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Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, will lead Cape Cobras in next month’s Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India. Two other top South African batsmen, Herschelle Gibbs and JP Duminy, are also part of the 15-man squad announced on Monday.Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt and offspinner Claude Henderson, who were key bowlers in Cobras’ Standard Bank Pro20 victory earlier in the year, will be assisted by quick bowler Monde Zondeki. Other players who weren’t part of the domestic campaign are wicketkeeper Ryan Canning and 23-year-old Francois Plaatjies.The Cobras take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament’s opening game on October 8. New Zealand’s Otago are the other team in their group.”It is going to be an exciting experience for our team which has a good balance of experience and youth,” Omar Henry, the convenor of selectors, said. “We have the skills required with both spin and swing bowling, in addition to talented attacking batsmen. It is a great squad to go to India and the big challenge will be to adapt to the local conditions.”Cape Cobras Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Henry Davids, Jean-Paul Duminy, Justin Ontong, Richard Levi, Ryan Canning (wk), Derek Brand, Rory Kleinveldt, Vernon Philander, Claude Henderson, Charl Langeveldt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Monde Zondeki, Francois Plaatjies

West Ham United made it five wins in a row as they thrashed ten-man Aston Villa in the Midlands on Sunday evening.

David Moyes’ side remained in fourth place but moved level on points with defending champions Manchester City, which only goes to show just how the Irons are playing right now.

It was yet another fine performance and another game in which Declan Rice looked class above the rest on the pitch, earning Sky Sports’ ‘Man of the Match’ award, though he admitted in his post-game interview that he was rather sloppy in the second half [18:36pm].

The England international was one of four different goalscorers, perhaps more surprisingly, one of those was not leading talisman Michail Antonio.

Academy gem Ben Johnson bagged his first-ever goal for the club, topping off an excellent run in the side, having kept six clean sheets from six starts before kickoff.

His impressive form has made it tough for Moyes to bring Vladimir Coufal straight back into the side following injury and understandably so, he was rewarded with a goal and yet another defensive masterclass to match.

Johnson’s 8.2 rating on SofaScore was only bettered by one other player in Rice, whilst he recorded a match-high eight tackles and also made four interceptions, two clearances and one block.

So not only did he open the scoring just seven minutes into the match with a beautiful strike on his weak foot, having cut inside from the right flank, but he also averted the danger of Leon Bailey and co, all of whom have been brought in to replace Jack Grealish.

Elsewhere, he was a hard man to dispose the ball of, winning eight of nine ground duels (88.8%), whilst he did not commit a single foul throughout the game. All the more impressive at just 21 years of age.

The Evening Standard were equally glowing of Johnson as they handed him an 8/10 in their post-match ratings column – the same as what Rice and Jarrod Bowen also received, which is a credit to the defender.

Dubbed “sensational” earlier in the week by club insider ExWHUemployee, the young Chadwell Heath gem fully justified his selection and on the night, he arguably stole the show at Villa Park.

AND in other news, “We have also been told”: Ex drops big West Ham takeover update, fans will be buzzing…

Newcastle United could now hire Erik ten Hag as their next manager, if Marc Overmars is appointed the new Director of Football (DoF) at St. James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Manager search

The North East club have been linked with the likes of Roberto Martinez, Steven Gerrard and Matias Almeyda in recent days, as their manager search continues following the departure of Steve Bruce.

Graeme Jones will be taking temporary charge of the next couple of games until the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium find the person that they want.

The Latest: ten Hag and Overmars combo

As per De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness), Overmars, who is currently the DoF at Ajax, would be ‘comfortable’ taking the same role on Tyneside, and ‘will poll’ ten Hag if he is appointed.

It will be interesting to see which role the new owners of the Magpies fill in first, as one could well dictate who is hired for the other.

The Verdict: Get both in

There is no doubt that a lot of the recent success Ajax have had is down to Overmars and ten Hag.

