Yorkshire have won the Pro ARCH Trophy after their four-wicket defeat of UAE put them level on points with Somerset and Lancashire, but the fact they wrapped up victory inside 25 overs gave them the best net run-rate of the three.Andrew Gale and Greg Wood launched Yorkshire’s chase of 191 in a hurry as they had to chase down the runs inside 25 overs to pip Lancashire to the title. They smacked 94 for the opening wicket before Wood was caught-and-bowled by Saqib Ali for a 39-ball 50. Gale cruised to 69, cracking nine fours in his 61-ball knock, but fell to Obaid Hameed. Jasim Suwaidi then chipped away at Yorkshire’s middle order with 3 for 17, but it was too little, too late, and Adam Lyth and Mark Lawson saw them home with five balls to spare.It was Lawson who did the damage with the ball, too, picking up 3 for 36 from nine economical overs. He was especially well supported by David Wainwright who conceded just 19 from his 10 overs as UAE were restricted to 190, laboured over 48.1 overs. With Gale and Wood going for their strokes from the off, Yorkshire were always up with the asking rate.
The USA Cricket Association will not receive any payments which it was due from the ICC while it was suspended from the organisation.In the normal course of events, USACA would have been entitled the annual Associate grant of US$90,000 as well as other funding relating to participation in ICC events such as the World Cricket League and the Under-19 World Cup.When USACA was suspended for the first time, it received all backdated grants as soon as it was reinstated. However, the ICC explained that as it and not USACA had paid for all the costs associated with the involvement of the WICB and Chris Dehring in drawing up a new constitution and resolving the impasse between squabbling factions, the situation was different.Aside from the lost money, USACA’s suspension means that the USA resumes at the bottom of the pile as far as additional grants and participation in ICC events is concerned, and that will have additional financial implications.
In 2013, Australia won the Women’s World Cup. In 2014 they took out the Women’s World T20. Now they are hoping that 2015 brings them the other major piece of silverware available: the Women’s Ashes. It is a prize the Australians have barely laid hands on over the past decade, despite their success in the shorter formats.Captain Meg Lanning and her squad leave for England on Monday night with great expectations, although recent history will be against them. Not since 2001 under Belinda Clark’s captaincy have Australia won the Ashes in England, and only once in the past 10 years have they claimed the trophy anywhere, with victory at home in 2010-11.This will be the third Ashes campaign that incorporates ODIs and T20s as well as Test cricket, and the weighting of points given to the formats has now been adjusted to ensure the Test result does not effectively dictate the outcome of the series. Coach Matthew Mott, who joined the group earlier this year, said the time for Ashes success was now.”The team’s record speaks for itself over the last 10 years,” Mott said. “But the one thing that has eluded us is the Ashes. It was 2001 the last time the team won in England. There’s a lot of payback ready and the girls are really excited about this opportunity coming up.”A lot of teams will say they’re in rebuilding phases. This is the time for these girls to capitalise. They’ve played together for a long time, they’ve had success and they’re all at the peak of their careers. It should be an exciting couple of years.”The series begins with three ODIs, followed by the Test match in Canterbury, and then three T20s that complete the campaign. The Test is worth a maximum of four points and the shorter matches two each, which means that a team needs to perform consistently across at least two of the formats in order to claim the Ashes.The Australian women’s team prior to their departure to England•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
“Given that we’ve had success in both the World Cups recently in both the T20 and one-day formats it should bode well for us,” allrounder Ellyse Perry said. “But there’s not much margin for error in this series because you only play a few games in each format.”Perry was Player of the Match last time Australia played a Test, against England at the WACA in 2013-14, where she scored 71 and 31 and claimed eight wickets for the match. However, it was not enough to prevent England claiming victory.Test cricket is a rare sight in the women’s game these days, and generally only occurs for Australia when they take on England – since 1996 they have only once played a Test against another nation, when they beat India in Adelaide in 2006.”It’s truly wonderful, to be able to put on the baggy green is what most young cricketers look forward to doing,” Perry said. “We’re really thankful for the opportunity. It’s a true test of your skill and ability on the cricket field. Because you spend so much time in the field as a team it brings you closer together as well. Every time we play a Test together we learn a little bit more about our own games and about each other. I’m really excited to play again.”Departing for England will complete a busy few days in women’s cricket in Australia, after the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League was announced last week. The T20 tournament will mirror the men’s BBL with the same eight teams and the potential for international players to sign on. Perry said she had been pleased with the public interest surrounding the WBBL since its announcement.”It’s a huge step forward in terms of the development of the women’s game, not just in Australia but globally as well, with the chance for a lot of international players to come and play in what is probably going to be the premier tournament in the world,” she said. “The interest in it is really pleasing and a little bit surprising. A lot of people are anticipating the competition starting, and the fact that it’s integrated with the men’s competition is a really good development.””Things have been developing so quickly in the last five or six years. Even when I came into the team about eight years there were no contracts for players, it was just tours every now and then. Now there are full-time contracts for some of the top players in the country, we have a professional competition in the WBBL starting.”That’s testament to the huge amount of effort and investment that Cricket Australia have put into the women’s game here, and also there’s more interest from the public across all women’s sport in the last couple of years.”
