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James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide

Andrew McGlashan in Adelaide24-Jan-2011James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide. Anderson arrived back in Australia at the weekend following a post-Ashes break back home that left the visitors with a second-string attack.Along with Anderson’s absence for the first three matches, Stuart Broad is also out injured while Graeme Swann hasn’t played the last two games due to a knee problem and has also suffered a back spasm. Tim Bresnan has now been forced out of the series with a calf strain so Anderson’s return will be a timely boost for the squad. However, he still has to show he’s over the effects of another long journey before taking his place.”To be honest we’ll just see how the next couple of days go,” he said. “I’ll practice tomorrow [Tuesday] and if I come through practice I’ll certainly be putting my name forward for selection.”I’d like to think I bring some energy with both my bowling and fielding. I don’t think we are that far away having seen the first three games. We aren’t far away from a win and turning the momentum around.”Energy has been a buzzword for England in this series. It’s one of the reasons Matt Prior was recalled to the World Cup squad because of the part he plays in the fielding unit and it was noticeable on Sunday, at the SCG, how Paul Collingwood, who replaced the injured Kevin Pietersen, tried to get under Australia’s skin.The end result, though, hasn’t proved very effective although the depleted bowling attack has done a reasonable job only to be let down by some poor batting in the last two matches. But despite the scoreline, and the prospect of conceding the series very early, Anderson insists the squad are as buoyant as when he departed in the afterglow of the Ashes.”I know we are 3-0 down but the dressing room seems just as positive as when I left,” he said. “They are still in good spirits. We know we are just one game away from turning the momentum around. We are looking to Wednesday to be a good all-round performance with both bat and ball.”Anderson has twice benefited from England’s rotation policy, firstly last winter when he missed the tour of Bangladesh and now this latest break. He was the stand-out bowler during the Ashes, sending down 213 overs in the five Tests for 24 wickets, so was grateful of the down time and believes the current injury problems show how important it is to factor in these periods of rest.”It was nice to get a break. My body certainly needed it after the Test series,” he said. “As you’ve seen we’ve got a couple of injuries at the minute. It’s crucial that we go into the World Cup with a full-strength squad. The management have made good decisions in the past resting players so I’m sure they are going to do exactly the same leading up to the World Cup.”England will again have to consider the balance of their side at Adelaide because, for two matches running, they have not had the ideal attack for conditions. In Hobart they were a quick bowler short then they strengthened that department on a slow pitch at the SCG where James Tredwell could have been useful.Spin is likely to play a role in this match, but Anderson has fond memories of what a swing bowler can do following his Test performance. His first-morning burst when he removed Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to leave Australia 3 for 2 set England on their way to victory. They are desperate for something similar again from their leading bowler.

Alasdair Gold has shared some bad news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters involving midfielder and homegrown sensation Oliver Skipp amid his recent injury woes.

The Lowdown: Skipp setbacks…

The 21-year-old, who recently put pen to paper on fresh terms with the club, hasn’t been able to contribute for manager Antonio Conte since late January due to ongoing fitness issues.

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Skipp’s last minutes for Spurs came during a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in the first month of 2022 with his pelvic injury keeping him sidelined.

The Englishman has suffered setbacks in his return to action since, coming as a source of real frustration for Conte, who has remained in the dark over his starlet’s recovery timeframe.

After the Lilywhites confirmed brilliant news of his new contract, Gold has now shared a damning update on Skipp and his injury, coming as the player himself admits it’s been a real problem.

The Latest: Gold shares Skipp update…

The reliable football.london correspondent, taking to Twitter, says that he’s still no closer to returning to Conte’s starting eleven.

Sharing an update on his recovery, in response to Skipp’s official reaction to signing fresh terms, Gold explained:

“Understand he’s not closer to a return yet.”

The Verdict: Bad news…

The promising youngster’s continued availability delay will come as bad news for both Conte and supporters as Spurs fight to finish in the Premier League top four.

