Jeff Wilson has been included in New Zealand’s 13-man squad to play Australia in a one-off Twenty20 international on February 17 at Eden Park in Auckland. The line-up also includes Craig McMillan, who performed impressively in a one-day match between North Island and South Island earlier on Sunday.Wilson, a former All Blacks rugby star, has played four one-day internationals, all of them against Australia back in the 1992-93 season. He was a controversial inclusion in the New Zealand team for the three-match series against the FICA World XI last month, but justified his selection with good performances in all three games, taking five wickets, including 3 for 6 in the last match at Hamilton.John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, suggested that psychological points would be up for grabs in the first match of the tour, which also includes five one-day internationals and three Tests “Both teams are well aware of what the other can do and know each others’ strengths and weaknesses,” he said, “but the Twenty20 match might be a chance to get first psychological points with a long series ahead.”The squad for the first two ODIs – at Wellington and Christchurch – will be announced on Tuesday.New Zealand squad for Twenty20 international Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Hamish Marshall, Mathew Sinclair, Craig McMillan, Scott Styris, Chris Cairns, Brendon McCullum (wk), Andre Adams, Daniel Vettori, Jeff Wilson, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey.
Canterbury 222 for 2 (Broom 84*, Fulton 76*) beat Central Districts 221 by eight wickets ScorecardNeil Broom, who emerged from the New Zealand Academy this year, shared a 168-run stand for the third wicket as Canterbury beat Central Districts by eight wickets in Waikanae. Broom finished unbeaten on 84 off 96 balls, alongside Peter Fulton, who scored 76 not out off 96.CD, who chose to bat first, failed to make the most of their chances and only Mathew Sinclair, with 83 off 88 balls, showed anything like the intent required. Stephen Cunis took 3 for 38 and Cleighton Cornelius 3 for 52.New Zealand’s Test and one-day sides seem to be pretty settled at the moment, but the selectors’ toughest job this summer may well prove to be the selection of the national A side to play a series against Sri Lanka A.The contenders at domestic level are lining up in far greater numbers than seen for many years, and Canterbury are providing a particularly strong showing. Michael Papps and Shanan Stewart have already scored one-day centuries and shown good form in the four-day version of the game, while Fulton has been in outstanding touch as well. And now Broom can be added to the list.Auckland 134 for 3 (Howell 67) beat Northern Districts 133 (Walmsley 4-24) by seven wickets Scorecard134-3 beat 133Northern Districts, the defending one-day champions, had more woes heaped onto their season of misery when they were dismissed for 133 in 46.3 overs at Eden Park. Joseph Yovich’s 29 and Grant Robinson’s 20 were the best efforts in a paltry ND batting effort. Kerry Walmsley took 4 for 24, Tama Canning 1 for 27 off 10 economical overs, while Brooke Walker took 2 for 25 off nine overs.In reply, Auckland needed only 27.2 overs to work their way past the ND score. Llorne Howell produced his best innings of the summer with 62 from 73 balls, including 10 fours, while Matt Horne hit 30 off 47 balls and Aaron Barnes 31 off 28. Of the ND bowlers, Ian Butler demonstrated yet again how much his stature is growing in the domestic game by taking 1 for 29 from his eight overs. But there now appears little chance that ND will be in a position to defend their title when the semi-final stages are reached.Wellington 248 for 5 (Franklin 67*) beat Otago 234 by 14 runs ScorecardWellington’s teamwork paid off again when they recovered from two potentially disastrous situations, after slumping to 25 for 2 and 90 for 4 against Otago at Carisbrook. Two middle-order partnerships, both of them featuring James Franklin, lifted Wellington to a competitive total of 248 for 5 after 50 overs.Franklin, who scored 67 not out, shared an 82-run stand with Matthew Bell (35) and a 76-run stand with Matthew Walker who made 53 off 35 balls. Brad Scott picked up three wickets for Otago, but at a cost of 55 runs while Nathan Morland took 2 for 31 off 10 overs.Otago got themselves back in the game after stuttering to 12 for 2, as Chris Gaffaney and Robbie Lawson added 138 for the third wicket. Both scored 74. However, the remainder of the batting order, apart from the former All Black, Jeff Wilson, who scored 33 off 38 balls, failed to fire in the face of some good bowling from Mayu Pasupati (4 for 33 off nine overs) and Ash Turner (3 for 42 off 10).The loss meant Otago also lost their lead in the championship, which has five of the six teams within three points of each other at the halfway stage.Points Canterbury 13, Otago 12, Wellington 12, Auckland 11, Central Districts 10, Northern Districts 4.
