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Lancashire have named Matthew Merchant as their replacement head groundsman after the departure of Peter Marron

Cricinfo staff26-Nov-2008Lancashire have named Matthew Merchant as their replacement head groundsman after the departure of Peter Marron.Merchant, 34, has been part of the groundstaff since he left school in 1990 and took on the role of assistant head groundsman in 2004. Lancashire have also confirmed that Marron will work with the county on a consultancy basis, helping to oversee major projects including turning the square and laying new wickets in 2010.”Perhaps the word honour is used too loosely now days, but it really is an honour and a dream come true to be head groundsman of Old Trafford,” Merchant said. “Pete took me on straight from school 18 years ago, and I’ve been extremely lucky to have someone like him to learn from.”I know Old Trafford like the back of my hand, and I can’t wait to not only continue the great work the team does on a daily basis, but to take charge as the club moves into an important period in its history with the planned re-development.”

Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee have been included in Australia’s 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 beginning on June 5 in England

Alex Brown05-May-2009Australia’s chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, admits the selection of Brett Lee in the 15-man World Twenty20 squad represents a sizeable gamble, but was hopeful the fast bowler’s forthcoming stint in the IPL will go some way to improving his match fitness. Lee, Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds were all named in Australia’s streamlined squad despite limited preparations, and are likely to use the IPL as a springboard into the World Twenty20.Lee has not played a match at any level since hobbling from the field during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, but is poised to make his return in Thursday’s 20-over match against Pakistan in Dubai. With his surgically-repaired foot now able to withstand the rigours of net training, Hilditch said Lee was a risk worth taking ahead of the World Twenty20.”There is no doubt we spent a lot of time thinking about what the best way would be for Brett to come back,” Hilditch told Cricinfo. “We did not want to take any chances with the key objective, which is getting him ready for the Ashes. He has looked extremely fit and has been training now for a few months. He has obviously missed a fair bit of bowling, but he will start with Dubai and then probably need a few more Twenty20 games to get himself going. There is still a month to go before [the World Twenty20], so there is time.”It is somewhat of a risk. One of the big advantages in getting him over to the UAE was so we could have a good look at him in training and gauge how far he has progressed. He probably isn’t quite ready, but with a few more games he will get there. I understand that he will go from the Pakistan series to the IPL, and from there to our player camp.”Lee is one of five pacemen named in Australia’s 15-man squad along with Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle. That left no room for Twenty20 specialist Shaun Tait, who is recovering from hamstring tendonitis and had hoped to make a late selection charge.”By the time the tournament starts there is a possibility that he could be fully fit,” Hilditch said of Tait. “At the moment he is about 80% and bowling in the indoor nets. He tried to put his name forward for consideration for the Twenty20 squad, but there was some concern that with Brett Lee already representing somewhat of an injury risk, we could not afford to have two fast bowlers in that sort of situation. It was too big a risk.”Like Lee, Watson is scheduled to make his return to competitive bowling in the series finale against Pakistan on Thursday. Watson averaged 90.33 in his batsman-only role in the five ODI series, and is likely to resume all-round duties with Rajasthan Royals in the coming weeks.Despite a series of behavioural infractions, Symonds retained the backing of selectors and his captain, Ricky Ponting, and will figure prominently in Australia’s planning for the World Twenty20. He is set to join Deccan Chargers at the conclusion of Australia’s limited overs tour of the UAE. “Andrew Symonds is one of the best Twenty20 players in the world when he is at his best,” Hilditch said.Michael Hussey retained his place in the side despite indifferent form of late, and along with his brother David, squeezed the impressive Callum Ferguson out of the World Twenty20 squad. James Hopes successfully retained the third allrounder’s berth, while Nathan Hauritz was preferred as the team’s specialist spinner over Cameron White.”That was probably the hardest selection of them all, if I’m to be quite frank,” Hilditch said of Ferguson. “He is a young kid who has taken all the opportunities that have come his way and done exceptionally well. He is desperately unlucky not to be in the squad. In reality, this is the first time in some months that, with the exception of Shaun Marsh, we’ve been back at full-strength.”[Hauritz] has made great progress in limited-overs cricket to become a regular member of the side during series’ in South Africa and the UAE. Spin is having a significant impact on T20 cricket worldwide and Nathan is well placed to play a significant role in this tournament.”David Warner, meanwhile, retained his place at the top of the order and will hope for more game time with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL to sharpen his skills ahead of the World Twenty20.Squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner, Shane Watson.

