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Everton are keen on a move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, according to journalist Larry Henry Jr. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old has now reached the end of his season-long loan at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic. The centre-back would like to remain at Parkhead and has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Hoops.

Celtic can activate an option to purchase the defender outright for £6m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons. That could make it the most expensive transfer in the Glasgow club’s history, so you can understand why they might be hesitant to let him slip through the net.

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The latest

Henry Jr explained on Twitter that Everton ‘are in the race’ for Carter-Vickers, as are newly-promoted Fulham, as confirmed by ‘a source close to the player’.

If Celtic fail to reach an agreement with Spurs before 12 June, the duo could then look to pounce.

Carter-Vickers is joining up with the United States national team ahead of their friendlies against Morocco and Uruguay on 2 June and 5 June respectively.

The verdict

Defensive reinforcements are sorely needed at Goodison Park this summer. Everton conceded 66 league goals over the course of the season, and at one point, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher slammed their depleted back four as ‘Championship’ standard.

Injuries to Yerry Mina (who missed 25 games) and Ben Godfrey (sidelined for 14) certainly didn’t help matters, but they can’t bank on those players being fit and healthy throughout next season.

Carter-Vickers, who has been described as ‘immense’ by pundit Chris Sutton, isn’t the only centre-half with whom they are currently linked – the Blues have reportedly offered James Tarkowski £120,000 per week to join as a free agent.

It’s good to see that Kevin Thelwell and co are quickly getting to work with a view to next season, with the American looking like a solid Plan B in case things don’t work out with Tarkowski.

In other news, Everton are also keen on signing this defender

Manchester United are reportedly willing to spend €80m on Benfica forward Darwin Nunez this summer.

The Lowdown: Nunez links

The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old over recent weeks. Recent reports have suggested that United are one of the sides ‘best positioned’ to sign the Uruguay international over the summer.

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Described as a ‘rough diamond’ by BT Sport pundit Steve McManaman, Nunez has also been linked with Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, while in the Premier League Newcastle United have reportedly been eyeing a mega money move.

The Latest: Glazers willing to spend €80m

Sports Witness relayed an update from RCM Sport regarding Nunez on Thursday.

They claim that United are ready to spend €80m (£67.8m) on Nunez, however, the player is unsure over a move to Old Trafford as he wants to play Champions League football.

The Verdict: Ten Hag to persuade Nunez?

Erik ten Hag reportedly made an ‘express request’ to United chiefs regarding Nunez last month, so perhaps he can try and persuade the forward to move to Manchester.

Yes, there wouldn’t be any Champions League football to start with, however, Nunez could play a key role under Ten Hag in an Old Trafford rebuild and eventually fix that issue himself.

Cristiano Ronaldo could be the only senior attacker left, should Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford leave, meaning Nunez could form a partnership with the 37-year-old and go on to succeed Ronaldo as the main man in Manchester when he calls time on his glittering career.

In other news: Ten Hag loves him: Man Utd now ‘pressing’ to sign transfer listed Italian after agent meeting. 

Andile Phehlukwayo or Chris Morris. Temba Bavuma or AB de Villiers. Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel. “As a captain it’s probably the hardest selection I’ve had,” captain Faf du Plessis said

