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Rajasthan Royals have done several things right in this IPL, but one area where they’ve messed up so far is in utilising the services of Brad Hodge

S Rajesh21-Apr-2012Rajasthan Royals have done several things right in this IPL, but one area where they’ve messed up so far is in utilising the services of Brad Hodge. Quite apart from the fact that Hodge is one of their key overseas players, Hodge is also one of the best batsmen in the Twenty20 format. In 146 Twenty20 innings, Hodge has scored 4355 runs at an average of 36.59 and a strike-rate of 128.15; only David Hussey has scored more runs in this format. Also, Hodge has struck 453 fours in Twenty20 cricket, which is easily the highest – Brendon McCullum, in second place, only has 355. Hodge is also one of only three players – David Hussey and Albie Morkel are the others – to play 150 or more Twenty20 matches (Saturday’s game against Chennai Super Kings was his 150th).His experience and his overall record are compelling enough reasons for Hodge to be regarded as one of the key players for Royals, but perhaps an even more compelling reason is his form in IPL 2012: he has faced 82 balls in six innings, scored 129 runs, and been dismissed just twice, for an average of 64.50 and a strike rate of 157.31. Among batsmen who’ve faced at least 60 deliveries in this IPL, Hodge’s strike-rate is third-best, fractionally behind Kevin Pietersen (158.16) and Chris Gayle (157.69). He has already played two top-class innings in the tournament so far – 44 off 29 against Kolkata Knight Riders, and an unbeaten 48 off 21 against Deccan Chargers in a successful run-chase of 197. Both efforts won him the Man-of-the-Match awards.And yet, Royals’ think-tank, in all their immense wisdom, have decided that Hodge shouldn’t generally be batting in the top four – only twice in six innings has Hodge batted at No.4. Instead, the responsibility of batting in the top four has been thrust upon Ashok Menaria, a 21-year-old with some potential, but with little of the Twenty20 batting skills or track record that Hodge possesses: in 20 Twenty20 innings so far, Menaria has scored 385 runs at an average of 20.26 and a strike-rate of 117.02. In six innings of IPL 2012, Menaria’s returns have been very similar – an average of 19.83 at a strike-rate of 110.18. Despite these modest numbers, Menaria has continued to bat in the top four – he has batted at three or four in five out of six innings – and has considerably slowed down Royals’ momentum in the middle overs. In the match against Chargers, for example, Menaria came in at No.3 and scored 22 off 20 when the asking-rate was around ten an over; Hodge came in at No.5 in the same match and slammed 48 off 21.Perhaps Royals view Hodge as a finisher only, who should come in to bat when the situation gets desperate. Perhaps they want to give ample opportunity to a young Indian player, given that this is, after all, the Premier League. Either way, this strategy defies logic. Of the 146 innings that Hodge has played in Twenty20 cricket, 115 have been in the top three, where he has scored 28 fifties and two hundreds, and has a strike-rate of 128.86. And in a format as condensed as 20-over cricket, there’s no such thing as a batting line-up being too top heavy: the best batsmen to get as many deliveries as possible.The team got away with it a couple of times, but paid the price against Super Kings, when Menaria took 34 deliveries to score 36 and considerably dampened the momentum in the middle overs. When he finally got out and Hodge came in, only seven deliveries remained in the innings. Royals still managed to make Super Kings sweat despite scoring only 146, but perhaps it’s a good thing they lost – the result should hopefully force them to make the key change in their batting line-up. If Hodge does move up the order, Royals will have two of the three highest run-getters in this format in their top four – Owais Shah, with 3825 runs, has the third-highest aggregate in Twenty20 cricket.

