ScorecardFile photo- Jatinder Singh top-scored for Oman on the second consecutive day with a 48-ball 40•ICC
Oman completed their second upset win in as many days with a convincing 40-run win against Afghanistan on the back of a strong bowling performance. Oman are currently placed second in Group B after three straight wins, behind Afghanistan who have played an extra game.Oman lost Zeeshan Maqsood of the second ball after being put in to bat, but Zeeshan Ahmed and Jatinder Singh, who hit an unbeaten 65 in Oman’s six-wicket win against Netherlands, consolidated with a 49-run stand. Oman’s batsmen continued to form steady partnerships before Jatinder was bowled by Mohammad Nabi for 40 in the 17th over. However, 35 runs were scored of the last four overs as Oman finished with a competitive 144 for 7. Nabi was Afghanistan’s best bowler and picked up figures of 3 for 28.The Afghanistan openers, Mohammad Shahzad and Javed Ahmadi, started slowly before Shahzad was dismissed for 28. Afghanistan were on course at 61 for 1 in the 10th over but Mehran Khan and Maqsood tore into the middle-order with four-wicket hauls. Wickets fell in clumps and the required run-rate kept climbing to make the chase exponentially harder. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 104 by the 18th over.
Scottish champions Celtic ended last term under Brendan Rodgers having claimed a fourth Premiership title in succession, although four in a row has a very different connotation under the new Wilfried Nancy regime.
For the first time since the latter days of the great Jock Stein’s tenure back in 1978, the Hoops have lost four games on the trot, following another abject second-half display away at Tannadice on Wednesday evening.
It had initially looked like one-way traffic as the visitors deservedly took the lead through Daizen Maeda, albeit with a spate of squandered chances, namely from young Johnny Kenny, ultimately proving fatal heading into the second half.
Nancy’s system had caused all sorts of problems for a shaky Dundee United side before the break, although it wasn’t long before Jim Goodwin’s men had found their rhythm, brutally exposing the flaws in this new Celtic set-up to claim a first win since October.
Too many square pegs in round holes. Too many bizarre selection decisions. Nancy’s reign is only in its infancy, but might it already be time to wield the axe?
Why Celtic should already be searching for a Nancy replacement
Now, as has been seen in the past, a period of patience can lead to success later down the line, with Ange Postecoglou notably enduring a difficult beginning at Parkhead, having lost three away Premiership games in succession, prior to mounting a remarkable unbeaten run.
That being said, there is also a sense that it might be wise for Celtic to cut their losses before even further damage is done, with such a miserable run of form simply not acceptable for a club of their stature, even while considering the hospital pass that the Frenchman received regarding this recent run of fixtures.
Recent examples have highlighted how it is better to be ruthless than let a situation drag on, with Bayer Leverkusen having sacked Erik ten Hag after just two games earlier in the campaign, while even the aforementioned Postecoglou lasted just over a month at Nottingham Forest before being shown the door.
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Even if there is a willingness at boardroom level to allow Nancy the time to try and implement his radical changes, there is little evidence to suggest he can turn things around, nor is there any to suggest that Celtic should give him the freedom to spend in January.
This same group of players, it must be remembered, won five Premiership games out of five under interim boss Martin O’Neill, alongside reaching the League Cup final, with the only sour note coming away at FC Midtjylland under the 73-year-old.
Nancy, it would appear, has allowed this team to regress even further than it had even during Rodgers’ final days, with it difficult to comprehend decisions like deploying Luke McCowan at left-wing-back, or starting just a single recognised centre-back.
Do the Hoops consider turning to O’Neill again, or might another free agent coach be more appealing?
Celtic could hire a "better manager" than Rodgers to replace Nancy
As noted by journalist Graeme Bailey, Nancy is “already under pressure” following this disastrous start to life in Glasgow, with that scrutiny only heightened by the looming presence of O’Neill, who could quite easily return to the fold if required.
That said, even while that interim appointment proved fruitful in recent weeks, the treble-winning coach is nothing more than a short-term fit, with Celtic perhaps in need of slightly longer-term thinking.
O’Neill, of course, is a beloved figure at Parkhead, although the same is also true of Postecoglou, with the Aussie likely to represent the dream target, should he be tempted to make a return to Scottish football.
The ex-Forest and Tottenham Hotspur boss – who was among the list of candidates prior to Nancy’s appointment, according to reports – has had a rocky time of things of late, although it was only just over six months ago that he led the north London side to Europa League glory.
In his own view, he is a winner, with that knack for securing silverware having been so evident during his remarkable stint with the Hoops, securing five domestic trophies in just two seasons, while unleashing a brand of football that was a breath of fresh air in the Premiership.
