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The presence of a possible sixth day and the flat nature of the Wankhede pitch meant both Mumbai and Baroda set themselves up for the long haul in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final

The Report by Sidharth Monga07-Jan-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Abhishek Nayar scored his third hundred of the season•FotocorpThe presence of a possible sixth day and the flat nature of the Wankhede pitch meant both Mumbai and Baroda set themselves up for the long haul in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final. Baroda stayed away from claiming the third new ball, and Mumbai showed no intent to go for quick runs and declare the innings closed: 252 runs came on the second day for the loss of three wickets, with final session representing a near ceasefire.However, that shouldn’t take away from another stellar effort from Mumbai’s most valuable player, Abhishek Nayar, who crossed 50 for the 10th time this season, converted it into a third century, and ended unbeaten on 852 runs, the fifth-highest tally this season. Three of the four mean ahead of him are already out of the tournament. Nayar has also fielded superbly and picked up 16 wickets to go with his runs.Mumbai began the day at 272 for 3 with Wasim Jaffer unbeaten on 137, but Jaffer never quite got going. After two dropped chances, Jaffer played on to be dismissed for 150. Mumbai were 286 for 4 then, and still needed runs to feel comfortable on a pitch that didn’t have much for the bowlers. Enter Nayar, who provided them momentum even as nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni enjoyed his rare chance at blocking and playing like a proper batsman.Kulkarni never looked in much trouble, but the runs on the slow pitch came off Nayar’s bat. He began sweeping and reverse-sweeping to distraction. Kulkarni grew a little adventurous, hit a straight six, and fell at the team score of 356 to bring in the last recognised batsman, wicketkeeper Aditya Tare. Tare, too, had a tough time scoring runs at the start, but Nayar kept manipulating fields with shots and style entirely his own. Against spin he played all kinds of sweeps, against pace he moved across and worked the ball to leg.Nayar scored 20 off the first 29 balls he faced, then moved to 42 off 62, and brought up the fifty with a nudge to leg. Immediately he reverse-swept a four to celebrate. While Tare persevered to score 31 off 102, Nayar went fluently and had reached 78 off 122. Baroda were trying to defend, but it was difficult to do so against the dexterous Nayar.Tare quickened up, brought up his fifty, but fell in the final session for 64. Nayar was 94 then off 155 balls, a healthy strike rate on a slow pitch, Mumbai were 479 for 6, but with more than 20 overs to go in the day they changed their strategy. Against deep-set fields Mumbai endeavoured to come back on the third day for no further loss, and Baroda tried to minimise damage, presumably, before they take new ball with bowlers fresh on a fresh day.Over the next 21.4 overs, only 45 runs came without any incident. Nayar added only 28 off 62 balls over that period, bringing up his 11th first-class hundred in the process, but indications were that he wasn’t done yet.

While things at Celtic appear to be increasingly on the up under the management of Ange Postecoglou, with the Bhoys currently on a run of six games without defeat in all competitions, there are nevertheless a number of positions in the 56-year-old’s first-team squad that are lacking a considerable amount of depth.

Indeed, in a recent article for The Athletic, Kieran Devlin highlighted Celtic’s need for an adequate replacement for Callum McGregor in the number six role, as, during the four-game period in which the central midfielder was sidelined back in September, the Hoops clearly lacked a player who could replicate the 28-year-old’s “passing range, speed of thought and execution to accelerate attacks.”

However, before Postecoglou enters the January transfer market in search of a backup for the Scotland international, perhaps it would be wise to take a closer look at one of the club’s summer signings first – in the shape of Liam Shaw.

Indeed, after joining the club on a free transfer back in July, the 20-year-old said of his style: “I describe myself as a box-to-box midfielder, a lot of energy running up and down, I can score a goal, and be aggressive in that I like a tackle and I like to press people.”

This is something that was evident in his 19 Championship appearances for Sheffield Wednesday last season, over which the £315k-rated man scored one goal and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.3 key passes, 0.7 tackles and taking 0.5 shots per game.

