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Aston Villa journalist Ashley Preece has said that Jacob Ramsey is a ‘big doubt’ for the Villans’ upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool. 

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard’s side will look to move into the top half and further dent the Reds’ title hopes when the two teams meet at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

Ramsey missed Saturday’s 3-1 victory away to Burnley at the weekend after limping out of training.

He features on a three-man injury list alongside Leon Bailey, who is expected to return before the end of  the campaign after he was forced off against Norwich City; and Kortney Hause, who hasn’t featured since March because of an abdominal issue.

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The latest

Preece tweeted that Ramsey is ‘a big doubt’ to play against Liverpool as a result of a ‘small groin problem’.

The reporter relayed quotes from Gerrard, who said of the 20-year-old’s convalescence: “He won’t be long. We’re hoping to get him involved in the squad against Liverpool but that’s looking ambitious right now.”

The verdict

This would be a blow to Gerrard’s chances of causing an upset against his former club.

Ramsey is one of the players the 41-year-old has trusted the most, with the youngster’s recent issue interrupting a run of 19 consecutive Premier League starts.

Villa coped well without their third-highest scorer of the season at Turf Moor, but title-chasing Liverpool should pose a far more difficult test than relegation-threatened Burnley.

The £19.8m-rated gem turned in a decent performance in the reverse fixture at Anfield in December, winning six of the 10 duels that he contested, drawing three fouls and completing two dribbles (via SofaScore).

Gerrard has previously described him as a ‘top talent’ who is in a ‘wonderful place’, and the Liverpudlian native must be gutted that Ramsey looks set to miss the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s side to the Midlands.

In other news, this man is set to leave Villa in the summer

His return to international cricket was low key, but the opening batsman certainly made a mark in Hyderabad

Deivarayan Muthu in Thiruvananthapuram09-Dec-2019WWE wrestler Randy Orton’s signature finishing move is the RKO. It involves approaching the opponent from nowhere, grabbing the head, and slamming the chin on the floor. Orton has done that to opponents from behind their backs, on top of tables, and even in mid-air. The thing about the move is that it comes out of nowhere and blindsides the opponent.On Sunday night, in front of a capacity crowd in Thiruvananthapuram, West Indies opener Lendl Simmons pulled off the cricketing equivalent of the RKO. “Simmons, where did he come from?” asked a local reporter. Out of nowhere.Before West Indies’ tour of India, to face Afghanistan first and then India, Simmons had last played an international in June 2017. Fellow Trinidadian Samuel Badree had taken the new ball for West Indies in that game. Badree is no longer active in international cricket, and in IPL 2019 he had been hired by Delhi Capitals as their spin-bowling coach. More recently, in CPL 2019, Badree was commentating on Simmons’ batting.ALSO READ: Simmons leads batting charge as West Indies level seriesSimmons wasn’t even supposed to be part of CPL 2019, although he is second only to Chris Gayle in terms of most runs scored in the league over the years. Simmons found no takers at the CPL draft earlier this year, after having fetched the biggest bid in 2018.Then, with Colin Munro being away with New Zealand on international duty, Kieron Pollard’s Trinbago Knight Riders signed him up as a replacement player for the first half of the season. And, after regular captain Dwayne Bravo was sidelined from the entire tournament with injury, Knight Riders drafted him into the squad as a permanent member.Simmons had a point to prove. That he still has it in the CPL. He scored 430 runs in 11 innings at an average of nearly 40 and strike rate of 150.34. Simmons’ hot form in a misfiring Knight Riders batting line-up nearly took them to the final. On the back of his stellar run in the CPL – and under a new management – Simmons was back in the West Indies fold for the India trip.

I’m a bit old school, take my time initially. My job in the powerplay is to go hard. Easier to bat outside the powerplay, knock the ball around and get the odd boundary

