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Jade Dernbach produced a brilliant display of reverse swing to dismantle Leicestershire to highlight his credentials with 5 for 41

Andrew McGlashan at The Oval06-May-2011
ScorecardJade Dernbach played a key role in Leicestershire’s second innings demise•PA PhotosThe England selectors will sit down in the near future to pick a Lions side for the match against Sri Lanka in a couple of weeks. It won’t be an easy task. The highlight of this season has been the performances of up-and-coming players vying for international honours and, at The Oval, Jade Dernbach produced a brilliant display of pace, which dismantled Leicestershire, to highlight his credentials with 5 for 41.Dernbach’s late call-up to the World Cup squad was a surprise move after many thought Chris Woakes – who has also been prolific so far this summer – was next in line. But Dernbach had impressed on the Lions tour, taking wickets on flat Caribbean surfaces, having learnt his trade on batsmen-friendly pitches in south London.The pitch for this Championship match had far more on offer for the bowlers, after Surrey gambled by leaving it very green, and towards the end of the third day the bounce was becoming variable. Dernbach later confirmed that it was normal swing, rather than reverse, that did the damage which started when he found Will Jefferson’s edge before trapping Josh Cobb lbw.He took a break after seven high-class overs but returned post tea with a better burst, claiming 2 for 7 in seven more overs, his wickets coming in the space of four balls as Leicestershire sank to 99 for 5. Both Jacques du Toit and Wayne White were beaten by balls which tailed in late, although White was a little unlucky as his delivery didn’t bounce much.Leicestershire provided pockets of resistance but it was tough going. Matthew Boyce, who was dropped on 7, batted two-and-a-half hours for his 41 before giving the innings away with a loose drive against Yasir Arafat. James Taylor, though, stood out and has rarely had to work so hard for his runs as he did here, taking 89 balls to register a boundary during a thorough going over. Dernbach called it “the gutsiest innings I’ve been involved with.” It was a high-quality battle between two players who could earn England honours this summer.Chris Tremlett wasn’t quite a threat as in the first innings and Taylor attacked the short balls, hooking for six and four, but Stuart Meaker took his match tally to eight wickets. Paul Dixey top-edged a pull, then Claude Henderson, Nathan Buck and Matthew Hoggard were beaten for pace by full deliveries. Rarely does county cricket witness such a sustained pace barrage.Taylor battled to his fifty from 138 balls, receiving blows to body along the way, and took a second strike on the helmet from Dernbach for his hard work. He needed attention from the physio – and new helmet – but resolutely carried on, until flicking Dernbach to deep square-leg off the first ball of the day’s final scheduled over. It was nothing less than Dernbach deserved.The victory push was set up by brisk morning batting and the biggest surprise of the day was that Mark Ramprakash didn’t register his first hundred of the season. He’d moved comfortably to 91 when he missed a drive against Nadeem Malik and lost his off stump. Surrey made swift progress as Ramprakash and Zander de Bruyn took their stand to 148 before Steve Davies chipped in with 37 to hasten a declaration.Rory Hamilton-Brown tried to end the innings with enough time to have an over at Leicestershire before lunch but didn’t quite get it right. However, it was another positive piece of captaincy during an impressive match in the field for the young leader. His team are much better than the innings thrashing against Middlesex last week and in this game they showed it.

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has said he declined a chance to play in the ongoing World Cup as a replacement for an injured Dwayne Bravo

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2011Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has declined a chance to play in the World Cup as a replacement for an injured Dwayne Bravo. Samuels, who served a two-year ban from official cricket for links with an Indian bookmaker, said he was “not 100% ready” for one-day cricket, and wanted, instead, to focus on the four-day game on the domestic circuit.”First of all, I want to say thanks to the regional selectors for sitting down and thinking about selecting me for the World Cup. I am honoured to get such a phone call,” Samuels told the . “But as I had said in interviews before the start of the tournament, I want to focus on four-day and not one-day cricket, and try to be out there in the sun for hours on top of hours. I am doing that at the moment.”I still don’t think I am 100 per cent ready and I want to be honest with myself. I hope the selectors understand and respect my decision.”Samuels had been banned by a West Indies Cricket Board disciplinary committee in 2008 for discussing team information with Mukesh Kochar and later approaching him to pay a hotel bill. He returned to official cricket in May last year and is now playing for Jamaica in the Regional Four Day Competition, the Caribbean’s first-class domestic tournament.Samuels played 29 Tests and 107 ODIs for West Indies over an eight-year span, and is keen to return to Tests during the home series against India and Pakistan following the World Cup. “I am definitely looking to play in the upcoming home series, so hopefully I will continue on the road that I am and continue to score centuries,” he said.Bravo, who suffered a knee injury in West Indies’ opening game against South Africa, was ultimately replaced by the Guyana legspinner Devendra Bishoo.