Currently locked in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification with north London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham will need any quality at their disposal to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, no Spurs starter has averaged a higher pass accuracy than Skipp (90.1%) in the top flight this season, backing his real composure and assurance in Conte’s midfield.

Tipped as a future club captain, those inside and outside N17 will be hoping he can return to the grass as soon as possible.

In other news: Big name source: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 ft 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.

A classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan05-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZulqarnain Haider carried Pakistan to another one-wicket victory and kept the series alive•AFPA classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare. Zulqarnain Haider struck the winning run after just about managing to keep his head as everyone else lost theirs, and South Africa will be left to wonder how they let another match slip away.When Morne Morkel removed Abdul Razzaq in the 47th over, having also bagged Younis Khan for a measured 73, the game, and the series, was in South Africa’s grasp with Pakistan needing 31 off 23 balls, but again their bowling and fielding couldn’t cope under pressure. Graeme Smith, back leading the side after missing two matches with a hand injury, spilled a tough chance from Wahab Riaz and then Dale Steyn, who was playing his first international of the season, conceded 12 off the 48th over as two short balls were pulled past short fine-leg.South Africa messed up a chance to run out Wahab when Johan Botha produced a wild throw from the outfield as he came back for a third, then in the penultimate over another chance was missed when Morkel hurled the ball past the stumps from his follow through and two overthrows ensued. Amid all the drama, it left Pakistan needing four off the last over but a final twist seemed almost inevitable, and duly arrived when Wahab was finally run out.It meant Haider was on strike with three needed from three balls and he levelled the scores with a chip over midwicket as Parnell missed the chance to win the game for South Africa by failing to flick the ball into the stumps. The next delivery was short on leg and, after the manic scenes, it was a relatively calm nudge to square leg which sealed the result.It was breathless cricket, the third game in a row that had shown how much the 50-over game still has to offer. There was proper, conventional batsmanship from Younis and Smith, innovative striking from Botha, quality fast bowling from Morkel and Shoaib Akhtar and impressive spin played out in front of a crowd that grew after the sun had gone down.Chasing 275 was always going to be tough but this was a better surface than for the third game, which had been too slow to enable clean strokeplay. Younis, who only hit one boundary, was carrying his team into a winning position alongside Razzaq as the pair added 49 for the sixth wicket with the batting Powerplay still up their sleeve. It was the ideal combination to complete the chase – Younis’ calmness alongside the brute force of Razzaq – but Morkel removed Younis via an inside edge and two balls later Abdur Rehman was run out in a hopeless mix-up.Pakistan had been ahead, or within touching distance, of the asking rate throughout the chase but South Africa had kept chipping away. What made the final disintegration of their fielding so surprising was that it was shaping as the difference between the teams. Younis and Asad Shafiq added 56 for the third wicket before Shafiq was run out by a direct hit from mid-on by Wayne Parnell, then Shahid Afridi – who took three boundaries in an over off Steyn to kick-start the innings – was brilliantly caught at long-off by Parnell as he tried to launch Botha into the stands.Imran Farhat had fallen in the first over, trapped lbw from around the wicket by Morkel, but Mohammad Hafeez set a positive tone and latched onto the extra pace of Steyn, who returned after a lengthy absence. It was fascinating viewing as Steyn worked through the gears and Hafeez was winning the early battles with a string of boundaries.Steyn had his revenge when Hafeez tried to whip a straight delivery through the leg side and was comfortably leg before. Ultimately, though, his 10 overs cost 79 runs, the second most expensive analysis of his career, and questions will again be asked about how South Africa bowled in the closing overs, especially as Rusty Theron, who kept his nerve in the previous match, was left out.Smith had a far more productive return to action although his lay-off had only been two games after taking a blow on his hand in the opening encounter in Abu Dhabi. He was soon back in the grove and eased to a 57-ball half-century, adding 94 for the third wicket with de Villiers, who laboured against Pakistan’s spinners in a boundary-less 70-ball innings.Smith missed out on a hundred when he tried to work Hafeez through the leg side, and for a while South Africa lost momentum as Wahab put himself on a hat trick by yorking JP Duminy and David Miller. Botha responded with a string of clever boundaries, including two reverse sweeps off Hafeez and a brace of scoops over short fine-leg against Wahab. The impetus was back in South Africa’s camp, but it’s been impossible to predict the outcome in this series and this was to be another thriller to the end.