The uncapped pair of opening batsman Devon Smith and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert have been named among a group of five players who will train with the West Indies team at their 2003 World Cup preparatory camp in Antigua, starting January 12.Left-hander Smith, aged 21, and Hibbert, aged 22, as well as international caps Daren Ganga, Ryan Hinds and Daren Powell will attend the two-week camp along with the 15-member squad named last Saturday."Effectively, these five players have been short-listed by the Selection Committee in case any member of the original 15 is unable to participate in the 2003 World Cup," remarked Michael Hall, chief cricket operations officer of the West Indies Cricket Board.Smith has emerged as one of the bright batting prospects in the region following two solid seasons in the West Indies first-class championship, and outings with the Young West Indies and West Indies A-Teams.Hibbert is one of the young candidates the selectors have been eyeing to fill the role of `keeper in the future. This is not the first time he has been invited to train with the senior team.West Indies, World Cup champions in 1975 and 1979, meet host South Africa in the opening match of the competition and Pool B in Cape Town on February 9. The other five teams in Pool B are Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Kenya, Bangladesh and Canada.
Eastern Province, after losing the services of Shafiek Abrahams to Northerns, look to still have a very strong bowling line-up after naming their squad for the 2001-02 domestic season.Led by arguably the fastest bowler in the country Ngam is backed up by pacemen Kruger, Hayward, Pringle and Kemp with Callaghan, Creed, and Peterson always there for backup.The squad is:C Bradfield D Callaghan M Benfield M Creed R Peterson K Duckworth B Frederichs L Meyer W Murray J Bryant U Abrahams J Botha M Pringle G Kruger M Hayward J Kemp M Ngam
Ruben Amorim is looking to strengthen his squad in several key areas in 2026, and a “physical beast” has now emerged as a top target for Manchester United.
Amorim prepared to bide his time in the transfer market
With the January transfer window edging ever closer, Amorim has been speaking about his plans, and the manager stressed the importance of not rushing into any deals, saying: “What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything with urgency and make mistakes again and be left saying ‘here we go again’. I am not going to go to Jason [Wilcox, director of football] and say we need a lot of players.”
The Red Devils’ recruitment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired has been much-maligned, but some of their summer transfer business has been successful, with Bryan Mbeumo making a flying start to life at Old Trafford, netting six goals in 16 Premier League games.
Matheus Cunha has also impressed at times, scoring against Aston Villa last time out, but United’s rebuild appears to be far from over, with a new central midfielder of particular interest, given that Casemiro’s contract is set to expire in the summer.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Man United also remain keen on signing a new left wing-back, alongside a centre-back, and several potential options have now been identified.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is one of the Red Devils’ top targets, with the defender’s composure in possession and physical presence potentially making him an ideal fit in Amorim’s system, while his Premier League experience is an added bonus.
Amorim has no interest in making any stop-gap signings, wanting to bring in new players capable of making a difference on a long-term basis, and Branthwaite could fit the bill, given that he is just 23-years-old.
Real Madrid could now make January bid for £52m Man Utd star who Amorim loves
The Red Devils could have a big decision to make in the January transfer window…
ByDominic Lund "Beast" Branthwaite could be expensive signing for Man Utd
A deal for the Everton defender could be on the pricey side, with it being revealed the Toffees have set an asking price of £70m, but there are indications he could be a success at Old Trafford.