While these statistics are not exactly mind-blowing, it must be remembered that his returns came while the midfielder was enjoying his breakthrough season in professional football within a side who were fighting at the wrong end of the Championship table – before ultimately suffering relegation.

Indeed, it is clear to see that the foundations are undoubtedly there for Shaw to blossom into a fine number six, something that will be developed further with more experience of first-team football.

However, with the 20-year-old being yet to make an appearance in the Scottish Premiership under the management of Postecoglou, it would appear a very wise move for the Bhoys boss to finally unleash the rarely-seen Shaw in the coming weeks and months, as the midfielder could prove to solve one of the 56-year-old’s biggest issues at Parkhead.

In other news: Ange must ruthlessly axe “incredible” £14k-p/w Celtic ace, there’s a better option

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming after it was officially confirmed by the club that Steven Gerrard has now left to manage Aston Villa.

The Scottish champions posted a statement on their official website, stating that he had left to go and manage Villa in the Premier League after three-and-a-half years at Ibrox.

The statement listed just some of his achievements while managing the Light Blues, including qualifying for group stage football in Europe for four successive seasons, reaching the knockout stage in the last two, while of course bringing them their coveted 55th Premiership title after a 10-year wait.

While supporters can be appreciative of what Gerrard has done, it is a bit of a kick in the teeth to leave them midway through the campaign, especially with all of the competitions in which they are still involved and the fact that they currently sit four points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Therefore, it is not a surprise to see some Rangers fans react angrily to the news.

Rangers fans on Gerrard departure

These Gers supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even saying that they were ‘sickened’ by the hasty manner of Gerrard’s exiy:

“Very disappointing leaving halfway through season, Europa place still in sight.”

Credit: @ShazEHollas

“Handling of this has been terrible, like a flashback to the Warburton shambles”

Credit: @AaronRo85

“I won’t lie. I am SICKENED seeing him holding that Villa top…..Part of me thinks he’s done a great job but main part thinks he’s a rat for leaving at this time of season – I have NO DOUBTS he will regret it and no one is bigger than our club.”

Credit: @glen1873

“I’d like to wish Steven nothing but the absolute worst”

Credit: @JosephStanton_

“Enjoy the relegation battle, snake”

Credit: @AmyB0yd

“Gerrard lied, simple as that.”

Credit: @RFC1872GER

In other news, find out what news on this ‘brilliant’ player has left many Gers fans buzzing

Gautam Gambhir will lead Delhi in next month’s Champions League Twenty20, and is expected to remain captain in next year’s IPL, the franchise said

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Sep-2009Virender Sehwag has stepped down as captain of Delhi Daredevils, the franchise said on Monday. Sehwag, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, said he wanted to focus on his batting. Gautam Gambhir will lead Delhi in next month’s Champions League Twenty20, and is expected to remain captain in next year’s IPL, with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as his deputy.”I would like to thank GMR [the franchise owners] for their understanding in accepting my request to step down,” Sehwag said. “Personally, I would like to concentrate on my own batting and contribute to the team.”Sehwag – who recently had said he had no desire to lead India – informed the franchise of his decision immediately after the IPL’s second edition in May this year. But given the team’s great success in the tournament – they topped the league table and lost to eventual champions Deccan Chargers in the semi-final – the owners believed the decision was impulsive and decided to give him more time.”We thought he [Sehwag] had made a statement in the heat of the moment,” a team official told Cricinfo. “We consulted him once again, about a month later. He stuck to his stand. So after deliberations we started to look for a successor and zeroed in on Gambhir.”Sehwag, 30, welcomed the franchise’s decision to appoint Gambhir as his replacement because he felt his long-time Delhi and India opening partner had shown great leadership abilities in the past. Gambhir has an aggressive and thinking mind and brought the same attributes to his captaincy when Delhi won the Ranji Trophy under his leadership in 2007, and during the second edition of the IPL, when he was in charge during the few games that Sehwag sat out.”Gautam did a great job of captaining Delhi and also during IPL 2 in South Africa this year,” Sehwag said. “He has shown very good leadership skills and will bring fresh energy into the Delhi Daredevils.”Gambhir, on his part, said he would draw from his experience of leading Delhi on the domestic circuit. “I am delighted at my selection as captain of Delhi Daredevils and I am committed to deliver my best,” Gambhir said. “I have led Delhi in the past and it was an enriching experience. Hopefully, I can put into practice all that I have learnt.”I have always looked up to Viru [Sehwag]. He has been a guide and friend for me. It is always difficult to fit into the shoes of someone as illustrious as him. I can always turn to him for any advice, as also to the other seniors in the team. We have had great camaraderie in the side and this will help us reach greater heights.”Gambhir had a spectacular last season with the bat and has been shortlisted for the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the Test Player of the Year awards.Sehwag, on the other hand, returned to action on Sunday for the first time after the shoulder injury, which he picked up during IPL 2 – one which forced him to miss the World Twenty20, the ODI series in West Indies, tri-series in Sri Lanka and the forthcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa. Unfortunately, he failed to score, while leading Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance I in the JP Atray corporate tournament in Mohali.