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor is expecting a green top for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier, starting on January 26

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2012Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, is expecting a grassy pitch for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier, starting on January 26. The pitch at McLean Park is one of the country’s finest for batting, but New Zealand may prefer playing to their strengths – pace – following their success in the Hobart Test against Australia where they played four fast bowlers.”I think there’s going to be a lot more grass left on this pitch than there has been in the past,” Taylor told . “We saw how we played in Hobart in seaming conditions. It’s not easy with the bat but it’s a nice test of our mindset.”We’ll have to wait and see. Napier’s weather is pretty good, but I’m sure whatever surface we get will be a little bit different, or a lot different, from the last one.”The previous Test at the venue, in December 2009, ended in a draw, with both New Zealand and Pakistan scoring over 450 in the second and third innings respectively.New Zealand played a one-off Test during their tour of Zimbabwe in November 2011 and managed a tense victory on the final day as the hosts fell 34 short in their chase of 366.New Zealand surprised Australia in seaming conditions in Hobart, thanks to their four-pronged seam attack comprising Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, Chris Martin and Tim Southee. Taylor, however, wasn’t sure yet if they would serve up seaming pitches against South Africa later in the summer.”We’re not thinking too far ahead. They [South Africa] are pretty good on any conditions really,” Taylor said.Taylor expressed concern over his own batting form ahead of the one-off Test. He managed one half-century in four innings in Australia and began the HRV Cup, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 tournament, with 95 for Central Districts. He hasn’t scored a half-century in six innings since.”We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up, but I thought that where my game is at the moment I wouldn’t mind spending a bit of time on my feet,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to get a gauge [on my form]. Twenty20 is all about momentum – not only how you’re playing, but how the team’s playing. With Central Districts, we didn’t play too well and I had an average campaign. There’s still a long season ahead and I still feel okay.”With the Twenty20 season on in New Zealand, Taylor volunteered to captain a New Zealand XI in the three-day match against the touring Zimbabweans, starting on Saturday, to get himself Test ready.”People say it’s easy to change up from Twenty20 to Test cricket. But I disagree. It is a lot harder than you think. It’s more a mindset change than technique.”For me, personally, you get into bad habits playing Twenty20. Little things creep into your game. That’s the good thing with a warm-up game and the nets with the red ball. You get a chance to iron out those flaws.”

Manchester United are reportedly looking to pip Tottenham to a move for Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Spurs contact

Dumfries, labelled as a ‘difference maker’ by Eurosport journalist Siavoush Fallahi, only made the move to Inter last summer. Since then, the 26-year-old has made 41 appearances for the Serie A giants, contributing to 12 goals.

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The Netherlands international is under contract until 2025, however, he is already a wanted man ahead of the summer, with Spurs making contact to discuss a deal.

It now looks as if Manchester United have joined the race, with a busy summer expected at Old Trafford.

The Latest: United links

Sports Witness relayed an update from Tuttosport on Wednesday regarding Dumfries and United.

They claimed that the full-back is high on Erik ten Hag’s wishlist, with a €35m figure (£29.5m) mooted ahead of a potential swoop.

The Verdict: Wan-Bissaka replacement?

Aaron Wan-Bissaka hasn’t been a regular since the turn of the year, with Paul Scholes labelling him as ‘useless on the ball’ back in November.

The 24-year-old will be entering the final two years of his Old Trafford deal this summer and has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace.

Therefore, Dumfries could prove to be the Englishman’s replacement under Ten Hag, providing United can pip Tottenham to a deal. It could be a move to keep a close eye on, but it won’t be the only transfer to watch closely ahead of Ten Hag’s first season in charge.

In other news: ‘In the coming weeks’ – Fabrizio Romano drops Man Utd transfer news as Ten Hag gets his way. 

