Tag Futebol

Muttiah Muralitharan earned match figures of ten for 123 as Lancashirecrushed Essex by nine wickets to claim their third consecutive Championshipwin despite a century in each innings from Stuart Law.The overseas players continued to dominate on the last day at Old Traffordwith Murali taking three of the last six wickets as Essex were all out for257, with Law left high and dry for the second time in the match, this timeon 120.Lancashire were left needing only 53 to win, and took 19 points to climb tosecond in the First Division table, leaving Essex in the relegation zone.But that was so tough on Law, who has now scored 305 runs in threeChampionship innings without being dismissed following his unbeaten 116 inthe first innings, and 66 not out in Essex’s last game against Surrey.This was the second time he has scored two centuries in a match for Essex,the other coming against Yorkshire at Chelmsford in 1999, and took his tontally for the county to 29 in less than six seasons.And although both Michael Bevan and Mark Ramprakash scored two centuries ina Championship match last season, Ramprakash also ending on the losing side,Law became the first player to record a pair of unbeaten hundreds in theChampionship since Hugh Morris for Glamorgan against Notts in 1995.But Muralitharan was not to be outdone.The Sri Lankan had Stephen Peters caught at silly point, Ricky Anderson lbwand bowled Barry Hyam with a ball which turned prodigiously from welloutside off stump to complete second innings figures of four for 70 from 39overs.That gave him match figures of 87-36-123-10, the sixth time he has takenten wickets in a match for Lancashire in only 11 appearances, and he did notbowl in one of those.Muralitharan has now taken a total of 94 Championship wickets forLancashire, and six more against Surrey at The Oval next week would take himinto three figures in only 12 matches – probably the fastest century ofwickets in Lancashire history.

Celtic will sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on a ‘simple’ permanent deal, Lilywhites insider John Wenham has claimed.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers having a fine season

The 24-year-old made his mark on Sunday after scoring the winning goal in the Old Firm derby as Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox.

The defender has played 27 times in the Premiership this season and has become a crucial component of the Hoops’ backline. The American averages a phenomenal 4.4 clearances per league game, considerably more than any of his teammates (via WhoScored).

Sky Sports have now reported that Celtic can make the defender’s loan a permanent move for a £6m fee, and talks are already underway about the structure of the deal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Wenham’s claim on Carter-Vickers

Tottenham insider Wenham is backing the deal to go through. Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:

“Yeah, it’s simple, it just requires Celtic to transfer Tottenham £6million, it’s as simple as that. The player would want it and both clubs want it so there shouldn’t be any problems.

“They could have done it in the summer but the loan has been perfect for Tottenham.  We would have let him go for £2million but we have trebled that price based on his performances.

“I couldn’t be happier with how it has gone because he plays pretty much every game up there. Cameron just isn’t at the level to play for Spurs so I am more than happy to move him on and bank that £6million fee.”

The Verdict: Good move for all involved

Having made just five senior appearances for Tottenham, it seems clear that Carter-Vickers is not going to have a long-term career with the north London club. This may come as a disappointment to some fans, as in 2016, Spurs hero Jan Vertonghen hailed the centre-back as an “absolute beast” during the American’s emergence into the first team.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As a result, it would be in the best interests of Spurs and the 24-year-old to part ways on a permanent basis. This would also suit Celtic, who have enjoyed success with the defender leading their backline.

Therefore, this would no doubt be a good move for all parties involved.