Of course, there may be doubts over hiring another previously successful Celtic manager, after the chaos of Rodgers’ second stint, although journalist Hamish Carton believes he is a “better manager” than Rodgers.
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In 113 games in charge, the 60-year-old won 83 of those, while boasting a points per game ratio of 2.31.
Postecoglou’s Celtic Record
Stat
Record
Days in charge
750
Games
113
Wins
83
Draws
12
Losses
18
Players used
53
Points per game
2.31
Trophies won
5
Stats via Transfermarkt
In the case of Rodgers, the Northern Irishman recorded a points per game ratio of 2.24 in 169 games in his first stint, prior to registering 2.19 in 123 games in his most recent stint.
Postecoglou’s stint took the club to such highs, having simply blown teams away domestically, while enjoying a remarkable period of recruitment, with bargain deals for the likes of Maeda, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.
In Nancy’s defence, he has inherited a far less successfully assembled squad, although there can be no excuses amid such a woeful beginning to his time in the dugout.
Change, however brutal it might be, needs to be made, with Postecoglou surely a more than worthy replacement.
He was as bad as Kenny: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost 100% duels
Wilfried Nancy must drop this Celtic flop who was as bad as Johnny Kenny and Daizen Maeda.
Click here for a full list of the 2008 fixturesThe England & Wales Cricket Board today unveiled the full fixture list for the 2008 domestic season, which gets underway on Thursday, April 10 when the reigning county champions, Sussex, take on MCC in the traditional curtain-raiser at Lord’s.Sussex will begin the defence of their back-to-back championship crowns the following week (April 16) as they travel to The Rose Bowl to take on Hampshire, while newly-promoted Nottinghamshire will face Kent at Canterbury on the same day. Lancashire, who came so close to snatching the title on the final day of the season, return to The Oval, the scene of their bitter last-ditch defeat against Surrey.The Division Two season kicks off with a midlands derby, as Warwickshire host Worcestershire at Edgbaston after both teams were relegated in 2007.The Friends Provident Trophy takes on a new format in 2008 with the 18 first-class counties as well as Ireland and Scotland making up four groups of five teams. Each team plays the other four teams in the group twice throughout the competition, home and away. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the quarter-finals on July 4, with the winners of each group earning a home draw.The opening round of the Friends Provident Trophy pits last year’s winners, Durham, against Yorkshire at the Riverside on April 20, with a further seven opening round matches to be played on the same day. The final at Lord’s takes place on Saturday August 16.The Twenty20 Cup gets under way on Wednesday, June 11 with last year’s winners Kent taking on Sussex at Canterbury in the first round of the new-look group stage. Next season, each team will play a symmetrical format of five home and five away games with the groups remaining regional-based with three groups of six first-class counties.The Twenty20 Cup group stage concludes on Friday, June 27 with quarter-finals on to be played from July 7 to 9 and four teams progressing to finals day at The Rose Bowl on Saturday, July 26.The Pro40 competition kicks off on Tuesday, July 15 with a floodlit Division One match between the holders Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire at New Road, while the competition will feature a further 23 matches under lights in the second half of the summer. Televised fixtures for the 2008 domestic season will be confirmed in due course.
England fans were heartened to see Steve Harmison fielding on the final day of England’s tour match against South Australia, as the game petered out to a draw. Harmison pulled out before the start of the match at the Adelaide Oval on Friday with a side strain.But England could have used his bowling as South Australia’s top order created problems, batting their way to 2 for 164 before the teams agreed to finish the game an hour early. Matthew Hoggard and James Anderson – who both spent time off the ground – were unable to have the same impact with the new ball as they had in the first innings.Daniel Harris, who finished unbeaten on 71, and Matthew Elliott (55) put on 94 for the first wicket before Anderson pulled in a one-handed catch at midwicket to claim Elliott from the bowling of Monty Panesar. Kevin Pietersen picked up the only other wicket, that of Cameron Borgas for 27, shortly before the teams shook hands.England were dismissed for 415 immediately before lunch, after Sajid Mahmood entertained the crowd with some lusty hitting on his way to 41 from 46 balls. He took to the South Australia spinners, Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen, striking a six from each of them as England lost 4 for 112 in the morning session.Geraint Jones added 19 to his overnight total before Cullen had him caught at bat-pad for 33, while Andrew Flintoff kept the scoreboard ticking over until he was bowled attempting a slog off Bailey for 47. Mahmood was stumped off the part-time spin of Darren Lehmann and when Anderson was caught behind off Bailey for 9 the tourists finished their innings with a lead of 168 runs.The signs were good for England earlier in the match, when Ian Bell (132) and Paul Collingwood (80) put together a 178-run partnership on day two. Each of the top six that will line up in the first Test at Brisbane have scored at least one half-century during the warm-up matches, while the bowlers – with the exception of Harmison – have clocked up useful miles.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Bulletin – Kallis steers South Africa home Verdict – Positives despite the defeat Comment – Yuvraj Singh – From potential to performance Quotes – ‘Our focus is winning the series’ – Graeme Smith Quotes – ‘Batting under pressure, I concentrate more’ – Yuvraj Singh News – Harbhajan fined for conduct Preview package Preview – India train their sights on South Africa Stats – Red-hot South Africans have a point to prove Quotes – ‘You have to play well to beat anyone’ – Dravid