United Arab Emirates completed a satisfactory day against Namibia in their ICC Intercontinental Shield match

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009
ScorecardUnited Arab Emirates completed a satisfactory day against Namibia in their ICC Intercontinental Shield match, dismissing the hosts for 369 in the first innings before making a steady reply at Windhoek.Namibia began the second day on 255 for 5 and Louis van der Westhuizen, who was on 22 overnight, went on to top score with 70 before he was bowled by Fayyaz Ahmed. van der Westhuizen had earlier added 102 for the sixth wicket with Nicholaas Scholtz. The tail made useful contributions and Namibia were eventually all out for 369. Fayyaz was the pick of the nine bowlers used by the UAE, finishing with figures of 4 for 74.UAE made an excellent start to their first innings. Their openers, Arfan Haider and Arshad Ali, added 88 before Sarel Burger had Ali caught by Tobias Verwey for 47. The same Namibian combination accounted for Khurram Khan and Burger then took his third wicket by catching Saqib Ali off his own bowling. UAE had slipped from 88 for 0 to 143 for 3.However, the other opener Haider remained unbeaten on 44 while wicketkeeper Abdur Rehman scored 29 to steer UAE to 185 for 3 at stumps.

An insider from Tottenham Hotspur has sung the praises of Maksim Paskotsi, and thinks that he may get a chance to play Burnley in the Carabao Cup.

The Lowdown: Estonia recognition

Remarkably, Paskotsi already has nine senior caps for Estonia despite being just 18 years of age, and has already played in some of his country’s biggest games in FIFA World Cup qualifying (Transfermarkt).

In the two matches against Wales, up against his Spurs teammates Joe Rodon and Ben Davies and former Lilywhites star Gareth Bale, the central defender only conceded one goal, as he helped Estonia get a credible 0-0 draw away from home (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Paskotsi excitng

Speaking to Football Insider, THFC insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news about the North London club on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels, has admitted his excitement over Paskotsi, and even thinks that Nuno Espirito Santo may play him against Burnley in their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture:

“He came in and instantly made an impression for the Under 18s.

“He scored five goals in a very short space of time as a centre back, three of which were volleys.

“We are talking about a very technical player and he got a call up to the Estonia national side last season due to a COVID outbreak.

“Remarkably, he has kept his place in that setup and he is on six caps as an 18-year-old.

“People may not think much of Estonia but they have had some decent results. They beat Finland and Belarus and they came away from Wales with a very creditable draw.

“He was up against Bale on the night and did really well. Credit to our scouting department for going and there and finding him.

“He’s one I’m really excited about. He looks a real future prospect. He’s made his first-team debut in the Conference League qualifying games.

“The progress is looking really promising and I think he could be given a chance to impress against Burnley in the Carabao Cup.”