Firdose Moonda04-Jan-20182:05

Three selection questions for South Africa

“Bavuma-AB; Andile-Morris; Steyn-Morkel.”Captain Faf du Plessis knows his three major choices ahead of the upcoming Test summer. Apart from the pitch, South Africa’s selection of their starting XI, given that they have a full strength squad available, has been the major talking point in the lead-up to the series against India, both outside the dressing room and in it.”As a captain it’s probably the hardest selection I’ve had. But it’s certainly much better than having three seamers injured,” du Plessis said.For much of the last two years, South Africa have grappled with having frontline fast bowlers unavailable, and have had to make do with a second-tier pack. While Vernon Philander has been through torn ankle ligaments and lower-back spasms, Morne Morkel’s career was almost ended by a back issue and, more recently, a side strain. Chris Morris has also been out with a back problem while Dale Steyn has been front and centre of the injury list.In fact, he has barely played since South Africa and India last met in India in 2015. There, Steyn suffered a groin injury ahead of the second Test. When he returned against England in Durban a month later, he sustained a shoulder injury mid-match. He briefly recovered to take on New Zealand in August 2016 but in November broke a bone in his shoulder which has kept him out since. Given his lengthy absence and subsequent lack of game time, Ottis Gibson suggested South Africa will think hard about how soon they want him to return, but du Plessis seems keen for that to be as soon as possible.”For me, he is the best bowler in the world. He hasn’t played for a while and he hasn’t got the overs under his legs that he would have wanted, but facing Dale in the nets, it feels like the skill hasn’t gone anywhere,” du Plessis said. “He has got the same pace, and the same swing. Skills wise it’s like he has just jumped back on that bicycle and is riding again.”Du Plessis toned down his enthusiasm with the same reasoning Gibson had earlier in the week: that it may make more sense to send Steyn out as part of a stronger bowling attack later in the series. “It’s a possibility up on the Highveld to play four seamers,” du Plessis said. “But we’re still talking about what could be our strongest XI. I would like to give you a bit of insight into it but not quite yet.”The inclusion of Steyn could also depend on whether South Africa want to make room for the allrounder, which would be a choice between the incumbent Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris, who last played in England. While Phehlukwayo has made an impressive start to his Test career, Morris offers pace and a reliable pair of hands in the slips or at gully. So, once again, the choice will likely depend on conditions. If that’s the case, Morris could be the man to play up country at SuperSport Park and the Wanderers and Phehlukwayo more suited to Newlands.”With the make-up of our squad now we have so many different options you can look at picking a different team for different venues. That’s our thinking,” du Plessis said.But both Phehlukwayo and Morris could find themselves on the bench if South Africa opt for seven batsmen, instead of six, and decide not to choose between Temba Bavuma and AB de Villiers. Of the three decisions they must make, this one is the toughest because it is a question of choosing between proven potential and reputable experience, between a small name and a big one.AFPSouth Africa’s transformation targets – which are applied over the course of a season and require the national side to field a minimum average of six players of colour of which two are black African – will also play a part in selection. If not now, then at some point over the season. In a six-batsmen strategy, if Bavuma plays, its easier to get Morris into the side; if de Villiers plays, the same applies to Phehlukwayo.To some, it seems an absurdity that de Villiers is even in a selection debate because he is considered an automatic pick in any side. However, de Villiers took a break from the game and not even du Plessis expected he would return to Tests. As recently as the end of the England series in early August, du Plessis said he would “be surprised” to see de Villiers back in whites. Knowing the toll a heavy workload takes on de Villiers is likely to prompt South Africa to proceed with caution when it comes to their former captain.”What’s important with AB is that he is fresh and hungry to score big runs,” du Plessis said. “He has had a good break. He feels mentally strong and he wants to put in big performances, so I think that’s half the battle already. When you have got a high-quality player like himself, if you get the mental side of things right, he can be a good asset.”All that musing takes us no closer to knowing what South Africa will do, but du Plessis will lead them in doing it. The captain has been sidelined since October when he sustained a back injury against Bangladesh, and missed the domestic twenty-over competition and one-off Zimbabwe Test. In that time, he also had surgery on a problematic shoulder and recovered from a viral infection.The focus on players making a comeback has not been on him, but it may as well be, because the captain wants to make plain that he is as ready as anyone to steer the ship. “I sent the Ferrari into the panel beaters, just to get fixed,” du Plessis joked about himself. “It was frustrating at times because everything happened slower than I thought it would. It’s 11 weeks now and I just feel now like I’m ready to play. Obviously time at home is nice, and the good thing is I didn’t miss much cricket for South Africa. I’m extremely hungry to play again.”