Monty Panesar could return to Northamptonshire as he looks to revive his career, with the possibility that the ECB will contribute to his wages.When Panesar was released by Essex at the end of the 2015 season it appeared his career might be over. Despite his relative youth at the age of 33 and obvious talent – he has taken 167 wickets in his 50 Tests – many in the game were jaded by his erratic behaviour. Both his previous clubs, Essex and Sussex, dropped him due to disciplinary issues.But with a five-Test series in India looming towards the end of 2016, England are not in a position where they can ignore such a talent. So with Panesar having admitted he required professional help and committed to sticking with the programme of treatment and personal development devised by Neil Burns, the MD of London County Mentoring, and termed by him as “inner fitness,” the ECB is considering offering Panesar a lifeline in the game.Panesar emerged through the youth system at Bedfordshire and Northants and played some of his best cricket for the club. But he lost his central contract at a time when Northants were committed to the signing of Nicky Boje and, with the club struggling to fulfil his salary expectations, he was allowed to leave for Sussex at the end of the 2009 season.That moved was, initially, successful for both parties. Panesar delivered a heavy volume of overs and won a recall to the England side in 2012. But then personal problems intervened and he was released from the club towards the end of the 2013 season.A move back to Northamptonshire appeals for several reasons. Not only would enable him to live close to his family in Luton and benefit from their stabilising influence, but it is close to the Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) he attends in Coventry.While Northants’ straitened financial circumstances might be expected to preclude a high-profile signing, ESPNcricinfo understands that the player’s salary could be paid, either in part or entirely, by the ECB. The ECB, mindful of Panesar’s potential and keen to encourage greater engagement with Asian communities, also contributes to the salary of Wasim Khan, the CEO at Leicestershire, and paid a portion of Panesar’s salary at Essex. The PCA and private sponsors arranged by Burns could also contribute.One potential sticking point is the presence of Graeme White at Northants. The 28-year-old is also a left-arm spinner and, having waited a long time for an opportunity, is well respected at the club. Panesar’s return could require Northants to re-consider the balance of their side and possibly play two spinners. The precedent is there from the past when Panesar and Swann operated in tandem. Jason Brown and Michael Davies also represented the club in a period when the attack sometimes included three spinners.Another is Panesar’s preference to play Division One cricket. But while he would rather play at the higher level, it currently seems there are few clubs with either the space in the squad or the inclination to accommodate him. Northants, where his career first flourished, could yet be the scene of its revival.Panesar, who recently underwent shoulder surgery, hopes to start bowling again in January and is planning on spending February in Cape Town as he picks up his rehabilitation. He has recently gained an ECB Level 2 coaching certificate and will work on gaining the Level 3 ahead of the new season.”Monty has made significant progress since the middle of last summer,” Burns told ESPNcricinfo, “and I expect him to be close to his best once his minor shoulder operation completes the healing process through December so he is fit to bowl in January.”I am full of admiration for the way in which he has confronted his issues. He has been overwhelmed by the support he has received of late and he is now well-placed to play the best cricket of his career.”I’ve always said that better people play better cricket and there is still magic in those fingers. His best cricket really could be in front of him.”