Off of the pitch, the former has been responsible for selling players for big profits and then helping rebuild with quality replacements, while ten Hag has won five major trophies during his time at the club, and famously guided them to the UEFA Champions League semi-final in the 2018/19 season.

Jurgen Klopp dubbed him as an ‘exciting’ manager back in December, which is high praise indeed, and getting both in would prove to be a real coup from the Toon.

In other news, find out which ‘extraordinary’ ace NUFC are ‘preparing’ a £67.7m bid for here!

Bangladesh have wrapped up the three-match series by winning the first two matches and have a chance to complete a rare whitewash

Cricinfo staff30-Jul-2009Match factsFriday July 31, 2009
Start time 9.30 (13.30 GMT)Big PictureCan Travis Dowlin help prevent a clean sweep?•AFPBangladesh have wrapped up the three-match series by winning the first two matches and have a chance to complete a rare whitewash. West Indies will be kicking themselves for giving up the second ODI having had a good total to defend only to allow Bangladesh three crucial overs in their chase to seize the momentum. The home side should be ready to prove a point to their critics but Bangladesh’s form and energy leaves them as clear favourites, and a cursory glance at the form of the two rival captains sums up the state of the two sides.Shakib Al Hasan has led from the front in both the first two games, contributing runs with the bat – he is just behind Mohammad Ashraful in the run tally – picking wickets and inspiring in the field. Shakib’s captaincy has been exciting and that has apparently rubbed off onto his batting. His decision to open the attack in the last game with the recalled Abdur Razzak’s spin paid rich dividends.West Indies will be aiming for a competitive effort to finish the series after they showed a marked improvement from the first ODI, but it’s hard to see how Floyd Reifer can inspire. His batting hasn’t clicked all series, two Tests included, and he has looked all at sea against spin, spooning catches to a packed off-side field in both ODIs. For Reifer, the goals are not only to win but also to give some of West Indies’ lesser-known players a chance to shine. He will need to set the example and hope the rest follow.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Bangladesh – WWWWL
West Indies – LLNLWWatch out for …Tamim Iqbal: A powerful striker of the ball, Tamim will look to make a mark in the series against this West Indies attack. Tamim got a first-baller in game one, chasing a full-pitched delivery, and in the second his nervy innings of 29 was cut off by an enthusiastic fielder. Tamim is yet to impress in the series but a big one could just be around the corner. If Tamim can help set up a hefty total, it could give Bangladesh their best chance of a clean sweep.Travis Dowlin: He missed a Test century by a whisker and his maiden ODI century proved in vain as Bangladesh won by three wickets to clinch the series. With the impending return of the leading players, Dowlin’s opportunities at this level could be limited. He’s in form and has shown his capabilities against this attack.Team newsBangladesh’s desire to make absolutely certain of a 3-0 result means they are unlikely to tinker with their best XI.Bangladesh: (likely) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Junaid Siddique, 3 Mohammad Ashraful, 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Syed Rasel, 11 Rubel Hossain.Chris Gayle and other top players still find no place and the only change was the exclusion of fast bowler Nelon Pascal, who sustained a finger injury in the first ODI last Sunday. The wicketkeeper Devon Thomas didn’t get a chance to bat in the second ODI but did grab two surprising wickets and should keep his place, but the pressure will be on Andre Fletcher who has yet to impress in the series. His place at the top could go to Kieran Powell, the left-handed batsman.West Indies: (likely) 1 Devon Smith, 2 Andre Fletcher/Kieran Powell, 3 Travis Dowlin, 4 David Bernard, 5 Floyd Reifer (capt), 6 Devon Thomas (wk), 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Rawl Lewis, 9 Nikita Miller, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Gavin Tonge.WeatherIt’s forecast to be windy with scattered showers in the afternoon in Basseterre on Friday.