Ian Blackwell smashed 98 off 64 balls and then took three wickets to lead Durham to a 69-run victory over Leicestershire

02-May-2011
ScorecardIan Blackwell enjoyed a wonderful match as Durham won comfortably•Getty ImagesIan Blackwell smashed 98 off 64 balls and then took three wickets to lead Durham to a 69-run victory over Leicestershire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B clash at Grace Road.Put into bat, Durham totalled 285 for 9, helped by Blackwell’s boundary-laden innings plus six additional runs awarded because of the Foxes’ failure to complete their overs in the allotted time. Blackwell then claimed three of the first four Leicestershire wickets to fall, including that of Josh Cobb, who hit a limited-overs best score of 87.Cobb’s effort, however, was not enough to keep the Foxes in contention and they were dismissed for 216 with 16 balls still remaining to give the Dynamos their second win of the season.Durham did not make the best of starts to their innings, with Kyle Coetzer caught at cover off Alex Wyatt in the third over. But a half-century off 39 balls from 19-year-old Ben Stokes launched the recovery, with Gordon Muchall also chipping in with a useful 32. But the innings only really took off when Blackwell arrived at the wicket. He made his intentions clear with two early sixes off Cobb and Wayne White and, after surviving a difficult chance to wicketkeeper Paul Dixey, reached 50 off 41 balls.The scoring rate then rocketed when the Dynamos took the batting powerplay. Blackwell and Gareth Breese hammered 54 off the four overs, with both batsmen piercing the field with a succession of boundaries, including further sixes. When Breese eventually skied a catch to long-on, the sixth-wicket pair had put on a record stand of 144 in 17 overs. Breese’s share was 44, with three fours and a six.Blackwell looked set for a century but, two runs short of it, popped up a return catch off a slower ball from Wyatt, having hit five sixes and seven fours in his blistering 64-ball innings. It was his best limited-overs score for Durham and his best for six years.Graham Onions claimed a quick wicket when the Foxes replied, but a second-wicket partnership of 97 between Cobb and James Taylor put them back into the game, with Cobb twice pulling Onions for six over square leg. However, Blackwell once again changed the course of the match with the wickets of Taylor, Paul Nixon and then Cobb, who he bowled for 87. Cobb hit two sixes and seven fours in his 78-ball knock.That ended Leicestershire’s hopes and Stokes also completed an excellent all-round performance, claiming three late wickets for six runs as the Foxes collapsed to 216 all out with 2.4 overs remaining.

Nathaniel Clyne is interested in signing a new deal and extending his stay at Crystal Palace this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Clyne out of contract

The 31-year-old is currently in his second spell at his boyhood club, proving to be a solid squad player under Patrick Vieira this season.

Clyne has made nine Premier League starts in 2021/22 to date, acting as a solid understudy to Joel Ward and putting his experience to good use, arguably becoming first-choice in recent weeks.

The defender’s current deal expires at the end of the season, though, at which point he would be able to leave on a free transfer.

The Latest: Clyne keen on new Palace deal

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay claimed that Clyne wants to extend his stay at Selhurst Park. The journalist said of the Palace defender:

“He suggested he definitely would like a new contract. And there’s a bit of talk about it at the moment; we’ll see what will happen.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Palace

It makes complete sense for Palace to give Clyne a new contract, with the Englishman proving what a reliable figure he can be throughout this season.

Granted, his very best days may be behind him, but he remains a reliable defender who has averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.5 clearances per match in the current Premier League campaign.

Jurgen Klopp once hailed Clyne as ‘amazing’, which speaks volumes given the calibre of player with whom the Liverpool manager has worked, and at 31, there is no reason why the defender can’t stay at the top level for a few more years yet.

In other news, one player is reportedly considering moving to Palace. Find out who it is here.

In the aftermath of England’s embarrassing 2007 World Cup campaign the first wicketkeeper selected was Matt Prior. Nearly four years on, and a month away from the next global tournament, he is again in possession but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth r