In other news: Italian report delivers update on Antonio Conte’s future at Spurs

	Out of action: Dimitri Mascarenhas is nearly at the end of his spell in the IPL and has yet to play a match © Getty Images

Dimitri Mascarenhas, England’s only representative at the IPL, believes the recent spate of players around county cricket saying they have turned down offers to play in India is because counties haven’t given their permission rather than the players not wanting to go.Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara, who have both been in action for England Lions at the New Zealanders, have rejected IPL offers saying they want to concentrate on their international careers. After his first day hundred at The Rose Bowl, Wright said: “It was never really something I questioned at time, but it’s bad timing and all I want to do is play for England.””I read with interest that Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara turned down the IPL this week but, to be honest, it might not be that straightforward,” Mascarenhas said in his column. “I’m speculating here, but I reckon it’s more the fact that, at this late stage, their counties have refused them permission to go. I doubt very much whether the players themselves would turn it down.”I was lucky because my approach came at a much earlier stage and I was able to come to an agreement with Hampshire that kept everyone happy. English players will be here next year, believe me.”Mascarenhas’s stint with the Rajasthan Royals, alongside former Hampshire team-mate Shane Warne, ends on Sunday and he has yet to take the field for his franchise. Each team is only allowed to field four overseas players and Mascarenhas hasn’t been able to force his way past Warne, Sohail Tanvir, Shane Watson and Graeme Smith. However, he hopes to be back for the semis and final if Rajasthan, who are currently top of the table, progress to the knock-out stage.”I would love to come back for the finale at the end of May and negotiations are taking place between the Royals management and Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove,” he said. “I am very hopeful I will be able to help the Royals lift the inaugural trophy.”I haven’t had much of an opportunity to show what I can do here but if I am able to play in the semi-finals and final it would help earn me a bigger contract in next year’s event.”A Hampshire spokesman confirmed the talks were between Mascarenhas, Bransgrove and Paul Terry, the coach, about his possible return to the IPL.

Ken Gordon: ‘The profit from the event ……. augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.’ © Trinidad & Tobago Express

The debt-ridden West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is expected to move out of the red thanks to profits from this year’s Caribbean World Cup.The additional money will provide a boost to the game’s development, according to Ken Gordon, WICB’s outgoing president. “The profit from the event will eliminate the deficit of the WICB and this augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.”Gordon said that ticket sales from this year’s tournament 2007 World Cup were the highest yet seen. “We sold more tickets [672,000] than the last two World Cups in South Africa [625,000] and England [476,000] and garnered $32 million in ticket revenue which the ICC [International Cricket Council] has told us is the highest gate ever.”Gordon praised the organisers, though admitted that lessons were learnt and unanticipated events provided an extra challenge. The organisers have been heavily criticised, with many suggesting the tournament was the worst ever. Local fans were displeased with the high ticket prices and touring fans surprised by steep lodging costs across the islands. The tournament also suffered an early setback with Bob Woolmer’s death, the exits of India and Pakistan before the Super Eight stage and a farcical finish to the final.”The fact that we were able to effectively deal with the challenges is a credit to the excellent work and high quality of the management team. The staging of the Cricket World Cup was an experience we all take great pride in.”The directors are very satisfied with the overall results of the tournament. First and foremost is the fact that the region was able to deliver on its host agreement, satisfying all the important deliverables of this major undertaking.”This was always going to be challenging given the number of countries involved, the lack of infrastructure at the time when the region committed to the project and the relatively small size of our economies. But despite all this, the West Indies got the job done.”Gordon also suggested that the World Cup was a boon for sports infrastructure in the region. “Thanks to our governments, we now have 12 world-class cricket stadiums and 22 practice facilities for the further development of West Indies cricket – built on time and to specification.”Over 4300 volunteers and 3000 event security personnel were trained and deployed and we now have a cadre of over 500 West Indians trained and experienced in world games event management.”