Caribbean Premier League international cricket director Tom Moody and chairman Richard Bevan talk about the tournament’s foray into the American market

Peter Della Penna in Florida28-Jul-20162:23

‘Good to pass knowledge to younger fellows’ – Chanderpaul

It’s a glorious early morning on the Atlantic coastline of Florida route A1A. Cruise ships are out in the distance, swimmers and surfers are beginning to populate the waters, and beachgoers lounging around in the sand looking to get a good tan.On the opposite side of the street, two cricket administrators are having a casual morning coffee, looking fairly relaxed despite the historic event they are overseeing.”It’s a fun few days coming up, but a serious few days as well” Caribbean Premier League chairman Richard Bevan tells ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not just about turning up and playing a bit of cricket on some grass. It’s about serious progression.”This is the first professional tournament being played in America. Cricket has come and gone in America going back to the 1750s, but for the CPL being the first professional tournament, it’s a very serious business.”A seven-mile drive west from Fort Lauderdale Beach along Sunrise Boulevard lies the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill where the CPL will be staging six games over four days this weekend. As the first overseas franchise league to attempt to stage matches in America, the historic nature of the event isn’t lost on Bevan or his colleague Tom Moody, the CPL’s international director of cricket, as the league tries to make a splash in Florida, and more broadly to the country as a whole.”We want six entertaining games, we want to bring the biggest party in sport and introduce it to a market that’s got a taste for cricket,” Moody says. “But we want to give them more than a taste. We want to give them a full meal.”If we continue to repeat what we’ve been doing over the last few weeks in the Caribbean here in Lauderhill, it will be a win because we know that whether people have been introduced to the game before or it’s their very first taste of the game, it’ll be something that’ll intrigue them and they’ll want to have another go at it and another opportunity to see it. That’s what it’s all about, for us to help promote the game of cricket in a new market.”When it comes to providing a taste of cricket, the approach used most often by previous organisers who have come to America to stage high-profile events has been to give a man a fish so he can eat for a day rather than teach a man to fish so he can eat for life. Little impact is made in the immediate community and the event comes off looking like a cash-grab, cookie-cutter experience indistinguishable from any match that can just as easily take place in another neutral venue, like Dubai. Moody says that is the last thing the CPL wants to be seen to be doing, especially in the US market.”For the first four years of the CPL’s journey, certainly from my standpoint, it’s not been a grab-and-run operation,” Moody says. “It’s been about what can we do to develop the game in the Caribbean. It’s always been looking at how can we improve cricket, how can we develop the game, how can we leave a legacy, how can this be seen in ten years’ time. It’s not like a circus that comes to town and then leaves town and leaves nothing.”I think it’s a credit to the board of the CPL that their view has always been what can we leave behind and how can we continue to develop the game. I think the philosophy that’s been carried out in the Caribbean has just been transferred to what’s been happening here in Florida. It’s a responsibility as we’re guardians of the game, for us to make sure that we can leave this place richer with regards to the experience of the game of cricket so when we come back again, we’ve got more people engaged, more people educated, more people wanting to play a role in the game of cricket.”To ensure that CPL’s first tournament leg in Florida isn’t their last, a meticulous plan has been executed to ensure a successful foundation is laid for a return visit. That began with a mandate to have six players from the ICC Americas