Scout Ben Mattinson described the Englishman as a two-footed “physical beast”, off the back of a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven, and the centre-back has since gone on to catch the eye in an Everton shirt.
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The Carlisle-born defender is yet to make an appearance this season, as a result of a hamstring injury, but Statman Dave was left very impressed by a display against Liverpool last season.
Branthwaite is now experienced in the Premier League, having made 75 appearances in the competition, but Man United may be better off waiting until the summer to potentially pursue a deal, as it remains to be seen how he recovers from a long injury lay-off.
In what they term as a major breakthrough, Pakistani cricket officials have managed to fill in the blanks in their Future Tour Programme (FTP) by lining up 38 one-day internationals against some of the world’s leading teams over the next few years.A top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told that after a series of meetings with leading cricket officials of various Test-playing nations and some extensive lobbying, the PCB has fixed ample number of one-day Internationals against five of the top sides between 2008-2010.The games are in addition to the Tests and ODIs Pakistan are scheduled to play under the International Cricket Council’s FTP.”It is a major breakthrough,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s chief operating officer, said from Kuala Lumpur. “Our team had a slim international schedule over the next few years but we have managed to fill it up by finalising over three dozen matches against some of the world’s top teams.”Naghmi said the matches have been arranged against South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies. In his opinion the ICC short-changed Pakistan when it drew up the five-year FTP in 2004.”It was really a frustrating situation for us,” Naghmi said. “I mean our team had no international commitment after playing a series against India later this year for almost the next 10 months.”There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Australia’s forthcoming tour of Pakistan, with the latest news being that the visitors want the trip shortened. The PCB expects the ICC to help convince Australia, who have expressed concern over touring Pakistan for three Tests and five ODIs because of security reason, to tour next month.Naghmi pointed out that after hosting India, Pakistan had to wait till November 2009 to play their next Test (against Australia in Australia). The PCB had targeted an ICC moot that is under progress in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the next FTP, with the goal being to convince other boards to help out.Before going to Kuala Lumpur, Naghmi and other PCB officials visited India and Sri Lanka in a bid to fill in their FTP gaps. Apart from lining up further ODIs Pakistan have also convinced India to revive a three-nation series that was earlier scrapped because of a hectic schedule. Pakistan, India and hosts Bangladesh will clash in the tri-series in June ahead of the 2008 Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Pakistan later that month.Naghmi said that New Zealand have agreed to visit Pakistan to play five ODIs in September. Next June, Pakistan will play a tri-nation series in the Caribbean after which West Indies will visit for a return series. Pakistan have also tied up a home-and-away series against Sri Lanka next year.South Africa will also play a five-match ODI series in Pakistan next year.Pakistan were unable to add any more Tests to their current FTP.
Dr Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken serious note of the players’ fitness problems during the ongoing tour of South Africa and has asked for an inquiry to deal with the matter.”The PCB chief is surprised the way players got unfit and he wants to know the reasons why they suffered major injury problems. We believe an inquiry into the matter will serve the purpose,” said Saleem Altaf, the PCB director of operations, at a news briefing in Lahore.Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shabbir Ahmed and allrounder Shoaib Malik had to fly back owing to injuries and fitness problems. Altaf said Ashraf had directed that strict measures should be taken to avoid such a situation in the World Cup which starts next month.After losing the Test series 1-2, Pakistan suffered heavy defeats in the Twenty20 international – losing by 10 wickets – followed by a 164-run defeat in the first ODI at Centurion.Altaf added that all the World Cup probables will undergo doping tests on February 16, after the team’s arrival from South Africa. Pakistan will undergo a six-day training camp at Lahore from March 1 before leaving for the World Cup in the West Indies.
