernandes was also gifted a customised No.8 shirt of the White Sox and met the franchise's second basemen and left fielder Miguel Vargas. The United midfielder was joined ay the game by team-mates Joshua Zirkzee and Bryan Mbeumo, with the squad having been granted some time off following their friendly win over West Ham in their first match of their U.S. tour at MetLife Stadium last week.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The White Sox shared a clip of Fernandes pitching and some photographs from the United star's visit on Instagram with the caption: "Thanks for kickin’ it with us, @brunofernandes8 & @manchesterunited!"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Ruben Amorim's side will play their second pre-season friendly of their U.S. tour on Thursday as they take on Bournemouth at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Danish Kaneria showed just how valuable they are to the Pakistan team – when they fired the team won, and won easily

Analysis by Anand Vasu07-Jun-2005

When Inzamam-ul-Haq scores, Pakistan inevitably wins © Getty Images
The end came swiftly on the final day, with only 29 runs being added for the loss of four wickets. For Pakistan though, it could not have come soon enough. A good series in India meant they arrived in the Caribbean with high hopes. A disappointing showing in the first Test meant they needed to pick up the pieces quickly. Fortunately for them, Inzamam-ul-Haq, their rock-solid leader, was back in harness, having served his one-Test ban. It made a difference, almost the difference between victory and defeat.In the first innings, Inzamam made a confident 50, and this was enough, along with a major contribution of 106 from Younis Khan, to take Pakistan to 374 despite a fine bowling performance from Corey Collymore, who walked away with figures of 7 for 78 – his second seven-wicket haul in Jamaica. But it was in the second innings that Inzamam really stamped his authority on the match. Two wickets had fallen in three balls, and Pakistan were delicately poised at 109 for 3. Another wicket at that stage would have been disastrous – and it almost came, when Colleymore induced the edge from Inzamam, only for Courtney Browne to spill the chance.But from that moment on, Inzamam blunted the West Indian attack. Slowly but surely he began to pile on the runs, unfurling the big shots often enough, even under pressure, to pick up 14 boundaries in an unbeaten innings of 117. This was Inzamam’s 22nd Test century, and it is worth noting that 17 of these centuries have resulted in Pakistan wins. To take it one step further – two more of his centuries have resulted in draws. When Inzamam scores, and scores big, Pakistan just don’t lose.But putting runs on the board is only one half of the battle. Even after Inzamam had done his best, West Indies were left with only 280 to win. The target was not a small one, but it was by no means unattainable. With the likes of Chris Gayle and Brian Lara about, two good sessions of batting could bring 280 down to a very manageable level. At that point, in stepped Danish Kaneria.

Danish Kaneria’s return to full effectiveness killed West Indies’ hopes © Getty Images
Kaneria had struggled in the first Test, mercilessly and brutally attacked by Lara, arguably the best player of spin bowling in the world at the moment, and was simply not allowed to settle into any kind of rhythm. But the situation was a bit different in the second innings of the second Test. The top was beginning to come off the Sabina Park pitch, and Kaneria had made a minor adjustment to his method, pushing the ball through just a bit quicker in the air. The first over he bowled set the tone. Ramnaresh Sarwan was bamboozled, unable to read the ball out of the hand, and relying instead on the hazardous method of watching it off the pitch. Kaneria seized the opportunity with both hands.He tormented Sarwan and sent him packing, perhaps more than once – as a loud shout for caught-behind was turned down. Then came the man who had caused him so much grief. Kaneria knew full well that Lara was at his most vulnerable when he first came to the pitch, and focused on attacking him. Lara lasted only three balls, tickling a ball down the leg-side to Kamran Akmal. And from then on, Kaneria was a changed man. He found his zip, his big legbreak, his accuracy, and the quick straight one that hurries onto the batsman. Before the shellshocked West Indians knew it, Kaneria had 5 for 46, and the game was over. If there has been one complaint about Kaneria, it has been that his five-wicket hauls had come at too high a cost in terms of runs. No-one could say that this time.To win this Test was crucial for Pakistan. Had they failed to do so, they would sacrificed many of the gains the team has made as a unit in recent times. Having levelled the series, Bob Woolmer and Inzamam can allow themselves a moment to reflect on their significant achievements.

