There has been little good news where Kenyan cricket is concerned since the World Cup in March 2003. The national side has hardly been seen, and when it finally emerged from hibernation last month it was humbled in the Champions Trophy; in July, Maurice Odumbe was banned for five years for his association with bookmakers; at home, the dispute between the Kenyan board on the one side, and most players and officials on the other has grown increasingly bitter, and last week 13 leading players went on strike.So, when one or two remaining experienced players, supplemented by raw recruits, took to the field for the Intercontinental Cup tie against Namibia at the Aga Khan Sports Club last weekend, there was little reason to think that they would earn the draw necessary for Kenya to reach November’s semi-finals in Sharjah. Shortly before lunch on the second day, when Kenya were 24 for 4 in reply to Namibia’s 357 for 6, the writing seemed on the wall.But this time it was different. As one insider explained, the team spirit in the young side was remarkable, and they refused to roll over. They battled back to reduce the first-innings deficit to under 100, and then on the third day would have pulled off a remarkable victory had Namibia not thrown in the towel with 10 overs remaining and only 43 runs needed.The players and coaching staff were clearly delighted, and justifiably so. Less pleased were the striking players.Until the end of last week, there was considerable sympathy for them. They had been treated in a shabby manner by the KCA, were owed money, had seen their salaries cut as cash ran out, and to cap it all had been offered new contracts which had every appearance of being designed to suit the board and not the players.But that sympathy evaporated when some of them turned up at the Aga Khan. It seemed unlikely they were there to support the side, but more to watch over what was expected to be their humiliation. While they silently scowled, a few former players and a couple of dozen vocal supporters turned on their replacements. The chanting and insulting comments did the cause of the strikers no good, nor did it enhance the image of Kenyan cricket. The reaction of the players on the field was admirable, and as Ravindu Shah batted Kenya towards the semi-finals with his last-day hundred, the dissenters slowly disappeared.What was also shameful were the racist undertones of the protests at the ground. With all the strikers black, and all but one of the side playing Asian, the taunting centred on the ethnic background of the team. There were many chants that the side was actually “Kenyan Asians” or “Kenya Indians”. Some comments were even less palatable. It was, therefore, satisfying that the man who rescued Kenya’s first innings was Lameck Onyango with a gutsy 67. Onyango was the only black in the side.The KCA should not really take any credit for Kenya’s success at the Aga Khan and it continues to be at loggerheads with most of the people it should be representing. But it should now encourage the selectors to stick with the side that got them to Sharjah. They might not be as talented man-for-man as many of those they replaced, but they showed a heart and determination which has been missing from the Kenya side for a long time.
Thilina Kandamby, the 21-year-old Bloomfield left-hander, has been named as Naveed Nawaz’s vice-captain in the 16-member Sri Lanka A team which will tour New Zealand next month.Kandamby is looked upon as future captaincy material, and has proved to be a thinking man during matches for his club in the Premier Trophy tournament.Nawaz will lead a team which includes five fast bowlers, an allrounder and a solitary spinner on the five-week tour, in which Sri Lanka A will play a series of three five-day unofficial Tests, and three one-day matches against New Zealand’s A team.The fast bnowlers are Lasith Malinga, Mario Villavarayen, Tharanga Lakshitha, Charitha Buddhika and Dinusha Fernando, with Hasantha Fernando as the fast-bowling allrounder. Dinuk Hettiarachchi, the slow left-armer, is the only recognised spinner.Prasanna Jayawardene is the only wicketkeeper in the side: in anemergency Chamara Silva may be asked to don the gloves.The squad, which is awaiting ratification from the Sports Ministry, is:Naveed Nawaz (capt), Thilina Kandamby (vice-capt), Ian Daniel, Shantha Kalavitigoda, Pradeep Hewage, Jehan Mubarak, Bathiya Perera, Chamara Silva, Hasantha Fernando, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Lasith Malinga, Mario Villavarayen, Tharanga Lakshitha, Charitha Buddhika, Dinusha Fernando.Tour itinerary: March 3 – Arrival March 5-7 – v Otago at Alexandra March 11-15 – 1st “Test” at Queenstown March 19-23 – 2nd “Test” at Lincoln March 27-31 – 3rd “Test” at Christchurch April 3 – 1st ODI at Lincoln April 5 – 2nd ODI at Lincoln April 7 – 3rd ODI at Lincoln April 8 – Departure
