All posts by h716a5.icu

Stuart Clark will be desperately aiming to prove his fitness in the next couple of days as he aims to avoid becoming the third Australian squad member sent home due to injury

Cricinfo staff25-Oct-2008
Stuart Clark needs to prove he can bowl long spells before he will be selected for the Delhi Test © Getty Images
Stuart Clark will be desperately aiming to prove his fitness in the next couple of days as he aims to avoid becoming the third Australian squad member sent home due to injury. Clark missed the second Test in Mohali due to an elbow problem and with four days until the third match in Delhi, he knows he must soon demonstrate he is over the niggle.”I’m confident of getting through,” Clark told the . “But if I don’t I think I’ll be going home.”From their starting squad Australia have already farewelled Bryce McGain, who has had shoulder surgery, and Phil Jaques, who has had an operation on his back. The loss of Clark would be an enormous blow for an attack lacking experience but Tim Nielsen, the coach, said it was important not to play Clark unless he was 100% fit.”The real test will be not only when he comes back and not only bowls flat out, but he bowls two spells or he fronts up two days in a row and sees how it has recovered,” Nielsen told . “These little niggly injuries that need some help are always a bit of concern because you have to give them time to rest.”Peter Siddle made his Test debut when Clark was deemed unfit for Mohali and the group has one more backup fast man, Doug Bollinger. Should Clark be sent home the selectors might be tempted to fly in Shaun Tait, whose express speed has been causing domestic batsmen trouble in the past couple of weeks, although Queensland’s Ashley Noffke would be a less risky alternative.

Graeme Hick’s county career appears to be over after he was ruled out of his final Championship game against Middlesex, at Kidderminster, with his long-standing elbow injury

Cricinfo staff16-Sep-2008
Injury means Graeme Hick has probably played his final innings for Worcestershire © Getty Images
Graeme Hick’s county career appears to be over after he was ruled out of his final Championship game against Middlesex, at Kidderminster, with his long-standing elbow injury.The injury has also put him in doubt for the Pro40 play-off clash against Glamorgan at Cardiff on Sunday, the county’s last match of the season.”He has had such a wonderful career and for him not to make it because of the elbow injury which has plagued him all season would be disappointing for him and the supporters,” Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, said.Hick, 42, announced his retirement earlier this month, ending a 25-year career with Worcestershire.Worcestershire need a eight points against Middlesex to guarantee promotion to the first division, although they could still get there if their rivals drop points. A win over Glamorgan in the play-offs could ensure first division status in both league competitions.”We might not have been in this position had we had any play in Cardiff last week,” Rhodes said. “But that has gone and we must focus on getting those eight points. We need to get ourselves in the position of winning the game that means getting the bonus points first and going from there.”

Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern that signing Bailey Peacock-Farrell on loan would be good business for Sheffield Wednesday.

Darren Moore need to bring in another goalkeeper ahead of the new League One season after their number one, Keiren Westwood, was released at the end of last season and is yet to be replaced.

Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith have been sharing the workload in pre-season, but Moore is likely to add another stopper to compete with them.

And according to The Athletic, Darren Moore is targeting a move for Peacock-Farrell, who’s out of favour at Burnley having made only eight first-team appearances since joining from Leeds in 2019.

In truth, Peacock Farrell’s club career is yet to get going despite being a regular on the international stage for Northern Ireland – racking up 21 caps already.

And with Wayne Hennessey recently signed by Sean Dyche, the 25-year-old could be demoted to third goalkeeper, which could open the door for a move away from Turf Moor.

Palmer exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that bringing him in would be a sensible piece of business:

“It’s difficult when you’re trying to bring a goalkeeper in that you’re not guaranteeing first-team football, it’s a difficult one.

“But he’s a very good goalkeeper, and if you can get him in on loan, then it’s good business.”

An update has emerged on Nantes forward Jean-Kevin Augustin, regarding Celtic’s interest in the attacker.

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet Homme du Match, Celtic are interested in signing striker Jean-Kevin Augustin from Ligue 1 club Nantes this summer.

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring his situation as they look at potential replacements for Odsonne Edouard, should the French forward depart before the end of the window.

Blunder on the horizon

Celtic must avoid a blunder with Augustin this summer as signing him could be a disaster.

Ange Postecoglou would be facing a nightmare if the club went ahead with a deal for the attacker as he has struggled both on and off the pitch in recent years.

His track record, both in France and in England, is dismal and there is little evidence to suggest that he would be a good signing for the Scottish giants.

Leeds were recently forced to pay £18m for the Frenchman after refusing to sign him at the end of their 2019/20 campaign, despite having an obligation to sign him due to their promotion to the Premier League. He joined the Whites on loan midway through that season and made just three substitute appearances, failing to manage a goal or assist – leading to the club opting against making him a permanent member of their squad.