Cricket celebrities line up for a contest in Mumbai © Comic Relief

When the tsunami struck Sri Lanka and India 18 months ago, the cricket world was quick to respond with charity fundraisers which raised millions. The Sport Relief project, a charity that works in conjunction with the BBC, went a step further. As well as raising hundreds of thousands of pounds, the charity sent an English team of 13 celebrities to India for a manic eight-day tour.The team, including Jack Russell, Phil Tufnell and Rosalie Birch, played three charity matches and had a first-hand emotional experience of poverty: at an orphanage in Cuddalore, with the so-called Railway Children of Villapurum and with some children in Chennai who search rubbish dumps looking for bottles and sacks they can sell for food.But the team also saw how the projects were helping to assist in the rebuilding of lives. Even Russell, not a man moved easily to tears, found himself welling up when he headed to a school which has been built to help children orphaned by the tsunami.”What hit me quite hard was thinking of my children in that position. I had visions of my youngest daughter, who is nine-and-a-half, terrified. Parents died in the water – it was something out of a horror film.”Russell and team took a train through Madras, where they saw children who lived on board. “It was quite dirty and uncomfortable. The young kids cleaned carriages with their shirts – that was sad to see.”But, thanks to the charity, 12 of the children were taken out and given an education, and Russell plans to return there. He may even get them painting. “Maybe they can get rid of any trauma. I don’t know, I’m no psychologist.”

Rosalie Birch meets some of the fishing community who are rebuilding their lives after the tsunami © Comic Relief

Tufnell found the rubbish dump “a very harrowing experience” and yet it was both zenith and nadir for him. “Watching these people live and survive in a place I can only describe as Hell – then to see them in the afternoon washed up and brushed up. The kids had to be taught how to wear shoes for two weeks before the game because they didn’t know how to run in shoes. That was the high by a mile.”Another match was arranged against some fishermen who were affected by the tsunami. “They were just so happy to be involved,” recalls Birch.Like the other England players in the party who have been used to hotels, coaches and comparative luxury on previous tours of the subcontinent, this was a new experience. “I saw a different side of India, the poverty. But it was really nice to go into the villages and help.”In one of those villages she met a woman named Eluta, whose husband died in the tsunami, leaving her to bring up their three girls. “She’s by herself now, it’s just devastating.” But Sport Relief has helped Eluta to have a new start, which helps her buy fish she then sells on at a small profit for her family. Every day Eluta makes a 10-kilometre journey for her work, but she still finds time to make lunch for other children beside her own. “Even though she is desperate need, it’s inspiring how they all club together.”Birch recognises the important role that cricket can play – not just raising money, but in lifting spirits. After the match against the fishermen she says, “It shows sport can make everything go away for a bit of time.”

Darren Lehmann: rejoins the tour party too late to play Mumbai© Getty Images

Australia’s replacement vice-captain Darren Lehmann will miss the only lead-up game before the first Test against India because of a flight delay. Lehmann, who skipped the beginning of the tour to visit his sick mother in Adelaide, will not arrive until the match against Mumbai has started tomorrow after his departure from Melbourne was stalled by fog.With Adam Gilchrist elevated to the captaincy by Ricky Ponting’s absence, Lehmann, who acted as vice-captain against Sri Lanka during the winter when Ponting hurt his back, will assume the deputy’s role for the first Test in Bangalore on October 6.Ponting broke his left thumb during the Champions Trophy semi-final loss to England and will have another examination in Sydney tomorrow.While the fitness of Ponting is still a concern the squad has been boosted by the arrival of Sydney yoga instructor Kate Turner to help the players strive for peace of body and soul.The ancient technique originated in India and Australia’s support staff hope it will aid pre-game stretching and post-match sleeping.”India is a good place to introduce yoga because it is physically challenging and the players have fewer diversions,” the team’s physiotherapist Errol Alcott told the Courier-Mail. “After a long session some of the guys can feel mentally challenged and have trouble sleeping. If we do a short session at night at the appropriate time it may help the players sleep.”

