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Ricey Phillips, who represented Border at both cricket and rugby, has died at the age of 88

Cricinfo staff03-Dec-2008Ricey Phillips, who represented Border at both cricket and rugby, has died at the age of 88.Phillips, a top-order batsman and occasional legspinner, made his debut in 1939-40, the last full season before World War Two. In his final match of the summer, he was brought on to bowl for the first time in his career and took a hat-trick in his first over.In the war he served with the South African forces in Africa and was captured at Tobruk. While being transported as a prisoner-of-war to Germany across Italy, he made a dramatic escape and managed to get to England. He stayed for a while, playing some war-time cricket for a South Africa XI before returning home where he re-enlisted.He resumed playing after the war, and returned in style with scores of 93, 62 , 53 and 139 in his first two matches. He finished the summer with 531 runs at 59.00 and was widely considered to be unlucky to miss out on the 1947 of England.”The following season we played Western Province at Newlands and Ricey scored a brilliant century in our second knock,” Border captain Harold Whitfield recalled. “There was a barracker in the stands and every time Ricey hit a four the barracker would direct shouts to the national selectors in the stands, ‘see what the Springboks missed, see what the Springboks missed!'”He continued playing until 1956-57 without recapturing his early post-war form. In 37 first-class matches he made 2093 runs at 32.20, including two centuries and 14 fifties, and took 24 wickets at 28.50.He was a good enough rugby player – at either full-back or as a centre – to be picked for Springbok trials in 1949. A wrist injury sustained while playing full-back for Border all but finished him as a bowler.His nickname came from a childhood liking for rice pudding.

At the beginning of the summer it looked as though Ruben Neves was a certainty to follow Nuno Santo through the exit door and leave Wolves.

However, current boss Bruno Lage will be thanking his lucky stars that he’s been able to keep the Portuguese ace at Molineux.

Neves initially appeared expendable with a variety of teams interested and Wolves keen to make money on the central midfielder.

Arsenal had been keen on him at one stage while Manchester United are still thought to have him on their radar.

Bruno Lage admitted last week that every player has his price but after Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, he will be doing everything in his power to keep in the Midlands.

Neves didn’t find the net with a long-range thunderbolt that we’ve become accustomed to seeing throughout the years but this was still a virtuoso performance.

Against Champions League regulars Spurs, the 24-year-old was simply outstanding in the middle of the park, glueing things together with an admirable work rate. Going forward he was a constant threat with his vision and when the visitors countered, he was often there to break it up.

It was a display worthy of interest from the Premier League’s elite and this should increase speculation surrounding his future.

Combative in the middle of the park, Neves won a whopping six tackles and was only dribbled past on one occasion. Considering that Nuno wanted his Spurs team to play on the counterattack, this was especially eye-catching.

When he got on the ball, the £58k-per-week earner was outstanding. He strode forward to complete five key passes, one of which Adama Traore really should have found the net with.

Neves found himself in a vacant pocket before threading an inch-perfect ball into Traore who stuck his shot straight at Hugo Lloris.

Their Spanish roadrunner was a constant thorn in the heart of the Spurs backline and did everything but score as the Old Gold somehow spurned 25 attempts at goal.

What specifically caught the eye was the range of passing in Neves’ locker. The Portugal international was successful with 16 of his 19 long balls, ultimately completing 81% of his passes in general.

This was a display that will have Lage delighted. If Wolves can finally start tucking away those balls from Neves then they will become a force to be reckoned with again.