InningsRunsAverageStrike rate100s/ 50sCareer146435536.59128.052/ 29In the top 3115371437.14128.862/ 28In IPL 2012612964.50157.310/ 0

InningsRunsAverageStrike rate100s/ 50sCareer2038520.26117.020/ 1In IPL 2012611919.83110.180/ 0

Adelaide Strikers’ bowlers backed up a strong batting effort that combined industrious running and power-hitting, to secure a 67-run win against the Melbourne Renegades at the Adelaide Oval

The Report by Nikita Bastian18-Dec-2011
ScorecardMichael Klinger laid the perfect platform for Adelaide Renegades at the top of the order•Getty ImagesAdelaide Strikers’ bowlers backed up a strong batting effort that combined industrious running and power-hitting, to secure a 67-run win against the Melbourne Renegades at the Adelaide Oval.The decently populated Adelaide Oval sported a blue tinge, with the local Twenty20 team swapping their red jerseys for sky blue. There was a sea of blue wigs around, but those who decided to show up in the usual South Australia Redbacks colours were in for a surprise: their red and black ensemble had more in common with the visiting Renegades’ uniform. The home side, however, ensured there was no surprise in the denouement, after dominating the match from start to finish.The Renegades batsmen never looked like chasing down the imposing target of 190. A shower towards the end of the Strikers’ innings resulted in a fresh track, which all of their bowlers used well upfront, extracting movement and lift. As a result, the Renegades limped to 3 for 62 in 10 overs, and with the required-rate almost up to 13 at that point, the game was as good as over. There was no typical late Twenty20 twist this time, as the Renegades folded for 122 in 17.5 overs.After the gloomy weather that threatened to stop play all through the Strikers innings, the Renegades came out to bat in bright sunshine. Alfonso Thomas, one of the better Twenty20 bowlers going around, had Aaron Finch and Meyrick Buchanan in trouble straight up: he had Finch beaten with movement, and Buchanan struggling to prevent the ball from rolling back onto his stumps. In the next over, Kane Richardson followed up two balls down the leg side by removing slip and strengthening the off-side field. If it was a ploy to tempt the batsman, it worked. Finch tried to sweep, top-edged and was caught by Aiden Blizzard at midwicket.Glenn Maxwell came in and the tentative shot-making continued. The pressure got the Strikers a run out. Buchanan pulled and turned for a second, only to be sent back by Maxwell and fall well short of his crease. Shahid Afridi walked out with the required-rate mounting, and got his first boundary off a top edge to wide mid-on. The first convincing shot of the innings came from Maxwell, who stepped out to Aaron O’Brien and lofted him over cover for four. Maxwell, who ended up top-scoring with 46, also hit the first six of the innings – slog-sweeping a flighted ball from Nathan Lyon over midwicket – but the required momentum never came.Afridi fell to Richardson, depositing a length ball on off stump in Lyon’s hands at long-off, and the required-rate touched 12 with a little over 11 overs remaining. Captain Andrew McDonald hung around for a bit, but the rest of the lower order capsized to hand the Strikers an easy victory.Strikers’ innings was set up by a busy opening stand between Daniel Harris and Michael Klinger, in which they put on 86 in 9.5 overs. They complemented the boundaries they hit – Harris favoured the leg side, while Klinger creamed fours through cover – with some fine running between the wickets, picking up a number of twos. Both were out just short of their fifties, but by then the Strikers had a solid platform and the middle order capitalised.Aiden Blizzard kept the runs ticking through the middle overs, before Cameron Borgas and Adam Crosthwaite teed off in the death. The 18th over, bowled by Dirk Nannes, included a pair of sixes from Crosthwaite off consecutive balls. The best over of the innings was yet to come, though. In the next over, Borgas used Shaun Tait’s pace to help him over fine-leg for six before swatting a length delivery over midwicket. He followed that up with two fours, both powerful pulls through midwicket. It was around this point that the rain came down, but the umpires kept the players on, a good move in hindsight as the clouds blew over quickly.

Gloucestershire have suffered a huge blow after the city council rejected plans to develop their homeground of Nevil Road in Bristol.