The Verdict: Start him

Paskotsi will only get better if he starts more games for Tottenham, and the match against the Clarets would present the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Having already made his senior Spurs five goals from centre-back for the U18 Premier League last term, he offers a threat in both boxes.

Nonetheless, a physical side like Burnley will work wonders for his future development as a centre-half.

In other news, find out which ‘quality’ colossus THFC are eyeing here!

Ange Postecoglou has been advised to take Liel Abada out of his starting line-up for Celtic’s clash with Ferencvaros. 

Club correspondent Kieran Devlin called for Mikey Johnston to start instead in The Athletic’s matchday discussion.

The lowdown

Abada joined Celtic from Israeli outfit Maccabi Petha Tikva in the summer for a fee of £3.6million.

In his first 16 appearances for his new club, he’s been directly involved in 10 goals (six goals, four assists).

But the stats suggest he struggled in Saturday’s win at Motherwell, his SofaScore rating of 6.8 the second-lowest in the Celtic side.

Not one of his seven attempted crosses found a team-mate and he lost possession 12 times in all before being substituted on 73 minutes.

The latest

Devlin described Abada as ‘badly out of form’ and says he ‘needs a rest’ or, from another point of view, ‘time out the spotlight’.

He said he is a ‘big Johnston fan’ and would ‘like to see him get 60 minutes if he’s capable’.

The verdict

Celtic are in desperate need of points on Tuesday, having lost their first two Europa League matches. Lose, and their prospects of progressing look very bleak indeed.

If Postecoglou selects Abada, he struggles again and the result goes against them, he’ll likely come under fire.

And who knows? As Devlin suggests, the rest could actually rejuvenate him, with another home fixture coming up on Saturday against St Johnstone.

In other news, Tom Boyd shares his ‘horrendous’ fear. 

Many Everton fans have been left raging as some transfer news emerged on Nicolas Pepe.

As per Jeunes Footeux, the Goodison Park faithful, as well as both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, are now interested in signing the Arsenal winger in the January transfer window, who are ready to cut their losses.

The deal with the Gunners would be a loan with an option to buy in the summer, which is one that they would likely accept.

For a player that cost a club record transfer fee of £72m, Pepe has flattered to deceive so far in a red and white shirt, with no goals and just one assist in seven games in the Premier League this season, and a total of 43 goal contributions in 98 matches over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

With the arrivals of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend in the summer, one should question whether the Merseyside club should be looking to bring Pepe in as well, when any money that they have available should perhaps be spent on strengthening other areas of the squad, such as right-back.

Everton fans on Pepe transfer news

These Toffees supporters raged as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that he is ‘another Iwobi’, who arrived from Arsenal and has not scored for the Blues yet this season, and one EFC supporter even went as far as to call it ‘dreadful’:

“Dreadful”

Credit: @Feedtheyak22

“Just got rid of Bernard. We don’t want another show pony”

Credit: @BlueFozzie45

“Good god no”

Credit: @CJS24876674

“Just what we need, another inconsistent player”

Credit: @Jord_Thom00

“We need to stop bailing out clubs with their flops. He’s just another Iwobi, only a very expensive version”

Credit: @paulwithe

“Think I’d rather have Rondon and Barkley in my team tbh”

Credit: @CeeJay_EFC

In other news, find out what contract news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Less than 18 hours after beating India, West Indies face another tough challenge