Shaun Tait’s impressive debut, and Ricky Ponting discovers his bowling skills

On the ball with S Rajesh and Arun Gopalakrishnan25-Aug-2005Shaun Tait came into an Australian side, which was without Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, and by close of play he had done enough to justify his selection, ending with impressive figures of 2 for 62 from 14 overs. Tait’s first spell in Test cricket was hardly impressive – on a pitch lacking in pace, he bowled back of a length or short far too often, and rarely looked threatening. After the tea break, though, he altered his length, bowling up to the bat and getting appreciable movement, and while he went for more runs, he also bowled more wicket-taking deliveries (five out of 41 before tea; 10 out of 47 after the interval).The other bowling card that was a success – far more unexpectedly – for Australia was the captain himself. Before tea, England were rattling along at 4.5 runs per over, and of the 134 runs, 46 came through cover and midwicket, and only one through third man – a clear indication that the batsmen were hardly ever troubled and completely on top. Then came Tait’s wicket, after which Ricky Ponting brought himself on and did an excellent job of bottling an end up. He bowled six overs, and never once strayed more leg side than off stump, in the process getting the key wicket of Michael Vaughan. Don’t be surprised if Ponting’s seen offering a few bowling tips to Jason Gillespie in the nets tomorrow morning.

A review of The Fast Bowler’s Bible, which promises to make you bowl quicker

Jenny Thompson22-Jun-2006

I’m a simple girl and I don’t ask for much: the odd beer and curry and I’m pretty happy. But hang on now, because one man could be about to sweep me right off my feet and make my dreams come true.It’s going to take a bold man. But this man a bold man with some bold claims. Maybe he’s the one. He’s certainly confident: this man thinks, nay, believes … he can make me bowl faster. And you, too, for that matter.This man is Ian Pont, Essex fast-bowling coach and former first-class player, who has remodelled Darren Gough’s action and helped to make Ronnie Irani a World Cup player in 2003. And now he’s written a book which claims to reveal the secrets of fast bowling.The book also touches on reverse swing, bowling the slower ball and, of course, how to bowl bouncers and yorkers. It tells you where speed comes from, and looks at the action, too. But what’s most exciting is Pont’s promise that you can increase your speed without losing your accuracy.”I wanted to put in there all the new stuff that people like Flintoff and Harmison and Jones and Hoggard are using up at the ECB Academy at Loughborough,” Pont explains. “Advanced biomechanics – how the action works. When bowlers understand their bowling actions, how to bowl straight and fast, they use it naturally.”Pont, a self-styled maverick, has cornered the market here. He’s the only one to have written all this stuff down and, while his techniques may not be endorsed by the ECB – “They’re about injury prevention, I’m about bowling fast” – they certainly demystify biomechanics and are laid down in a straightforward way.”It’s not a Harry Potter novel,” he warns – yet, frankly, thank God for that – “but it is a good read and you can read it in a weekend.” Well, it is a long read and you do need patience to wade through the text-heavy pages, although the language – designed to appeal to young Lee wannabes and the, erm, more mature reader who perhaps styles himself on Gus Fraser – is certainly accessible.It’s also a bit clumsy to take a book down to a net and walk through the paces, as Pont advises, but this is not a fashion parade, right?! This is about bowling faster. And there are photographs to help you which, although in old-school black and white, are enough to give you an idea of what to do.But don’t expect instant results. You will need to do thousands of repeats to build up enough muscle memory. And at £12.99 the book’s not cheap – but what price success?
Buy it now

