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At the end of a day that was restricted because of rain, Sussex had scored 178 for 3 off 42 overs, a lead of 114 over Somerset

Richard Walsh26-Apr-2002At the end of a day that was restricted because of rain, Sussex had scored 178 for 3 off 42 overs, a lead of 114 over Somerset.When play eventually got underway at 3.15pm Somerset added a further 21 runs to their overnight before losing their final wicket, leaving the injured Steffan Jones as the not out batsman.With an attack that was one bowler short, Keith Parsons came on as first change and disposed of Murray Goodwin, who had scored 162 in the first innings for 29, and added a second wicket before the close of play to end the day with figures of 2 for 34 off 10 overs.After the close Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "It’s been another hard fought day for the boys out there. We were a bowler down, and it was very windy so we did well to restrict them to a lead of just over 100. Richard Johnson also had a confident shout at the end against Chris Adams which would have been a very good way to finish the day."How had Keith Parsons coped with being brought on first change I asked? The coach told me: "I’m chuffed to bits the way that Keith bowled. He got rid of Goodwin, and was running in without a limp, and doesn’t seem to have any after affects."Looking forward to tomorrow he told me: "We are still in the box seat and in with a good chance, especially if we can get off to a good start in the morning."

Aston Villa could land a dream upgrade on Anwar El Ghazi in Flamengo star Giorgian De Arrascaeta.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season now over, Dean Smith’s side can now concentrate on the upcoming summer transfer window and how best to strengthen the squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

According to Uruguayan outlet Traspasos (via Sport Witness), Villa have made an enquiry about signing De Arrascaeta this summer, although it was revealed that so far there has only been initial contact and nothing more.

Better than El Ghazi

With 74 goals in his career thus far, De Arrascaeta has offered a consistent goal threat despite playing as a left-sided winger, although he can also play off the striker.

The 26-year-old has been in fine form for Flamengo since joining the club, with a user on Twitter putting a spotlight on the enormous success he has enjoyed out in Brazil by revealing: “Giorgian De Arrascaeta has won the Campeonato Carioca for the third season in a row, as Flamengo beat Fluminense in the state championship final last night. The Uruguay international has now won 9 trophies in 29 months at the club. That’s basically a trophy every 97 days.”

Writing for World Football Index, Tom Robinson described the 26-year-old as someone “blessed with excellent technique and vision”, and at Flamengo he has “quickly became a fan favourite with his mix of skill, invention and goal threat from midfield”.

In the Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League, the Uruguayan has been in scintillating form, scoring two goals and providing four assists, one of which came last Thursday.

If you compare his performances in that competition compared to what El Ghazi has produced in the Premier League, then it really is night and day.

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As per Sofascore, the Uruguayan doubles the amount of key passes, has far more touches of the ball, makes more crosses, and is also more of a defensive presence too, winning more interceptions, tackles and duels per game in comparison to the Aston Villa man.

De Arrascaeta is proving that he is a player for the big occasion by shining in the Copa Libertadores, and his goal threat, creativity and hard work off the ball makes him a perfect upgrade on El Ghazi.

Meanwhile, this Villa academy star was outstanding against Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup…

Outgoing Sheffield Wednesday star Tom Lees could join Bristol City this summer, as he moves on to the next chapter in his career.

The Lowdown: Lees moving on

The Owls suffered a heartbreaking 2020/21 season, with their relegation to League One confirmed on the final day, following a 3-3 draw away to Derby County.

Darren Moore now has the job of masterminding Wednesday’s return to the Championship, although he will have to do it without a host of established, soon to be out-of-contract players.

Lees is one of those after seeing out his current deal, so the centre-back is now on the lookout for a new club, having been described as ‘fantastic’ by former manager Garry Monk in the past.

The Latest: Bristol City keen on move

According to the Bristol Post,the 30-year-old is wanted by Bristol City, after they missed out on signing Hull City man Reece Burke.

Manager Nigel Pearson, formerly Wednesday captain, is keen on bolstering his centre-back options and considers Lees a potential acquisition.