The Preview by S Rajesh12-Jun-2009Match factsSaturday, June 13
Start time 1330 local (1230 GMT)South Africa will look to Steyn to provide the early breakthroughs•Associated PressBig PictureAs challenges go, it’s about as tough as it can get: less than a day after convincingly getting the better of one of the tournament favourites, West Indies need to gear themselves up to take on another. The unkind scheduling means Chris Gayle and Co have less than 18 hours between games against India and South Africa, but so comprehensive was their victory on Friday that they’ll back themselves to do an encore when they take on South Africa at The Oval on Saturday.Dwayne Bravo was scintillating against India, Fidel Edwards showed plenty of fire with his short-pitched bowling with the new ball, and Lendl Simmons’ cool head ensured the experience and skill of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan was hardly needed. The challenge is to reproduce the same levels of intensity, for nothing less will do against a side which is on a hot streak, and is looking to become the first team to win six Twenty20 internationals on the trot.South Africa, along with Sri Lanka, have been the form team of the tournament so far. Unlike the mercurial and unpredictable West Indies, the South Africans take pride in their consistency, and have shown that it takes plenty for them to be beaten, even in a 20-over game. The bowlers have been outstanding, rescuing what seemed a lost cause against New Zealand, and the batting has plenty of depth and class. Can West Indies upset the form book twice in two days?Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa: WWWWW
South Africa have had few concerns over form. Jacques Kallis’ move to the top of the order has added even more solidity to their batting, while the bowling has been in top shape.West Indies: WLWWL
Things are slowly falling into place for West Indies in a format they clearly comfortable with. Bravo’s outstanding all-round performance had much to do with it, but there were several other encouraging signs too. The new-ball bowling remains a bit of a worry, though – Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor have each had a bad match in the last two games.Watch out for…Dwayne Bravo had a dream game against India, and he’ll have only 17 hours to recover for the next big challenge. Bravo is a big-match player, though – expect him to be up for that challenge.Herschelle Gibbs: In a team with hardly any kinks, Gibbs has been the off-colour player so far, scoring only 49 in three innings. He is due a big score.Gayle v Steyn: Steyn has taken four wickets at 5.63 per over so far in the tournament, while Gayle has the highest score in an innings. The outcome of their clash could be one of the keys to the result of the game.Team newsSo smooth was South Africa’s execution in every aspect against England, that they are almost certain to field the same XI.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Jacques Kallis, 3 Herschelle Gibbs, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Wayne Parnell, 11 Dale Steyn.West Indies had chosen Lendl Simmons over Xavier Marshall against India, and that choice worked perfectly for them, with Simmons being outstanding in the field and scoring a vital 44. They’re most likely to go with the same team too.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Andre Fletcher, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Lendl Simmons, 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Fidel Edwards, 11 Suleiman Benn.Stats and Trivia South Africa are searching for their sixth successive win in Twenty20 internationals, a feat that has never been achieved in this format so far. South Africa have been by far the best bowling team in the tournament, conceding only 5.74 runs per over. West Indies have conceded 8.56, the third-highest in the competition. West Indies have been the best batting team, though, scoring at 9.26 runs per over. South Africa average 7.76 per over. South Africa have won two out of three Twenty20 internationals against West Indies. All three games between the two teams have been won by the team batting second.Quotes”I am very pleased about how we performed. We took lots of catches. Two games remain but credit to the guys.”

“The favourite tag has been on our head since we played the first match. What is important for us at this phase is to get to the semi-finals and work towards that challenge.”

Michael Clarke’s stand-in leadership will be passed on to Brad Haddin for the final game of Australia’s limited-overs campaign against Pakistan

Cricinfo staff03-May-2009Michael Clarke’s stand-in leadership will be passed on to Brad Haddin for the final game of Australia’s limited-overs campaign against Pakistan. Clarke took over from Ricky Ponting and guided the side to a series win, but he will head home a few days early to rest ahead of the engagements in England over the next four months.Andrew Hilditch, the national selection panel (NSP) chairman, said Clarke’s return would give the player extra time to prepare for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 and the Ashes. “The NSP has recommended Michael be released from the last Twenty20 game of Australia’s tour of the United Arab Emirates,” he said. “This will allow him a few additional days at home before the squads depart for the ICC World Twenty20 and the Ashes series.”Ponting, Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson missed the contest in the United Arab Emirates to recharge and the squad will reconvene at a camp on the Sunshine Coast on May 24. Clarke guided the team after their first-up loss in Dubai and capped his campaign with 66 and 100 in the victories in the third and fourth games.Haddin led Australia in the Twenty20 win against New Zealand in February when Clarke was injured and Ponting and Hussey were being rested. If anyone in the squad deserves a break it is Haddin, who has played every game for Australia in 2008-09.