After missing the first two T20Is against Afghanistan with illness, Simmons had a low-key return, making an 11-ball 7 in the decider against Afghanistan in Lucknow and then 2 in four balls in the series opener against India in Hyderabad.However, with the series on the line in Thiruvananthapuram, Simmons stepped up on a tricky track and kayoed India with an unbeaten 67 off 45 balls. Simmons was uncertain against swing and the lack of pace in the early exchanges and had a life on 6 when Washington Sundar dropped him off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He managed a mere nine runs off 13 balls by the end of the powerplay in a challenging chase of 171 on a grippy, dry pitch. At the other end, the in-form Evin Lewis had moved to 30 off 23 balls.Having seen off Bhuvneshwar’s new-ball spell, Simmons got stuck into India’s spinners. After launching Washington, the offspinner, over the sightscreen, he pulled off his version of the helicopter shot against Yuzvendra Chahal, the legspinner. Simmons dared to hit against the break and clear the longer boundary. The approach was fraught with risk, but when Simmons is in his groove, he has the power to clear any boundary. It is that power that has made him a T20 – and now T10 – globetrotter.Lewis, though, was dismissed by Washington in the next over as India sensed a way back into the game. However, Simmons slammed the doors on the hosts and levelled the series 1-1.Lendl Simmons and Nicholas Pooran celebrate victory•BCCIOnce Shimron Hetmyer entered at No. 3 and began clearing the boundary, Simmons sat back briefly and just dinked the ball into the gaps, ensuring that the asking rate was always within West Indies’ grasp.West Indies reached 113 for 2 in 14 overs, and were in need of 58 runs in the last six overs, with eight wickets in hand. Sure, they had captain Pollard waiting in their dugout, but they were without Fabian Allen, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ finisher in the CPL. And Brandon King was playing just his sixth international. Plus, India had Chahal to match up with Pollard.Simmons had no problems in dealing with Chahal. He took the chase deep and targeted India’s gun bowler, hitting 20 off ten balls from him. He raised a 38-ball fifty in the 15th over, when he jumped across off and slugged Chahal against the break for another six. Simmons then ran down the track to Bhuvneshwar and crunched him through extra-cover to silence the crowd. West Indies eventually completed the chase with considerable comfort.”[I] like playing against India, it’s a good challenge,” Simmons told after winning the Man of the match award. “[I] haven’t played international cricket for a while, good to be back on the circuit, playing for the West Indies.”Those guys can go at it from ball one, they have a different type of talent. I’m a bit old school, take my time initially. I understand my game, understand my role in the team. My job in the powerplay is to go hard. Easier to bat outside the powerplay, knock the ball around and get the odd boundary. [Nicholas] Pooran and Hetmyer were getting boundaries easily so I played the different role.”Some of Simmons’ strokes revived memories of innings against India in the T20 World Cup semi-final more than three years ago. In fact, that was Simmons’ last T20I half-century before Sunday. That had come out of nowhere as well. He made it to the tournament as a replacement player for the injured Andre Fletcher, flying across continents and hitting the ground running in Mumbai.Simmons will now return to the scene of his previous T20 World Cup heroics, with an eye on the next World Cup in Australia. That’s later, though. For now, India must have an eye on him – he can blindside opponents, you see.

Bhuvneshwar and Shami continued their impressive run at Eden Gardens as India’s fast bowlers stole the spotlight from their spin twins

Bharath Seervi19-Nov-20173 – Number of times India’s fast bowlers have picked all 10 wickets in a Test innings at home. The combined effort of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav is the first time they have done so in over 30 years. The previous instance was against West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983 when Kapil Dev took nine wickets and Balwinder Sandhu took one. The first time this happened was against England at Wankhede in 1982 when Kapil and Madan Lal shared five wickets each.1986 – The last time three fast bowlers picking two or more wickets for India in an innings of a home Test. Coincidentally, this happened against Sri Lanka in Kanpur, with Kapil, B Arun, India’s current bowling coach, and Chetan Sharma being the trio. Overall, this is the fourth such instance for India at home.31 – Wickets Shami and Bhuvneshwar have combined to pick at Eden Gardens in last three Tests they’ve played here – against West Indies in November 2013, New Zealand in September 2016 and in this match. All other Indian bowlers combined have managed only 17 wickets in these three matches at an average of 29.64. In comparison, Shami and Bhuvneshwar have combined average of 17.77. Shami has picked at least three wickets in each of the five innings while Bhuvneshwar has two four-wicket hauls. Among 23 India bowlers who have picked 10 or more wickets at Eden Gardens, Shami and Bhuvneshwar have the best two averages.