region – one for each franchise – taken in the CPL draft. It resulted in three Americans – Steven Taylor, Timroy Allen and Ali Khan – being given CPL contracts.Taylor and Samuel Badree appeared at a Miami Marlins baseball game last month to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and give some promotional exposure to the CPL. Jamaica Tallawahs, the first team to arrive in Florida a full week before the first match in Lauderhill, have been leading the charge with regular kids’ clinics at the stadium and other teams have followed suit.Jamaica Tallawahs have been leading the charge with regular kids’ clinics in Lauderhill•Peter Della PennaThe CPL in conjunction with the ICC Americas staff has held a series of clinics and seminars for coaches and umpires throughout the region. Moody spent 10 hours on Tuesday working with local coaches on the philosophies of the game and there was a presentation given by Kumar Sangakkara. Among those attending the seminar to improve their coaching skills were former Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake, now based in Canada, and former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who lives in Orlando and is looking to get more involved with coaching locally.Initiatives are also in place at the high performance level. USA’s 30-man national squad arrived on Wednesday night and on Thursday they are participating in a fielding masterclass session led by Trevor Penney. On Friday, a USA XI will play a combined CPL XI in an exhibition curtain-raiser T20 ahead of that night’s match between the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders. The USA players will also be interspersed among the six CPL teams to help them get a taste of professional environment with the help of team meetings, warm-ups and being in the dugouts.”I think we’ve shown that over the past couple of days with the initiatives that the CPL has been embracing with regards to school visits, coaching clinics, a big day with a coaching seminar that I ran with [ICC Americas consultant] Tom Evans which from all accounts was a great success, that type of exposure and experience they’ve probably never had before,” Moody says.”You take away just small things like that and the value of those types of things. We’re running a fielding masterclass with all the top coaches along with the USA team. So they’ll be right at their fingertips of getting some world-class experiences both in a lecture theater and also on the field of play. We’ve got the game against the CPL XI versus the USA. So there’s many many different layers to us trying to build a stronger relationship and a stronger foundation to help launch cricket to go to the next stage.”CPL officials have earlier made statements that they view matches in Florida as a gateway to a bigger US market opportunity in New York, and perhaps extending even further north across the border into Toronto. There have also been discussions held by officials planning to make a visit to Texas to investigate the possibility of staging matches at a new private facility outside of Houston.Such plans may be cause for concern for Lauderhill officials, particularly after the USA’s only ICC-certified ODI stadium was snubbed last year by the Cricket All-Stars tour, which opted to play in baseball stadiums with drop-in pitches in New York, Houston and Los Angeles. While Bevan acknowledges other destinations may be a possibility, he says the CPL is committed to making Florida a staple of their annual calendar.”It’s not just the CPL. It’s the CPL, the WICB, the ICC looking out where we can best help grow the game,” Bevan says. “If the United States cricket authorities and the ICC say we’d also like you to grow the game in New York and California, then if we can do that from a growth perspective, fine. But we are here in Florida. We are looking to be based with this tournament here for a long period of time and to grow the game here. So the commitment is an obvious one.”I think we’ll also see more Americans playing the game. The legacy is going to be really important, from repairing 20 sprinkler heads at the ground to finding more Steven Taylors playing the game.”

