The boyhood home of the late Sir Frank Worrell was torn down to make way for a museum for the West Indies cricket great.Bostonville, as the house was named, was demolished at the weekend after being in a state of disrepair for several years. It was built just outside the gate of the historic Empire Club in the suburb of Bank Hall, on the outskirts of Bridgetown.The government decided to tear down the house after it became a home for vagrants and drug dealers. The Ministry of Works was leading a project to rebuild the home into a tribute to Worrell, who died in 1967.”The centre will be restored as it was before to become a faithful reproduction of Bostonville,” ministry spokesman Lionel Weekes said yesterday. “It was necessary to demolish the old house which had become a litter-infested drug den after being abandoned since the early 1990s. We felt that the house could not be salvaged at all because it was structurally unsound.”Work on the new building will start soon, Weekes added, and will be a fitting tribute to the life and efforts of Worrell. It is expected that the new house will have a museum displaying some of Worrell’s memorabilia.Worrell, the first black captain of West Indies, played 51 Test matches from 1948 to 1963, averaging nearly 50. He was knighted in 1964. He was a senator in Jamaica when he died at age 42 of leukemia, and was buried at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, outside Bridgetown.
England were made to work hard in their opening match of the World Cup, asa talented Nepal team gave them more than the occasional moment ofuncertainty. Moeen Ali was the lone batsman to pass fifty, as Nepal’sspinners tied down the middle order. However, that was nothing compared tothe stranglehold the England slow bowlers subsequently created and,despite a promising start, Nepal’s run chase subsided meekly.When Nepal reached 41 without loss in pursuit of 210, the possibility ofthe first upset in the tournament flickered into view. KanishkaChaugai, Nepal’s captain and playing in his third U-19 World Cup, had laid intoMark Nelson and Andrew Miller operating with the new ball. However, playinga ball through the off side, Chaugai grabbed his leg and it soon becameclear he was suffering a repeat of the cramp that affected him during thewarm-up matches.Ali, who has already impressed as England’s captain in Sri Lanka, pulledhis team together for a mid-over huddle. He later told Cricinfo that itis something they have been doing for a while: “When things are not goingour way we just want to get everyone together. It’s something that worksat the moment so we will continue doing it.”As in the warm-up match against India, Ali was not afraid to throw theball to his spinners early in the innings. Graeme White was in action bythe seventh over and, in tandem with fellow left-armer Nick James,produced an extraordinary example of containment. The first 27 balls fromthe pair leaked just one run, and the pressure was telling on theanxious batsmen. The inevitable then occurred when Sarad Vesawkar smackedthe ball to mid-off, only to watch his partner fail to get within two metersof making his ground.Between overs seven and 21, White, James and Ali conceded a miserly 17runs as Nepal couldn’t decide whether to stick or twist and threatened tofold. Prem Chaudhary finally decided to chance his arm, taking two foursoff Ali before creaming a four and six off White – who had previously gonefor only six runs in 8.4 overs.Run outs, though, were always on the cards as skittish batsmencontinued to flirt with danger. They lived on the edge while there weretwo of them out there – the introduction of a runner when Chaugai returnedto the middle was always going to be a recipe for calamity. So it proved, and Nepal’slast real chance of pressuring England’s total vanished when Chaudhary wasremoved by a smart piece of fielding from James.England’s fine display in the field was capped by a stunning catch fromWhite, who ran backwards from midwicket, flung out his right hand while diving athletically and grabbed the ball inches off the turf. The whole team were ecstatic,but Ali was quick to admit it was a far from ideal performance.”We didn’t play anywhere near our best cricket,” he said. “We were luckyto get 209 in the end, then we had a bad start with the bowling butfortunately we finished strongly. But after hearing that the Aussiesgot 300 plus yesterday we wanted something similar but couldn’t manage itso that is something to work on for the next game.”Ali added that he had “really struggled” during his 54, but without itEngland would really have been in a pickle. From the comfort of 87 for 1the innings stalled dramatically as Nepal’s spinners probed away. England weren’t exempt from running issues either. They managed three, includingRory Hamilton-Brown’s passable impression of Mike Atherton at Lord’s in1993, scrambling on his hands and knees to fall well short of his crease.In the end, England stood up and dusted themselves off from their battingdisappointments, ensuring their World Cup run was off to a winning start.Nepal, though, have shown that they are not simply here to make up the numbers.They have plenty of heart and skill; the other teams in this group could well be in for a surprise.
