Tag Futebol

There isn’t much that Shane Warne hasn’t achieved during his illustrious career, but one of the few missing accolades is a medal from a domestic Lord’s final. In 2005 he was with the touring Australians when Hampshire beat Warwickshire in the C&G Trophy – keeping in touch by constant text messages – but this year he has the chance to play a leading role himself.”Last time I had some very important duties to do at Essex as 12th man,” he said. “I was a little disappointed they didn’t allow me to play but I understood the reasoning that there was one Ashes Test to go and I may have got injured. It’s not just another game, we’ve worked hard to be here.”He has a history with Lord’s finals. His previous appearance with a trophy at stake was the 1999 World Cup final when his 4 for 33 paved the way for Australia’s crushing victory over Pakistan. Now, with his international career over, Warne’s focus is purely on steering Hampshire to more silverware over Durham – who like Warne, are making their first appearance in a domestic final.It is rare for any team including Warne not to be favourites and with Kevin Pietersen and Chris Tremlett back in county colours, plus Daren Powell’s strong form, Hampshire start with their noses in front. However, Durham have made a habit of proving people wrong. Last year they almost made the final and this season overcame Essex in an extraordinary semi-final at Chester-le-Street to take another major stride in their cricketing development.They have come a long way since Ian Botham, Wayne Larkins and David Graveney lined up for them during their debut season in 1992. The county now provides regular players to the England side and has an impressive turnover of youngsters. But they aren’t afraid to tap into the overseas market, either, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul has strengthened the batting for the latter third of the campaign – his run-scoring feats for West Indies in the first half of the season are still one of highlights of the summer.Steve Harmison’s withdrawal with a back problem is a major blow, not necessarily because he has strong recent form with the white ball but because it will deny the crowd a contest with Pietersen. However, there are other match-ups to whet the appetite.Warne has enjoyed enthralling duels with Chanderpaul and Paul Collingwood. During the winter Warne was always quick to have a few words to Collingwood, often involving MBEs, even after he hit a double-century at Adelaide. “The Friends Provident Trophy would look better on my mantelpiece, and my knighthood is on the way,” joked Warne. “Whatever Paul wants to say is fine, if he thinks the trophy would look good next to his MBE, good luck to him.””I’m just going to get on with my business, he came out and said stuff, if that made him feel better and helps him prepare – good old tough Paul – then good luck to him. We’re just going to go out and play.”Collingwood continues to be a vital part of the England side and now leads them in one-day cricket, but he remains immensely proud of his North-East roots and encapsulates Durham’s spirit. Collingwood, like Durham, has made the most of every ounce of talent.Nowhere is that more true than with Ottis Gibson, who is having a golden twilight of his career. Earlier this season he claimed all 10 wickets in an innings against Hampshire and is the second-leading bowler behind Mushtaq Ahmed. Not bad for a 38-year-old. At the other end of the age spectrum is Phil Mustard, 24, who is making a strong claim to be considered as England’s wicketkeeper, and he won’t hold back from attacking Powell and Tremlett with the new ball.Hampshire, too, have plenty of experience to fall back on. John Crawley has played in six previous Lord’s finals (five for Lancashire and one for Hampshire) winning them all, while Shaun Udal captained the team to their 2005 triumph.With 16 players who are either current or former internationals it has the makings of an outstanding final, and is another chance for county cricket to shine. The romantics will want Durham to claim their first silverware, but Warne doesn’t like losing.