The first time they played at the MCG, Bangladesh’s fielding imploded under the pressure of the scale of the ground. Against India, they will also have to keep their nerve in front of a huge and vocal Indian fan contingent

Devashish Fuloria in Melbourne17-Mar-2015Bangladesh will make their World Cup quarter-finals debut having played “fearless” cricket, most notably in a tricky first game against Afghanistan and in the tall chase against Scotland. On Thursday the fear factor will come not only in the form of the opposition, an Indian team on a record winning streak, but also in the physically intimidating vastness of the MCG.Bangladesh’s fielding imploded spectacularly against Sri Lanka in their first outing at the ground as they realised the scale of the field for the first time in a match situation. On Thursday, though, they must face stage two of the MCG challenge – the huge and vocal Indian support in the stands. It’s an experience to unnerve the best – ask South Africa, who cracked in this situation a month ago.Bangladesh are used to noise, as anyone who has been to a match in Mirpur will testify, and they have had a strong following at their matches here. But India at the MCG, replete with the Bollywood beat, will be akin to playing at Eden Gardens. “To get over 50,000 people in Australia… the atmosphere that gets created. It starts from the warm-ups and after the national anthem, it just multiplies,” MS Dhoni had said crediting the crowd after the win against South Africa.Bangladesh have only ever played three matches against India in India, the last one back in 1998 – before they were granted Test status. It will be up to Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan, the only players to have played in India as part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, to not only be the leaders on the field but also motivators to infuse a sense of calm. Shakib’s shrewdly elliptical response on playing in such a hostile atmosphere – “I have no experience, so how do I know how challenging it is?” – indicates Bangladesh are in the right frame of mind before the big game.A lot has to do with the confidence that has come from achieving their goal of making it to the quarter-finals, against pre-tournament conventional wisdom. There is a reason for it. In the decade and a half of playing top-flight cricket, Bangladesh have hardly caused any ripples.The MCG library, which boasts of having on its shelves every book on cricket written in English language, doesn’t have a book on Bangladesh cricket. Its display-shelf of books written around World Cups has some striking covers – Arjuna Ranatunga flanked by armed commandoes after the win in Lahore, MS Dhoni’s legendary strike at Wankhede – but only one with a picture of a Bangladesh cricketer. is not a book about Bangladesh though; it is about Ireland’s successes in the 2007 World Cup and the picture shows the then Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar being bowled by Trent Johnston. But it’s the title of the book that represents one of the high points of Bangladesh cricket, their defeat of India in Port of Spain.Bangladesh have made slow progress in the eight years since but are arguably stronger now. The leading performers in that game – Shakib, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim with half-centuries, and Mashrafe with a four-wicket haul – are also the only members from that game in the current team and they form the core of the unit. If Bangladesh are to surprise India again, their shoulders will have to equally bear the weight.All four of Bangladesh’s senior players have been in good form, but it’s the younger players like Mahmudullah, who have come to the fore in this tournament•Getty ImagesFor India, MS Dhoni is the only common link to that 2007 game. However, that particular match was the harbinger of sweeping changes that have redefined not only Indian cricket but also the structure of cricket worldwide. So while Bangladesh have improved, India have fortified their position in one-day cricket even more. “On paper, India are stronger than Bangladesh and no one has any doubt on that,” Shakib said. “But it’s a one-off game. If we have a good day and they have a bad day, you never know.”There haven’t been many good days for Bangladesh in the last eight years. Last year, a damp afternoon in Dhaka was shaping up like a dream before it turned into a nightmare. The only other time Bangladesh managed to beat India after 2007 – March 16, 2012 – it was the same quartet that came together; Mashrafe took 2 for 44, Tamim scored a carefully constructed 70 while Shakib and Mushfiqur blasted 49 and 46 not out.All four have been in good form in this tournament but neither of the three is the leading batsman for the team, nor is Mashrafe the leading wicket-taker. Mahmudullah is eyeing a hat-trick of centuries, Soumya Sarkar had added class to the top order, Sabbir Rahman had brought solidity and explosiveness in the lower middle order, while Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed are striking regularly. “You could count probably two or three performers in the previous World Cup,” Shakib said. “It’s a good sign for Bangladesh cricket that so many cricketers are contributing for the team.”India are on a roll at the moment, but it’s the same team that couldn’t win a game two months ago. If Bangladesh players perform in perfect sync, the code to breaking India could possibly be cracked. Bangladesh will need to believe that the dream – as one of the reporters said – to play Pakistan in the semi-final on March 26, Bangladesh’s independence day, is one that can be achieved. One good day of fearless cricket is all they need.

2nd day highlights from the 1st Test in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-20132nd day highlights from the 1st Test in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo runs the rule over the West Indies players who faced England