Gianluca Di Marzio has now dropped some exciting Glasgow Rangers transfer news on Aaron Ramsey.

The Lowdown: Not playing

Ramsey is simply not playing enough games at Juventus, with only five appearances in total for the Old Lady across all competitions so far this term.

Thus, given his whopping £400,000-per-week wages, Juve will probably want to offload him before the deadline, especially as they spent a lot of money to bring in Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina.

The Latest: Agreement sought

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Di Marzio, an ‘agreement is sought’ between Juve and the Ibrox faithful, with talks ‘in progress’ between the two clubs:

“#Juventus, negotiation in progress with @RangersFC: an agreement is sought for #Ramsey.

“But the @BurnleyOfficial resists.”

The Verdict: Exciting

To get a player of Ramsey’s calibre through the door would certainly be exciting for all Teddy Bears fans.

Of course, he is a big name, having played in the Premier League with Arsenal, while he has over 70 senior caps for Wales.

His wages will be a big issue though, and the Light Blues will have to negotiate very well to get that number down.

He also has a history of injury problems, which the Gers will hope that he can overcome.

Nonetheless, what a statement signing he would be for RFC, having already captured the loan signing of Amad Diallo from Manchester United.

In other news, find out what the latest Jordan Campbell has revealed on one potential Gers exit here!

The first Test against India will be Daniel Vettori’s 100th Test for New Zealand, making him only the second cricketer from the country, since Stephen Fleming, to reach the milestone

Sriram Veera in Ahmedabad01-Nov-2010The first Test against India will be Daniel Vettori’s 100th for New Zealand, making him only the second cricketer from the country, since Stephen Fleming, to reach the milestone. Vettori said it was a landmark that meant a lot to him.”It’s a great honour for me and something I would really cherish all my life. It’s been an amazing journey,” said Vettori, who in addition to his New Zealand appearances, also turned out for the World XI, against Australia in 2005. “For anyone to have such longevity is a great achievement. The fact that I have played well most all the time and that it is not just a number, gives me great satisfaction.”Vettori’s coach Mark Greatbatch termed it a “phenomenal achievement”. “Dan is very humble and very hard working, and 100 Tests for New Zealand is a testament to his skills and his longevity.”Vettori said the occasion, momentous as it may be, won’t disturb his focus once the Test starts. “I have got all the celebrations out of the way in Hamilton; I am just trying to focus on the game. I am trying to see it as just another Test.”It won’t be just another Test of course. If he hits 38 runs at Motera he will become only the third allrounder in Test history to have 4000 runs and 300 Test wickets, behind Kapil Dev and Ian Botham. It’s big.”I suppose with how my game has developed over the last few years, I have worked on my skills, 4000 runs and 400 wickets is what I really aspire to achieve and that’s not too far away,” he said. Vettori is currently on 325 wickets and said that he is under no illusions about who has been New Zealand’s all-time best bowler. “But if I do get there [431 wickets], I would still see Sir Richard Hadlee as our greatest bowler ever. His record is amazing. Mine will be a career of longevity, while his was one of absolute skill. He is one of the greatest bowlers of all time.”Stats reveal that Vettori has been a better bowler in ODIs, and he agreed. “My batting in both forms of the game has come on, as has my one-day bowling. But Test match bowling is something I want to get better at.”There are a number of goals that I want to achieve and that is primary among them. At times, I have been a successful Test bowler, but that is a part of my game I want to improve.”Vettori took over the captaincy from Fleming after the 2007 World Cup and is currently going through his toughest time as a leader. New Zealand were drubbed 4-0 by Bangladesh in the recently-concluded one-day series and faced severe criticism back home.”It was hard, but the criticism you have within your own thoughts is worse than anything anyone could say,” Vettori said. “What I have put myself through and what all the rest of the team has put itself through couldn’t compare with what anyone else could say. We expected the criticism, and it was all fair. When you lose 4-0, no matter to whom, you should expect a lot of criticism. Hopefully, it can be a catalyst for us in improving in all facets of our game.”Vettori is the only member in this squad who has played Tests in India and he said that though he will have a big role to play, he anticipates a major effort from the fast bowlers. “I suppose the responsibility primarily lies with me as the most experienced bowler over here, but I know, looking at the statistics, that seam bowlers can do a pretty good job particularly if you can get the ball reversing. So we are going to place a lot of onus on them bowling well and not just saying it’s up to the spinners to do the job.”

The roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation

George Dobell at Edgbaston 02-Sep-2010
ScorecardChris Woakes registered career-best match figures of 11 for 97 to bowl Warwickshire to a 95-run win at Edgbaston•Getty ImagesThe roars that greeted the moment of victory spoke volumes: Warwickshire knew that had struck a telling blow in the battle to avoid relegation. The 95-run win sees Warwickshire move 18 points ahead of Kent and out of the reach of Essex. Hampshire, too, are now in the thick of the fight.Warwickhire are not assured of safety but, with one game remaining, they have their fate in their own hands. They’ve won three of their last five championship games and will be strengthened by the return of Ian Bell for their final championship game at The Rose Bowl.”We’ve given ourselves a great chance,” Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said after the game. “It’s not a done deal, but we’re getting there. It’s getting towards being miraculous.”But, if we do stay up, we’re not going to let it paper over any cracks. We still know that we have to recruit and develop and I want to see more competition for places in the batting department.”But one thing I am pleased about is that we haven’t just died. We’ve shown a lot of fight and, in the last couple of games [against Essex and Kent] I’d say the difference has been that we’ve been the side who wanted it more.”I know some people have compared this team to one we had here in 2007 [that suffered relegation under the leadership of Mark Greatbatch]. But there’s a big difference. In 2007 the side rolled over. This time we’ve showing some fight.” It’s worth noting, too, that Warwickshire have now won as many games this season as they did in 2004, the year they won the championship.It was entirely typical of this extraordinary game that Kent’s tenth-wicket pair should have thwarted Warwickshire for an hour on the final morning. A century from Martin van Jaarsveld showed, once and for all, that this pitch holds no particular demons, while for the second time in the match, Matt Coles showed a well organised technique.Their colleagues showed far less fight. Darren Stevens clipped to midwicket, Azhar Mahmood tried to work an outswinger to the leg side and edged to slip, while Simon Cook became the eighth Kent ‘duck’ of the game when he was utterly bamboozled by a swinging delivery that struck the batsman on the boot.While Kent’s batting – the admirable van Jaarsveld apart – was surprisingly brittle, the bowling of Chris Woakes and Neil Carter was simply irrepressible. The pair took 19 wickets between them, with Woakes finishing with career-best match figures of 11 for 97 and Carter taking his fourth five-wicket haul of the summer and to finish with 8 for 106 in the game.It’s been a remarkable summer for Carter. The final wicket, that of Coles, who spooned a catch to cover when he changed his mind about pulling, gave Carter the fourth five-wicket haul of the season while the wicket of Alex Blake, drawn into edging a perfect delivery that swung away from him, gave Carter his 50th wicket of the campaign.It was the first time in his ten-year county career that the 35-year-old has achieved such a feat and the first time a Warwickshire seamer had taken 50 championshiph wickets in a summer since Tim Munton did so in 1999.For Woakes, however, this performance may prove well timed. He has shown rare class with bat and ball in this match and, aged 21, underlined the impression that he has the skill and temperament to go far. That may well include a trip to Australia in the Academy squad this winter.If England are looking for back-up for James Anderson, they need not look much further than Woakes. He may not quite have Anderson’s pace – though Woakes has certainly added a yard this season – but he’ll swing the ball in most conditions and has the ability to score vital runs at Test level.Kent, meanwhile, have to regroup quickly if they are to avoid relegation. They have two games left – against Hampshire and Yorkshire – but, on this form, will struggle to alter the momentum of their season.Their batsmen would do well to follow the example of Van Jaarsveld. His century (147 balls, 14 fours) was not littered with glorious strokes or outrageous moments, but rather showed up the merits of playing straight and remaining patient. They are qualities which any batsmen, regardless of talent, should be able to replicate. The ease with which he recorded his second championship century of the season showed what might have been if only his colleagues could have matched his resilience and determination. Kent will need such qualities in abundance if they are to escape relegation.