Bowlers Wkts Ave SR 4-forsShami & Bhuvneshwar 31 17.77 32.29 5All other India bowlers 17 29.64 64.64 024.79 – Average of fast bowlers at Eden Gardens in last five years. Among 15 venues that have hosted Tests in this period, only Pune, which has hosted a solitary Test – against Australia earlier this year – has a better average (17.77) for the quicks. In four Tests in last five years at Eden Gardens, pacers have picked up 69 wickets at 24.79, while spinners have 49 wickets at 32.93. In five years prior to that, in three Tests at the venue, spinners had a better average (46.59) than pacers (59.90)9 – Overs bowled by spinners for India in the first innings – eight by R Ashwin and one by Ravindra Jadeja. It is the least that India’s spinners have bowled in the first innings of a home Test. The previous record was in the Delhi Test of 1987 against West Indies, when the spinners bowled 16 overs.2010 – The last time India had century opening partnership in their second innings of a Test before Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul did it in this match. The previous one was between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir against South Africa in Centurion. This is India’s second century stand for the first wicket this year and both have been put on by Dhawan and Rahul against Sri Lanka.1 – Number of bigger opening stands for India at Eden Gardens than the 166 between Rahul and Dhawan in this match. The highest is 191 by VVS Laxman and Navjot Sidhu against Australia in 1997-98. This is the first century partnership for the first wicket for India at Eden Gardens since 1999, and only the fourth overall.9 – Scores of 50 or more for Rahul in Tests this year, in 13 innings – the joint-most along with Dean Elgar (20 innings). Rahul failed to convert the first eight fifties into hundreds but is unbeaten on 73 at end of day four in this Test. Rahul is the first India batsman in six years to make that many scores of 50 or more in a calendar year; the previous player to do so was Rahul Dravid in 2011.

From a strong IPL influence to persistent questions over financial sustainability, here are four talking points as CPL 2016 gets underway

Colin Benjamin30-Jun-2016Ever since Carlos Brathwaite’s heroics in the World T20 final in April this year, West Indian fans have been waiting to celebrate their world-champion cricketers. They were denied an opportunity to do so during the tri-series against Australia and South Africa in June, after Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell were left out of the team because of their absence from the WICB’s List A tournament.This then is an opportunity for fans to celebrate with their winning stars in a tournament that also has a strong IPL influence and the best selection of overseas talent. From a West Indies perspective, here are four points of note for this season.Emerging playersWest Indies coach Phil Simmons told after CPL 2015 that, “The tournament is good, but not enough young West Indian players came to the fore. Just the established stars and the overseas players and as coach I would have liked to see more from the young players. I hope that improves in next year’s competition.”Unless the WICB changes its selection policy, or is disbanded in July’s CARICOM government meeting, most of the senior West Indies players could be excluded for a longer period. Thus, big performances in a platform like the CPL will be key for a few next-generation players looking to make a mark.One of them is 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran [Barbados Tridents], who made his T20 debut against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2013 edition of the tournament. He showed his abilities in a knock of 143 against Australia at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup. He will return to competitive cricket for the first time since December 2014, following a recovery from a car accident that injured his left leg in January 2015. Pooran will have to build on his early potential as West Indies could do with more back-up options for their first-choice wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.The tournament also presents an opportunity for quick bowlers like Ronsford Beaton [Trinbago Knight Riders] and Delorn Johnson [St Lucia Zouks], and allrounders Kyle Mayers [Zouks] and Raymon Reifer [Tridents]. West Indies are short of options in the fast bowling department, even as the selection status of senior allrounders, Bravo, Russell and Sammy, remains unclear.Offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar, who played a key role in Trinidad & Tobago’s title win in the Nagico Super50 competition this season with 14 wickets, will be able to test his guile against established international batsmen when he takes the field for Jamaica Tallawahs. Another young player to watch out for is Shimron Hetmyer [Guyana Amazon Warriors], who led West Indies to victory at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.One interesting subplot in the tournament is be the presence of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is part of the Knight Riders’ squad. Sarwan hasn’t played competitive cricket in almost two years but could be an important figure for the team once Darren Bravo leaves for the India Tests. After Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s retirement, young batsmen like Shai Hope and Jermaine Blackwood have not been convincing, so the tournament is a chance for Sarwan to remind the selectors of his quality.The clash with the India TestsOne of the biggest issues for contracted West Indies players who were likely to feature in the home Tests against India was that they would not be allowed to participate in the CPL.Earlier this month, however, the WICB released five players – captain Jason Holder, batsman Darren Bravo, allrounder Carlos Brathwaite, legspinner Devendra Bishoo, and wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin for the T20 tournament. They have been permitted to remain with their franchises until July 11, ten days before the first Test against India in Antigua. Marlon Samuels, Man of the Match in the World T20 final, was not picked by any franchise during the draft in February this year.During the tri-series in Barbados, Simmons explained the rationale behind the decision to allow players. “It was an easy decision, we would have a five-day camp, then three days before the first test”, he said. “It’s something that everybody in world cricket allows. Joe Root just played a Twenty20 game in between the England and Sri Lanka Tests and, when we were in Australia, [Usman] Khawaja played a few T20 games before the Melbourne Test and came into that game with brilliant form.”A tender for the finals venue is an important source of income for the CPL but questions remain on the league’s financial sustainability•Caribbean Premier LeagueFinancial sustainabilityIn an interview to ESPNcricinfo recently, CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe offered an interesting insight into how the league made money, particularly through tenders for hosting the finals.”We tender the finals, and last year it couldn’t have been a bigger success than it was in Trinidad,” he said. “The government there paid a decent sum – US$3.5 million – to get the finals last year. Now we’re still in negotiations in relation to the finals, because Trinidad’s economy’s been badly hit with the oil prices and they’re in deep recession. They don’t have that level of money to pay, which is a big challenge for us because that’s a very important revenue line for us. What I explained to the government is that the final is one thing, but actually supporting the team is a huge part of making CPL work long term.”Months of speculation over Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Florida hosting the final was put to rest when it was announced only days before the start of the tournament that St Kitts would host the final. According to local media reports in T&T, the government did not want to give US $1 million in foreign currency to host the finals when the country is facing a shortage of foreign exchange. Instead they wanted pay the CPL in T&T currency, which the organisers reportedly rejected.Unlike the IPL and the Big Bash League – where the BCCI and Cricket Australia have strong control over the organisation of the tournament and infrastructure – the WICB have sold the rights to run the tournament in the West Indies. The question, therefore, is how sustainable will it be, in the long term, for cash-strapped CARICOM governments to pay money to host CPL finals?The CPL is a welcome initiative that has also brought in funds for the domestic competitions, but many have criticised the WICB for signing a 50-year contract with the league. This was reportedly one of the factors that led to Dave Cameron’s election over Julian Hunte as WICB president in 2013. Concerns remain over whether the board needed to sign such a long-term contract, considering the uncertain fixtures climate in world cricket.The IPL influenceWhen CPL first started in 2013, there was no indication that linking up IPL teams was part of the league’s plans. In the inaugural year, Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler purchased stakes in Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs respectively.Over the last two years, however, the CPL has stumbled upon partnerships with IPL teams. The owners of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders bought the Trinidad & Tobago team, and renamed it Trinbago Knight Riders, and Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, former owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore, purchased Tridents. As Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore said, the IPL-CPL partnerships are potentially “perfect marriages”.West Indies’ legendary commentator Tony Cozier had earlier revealed before Mallya’s acquisition that the league was contemplating disbanding the Tridents as it had done with the Antigua franchise in 2015.In the current global climate of co-operation at the ICC, perhaps what Mysore and Mallya are doing could lead to the CPL being the first of many T20 leagues where Indian players will be allowed to participate.