The Dalai Lama will no longer inaugurate the the opening game of the series between India and Pakistan at Dharamsala due to Pakistan’s apprehensions that the encounter could turn political.A spokesperson for the Dalai Lama said in a statement that, “The general thinking of Dalai Lama is not to cause inconvenience to any party," and explained that since there were reservations over his inauguration of the game, the Dalai Lama would withdraw.The reported that Abbas Zaidi, the Pakistan team’s manager, was quoted in a Pakistan newspaper as having said the team would “not take part in any social activity, even those involving the Lama”. The PCB had expressed their fears to the BCCI, who responded that the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association had invited the Dalai Lama, not them.With the Dalai Lama’s withdrawal, the state board invited the rather less-controversial state governor, VS Kokje.
All that stood between Australia and victory was Rahul Dravid. And for a while, all that stood between Dravid and the target was Brad Williams. Bowling straight and fast outside off stump, Williams made Dravid look out of touch only a day after he scored 233. In one scorching over, he nicked a delivery to Adam Gilchrist – who dropped the difficult chance – and played to and missed two more that moved off the seam. Williams posed searing questions, and somehow, Dravid survived to score the winning runs.A breakdown of Williams’s bowling analysis reveals a persistent length and the near absence of loose deliveries, the reasons why India’s batsmen had such a hard time.
Length
Balls
Runs
Full
0
0
Yorker
0
0
Half-volley
4
4
Goodlength
30
11
Short-of-good-length
46
7
Short
4
12
If Williams did all the hard work, Stuart MacGill took on the onus of bowling like a millionaire, and gifted full tosses and short deliveries. Reputed to present one boundary opportunity each over, MacGill proved more generous towards the end of India’s innings. Though the turning pitch helped him dismiss Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, bowling down the wrong line proved expensive for MacGill.
Line
Balls
Runs
Outsideoff
54
37
Off stump
11
12
Middlestump
7
5
Leg stump
9
4
Outsideleg
68
43
All India needed was 193 on a worn-out fifth-day pitch with the ball shooting through alarmingly low at times, and Brad Williams reverse-swinging deliveries at 135 kmph. Historically atrocious chasers, India’s batsmen braved it out under difficult conditions, and got home in relative comfort.
Zimbabwe finished the first day of the final Janashakthi National Test withtheir self-respect intact. For the first time in the series their bowlerswere not bullied into a submission and, when play resumes tomorrow, theywill have realistic hopes of bowling out Sri Lanka for a sensible score.However, for much of the day it had looked like the same old story. SkipperStuart Carlisle had lost the toss on a slow, dry pitch and Sri Lanka’sbatsmen were meticulously building the foundations for another mammothtotal. Zimbabwe, desperately lacking a specialist spinner, looked well oncourse for a third successive innings defeat.However, in the final hour, with the score on 222 for three and umpire DavidSheperd hopping uncomfortably in the enervating heat, Grant Flower brokethrough with his benign-looking left-arm spinners as Mahela Jayawardene wascaught and bowled for 74.Next, Hashan Tillakaratne (3) gloved a catch to wicket-keeper Andy Floweroff the gangly batsman-turned-spinner, Douglas Marillier, andRussel Arnold, who had added 97 with Jayawardene, feathered a catch behindshortly after the new ball was taken. Sri Lanka were 236 for six having lostthree wickets for 14 runs. Thilan Samaraweera then survived till the closewith Chaminda VaasFor a team now used to astronomical scores, it was as close to a collapsethey have come for months. But an end of the day score of 243 for six isbetter than it looks. The pitch may not be assisting the fast bowlers but italready resembles badly laid crazy paving and even Zimbabwe’s part-timespinners proved a handful. Should Sri Lanka pass 300 then the visitors arestill left to contemplate the daunting challenge of a facing a revved upMuttiah Muralitharan desperate for his 400th wicket. The ball will literallyturn square.Nevertheless, for the time being, the Zimbabwe team will be looking on thebright side after an entirely unsatisfactory week, during which they haveseen their countries political problems heighten and a Test series lost.Considering that background, coupled with the fact they were so handicappedhere by not having a specialist spinner, their battling performance was evenmore commendable.The heroes of the piece were Grant Flower and Marillier, who together bowled49 overs for 105 runs and picked up four wickets – not bad for a pair moreaccustomed to operating in the one-day game.After the early loss of Jayasuriya who chopped onto his stumps having scored28, Sri Lanka had crawled to 107 for one when Flower, somewhat fortuitously,broke through.Atapattu, who had just reached his tenth Test fifty, rocked onto hisbackfoot and cracked a short ball straight into the midriff of Gavin Renniefielding at short leg. Somehow, Rennie, who was celebrating his birthday,clung onto the ball as he took evasive action.Next, Kumar Sangakkara (28), who had already flirted with danger with a topedged pull just before lunch, tried to sweep Marillier and was clean bowledto leave Sri Lanka on 125 for three.Arnold and Jayawardene then cobbled together their useful 97 runpartnership, before the part-timers reeked further damage in the final hour.