Martin Williamson looks at how Kenya fared in 2007

Martin Williamson23-Dec-2007

Peter Ongondo celebrates his dismissal of Michael Vaughan during a disappointing World Cup © Getty Images
The improvement Kenya showed in 2006 continued in 2007 with good results in ODIs and Intercontinental Cup matches, although they were unable to close the gap between them and the Full member countries. On the big stages of the World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 Championship they froze and played poorly.After several years of inactivity resulting from internal dysfunctionality, Kenya’s players were rewarded with professional contracts and the repaid that faith by winning the inaugural World Cricket League on home soil, underpinning their claim to be the leading Associate. That success also gained them admission to the ICC World Twenty20 Championship and a cheque for $500,000. They also cleaned up in short ODI series at home to Bermuda and Canada . In the Intercontinental Cup they easily beat the same two opponents.The main problem remained a lack of international exposure. A development side was invited to take part in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup but they struggled in difficult and alien conditions, highlighting a need for them to play more abroad on varying surfaces. However, 18 of their 23 international matches were on home soil and the only time they ventured abroad was for official ICC events. Until they can persuade Full Members to give them a leg up progress will be hard.There was less success at the lower levels, with the women’s and Under-15 sides failing to impress in Africa Cricket Association tournaments and the Under-19 side failing to qualify for next year’s U-19 World Cup.At home the standard of the main league in Nairobi remained a cause for concern, as did a bitter dispute inside the Nairobi province which bore all the hallmarks of the earlier row involving the KCA – an old guard using every trick in the book to cling to power. But cricket Kenya, which signed a TV deal and secured a team sponsor, moved in to sort out the Nairobi mess and also to establish a national elite league.New man on the block
Hiren Varaiya, not exactly new but only 22 and given that good slow bowlers are worth their weight in gold, he is a godsend. Economical in one-day games and a wicket-taker in first-class matches. He too would benefit from overseas experience and on occasion his captain seems unwilling to bowl him ahead of less able seamers.Fading star
Wicketkeeper-batsman Kennedy Otieno departed in a huff twice in a short time, the second occasion when he was left out of the World Cup squad after failing to return from a club commitment in Australia. A year or two back his absence would have been a blow, but he was not really missed and the selectors sent out a clear message that prima donnas would no longer be tolerated.High point
In September Thomas Odoyo was named the inaugural Associate Player of the Year at the annual ICC’s annual beanfeast. In brought deserved accolades for Odoyo and boosted the profile of Kenya and all the Associates.Low point
The dismal performance in the ICC World Twenty20 Championship undid so much of the team’s progress and sent a bad message to the world, and the manner of the defeat against New Zealand prompted some serious post mortems at home.What does 2008 hold?
Kenya have to continue to press for matches but the best they are likely to get are matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. A year of consolidation ahead of the vital 2009 World Cup Qualifier is about as good as they can get, and they need to appoint a high-calibre coach to replace the impression Roger Harper. At home grass-roots development and a successful national lead is the priority.

ODIs 17 13 4 0 Twenty20 4 0 4 0 Intercontinental Cup 2 2 0 0

Shane Warne spent five seasons at the Rose Bowl infusing “Happy” Hampshire with his star quality and competitive juices. How are the Hawks taking to life after the master?