Andrew Strauss has rejected Cricket Australia’s suggestion that umpires from England and Australia be allowed to officiate in this year’s Ashes. Reacting to the idea which came up a couple of days back, Strauss said he was happy with the system which is currently in place.”From my point of view the regulations the ICC have in place are perfectly adequate and I don’t see any reason to change that,” Strauss said, a position which was supported by an ECB spokesman as well: “The ICC have the well-established principle of appointing neutral umpires for Test matches. It is a process that the ECB is comfortable with.”Cricket Australia had earlier suggested that a contest between the two best sides in the world should have the top umpires officiating. “In a perfect world, it would be great for a series that will not only determine who wins the Ashes but could decide the world No. 1 ranking to be officiated by the world’s top-ranked umpires,” Peter Young, a spokesman for Cricket Australia, had said.Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, also concurred. “I’d just like to have the best umpires to umpire cricket around the world all the time,” told reporters at the team’s camp in Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. “It’s the highest standard of cricket we play so we have to have the best umpires in those games. Whether that means they are Australian, or two Pakistanis, or two Englishman, it doesn’t matter to me as long as they are doing a good job in in the middle. “Simon Taufel is currently regarded as the best umpire in the world, while there are three other umpires from the two countries in the ten-member Elite Panel – Daryl Harper and Darrell Hair from Australia, and England’s Mark Benson. If the ICC doesn’t agree with Cricket Australia’s suggestion, the umpires for the series will be selected from the six others in the panel – Steve Bucknor and Billy Doctrove from the West Indies, Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf from Pakistan, Billy Bowden from New Zealand and South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen.

Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 600 Test wickets when he had Marcus Trescothick caught behind on the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford. He reached the landmark in his 126th Test when, in his fifth over, Trescothick attempted a sweep and was caught behind off the back of the bat by Adam Gilchrist.Warne made his Test debut against India at Sydney in 1991-92, but he made his name at Old Trafford 12 years ago when, with his first ball in Test cricket against England, he bowled Mike Gatting with a viciously turning legbreak that pitched outside the batsman’s pads and clipped the top of off-stump.In the second Test at Edgbaston Warne, who returned figures of 10 for 162, became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a single foreign country. Before this match, Warne had taken 16 wickets in the first two Tests of the series at an average of 15.31 with a best of 6 for 46 in the second innings at Edgbaston.The table below shows the major staging posts on the road to the world record.

Sri Lankan cricket authorities have confirmed that they have written to the ICC expressing concern over the conduct of Chris Broad, the match referee for the recent series against Australia.According to the state-run Sunday Observer, Broad was allegedly found “boozing with Australian cricketers during the February-March series, which Sri Lanka Cricket claimed is gross misconduct in breach of the ICC rules”.Broad, the former England opener, was in charge for the series and reported Muttiah Muralitharan’s action to the ICC, claiming that it was suspect.Mohan de Silva, the board president, insisted that the letter was an informal way of making the ICC aware of its feelings on the matter. “We have brought to the notice of the ICC his [Broad’s] general conduct,” de Silva said on Sunday. “It is not a formal protest or a complaint, but a letter to keep the ICC informed. We feel it is part of our responsibility.”Meanwhile, Bruce Elliott’s biomechanics team at the University of Western Australia has concluded that Muralitharan should be allowed to continue using his doosra until the completion of further biomechanical research into slow bowling.