Border claimed a 56-run victory over Easterns on the final day of their Supersport Series match at Buffalo Park on Monday.Border declared their second innings on 202 for nine, thanks largely to a solid 54 from opener Craig Sugden.Gareth Flusk did most of the damage for Easterns, taking five wickets for 55 runs.Set a target of 220 to win off 80 overs, Easterns fell short when bowled out for 178.Vasbert Drakes again spearheaded the Border attack, taking four wickets for only 47 runs on the final day to go with his 4-48 in Easterns’ first innings.Geoff Love was also impressive with ball in hand, finishing the match with a six-wicket haul.Mike Rindel was again the top scorer for Easterns. Rindel followed uphis 64 in the first innings with a 49 in the second.Rindel’s fifth-wicket stand of 65 together with Derek Crookes (33 runs) was the backbone of a mediocre batting performance from the visitors.Drakes and Love had no problem wrapping up the Easterns tail, with the last three wickets falling for a paltry 33 runs as Border turned what looked like a draw into a much deserved victory.
Leeds United are reportedly in the hunt to sign Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui this summer, with several clubs battling to acquire his signature.
The Lowdown: Mazraoui shining at Ajax
The Moroccan has arguably stood out as one of Europe’s premier right-backs in recent years, catching the eye with his barnstorming performances.
Mazraoui has again been a key player for Ajax this season, scoring five times and registering two assists in the Eredivisie, as well as making seven Champions League appearances.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Leeds recently and it is a rumour that doesn’t appear to be going away.
[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]
The Latest: Leeds chiefs eyeing move
According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Mazraoui is ‘liked’ by those high up at Leeds, although they aren’t alone in expressing an interest.
European heavyweights Barcelona and AC Milan are also mentioned as potential suitors, as are Arsenal.
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The Verdict: Long-term Ayling replacement?
Mazraoui could be an exceptional signing for Leeds if they managed to get a deal over the line this summer, with his energy and attacking ability perfect for Jesse Marsch’s style of play.
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He could also be an ideal long-term replacement for Luke Ayling, who at 30, won’t necessarily remain in his peak years for much longer.
Mazraoui has averaged 1.4 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game in the league this season – only Raphinha (2.0) has enjoyed more of both at Leeds, which says a lot about his attacking quality.
In other news, Phil Hay has provided a key Leeds injury update. Read more here.
A report in today’s Daily Telegraph says that the British government may stop short of banning Zimbabwe from touring in 2009 and are holding ongoing discussions with the ECB over the issue.If the government were to ban Zimbabwe’s players then the ICC would not be able to punish the ECB. However, the paper claims that the government are keen that the board finds a solution itself, although this is unlikely given recent comments from Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket’s chairman.Cricinfo has learned from sources close to the government that the preferred option is for Zimbabwe to be banned from playing their bilateral series against England in May-June 2009 but for their players to be admitted for the ICC World Twenty20 later that summer. That would avoid any moves to switch the tournament to another country, which is the ECB’s major concern.The report points out that political events may overtake cricketing ones. Robert Mugabe faces fresh elections in March, and while it is unlikely he will lose, with Zimbabwe’s economy in meltdown – January inflation is around 150,000% – he could face a leadership challenge from within his own party.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said he was confident that unlike previous tours, this time the government would not leave the board to make a decision. “My impression is that the government will not leave this to the cricket authorities and that they will not issue visas to Zimbabwe when they come here,” he told the Daily Telegraph.The one problem that does remain is that Chingoka has been banned from entering the UK because of what the Foreign Office maintains are his close links to the Mugabe regime. Even if Zimbabwe were allowed to participate in the ICC World Twenty20, Chingoka would not be permitted to attend. It remains to be seen how the ICC would view that.