Edward Craig12-Jul-2008
Warne: inspirational, never gave up, wanted to win each moment, changed the field every ball, never stopped thinking © Getty Images
Hampshire are playing Surrey at the Rose Bowl. The sun is shining, the sky is cloudless, the crowd is buzzing. Mark Ramprakash is seeking his hundredth hundred. Today could be historic. Surrey lose a wicket in the first over and Ramps is at the crease. Hampshire could gift him his hundred – their attack is depleted and young – but they are a tougher outfit, a tougher club than a decade ago. For half a century Surrey were the county that everybody loved to hate, but according to Steve James in the last year, that baton has passed to Hampshire.Rod Bransgrove, the chairman, sits with his back to the cricket being played on what his wife Mandy calls his “allotment” and explains the change in philosophy: “The old Hampshire used to be known as ‘Happy Hampshire’. I had a long lunch with Alec Stewart once. He said that you are not going to achieve anything with Hampshire till you can get rid of this tag. We all love coming down here, we all love the Hampshire boys – but none of us are frightened to come. That stuck in my mind. ‘None of us are frightened to come here’.” Bransgrove didn’t want them to be nasty, just more competitive, so when he got the chance he signed some big names: John Crawley from Lancashire, Kevin Pietersen from Nottinghamshire, and Shane Warne. Warne is gone now, yet he is still around, his spirit present at every turn.Feeling his wayRamprakash suffers a torturous time at the crease before nicking James Tomlinson to the keeper for 17. Norman Cowans, the former Middlesex and Hampshire fast bowler, happens to be walking round the Rose Bowl, enjoying the sun and the cricket. He’s talking about the changed face of Hampshire. When he played for Middlesex in the 1980s, Hampshire had great players like Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall and Robin Smith but they never delivered a Championship. “Gatt said that if we had that team, we would always win the Championship.”Everyone connected with Hampshire agrees Warne was inspirational. He never gave up. He wanted to win each decisive moment. He changed the field every ball. He never stopped thinking, and it was always interesting. Off the field he played the odd trick as well. The story goes that he would ask the groundstaff to make sure the jacuzzi in the away dressing room wasn’t working, make the opposition park their cars as far away from the pavilion as possible. When he first arrived in 2000 – as a player not captain – he was not like this.Giles White was an opening batsman who shared a house with Warne one winter in Melbourne. He is now Hampshire’s 2nd XI coach. He says: “He was feeling his way in the first summer, seeing how the county system worked. When he came back as captain, he wanted to put his mark on it and do it his way. He was great to play with but we didn’t get enough runs. It might have been the pressure of having Warne in the side. He found that frustrating because he had always played for great sides and now he’s playing for Hampshire. A couple of times he got frustrated but he was reserved and he didn’t want to do the wrong thing. He changed when he was captain – he definitely preferred being captain.”Time to chillBy now Hampshire have pegged Surrey back with two early wickets. New captain Dimitri Mascarenhas bowls to Usman Afzaal. He is bowling wide of off stump, ball after ball. This is a game of patience that is unfamiliar to the Hampshire players and supporters. This was not Warne’s style.Michael Brown is opening the batting for Hampshire this year and played four seasons under Warne’s captaincy. He describes the difference: “Our style of play has to change now, we have to be more patient. We have to bore batsmen out. Warne got frustrated when the game drifted – it was win or lose. He hated bonus points and would never play for them. He would take on targets.”Like Gower before him, Warne’s unique training regimes and his star quality started to create cracks. And that is where the exuberance, the excessive pressure and mind games that he brought to Hampshire, began to make players feel uncomfortable. Despite themselves, and almost unwittingly, they started to resent Warne The talk around the Rose Bowl is about his positive, imaginative captaincy. Placing fielders in strange positions for only one ball, talking to the umpire and the batsmen, keeping it interesting. Brown continues: “I remember against Warwickshire last year, they set us 331 after we had forfeited our first innings and missed out on potentially five batting points. I thought it was too much to chase at the Rose Bowl. We won with two overs to spare. Carberry made 192. After the game you thought: ‘He believed we could win.’ That kind of backing from a guy like him means a lot.”Not every member of the team was comfortable with the constant exuberance, noise and field changes. Brown admits: “Someone with such a personality, intensity and confidence can lead to extra pressure being placed on other players. That is good pressure in a lot of ways. He brings the best out of you – if you can’t take it, get out. So many times it brought good things. Occasionally it would be too much.”Because of his desire for wickets and to baffle opposition batsmen, there could be too many changes in the field and bowlers weren’t thinking the same way. It is a fine line. A lot of this confidence and intensity did bring the best out of a lot of players but there were times when we wanted to say, ‘Warney, chill out.’ Sometimes umpires would get riled or opposition players would rise to the challenge.”But his tactics worked most of the time and players could voice opinion: he might not listen but he was basically approachable. Brown adds: “These little faults of his leadership shouldn’t overshadow the greater good. You knew the brand of cricket he was going to play and everyone bought into it. It was the most intense and enjoyable brand.”Warne’s competitive instincts on the field were balanced by a spirit of generosity off it. White says: “One of his big sayings is, ‘Manners are for free.’ He was big on manners, treating people well. He spoke about treating the catering and bar staff with respect.” He never turned down autographs, sometimes spending hours after games signing for enormous queues of young (and not so young) Hampshire fans. He’d talk cricket and give help to any player who asked, whoever they played for.The partingSurrey are now 250 for 7. It has been a good day for Hampshire, keeping Surrey’s powerful batting line-up quiet with their weakened attack. They have dropped a few catches and are struggling to knock over the tail. There are a few grumbles in the press box: “This would never have happened in Warne’s day.” Even some of the locals admit they have been spoilt these last four seasons.But, for all his success, exuberance and entertainment, few people at Hampshire were surprised Warne left, and only Bransgrove thought it was too soon. He says: “I am sad that it’s finished; no one could not be sad. There is a part of me that wants to configure a deal that would have got him to play one more game, just so I could see him bowl one more time.” At the end of last season it was clear Warne had taken the club as far as he could. Frustrations were beginning to show.Warne was the star, he could do what he wanted. He did not practise hard. “I faced him three times in five years,” says Brown. “The first time I was out off two of the three balls he bowled.”Warne did not have much time for coaches, occasionally taking credit himself for improvements in certain players. Hampshire had been here before with David Gower. Past players remember accommodating his various whims. This works fine until the team starts to struggle. Although no one at the Rose Bowl admits it directly, this appears to have happened. Warne was not the bowler he once was, even if he was still the personality.Brown describes a moment last season: “I remember seeing him sat on the physio’s bench after the Kent game and we’d just got beaten. It was probably the moment we realised the Championship had gone. He looked like a man who was thinking this was his last shot. After all the energy that he’d put into it every year, trying to drag us to the top, deep down this was his last season.”
Michael Brown found Warne’s style ‘intense and enjoyable’ © Getty Images
Like Gower before him, Warne’s unique training regimes and his star quality started to create cracks. And that is where the exuberance, the excessive pressure and mind games that he brought to Hampshire, began to make players feel uncomfortable. Despite themselves, and almost unwittingly, they started to resent Warne. The players who stood up to him, the ones that were not in awe of him, were the ones who had problems with him.Bransgrove dismisses any concerns about players struggling under Warne’s leadership. He says: “They were the people who weren’t doing so well. Some of the lesser performers of the last two years might have found him harsh, but he was very honest in his assessments. The experienced players have all gained. The less experienced players might have been damaged, but if they had anything about them, they’d think about it and become better players.”But is this management style not a weakness? Bransgrove is having none of it: “I could not identify a weakness in Shane Warne as a cricketer. I have read all the stuff about what he was supposed to be like on the field, and he certainly pushed authority to the limit at times, but that was competitive instinct.”Brown paints a different picture. He used to live with James Bruce, a promising bowler and product of the Hampshire youth system who was making real progress in first-class cricket before he retired suddenly in February to work in the City. Bruce’s decision had little to do with Warne; he wanted a lifestyle change. But he had a taut relationship with his captain. Brown explains: “They weren’t the best of friends, but they weren’t enemies either. Brucey at times got upset at certain things that he shouldn’t have been getting upset at. And there were times when Warney could have handled Brucey better.”It was a clash of styles as well as personalities. “Warney, the larrikin Australian with his in-your-face style, to Brucey’s more reserved public-school style. I don’t think his relationship had anything to do with Brucey quitting, but if Warney had given him more belief, like he did with other players, it might have made a difference.” Chris Tremlett also admitted to the local paper that he bowls better without Warne forcing him to be aggressive. He said: “I’m a lot more relaxed now and am not trying to think about things too much.”In texting touchSurrey are bowled out for 278 and the day closes with Jimmy Ormond nipping out Hampshire opener Michael Carberry off the last ball. Despite the grumblings from journalists, the Hampshire faithful can have no complaints. Warne will probably know the score already. He still keeps in touch with most of the players by text message. He sent them all a good-luck message before the start of the season. He is on the phone to Bransgrove offering advice. He speaks to the coaches about selection, always challenging conventional wisdom. White says: “He has a very active mind. At times he’ll come back to the basics but he’ll always challenge any ideas. Shane was very involved when he was captain. Hampshire became his club. His heart is here and he still has a passion for Hampshire.”Any team he plays for he takes to heart, Bransgrove believes, and that includes his new club in the Indian Premier League: “I am sure Rajasthan Royals will benefit from that passion as well. Now he has another member of his club family and he’ll take a great interest in them moving forward.”