Cricket’s rich history of thrilling upsets was given another chapter as Netherlands sensationally beat England by four wickets in the opening match of the World Twenty20 at Lord’s

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan05-Jun-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outJeroen Smits leaps for joy as Netherlands celebrate their dramatic last-ball win•Clive Rose/Getty ImagesCricket’s rich history of thrilling upsets was given another chapter as Netherlands sensationally beat England by four wickets in the opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord’s. Needing seven off the last over Ryan ten Doeschate and Edgar Schiferli ran for their lives and with two needed off the last delivery Stuart Broad missed a run-out from his follow through and the resulting overthrow set off wild scenes of celebration.Tom de Grooth played the innings of his life to hit 49 off 30 balls and Netherlands paced their pursuit of 163 so expertly that they were always ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis when steady rain began to fall to add to the drama. But the game deserved to be played to a finish and crucially Netherlands had the experience of ten Doeschate, who plays professionally for Essex, up their sleeve as he didn’t come in until No. 6.Each time England nipped out a wicket the next Netherlands batsman held their nerve until the final-over equation with seven needed. England missed three chances off the first three balls as the fielding crumbled under pressure in the closing stages, with two run out opportunities and a dropped catch as ten Doeschate cracked a chance back to Broad.When Schiferli, who had injured his shoulder diving to make his ground earlier in the over, clubbed the ball to the on side Broad collected in his follow-through. A direct hit would have given England the win, but even allowing the single would have sent the game to a Super Over – however Broad went for the win and he missed. Almost before the second run was complete the Dutch were sprinting from the dug-out.Once again, Twenty20 had shown its capacity to produce the most incredible upsets. But this wasn’t about the gap being narrowed, this victory was all about the superior skill level of Netherlands on the night. The intent with which they went about the chase was thrilling in its freedom and confidence.Darron Reekers set the tone with thumping sixes over midwicket off Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson a stark comparison to England who didn’t manage a single six throughout their innings. Netherlands were nervous for the first 10 overs and didn’t appear to have a pray as Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright opened with a stand of 102, yet England managed just 73 in the second half of the innings.The confidence Netherlands gained from their strong finish in the field – where, notably, they held their chances – showed in the batting performance. When Alexei Kervezee pulled to mid-on and Reekers’ brief dash was ended by Broad it appeared England would have too much fire power. However de Grooth took 16 off the sixth over, including a straight six, and England knew they were in a battle.Ryan ten Doeschate jumps for joy after Stuart Broad misses a final-ball run out•Getty ImagesAdil Rashid, on his international debut, produced a neat legspinner to have Bas Zuiderent stumped, only for Peter Borren to open his account with a thumping pull over midwicket. de Grooth continued to play one of those innings that amateur cricketers dream of and each boundary gave him another story to regale with in the years to come.Paul Collingwood opted for his medium-pacers rather than returning to the strike bowlers as the runs were whittled down. de Grooth launched the England captain over midwicket for a flat six, but two balls later got a leading edge against a slower ball that looped to extra cover. The celebrations, though, were muted; this wasn’t what the hosts had expected.Borren top-edged to short fine-leg and Daan van Bunge picked out Wright on the cover boundary with a powerful drive that lodged in the fielders’ elbow, but ten Doeschate found a crucial four in the 19th over with a sliced drive that was parried over the rope by an airborne Eoin Morgan. This was going to be Netherlands’ moment.It was the type of start the event desperately needed on a cold, grey, damp day which forced the opening ceremony to be cancelled amid memories of the inglorious beginning to the 1999 World Cup. It didn’t seem the most astute scheduling to open with a game involving a minnow, but now the tournament is alive.England will want to forget the evening. It started badly when Kevin Pietersen was ruled out with a recurrence of his Achilles problem and Rob Key was drafted in having not played during the warm-ups, and finished batting down at No. 6 where he never plays in county cricket.That was partly down to an excellent opening stand between Bopara and Wright, a continuation of their effort against West Indies, which made it appear that England would have a routine few hours of cricket. Their partnership of 102 equalled England’s best in Twenty20 internationals, but the middle order couldn’t build on the foundation and showed a worrying lack of striking power. Huge credit must go to the Netherlands attack who got their game together after a slow start.Still, at the half-way stage, most pundits and a large proportion of the crowd will have thought England had enough. No one told the men wearing orange – a motley crew from a country where football is king and cricket barely rates a mention – who less than two hours later and put some of the highest paid players in the world firmly in their place. Say what you like about Twenty20, this was a sporting drama at its very best.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have erupted over a contract update involving star Raheem Sterling. 