Left-arm seamers took 12 wickets in the thriller between New Zealand and Australia, the most ever in an ODI

S Rajesh28-Feb-20156 Number of one-wicket wins World Cups. It was New Zealand’s first win by that margin in World Cups, and Australia’s first defeat.161 The number of balls to spare when New Zealand hit the winning runs. It’s Australia’s second-biggest ODI defeat in terms of balls to spare – they lost with 180 balls remaining against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in 2013.151 Australia’s total, their joint second lowest in a World Cup game, and their lowest when batting first. The only time they were bowled out for less was in 1983 at Chelmsford, when India dismissed them for 129. West Indies bowled them out for 151 at Headingley in the same World Cup. It’s also Australia’s fifth-lowest total against New Zealand, and the second lowest in terms of overs batted.26 Runs scored by Australia for the loss of eight wickets, after being 80 for 1 at one stage. It’s their worst eight-wicket collapse in ODIs, beating two instances of 8 for 27: against Pakistan in Dubai in 2009, and against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in 2013. (Click here for Australia’s worst collapses from the second to the ninth wickets.)Trent Boult’s 5 for 27 was his best in ODIs, and only his second haul of more than two wickets in 20 innings•Associated Press5 The number of times Australia have been bowled out in fewer than 32.2 overs in all ODI matches. It has happened only once in the last 29 years, and once ever when they’ve batted first – against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in 2013, when they lasted only 26.4 overs.5 Number of times, in the last ten ODIs in Auckland, that the team batting first has been bowled out for less than 210.12 Wickets for left-arm seamers in the match – Mitchell Starc took six, Trent Boult five, and Corey Anderson one. It’s easily the most wickets they’ve taken in a single game – the previous best was 9.6 Wickets for Starc, conceding 28 runs, his best ODI figures. It’s the fourth best by a left-arm seamer in World Cup games, and also fourth among all Australian bowlers.5 Wickets for Boult in the innings, his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. His previous best was 4 for 44, against Sri Lanka in Dunedin last year. Those are the only two instances in 20 innings that Boult has taken more than two wickets in an innings in ODIs. His four best bowling analysis in ODIs have all come in 2015.11.33 Mitchell Johnson’s economy rate in the match, his worst in ODI cricket. He leaked nine fours and four sixes in 36 balls.21 Balls it took Brendon McCullum to reach his half-century. It’s the joint third-fastest in World Cups, and also McCullum’s third fastest in these tournaments. He got one off 18 balls against England a week ago, and off 20 balls against Canada in the 2007 World Cup. The only other instance of a 21-ball fifty in World Cups was by Mark Boucher, against Netherlands in 2007.142.39 McCullum’s strike rate in 12 ODI innings in 2015 – he scored 487 runs in 342 balls, with one century and four fifties. Among batsmen who’ve played at least 150 balls this year, two batsmen – AB de Villiers and Luke Ronchi – have a better strike rate.1 Today was the first instance of Daniel Vettori bowling within the first eight overs in a home ODI since the beginning of 2002.15 Runs scored by Australia in the first over of their innings. It’s the joint highest in the first over of a World Cup innings since 1999: Australia had scored 15 in the opening over of the 2003 final, which was bowled by Zaheer Khan.7-0 Win-loss record for the teams chasing in the last eight day-night ODIs in Auckland. One game was tied.