ScorecardFor once in a career studded with memorable one-day run chases, Michael Bevan could not quite guide his team to victory as Tasmania and South Australia played out a tie, under the Duckworth-Lewis method, at the Adelaide Oval. A lengthy rain break resulted in Tasmania chasing an adjusted target of 172 in 35 overs, and while Bevan and George Bailey were together it was well within their grasp. But Shaun Tait, in his first ING match of the season, took two wickets as the chase stalled and eventually fell just short.Bevan and Bailey added 88 for the fourth wicket in 20.5 overs, to resurrect the Tasmanian chase. They had slumped to 3 for 38, following an incisive new-ball burst from Mark Cleary and Trent Kelly – although both bowlers were profligate with wides, sending down 17 between them.When Bevan was trapped lbw by Dan Cullen for 54, the target was down to 13 off 14 balls. However, the new batsmen struggled to combat Tait’s pace as he struck twice in three deliveries during the 34th over. Nine from the final over proved just out of reach and the points were shared.South Australia’s innings had been anchored by another batsman from Australia’s recent one-day past, as Lehmann struck an unbeaten 56 off 52 balls. The rain arrived after 21 overs, to cut the match to 35 overs per side, and their total received a 12-run boost. It resulted in a thrilling finish and honours even.
Muttiah Muralitharan has declared himself fit enough for his return to international cricket during the tsunami charity match at Melbourne on Monday after a five-month layoff following shoulder surgery.Muralitharan will play despite being short of match practice having bowled just 10 overs in a secret practice match against Sri Lanka Under-19s just before Christmas. He was due to play again on December 28, but the game was abandoned after the disaster.”The recovery has been going well and, although I am about 80 percent fit at present, I’m determined to take part in this match, which will hopefully raise millions of dollars worth of much-needed aid,” Muralitharan said. “Our island and all the other nations affected by this terrible disaster need these funds desperately to provide emergency aid in the short term and also to start rebuilding for the future.”Muralitharan, who pulled out of Sri Lanka’s last scheduled tour to Australia in July after Prime Minister John Howard labeled him a “chucker”, will leave for Melbourne on Saturday with Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Chaminda Vaas.Since narrowly escaping the massive waves that have so far killed 30,000 people in Sri Lanka, Muralitharan has not bowled a single ball, concentrating completely on humanitarian work with the World Food Programme and his own charity called the Muralidaran-Gunasekera Foundation.
Lou Vincent powered Auckland to a comfortable nine-wicket victory, completed during the first session of the third day of the State Championship match with Northern Districts. Needing only 110 for victory, Vincent lost Mark Richardson, his fellow international, when he had scored 20. Richardson was out to Ian Butler. However, showing some of the most aggressive batting of the match, Vincent finished on 70 not out, with Tim McIntosh unbeaten on seven.Auckland, the defending State champions, thus took an early lead in the competition with maximum points from the match. Wellington also claimed an outright win, but did not have a first-innings lead in their game with Central Districts.A delayed start due to overnight rain at the Basin Reserve did not affect Wellington’s application in their goal of reaching the 230 required for victory. Matthew Bell and Grant Donaldson put together an outstanding partnership of 211 for the first wicket. Donaldson’s dismissal was a tragic one: he was out four short of what would have been a deserved maiden first-class century in his 40th first-class match. His previous highest score had been 89. He edged a ball into the slips cordon where Craig Spearman took a fine catch.Bell, however, reached triple figures for the 12th occasion in his career and was unbeaten at the end. Mark Greatbatch, the Central Districts coach, commented that the bounce of the pitch had been too inconsistent for the first day and a half, and the ball had moved 6 to 9 inches at times during that phase.The fact the pitch was settling down was apparent on the second afternoon when Ross Taylor and Glen Sulzberger had their 100-run stand, and Bell and Donaldson were able to capitalise on that.Play didn’t start until the final session in Timaru where Otago were immediately into action trying to reach the follow-on requirement of 225 runs. They lost Robert Lawson for 59 but the lower order battled the side through and ensured that at least one of the games in the round will go into the fourth day. Otago are still 41 runs from avoiding the follow-on, with Jeff Wilson the next batsman in tomorrow morning.The game still offers the chance of a result, especially if Canterbury can score quick runs when batting a second time, no matter whether Otago achieve the follow-on or not. The prospect of scoring 230 to 250 with 60-odd overs to play could provide an interesting outcome.