The Verdict: Blow for Moore

In an ideal world, Lees would have extended his stay at Hillsborough, but the lure of playing Championship football has made that impossible.

At 30, the defender may not be at his absolute peak now, but he is still a hugely experienced player who could be a shrewd addition for a team of City’s ilk, and will no doubt be a big miss for the Owls.

He played 38 times in the league in 2020/21, leaving a big gap which Moore now needs to fill. Not only that, the experience of a man with seven years and nearly 300 appearances with the club could have been extremely useful in propelling the Owls back up at the first time of asking.

In other news, Dom Howson has provided an update on a rumoured Sheff Wed transfer target. Find out who it is here.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said an immediate decision was made to cancel the remainder of the New Zealand team’s tour after a bomb blast outside the team hotel today

Lynn McConnell08-May-2002
Snedden announces the abandonment of the New Zealand tour of Pakistan
Photograph © CricInfoNew Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said an immediate decision was made to cancel the remainder of the New Zealand team’s tour after a bomb blast outside the team hotel today.The team will fly out of Pakistan this evening and be back in Auckland on Friday morning.Speaking at a press conference at NZC headquarters in Christchurch at 4pm NZ time, two hours after the bomb blast, Snedden said he had been in touch with his team management in Karachi and their security advisor who is travelling with the team, as well as the head of Pakistan’s Cricket Board Brigadier Rana.Snedden said his main reason for making the decision was the safety of players and team management.”It was not a difficult decision to make quickly.”Team manager Jeff Crowe said the situation outside the team’s hotel was a little bit bleak. The bomb went off across the road from the hotel.”The players have been quite shocked at what happened,” he said.”The explosion occurred close to the time the team were due to depart for the National Stadium but, in line with the security plan, the team bus was situated in a secure carpark. Most of the team had yet to leave their rooms although the team physiotherapist, Dayle Shackel, received a minor cut to his forearm from flying glass.”Snedden said Brigadier Rana entirely understood his reasoning behind the abandonment of the tour.”He was very supportive of the decision and didn’t attempt to persuade me otherwise,” Snedden said.He added that the security provisions that had been put in place for the tour by both the Pakistani Government and the Cricket Board were very much appreciated by NZC and Snedden said the decision to send their own security agent on the tour had also been worthwhile.He had also informed the International Cricket Council of his decision to abandon the tour but due to time differences had not received any response.Snedden said in reaction to a question about financial implications resulting from the abandonment that his first inclination was that there wouldn’t be any comeback on New Zealand, and his second view was that he didn’t care if there were.”The safety of our team was far more important,” he said.Snedden was sympathetic to his players’ desire to return home as he was in the New Zealand team which returned home after a bomb blast after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1987.”It wasn’t near where we were staying but we heard the bomb go off, and I can only imagine it would have been a huge shock to players today.”The players would have been in no mental or physical state to carry on the tour, or to play a Test. The Pakistan team was probably in the same position,” he said.The second Test of the two-match series was due to start at 4pm NZ time today.The second occasion New Zealand teams have had a tour interrupted by a bomb blast was in 1993, again in Sri Lanka when a suicide bomber assassinated a high-ranking officer in the Sri Lankan navy outside the team’s hotel.Several members of the New Zealand touring party returned home after that event: coach Warren Lees, and players, Mark Greatbatch, Gavin Larsen, Dipak Patel, Rod Latham and Willie Watson.Replacement players were flown out from New Zealand to continue a shortened tour.

The fourth and last day of the Frizzell Championship match between Somerset and Hampshire at the Bath Recreation Ground, proved to be the only one with a full schedule, no stoppages for light or rain, and it proved to be an enthralling days play,