England’s home season was launched in the most emphatic of styles at Lord’s with a 10-wicket win, but now that Chris Gayle has confirmed the impression that West Indies were not entirely at the races, the value of that victory has been somewhat diminished

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan13-May-2009Match factsThursday May 14 – Monday May 18
Start time 11.00 (10.00GMT)Big PictureEngland’s home season was launched in the most emphatic of styles at Lord’s with a 10-wicket win, but now that Chris Gayle has confirmed the impression that West Indies were not entirely at the races, the value of that victory has been somewhat diminished. England, however, will not worry about factors beyond their control. Their first priority is to produce another convincing display at Chester-le-Street to regain the Wisden Trophy.While England’s bowling performance last week gained close to full marks, the batting was less convincing as only Ravi Bopara produced a stand-out innings from the top order. Graeme Swann’s runs were a welcome bonus, but the batsman can’t rely on the lower order to bail them out every time. Kevin Pietersen is in need of a score, while Paul Collingwood will be motivated by a rare home Test appearance.Another home-town lad is Graham Onions, fresh from his seven wickets on debut at Lord’s, and the locals will expect more of the same. West Indies certainly seem ripe for the taking – conditions are tough and their attitude hasn’t won many admirers – but it would be careless in the extreme for England to underestimate them. It’s unlikely that Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul will all fail twice again. If they do, however, England shouldn’t have too many problems completing stage one of the summer.Form guideEngland WDDDD
West Indies LDDDDWatch out for…Kevin Pietersen has never been as anonymous as he was at Lord’s. A first-ball duck and very little to do in the field almost left you saying “Pietersen who?” and he won’t like that. He didn’t let up in his back-slapping encouragement of his team-mates, but he wants to be at the centre of success and with tougher challenges around the corner England need an in-form Pietersen.It is often difficult to tell much from the body language of Chris Gayle, but how desperate West Indies are to level the series could well be shown by the early mood of their captain. His pre-match revelations will do nothing to boost team morale and if the captain doesn’t want to be there, what hope for the rest of the side? If he fields first, in cold, blustery conditions he will have to do more than stand at slip with his hands in his pockets, and if he gets the chance to bat first the leading role must come from his bat.Jerome Taylor wasn’t at his best at Lord’s and the tourists need all their key players to step forward over the next five days. At the time Taylor’s pace was seriously down, but if he and Fidel Edwards fire together they can create real problems for England. His 5 for 11 at Sabina Park is still fresh in the memory, but that is now more than three months ago. It’s time to show it wasn’t a fluke.Team newsIan Bell and Ryan Sidebottom have been added to the winning eleven from Lord’s, but neither is expected to be recalled yet as England stick with an unchanged team. However, their presence in the squad means no one can rest on their laurels even after an impressive performance. Tim Bresnan, restricted to seven overs on debut, should get another chance but the feeling is he’ll be the first for the chop when changes are made.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Graham Onions, 11 James AndersonDale Richards, the opening batsman, has flown home with a shoulder injury so any changes in the top order are unlikely even though Devon Smith keeps throwing away his promising starts. West Indies might feel it’s worth a gamble on one of the uncapped quicks in Nelon Pascal and Andrew Richardson, or they could opt for the all-round skills of Darren Sammy who would add accuracy with the ball and depth to the batting. Lionel Baker would be the man to step aside.West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Brendan Nash, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Fidel EdwardsUmpires: Steve Davis (Australia) and Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka)Pitch and conditionsAs usual, the forecast changes by the day, but the first two days have a reasonable chance of staying fine although the weekend is more uncertain. There’s a cold wind, too, so West Indies will need all those sweaters. After taking a few years to settle down, Chester-le-Street is now a solid all-round wicket which rewards batsmen and bowlers.Stats and TriviaThese two teams met on this ground two years and England came out with a seven-wicket victory, but not before another masterclass from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.England have a 100% record at Chester-le-Street having beaten Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and West Indies.Quotes”To be honest with you, there’s a possibility I might give it up – I will be giving it up, shortly.”
Chris Gayle serves notice of his impending resignation, assuming he isn’t pushed first