If you are a fan of Indian cricket, the Sunday game in Delhi would have made you very happy

Prithvijit Roy22-Apr-2013Choice of game
It was my dream to watch a good Virender Sehwag innings live and write an account of the day. I have watched matches in stadiums since 2005, my under-grad days, and it’s an addictive exercise. This was the first time I got to watch Sehwag in the flesh.Getting to the stadium
Since it was a marquee game, the stadium was packed. With all the security checks and general crowd mismanagement by the authorities, we missed the first three balls. I was heartbroken, because I had wanted to watch Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting walk in together. However, I was relieved to see that it was Dwayne Smith and not Ponting who had accompanied Tendulkar.Fan love
All the spectators watched Tendulkar’s entry with bated breath, regardless of the team they supported. Everyone must have cheered his defensive prod as much they did as his trademark straight drives or his vicious pulls to the boundary line. Shahbaz Nadeem became the darling of the crowd because he dropped a catch off on 37. It was only when Tendulkar was dismissed that you could make out the difference in allegiances.As the evening wore on and a cool breeze blew into the stadium, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard made mincemeat of Delhi’s hapless attack.Key perfomer
I had already got my money’s worth from seeing Tendulkar bat. But I soon realised that was only the appetiser, because the main course was to be served by the artist and the butcher – Mahela Jayawardene and Virender Sehwag. From a spectator’s point of view, both styles were equally appealing. While you could hear a loud thwack when Sehwag struck the ball, it was only when you saw the ball race towards the boundary that you realised Jayawardene had made contact.My friends know I am an ardent Sehwag fan and he was indeed the showstopper yesterday, but in the years to come, perhaps, I will recall the razor-like precision with which Jayawardene manipulated the field. Who could believe this team was at the bottom of the table? I can proudly say I was a part of an evening crowd that watched one of the best batting displays. There were no slogs, no dilscoops or ugly hoicks. Just proper cricketing shots that struck a chord with the audience.One thing I’d have changed about the match
I’d have preferred to see Ponting bat rather than sit in his pads in the dugout.The comic relief
In between all the Sehwag-Jayawardene mania, Harbhajan Singh entertained us when he got hold of a kite that had floated down to the ground.Crowd meter
I usually try to get tickets for the East Stand, which has a better view, but this time I only managed to get seats in the West Stand. It was fascinating to watch all those mobile phone flashing across the stand to capture Tendulkar at the boundary line, the closest many fans would get to him. The good thing about players like Tendulkar and Harbhajan is that they acknowledge their supporters wherever they play, making it a point to wave to the crowd.Unfortunately my phone had got switched off, so I could not analyse the match with my friends who were watching TV, nor could I add a photo of Tendulkar on the boundary to Facebook to make them envious.Overall
As the match was drawing to a close, with Daredevils needing seven to win (and Sehwag on 91) David Warner became the villain of the day as he clipped a boundary and prevented Sehwag from getting a hundred before the match finished.Knowing that it would take us a long time to get out of the stadium, we hurried down from the third floor to the first so that it would be easy to make our exit. Seeing the floodlit stadium from the bottom up made me think how beautiful some of the innovations of this game are, like coloured clothing and day-night cricket. It has given the sport a wider appeal.