Andrew McGlashan in Hobart20-Jan-2011In the aftermath of England’s embarrassing 2007 World Cup campaign the first wicketkeeper selected was Matt Prior. Nearly four years on, and a month away from the next global tournament, he is again in possession but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth ride. Prior has been dropped three times in that period, the most recent 10 months ago in Bangladesh, as the selectors tried various options before deciding their original choice was the best.When Steve Davies was given the gloves against Pakistan last year, following a brief stint for Craig Kieswetter, and retained for the one-day series against Australia it appeared Prior’s World Cup chance had gone. But he’d finished the Ashes in prime form with 118 at Sydney and, wisely, took up the chance to play Twenty20 cricket for Victoria.”I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” Prior said. “Obviously I was hoping, you always do when the team is getting selected, and I’ve always said that whenever England are playing I want to be the man with the gloves on. I’m absolutely delighted with the selection. It feels like I’ve come home again.”Prior has never hidden his drive to be England’s keeper in all three formats. He has sometimes felt harshly treated over one-day cricket and his desire for self-improvement was evident when he took up the Big Bash offer rather than return home after the Ashes.”When the option was thrown at to me either go home or stay here playing cricket it was a pretty simple decision for me,” he said. “I’ve stated for a long time that I want to play one-day international cricket again and flying home to sit in the snow in England wasn’t going to better my chances at all.”I’ve been in positions before when I’ve felt I’ve done okay and then been dropped, but that’s international sport. The one thing you do is go back to the drawing board, dust yourself down and come back harder. I’ve put a lot of hard work into my one-day game, it hasn’t just happened overnight. There are obviously reasons why I’m here and it’s now down to me to prove that by performing well.”However, the recall doesn’t mean all the tricky decisions are made. A feature of Prior’s 55-match one-day career is how many positions he has filled in the order; everywhere apart from Nos.5, 10 and 11, while his last 50-over outings were at No.6. This constant movement hasn’t helped his development and the next stage of his career will be back as an opener, where he has batted on 27 occasions.He has never been a complete failure in the one-day side, but his career to date is characterised by how many starts he has made only to then fall without dominating. He has just two half-centuries, with a top score of 87 against West Indies, but has been dismissed between 20 and 50 on 18 occasions – 13 of those as an opener. Prior, though, remains convinced that’s his best position rather than a middle-order worker.”That’s where I want to play in one-day cricket,” he said. “Andrew Strauss and I will form a pretty good partnership, we get on well and run well between the wickets. I’m a very different player to the guy who opened the batting however many years ago. Getting the starts wasn’t a problem, or getting in against the new ball, I was always seemed to get good starts but I didn’t have the experience at the time to then make the match-winning score.”If you look at Shane Watson in the last game with 161, those are the type of innings all batsmen are trying to get. Forties and fifties don’t win games and that’s certainly what I’ll be trying to do once I get in and make a start.”Another factor in Prior’s return is the part he plays in the field, not just as a much-improved and now world-class keeper but also the central focus of the fielding unit. Prior’s constant chirping and encouragement is not to everyone’s taste, but the coach Andy Flower made specific reference to the energy he brings to the side.”I’ve taken it upon myself to lead the fielding unit,” he said. “As an England team we thrive on setting very high standards in the field. I like to try and push the boys as much as possible with that. When I’m out there it’s one of my roles – I want to score runs and catch more than I drop – to make sure I’m pulling people with me and making sure our standards in the field remain very high.”The remainder of the one-day series in Australia will see Prior and Davies travelling together as part of the squad, but Prior doesn’t foresee there being any issues with the man he has just pushed out of a World Cup berth.”We are the keepers’ union and have been for the whole of this trip. We go a long way back,” he said. “I think we both know that we are pushing for the same place and all you can do is try your best to perform. Whoever gets the nod on the day fair play to them. It works that way, it is international sport and cut-throat at times but everyone has been through it.”Prior knows only too well the feeling of losing his place, and having earned it back, he wants to keep it for a long time to come.

Kevin Pietersen has insisted he still has the hunger for one-day internationals after being rested from the current series against India