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 has noted with distress recent media reports claiming that the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF) funded the opening ceremony of the cricket spectacle to the tune of R3-million.Earlier this week, the IFP Youth Brigade, and later the PAC and the UDM, were reported to have criticised the UYF for granting the ICC CWC 2003 the money, saying the funds should have been used to benefit the youth of this country.”It is extremely unfortunate that the media actually ran with the story without familiarising themselves with the true facts,” said the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 Volunteers 2003 programme manager Herman Beetge.”The fact is that the youth fund pledged R2-million to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, but this money is envisaged to cover various costs of the Volunteers 2003 programme. At no stage was the money earmarked for the opening ceremony as that event had its own budget and separately organised volunteers,” said Beetge.”We are currently running a huge Volunteers 2003 programme at the stadiums where World Cup matches are being played, and so far we have received nothing but praise from members of the public for the role played by these purple-shirted volunteers. The success of this programme is based among others on contributions like those made by the UYF and we commend for this. It is unfortunate that instead of running a positive story about the volunteers, we are having to deal with false claims about the opening ceremony which was a huge success in its own right.”Beetge said the breakdown for the UYF grant was expected to be used as follows
Training Materials 389,676Trainer & Co-ordinator workshop 29,089Costs associated with processing of applications 103,000Initial contact with trainees 37,597Trainers’ costs 153,154Pilot projects 271,811Meals & refreshments during training process(shared 50/50 with ICC CWC 2003) 514,039Contribution towards transportation of trainees duringtraining programme (shared 50/50 with ICC CWC 2003) 514,039Total 2,012,405
“As can be seen from these figures, this was a highly involved programme and those who have been attending the matches can attest to the quality of our volunteers. They received high quality training and it is important that we look after them well with decent refreshments, transports and uniform to allow them to perform their duties with dignity and with their morale high.”Also, the training the Volunteers 2003 received will benefit the youth who make up 90% of all volunteers and in all 35% of our volunteers are unemployed.”We hope this puts the whole issue into perspective and that misperception created are corrected.”
Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya considers New Zealand to be histeam’s main rivals in the triangular one-day Coca Cola Cup seriesstarting in Colombo on Wednesday.The hosts will meet New Zealand in the opening match of thetournament, also featuring India. The teams will play each other threetimes in the league phase, with the top two qualifying for the August5 final.”They (India) are not really our main rivals, but they have beenplaying well,” Jayasuriya told a website last week.The Sri Lankan skipper has good reason to be optimistic aboutdefeating India: his men beat the team three times when they last metat Sharjah in October, including in the final.India are also without their star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who isnursing a foot injury.Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has conceded that the Sri Lankans willbe a tough unit at home, especially in one-dayers. “We will have toplay really well to beat them,” he has said.Forgetting the past, however, will put India in a better frame of mindfor the upcoming series. Last year they were on the verge ofcelebrating their resurgence after the match-fixing scandal when theywere thwarted by New Zealand and Sri Lanka.New Zealand were the first to ruin India’s party with a remarkablefour-wicket victory in the International Cricket Council knock-outfinal in Nairobi last October. Sri Lanka rubbed it in a few weekslater in a triangular series at Sharjah when they dismissed India fortheir lowest-ever total of 54 to run out comfortable winners.But India would not like to remember these defeats and are treatingthis tournament as a stepping stone to the 2003 World Cup in SouthAfrica.For this series, India has made three changes to the team that was inZimbabwe last month. Left-handed batsman Amay Khurasiya replacesTendulkar and middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh and left-arm spinnerRahul Sanghvi have been recalled.Sri Lanka has dropped several players from the team which had clincheda tri-series at Sharjah in April in a bid to find the right men forthe World Cup.Batsmen Avishka Gunawardene and Chamara Silva have been recalled alongwith fast-bowling all-rounders Suresh Perera and Dulip Liyanage.Fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa was ruled out of the series because of anankle injury and will be replaced by Dinusha Fernando, the chiefselector announced today.Sri Lankan coach Dav Whatmore has welcomed the importance given tomedium-paced all-rounders.”To be successful in South Africa, we need to have considerable fastbowling resources and some of those bowlers must be able to bat,” hehas said.New Zealand have also effected a few changes in the team which hadfailed to qualify for the Sharjah final in April.All-rounder Dion Nash and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori havereturned to the squad after passing fitness tests. There are sevenall-rounders in the team, described by chairman of selectors RichardHadlee as “strong and experienced” and “selected with Sri Lankanconditions in mind”.New Zealand manager Jeff Crowe said his team’s chances of winning thetournament here were pretty good.”We have come here fresh, without too much cricket and from our winterwith the batteries recharged,” he said. “The last time they (SriLanka) came to New Zealand they beat us in one-dayers. I think wewould like to return the favour this time.”