The WACA is the one venue where Australia might miss Mitchell Johnson. But the way their pace attack has thrived this summer, they probably won’t

Brydon Coverdale in Perth12-Jan-2012Australia will enter the Perth Test on Friday with a pace attack made up of Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus. Mitchell Starc may also join them. If all the fast bowlers in Australia were fit, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins would be among the first picked. Where Mitchell Johnson would rank is anyone’s guess, but he wouldn’t be higher than sixth in line.While the Australians trained in the WACA nets this week, Johnson was hobbling around in a moon-boot in Melbourne, where he was due to have a check-up after a season-ending surgery on his toe in December. He had hurt it during the Johannesburg Test, in which his last act was to partner Cummins as the winning runs were struck late on the final day.At the time, it felt like a changing of the guard. The 18-year-old Cummins had outbowled his older colleague, the man who was supposed to be Australia’s spearhead. In the 12 months up until that point, Johnson had taken 24 Test wickets at 46.75. He was, figuratively, on his last legs. As it happened, he was literally as well, as something in his foot gave way during that final day.It is a measure of how little Australia have missed Johnson in the past four Tests that they have bowled out their opposition in all eight innings. Only once have they conceded more than 300. But if there is one venue at which Australia would like to have Johnson in the mix, it’s the WACA. They haven’t been without him in a Perth Test since the Warne-McGrath era.Something about the WACA works for Johnson. He took 11 wickets against South Africa at the venue three summers ago, including a breathtaking spell late on the second day. Against England last season, he picked up nine wickets. The pace and bounce allows Johnson to dig in short balls at the ribs, and the Fremantle doctor helps him swing the ball in to right-handers, something he finds so difficult elsewhere.In four Perth Tests Johnson has bowled 160.1 overs for 30 wickets. In Glenn McGrath’s last four WACA Tests he bowled 160 overs for 18 wickets. But for all the statistics, for all the great Mitchell Johnson memories from past Perth performances, it is impossible to think that the Australian attack under the guidance of bowling coach Craig McDermott will seriously miss him in this match.McDermott is another man who did his best work at the WACA, where the pace and carry can encourage fast men unfamiliar with the conditions to bang the ball in too short too often. Generally, the best way to bowl there is to use the speed and bounce as a shock weapon, something to surprise the batsmen and keep them guessing. As often as not, full and straight is still the way to go. Edges will always carry to the cordon.Harris enjoys the WACA nearly as much as Johnson. He has 29 first-class wickets there at an average of 24.65, his best of six-for having come last season in the Ashes. He is a bustling bowler who hits the wicket hard, but bowls full enough often enough to nip the ball around and cause problems. He has the pace to sharpen a batsman’s reflexes with rib-ticklers.Surprisingly, Siddle has struggled in Perth over the years. His best in a first-class match there is 2 for 63. But the McDermott mantra, to aim at the top of off, will help Siddle at the WACA. If he can resist the temptation to drop his length back there is no reason he should not be a force this week.Hilfenhaus has 21 first-class wickets in Perth at an average of 36. But like Siddle, he has subtly changed his style. He swings the ball later than ever and the breeze across the WACA might just help him to mix things up even more. He can only hope it doesn’t make him swing the ball too much to catch the edges, for that has been a familiar feeling for him in the past couple of years.Starc is yet to play a first-class game at the WACA. The offspinner Nathan Lyon made his first-class debut there and picked up six wickets. He enjoys the bounce and the breeze helps him to drift the ball. Whichever way Australia’s selectors go, they should have an attack that can thrive in the conditions.Of course, if Johnson were fit, it would be hard to leave him out. But his injury has freed the selectors up to look further afield. Pattinson has burst on to the scene as a result, and Hilfenhaus has re-emerged as a new force. The attack, in whichever configuration has been required, has worked well. Most of the bowlers have shown they can deliver the kind of match-winning spells that Johnson occasionally produced. But none leak runs and spray wides like he did.While they work at the WACA over the next five days, Johnson will be watching, his left foot still encased in wrapping as he continues to recover from surgery. It’s unlikely he will be able to bowl this season. The IPL looms as his next chance to show that he still has it, and he hopes to be picked up in the auction for this year’s tournament.At 30, and with 190 Test wickets to his name, it is too early to write Johnson off completely. He may remain a key bowler for Australia in the shorter formats. But the more success Australia’s attack has under McDermott, the tougher it will be for Johnson to regain his Test place. For now, let’s remember the stinging performances he has delivered at the WACA. And over the next week, let’s see if his replacements can replicate his deeds.