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2012The future of Gloucestershire has been thrown into doubt after plans to develop their Nevil Road home were rejected. The club could now leave Bristol, where they have played since their formation in 1870.Gloucestershire had hoped to undertake a £10 million project to raise the capacity of Nevil Road to meet ECB standards and keep international cricket but the city council rejected their plans. Gloucestershire are now looking at several options to secure their future, one of which is a move to another part of the county.The ground development was essential to maintaining a one-day international at Bristol, a match which brings £1 million to the city. The project was to be funded by building flats at one end of the ground but permission for this was rejected. Opponents thought the plan for a seven-story block of 147 flats was too big, didn’t comply with sustainability commitments and lacked contributions towards education and green spaces.Chief executive Tom Richardson said the club were angry at the decision to reject plans that were recommended for approval by the council’s planning officers and a move away from Bristol was now a serious possibility. “We’ve said all along if we don’t have international cricket at Bristol, and we’re staring down the barrel at that, then we’ll have to consider moving elsewhere,” said Richardson.Gloucester City Council have already been in touch with the club for early talks over a potential move to the Wagon Works Ground, a venue Gloucestershire used from 1923 to 1992.The club now have to decide whether to appeal the decision to reject planning permission or seek other options. Either way, time against them. “It’s a long term decision and can’t be taken lightly or quickly but the clock is ticking,” said Richardson. “The international in 2013 is now extremely dodgy or maybe already disappeared. With international cricket here we had a very good plan going forward. Now we have to have a serious rethink.”Another consequence on the rejected plans is the impact on the playing budget. A contract offer to Chris Taylor was conditional on the development going ahead. Taylor could now be the second senior player to leave Nevil Road, after Jon Lewis’ departure to Surrey at the end of the last season.

Praveen Kumar has joined India’s long list of injured players on the tour of England, missing the fourth Test at The Oval because of an injury to his left ankle

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval18-Aug-2011Praveen Kumar has joined India’s long list of injured players on the tour of England, missing the fourth Test at The Oval because of an injury to his left ankle. Praveen sustained the injury during the second innings of the third Test at Edgbaston, which India lost by an innings and 242 runs to give up the No. 1 Test ranking.Praveen’s unavailability further depleted an Indian attack already missing its spearhead – Zaheer Khan. Zaheer played no more part in India’s campaign after limping out of the first innings at Lord’s with a hamstring problem. It was later revealed that he also had an ankle injury, for which he had surgery in London on August 15.”Praveen Kumar was suffering from pain in his left ankle from an injury sustained while bowling in the second innings of the third Test between England and India at Edgbaston,” Anirudh Chaudhary, India’s team manager, said. “Treatment was administered to him and he has been responding well. However, there are still some residual symptoms in his ankle due to which he was ruled out of the fourth Test.”The intrigue over Praveen’s availability at The Oval remained until the toss, when MS Dhoni said RP Singh would play ahead of Munaf Patel in Praveen’s absence.Praveen was India’s best bowler on the tour, and the third highest wicket-taker in the series, after Stuart Broad and James Anderson, with 15 wickets. He bowled seven overs on the third morning at Edgbaston, before returning late in the afternoon to bowl what turned out to be the penultimate over of the innings, with England declaring at the fall of Alastair Cook’s wicket. Next morning Praveen injured his right thumb off the fourth ball he faced, trying to fend off a short-ball from Anderson.

West Indians eased to a comfortable 65-run win over Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in Fatullah