Aston Villa are plotting a swoop for a “very athletic” Premier League player, and they have now emerged as frontrunners in the race for his signature.
Villa leading contenders to sign new defender
There have been doubts over the future of Lucas Digne since the summer, at which point the left-back engaged in talks over a move to Atletico Madrid, and he has fallen down the pecking order over the past few weeks, being benched for the last four league games.
Although the Frenchman remains under contract until 2028, he could now be in the latter stages of his career, at 32-years-old, which means Unai Emery may need to start thinking about bringing in a long-term replacement.
Ian Maatsen has impressed since displacing Digne in the starting XI, picking up an assist in the 4-3 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, but the Villans remain keen on strengthening at left-back.
That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states Aston Villa are planning to bring in a new left-back, amid concerns about Digne’s long-term future at Villa Park.
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender David Moller Wolfe has now emerged as a target, with Villa plotting a swoop for the full-back, who has been one of the Old Gold’s only players to have put in some impressive performances this season.
The Villans are now among the frontrunners in the race for Wolfe’s signature, and there is a feeling he would jump at a move to Villa Park, considering his current club find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
With Wolves now 16 points from safety, having collected just two points this season, they are expected to lose several important players, and the former AZ Alkmaar man could be among them.
Aston Villa now seriously considering move for £281k-a-week Barcelona player
Unai Emery is looking to improve his squad during the January transfer window.
ByDominic Lund "Very athletic" Wolfe impressing for Wolves and Norway
The £30k-a-week defender has put in some eye-catching displays for both Wolves and Norway over the past six weeks or so, assisting in his national side’s 4-1 victory against Estonia, before going on to set up Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s goal in a 4-1 loss against Manchester United.
Subscribe for deeper transfer insight on Villa links Curious about Villa’s left-back chase? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis, scouting notes, and context on this and other club moves — smarter coverage to deepen your understanding of the transfer market. Subscribe for deeper transfer insight on Villa links Curious about Villa’s left-back chase? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis, scouting notes, and context on this and other club moves — smarter coverage to deepen your understanding of the transfer market.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Digne is also impressive from an attacking point of view, registering three assists in the Premier League this season, which indicates the Wolves ace could be a like-for-like replacement for the 55-time France international.
Scout Ben Mattinson has praised the 23-year-old too, describing him as “very athletic”, while also adding that he likes to “drive down the line” on the overlap.
However, it is still very early days for Wolfe in the Premier League, having only joined Wolves in the summer, and it may be a little early to start thinking about replacements for Digne, given that he has impressed for club and country at times this season.