Ireland and Scotland fared well, while Bermuda, Kenya, Canada and Netherlands plumbed the depths

Will Luke04-Jan-2009

Among Scotland’s highs was defeating Lancashire in the Friends Provident Trophy © PA Photos
Ireland Ireland may continue to leak their best players to England, but out of all the Associate nations they seem the most organised, and 2008 proved to be a promising year all round. However, like Scotland, their involvement in the Friends Provident Trophy has been a learning curve and not much more, though the two sides’ inclusion in a major domestic tournament causes green-eyed envy from the likes of Kenya, who are virtually ignored by their nearest neighbours South Africa.Ireland’s greatest achievement was their third successive victory in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, the biggest event in Associate cricket. As Kenya’s coach, Andy Kirsten, told Cricinfo in August, “It’s the closest to a Test match they’ll get” – albeit without the intensity. Nevertheless, Ireland have shown promise in all areas.With several players unavailable, such as Niall O’Brien, who has county commitments, the coach, Phil Simmons, was forced to pick young and cruelly inexperienced players such as Paul Stirling. He inevitably struggled, but the fact he has already played 19 matches for his country suggests Simmons and Ireland aren’t afraid to tip young players into the deep end. However, they will continue to miss the class of O’Brien and other county-contracted players as they look to qualify for the 2011 World Cup next year.Scotland The end-of-year news that three Scotland players were turning professional lent seasonal cheer to Scottish cricket, and 2008 was a mixed year north of the border. It began well, though.A tense two-run win over Lancashire in the Friends Provident Trophy in May demonstrated their determination to succeed in a professional tournament of quality teams and players.They cruised past the two worst Associates, Bermuda and Canada, with ease thanks to the growing development of their slow-left-armer, Ross Lyons. They finished a respectable fourth in the Intercontinental Cup and only trailed Kenya – apparently the leading Associate, though their crown is fast slipping – by 14 points.The highlight of the season ought to have been their match against England at The Grange. And it was, briefly – particularly for Gavin Hamilton who cracked 60 – until Scottish drizzle deemed it a dribbly draw. It was the sixth ODI out of ten held in Scotland to be a no-result. No amount of funding can fix the weather up north, but pleasingly Scotland’s prospects are far brighter.Bermuda A miserable and depressing year for Bermudan cricket. Allegations of drug use, syringes found in players’ dressing rooms and poor behaviour helped to tarnish an equally poor year in terms of results. They finished bottom of the Intercontinental Cup table with 26 points, behind the UAE and Canada. Their developmental side even lost to Argentina, one of the next generation of Affiliates hoping to make the next step up to Associate level. Given Bermuda’s experience, victory in the World Cricket League Americas tournament should have been secured comfortably, but they lost that too. Domestically, their season ended in a complete shambles when some teams (and even umpires) failed or forgot to turn up.They are grouped with Kenya, Netherlands, UAE, Denmark and one other in next year’s ICC World Cup Qualifier, and for all the optimism of Gus Logie, their coach, it is very difficult to see how 2009 will be much different. Their women’s side fared similarly poorly, reaching a comedic nadir when they were dismissed for just 13.Kenya The past year has not been easy for Kenya. They won just a single ODI, against Zimbabwe – a fine win, but once again it was Steve Tikolo who brought them victory, cracking a superb 102. Aside from that, they lost to Netherlands, Ireland (twice), and suffered two other heavy defeats to South Africa to cap a disappointingly poor year. So disappointing, in fact, that in November, Cricket Kenya launched an investigation into the decline in form and the management structure in an attempt to reverse their fortunes.In September, a virtually full-strength side was humiliated by a Pakistan XI in Mombasa, a match that followed Kenya’s dismal tour of Europe. The northern hemisphere’s traditionally soggy summer didn’t help, of course, but the results were consistently poor. In addition to being beaten by a club side, there were allegations by an opposition team of dissent and poor behaviour, and Kenya then failed to qualify for the 2009 World Twenty20 when Ireland rolled them for an abject 67 in Belfast.Whatever could go wrong did go wrong; even the former KCA Chairman, Sharad Ghai, offered his two pennies with a predictably vitriolic attack on the domestic structure, though his comments were laced with bitterness, since he was ousted in 2005.The one bright spot came with the appearance of Seren Waters, a prodigiously talented batsman who made 41 on his debut, followed by 74 in a full ODI against South Africa. It seems inconceivable, however, that he won’t pledge his future to England; Surrey have already offered him an “emerging players” contract.