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Fatullah07-Oct-2011
Scorecard
Darren Sammy and Denesh Ramdin added 57 crucial runs for the sixth wicket•Associated PressWest Indians eased to a comfortable 65-run win over Bangladesh Cricket Board XI and the abject surrender of the home batsmen, many of whom are in the Bangladesh squad, to the West Indies’ bowling attack would have given a genuine boost to the visitors. West Indians still have areas of concern – their batting against spin in particular – but Ravi Rampaul soothed their nerves after they struggled to 217 for 9 in 45 overs.Rampaul took his time to settle into a rhythm but with the slightly older ball, he hustled the batsmen with his steep bounce and pace. Alok Kapali mustered 41 before Rampaul had him guiding one straight to Denesh Ramdin in the 31st over, the batsman clearly beaten by pace. Naeem Islam’s attempt at a pull shot was embarrassing as he only top-edged the ball to the covers before Nasir Hossain’s swish had him caught behind, both off Rampaul. He took his fourth by removing the last man Robiul Islam, as the hosts were bowled out for just 152 in 41 overs.Mohammad Ashraful had given the BCB XI some momentum when he struck six boundaries in his 29-ball 32, but he had an immovable object at the other end – Shahriar Nafees meandered to 16 off 51 balls before sweeping an Anthony Martin leg-stump delivery down square-leg’s throat.While the BCB XI batsmen struggled to cope with the short ball, West Indians had a tough time handling the slow, turning one. They were stuck in one of two gears after being put into bat: too watchful or going for broke at every opportunity.With the start of the innings going nowhere, Lendl Simmons wound up at the first sight of a loose delivery in the seventh over, only to see his ferocious square-cut go straight to Nasir Hossain at point, while Kieran Powell misread the wicket and was caught at long-off going after Naeem’s offspin despite having already having been dropped earlier trying the same shot.A 59-run stand between Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels followed but that too flickered between a very cautious approach and bravado. Bravo eventually missed his half-century by three runs when he was caught straight down the ground after he hit five sweet boundaries and a six in his 74-ball knock. Samuels’s innings ended similarly when he chipped it right down long-on’s throat while Danza Hyatt’s first outing in the subcontinent ended lasted just 19 deliveries.The next partnership gave the visitors some respectability as Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy added 57, out of which 23 were taken from one Robiul over, but the manner of Ramdin’s dismissal left everyone at the ground bemused. He miscued a double-bouncing Ashraful delivery into the hands of long-off, where Shuvogoto Hom ran in to take a good catch.Ashraful’s surprise introduction was the result of Naeem having to keep wicket after Sahagir Hossain was injured in the 21st over, but it was productive as his combination of slow cutters got him three wickets in two overs. It was Kapali, however, who was the pick of the bowlers, the leg-spinner picking up 2 for 32 from his nine overs.

England captain Andrew Strauss and team director Andy Flower have been made OBE, while opening batsman Alastair Cook was named MBE in the in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list released on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2011England captain Andrew Strauss and team director Andy Flower have been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), while opening batsman Alastair Cook received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s birthday honours list released on Saturday.The trio was rewarded for their efforts in England’s historic victory in the 2010-11 Ashes in Australia – their first series win in the country in 24 years. Strauss captained the team to three innings victories in the five-Test series, which England took 3-1, apart from scoring 307 runs at 43.85. Cook topped the batting charts, with 766 runs at an average of 127.66.”It is a great honour to receive this accolade,” said Strauss, who received an MBE after England’s 2005 Ashes victory at home. “It’s one of the better items of post you get through the letterbox – certainly better than a gas bill. I’m very proud to receive it and, more than anything, very proud of how the team performed out there in Australia.”Our guys really stood up under the pressure. We have achieved something, but are nowhere near the end of the road yet, and will continue to strive to improve.”Flower said it was “a lovely surprise to receive this honour.””My family and I feel very thankful to have been welcomed into this country since moving here in 2003. I feel a great privilege and responsibility to be involved in a leadership role in English sport.”Former England offspinner Jack Birkenshaw, who played five Tests and 490 first-class games between 1958 and 1981, before turning to umpiring and coaching, also got an MBE.

Lancashire’s match against Warwickshire at Liverpool ended in a draw, but only after a late flurry of wickets just failed to secure a dramatic victory for the home side