Only a miracle can save New Zealand’s World Cup now after a poor 47-run loss to Sri Lanka in their opening game at Bloemfontein.Worst of all, the batting woes of the home summer were exported with the side to South Africa.Only Scott Styris’ 141 off 125 runs, the second highest score by a New Zealander after Glenn Turner’s 171 not out against East Africa, was anywhere near representative of the batting ability in the side.But having to chase 273 to win, the appalling start made it all but impossible. No side can afford the carnage New Zealand experienced in its top-order. All the hope and expectation lay in tatters by game’s end.Nathan Astle 0, Stephen Fleming one, Craig McMillan three.New Zealand 15 for three wickets says it all.The first wicket lost from a suicidal run out of Astle’s choice, and two more examples of wooden shots played by leaden footed top-order batsmen Fleming and McMillan.A pitch tailor-made for run scoring, as Styris and Sanath Jayasuriya proved.Jayasuriya scored 120 off 125 balls but New Zealand started this run chase in the most important match of their World Cup campaign with an attitude as carefree as if it was going to be a dawdle in the park.The only dawdle was for the Sri Lankan bowling attack.Styris offered defiance of the type expected from all members of the side to achieve a fine maiden One-Day International century off 104 balls, a perfectly-paced innings but which went largely unsupported.The looseness in thinking from the batsmen should not have been a surprise, it was evident throughout New Zealand’s bowling effort.Had it not been for the employment of Astle as the seventh bowler, who was basically asked to put seven stitches in the artery of cheap runs that had haemorrhaged, and Jacob Oram, whose 10 overs cost only 37 runs, Sri Lanka would surely have scored 320.Having chosen to bowl first, Fleming would have had to be disappointed with his bowlers.Certainly there was frustration over umpire Neil Mallender’s failure to give out Jayasuriya to what was a blatant catch behind from Daryl Tuffey’s bowling when he had scored only 14.But to see Tuffey go for 36 runs from his five overs, and for Andre Adams see his first three balls despatched to the boundary en route to 58 off his nine overs was not, surely, in Plan A, B or C.From the moment the team for this vital match against Sri Lanka was named there was a nervousness about how New Zealand were attempting to play this game.It is difficult to understand why it was decided to reduce the effectiveness of one area of consistency in the New Zealand side this summer, the fielding in the circle. Lou Vincent is crucial to that strength because of the sheer dynamism he gives the side.To ask him to take the wicket-keeping gloves is to reduce one outstanding strength of the side, while also reducing the effectiveness of the ‘keeper.And his batting was ineffectual facing only three balls before attempting a cut shot as loose in its way as the dismissals of the top order.For all the talk about having batting length, it proved a false claim, a dream shattered. No side can afford to lose two of its batsmen after 1.5 overs, and certainly not three by 5.3 overs.Apart from the softness of the top-order dismissals, Chris Cairns will have nightmares about offering Aravinda de Silva an easy return catch while Chris Harris and Oram were too easily undone by Muttiah Muralitharan and Adams’ mid-wicket blast was desperation plus.The selectors have some work to do because if New Zealand’s lack of ODI success in South Africa is growing longer, the prospect of beating South Africa, a South Africa who will be equally desperate for success, has suddenly assumed huge proportions.Will there be blood on the floor in the aftermath of this loss?Something certainly has to happen if the slight crack in the Super Six door is to be pushed open a little.

A cricket stadium at par with international standards will come up in Jaipur, the Rajashtan local Self-Government Minister Shanti Dhariwal said on Thursday. The Jaipur Development Authority had agreed in principle to provide land to the Rajasthan Cricket Association for construction of the stadium after the BCCI made a request for this, he told reporters.The proposed stadium would host only international cricket matches, he said, adding that the RCA would spend Rs six crore for its construction.

‘Reece Oxford’ was towards the top of Twitter’s trending lists prior to West Ham’s opening game of the Premier League campaign at Arsenal, and for good reason.The 16-year old was drafted in by new Hammers gaffer Slaven Bilic to feature in the midfield along sideÂMark Noble and Cheik Kouyate in what is a massive leap of faith from the Croat – particularly given the array of talented opposition he’ll have to face at the Emirates Stadium.

Follow all the action on our LIVE Arsenal vs West Ham blog

The debut caps a remarkable few months for the Academy product after starring in preseason and being handed his full senior debut in the Europa League qualifier versus FC Lusitans.

Here’s what the internet made of it all…

Sri Lanka Cricket has sold broadcast rights for the forthcoming three-Test series against India to Sony for $3.25 million – a $1.85 million increase from the bid the board had originally received from Ten Sports. As part of the new deal, SLC advanced the tour by six days, and moved the third Test from Pallekele to the SSC in Colombo, as Kandy was deemed too prone to rain to host a match in late August. Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell Test, meanwhile, was confirmed for the P Sara Oval in Colombo.