Kenya’s Seren Waters is one to watch out for © Martin Williamson
Canada A mixed bag of a year, where little or no progress was made on the pitch but bigger strides were made administratively. The board signed a huge deal with Scotiabank, sponsoring men and women players alike over three years. An encouraging sign for the future, particularly with Canada’s keenness to professionalise their administrative set-up – if not yet their cricketers, though that could happen sooner rather than later. Furthermore, cricket became officially recognised by the government, and over the next few years the sport ought to receive a slice of public funding, though like in many Associate nations, the game remains a minority-interest, and particularly in Canada’s case, is played mostly by first and second-generation immigrants.On the field, the T20 Canada tournament was mostly a logistical success – bar the odd missing visa or two – but Canada were far and away the weakest, finishing bottom. Even Zimbabwe managed to thrash them, as befits their – understandably questionable – status as a Full Member, leaving Canada with more questions than answers. Still, they signed a five-year deal to host similar events in the future, and only time will tell whether they can begin to challenge their own before taking on the heavies. Foundations are being made behind the scenes and, for now, that is a positive step forward.NetherlandsOf all the Associates, Netherlands are the ones most likely to be looking over their shoulder at the progress being made by the likes of Namibia and Afghanistan. Results have been poor for some time, but crucially, this year the board came under increasing pressure with a steady decline of players, which Andre van Troost, their former bowler-turned-chief executive, must tackle first.The lack of interest in cricket in the country is a serious concern for their status as an Associate, and having finished fifth in the ICC Intercontinental Cup – some 34 points behind fourth-placed Scotland – van Troost and his board have a lot of ground to make up. Compared to Ireland and Scotland, Netherlands simply don’t play enough games against quality opposition. Britain’s Associates are keenly involved in one-day county cricket, for example, and there would be little expectation that Netherlands could challenge even a second-division county side. With the World Cup Qualifiers taking place in just six months’ time, Dutch cricket has an awful lot to do to catch the others.