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Jun-20129
Marlon Samuels
Cool and detached was the façade, but behind that cloak brewed a strong spirit that wanted to make a point – not to anyone else but himself, that he is the best. Samuels had come straight from the IPL, but swiftly made the transition, applying himself and working hard in the nets to succeed in English conditions. He made runs, got motivated by locking horns verbally with a frustrated England bowling attack, remained the spine of a weak West Indies batting order and finished as the highest run-maker. And with the specialist spinner unable to make an impact, Samuels even turned his arm over nicely to pick some useful wickets.7
Tino Best
Kevin Pietersen called Best an entertainer after Best treated the smattering of Edgbaston faithful on an otherwise drab Sunday to one of most memorable knocks by a No. 11. It was extraordinary because Best, who had a batting average of 9.86 before, played deftly with a straight bat before falling down five runs short of becoming the first No.11 in Test cricket history to score a century. He remained aggressive with new ball in hand, picking up two good wickets. With his effervescent smile and bravado, Best made cricket a joy to watch.6
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Twice at Lord’s he came close to again putting his name on the honours board. But he faltered at crucial moments and England quickly grabbed the controls. Chanderpaul seemed disoriented at Trent Bridge and then got sidelined by a side strain in the final Test. The world’s top-ranked Test batsman would have set his sights on bigger things and returns without a century in England for the fourth time.Darren Sammy
The question about if he deserves a place in the Test team will never leave Sammy. But he is a leader of men and works hard. His century in the second innings at Trent Bridge made him sit and realise that he could be a handy lower-order batsman if he continues to work hard and not play reckless strokes, which he did at vital junctures. As for his bowling, Sammy will keep coming back and surprising batsmen with the odd movement but is not quite a third seamer.5
Kemar Roach
Michael Holding was furious that Roach played in the four-day tour match against England Lions days before the first Test and felt it was unjust to put so much workload on him after he played a full series at home against Australia in March and April. Holding was proved right when Roach was forced to return home due to shin injury after the second Test. But in the time he was fit, Roach lit up the series with some fierce spells of fast bowling especially when he cut Jonny Bairstow in two during his debut innings and then gave England a scare with three quick wickets early into their chase of a small target at Lord’s.Denesh Ramdin
Ramdin will be remembered for the statement against Viv Richards. If he had kept quiet, people would have noted this was his best series where he doubled his average, mainly because of his second Test century, which was built with the right mixture of application and drive, something West Indies need in the middle order desperately to raise big totals.Denesh Ramdin left an unexpected mark on the series•Getty ImagesRavi Rampaul
He sprained his neck before Lord’s and was sorely missed especially as a good support for Roach, When he returned Rampaul was the best bowler for the visitors in the second Test and got Alastair Cook easily for the second time at Edgbaston.4
Shannon Gabriel
Made his debut at Lord’s but bowled within himself and handled the slope nicely. A strongly-built man, Gabriel bounded in with a smooth action and got enough bounce to keep the batsmen in check. Among his victims was the prized scalp of Pietersen in the second innings but a stress reaction in his back ruled him out of the rest of the tour. If looked after well, Gabriel has the potential to be a good work horse in the long run.Adrian Barath
Talented, but lacks endurance. He did work hard to leave many balls alone in the first hour and even survived a session twice (in the first innings at Lord’s and Edgbaston) only to chase a ball that he had ignored all morning.3
Kieran Powell
Played some sumptuous off drives but like couldn’t resist temptations, making him an easy scalp for the bowlers who stuck to the off stump. Was given a few lessons in Test cricket by James Anderson.Sunil Narine
Landed in England as a man of mystery and was brought on against the two of the best batsmen of spin: Pietersen and Ian Bell. The pair effortlessly picked Narine from the hand. It remains far too early to make judgements but Narine will have understood that Test cricket will either make him a better spinner if he was willing to learn, or easily discard him to the bin of the spinners who had started with the mystery ball only to be exposed quickly.Assad Fudadin
After replacing Kirk Edwards he started on a promising note, showed the grit West Indies need at the top, but then got stuck in muddled thoughts and was bounced out by Tim Bresnan.2
Darren Bravo
The biggest disappointment of the trip. Bravo was touted to be the most equipped to prosper in England. But he flattered to deceive. In the first innings at Lord’s he started off smoothly before Chanderpaul ran him out, but thereafter he kept getting out against deliveries he should left alone. Returning without a half century against the world No. 1 team will hurt his pride1
Kirk Edwards
Some might argue he should not be given any mark at all. Appointed the vice-captain, Edwards was expected to lay the bricks for the middle-order to build on. Instead he finished the series as the drinks carrier as his technique against the new ball was completely exposed following 20 runs on the entire tour.Shane Shillingford
He began by saying he could not grip the ball at Lord’s and would rather sit out in the cold weather. When he played a week later at Trent Bridge and finished as the most expensive bowler on both sides. The reasons were many: unfriendly pitches, cold conditions and good opponents. Still Shillingford, who had taken a 10-wicket match haul against Australia at home, should have shown more discipline.Narsingh Deonarine
He had retained his spot in the squad after a decent all-round performance against Australia at home. He got lucky and found a berth when Chanderpaul pulled out in the final Test, but lasted just 29 deliveries before chasing an angled delivery from Graham Onions.Fidel Edwards
Edwards is one of the most maverick characters in West Indies camp. He had a seven-wicket haul on his previous tour of England and should have ideally been the leader of the pack. Instead an inconsistent performance at Lord’s forced the team management to drop him for the final two Tests and confined him to the dressing where he quietly watched his team-mates toil hard.