Shane Warne has claimed the world record for the most Test wickets as he overtook Muttiah Muralitharan’s tally of 532 earlier today. Warne’s crowning moment came when he had Irfan Pathan caught at slip by Matthew Hayden with a peach of a delivery that drifted away from the left-hander and turned in.It was by no means a walk in the park for Warne – he toiled hard to pick up 3 for 95 in addition to his rather meagre returns of 4 for 193 in the first Test. But the moment was a special one, and the knowledgable Chennai crowd gave Warne a rousing response. David Shepherd, the umpire standing at the end where the wicket fell, was quick to congratulate Warne, as was Rahul Dravid, the batsman who replaced Pathan.But it did not always seem like Warne would make this record his. Muralitharan has been on a hot streak in recent times, and only an injury to his shoulder gave Warne the breathing space to catch up. Murali has taken only 91 Tests to get to 532 wickets, each of his wickets costs 22.86 runs (Warne 25.64).Murali first claimed the record when he beat Courtney Walsh’s tally of 519 wickets, against Zimbabwe in Harare. He then raced on to 527 wickets, with a 6-wicket haul in Bulawayo. Warne then matched the feat, picking up seven wickets against Sri Lanka in Darwin. Murali has not played a Test since August and Warne has two Tests after this one in which to stretch the lead.
David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors, said the meeting prior to the third npower Test match was one of the most important in quite some time. They faced some big decisions, he said. Well, after much head-scratching they have now been made. And the reaction: one good, one bad and one for the future.With Graham Thorpe unavailable with a back injury, Ed Smith was the second-best option to replace Anthony McGrath. Smith has been in fine fettle for Kent, and his selection is a plus point for county cricket. Previous players, such as Chris Adams and Aftab Habib, have made big waves in the domestic game and then drowned when thrown into the deep end of Test cricket. Smith deserves his chance to prove he isn’t one of them.Gareth Batty is unlikely to play at Trent Bridge unless England choose two spinners, but his inclusion confirms his position as twirler No. 2 to Ashley Giles. Batty had a tough taster in his two one-day internationals against Australia last winter, and impressed many with his loopy offspin. His inclusion will also keep Giles on his toes.With a clutch of fast-bowling injuries such as Richard Johnson, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Tudor (the list goes on), England searched far and wide for a replacement for Darren Gough. The obvious successor, James Kirtley, has been with them all summer. After missing out in the four Tests so far this season, he deserves to make his debut. However, England now have another option in Glen Chapple.Chapple, 29, completes the triumvirate of new faces. His inclusion is the most shocking, but it would be harsh to call it a shocker. He has the experience of three England A tours, and has been a consistent performer for Lancashire for over ten years – and boy, do the England attack need consistency. Admittedly he would bolster the lower order, but he’s no Gough with the ball. Could he be another McGrath (Anthony, not Glenn) in disguise?James Anderson and Steve Harmison have correctly kept their places and they need to stop bowling with learner plates on their backs and appreciate the virtues of the other two L’s (line and length). Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart haven’t been pensioned off, although it might have been the end of a long and tiring road for Nasser if Thorpe had been fit. Michael Vaughan hinted he didn’t want Hussain, Stewart and Thorpe in the same team, but he needs at least two of them in these uncertain times for England.Probable team1 Michael Vaughan (capt), 2 Marcus Trescothick, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Nasser Hussain, 5 Ed Smith, 6 Alec Stewart (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Ashley Giles, 9 James Kirtley, 10 Stephen Harmison, 11 James Anderson.
England will be without Graham Thorpe for the rest of the Test series in India.The Surrey left-hander is flying back to England today to sort out personal matters at home.The decision to let Thorpe go home for the last fortnight of the six-week tour was taken last night. Thorpe, 32, has been replaced in the side for the second Test by Yorkshire’s Michael Vaughan.An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: “The England team management today announced that Graham Thorpe is to return to England and consequently will play no further part in the Test series with India.”Pressing matters of a personal nature have arisen that required Graham’simmediate attention.”The team management request that Graham’s privacy and that of his family berespected by all.”Michael Vaughan will replace Graham in the second Test.”