The £21k-per-week flop then returned to France with Nantes and faced similar issues. He played three games in the league last season and faced criticism from his boss. Nantes manager Christian Gourcuff hit out at the forward’s fitness, claiming that it was at an unacceptable level and citing it as a reason for his lack of involvement in Ligue 1. He said:

“We have now left him out of team training so that he can reach an acceptable level of fitness. He is following an individual fitness regime this week with Cyrille Moine (fitness coach) and that will still be the case next week.

“We integrated him, but we saw that he was not at a sufficient level.”

This suggests that Augustin is not the right character for Celtic to add to their group. He is seemingly not devoted enough to keep himself in shape and he has not been able to score a goal at his past two clubs, suggesting that his talent does not outweigh his lack of professionalism.

Therefore, the Hoops must avoid him at all costs as it could be a disaster of a signing for the club if he continues the way he’s going.

AND in other news, “The kind of calibre Postecoglou wants” – Celtic journalist hails 26 y/o amid confirmed update…

Hampshire Live have suggested Southampton could make a move for Konstantinos Tsimikas this summer after they missed out on a move for Brandon Williams.

The Lowdown: Saints miss out on Williams

Southampton were heavily linked with a move for Williams, who currently plays for Manchester United.

However, they have been put off by the £3.75m in fees the Red Devils are asking for to loan the 21-year-old left-back (The Telegraph).

The Latest: Report suggests Tsimikas

As such, Hampshire Live has written up a list of potential targets for the Saints.

One of the names mentioned is Liverpool’s Tsimikas, with the Reds said to be entertaining offers for the Greece international, who they rate at £7m.

The Verdict: Worth a punt

Tsimikas was signed last year by the Anfield outfit as they looked to capture back-up for Andrew Robertson. That was exactly the role the 25-year-old provided – he made just seven appearances in all competitions despite Liverpool competing on four fronts, although four did come in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Having previously featured 86 times for Olympiacos, providing 12 assists, he surely has more to provide than spending the term on the bench. The fact Liverpool signed him in the first place suggests he is talented, and £7m for such a player is hardly over the top.

It remains to be seen whether Ralph Hasenhuttl and co do make a move for the defender, but they could do a lot worse than a full international with league-winning experience in his homeland.

In other news, Southampton fans want to sell this man this summer.

Somerset slipped to their heaviest ever defeat in the Benson and Hedges Cup at Taunton today when they were beaten by Northamptonshire by 145 runs

Richard Walsh03-May-2002Somerset slipped to their heaviest ever defeat in the Benson and Hedges Cup at Taunton today when they were beaten by Northamptonshire by 145 runs.Northants won the toss and batting first amassed 299 for 6, thanks to a fine 87 from their Aussie skipper Michael Hussey, that won him the Man of the Match award and an aggressive 76 from David Sales.Facing the daunting prospect of scoring at six runs an over, Somerset never recovered from losing Jamie Cox in the first over, and despite a rearguard action from Rob Turner (33) and Simon Francis (21) they were dismissed for 154 with more than 15 overs to spare.Somerset suffered a further setback during the Northants innings when fast bowler Richard Johnson left the field with a hamstring injury.Despite the inclusion of England stars Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick for their last two remaining games the likelihood of the Cidermen qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Benson and Hedges is now almost non existent.After the game Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "Of course we are very disappointed at the result and we will be looking to put things right. This was a very under par performance from a talented side, but despite the result we remain very positive."Regarding Richard Johnson he told me: "Johnno has suffered a hamstring injury, and will certainly be missing from our game at Bristol on Sunday."Skipper Jamie Cox told me: "We were very disappointing. It was a dreadful day for us, especially with losing Richard Johnson with a hamstring injury. With Gloucester winning today we are probably out of the cup."

West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael has been impressed with Matheus Pereira’s attitude in training, despite speculation over his future this summer [Express and Star].

Completing an impressive 2020/21 campaign, the Brazilian was a rare bright-spot for an eventually relegated Baggies side, registering 18 goal contributions from 34 appearances; 12 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Likely to depart the Hawthorns this summer, the West Midlands side are likely to demand around £30 million for his services [Express and Star].

Former Bayern Munich man Ismael has shed some positive light on the situation, after being captivated by his output at the West Bromwich Albion Training Ground.

In a recent interview, the 45-year-old said: “With Pereira – we spoke really openly about the situation.

“I don’t have a problem. We made it simple, you are in or you are out.

“But if you are in, you are 100 per cent.” [Express and Star]

Indicating some common ground between the new head coach and star man Pereira, no wonder loads of West Bromwich Albion diehards took to Twitter to express their delight at the latest news.