West Ham United return to Premier League action this weekend and they’ll be looking to continue their fine start to the 2021/22 campaign.

David Moyes’ side remain unbeaten after the opening three matches, having thrashed Newcastle United and Leicester City before picking up a point against Crystal Palace at the London Stadium last time out.

They now face Southampton at St Mary’s and the 58-year-old has plenty to mull over heading into kick-off, not least because they signed three more players before deadline day.

One of those was quite a considerable coup…

On the Chalkboard

The Irons managed to seal a £29.8m move for Premier League and Champions League winner Kurt Zouma from Chelsea in the final week of the transfer window and he represents an instant upgrade to the defence.

Moyes should not wait to see him in action either, despite a lack of time with the squad on the training pitch. He’ll be fresh and ready to go after featuring for France in their recent World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Finland this week, where he picked up his seventh and eighth caps.

Zouma, who was once described as a “beast of a player” by Premier League legend John Terry, must replace Craig Dawson in the starting XI, taking up a spot alongside Angelo Ogbonna in the heart of the Hammers’ backline.

It was perhaps a little confusing to see Thomas Tuchel willing to part ways with the 26-year-old centre-back, as he performed to a very high level whenever selected last season.

Indeed, the 6 foot 3 Frenchman was graded as Chelsea’s second-best player, as per WhoScored figures, whilst he topped the charts for aerial duels won (3.6) and clearances (3.8) per game in the top-flight, proving to be a solid no-nonsense defender. In addition to that, the £28.8m-rated colossus was one of their best with the ball at his feet, averaging a passing accuracy of 90.9% across the season.

By comparison, that ball-playing ability would’ve exceeded every single West Ham player last season and the rest of his numbers are a sheer upgrade on Dawson, who averaged one fewer aerial duel won as well as fewer tackles per game, via WhoScored.

On the above evidence, this selection change should be a very easy one to make, and considering that the Irons have leaked five goals in three games, therefore it should be one that Moyes does not hesitate over.

Zouma must be unleashed against the Saints. He could be a massive game-changer for the east London outfit.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops major claim on £60k-p/w West Ham star, fans will be ecstatic…

Axel Witsel is set to leave Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and Newcastle United could be his destination, according to SPORT1. 

The lowdown

The £8.1-m rated 32-year-old will be out of contract come the end of the season (via Transfermarkt).

The defensive midfielder has made 123 appearances for Dortmund across two spells at the Westfalenstadion, winning one DFB-Pokal and one German Super Cup.

He’s also racked up 120 caps for Belgium and featured prominently at four major tournaments – two World Cups and two European Championships.

Prior to Euro 2020, international team-mate Jan Vertonghen confessed himself ‘amazed’ by Witsel’s ‘unbelievable’ recovery from a serious injury to make it in time for the tournament, am indicator of the 32-year-old’s determination and resilience to come through for his nation.

The latest

The report from SPORT1 stated that ‘there have not been any talks’ between Witsel’s camp and Dortmund over a new deal for the Bundesliga giants, which means that he is ‘all set to say goodbye’ as things stand. That could be in January if Dortmund want to take their last opportunity to cash in on him, or at the end of the season.