A round-up of matches on the second day of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One tournament in Bermuda

Cricinfo staff30-May-2010Cayman Islands thrashed Bahamas by 111 runs at the Southampton Rangers Cricket Club Ground in Bermuda after Bahamas put up another disappointing batting display. Chasing 272 to win, Bahamas were bowled out for 160 with no batsman making more than 30.With extras and captain Gregory Taylor being the joint highest scorers at 28 runs apiece, Bahamas were never in the game. Cayman Islands offspinner Kevin Bazil took figures of 4 for 26 and was ably supported by fellow offspinner Alessandro Morris, who took 3 for 41.Earlier, Cayman Islands were boosted by three half-centuries on a damp wicket from opener Ramon Sealy, Ryan Bovell and Ronald Ebanks to set a challenging total of 271. Player of the Match Sealy hit 11 boundaries during his 65 from 74 deliveries. Bovell and Ebanks then added 62 runs for the fifth wicket before Bovell fell for 52 from 56 deliveries. Despite a late collapse, Ebanks finished the innings unbeaten on 51 off only 39 balls with six boundaries and three sixes.Bermuda crushed Argentina by a huge margin of 166 runs after Argentina folded for 116 chasing a stiff target of 283 at the Sea Breeze Oval.On another cool day interspersed with showers, Argentina opening bowler Gary Savage scythed through the Bermuda top order to leave them struggling at 33 for 4. They recovered through a match-turning partnership of 186 between Janeiro Tucker and IrvingRomaine. Tucker, back after announcing his retirement following Bermuda’s failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup and also recovering from knee surgery, smashed an astonishing 15 sixes on way to 136 from only 97 deliveries. Romaine made 77 off 86 balls, hitting seven sixes as Bermuda posted a daunting 282 for 6.Like Bermuda, Argentina also lost their top order cheaply with Jordan DeSilva taking 3 for 12 off eight overs. Unlike Bermuda, though, Argentina never recovered from 26 for 4 as Jim West destroyed any hopes of a revival with 4 for 11 from five overs. As many as seven batsmen fell before they reached 10 as Argentina were dismissed in the 36th over.It was USA’s turn to face the rampaging Rizwan Cheema after CaymanIslands the day before. Cheema made short work of USA’s total of 189, hammering an unbeaten century to lead Canada to a nine-wicket win with 11 overs to spare.Cheema went after opening bowler Adrian Gordon – who had taken 4 for 38 against Argentina – smashing him for 42 runs off only four overs. At the other end, Cheema’s opening partner Trevin Bastiampillai was in another world as he took 73 deliveries to make 27, but with Cheema in such a mood, he just had to ensure Canada didn’t losewickets upfront. Cheema hit ten fours and five sixes, finishing on an unbeaten 114.Earlier, Calvert Hooper claimed 3 for 41 as USA were reduced to 65 for 5 and then 113 for 7. Rashard Marshall and Timroy Allen combined for a 68 run stand as USA sought to pass 200. However, both fell with the score on 181 to ensure that they finished well short of that mark.