India’s schedule in Sri Lanka

Aug 6-8 Warm-up game v SL Chairman’s XI, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Aug 12-16 1st Test, Galle
Aug 20-24 2nd Test, P Sara Oval, Colombo
Aug 28-Sep 1 3rd Test, SSC, Colombo

The new figure remained well short of what SLC had originally expected, with a three-Test series against India usually worth more than $5 million. However, the increase came as some relief to the board, which has had payments from the ICC in escrow since April, and has additionally begun expensive infrastructure upgrades at Khettarama Stadium.The first Test in Galle had been scheduled to begin on August 18, but has been brought forward to avoid a clash with Sri Lanka’s general elections, which are set for August 17. India are also likely to play a warm-up match in Colombo before the Tests begin.SLC had expressed dismay in the original bid from Ten Sports, its usual broadcaster, before negotiating with other companies for an increase. The board has an ongoing seven-year deal with Ten Sports but this tour was sold separately because it had not appeared as a home series in the Future Tour Programme. These Tests were meant to be played in India, but the previous board had negotiated for them to be brought to Sri Lanka, in exchange for an impromptu five-ODI series in India last year.

Marcus Trescothick’s return to international cricket could come a step closer this week when David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, speaks to him about being available for the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.Trescothick hasn’t played for England since mid-way through last season’s one-day series against Pakistan. After the third match at The Rose Bowl he announced he wouldn’t be available for the Champions Trophy. However, he was selected for the Ashes tour before having to return home two weeks into the trip.Since then he’s returned to action for Somerset and has struck 715 runs at 65 in the County Championship including a career-best 284 against Northamptonshire. With England’s top-order struggling in one-day cricket the calls for Trescothick’s recall have been growing louder, but there has been understandable caution from all parties.Trescothick was named in the England Performance Squad at the start of the summer, but now though the selectors’ hands are going to be forced because a 30-man preliminary squad for the Twenty20 needs to be named by Wednesday.Graveney told the : “We have to name our preliminary squad by Wednesday. We want to be able to consider Marcus and I will be contacting him to find out where he stands.”Peter Moores, the England coach, added: “Watch this space. Marcus is a very good one-day player and when we announce that 30, if he’s in it, you will know the time is right for him to come back in.”England’s series defeat against West Indies again highlighted how much they miss Trescothick’s experience in the top order. In 123 ODIs he has 12 centuries; the England side at Trent Bridge had nine in total, split between two players – Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.England shared the Twenty20 series against West Indies 1-1 and Moores said he hadn’t ruled out drafting in specialist players who have succeeded in county cricket.”The challenge with the schedules is fitting everything in but we will pick what we think is the best team to win that tournament,” he said. “We will be very keen to go there and win it and that could be a mixture, it could be the same team, we are moving on all the time with those discussions.Names such as Darren Maddy and Mal Loye have been mentioned for the top order while a number of spinners, including Leicestershire’s Jeremy Snape and Surrey’s Nayan Doshi have been successful.”The first job is to pick the 30 players we can select those from,” added Moores. “If you are a good one-day player you are going to become a good Twenty20 player. When you shorten games it just tends to heighten the skill levels needed. People say Twenty20 is a bit of a lottery but it is certainly not a lottery, it is a skillful game that you need a high level of skill to be successful in.”The trip to South Africa would last a maximum of 16 days if England reach the final and it starts on September 11, three days after the final ODI against India. England’s first match is against Zimbabwe, in Cape Town, on September 13.

ScorecardWest Indies A’s match against Leicestershire at Grace Road petered out to a draw as the home side batted through the last day to save the game.In fairness, there was little else Darren Maddy could do after Leicestershire conceded a first-innings lead of 144 and then slid to 51 for 3, with Darren Sammy grabbing two wickets. However, life wasn’t especially testing for the batsmen as Omari Banks and Ryan Hinds, the two spinners, failed to find the right line or produce much turn.Maddy – who is struggling to hold down a place in the Championship team – and Tom New added 162 for the fourth wicket to snuff out the tourists’ chances of victory, and by the time Sammy returned to remove Maddy, the game was as good as over.New was within sight of a maiden hundred when he fell to Dwayne Smith, and after that there were not even personal milestones to enliven the tedium.