Vic Isaacs15-Jun-2002The fourth and last day of the Frizzell Championship match between Somerset and Hampshire at the Bath Recreation Ground, proved to be the only one with a full schedule, no stoppages for light or rain, and it proved to be an enthralling days play, with the result in doubt until the close.Hampshire started the day with 3 runs and 4 wickets lost in the second innings, and soon lost Neil Johnson and Nic Pothas to reach 16 for 6, and a meagre 107 lead.Dimitri Mascarenhas however had better thoughts as he crashed seven fours for his run a ball 31. Robin Smith then bravely battled with an injured back to give some respectability to the total, including punching Bulbeck for a six and four off successive balls; his 41 not out led Hampshire to 98 all out and set Somerset 190 to win in a minimum of 61 overs. Richard Johnson taking 7 for 43With the seamers dominating throughout the four days, this was always going to be a tough ask, and when 2 wickets fell to Chris Tremlett early on, it needed some recovery.Australian Jamie Cox and Peter Bowler got their heads down and with help from the middle order looked like making a serious challenge for victory. When three wickets fell for just one run it made Hampshire favourites for the match, but stubborn resistance by the tail thwarted their efforts, acting captain Will Kendall trying all sorts of bowling changes to no avail.Keith Dutch and Matt Bulbeck batted out the last seven overs to see the home team hold out for a draw.

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has completely ruled out Slaven Bilic returning to the Hawthorns as manager.

The Croatian was appointed as Baggies boss almost exactly two years ago following their failure to get promoted back to the Premier League under both Darren Moore and then caretaker James Shan.

But Bilic did achieve exactly that, securing a top-two finish on the final day of the 2019-2020 campaign after drawing with Queens Park Rangers.

However, Bilic endured a tricky start to life in the Premier League, with West Brom taking just two points from their opening nine matches despite splashing the cash on the likes of Matheus Pereira, Grady Diangana and Karlan Grant last summer.

Bilic’s Baggies would eventually collect their first victory at the tenth time of asking, before picking up an impressive draw at Manchester City last December.

Less than 24 hours later, though, the former West Ham manager was sacked from his post after just 18 months at the helm despite West Brom sitting just two points from safety.

Six months later, the Baggies are looking to appoint another manager after Sam Allardyce left last month following their relegation back to the Championship.

But Palmer told Football FanCast that there’s no chance Bilic would return:

“Bilic won’t go back there. There is no chance. I know Slaven, and I know what he’s like as a bloke, and he’s a very stand-up guy.

“You can’t treat somebody how they treated him and expect him to come back to the club, that would never happen.”

A major update has emerged on Boavista forward Alberth Elis, regarding Southampton’s interest in his signature this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, West Ham and Southampton have both entered the race to land Boavista winger Alberth Elis this summer. The report claims that West Ham and Southampton are both in talks with the Liga Nos outfit over a potential deal for the forward.

Boavista are said to be open to a sale for Elis and as such, a departure for the 25-year-old this summer is looking increasingly likely. The Portuguese side value Elis at around €10m and it remains to be seen how much Southampton are willing to pay for his services.

When Elis was linked with a move to Celtic in 2020, Honduras defender Emilio Izaguirre hailed his “strong” compatriot. Izaguirre lauded his ability on the ball and admitted that he is very good friends with the winger. He told the Glasgow Times:

“Alberth is a very good friend of mine and I spoke with him about Celtic.

“He’s a very good, fast player. He’s very fast and strong and he’s good in the air. He’s played a lot of football and is good on the ball.”

Ralph needs him

Southampton CEO Martin Semmens needs to get this deal over the line to bolster Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad ahead of next season.

The Saints struggled to find consistent performers in the wide attacking midfield roles in the 2020/21 campaign and Elis could help bolster Hasenhuttl’s options in that area of the pitch. He is a natural wide man and could provide the Austrian boss with another goal threat to supplement the likes of Che Adams and Danny Ings.

Stuart Armstrong’s tally of four was the highest number of assists any wide man managed for Southampton, with his fifth assist coming as a central midfielder. In terms of goals, Armstrong was top again with three strikes whilst playing out on the right.