A number of Everton fans have flocked to reports that the club are interested in appointing Tim Cahill to a senior executive role at Goodison Park.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, the Toffees legend could return to Merseyside in a senior executive role, as following Rafael Benitez’s sacking on Sunday, the board are keen on re-integrating former players who know the club well.

Cahill is currently chief sports officer at the Aspire Academy in the United Arab Emirates and is on the board at Belgian club KAS Eupen. The 42-year-old has also completed his coaching badges in a bid to return to the highest echelons of European football in a new role.

The Australian had an illustrious career with Everton; in 278 appearances for the club, the attacking midfielder scored 68 goals and produced 29 assists over an eight-year spell on Merseyside, firmly establishing himself as a hero among the Goodison Park faithful.

Everton fans gleeful over possible Cahill return

After Twitter fan feed Everton Blue Army shared the Daily Mail’s report, many supporters flocked to the comments to voice their delight at the prospective return of Cahill to the club.

Here’s what these fans said about this “great” news:

“Would love to see Everton playing football in the style this guy played the game. If he came in and stamped it on the club I’d be very happy.”

Credit: @nismoneil

“That would be great”

Credit: @LizaDurkin

“Does he still play”

Credit: @dave_rylett

“I’d have no problem with this.”

Credit: @seanrostron

“top professional in everything he has ever done.”

Credit: @_Bluran_

“Speaks a lot of sense about what the club need so it’s not as bad as what everyone makes it out to be.”

Credit: @Jay____177

In other news: These reports of another ex-Everton employee coming back to Goodison Park were not so warmly received

The match referee Chris Broad has advised Mohammad Aamer to take care when celebrating wickets, but no official action was taken after a clash between Aamer and Ricky Ponting on the first day at Lord’s

Brydon Coverdale at Lord's14-Jul-2010The match referee Chris Broad has advised Mohammad Aamer to take care when celebrating wickets, but no official action was taken after a clash between the bowler and Ricky Ponting on the first day at Lord’s. As Aamer was following through having had Ponting caught at short leg, he ran close to the batsman and contact was made.It was not the first time on this trip that Aamer collided with a batsman after dismissing him. In the second Twenty20 at Edgbaston, he leapt with such exuberance while celebrating the removal of Michael Clarke that he lost control and crashed into the batsman, although he immediately apologised.Broad said there was no reason to take official action over the Aamer-Ponting incident, but he was keen to ensure there were no further repeats. The umpires spoke to the Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi after the collision and Broad raised the issue with Aamer and the team coach Waqar Younis at the close of play.”Aamer is a young, exciting, talented player full of enthusiasm for this great sport and that is to be celebrated and nurtured,” Broad said. “But there are a few things he still has to learn in relation to how to conduct himself on the field of play.”I told him that when he takes a wicket, he should celebrate with his team-mates rather than getting himself into the personal space of the outgoing batsman. It’s a spirit of cricket issue.”It has happened twice now so we as a playing control team thought it would be sensible for me to have a word with him. He accepted it graciously and undertook to avoid a repeat occurrence. As far as we are concerned the issue is now closed.”

New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has been named as a replacement for Corey Anderson, who has sustained a fracture to his left thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2013New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has been named as a replacement for Corey Anderson, who has sustained a fracture to his left thumb, for the ODI series against South Africa.Anderson was struck on his hand while bowling during practice. He will be in a cast for the next two weeks, thus ending his chances of making his ODI debut on this tour. Anderson played in all three T20s against South Africa last month, scoring 17 runs in two innings and failing to take a wicket.Elliott, who grew up in Johannesburg, has played five Tests, 37 ODIs and a single T20 for New Zealand but hasn’t featured in an international game since December 2010. He has scored four fifties and a century in his ODI career. He has played only once before against South Africa, in the 2009 Champions Trophy.New Zealand will play three ODIs against South Africa, between January 19 and 25.