Witsel is said to be ‘open to a change’, with Newcastle and Juventus named as two clubs battling it out for his signature.

The verdict

Witsel remains a key player at Dortmund, featuring in all 12 of their Bundesliga matches so far this season, so there’s no sign of him being phased out.

He is a defensive midfielder in the mould of Liverpool’s Fabinho and Paris Saint-Germain’s Danilo Pereira, and that could be precisely what Newcastle need right now. They’ve leaked 27 Premier League goals this season, the joint-worst record in the division.

They desperately need some security in front of their leaky defence, and with the Belgian winning 1.6 tackles per game over the course of his career, he could be just the man to provide it.

In other news, this goalkeeper is apparently likely to join Newcastle.

Plans by the Hong Kong board to borrow more than US$125,000 to help build a more professional organisation by hiring a full-time chief executive may proceed despite the international economic crisis

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2009Plans by the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) to borrow more than US$125,000 to help build a more professional organisation by hiring a full-time chief executive may proceed despite the international economic crisis.Although several members of the HKCA board have expressed concerns at taking on such a liability at the present time, chairman Darren Tucker has said he is keen to press ahead.”There has been a concern with the economy and that will be a valid point for discussion,” Tucker told AFP. “However, there is an overriding belief that we have to take a tough path to achieve goals.”The highlight of the local season is the Hong Kong Sixes, staged each November and usually featuring an array of club and international players. However, the event is believed to have lost money this year after organisers failed to find a major sponsor.”This idea should be put on hold,” an unnamed source told the South China Morning Post , claiming that almost half the board opposed the scheme. “The timing of this proposal is our concern,” he said. “We are not saying Hong Kong cricket shouldn’t have a CEO, all we are saying is that we should get one when the economic conditions are better.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has admitted that his failure to switch off from the demands of the job took its toll as he reflected on stepping down

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2009Former England captain Michael Vaughan has admitted that his failure to switch off from the demands of the job took its toll as he reflected on his decision to step down. Vaughan led England in 51 Tests, including the victorious Ashes series against Australia in 2005, but resigned in August last year after the home series against South Africa, and was succeeded by Kevin Pietersen.”I wasn’t very good at switching off,” Vaughan wrote in the . “I thought about the captaincy 24/7 and that is why it took its toll. There is always going to be some negative stuff, like whether you are going to tour Zimbabwe or not, and how you cope determines how long you can captain for.”Even in my year out with a knee injury I was still thinking about how to make us a great team. Even when playing golf, after two or three holes I’d get back to strategies for beating Australia and what sort of cricket we had to play.”Vaughan admitted that he suffered self-doubt during the final period of his captaincy. “For three-quarters of my time I didn’t worry about my decision-making,” he said. “Towards the end, especially in my last series in charge against South Africa, I started to question myself – and in sport, the more you start to think, the more you have a problem. I didn’t want to go on as captain for a year too long.”He also conceded that many a time he had to put up a front. “A lot of captaincy is about acting: you want your team-mates to play naturally and be themselves, but the captain has to act. Your job is to lead with a calm authority. On that Sunday morning at Edgbaston in 2005, when we won the second Test against Australia by two runs, I was unbelievably stressed. I was flapping like hell inside, but couldn’t show it…The players in my last year as captain didn’t know I was struggling – and that is one of the things I will always be proudest of.”After resigning from the captaincy, he was kept out of England’s winter tours to India and West Indies in 2008-09. However, he has been given a timely opportunity to impress the selectors ahead of this summer’s Ashes, after being picked for MCC against the champion County, Durham, in the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season, at Lord’s on April 9.