AND in other news, Wolves make enquiry to sign “fearless” 6ft5 colossus, he’s a big upgrade on Saiss…

The Asian Cricket Council has organised an Under-19 women’s tournament in Thailand as a lead-up to the 2010 Asian Games

Cricinfo staff13-Dec-2008
The Nepal national side qualified for the inaugural ACC women’s tournament last year © ACC
The Asian Cricket Council has organised an Under-19 women’s tournament in Thailand as a lead-up to the 2010 Asian Games, in which cricket will make its first appearance in a multi-sport event since the Commonwealth Games in 1998.The tournament, starting on Saturday, will feature 11 teams divided in to two groups, after Iran backed out at the last minute. Seven countries that took part in the inaugural ACC women’s tournament in Malaysia last year have sent teams along with Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bhutan.All the matches will be 25 overs-a-side and the top two teams from each group will compete in the semi-finals on December 22, with the final scheduled for the next day. There are no rest days during the ten-day tournament which starts with four matches on the opening day. The ACC spent approximately US$250,000 on the tournament and it hopes several of these players will make it to their senior sides for the Asian Games. “Having girls start playing cricket while they’re still in school really sets them up for the senior level and at the senior level all the countries taking part are focussed on the 2010 Asian Games,” Shubhangi Kulkarni, the chairperson of the ACC women’s committee, said.”This tournament gives us a chance to assess these countries in preparation not just for the Asian Games but for their long-term development. They have all shown tremendous enthusiasm in getting to this stage; they themselves feel that starting with these girls now gives them the best chance to create quality cricketers at senior level.”Bhutan, who have formed a women’s cricket team for the first time, will be taking on Singapore on Saturday and their coach Damber S Gurung hoped the players would gain valuable experience from the tournament. “When we started training, the girls didn’t know anything about cricket and we had to start from scratch,” Gurung told , a Bhutan newspaper. “So, such international matches will give them good exposure and help them mature and become better cricketers.”Though there won’t be any cash rewards for the players, the teams are motivated to succeed as their subsequent ICC rankings will decide the amount of funding they receive from the game’s governing body.

Patrick Boyland has said that Everton’s recruitment team have ‘liked’ Tanguy Ndombele ‘before’ but is unsure whether a move for the 24-year-old is feasible. 

The lowdown

The Frenchman – who has been hailed as a ‘rare talent’ by football coach and analyst Harry Brooks – has told Tottenham Hotspur that he’s open to leaving before the end of the transfer window (via The Athletic).

The midfielder has effectively been frozen out by new manager Nuno Espirito Santo, sidelined for the entirety of pre-season and all 270 minutes of competitive action so far. If he were to leave the north London outfit, his preference would apparently be a move to ‘one of the biggest clubs in Spain or Germany’.

Everton, for their part, have been assessing potential midfield signings such as Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff.

The latest

In a Q&A for The Athletic, Boyland was asked whether signing Ndombele on loan is a realistic option for the Toffees.

He replied: “Not sure. They’ve liked him before (they being the recruitment side) but he was obviously out of reach then. The reporting from London seems to suggest he’s available but that Spurs would prefer to recoup some/most of the sizeable transfer fee. Everton have looked at midfielders (Longstaff etc) but there’s not much money atm. Maybe a loan or two”.

The verdict

Considering that Ndombele’s ‘sizeable transfer fee’ was £55m and that there seems to be ‘not much money’ available at Goodison Park, Everton may well be priced out of the equation. Also, another potential stumbling block in the way of a permanent deal is the player’s £200,000-per-week wages.

A loan arrangement could perhaps see his salary divided between the clubs, and while that wouldn’t be ideal for Spurs, it would clearly be better than paying the full amount for a player who may barely feature. If no permanent offer is on the table, perhaps they would be receptive to that idea.

This would be a coup for Everton if they pull it off. Ndombele isn’t perfect but his ability to weave through opposition challenges and evade their press is very impressive, and Rafael Benitez would surely welcome those traits within his squad.

In other news, many Everton fans were left fuming over this transfer update.