Dileep Premachandran26-Mar-2009Leadership means different things to different sports. In football, thecaptain’s armband is more a sign of recognition than an acknowledgement oftactical nous. When people talk of the immortal Brazilians of 1970, theytalk of Pele and Jairzinho, Gerson and Tostao. If they do mention CarlosAlberto, it’s for the rocket into the Italian net, and not his leadership.Cricket couldn’t be more different. When we speak of the great sides,they’re almost always prefaced by the captain’s name. Warwick Armstrong’sAustralians of 1920-21. The Don’s legendary team of 1948. Ian Chappell’s Ugly Australians. Clive Lloyd’s Calypso Men. Mark Taylor’s new-ageAussies. You can’t separate the team from the leader, the victoriouscampaigns from the men who made the crucial calls.After American Football, where the quarterback reigns supreme, in no othersport does the captain exert the same level of influence. So, when John Buchanan, acknowledged as one of the great coaching brains of our age, comes out and says that it doesn’t really matter who leads a team, peoplewill sit up and take notice. More so when the man being marginalised as a result of the new theory is the most successful captain that India has ever had.”It could actually be of benefit to someone like him because it could free him up for his batting, when he just needs to do his batting or for hisfielding when he just needs to do his fielding or when he needs to just dohis bowling without the burden of the 20-over format on hisshoulders,” said Buchanan when asked about Sourav Ganguly not being giventhe Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy for the second season of the IPL. “The laws of the game state that you need a captain for certain formal roles, such as the coin toss, but thataside, I see there is scope to challenge the way teams have been run inthe past.”His idea of collective leadership has already drawn an incredulousresponse from Mickey Arthur, who has plotted South Africa’s rise to thetop of the world game in conjunction with Graeme Smith. Ganguly himselfdidn’t appear best pleased with the idea, saying: “Tomorrow I can jump outand say we need four batting coaches, four John Buchanans and Shah RukhKhan [the team owner] can say we need six Andy Bichels. These are allopinions, these are the ways they are thinking Twenty20 cricket can beplayed. We’ll have to wait and see because it’s completely new, it hasnever happened in sports.”Even in this era of coaches, the one consistent line has been that the captain has the final word once the team crossed the rope on to the field of play. Does a coach sitting on the sidelines really have a better feelfor what’s going on in the middle?One of Buchanan’s more strident critics, Shane Warne, might also have athing or two to say about this latest theory. The story of last season’sIPL was the story of the Rajasthan Royals, the basement-dwellingcandidates who went on to be champions. Warne was captain and coach, and the inspiration behind a less-than-star-studded side punching way above its weight. He made household names of the likes of Yusuf Pathan andRavindra Jadeja, while Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson finished up as thestars of the tournament.Try telling those men that Warne didn’t matter, that it could just aseasily have been Mohammad Kaif or Kamran Akmal leading the side. The teamthat lost to the Royals in a thrilling final was no different. MS Dhoni’scomposed style of leadership helped the Chennai Super Kings recover from amid-season slump, and nearly repeat his feats with India’s Twenty20 teamless than a year earlier.There’s a tendency to denigrate the twenty-over game as hit-and-giggle andlittle else, but for the captains, the margin for error is infinitesimallysmall. One bad over, and the game could be finished. In a Test match, youcan have one poor session and still come back to wrest the game away. InTwenty20, there are seldom any second chances.Arthur spoke of the players getting mixed signals, and that’s the biggestproblem with this Politburo model of captaincy. Who has the final say?Even in this era of coaches, the one consistent line has been that thecaptain has the final word once the team crossed the rope on to the fieldof play. Does a coach sitting on the sidelines really have a better feelfor what’s going on in the middle? And if there are four or five “leaders”on the field, who makes the crunch calls? Instead of relying on one man’sinstinct, do you put it to a vote?As with any experiment, it can’t be rubbished without giving it a fair go.Just don’t expect Warne or Dhoni to buy into it. Ganguly, who won 21 ofhis 49 Tests and led India to a World Cup final, probably won’t either.