The England international, who is still yet to put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Etihad Stadium, has been the subject of some criticism for his City performances over the last year.

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A far cry from his 2019/2020 season, where he finished the campaign as Pep Guardiola’s top goal scorer in all competitions (31), Sterling bagged below half that total over 2020/2021 (14).

The £300,000-per-week forward, after a stellar Euro 2020 tournament with England, still hasn’t managed to rediscover his prolific form from two seasons ago and news has now come to light on his contract situation.

Reliable reporter James Ducker of The Telegraph says both the player and Guardiola have struck an uneasy truce whilst agreeing to disagree on certain matters.

While sources at the Etihad complex say Sterling isn’t screaming injustice and has his head firmly down, the 26-year-old’s new deal talks have stalled and will remain on hold to be revisited after a few months.

The player will have a year left on his current deal next summer and sporting director Txiki Begiristain risks losing him for a minimal or non-existent fee.

Flocking to this update, there have been many opinions by a plethora of City supporters, find all of their best ones down below.

Man City fans erupt over Sterling update…

“Please don’t”

Credit: @GalaxyGrealish

“He’s not good enough anymore

City is a Giant football now

There should be no room for mediocrity Sterling wouldn’t get regular game time anymore”

Credit: @kunfunduscharm

“As much as some of us won’t want to hear this, Sterling is leaving next summer.

He is an amazing baller and wherever he goes he will be loved”

Credit: @izzy900is

“Please sign the contract Raheem”

Credit: @Zaks456

“Please no”

Credit: @mcfc_tk

“Sell him. It’s time.”

Credit: @JMCFCLOL

“Get him gone”

Credit: @mcfcjosh9320

“Wallahi no way”

Credit: @monstaclass

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Bring him home’, ‘Am I dreaming’ – Man City fans excited by claim on 35-goal striker, find out more here.

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has said the indefinite postponement of Pakistan’s tour to the country, originally scheduled for early March, could affect his team’s chances at this year’s World Twenty20 to be held in England in June.”We’ve got no real cricket until then, which is a bit of a concern for us,” Siddons told .The Bangladesh government halted all visits by foreign teams to the country as it could not guarantee them full security. The decision was taken in the aftermath of an armed mutiny by rank-and-file border guards against their superiors in Dhaka on February 25 and 26. At least 56 senior army officers were killed in the 33-hour revolt.Pakistan were scheduled to play two Twenty20 matches and five ODIs from March 10-22 but the BCB announced its decision to postpone the tour immediately after the attacks in Lahore, when the Sri Lankan team was fired upon. However, the BCB did not explain the reason for the decision at the time.Siddons, though, was hopeful of the tour being rescheduled around October or November pending an improvement in the security situation. “We’ve got a small gap in our schedule in October and Pakistan have a gap around then too so we may be able to figure something out,” he said. “We are all disappointed. The situation all over the place is not great but I am sure cricket is going to survive.”