Fazeer Mohammed23-May-2008
Amit Jaggernauth had to wait till after the lunch interval to get his first bowl in Test cricket © DigicelCricket.com/Brooks La Touche Photography
It’s a good thing I’m not a gambling man. Fifteen minutes before lunch yesterday at Sabina Park, I suggested to a colleague that it would be a safe bet to put US$500 on Amit Jaggernauth, the debutant offspinner, bowling the final over before the interval.However Ramnaresh Sarwan, deputising for the still incapacitated Chris Gayle, was following a script that apparently had a few alterations from the one that previous West Indies captains have kept in their back pockets. So Jaggernauth didn’t even have the opportunity of a token six deliveries in his first session as a Test cricketer, never mind that the third-wicket Australian pair of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey looked completely at ease against the medium-pace of Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy.Daren Powell, who almost joined the already long injury list while attempting a bit of fielding at mid-on, was summoned for a second spell just before the break, leaving Jaggernauth’s anxiety to increase heading into the afternoon with the prospect of being called upon to stem the tide with the rampaging Ponting in full flow and the remarkably consistent Hussey offering solid support.This is not about making excuses if (or when, as those apparently opposed to any slow bowler getting a fair run in the regional side will say) Jaggernauth is carted to all parts of Sabina Park for the rest of the match. But it is just plain cricketing common sense to seek to maximise the chances of any new bowler – fast or slow – making an impact. To wait until all other options have been exhausted, telegraphs a lack of confidence in Jaggernauth, who will therefore see himself as nothing more than a last resort.Anyway, it’s early going yet, so let’s wait and see if Jaggernauth, the 24-year-old Trinidadian, can rise to the challenge of taking on some of the most accomplished batsmen in the world in the first match of the three-Test series. Even then, it might not be good enough, as Nehemiah Perry will recall, the Jamaican off-spinner having quickly fallen out of favour despite taking five wickets in the second innings of his debut Test against Australia here in Kingston in 1999, a match the home side won by an emphatic ten-wicket margin.Speaking about maximising chances at a time when proven world-class performers are thin on the ground, you would think that the fitness and general readiness of our top echelon of players should be a priority. Yet, here we are, challenging the undisputed champions of Test cricket without our regular captain and the lone fairly-consistent opening batsman (Gayle), the region’s most effective fast bowler of the past 12 months (Jerome Taylor) and an opening batsman who impressed on debut against the Sri Lankans at the Queen’s Park Oval (Sewnarine Chattergoon).Ryan Hinds was also out of consideration for this first Test because of injury, but that is par for the course for a player who has promised much but delivered very little. This is due in no small part to a succession of ailments that can leave any team he plays for handicapped mere hours into the match. This was found out by the West Indies on the mid-afternoon of the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Guyana, when he suffered a hamstring pull.I wonder what the team’s Australian physiotherapist, CJ Hunter, has to say about all of this. Stephen Partridge, the previous physio, didn’t have too many complimentary things to say about the current crop of West Indian cricketers as far as their commitment to a prescribed strength and fitness regimen in between tours and home series was concerned.We’re so much in the business of concocting conspiracy theories involving devious external influences to explain away our shortcomings that I wonder what the excuse is for so many Caribbean players breaking down so regularly. I can hear someone muttering about the folly of expecting Australians (John Dyson, and Hunter especially) to mastermind efforts by a West Indian side to get the better of an Australian team, and being utterly convinced of the veracity of their argument.Still, we can’t avoid the blinding reality that we say we want to be the best, but aren’t prepared to put in the hard work that it takes to reach that level. The injuries that seem to be so much a part of the West Indian cricket landscape don’t occur just by some fluke or freakish accident. On the odd occasion it might, but not with such alarming regularity.Railing against emasculation by ICC regulations or biased elite umpires may strike a responsive chord with an audience that chooses to be blind to reality, but who do we blame when our players are falling down left, right and centre?Even the Australian team’s media officer was doing laps around Sabina Park at lunchtime yesterday. It really is all about nurturing a culture of excellence and a work ethic that transforms the desire for continuous improvement into meaningful progress. Let’s hope we at least learn from this experience.