Points deducted for Australia’s effort, or lack of it, but a good time was had by all

Vijeet Rathi29-Oct-2009Choice of game
It was India v Australia and the first day-night match at the magnificent VCA stadium, which is the international cricket stadium closest to my town. No temptation could be bigger. I was seated in the North Wing, at the Secretary End.Favourite player from the two sides
Though I was supporting India, my favourite player is the swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus. He didn’t bowl well, though, and disappointed me. The only positive was that he bowled from my end, so I got to see him and his action closely.Face-off I relished
Mitchell Johnson and Virender Sehwag. It was evident from the start that Viru was looking for a rapid start. He smashed Johnson for a six over long-on, which the bowler understandably did not like at all. By then the crowd were nurturing hopes of a quickfire Sehwag hundred. But it was not to be. Johnson got his man off a full-length delivery, and boy, did he cherish it.One thing I’d have changed about the match
The dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar for just four runs. Tendulkar needed 83 runs to get to the 17,000-run mark and the crowd was hopeful that he would do it here, where he has a superb record. His dismissal sent a wave of discontent across the stadium. Entertainer of the match
This has to go to Yuvraj Singh. During the first drinks break he called one of the Foster’s girls over, making a very eager hand gesture, for a drink. That got the crowd in business. When India came out to field he was seen being playful with the crowd and the players around him on a regular basis.Player watch
Shaun Marsh, Hilfenhaus, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj all fielded at the boundary near us. No marks for guessing which of them got the biggest cheers.Wow moment
The sight of Paine’s stumps cartwheeling off a Praveen Kumar delivery. That over was bowled from the end opposite the one I was at, and the stumps at the batsman’s end were clearly visible. That got the crowd going after the dinner break.Wow moment II
The MS Dhoni-Mitchell Johnson collision as the former went for a quick single. Dhoni gave Johnson a long stare and the crowd got into the act, shouting “Oye”.Crowd meter
The crowd was fabulous. We got into the stadium about 90 minutes before the start of play and there were about 15,000 people in. The noise they made was unbelievable and got us wondering what the full crowd, of 45,000, would do. The DJ helped keep them going, with some popular music. The South Wing was visibly sparsely populated due to the overpricing of tickets. That was disappointing, as every other stand was full. The crowd in the East Wing was the most active, initiating Mexican waves frequently. The mood dipped only when India lost their third wicket and people began to think of an early arduous return journey (the stadium is about 20km out of the city). Tendulkar fielded near the West Wing and the crowd made a hell of a noise when he first went there.Banner of the day
There were very few banners but one that stood out had Sourav Ganguly’s picture and written alongside it: “We miss you Dada”.Delivery of the day
The one that hit Dhoni on the helmet early in his innings.Marks out of 10
8.5. It could have been higher had Australia showed some spirit in their chase. For a hardcore India fan, 10 is not enough.Overall
It was wonderful to see India win but after the fall of the third Australian wicket it seemed the match was virtually over, and the crowd started to leave for practical reasons. The last 10 overs of the Indian innings were the highlight. It was good to see Australia play aggressively and India give it back not with words but performances.