South Africa A 274 for 7 (van Wyk 76, A Peteren 60) beat Zimbabwe A 227 for 6 (Chigumbura 61*) by 47 runs ScorecardTwo well-executed half centuries by Morne van Wyk and Alviro Petersen guided South Africa A to a 47-run victory over Zimbabwe A in the first one-dayer at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, despite an aggressive unbeaten half-century from Elton Chigumbura.Robin Petersen, South Africa A’s skipper, won the toss and opted for first use of the track. Loots Bosman and van Wyk, opening the batting, put on 62 before Bosman fell to Gary Brent, caught in the gully by Chigumbura for 31.van Wyk was joined by Petersen and the pair added on 116 before Petersen fell trying to loft Prosper Utseya over long-on. His 60 took 81 balls, and in his next over Utseya trapped van Wyk leg-before for 76. The innings continued to wobble when Justin Ontong was deceived by a well-flighted delivery from Sean Williams to be stumped by Brendan Taylor.The last five overs of the South Africa A innings were eventful. Big hitter Justin Kemp had a brief cameo, hoisting Friday Kasteni for two consecutive sixes, the first which went out of the ground and fell on the road and the next which landed on the practice nets. However, a bowling change paid dividends as Anthony Ireland produced a gem of a yorker to uproot Kemp’s middle stump. Two wickets fell in the last over – Vernon Philander was stumped off Brent while Petersen was brilliantly run-out.In their chase, Zimbabwe A were in trouble as early as the first over. Alfonso Thomas opened with a no-ball then a wide before finding the spot to remove Stuart Matsikenyeri’s off stump. Chamu Chibhabha followed when Albie Morkel bowled him for 10.Kasteni looked comfortable but he was run-out by by a direct hit from Philander for 22 after a shambolic mix-up. Williams did not last either, gloving a bouncer from Morkel to wicketkeeper van Wyk for a two-ball duck.Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor brought the home side back into the match, but it was Masakadza’s poor strike rate that cost them in the end. They added 76 for the fifth wicket, but too slowly, and only when the more aggressive Chigumbura joined Masakadza did the run-rate rise.Chigumbura who took the bowling attack head on. Offspinner Thandi Tshabalala was particularly targeted as Chigumbura took four of his sixes off him, all over long-on. Roger Telemachus almost held on to one of them but could only parry the ball over the rope. Masakadza and Chigumbura shared in a 64-run stand for the sixth wicket, broken when Masakadza lost his middle stump to Morkel.Chigumbura, who hammered five sixes in his unbeaten 46-ball 61, gave the scoreline respectability but his onslaught came far too late to ever threaten to swing the game.The turnout was not impressive, but a number of schoolchildren watched and a few adults took time off from their busy schedule. The numbers are expected to grow for the last two games, as they will be played at the weekend. Zimbabwe A’s performance here will hopefully prompt the fans to come out in greater numbers.
Brett Lee has been officially reprimanded for dissent during Australia’s third Test against South Africa at Sydney. It was found that Lee had breached the ICC code of conduct on the first day of the match and appeared at a hearing with the ICC match referee, Chris Broad, at the end of the second day.Lee’s breach of the code was at level one, which means he escaped a more severe punishment which could have included suspension. All level one breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of a fifty per cent fine of a player’s match fee.Lee was reported by Aleem Dar, Billy Bowden and Bob Parry, the third umpire, for a level one offence in the 25th over of South Africa’s first innings. He had an lbw appeal against Jaques Kallis turned down by Dar and television replays this morning showed Lee asking Dar why it was not out. Broad reached his conclusion after a hearing attended by all three umpires, the Australian team manager Steve Bernard, captain Ricky Ponting and Lee.