Nathan Redmond, Takumi Minamino, Theo Walcott and Moussa Djenepo all failed to produce consistently when deployed in the attacking midfield positions in Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Elis provided Boavista with 14 goals and assists in Liga Nos. He found the back of the net eight times and set up his teammates for six goals, which is more than any Southampton wide man managed in either of those categories in the season just gone.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl needs Elis to improve his squad next season, as he could provide the goals and assists from midfield that Southampton have been desperately lacking, so Semmens needs to complete a deal for him as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Semmens must act swiftly with “outstanding” £65k-p/w beast, Saints fans would love it…

Over the course of this season there have been several Somerset matches where the Duckworth Lewis method has been called into play

Richard Walsh22-Jul-2002Over the course of this season there have been several Somerset matches where the Duckworth Lewis method has been called into play.Chris Bass who operates the scoreboards at Taunton has sent the following explanation of the system in the hope that it will help website readers to understand the method a little more clearly.’The Duckworth/Lewis method for re-setting targets in modern one-day cricket has gained an unjust reputation for one basic reason – people simply do not understand it. Anything that one does not understand tends to make people switch-off and join the ranks of the critics.Coaches and players need a simple understanding of D/L because it does exist and affects their decision making, just as the latest 2000 Code of Laws has done.Spectators want to know in the simplest terms what the D/L figure on the scoreboards actually means in any potential situation. This brief guide is designed to outline, explain and simplify the method as clearly as possible.Why Duckworth Lewis?
The traditional method used up to 1997 to revise targets when weatherinterfered with limited-overs cricket was based on average run-rate. The only advantage of such a system was that it was easy to understand and calculate for all concerned – players, officials and spectators – but it almost always gave a hugely unfair advantage to the team batting second, with the result that captains winning the toss when rain was around almost always chose to field first.From 1997, the ECB adopted the Duckworth/Lewis method as a fairer system, since when the ICC has done likewise. Before the days of D/L, there were some horrific examples of the average run-rate method producing ridiculous situations – today there are few. D/L is now generally accepted by players who understand it as by far the fairest method yet devised for target resetting.To avoid the spectacle of the batsmen meeting in mid-wicket and consulting Duckworth/Lewis tables and pocket calculators between every over, the scorers and Match Manager generally do the calculations and display the difference between the runs achieved and the score needed to win – if the match were to be finished at that instant – as a figure on the scoreboard, so all can see whether the batting side are ahead of or behind the target.Who are Frank Duckworth & Tony Lewis?
These two gentlemen are in fact professional statisticians and mathematicians who work closely with the ECB. They have done extensive research into past limited overs cricket matches, updating and improving their own system over the last 5 years.What is the D/L Method?
In simple terms, the D/L system converts the number of overs remaining and the number of wickets lost into a “resources remaining” figure. As overs are completed or wickets fall – the “resources remaining” falls.When a limited overs cricket match is delayed or interrupted by rain or bad light, there is often insufficient time for both teams to complete their full allocation of overs. It is therefore necessary to calculate a fair target for the team batting second – taking into account the number of overs that they will face.D/L has far fewer anomalies than any previous method. Whenever raininterrupts a match, the D/L method is designed to leave the balance of the match unaltered.Where other earlier methods crucially overlooked the importance of wickets lost at the point of delay, the D/L method incorporates this factor into its calculation. It is obviously much easier to chase 100 runs with ten wickets left than with just three wickets standing and the D/L method was the first of its kind to recognise this.The D/L Method in Practice
The adjustments that the D/L method makes try to ensure that after a rain break, the status quo of the match is roughly retained. If the ‘chasing’ side is ahead when rain arrives, then they are awarded the match if no further play is possible. This has given rise to a whole new tactical approach for teams batting second.Although the D/L method consistently spits out fair equations, which are easily understandable, its more intricate formulae are highly complicated and far too difficult for the ordinary man to comprehend. However, players and spectators do not need to bother themselves with more than a grasp of how the system operates and how it might affect tactics in any one-day match.The method revises a target in the event of an innings being reduced by rain, or any other suspension of play. The revision is not worked out, or affected, by the number of overs each team SHOULD receive, but in accordance with the ‘run-scoring resources’ each of the sides has at its disposal.These resources include a combination of overs left and wickets remaining. If only things were that simple, especially the weather! Either innings could be interrupted, possibly several times, or cut short. But the Duckworth/Lewis system is designed to cope with anything the weather can throw at a game.For example, if a side is set 300 for victory – a tough target in anyconditions – and rain is forecast, it is likely that they will go on the attack from the outset to try to stay ‘in front’ of the opposition.A team with 6 wickets still standing with 10 overs to bat will take risks to score quick runs. Some simplistic target setting led to several infamous disasters where the required demand on the team batting second was very obviously unfair.The D/L Method in Practice at Taunton
At the County Ground, both scoreboards display the D/L target score for the chasing team from the start of their innings. The number shown is the total required to win at each stage of the innings after the first 10 overs.Whenever a wicket falls, this total will possibly rise dramatically. Otherwise, the adjustment upwards at the end of each over is likely to be small.’