Shoaib Akhtar – not being singled out as a scapegoat© Getty Images

Shoaib Akhtar has been called before a medical inquiry commission, as the Pakistan Cricket Board investigates the spate of injuries that affected their prospects of victory in the recent Test series against India.In the third Test in Rawalpindi, Shoaib pulled up in his followthrough with a reported back injury and a damaged wrist. He took no further part in Pakistan’s attack, although he was later fit enough to crack 28 not out from 14 balls. But he reacted strongly to accusations that he had faked his injuries. “You need the whole body to be perfect when you bowl,” he said. “It is different when you are batting. I am surprised how someone can think I was not badly injured.”Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, was nonetheless critical of Shoaib’s attitude, and four other players – Moin Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul – will have their fitness assessed by the medical commission.The PCB chief executive, Rameez Raja, was adamant that no fingers were to be pointed. “The commission has not been constituted to find a scapegoat and punish him,” he insisted. “It has been constituted to find why so many players got injured and what can be done in future to prevent so many injuries.”The other objective is to help the players get their names cleared from the general perception that they faked their injuries, if they were genuinely injured.” But, Rameez added, the implications would be serious if anything sinister was proven. “I must make myself very clear, that if it was proved some players did fake their injuries, they will be taken to task.”

It is crunch time for the Indian team, as they get ready to take on Zimbabwe at Harare in what must be a do-or-die game for them. They have not had an auspicious start to their World Cup, with the batsmen failing against the Dutch and Aussies. But I am confident that there must have been some sort of soul-searching in the Indian camp, as they try to re-launch their already faltering World Cup campaign.The bowlers have always been the whipping boys of Indian cricket; they take a lot of blame for not making up for the batsmen’s mistakes. But not anymore; if the batsmen can just stay in there and bat through the 50 overs, winning won’t remain a distant dream.The willow-wielders simply have no more chance of making any excuses. The wickets were damp in New Zealand, the track in Paarl was too slow… But then what about the one at Centurion? Truly, if the Indian batsmen are going to perform as they did against Australia at Centurion, then we might as well big good-bye to this World Cup.The batsmen will have to show more application, spend time in the middle when the going gets tough and then wait for the loose deliveries to punish. Playing too many ambitious shots will not get them anywhere. They must understand that the margin for error against world-class bowlers at this level is too narrow, and the only mantra is to work hard for the runs.I would like to see Ganguly drop down to the middle order where he has a far better chance of smacking the slower bowlers. Ganguly has had good success as an opener in the past, but then, World Cup is definitely not the stage to hope to rekindle your lost form. India cannot afford to experiment anymore, now that all their cards have been laid on the table – they have to go for broke.There is no other batsman in the squad capable of making a strong claim for a spot. What India might do is to play Sanjay Bangar as an opening batsman, hoping that he will hold up one end as he did in England. Now that we hear Zimbabwe will go for a fast and seaming track at Harare, it is quite important that someone actually takes the pressure off the middle-order batsmen. Bangar’s inclusion could also strengthen the seam-bowling department.It must really hurt the Indian players that their performance has not been up to the mark until now. This crucial game against Zimbabwe, then, is one that they can’t afford to lose. No matter whether it is green, damp, slow or fast at Harare, India will have to win this game. All it takes is some self-belief and one outstanding performance to lift the spirit of the team. They have the talent and ability to do the job, and I hope they don’t let themselves down again.