While the entire Indian team may look back at the first session of this Test – during which they were bowled out for 76 – and cough up excuses, one man isn’t surprised by their capitulation. Dale Steyn, whose 5 for 23 played a pivotal role in an astonishing 109 minutes of mayhem in Ahmedabad, felt they had no game plan whatsoever.”That’s the vibe they’ve given off to us. Once one or two wickets fall and things kind of go wrong, they are pretty weak and the batsmen to follow didn’t look they knew what they wanted to do,” he said. “They didn’t have a strategy. They were bowled out for 76 and I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have a game-plan.”It’s tough for any team to settle when Steyn is in a certain groove, hostile and mixing up deliveries, but this was something else. It took him just 48 deliveries to help send the home side packing and he credited the surface for some assistance.”There was a little bit of movement which probably scared the Indians a bit once one or two wickets fell … it just looked like it sent a couple of shivers down the Indian line-up,” he said. “It looked like the guy that came in next didn’t really know how to approach it and how to play the game. We’re used to playing on wickets like this back in South Africa and knew what we had to do.”When you get a wicket like this, if you don’t bowl full you’re not going to find the edge of the bat so you’ve got to make a decision as to exactly where you’re going to bowl.”Bowling short is one thing, taking the batsmen’s feet away, but it’s that follow-up ball that always gets you a wicket. I think from reading in the papers they [India] weren’t going to come forward before the ball was bowled so maybe that helped us. Then we were able to bowl good-length balls. The ball hit the stumps a lot and there were a lot of inside-edges because nobody was really committed on the front foot.”Planned or not, it worked against a trigger-happy line-up, especially the follow-up balls. And it was Steyn’s first wicket that vindicated much of South Africa’s pre-game talk. Having just nearly dragged one onto his off stump via a cramped cut, Virender Sehwag attempted the same two deliveries later and succeeded – in dislodging the bails. “Sehwag tends to play skywards towards the slips or leave hit bat hanging out towards the slips so there’s always the possibility of an inside-edge,” he said. “His wicket was pretty decent as was that of [Rahul] Dravid. They are two good batsmen and that’s two wickets you definitely want to be getting before the game.”The ball to dismiss Dravid was excellent, breaching a master technician’s defence after he misread the movement. “That was probably the best ball of the day. Hopefully I can deliver a few more of those in the second innings.”Steyn, who now has three five-wicket hauls in the subcontinent, rated this the best and was quick to point out that had his second-last over not gone for 11 the figures would’ve been better. His tally, in his 22nd Test, reads 114 wickets with eight five-wicket hauls.India hit back with four wickets after South Africa’s openers took the lead but thanks to a fluent 106-run stand between Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, the visitors lead by 147. Steyn termed each run after wiping out the deficit as “gold” and was confident Kallis and de Villiers would come out on day two further South Africa’s advantage. “We saw the ball moving around so we thought if we get through the day without losing any more. We needed two nice partnerships,” he said. “On a pitch like this, especially against a team that just got bowled out for 76, you aim to get ahead of them and it hurts a lot.”Maybe we can play with a bit of freedom tomorrow and up that lead toquite a big total. Then the pressure’s all on them. They have to dosomething. You can’t go into the last Test match losing this game. I don’t think drawing the series at home it what India wants to do.”
I’ll have a maximum for breakfast: Herschelle Gibbs did it at 33 whereas James Wilby did it at less than half that age; pillorying a hapless youngster for six sixes in an over. The schoolboy Wilby, 16 and playing for Diss U-17s in the Carter Cup, utilised short leg-side boundaries and some half-trackers to make his way into the record books before apologising to the unfortunate U-13 star he had professionally ridiculed. “I’ve never hit two consecutive sixes, never mind six. I felt a little bit of pressure because there were people I know standing at the boundary saying to go for it. When it happened I was over the moon.” Lucky for the bowler, it wasn’t a World Cup match being shown live on TV.And a maximum for lunch please: Staying with perfection, Paul Grennan became only the fourth bowler in the history of the Sussex Invitation League to take every wicket in an innings. With a return of 10 for 64 at Scaynes Hill, the 25-year-old swept the club-record of 9 for 12 set seven years ago. Tired from his remarkable achievement in the hot conditions, Grennan was first carried off the field by his team-mates and then had to swap ball for the bat in order to save the game for Southwick by blocking out the last 12 overs.Bollywood invasion: Imagine Saif Ali Khan with Jay Sean, Mohammad Azharuddin and Devon Malcolm on a Bollywood set. Disaster, right? It probably will be. But when the combo appears on a cricket pitch accompanied by other actors, cricketers and even MPs, and that too in Leeds, it could provide humour, fun and vital cash for a charity. There were national flags, screaming fans, Mexican waves being formed to Asian tunes and a certain individual called Dickie Bird over-looking the ‘set’ as Bolly XI defeated a star-studded Yorkshire XI in the recreational Twenty20. Oh and birthday girl Shilpa Shetty availed another opportunity to be in the news.A young warrior: Speaking of Indian presence on foreign soil, a 20-year-old from Chandigarh made his debut for Leicestershire second XI after coming through the ranks, albeit on a talent show in India. Sukhvir Singh saw off 25,000 competitors for that winning prize in Cricket Star, a TV program created by Simon Hughes to give players from underprivileged backgrounds a chance to show their skills. Capturing three wickets on debut, Singh was deeply grateful to the people who voted for him in India.