Tobago will not be hosting any matches in this year’s domestic four-day tournament after the scheduled sixth-round match at Shaw Park, Scarborough was switched to Trinidad

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2009Tobago will not be hosting any matches in this year’s domestic four-day tournament after the scheduled sixth-round match at Shaw Park, Scarborough was switched to Trinidad.The reported the move came about after the West Indies Players’ Association expressed concerns over Shaw Park, though it’s not yet known what they were. The match slated for Shaw Park, between Trinidad & Tobago and the Leeward Islands, will now be played at the Sir Frank Worrell ground in St Augustine fromFebruary 13 to 16. The decision comes after a meeting between officials of the T&T board (TTCB) and the University of the West Indies, on whose campus the ground is located.The ground, spruced up for the 2007 World Cup, will also host the fifth-round fixture against Combined Campuses and Colleges Cricket, which was originally to be held in Couva. Leo Doodnath, the TTCB vice-president, said the switch was made to assist the media and relieve the financial obligation of the board.”The board has been looking to revive cricket in the East-West Corridor andthis would provide an opportunity for the young ones in these areas to come to the cricket and see the stars in action.”

Joe Wainman said Patrick Bamford’s new contract is a massive piece of business for Leeds.

Bamford, who scored a career-best 17 Premier League goals on the Whites’ return to the topflight last season, was out of contract next summer and had been linked with a surprise move to Tottenham.

However, following weeks of discussions, the striker finally committed his future to the Yorkshire giants by penning a new five-year deal with the Elland Road club.

Bamford narrowly missed out on Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euro’s, but his excellent goalscoring exploits last season earned him his first Three Lions call-up for the World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland next month, joining Leeds teammate Kalvin Phillips in the squad.

Leeds have generally been quiet in the transfer window, making just a handful of additions, but Wainman recognises the importance of tying their main source of goals down long term.

He told Football FanCast:

“It protects an asset and it’s nice that he’s got a home and it will improve his game because he’s been all over the shop in his career.

“The fact that we’ve got him and he’s still doing bits, he got a couple of assists against Crewe and one against Everton. So, it’s massive that he’s signed a new deal.”

The way Johan Botha returned stronger after his bowling action was cited and eventually cleared impressed South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur so much that Botha is now in charge of the one-day side

Brydon Coverdale11-Jan-2009
Johan Botha has fought back from having his bowling action scrutinised © Getty Images
To Australian cricket followers, Johan Botha is a strange choice as the captain of South Africa’s limited-overs side. To his coach Mickey Arthur, Botha is a natural pick as a “leader of men”. Last time Botha was seen in Australia was two years ago when he was cited for a suspect bowling action on his Test debut in Sydney.A remodeled action was eventually cleared by the ICC but he is still a relative newcomer to international cricket, with 36 ODIs and two Tests to his name. But it was the way Botha fought through the problems with his bowling style and returned better for it that encouraged Arthur to trust him with the leadership in Graeme Smith’s absence.”He’s come back a far stronger person after that and any guy that comes back from something like that has to be really mentally strong,” Arthur said ahead of the first Twenty20 international in Melbourne. “That was one of the first signs I saw of the amount of leadership that this player has.”I’m really glad that he’s stepped up, he’s come through all his trials and tribulations. He come back a much stronger player, and he’s come back a leader of men, which is fantastic to see.”A regular in the South Africa ODI side over the past year, Botha is confident his troubles are behind him. “I’ve played the last 18 months all over the world and no-one’s had any issue,” Botha said. “What happened last time, like I always say, it had to happen. It was probably a good thing in the end, it really strengthened me.”Botha is still learning as an international captain, having led the side in three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 against Kenya and Bangladesh in October and November. He is in charge of a squad that features two men who have captained South Africa, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, and he will also call on Neil McKenzie for advice on the field throughout the series.Taking over from the inspirational Smith will be a huge task but Botha said he would simply try to be his own man. “Very big boots to fill,” Botha said. “I think I’m not going to even try and compete with Graeme at this stage. He’s done an awesome job. I’m just going to try and do it the way I do it and see how it goes.”