Chelsea have reached an agreement worth in excess of €40 million (£34.5m/$46m) to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

Hato set to join ChelseaAjax had been holding out for major feeBlues overcome fee disagreementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , the west Londoners have overcome a previous stumbling block surrounding Hato's fee to strike a deal with Ajax. The move will cost the English club in excess of €40m, and the 19-year-old will now travel for a medical as he prepares to become the latest signing of another opulent summer for the Blues.

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The Blues had been playing hardball over the fee, per , with Ajax having demanded around €60m (£52m/$68.5m) initially. Now, though, the two clubs have reached an agreement that will see Chelsea play over €40m, and it will also include a sell-on clause. Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have already joined the club this summer, while they have also confirmed the arrivals of Estevao Willian, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez, who had all pre-agreed transfers to Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea already have a plan for Hato's arrival and have reportedly earmarked Marc Cucurella as a senior professional who can work with his fellow defender in a mentoring relationship. The Dutchman can play as a centre-back but operates primarily at left-back.

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Chelsea will hope to complete a deal for Hato in the coming days. They face Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly on Friday, August 8.

The auction will take place in Mumbai on Wednesday, and the winners will be determined through a closed-bid process

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jan-20231:59

Healy: ‘WIPL is next step for the game’

Seventeen bidders, including seven entities that own men’s IPL teams, will participate in the BCCI’s January 25 auction to buy the five women’s IPL franchisees ahead of the inaugural edition in March. The auction will take place in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon, and the winners will be determined through a closed-bid process.A key eligibility criterion for bidding, as listed by the BCCI as part of clearing the technical-bid process, was for the bidders to have audited net worth of at least INR 1000 crore as of March 31, 2022. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the groups that own IPL teams Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals have submitted the technical bids on Monday’s deadline day.The other three men’s IPL franchises – Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – opted not to enter the bidding process though they did buy the tender document.Related

BCCI invites 'reputed entities' to bid for WIPL teams

Healy – 'WIPLwill change women's cricket for the better'

Among other business entities that will be part of the financial bids are Adani Group, Capri Global, Haldiram’s Group, Torrent Pharma, Apollo Pipes, Amrit Leela Enterprises, Shriram Group and Slingshot 369 Ventures Private Limited.The BCCI has listed ten Indian cities and the venues in the tender document, which allows a single party to bid for more than one city. There is no base price set, and bids will be accepted for a ten-year period – 2023 to 2032. The ten shortlisted cities and venues are Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi Stadium, capacity 112,560), Kolkata (Eden Gardens, 65,000), Chennai (MA Chidambaram Stadium, 50,000), Bengaluru (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, 42,000), Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium, 55,000), Dharamsala (HPCA stadium, 20,900), Guwahati (Barsapara Stadium, 38,650), Indore (Holkar Stadium, 26,900), Lucknow (AB Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, 48,800) and Mumbai (Wankhede/DY Patil/Brabourne Stadiums).Auction purse of INR 12 crore to build each teamAn auction purse of INR 12 crore would be available for each franchise to build their squads for the first season.The BCCI has not yet formally announced the auction date, but it is expected to be in the first week of February.In the bid document, the BCCI has mentioned that squad sizes would have to be between 15 and 18. A total of seven overseas players would be allowed in each squad, including those from Associate countries. As for playing XIs, there is a cap of five overseas players including one from an Associate country.The inaugural season of the women’s IPL is likely to be played between March 5 and March 23, but a final schedule is still being worked out.