Potchefstroom – They are known as the North West Dragons, and for most of the season their fire has spluttered rather than roared in defiance. On Thursday night they trailed a smoke haze across their new stadium when it was officially opened and cracked the 200 mark for the second time this season before losing by 41 runs against an England XI.While the tourists used the outing to utilise their options for their opening match of the triangular series in Bloemfontein on Sunday, and put a solid, if unconvincing 264 for nine on the board, North West did what they could to give the local public a little to remember scoring 223 for eight.A pity the chaotic melee provided by an unruly crowd at the end let down their side who did what they could, having previously failed three times this season to reach 100.Yet it was not a batting performance to remember: there were odd patches as well as a first wicket partnership of 71 between Gary Outram and Hendrick de Vos. After that the locals were not going to be in the hunt – there was solid batting down the order with 30s littering the scorecard rather than an impressive half-century.If England had been hoping for a big response from Hick and Adams after Nasser Hussain had won the toss, the partnership of 102 against average bowling did notquite fill the expectations.As it is there were rumblings over allegations of a row between Alec Stewart and the skipper over Stewart’s so-called “sacking” by being sent home early. Although David Clark, the England Cricket Board media liaison officer on tour for the slogs, said the team refuted the claims, it is known Hussain and Duncan Fletcher were “quietly livid at such false claims” on the eve of the triangular series. Plans for Stewart to go back to England had been approved some time ago when the Test tour and limited-overs squads were announced.Instead of Chris Read keeping wicket here though we had the specialist utility all-rounder Mark Alleyne, the Gloucestershire captain who kept wicket for England A on their more recent tour of Bangladesh and New Zealand.The rumpus, which blew up yesterday may have deflected Hussain’s thoughts from his own game plan with an edge into the stumps curtailing his performance while Nick Knight was less impressive.Yet it was the windmill style action of exhibitionist David Pryke, who collected five wickets in the innings, which undid Chris Adams. The Sussex captain has battled this tour to make an impression and yesterday found the unusual style of Pryke a problem.Pryke also gives the impression he delivers from almost 18 metres instead of the regulation 20.12 metres and Adams found the foot shuffle, more accentuated than that of Mike Procter, was unable to get his own footwork going. His best is four for 38, but as this is a friendly the five for 32 does not really count: four of the five in his last four over spell.If anything the partnership showed that in normal circumstances Hick and Adams could be a dangerous pair. Hick’s own batting carried all the hallmarks of his flat-track bully mood: tough, hard and aggressive. The bowler knows he has been up against it when facing Hick in this mood.There was some swashbuckling slog from Vikram Solanki as well during the partnership with Craig White as they rattled along a 50 partnership off 33 balls. Not bad at all for a first game in the South African veld.
When Leeds United travel to Selhurst Park later next month to take on Crystal Palace, there will be one player in the opposition ranks whom the club will wonder what could have been.
Michael Olise has been one of the shining lights for the Eagles this season in the Premier League as they continue to push up the table, but he could have been playing for the white of Leeds had the Yorkshire club acted on their interest.
Reports back in January 2021 suggested that then manager Marcelo Bielsa was very interested in landing the France U21 international, but a deal failed to materialise.
Then, according to TEAMtalk in the summer, Ligue 1 champions Lille put their name into the hat to take the teenager back to his native France, with the French side battling Leeds for his signature.
Of course in the end, it was fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace who won the race for him, and it’s been a debut campaign in the top-flight that has surely left Leeds thinking ‘what if’.
With seven goals and 12 assists, Olise was an absolute revelation in the Championship for Reading last term, and it’s no surprise that he has earned so many reviews for both his performances and incredible technical ability.
His Reading team-mate Sam Baldock said early last year: “Michael is a real talent, he’ll get on the ball in any situation. He’s fearless, if you ask him today I’ll guarantee that he had no nerves. He’s a lively character and one who I’ve noticed a real change in the last couple of months.”
Hailed as “super talented” by Reading boss Veljko Paunović, Olise’s former Royals manager Jose Gomes added: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”
Signed for just £8m by Palace and becoming Patrick Vieira’s first signing in charge at Selhurst Park, the young Frenchman has come on leaps and bounds under the Arsenal Invincible, now being valued at a hefty £25m by CIES.
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This campaign has seen him score four goals and provide an impressive nine assists in just 26 games across all competitions, including registering goal contributions against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League.
The 5 foot 9 star is really making Leeds pay for not taking the leap of faith last year.
AND in other news – Forget Joffy: Marsch can get Leeds rocking by finally unleashing “phenomenal” 20 y/o