Stats highlights from England’s historic 115-run win against Australia at Lord’s

S Rajesh20-Jul-2009Andrew Flintoff’s 5 for 92 is his third five-for in Tests, two of which have come against Australia•PA Photos England’s record against Australia at Lord’s has been quite dismal, but their overall record here since 2000 is pretty impressive: in 20 Tests during this period they’ve won ten and lost only three. The only teams to beat them have been Australia (twice) and South Africa. The win also helps England improve their home win-loss record against Australia to 44-46. The result was bitterly disappointing for Australia, but they managed their highest fourth-innings score in Tests, surpassing the 404 for 3 they scored in that historic run-chase at Leeds in 1948. They also became the first team to touch 400 in the fourth innings of a Test at Lord’s. The previous highest here had been 397, by India in 2002, in a match they lost by 170 runs. Australia’s highest here had been 329 for 3 in a drawn game in 1975. Andrew Flintoff’s 5 for 92 is only his third five-wicket haul in 77 Tests, but two of those have come versus Australia, a team against whom he has now taken 49 wickets in 13 games, at an average of 30.40. Thirty-one of those wickets have come in seven matches in England, at an average of 29.09. In Australia, Flintoff has 18 wickets from six games at 32.66. It’s Flintoff’s first five-for since his 5 for 78 at The Oval against Australia in 2005, a game which England drew to win the series. Since that Test, Flintoff had bowled in 40 innings without taking a five-for, taking only 76 wickets in 24 matches during this period. The 185-run stand between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin is the second-highest in the fourth innings of a lost Test. It fell just two runs short of the record, which Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers had set against Australia in Durban earlier this year. That match was quite similar to the Lord’s Test, with South Africa staging a comeback after falling behind by a huge margin in the first innings. Australia eventually dismissed South Africa for 370 in the fourth innings to win by 175 runs. Clarke’s superb century also pushed his overseas average to 41.12. It was his fourth hundred abroad, but his home record is still a lot better – seven centuries, and an average of 58.70. The last time Australia lost at Lord’s, they went on to win the series 2-1. Of the last three Ashes contests in England, two – in 1997 and in 2005 – were won by the team which fell behind in the series.

Australia are on the verge of what should be a victory in Perth but it can’t mask a sometimes disappointing performance

Brydon Coverdale at the WACA19-Dec-2009Australia are on the verge of what should be a victory in Perth but it can’t mask a sometimes disappointing performance. The third day wasn’t a good one for the batting line-up, the fourth was far from perfect for the bowlers. For much of the day they would struggle once again to bowl their opponents out, in what has become a worrying trend for Ricky Ponting.He has had nearly three years to get used to life without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath but it hasn’t become any easier. Ponting said during the match that he sometimes expects too much of his still inexperienced attack and can become a little grumpy when they fail to deliver the wickets that he wants.Fortunately for Australia, those breakthroughs did eventually arrive this time, though it was mighty close to being too late. By the time Brendan Nash and Narsingh Deonarine had taken the score to 3 for 196, West Indies needed another 163 to win with seven wickets in hand. It looked a thoroughly gettable target until Shane Watson, the fifth bowler, stepped up to break the partnership, which prompted a run of lower-order wickets.Until then, the always attacking Doug Bollinger looked like the only man likely to strike. Mitchell Johnson was tired and ill with gastro, the debutant Clint McKay was steady rather than threatening, and most worryingly Nathan Hauritz was having no impact on a wearing fourth-day pitch. Hauritz also had a stomach upset but Australia must expect more of him than tying down an end.Too often he bowled flat and quick, while the part-timer Marcus North tossed the ball up and found some sharp turn. Match-winning spinners usually do their best work on the fourth and fifth day as the surface begins to break up; in the fourth innings of Tests Hauritz has three wickets at 49.66. Nobody expects Hauritz to magically turn games like Warne, but it must be a concern that in ten Tests his best is three wickets in an innings.Luckily for Hauritz, his fellow spinners aren’t exactly knocking down the door. On the same day that he struggled in Perth, Jason Krejza was wicketless and expensive for Tasmania, Bryce McGain had no success in Newcastle, and the Perth Test backup Steven Smith was injured. Jon Holland and Cullen Bailey fared better but not well enough for Hauritz to be worried.For now, Ponting and the coach Tim Nielsen can do little but accept their young attack’s ups and downs, and victory in Perth will at least mean success this time around – if only just. There was no happiness in Cardiff, when they let England’s final pair survive for 70 minutes to salvage a draw, or at the WACA last year when South Africa chased a near record 414, or at The Oval, or in Cape Town.Nielsen said it was still a matter of a youthful team learning the best way to attack Test cricket. However, he was also thrilled with the way the bowlers fought back late on the fourth day against West Indies and said poor batting – Australia’s second-innings of 150 was their lowest total in a home Test in 13 years – was as much of a concern as the bowling.”It’s probably a reflection of a little bit of inconsistency with both bat and ball for us,” Nielsen said. “That’s the thing we’re learning to do better as a Test match team. Having said that, it’s a pretty good surface, still. I think we probably let ourselves down a little bit more with the bat than we have with the ball today.”We’ve just got to be willing to do the things like we did after tea for a little bit longer earlier in the day – just be a little bit more disciplined, if things aren’t quite working out maybe just stick at making sure we don’t give them any free runs, let the opposition batting team get some momentum. As soon as that happens as we saw today you’ve then got to actually get the momentum back before you can try and start to attack again. That does take some time. It’s important that we learn that when we have our foot on their throat we don’t let it go, either with the bat or ball.”They should get away with it this time, largely because West Indies’ lower order is so frail. They won’t always be so fortunate.