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2011Kevin Pietersen has insisted he still has the hunger for one-day internationals after being rested from the current series against India. That decision from the England selectors was followed by reports that Pietersen wouldn’t play again this year, but he says he hopes to be on the plane to India next month.Before then there are two Twenty20 internationals against West Indies, at The Oval, which have been added to the end of England’s season and Pietersen also has his sights set on them. He played against India, at Old Trafford, last week and is still seen as a key part of the 20-over outfit as they prepare to defend their world crown in Sri Lanka next year.”I’ve got two Twenty20s versus the West Indies later this month at The Oval and then we leave on October 3 for the one-day series in India. I’d love to play in all six games in India,” he told the . “You can never say you won’t have an injury or that you’re a dead cert for selection, but I’d love to play in every game, of course. I’m planning to play on for another four or five years, which will incorporate another couple of Ashes series.”Part of the reason behind Pietersen’s rest has been revealed as a wrist injury that needs treatment and he believes that it is England’s careful management of the players that has helped them rise to the top of the Test rankings.”There’s no doubt that England’s success is also partly down to the fact that the players are rested when they can,” he said. “International cricket can be a constant slog. I think India have got to that point now. The demands on the top players, especially if they play all three forms of international cricket, are immense. Maybe that’s why we haven’t quite got there yet in one-day cricket. But we’re working on it.”Another player who isn’t involved in all three formats for England at the moment is James Anderson, who hasn’t been part of the Twenty20 side since the trip to South Africa two winters ago. Anderson, who took his 200th ODI wicket in the abandoned match against India at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, is keen to regain his place and is considering a stint at the IPL to press his case.”My immediate priority is to play my part in winning the ODI series against India, but if I bowl well enough perhaps that will push me back into their thinking,” Anderson told the . “If not, one option might be to try to play in the Indian Premier League next spring or elsewhere, something I’m really going to have to consider.”With a maximum of only nine T20 matches for England between now and the next World Twenty20, time and games are running out for me to convince the selectors I still have something to offer,” he said. “I understood my omission from the World T20 in West Indies last year on tactical grounds and the variety offered by Ryan Sidebottom’s left-arm seam and swing, and the reasons for my absence ever since.”I can also see where they are going with this younger-looking team,” he added. “But I do feel I can transfer the skills I’ve developed in one-day and Test cricket to the T20 arena and it’s frustrating that I haven’t had the opportunity to play any domestic T20 cricket in which to try to press my case.”Anderson, 29, has not built up quite the same reputation in cricket’s shortest format as he has in Tests and ODIs but has a reasonable record. With international commitments taking precedence, he also hasn’t been helped by the fact that he’s played just three domestic Twenty20 games in the last two seasons, his solitary match this summer coming against Durham in June.”I’m sure the selectors know my feelings,” he said. “I want to play T20 cricket for England, I’m disappointed that I’m not and it’s down to me to persuade them I should be.”

Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo has hinted at eventually returning to former club Real Betis following a disappointing first season at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Firpo disappointing so far for Leeds

The 25-year-old joined the Whites from Barcelona last summer, coming in as a direct replacement for the exit-bound Ezgjan Alioski.

Firpo has failed to hit the ground running for Leeds so far, though, with only 12 Premier League starts coming his way and a mixture of patchy form and injuries holding him back.

Indeed, the defender appears to have hinted about a potential move back to Spain, less than year after arriving in Yorkshire.

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The Latest: Firpo hints at Betis return

Speaking to DAZN [via Sport Witness], Firpo has said that he sees himself returning to Betis one day even though he is happy at Leeds for the time being, having spent the 2018/19 season with the Andalucian club.

The 25-year-old stated: “I would love to spend a lot of time here, but, well, in the end, the house always wins and I would like to return to Betis, obviously.”

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The Verdict: More required moving forward

Firpo arrived at Leeds last July as an exciting addition, with the glamour of signing a Barcelona player perhaps raising expectations, but there is no denying that he has been disappointing so far.

While there have been moments of quality – he has one league assist to his name – he hasn’t delivered enough attacking output, while his defensive shortcomings have played a part in Leeds conceding 56 times in 25 league matches.

The hope is that the 6ft tall Firpo comes good over time and doesn’t become a forgotten man who swiftly returns to Spain after failing to thrive in the blood-and-guts nature of English football.

In other news, one journalist has provided a crucial update on Bielsa’s Leeds future. Read more here.

Michael Lumb will help Queensland’s push for a berth in the Champions League after agreeing to join them for this summer’s Big Bash

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010England’s Michael Lumb, who has played seven Twenty20 internationals, will help Queensland’s push for a berth in the Champions League after agreeing to join them for this summer’s Big Bash. Lumb, a left-handed opener, was part of the World Twenty20 victory in the Caribbean in May and will aim to provide the Bulls with some much needed power hitting.”When we learned that Andrew Flintoff was not going to be able to take up his contract with us, we looked at a few players that we felt would bring something special to our group,” the Queensland coach Trevor Barsby said. “Having caught a few of his performances for England and Rajasthan Royals, Michael was pretty well at the top of the list as far as I was concerned.”Lumb, 30, has a strike-rate of more than 140 in both international and domestic T20 competition, and will be released by the state if he is called into England’s plans. “It’s going to be an amazing experience playing in Australia – I honestly can’t wait,” Lumb said.”I’ve come across lads like Ryan Harris and Andrew Symonds in the IPL and have had a good chat with Trevor Barsby, so the tournament can’t come soon enough.” He is the second English player to join the event, which starts in late December, after Sajid Mahmood was picked up by Western Australia on Tuesday.