An unexpected prize: Another successful international tour came to an end as Ugandan players held their heads up high after beating Argentina in the World Cricket League division three final. However, the heads were sunk in shame as two of their players “decided to miss the flight back home” from Australia. Patrick Ochan and Jimmy Okello were nowhere to be seen as the team boarded the plane and are still missing. “They have valid visas until August 24 so they are still legally here,” said an immigration spokesman. Tired from their run of success and wanting and extended break, perhaps? It seems the Ugandan authorities don’t sound too bothered as there is speculation that the pair may have opted for the lucrative shore rather than heading home.I’m out of cash, mate: Spending US$ 317 million for a losing cause and coming home with no pride intact – that’s the story of the dauntless Barmy Army after the Ashes whitewash. According to a study commissioned by Cricket Australia, the series attracted 37,000 international tourists while creating 793 jobs and contributing a staggering US$ 54 million to the country’s gross domestic product. It confirms that it wasn’t only the cricketers who came back with heavy losses. The Barmy Army, however, did get some back by taunting their Australian counterparts about the relative strength of the pound to the Australian dollar and thus over-taking their professional men-in-whites by a distance in the list of achievements on the tour. “Cricket is simply marvellous for jobs and tourism.” Aptly worded by Fran Baily, Tourism Minister.A pleasant ray of light: Afghanistan finally had something to cheer about since the eviction of Russian forces and the removal of Taliban as Hamid Hassan stepped onto Lords’ outfield to represent MCC XI. The first Afghan to do so, Hassan starred alongside Chris Cairns with Mike Gatting branding him a “huge potential”, it was a fairy-tale for the 20-year-old. “To walk out at such a prestigious ground alongside such fantastic cricketers is an honour.” With Pakistan taking a penchant for early World Cup exits, maybe it’s time Afghanistan carries the Asian pride next time round, especially with the tournament being held next door.
Having saved the St Lucia Test with his marvellous 120, Brian Lara told the press after the fifth day’s play that he had been inspired by the Soca Warriors. Rahul Dravid, meanwhile, admitted that luck had gone against his side, with a day rained out, but said that he was happy that they’d excelled in whatever was in their hands.Listen in!Brian Lara’s press conference Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMARahul Dravid’s press conference Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMA
Jacob Oram, the 26-year old allrounder who departed for the tour of Bangladesh today, confirmed that he would reject any advances to play in England next summer.
At the moment New Zealand have a gap in their schedule between the home series against Australia in March and a tour to Zimbabwe provisionally earmarked for September. But Oram preferred to have a break than earning cash. “It is best for my body not to do it. We get so few breaks I should use it as rest. Financially, it is hard to look past it. But it is in the best interests of myself and playing for New Zealand to stay here and get my body right for the Zimbabwe and South Africa tours next season.”The grind of the county treadmill put him off. “Playing for county teams is not all it’s cracked up to be,” Oram said. “You’re playing five or six days a week: it’s pretty tough. I would go over there as an allrounder and would have to do everything.”Neil Perry, his coach at Manawatu, agreed. “It’s different when you’re up and coming trying to make a name for yourself. But for a quick bowler it’s a hard life; there’s a lot of overs to be bowled and not a lot of recovery time.” Perry, who had a brief career with Glamorgan, explained that this was one reason for the shortage of fast bowlers emerging from England.However, Andre Adams, who spent three productive months with Essex this summer, replaces Oram in the one-day series in Bangladesh. “It is purely a resting period [for me], from three one-dayers in six days,” Oram indicated. “It was basically a command – it came straight from the top, from the selectors. I think it’s good because we’ve got a huge series coming up [against Australia]. And you want to keep playing for your country.”
The West Indies Cricket Board denied reports that Dwight Washington, the 21-year-old Jamaican fast bowler, had been reported to the International Cricket Council for having a suspect bowling action and, as a result, left out of the West Indies squad.The WICB’s Bowling Review Committee insisted that they had no concerns about Washington’s action, and the ICC’s Brendan McClements also confirmed that he had not been reported.The rumours appear to have started when Roger Braithwaite, the WICB’s chief executive officer, confirmed that Washington’s action was highlighted by domestic umpires who asked the board to take a look.”There have been reports from umpires on Washington and other players and one young player was reviewed without a report having been submitted,” he was quoted as saying on caribbeancricket.com. “The committee looked at videotapes of Washington’s bowling this weekend and found no cause for concern.”Gus Logie, the West Indies coach, confirmed that the matter had nothing to do with Washington’s omission from the squad for the Sabina Park Test.