Jon Culley at Aigburth04-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Gary Keedy had Will Porterfield caught and bowled and picked up two more wickets, but Warwickshire survived the final day in Liverpool•PA PhotosLancashire had not drawn at Liverpool in nine matches since 2004 and only once previously this season, the latter fact a consequence of increasing the value of a win to 16 points and flat pitches becoming a rare commodity.Glen Chapple, the Lancashire captain and a cricketer reassuringly respectful of traditional values, mused recently that in his view there was merit still in a hard-earned draw, so it was a little ironic that he should find himself on the wrong end of one here as Warwickshire ultimately achieved their objective in a gripping finale.Warwickshire were aided by the weather, which restricted play to 31 balls before 1.15pm and cost another half-hour in the afternoon. But they still wound up facing 68 overs on a turning pitch and against arguably the best exponent of such conditions on the circuit in Gary Keedy, Lancashire’s veteran left-arm spinner.In the end it was captivatingly close as Warwickshire, who had seemed home and dry at 217 for 6 entering what they thought was the last over, lost two wickets in the space of five balls to part-time offspinner Steven Croft, then breathed deep sighs of relief only to be told there was time within the limits of the mandatory last hour for another over.These six balls offered a picture of Tim Ambrose, who was Warwickshire’s hero, in the end, with an unbeaten 66, surrounded by a cluster of eight close fielders as well as wicketkeeper Gareth Cross as Keedy wheeled in. Ambrose cannot have had many similar experiences but after two blocks, a sweep, a rejected lbw appeal, a leg-side leave and another soft-handed dead bat, it was all over and after two hours and 17 minutes the former England wicketkeeper had survived.It was a draw deserved, moreover, because Warwickshire had been in no way negative, at least until it was reasonable to be so. Presented at the start with potentially 75 overs to chase 280 and win the match themselves, they sent in Neil Carter, their one-day opener, to take on the new ball, and he and Varun Chopra could not have been more purposeful.They rattled along at almost five an over without giving Lancashire any encouragement, but their ambitions were necessarily scaled down after they lost four wickets for 20 runs in seven overs.Carter edged Saj Mahmood to Tom Smith at second slip and then Keedy, with his fourth ball, took a diving return catch to dismiss Will Porterfield. Chopra perished caught behind to an ugly slash at Kyle Hogg out of keeping with the rest of his innings and then Keedy claimed a second scalp when Jim Troughton flicked one round the corner to leg slip.Now Warwickshire needed to dig in and tough it out and that it took Lancashire another 27 overs to make more inroads was down to Ambrose and Laurie Evans, who does not have the benefit of his colleague’s experience yet who showed exceptional application and concentration for almost two hours before edging Hogg to second slip.When Rikki Clarke – thwarted earlier in his bid to take the world record for catches in an innings when Troughton got under Hogg’s skier off Boyd Rankin – fell for 12 at 210 for 6, caught at slip as Keedy took his third wicket, six overs remained.Time looked to be on Warwickshire’s side and ultimately was, although not until Croft had bowled both Chris Woakes and Jeetan Patel and caused some serious apprehension on the visiting balcony.With Somerset securing a third straight win, the race for the title is splendidly poised, with Warwickshire in a potentially strong position still by virtue of their game in hand, even though the result pushes them back into fourth place. Any one of the top four could be champions, which Lancashire coach Peter Moores acknowledged afterwards.”It is set well for a good run-in,” he said. “It depends on who holds their nerve and who has players in form at the right time. This was a great game of cricket. Both sides got stuck in and had opportunities to win it and it is a shame we didn’t have another session.”Somerset are coming up on the blind side, which we always thought they would. I like playing against sides who are in the title race with us and I’m pleased we have got Somerset in the last game of the season because we can control that fixture.”We have been up there all the way through, we have shown a lot of fight and character and found ways to win games. I don’t think we need to win all four of our remaining games. If we won two we would be in with a shout, three and we would be in with a very big chance and if we do win all four we will definitely win it.”Normally if you win 10 in a season that would be enough and often it would be less than that. This year it is unique because there are so many teams involved.”

Manchester United will take on Arsenal this afternoon, and Ralf Rangnick has confirmed a huge triple boost to the team.

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils boss took to his pre-match press conference to reveal that Cristiano Ronaldo, Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane will be available for selection in the important clash at The Emirates this afternoon.

Rangnick told the press (via Manchester Evening News): “Scott McTominay will be back and fit to play, he has been training with us and he will train today, he will be available for the game, the same is true with Raphael Varane. Cristiano Ronaldo is available again, he’s been training with us.”

Supporters will be buzzing

This game against Arsenal is one of Man United’s last chances to put themselves in a position to secure Champions League football next season by securing a spot inside the top four, so supporters will be buzzing that three key players are returning.