Tim Ambrose has the chance to resume his Test career in Barbados on Thursday after Matt Prior left the tour following the birth of his first child. It means England will now have to make at least two changes to the team after Andrew Flintoff was ruled out with his hip injury.”Like anyone who has had a taste and has been left out you are always keen to get back in,” Ambrose said. “You work on the areas that you feel that you needed to improve on and that’s what I’ve been doing during the time out. At my age, and this stage of my career, I think there is unfinished business and I’d like to try and push on with that.”Prior received news of the birth in the early hours of Monday morning and will fly out on Monday evening. It had been a long-standing arrangement that he would leave the tour at some stage, but the original plan was that he would head home on March 2 and miss the final Test. “This is a special set of circumstances,” Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said. “Matt is well aware of the situation we are in out here but we have provision for paternity leave and he is within his rights to take that.”He isn’t the first England player to leave a tour in such circumstances. The current captain, Andrew Strauss, missed the final Test against Pakistan, in Lahore, in 2005-06 to be at the birth of his first child. Prior is now due back in time for the Trinidad game, so this could be a one-off chance for Ambrose although, if he makes runs and holds his catches, the selectors will be faced with a tricky decision and Prior runs the risk of losing his place.Stephen Davies, the Worcestershire wicketkeeper, will now join the tour from the Lions in New Zealand. He is part of the one-day squad and had been due to cover for Prior’s absence, but will now arrive on Wednesday evening.Ambrose made 74 on the opening day against a Barbados Cricket Association President’s XI on Sunday, so at least he has some form behind him going into the crucial match. “To know from the start has given me an incentive to work hard and keep myself prepared,” he said. “It’s a week earlier, but yesterday and today have gone pretty well so I feel ready.”I was looking forward to some time in the middle because it has been a little while. It was good to spend a few hours out there to get used to the conditions and it’s useful that it’s only a few days away from the game.”It’s hopefully a chance to win a game for England and a chance for me to contribute. I’m excited, I’ve waited a while for another go so am looking forward to it. I feel pretty ready for the week coming up.”Ambrose scored 102 in his second Test, against New Zealand at Wellington, and it turned into a series-turning performance as England came from 1-0 down to take the contest. It is a position they find themselves in once again after the nail-biting draw at the ARG. This will be Ambrose’s first Test since he was dropped following the South Africa Test series in August in which he failed to pass 36 in four matches.”I was fairly pleased with my performances but I would have liked to have contributed more during the South Africa series,” Ambrose said. “We were all very keen to try and come out on top in that one and it was very disappointing not to. I went back to Warwickshire, worked hard and was pleased with my performances. I got on the winter tours which was my aim.”In the second Test of the South Africa series, at Headingley, he batted at No. 6 and looked out of his depth as England were crushed by 10 wickets, but he said he’d be willing to take on any role for the team. “Just to get in the XI for England is a privilege so whatever they ask me to do I’ll give it everything I have.”

Cricinfo takes a look at the matches from Round 2 of the 2008-09 Regional Four Day Competition