Sharing the latest transfer news coming out of Tottenham Hotspur, Sky Sports (via Football Daily) have now lifted the lid on a development involving Brighton and Hove Albion ace Tariq Lamptey.

The Lowdown: Spurs on the full-back hunt?

Centre-back is said to be Tottenham’s number one priority, but reports have also suggested a new full-back is on the cards.

The Evening Standard recently claimed that Tottenham are interested in promising Lille right-back Zeki Celik, coming as Serge Aurier looks likely to leave summer.

Spurs may need a replacement for the Ivorian if he does manage to part ways, with Sky Sports now sharing a development.

The Latest: Sky Sports share Spurs development…

Indeed, the broadcaster has lifted the lid on a development involving Tottenham and Brighton defender Lamptey.

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It is believed that Spurs have added the exciting 20-year-old to their growing list of targets and are now interested in pursuing him this summer.

“We’ve got some news on Tariq Lamptey, now listen to this,” Sky explained live on air (via Football Daily).

“Spurs interested in signing Brighton’s Lamptey this summer, the England Under-21 right-back, formerly of Chelsea, played 19 games for Brighton, really impressed last season, (but) hasn’t played since December because of injury.

“But Spurs, we understand, are interested so keep an eye out for that one.”

The Verdict: Promising development…

Lamptey showed real promise in spells for the Seagulls last campaign and comes as an exciting prospect, but Spurs may face a fight on their hands to sign him this summer.

Brighton boss Graham Potter is clearly desperate to keep hold of his best players this summer with clubs already knocked back in attempts to sign star defender Ben White.

It is unclear how much they would demand for Lamptey’s signature, but the fact he is young and homegrown could mean Spurs may have to invest significantly.

However, Spurs fans could take promise by the fact new managing director Fabio Paratici is already identifying firm targets early into his tenure.

In other news: Spurs will now swoop for this £31.5m-valued ‘leader’ with Paratici calling, find out more here.

The rain which washed out the first two days of the Indians’ tour match at Worcester returned to frustrate all parties on the fourth and final day, forcing the early abandonment of the match.

Stephen Lamb03-Aug-2002The rain which washed out the first two days of the Indians’ tour match at Worcester returned to frustrate all parties on the fourth and final day, and ultimately forced the early abandonment of the match.The Indians declared on their overnight first innings total of 417 for eight, but with just a day’s play remaining the chances of a result already looked slim.Worcestershire began steadily, set on their way by an opening partnership of 84 between the former Essex batsman Stephen Peters and Anurag Singh, previously of Warwickshire. Singh had reached 46 (61 balls, eight fours) when he was caught at second slip by Virender Sehwag off the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.Peters had just completed his half century (90 balls, eight fours, one six) when he was lbw to Ashish Nehra, whose Test place is thought to be in jeopardy should India, as expected, recall Harbhajan Singh for the second Test against England, which starts at Trent Bridge on Thursday.Nehra then accounted for Ben Smith for five, also caught by Sehwag, before Vikram Solanki was again taken in the slips, this time by Rahul Dravid off Ajit Agarkar for the same score. Graeme Hick made 27 before he was leg-before to Harbhajan, who then caught wicket-keeper Jamie Pipe at cover off Ganguly for 12.Worcestershire were on 200 for six, with Gareth Batty on 30, when the rain returned to render the day’s proceedings well-nigh insignificant.