Captain Steve Waugh and Ian Harvey kept their cool to guide Australia to a five-wicket success over England in an exciting NatWest Series match at Bristol.Set 269 to win, the pair put on an unbroken 39 for the fifth wicket to ensure victory with three balls remaining after Ricky Ponting’s 102 had laid the foundation.The decisive blow came from Harvey, who sent the last ball of the 49th over from Ben Hollioake towering over extra cover for six. That took the requirement down to five off the last over, bowled by Mark Ealham, and a boundary and a single from Waugh wrapped up victory.It was a compelling encounter for the 15,000 who had packed into the County Ground for the first English Cricket International to be played in the West Country.England captain Alec Stewart won the toss and was pleased with his side’s batting display.The innings was given a great platform by Marcus Trescothick and NickKnight, who brushed aside the early loss of Alistair Brown, to put on 124 for the second wicket, 23 overs.Trescothick, who grew up in Bristol, continued his excellent form this season with seven fours and two sixes in his 69 before he was run out by Shane Warne’s throw from mid-wicket.Knight, who also hit seven fours and two sixes, departed for 84 after Warne held a superb diving catch at mid-wicket off Brett Lee.England failed to hit a boundary between the 30th and 40th overs and were in danger of dipping below 250 until Hollioake and debutante Owais Shah, two of England’s younger generation, cracked 70 off seven overs at the finish.Hollioake, with batting that was reminiscent of the 63 made on his debut against Australia at Lord’s four years ago, finished with 27 not out from 26 balls, while Shah made 28 from 24 deliveries.Australia’s attack, handicapped by the absence through injury of pacemen Damien Fleming and Jason Gillespie, struggled for consistency.Mark Waugh bowled eight tidy over of spin for 27, but Lee and Harvey both went for over 50 runs in their ten-over spells.Australia lost Adam Gilchrist, caught at mid-wicket off Darren Gough, in the fifth over of their reply, but Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting rectified things with a second-wicket partnership of 89 in 18 overs.Waugh was bowled off his pads by Dominic Cork for 46, but Ponting continued to bat beautifully with shots to all areas.The Tasmanian reached his eighth limited overs century – and his first against England – from 113 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.Damien Martyn gave great support with 46 in a stand of 97, but when both departed in quick succession the game was back in the balance.Martyn had his off-stump knocked back by Alan Mullally and then Ponting, sent back by Andrew Symonds, was run-out by Mullally’s throw to Stewart from the bowler’s end.Symonds was bowled by Gough for 23, but Steve Waugh and Harvey then combined for the match-winning partnership that broke English hearts.But England captain, Alec Stewart, took lots of encouragement from the game, particularly the batting of Shah and Hollioake: “They batted well and it bodes well for the future. It shows what you can do it if you compete,” he reasoned. “We didn’t compete against Pakistan.”There are a lot of positives coming out of today. As David Graveney hassaid, we are planning for the World Cup.”Rival captain, Steve Waugh, credited the pitch for a fine game: “It was a good pitch, probably a little quicker than we thought it was going to be and 270 runs from either side is a pretty good day’s entertainment,” he said. “It was an excellent day of one-day cricket. Both sides played some great cricket and we were probably fortunate in the end to get out of it. England played very well. You have got to give them credit.”Waugh was obviously delighted with the win that takes Australia to the top of the NatWest table: “It’s been a real good start. I have been pleased in the way that we have chased totals. It is never easy to chase a big total. We kept our calm and the tempo going and it’s been very positive so far.”

Liverpool are reportedly among a number of top clubs set to ‘position themselves’ for a possible summer move for Porto midfielder Vitinha.

The Lowdown: Vitinha impressing for Porto

The 22-year-old is maturing into a formidable player in his homeland, proving to be an increasingly crucial figure for a table-topping Porto side.

Vitinha has made 20 Primeira Liga starts this season, along with six appearances in the Champions League, averaging a 90.2% pass completion rate in the Portuguese top flight. The youngster also enjoyed a loan spell at Wolves last season, appearing 19 times in the Premier League.

The Latest: Reds linked with Vitinha move

According to O Jogo [via Sport Witness], the ‘siege begins to tighten’ regarding interest in Vitinha this summer, with Liverpool one of the clubs keen on a move for the 22-year-old.

The Reds’ assistant manager Pep Lijnders is ‘keeping a close eye’ on the midfielder, whose variety of suitors has ‘skyrocketed’ in recent times.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-25/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Could be ideal

Midfield seems to be the one area of the pitch where Jurgen Klopp could do with refreshing this summer, with James Milner rapidly approaching the end of his career and both Jordan Henderson and Thiago also now in their 30s.

Vitinha could be an ideal option to come in and become a strong squad player, boasting a better ball retention rate than any regular starter at Anfield this season and also offering a long-term option in the Reds’ midfield.

As mentioned above, has experience of playing in the Premier League which would be an added bonus, and he has been hailed by Porto manager Sergio Conceicao as ‘fabulous’ and a player with ‘fantastic technique’.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

There are plenty of good reasons for Liverpool to explore the possibility of bringing the 22-year-old back to England.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly not in the race to sign one player. Find out who it is here.