West Brom fans react:

Replying to popular Albion fan outlet WBA Report, here is what some Baggies fans had to say about recent developments, with one supporter hailing it as ‘great news’:

“Keep him no matter what.”

Credit: @SaulSanders8″Wow .. Announce promotion”Credit; @AndyColclough”god I love him”Credit: @Brad_WBA”Love this”Credit: @JLRXVIIIII”I don’t wanna get my hopes up but I already have”Credit: @SamuelRoberts01″Great news..where’s the source from for this comment..”Credit: @kevkeywbaIn other news, a pundit has exclusively urged West Brom to sign an international striker.

Steve Howey has called on Manchester City to take advantage of Barcelona’s financial difficulties and sign Lionel Messi.

The 34-year-old, who won his first international title – the Copa America – with Argentina at the weekend, saw his Nou Camp contract expire at the end of last month.

Ronald Koeman’s Spanish giants have been wanting to renew Messi’s deal but La Liga regulations mean they must reduce their wage bill by €200million in order to do so.

Exceeding La Liga’s salary limit also means new signings, including former City duo Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia, cannot be registered.

Barcelona’s crisis has put a number of Europe’s biggest clubs on high alert, with talented stars who the club would originally not want to sell potentially on the market.

Messi was linked with joining up with his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium last summer, after submitting a transfer request, and ex-City defender Howey wants to see the Premier League champions reignite their interest.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Howey said: “It’d be absolutely amazing and I’d love to see him week in, week out.

“It would be a big test for him. La Liga is a very good league but it isn’t the Premier League. I still think he would absolutely light it up and I would love it if he would come to the Premier League.”

Tasmania have kept their hopes of making the finals alive with a comfortable 28-run win over New South Wales

The Bulletin by Alex Malcolm12-Jan-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Travis Birt smashed a 17-ball 44 in Tasmania’s 194 © Getty Images
Tasmania have kept their hopes of making the finals alive with a comfortable 28-run win over New South Wales in the Twenty20 Big Bash clash at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The Tigers dominated from start to finish after being sent in by the Blues captain Simon Katich. The openers Rhett Lockyear and Michael Dighton exploited the small dimensions of the Olympic Stadium with a powerful opening stand of 73 from 47 balls.Lockyear was particularly brutal with 51 from 29, including four towering sixes. Travis Birt picked up where Lockyear left off, clubbing five sixes of his own in a blistering 17-ball 44 to guide the visitors to 1 for 139 after 12 overs.But the Blues stopped the bleeding momentarily with Doug Bollinger and Mark Cameron claiming four wickets in ten deliveries. And when Dominic Thornely conceded only two runs from his fourth over, the 16th of the innings, the Tigers had lost 4 for 21 in four overs. Late hitting from Jason Krejza took the total to a very competitive 7 for 194. Katich may well have missed a trick only giving one over to his left-arm orthodox spinner Steve O’Keefe.This proved the case when Daniel Marsh manoeuvred his bowlers brilliantly to restrict the Blues to 8 for 166 in reply. Spin was the key to the Tigers’ performance, with Xavier Doherty opening and finishing with 2 for 26. Krejza bowled beautifully to add 3 for 23 to his 33 not out in a Man-of-the-Match performance.Marsh himself chipped in as the spinners mixed their pace cleverly to leave the Blues reeling. Moises Henriques was the only player to escape the web, smashing 42 from 25 at the top of the order. Both sides have one match remaining in which to qualify for a spot in the preliminary final.

A report from Portugal has revealed the latest on Everton’s move to try and sign Matheus Nunes in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Nunes linked

A number of different reports have linked the 22-year-old with a move to Goodison Park over the past few weeks.

However, those reports seemed to have died down a bit since the appointment of Rafa Benitez, as before it was unclear who the new manager would be at the Merseyside club.

The Latest: Nunes blow

As per Record (via Sport Witness), an Everton move for Nunes has been made ‘impossible’ by the failure to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo as their next coach, who has since become the new manager at Tottenham Hotspur.

A deal is now off for the time being after previously being ‘very close’, with it ‘losing gas’ following the appointment of Benitez and not Nuno. However, the Portuguese news outlet suggested that a deal can still be done, but talks may need to be revisited.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame to see that the deal to bring Nunes to Everton may not happen after all, as he could have brought a different dimension to their midfield.

Playing in 31 games in Liga NOS last season, scoring three goals and supplying two assists (Transfermarkt), the Brazilian was a key figure in Sporting Lisbon’s first title win since 2002.

Described as being ‘unbelievable’ with the ball at his feet by former teammate Goncalo Santos last month, Nunes would bring some much-needed flair in the middle of the park for the Toffees, and at just 22 years of age, he still has a lot of potential to fulfil.

Everton need to try and get a deal back on track to sign him.

In other news, this Phil Kirkbride update has had many Evertonians talking