The days of England sides embarking on a Test series in the Caribbean aiming to head home with as few broken bones as possible are a fading memory, writes Andrew McGlashan

Andrew McGlashan in Kingston03-Feb-2009
Andrew Flintoff limbers up with some ball work on the eve of the start of the series © Getty Images
The days of England sides embarking on a Test series in the Caribbean aiming to head home with as few broken bones as possible are a fading memory. The images of Ambrose and Walsh inflicting scarring – both physical and mental – on a generation of batsmen, as the likes of Holding, Marshall and Garner did before them are now only for YouTube.Even though England have failed to live up to their lofty billing over last three years, their current generation of players are getting used to being favourites whenever these two sides meet. For so long it was the other way round, but any sense of enjoyment they gain from being able repay some of those painful debts is tempered by the depths to which West Indies cricket has fallen.However, there is hope that this series may just be different from the last three and provide a close-run affair. Test cricket needs as many good series as it can muster at the moment, and while a ding-dong battle like Australia and South Africa have recently managed is probably asking too much, some hard-fought cricket isn’t.In reality England should win, but they have had anything but a calm build-up. It’s just 41 days since they finished their last international in the fog and chill of Mohali, but so much has happened since then that the team has entered a new era barely six months after the last rebirth was heralded. Now there is no more room for second chances, squabbles or dressing-room splits.This, if anyone has forgotten, is an Ashes year and starting at Sabina Park tomorrow is the first of the six matches – four in West Indies and two back home – that England have to come up with a successful strategy. There are plenty of questions to answer; who should bat at No. 3? Can Andrew Flintoff be a Test No. 6 again (if only for six months)? Is Steve Harmison ever going to be a match-winner again? And who is the frontline spinner?And that list says nothing of the man who has been centre of attention for the last month. Kevin Pietersen left India defeated, but with a clear plan of how he wanted to take England forward. That plan didn’t involve Peter Moores and Pietersen’s bosses at the ECB couldn’t work with that. So Pietersen was hurriedly and messily returned to the ranks, to be replaced by Andrew Strauss who has now been thrust into the task of bringing the team back together.In reality, the splits and cliques in the England dressing room have probably been over-egged ever so slightly. Yes, certain people hang around in certain groups but that happens in every walk of life from the playground to the boardroom. The key for England is that differences, if any remain, are put aside. The build-up since arriving in the Caribbean two weeks ago hasn’t been stress-free for Strauss. There has been the ubiquitous Flintoff injury concern and a lack of incisiveness from the quick bowlers.The facet that won back the Ashes, however, was formed and forged on these shores. Harmison, Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones became England’s dream team and now it is down to the class of 2009 to try and replicate that development.On the plus side Pietersen, it seems, is moving on at least in cricketing terms – he still holds plenty of grudges against people in suits and those in the press box – and if recent events have made him more focused than ever, then in a perverse way it will help England. One thing about Pietersen is he can sense an opportunity and this series over the next five weeks offers him the chance of a mountain of runs.When England last toured the Caribbean they were 16 months away from an Ashes series rather than six, so the building work that went into making that successful side has to be put on fast-forward. In 2004 the middle order – Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe – knuckled down and eked out whatever they could on tricky pitches, but had all disappeared by the the 2005 Ashes, to be replaced by the more stylish trio of Strauss, Ian Bell and, of course, Pietersen. The facet that won back the Ashes, however, was formed and forged on these shores. Harmison, Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones became England’s dream team and now it is down to the class of 2009 to try and replicate that development.What that foursome managed on the previous tour followed the work of another impressive combination during the 2000 series in England and was payback for many years of being on the receiving end. England supporters still remember with vivid reality the 46 all out in Trinidad in 1994, but revenge has been dealt out on numerous occasions in recent times. On four occasions West Indies have been skittled for less than 100, with their 47 all out at this venue five years ago topping (or should that be bottoming) the pile.Some West Indian commentators think talk of any green-shoots of recovery (much like in the economy) are way off the mark, but there have been some causes for optimism. They earned a 1-1 draw against Sri Lanka and made Australia work for their win during the last home season, and they recently emerged with a (rain-affected) draw in New Zealand. England shouldn’t scoff at a record like that. Their efforts in the last 12 months have only been sugar-coated by wins against New Zealand.In Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies have one of the most prolific batsmen of the modern age, the current world No. 1 no less, and in Chris Gayle one of the most destructive. With the ball, Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards form a potent pair who can rattle England while Daren Powell has confidently predicted a 3-0 home win, although Powell’s prophesising doesn’t quite have same sting as Glenn McGrath’s. If those players can fire, supported by Ramnaresh Sarwan and the gritty Brendan Nash, who has brought some Australian steel, determination and work ethic to the middle order, there’s plenty reasons to expect the unexpected.But, there’s that little two-letter word ‘if’ – it prefaces so much about the West Indies team because it’s so hard to know what team will turn up on the day. There is always a feeling that lurking around the next corner is another batting implosion, although they haven’t had a double digit demise since being rumbled for 94 in Barbados on England’s last visit.The absence of Dwayne Bravo, however, is a major blow, much as Flintoff’s would be for England, because he has been a shining light through some of their darkest times. He is a lesser bowler than Flintoff but his equal with the bat, however he remains sidelined by an ankle injury.Yet, as the A-team showed during their handsome display in St Kitts last week these islands are not bereft of talent. Besides England have already come unstuck against a motivated, talented group of West Indian cricketers this winter. They may have been masquerading as the Stanford Superstars back in November, but six of them will line up in Jamaica on Wednesday. If they can show the same drive when a million dollars a man isn’t on the table, this could be a fascinating series.