Twenty fours and four sixes were struck between them, but “smart cricket” was the cornerstone of the searing opening stand between himself and Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson said.The pair hit a world record 171 in each other’s company, to make light work of Pakistan’s 168 for 7. Williamson said it had been he and his partner’s ability to account for the asymmetrical dimensions of the Hamilton ground, and the particular strengths of Pakistan’s bowlers, that allowed the stand to flourish.Damage to the Seddon Park square during the recent Test match featuring Sri Lanka had meant a surface towards the eastern end of the block had to be used for this T20. This in turn brought the eastern boundary to 52 metres, while the square boundary on the other side of the pitch was lengthened to 75 metres.Williamson in particular targeted the short side of the ground during his career-best 72 off 48 balls, memorably shuffling towards the off side to hit consecutive legside fours off Mohammad Amir, in the fifth over.”No T20 is the same, and here at Seddon Park you’re not just taking the opposition into account, you’re very much identifying the dimensions of the ground, the pitch and using that as part of your planning,” Williamson said. “That comes into your thinking as a bowling unit and a batting unit.”With one boundary very small, naturally there’s going to be the odd boundary hit there. Then there’s the wind going to the long boundary which also helps hit to that side of the ground.”New Zealand hit 59 from the Powerplay, but were unusually reticent against Shahid Afridi in that period, scoring only 11 off his two overs. Williamson said there had been purchase and turn for Afridi on the pitch. Afridi was also generating significant drift.”Afridi is a world class legspinner,” Williamson said. “Today on that surface it was holding and turning a little bit, so for us it was making sure that there’s smart cricket at times amongst Guptill’s sixes and fours.”All Pakistan’s bowlers are danger men – they are all very good bowlers. Depending on the surface, some more than others. It was important that Guptill and I communicated and played some smart cricket. I think we were a bit better at doing that today than we were in the last match.”Williamson and Guptill’s stand surpassed the 170 made by Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith against England. New Zealand’s highest T20 partnership before this game had been the 137 against Zimbabwe by the same pair in 2012.”Records are not something that we set out to do,” Williamson said. “We set out to lay a platform and play to the gameplan. If records come that’s nice, but more importantly, we got across the line to set up a nice finish to the T20 series.”Corey Anderson had played as a specialist batsman during the Sri Lanka series, as he continues to recover from a back injury. He has now begun bowling in matches, and was effective for New Zealand on Sunday, taking 1 for 26 from his four overs. He had been cheap with the new ball, conceding only 12 from his three Powerplay overs.”The likes of Corey standing up after not playing much cricket, and opening the bowling as well, was a superb effort from him,” Williamson said. “He bowled some tough overs at the top.”
Scorecard Hong Kong routed Scotland by nine wickets in the first T20 International between the two sides in Mong Kok, which was reduced to 10 overs a side after wet ground conditions resulted in a delayed start.Scotland had early momentum after being put in to bat by Hong Kong, reaching a promising 28 for 2 by the third over. The loss of George Munsey and Matt Machan, however, slowed the side down and another two run-outs – of Peter Mommsen and Calum MacLeod – kept the side to 66 for 7.Hong Kong brushed past the target in 6.2 overs with the top three playing attacking innings. Jamie Atkinson slammed a 7-ball 20 before falling in the fourth over and Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath carried on in the same tempo to take Hong Kong to 72 for 1.
Darren Sammy, captain of West Indies’ World Twenty20 squad, has stressed that his side has never said they would strike or not take part in the tournament in India due to an ongoing contract impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board. Sammy reiterated that the players are unhappy with the remuneration offered by the WICB for participating in the tournament, which starts from March 8.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in Dubai, where he is playing in the inaugural Pakistan Super League, Sammy also questioned the comments made by WICB CEO Michael Muirhead, who had said it was not possible for the West Indies board to identify how much it would be paid by the ICC with respect to the 2016 World T20.”We players are not happy with the remuneration offered by the WICB to participate in the World Twenty20,” Sammy told ESPNcricinfo. “We have not given any authorisation to WIPA to negotiate on our behalf. A large number of players in the squad do not receive any significant remuneration from WICB at all, so we want the opportunity to negotiate fairly the financial terms within the contract.”In the past 25% of the income received by the WICB for participating in ICC tournaments was distributed to the squad. The remuneration being offered now compared to previous World Cup events is shocking to say the least. We are being offered now just $6,900 per match across the board irrespective of experience. Players are being asked to start providing services from nearly four weeks ahead of the World Cup and be guaranteed just $27,600 if they play all the guaranteed matches (which) is a staggering reduction. What happens to a player who does not feature in a match?”The WICB say they cannot figure out what 25% of the participation fee is as the ICC’s formula has changed. Surely they (WICB) must know a figure. What is it? We want the match fees to be doubled. I have also written to the WICB asking if they have got a sponsor for the team, and what is the sponsorship revenue. We need answers.”Responding to Sammy’s letter on February 9, Muirhead had stated that the sums mentioned by the player were incorrect. Replying to Sammy’s estimate of the payment expected from the ICC for the team’s participation in the World T20, Muirhead said that the $8 million figure quoted by Sammy was incorrect. He further stated that following the ICC’s revamp in 2014, the manner of distributing payments to Full Members for ICC events had changed and was spread over an eight-year cycle, instead of “being paid out in a lump sum and attributed to any one event.”Sammy also stated that the team had not backed out of participating in the World T20: “Under my watch, players never said they would strike or not take part in the World Cup. All we’ve said is we don’t accept the terms given or agreed by an association that doesn’t represent us.”Fourteen of the 15 members of the West Indies squad for the World T20 are not members of the WIPA and, despite Muirhead’s statement that WIPA was the “recognised collective bargaining representative” of West Indies cricketers, Sammy said the body had no authority to negotiate on behalf of the players.”Still they [WIPA] are the ones WICB negotiates with on player issues. But 14 of the 15-member World Cup squad is not part of WIPA,” Sammy said. “West Indies cricket has gone through a lot and it will continue to go through a lot. I don’t see things changing anytime soon.”