Cricinfo staff17-Jan-2009
Ryan Hinds top-scored with 89 for Barbados and reached 5000 first-class runs in the process © DigicelCricket.com/Brooks La Touche Photography
An eventful day in Grenada, where Barbados were locked in a keen contest with Windward Islands, who fought back well to end the first day with a slight edge. Ryan Hinds top scored with 89 but five other batsmen who reached double figures failed to covert their scores into something substantial as Barbados squandered a dominant position of 170 for 2 to end up at 305 for 7 by stumps.Hinds batted for three hours and struck 13 boundaries in a solid knock that lasted 135 balls – he also reached 5000 first-class runs – and was well supported in a 115-run third-wicket stand with Jonathan Carter, who made 52. Their team got off to a bad start, losing captain Jason Haynes for a duck, after being asked to bat first. However, two fruitful partnerships followed – Hinds added 51 with opener Dale Richards (37) and Barbados had recovered well. However, both Hinds and Carter fell to the legspinner Raul Lewis within the space of 21 runs and appeared confounded with the decisions given against them. Dwayne Smith then made 36, and wicketkeeper Patrick Browne contributed 30 but both gave away their wickets after looking set. Five of the seven Barbados wickets fell to spinners, with the offspinner Shane Shillingford making good use of the pitch to extract turn and bounce to pick up three.Jamaica took two wickets towards the end of play to seize the initiative from Trinidad and Tobago – who were sitting pretty at 107 for 1 after being put in – on a rain-affected first day in Port of Spain. Darren Ganga, the T&T captain, and the opener Justin Guillen helped the side recover from the early loss of Adrian Barath, who as caught behind for 0 when he prodded at an away-swinger from Andre Russell, and added 106 off 235 balls for the second wicket. Ganga survived two close calls – a missed run-out opportunity and an appeal for caught behind – on his way to 57, while Guillen was the more fluent of the two, smashing the legspinner Odean Brown over long-on for six after lunch on his way to 48.The Jamaican bowlers struggled to unsettle the pair, but the medium-pacer David Bernard finally managed to find the outside edge off Guillen’s bat to have him caught at slip by captain Tamar Lambert. With the dip in scoring after the loss of a wicket came the surrender of momentum which cost T&T dearly. As they limped to 123 for 2, Lendl Simmons was trapped lbw by Brown while offering no stroke, and Ganga followed immediately, misreading an inswinger from Bernard to find his stumps pegged back. Darren Bravo and Sherwin Ganga saw them through to stumps and T&T’s progress on the second day will hinge largely on the current partnership.Another day of squandered opportunities in Bridgetown, where seven Combined Campuses and Colleges batsmen got to double figures but failed to reach a half-century to leave their team struggling at 262 for 8 against Guyana. The medium-pacer Brandon Bess took three wickets, and his new-ball partner Esuan Crandon two, as Guyana succeeded in preventing CCC from consolidating threatening partnerships.Being asked to bat, the CCC openers Romel Currency and Simon Jackson, who top scored with 45, added 60. The Guyana bowlers conceded many extras, 18 of them by way of no-balls, but once the first wicket was taken – Currency caught behind off Bess – they fell into rhythm. CCC were looking comfortable at 101, but they lost three wickets for 40, incuding Jackson, who was caught behind off legspinner Davendra Bishu. Floyd Reifer and Chadwick Walton lent some stability to the innings, adding 69 for the fifth wicket, but once that stand was broken by Bess things went downhill for CCC. They lost four wickets for 52 before the day drew to a close.

Noel Whelan has now urged Newcastle United not to let go of Matty Longstaff after an update on the future of the central midfield player.

The Lowdown: Longstaff can go

As cited by The Northern Echo, Steve Bruce has confirmed that Longstaff can go out on loan before the summer transfer window ends.

He has reportedly been targeted by both Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town ahead of a potential move.

The Latest: Whelan on Longstaff

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Leeds United and Coventry City, has now urged the St. James’ Park faithful to keep hold of Longstaff before the window shuts, given the size of their current squad at the moment:

“You can’t do it, don’t allow players to leave when you have a squad the size of Newcastle’s.

“They’ve not really been active in this window, it’s a really difficult situation that Steve Bruce is in.

“You’ve got to look if Newcastle have got players coming through the ranks who can replace him, or whether they are willing to go into the market to replace him.

“They’ve not started the season well, so to lose a home-grown player is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

“But he’s another young player who needs to be playing regularly to get the best out of him, and maybe Matty has realised that.”

The Verdict: Keep for now

To be fair, the North East club have a decent amount of options in the middle of the park, including the likes of Longstaff’s brother Sean, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Jonjo Shelvey and new arrival Joe Willock (Transfermarkt).

However, unless they can find a replacement for him with just a few days left of the window to go, they should be looking at keeping Longstaff for now as they may need a big squad deeper into the new season.

Described as a ‘talented’ player by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell back in June, he certainly has potential, as exemplified by scoring a memorable goal on his senior Premier League debut for the Tyneside club in a 1-0 home win over Manchester United (BBC Sport).

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Nonetheless, Longstaff is a local boy as well, and so the Toon Army will want him to do well for them.

In other news, find out which three top-flight players Bruce is eyeing here!