Southampton look to have signed their replacement for Jannik Vestergaard, with it confirmed earlier this week that Lyanco had joined on a permanent deal from Torino.

What’s the word?

Following the Danish centre-back’s departure for Leicester City earlier in the window, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were linked with a host of different defenders as a potential replacement and in the end, they opted for the 24-year-old Brazilian, who joins on a four-year deal.

The Saints conceded 68 goals in the top-flight last season and Vestergaard was one of their most consistent performers, so it was vital that Hasenhuttl’s side brought in an adequate replacement for the former Borussia Monchengladbach man.

Will Lyanco be a good signing?

Lyanco began his career in his native Brazil playing for Sao Paulo before moving to Torino in 2017, where he would go on to make 53 appearances, contributing one goal and no assists.

He also spent one season on loan with Bologna, where he made 13 appearances, so has plenty of experience in the Italian top-flight, and Southampton fans will be hoping that he can quickly adapt to the demands of Premier League football.

Hasenhuttl already has Mohammed Salisu, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens, as well as young Dynel Simeu, as centre-back options in his side at St Mary’s, so the £4.5m-rated Lyanco will have to impress quickly in training at Staplewood if he is to become a regular starter for the Saints this season.

However, at 24-years-old, the Brazilian defender still has a lot of time to improve under Hasenhuttl’s coaching and he joins a relatively young Southampton squad, with the club’s focus this summer clearly on building a solid team for the future.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, Southampton fans will surely be delighted that the club worked so quickly to bring in a replacement for Vestergaard this summer and will be looking forward to seeing Lyanco make his first appearance in a Saints shirt.

And, in other news… Forget Elyounoussi: Saints gem who played 4 key passes was Ralph’s star vs Newport

Phillip Hughes has positioned Australia for victory and himself for celebrity. Just 11 days removed from posting a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Test innings, Hughes broke George Headley’s 79-year-old record to become the youngest batsman in history to s

The Bulletin by Alex Brown08-Mar-2009
Scorecard and ball by ball details
How they were out