West Brom have had a disastrous season so far since returning to the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League, and despite sacking Valerien Ismael, very little has changed, with new manager Steve Bruce reportedly set to repeat a mistake of the past.
What’s the word?
Express journalist, Ryan Taylor, has reported that West Brom could make a move for free agent, Mbaye Diagne.
Bruce had reportedly opened to talks with Mohamed Diame, but the transfer became virtually impossible to achieve due to the complications surrounding post-Brexit international transfer policies.
The club has been exploring the free agent market over the last few months, signing Andy Carroll late into the transfer window, and now the new manager intends to continue to look for hidden gems in the free-agent market that he can snap up to bolster his West Brom side, who have gone from challenging for automatic promotion to falling out of the play-off positions in the last few weeks.
Bruce set to repeat mistakes
Diagne is no stranger to the Midlands club, as he was brought in on loan in the second half of last season with Sam Allardyce attempting to improve his squad’s chances of making the great escape from the relegation zone in the Premier League.
However, the signing fell flat and the Senegalese proved ineffective in his six-month stint at the club as they were relegated at the end of the season.
Despite scoring three goals and two assists during his time with the Baggies, after a good start the player was labelled “demotivated” and “poor” by West Brom journalist and podcaster Adrian Goldberg as the season drew closer to a conclusion.
The centre forward was released by Galatasaray earlier this month, following a long term femoral fracture injury, that he has been recovering from since December, just another reason why the ex-Newcastle manager should look elsewhere for solutions to his problems at West Brom.
Following a defeat this weekend, Bruce will need to get his squad ready for a quick turnaround as the side are set to take on Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening, in another must-win game for the Baggies away from home.
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The league table has not been kind to them already as they have now dropped into 11th position in the Championship, so the new manager must find a way to motivate and his inspire his players onto better results if he wants to have any chance of salvaging their season.
In other news: Adam Reach let down the team against Luton
Leeds United continue to monitor the situation of Ryan Kent ahead of this summer’s transfer window, and it’s thought that the winger would seriously consider a switch to Elland Road…
What’s the word?
That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who delivered a fresh update on the 25-year-old’s future at Rangers amid persistent interest from west Yorkshire.
Just last month, Football Insider claimed that the Whites had a long-standing interest in the Oldham-born talent, whose future in Scotland is in doubt as he enters the final 15 months of his current contract. He remains on Leeds’ radar, even despite the departure of Marcelo Bielsa.
“If Leeds were to meet that [his £20m release clause], I’m sure it’s something that Ryan Kent would seriously consider, moving back down to England and to the Premier League at this stage of his career,” the reporter told GIVEMESPORT.
Summer boost?
With uncertainty over the futures of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, who both have been linked with interest from Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, it would make sense for Leeds to remain keen on Kent.
The £12.6m-rated left-winger has continued to impress north of the border, delivering 19 goal contributions across 36 appearances this season, building on his efforts of 13 goals and 15 assists during their title-winning campaign last term, via Transfermarkt.
In 164 games for the Teddy Bears, Kent has delivered 30 goals and 44 assists, averaging a direct contribution once every 177 minutes.
Such form has seen him lauded as a “magician” by Gers teammate Leon Balogun, whilst journalist Andrew Dickson described him as “completely unplayable” on his day only a few months ago.
It seems more likely than not that the Brazil international leaves Elland Road in the summer, though things are less clear for Harrison, so paying £20m for Kent would surely be fantastic business for the club and they have been boosted by these comments from transfer expert O’Rourke.
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Whilst it would be painful to see Raphinha – who is in “advanced talks” with the LaLiga outfit – leave, they can soften the blow with the arrival of the former Liverpool graduate this summer, and that should leave many around west Yorkshire absolutely delighted.
AND in other news, Orta could truly kickstart the Marsch era at Leeds by signing £75m-rated “big talent”…
It is still possible for Guti to join Blackburn Rovers this summer, according to the Real Madrid midfielder's agent.
Sam Allardyce has expressed an interest in the player and it has been confirmed that preliminary contact has been made between Rovers and the Spaniard's representatives.
Rovers have also been linked with moves for James Beattie, Benjani, Frederic Piquionne and Kris Boyd recently, although they are not expected to launch a bid for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher.
The 33-year-old's agent, Zoran Vekic, said of the chances of Guti moving to Ewood Park: "It is possible. Little talks have gone on and, while there is nothing happening at the moment, it is possible."
Meanwhile, Galatasaray are being linked with Australia international midfielder Vince Grella who has endured an injury-ravaged two-year spell with Rovers.
Fellow Australians Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill are already at Galatasaray, and it is believed Grella is keen to join them in Istanbul.
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The 30-year-old moved to Rovers in August 2008 on a four-year deal from Torino but has started only 25 Premier League games in his two seasons with the club.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email