Officials from both teams have confirmed that there has been an expression of interest over a swap between Mumbai fast bowler Ashish Nehra and Delhi batsman Shikhar Dhawan

Cricinfo staff17-Jan-2009The Delhi Daredevils and the Mumbai Indians have completed the first of five stages of the first-ever IPL transfer. Officials from both teams have confirmed that there has been an expression of interest over a swap between Mumbai fast bowler Ashish Nehra and Delhi batsman Shikhar Dhawan.The IPL transfer window opened on December 22 and Cricinfo had reported that Delhi were “looking specifically” for an Indian fast bowler. “We are pursuing the matter but it’s a long process,” Delhi’s chief operating officer Amrit Mathur told Cricinfo.The ‘expression of interest’ was only the first step of the process. The two franchises now have to reach a transfer agreement after which the players have to sign new contracts. The IPL has to then approve and register the change before the financial details of the deal are hammered out.Nehra played 14 matches for Mumbai during the inaugural season of the IPL and took 12 wickets at an average of 29 and economy-rate of 7.76. Dhawan scored 340 runs in 14 games for Delhi at a strike-rate of 115 with four fifties.

Darrell Hair has called on all the ICC board members involved in the original decision to change the result of the 2006 Oval Test to resign

Cricinfo staff03-Feb-2009Darrell Hair, the former international umpire at the centre of the furore surrounding the 2006 Oval Test, has called on all the ICC board members involved in the original decision to change the result of the match to resign. Last weekend the ICC executive voted to overturn its ruling altering the result of the game from an England win to a draw.”All the board members who were involved in the earlier decision should resign now,” Hair said. “And this should also include the present ICC president David Morgan. The first to go should be David Richardson [ the ICC’s general manager – cricket) and Doug Cowie [the ICC’s manager for umpires].”I felt the gun was loaded by the ICC board, and Richardson and [the chief executive] Malcolm Speed were only too happy to pull the trigger.”In the immediate aftermath of the match it emerged that Hair had offered to stand down in return for a pay-off for the remainder of his contract. He was subsequently suspended by the ICC but eventually returned to umpiring. He stepped down from the ICC elite panel of umpires last year to become CEO of the New South Wales Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association.”They tried to destroy my life,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “After the ICC made the decision several ICC officials set out to make a real meal of it and make life very tough for me. People like myself pay for standing up for what is right. There was a lot of support for me from around the world but unfortunately none of the people who worked at the ICC were among them. I am dirty on the fact that none of the people who worked there backed me up.”But Hair added that he wanted to move on. “I want to forget the past now. I am happily living in Sydney.”

Aston Villa forward Brad Young has completed a season-long loan move to League Two side Carlisle United, as announced by his parent club’s official website this afternoon.

In a sparkling 2020/21 campaign, the prodigious youngster netted 21 goals combined for Aston Villa’s under-18 and under-23 sides [avfc.co.uk]. He also made his senior debut earlier this year, featuring as a substitute for a depleted Villa outfit in their 4-1 FA Cup defeat at home to Liverpool [BBC].

The 18-year-old has now completed a move to Brunton Park for the upcoming campaign in order to gain more first team experience, with the aforementioned FA Cup clash his only exposure to senior football thus far [Transfermarkt].

He may be in line for his Carlisle debut as soon as tomorrow night, when they travel to their divisional rivals Port Vale in a League Two encounter [News & Star].

In light of this news, plenty of Aston Villa diehards took to social media to express their delight at Young securing a loan move to the Cumbrian outfit.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to Aston Villa’s official Twitter channel, here is what some fans had to say about the “fantastic” loan announcement:

“great move for him”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Great move all round”

Credit: @GW_94″Will be a fantastic addition for Carlisle. Go get em lad.”Credit: @MarkLH75″Guess I’ll be watching all the Carlisle games then, as I think this lad is going to turn out to be a superstar. Hope he has a productive and successful loan and comes back ready to don the claret and blue for years to come. Best of luck and UTV!”Credit: @ShaunStait”Good luck Brad. Smash it”Credit: @_stonyd”Good luck Brad”Credit: @msteadman29In other news, Aston Villa face a blow in a reported transfer pursuit. Read all about it here.