Ronaldo’s return will be warmly welcomed by supporters, with the Portuguese striker the current top goalscorer for the club and an inevitable force within the struggling side. His impact this season, scoring 21 goals and contributing three assists, has been crucial.

Varane has struggled with fitness throughout his first season at Old Trafford, making 18 appearances in the Premier League so far, but there is no doubt his influence in the back-line alongside Harry Maguire will be valued against Arsenal today. And, with his experience, he could cause all sorts of problems for their attackers.

Finally, McTominay will return to action today following a foot injury which will be a relief to Rangnick following Pogba’s injury sustained at Anfield leaving him sidelined indefinitely, it will be highly likely due to the injury problems in midfield that he will be instantly reinstated into the starting eleven today.

If Man United can secure all three points at The Emirates, they can match Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for points in the Premier League table before Spurs kick-off against Brentford this evening. And, if Antonio Conte’s side do go on to fall to defeat away from home, it would put Rangnick and his team in a great position to snatch the top-four spot.

AND in other news: Ralf must finally axe £180k-p/w Man United flop vs Arsenal, he’s “absolutely terrible”

A round-up of the fourth day of the first round of the Regional Four Day Competition

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2011Jamaica joined the England Lions and Combined Campuses and Colleges at the top of the points table after they comfortably beat Guyana at the Alpart Sports Club in St Elizabeth. Legspinner Odean Brown spearheaded Jamaica’s 165-run win as he ran through Guyana’s middle and lower order picking up five wickets.Guyana, who were set a target of 359, had started solidly with the openers Rajindra Chandrika and Shemroy Barrington putting on 58 runs on the third day before stumps. They added another 17 runs on the fourth day before Jerome Taylor struck to dismiss Chandrika. The dismissal opened the floodgates as Guyana kept losing wickets at regular intervals and failed to string together any substantial partnerships. After the opening stand of 77, the next-highest partnership was 29 for the third wicket between Leon Johnson and Assad Fudadin. Both batsmen were dismissed on 117 as Guyana lost eight wickets for 76 runs to slump to 193 all out.The match between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados at Guaracara Park ended in a high-scoring draw. T&T, who were 390 for 9 overnight, were bowled out for 413 with Rayad Emrit unbeaten on 97. Barbados reached 234 for 3 before play ended. The star of Barbados’ second innings was Kraigg Brathwaite who made an unbeaten 102. He was the first centurion in a game that had six half-centuries scored, which included three scores in the nineties. The second round of games starts on February 11.

Newcastle United transfer target Victor Osimhen is ‘more interested’ in joining Arsenal, according to journalist Freddie Paxton. 

The lowdown

Napoli shelled out £67.5m to sign Osimhen from Lille in September 2020, penning a five-year, £112,000-per-week contract on his arrival at the Serie A club. He has bagged 16 goals in 28 appearances this season, and 26 strikes in 58 matches for the Azzurri overall (via Transfermarkt).

Eddie Howe seems eager to sign a striker this summer, with the likes of Darwin Nunez (Benfica) and Hugo Ekitike (Reims) also linked with a move to St James’ Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-5/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Shortly after 9pm on Monday night, Paxton took to social media with an update on where things stands with the Napoli striker regarding a potential €100m (£84.2m) move to the Premier League.

He tweeted: “I’m told Arsenal have been in contact with the agent of Victor Osimhen. The feeling is that the interest is serious, but Napoli will expect €100m+ this summer. Player wants to play in England and has previously been contacted by Newcastle. He is more interested in Arsenal.”

The verdict

Osimhen would be some signing for Newcastle based on his record of a goal every 127 minutes this season.

Journalist Zach Lowy believes that the 23-year-old has ‘everything it takes’ to become ‘one of the best strikers of his generation’, while Emmet Gates has billed the Nigerian’s potential ‘frightening’.

However, this report illustrates the issues that Newcastle might face this summer. Arsenal are currently fourth in the table and could therefore be able to offer him Champions League football next term.

While Newcastle might have the means to afford him and the ambition to reach Europe’s premier club competition, targets might be too impatient to wait for that opportunity if someone else is able to offer it sooner.

In other news, Newcastle are also targeting this left-back