It indicates that Neser could remain with Australia’s Ashes squad beyond the Lord’s Test

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2023

Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has signed for Glamorgan to play in the County Championship as cover for Michael Neser who is with the Australia Test squad.Although the Australia selectors do not officially reassess the squad until after the Lord’s Test it is a strong indication that Neser, who was initially called up to replace Josh Hazlewood for the World Test Championship final, will remain with the Ashes group.Swepson is expected to make his debut against Sussex on Sunday. It will be his first experience of county cricket and comes a few months after he lost is Cricket Australia contract.He had made his Test debut last year in Pakistan and played four matches across that tour and the Sri Lanka series which followed.However, he was an unused member of the squad in India earlier this year when offspinner Todd Murphy and left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann were preferred.Due to his presence in Australia’s squad, Swepson went more than two months without bowling in a competitive game between the end of January and the start of April where he feature in the A series against New Zealand.Swepson’s signing continues Glamorgan’s strong links with Queensland, adding to Neser and Marnus Labuschagne’s spells with the county.Neser is one five pace bowlers in Australia’s Test squad after he was retained after the India Test. Mitchell Starc is in contention to replace Scott Boland at Lord’s after England’s batters took Boland for nearly six-an-over at Edgbaston.

MatériaMais Notícias

O CSA começou a temporada com problemas, jogando mal e não conseguindo resultados, a diretoria foi atrás de um novo treinador, Vinicius Bergantin. O comandante vinha fazendo uma boa campanha com o Santo André no Paulistão, mas optou por mudar para Alagoas. Desde então, são cinco partidas, duas vitórias, dois empates e apenas uma derrota. Além disse, no comando de Bergantin, o Azulão chegou na terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

Vinicius Bergantin chegou na última partida do Campeonato Alagoano e mesmo fazendo uma boa partida, o CSA não conseguiu classificar para a semifinal da competição. Logo na mesma semana, o Azulão definiria vaga para a segunda fase da Copa do Brasil, contra o Tuna Luso e mesmo com pouco tempo de trabalho, a equipe classificou, após vencer por 1 a 0.

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– Chegamos em um momento conturbado para o CSA e logo depois da eliminação no Campeonato Alagoano, precisávamos vencer e passar de fase na Copa do Brasil. Foi pouco tempo de trabalho, mas fizemos uma boa partida e o mais importante, classificamos para a fase seguinte – disse Vinicius Bergantin

Além da Copa do Brasil, no comando de Vinicius, o CSA teve duas partidas pela Copa do Nordeste. Uma delas foi contra o rival CRB, em clássico disputado, com chances de vitória para o lado azul da cidade, mas que acabou terminando no empate sem gols. Essa é outra característica que o comandante mudou na equipe do Azulão, tomar poucos gols. Foram 13 gols em 13 jogos, uma média de 1 por partida, antes da chegada do treinador, mudando para uma média de 1 gol a cada 2,5 partidas.

– Com mais tempo de trabalho, a gente vai colocando em prática o que queremos da equipe. Estamos evoluindo a cada partida e o sistema defensivo é fundamental. A equipe não tinha uma média de gols sofrido tão alta, o que mostrou que era um sistema forte, então a ideia é ir melhorando cada vez mais para que o nosso ataque consiga trabalhar com mais tranquilidade para conquistar as vitórias cada vez mais, como foi no último jogo da Copa do Brasil, contra o Brusque – comentou o treinador.

Eliminado da Copa do Nordeste, o CSA terá mais tempo para se preparar para a terceira fase da Copa do Brasil e Brasileirão da Série C. Apesar disso, a equipe volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira, para cumprir tabela, contra o Sport. Para o treinador, é uma oportunidade para testar atletas novos.

– Infelizmente nós fomos eliminados, não era o que gostaríamos, mas agora é usar esse tempo para evoluir cada vez mais e chegar preparado para a Copa do Brasil e o Brasileiro. A próxima partida pode ser usada para testar novas peças, temos jogadores que chegaram faz pouco tempo, o elenco está se conhecendo e tenho certeza que vamos nos fortalecer e chegar para brigar por coisas grandes na temporada – afirmou Vinicius Bergantin.

No pote 2 da Copa do Brasil, o CSA terá pela frente um grande confronto na competição, isso porque, os 16 possíveis adversários do Azulão, que estão no pote 1, são equipes da série A do Brasileirão. Mesmo com a data do sorteio ainda não definida, a data preestabelecida pela CBF para a terceira fase da competição é a partir do dia 12 de abril para o jogo de ida e 26paraavolta.