Phillip Hughes broke George Headley’s 79-year-old record to become the youngest batsman in history to score centuries in each innings of a Test © Getty Images
Phillip Hughes has positioned Australia for victory and himself for celebrity. Just 11 days removed from posting a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Test innings, Hughes broke George Headley’s 79-year-old record to become the youngest batsman in history to score centuries in each innings of a Test. His unbeaten 136 in the second innings at Kingsmead led Australia to 292 for 3 at stumps, and an impregnable lead of 506.Fittingly, Hughes raised his second century in three days with an upper-cut boundary off the bowling of Morne Morkel. It was that stroke that brought about his early demise at the Wanderers last week, and prompted the likes of AB de Villiers and Mickey Arthur to publicly declare it a weakness in his armoury. Undeterred by the criticism, Hughes has continued to play the cut shot with frequency and potency. He has now scored 326 runs for the series – 128 clear of the second-placed Ricky Ponting – at the astonishing average of 108.66, and shows no sign of easing the pace.The South Africans have thrown everything at Hughes – bouncers, yorkers, abuse – but to no avail. At 20 years and 98 days, and in only his second full season of first class cricket, Hughes has displayed a temperament and poise far beyond his age and experience, and provided Australia with the top-order spark that eluded Matthew Hayden in his twilight series.Hughes’ offside technique might not be to everyone’s taste – particularly his penchant for backing away to short-pitched bowling – but it has yet to be proven flawed at the junior, first-class or international level. Eighty of his 136 runs in the second innings were scored between first slip and extra cover, and South Africa’s stand-in captain, Mark Boucher, appeared powerless to stem the flow.It was said prior to this series that Ponting was presiding over a crumbling empire, but his band of willing reinforcements are ensuring the walls of Rome are holding fast. The captain, himself, went far to ensuring a series-clinching Australian victory with an imperious innings of 81 and together with Hughes added 164 runs for the second wicket. The once marauding South Africans were in full retreat.As in their golden age, the Australians were merciless in their pursuit of an ailing opponent. Hughes and Ponting propelled the Australian second innings at a spirited pace throughout the middle session, and experienced few problems in negating a surface that, just a day prior, had completely confounded the host team.Smart StatsPhillip Hughes’ century in both innings is the 19th instance of an Australian scoring a hundred in each innings of a Test, and the seventh by an Australian opener. The two previous occasions of an Australian opener achieving this feat were both by Matthew Hayden. The first-wicket partnership put together 55 in the second innings, which followed the 184-run stand in the first. It was only the ninth time since 2000 that an Australian opening pair had a century and half-century partnership in the same match.On the first day, both Australian openers scored hundreds, which was only the 11th instance of both Australian openers scoring centuries in the first innings of a Test. South Africa’s first-innings total of 138 is their third-lowest in Durban, and their worst since their readmission to Test cricket. The highest fourth-innings total in a victory at Kingsmead is 340 for 5, by Australia in 2002. In all fourth innings it’s 654 for 5, by England way back in 1939. Hughes revealed Australia’s ruthless intent in the over after lunch. The left-hander blasted a pair of boundaries that took him past 50 for the third time in as many innings, and Ponting promptly followed with a near-even time half-century. Soon after, Ponting moved past Steve Waugh to claim fourth place on the Test run-scorers’ list with a pull stroke that, for well over a decade, has been his signature stroke. Frenetic and poetic.The only blemish on an otherwise dominant day for Australia were the losses of Simon Katich, Ponting and Michael Hussey, but it mattered little. With a comprehensive win in Johannesburg and a 500-plus lead after three days in Durban, Australia have effectively discounted South Africa as an immediate threat to their Test crown.Australia’s batting fortunes contrasted sharply with those of the South Africans. The hosts began the day hopeful of adding the 14 runs required to pass the follow-on target, after JP Duminy (73) and Steyn survived the closing stages of what, for the South Africans, was a cataclysmic day two.But they would add no further runs to their overnight total of 138, with Steyn and Makhaya Ntini falling in consecutive balls to Siddle, who will commence the second innings on a hat-trick. Ponting, as has become custom, opted against enforcing the follow-on to allow his bowlers some respite and his batsmen the opportunity to compound their opponents’ misery. Judging by the South Africans’ body language at stumps, Ponting has at least proven successful in the latter regard.Seldom has a modern South African batting card read so poorly. In all, nine batsmen were dismissed for single figures – combining for 20 runs in total – and three failed to trouble the scorers at all. Extras (23) were second only to Duminy in terms of runs contributed to the team cause, while Steyn was the third highest-scorer among the batsmen with eight.The last time the South Africans posted a total this modest, Arthur accused the Kanpur curator of “hijacking” his team’s bid to win the 2008 series against India. And not since January, 2007 – when a rampant Shoaib Akhtar flexed his considerable muscles in Port Elizabeth – has a South African side combined for such a low innings score at home.