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Sri Lanka Cricket is keen on using the Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS) for this month’s Test and ODI series against West Indies

Sa'adi Thawfeeq30-Oct-2010Sri Lanka Cricket is keen on using the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) for this month’s series against West Indies.SLC Interim Committee secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said the board was working closely with the ICC and Ten Sports, who have the television and broadcasting rights, to make the necessary equipment available for the series. According to the ICC’s regulations, the decision to use the UDRS for a series lies with the hosts but in consultation with the touring team.”We are keen to have the DRS system for the West Indies tour and we are working towards making it a reality,” Ranatunga said.Ranatunga said he has been made to understand by Ten Sports that the Hawk-eye technology, which is required to implement the DRS system, isn’t freely available all the time. It has to be hired from an international company which owns it and there is also the cost factor to be considered in installing it.”The ICC has said that it is prepared to bear part of the cost and we are hopeful that Ten Sports can have the system in place,” Ranatunga said.Hawk-eye is a system which traces a ball’s trajectory, with a claimed accuracy of 5 mm, and sends it to a virtual-reality machine.It uses six or more computer-linked television cameras situated around the field. The computer reads the video in real time, and tracks the path of the ball on each camera. These six separate views are then combined together to produce an accurate 3D representation of the path of the ball.Ranatunga said a final decision would be reached by next week.West Indies will arrive in Sri Lanka on November 8 to play a full series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 international.

Gloucestershire suffered another alarming batting collapse to concede victory to Surrey by 10 runs on the final day of the County Championship Second Division match at Bristol

16-Sep-2010
ScorecardGloucestershire suffered another alarming batting collapse to concede victory to Surrey by 10 runs on the final day of the County Championship Second Division match at Bristol. Set 261 to win in 74 overs, the home side appeared to be cruising at 216 for 4 with Chris Dent and Hamish Marshall well established. But Marshall’s dismissal sparked a calamitous slide in which six wickets fell for the addition of just 34 runs as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 250.Pace bowler Jade Dernbach and leg spinner Chris Schofield did the damage, returning figures of 4 for 55 and 4 for 63 respectively to send Gloucestershire tumbling to their ninth Championship defeat of a disappointing summer.Although there was little at stake for either side other than pride, Surrey’s 17-point haul was nevertheless sufficient to haul them above arch-rivals Middlesex in the final Second Division table. For their part, Gloucestershire were left to reflect on another feeble performance with the bat, their Achilles heel throughout the campaign.At one stage, they looked odds-on favourites to chase down their target thanks to teenage batsman Chris Dent. The England Under-19 left-hander dominated stands of 88 and 89 with New Zealanders James Franklin and Hamish Marshall respectively and looked set toregister his maiden first-class hundred.Twice out for 98 at Derby in May and Northampton last month, the Backwell-based 19-year-old reached 94 from 194 balls on this occasion before losing his wicket, bowled by the wily Schofield in the act of sweeping. It was Marshall’s departure, caught behind off Dernbach for 51, that inexorably altered the course of the game.Schofield pinned an unwell Jon Batty lbw for one in his next over and then accounted for Dent to put the skids under Gloucestershire. Jon Lewis attempted to cut Dernbach and was bowled without scoring, but there remained hope for the home side while Chris Taylor was still at large.Careful to keep the strike, he represented the biggest threat to Surrey’s prospects of completing an unlikely success. Gloucestershire required only another 11 runs when the Bristolian was utterly undone by a Dernbach yorker, having scored 28. And it was all over next ball, Anthony Ireland playing on to leave Gemaal Hussain one not out and spark noisy Surrey celebrations.Eager to make a game of it, the visitors earlier declared their second innings on 180 for 3. Gloucestershire played their part in contriving an exciting finale, serving up some friendly bowling to hasten the declaration.Occasional offspinners Chris Taylor and Will Porterfield offered all the encouragement Surrey needed during the morning session, Rory Hamilton-Brown and Tom Lancefield filling their boots as the Londoners added 81 runs in eight overs.Lancefield harvested an unbeaten 67 from 99 balls and hit 12 fours, while skipper Hamilton-Brown made 50 not out from just 31 deliveries in an innings liberally studded with 11 fours.

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Southampton did not make any attempt to sign Dele Alli this month, despite previous reports linking him with the club.

The Lowdown: Dele Alli’s recent struggles

Alli has faced a tough period in his career over the last year, having lost his place in Tottenham’s starting XI. The 25-year-old has made just two Premier League starts under current Spurs manager Antonio Conte, totalling a meagre six appearances during the Italian’s reign so far.

As a result, the playmaker has been linked with a move away from N17, and it seems that a breakthrough has been made regarding his exit from north London.

Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to report the news, saying: ‘Dele Alli to Everton, done deal and here we go! Full agreement reached with Tottenham, permanent move subject to medical in the next few hours. It’s done.’

The Latest: Saints fail to move for Alli

According to talkSPORT journalist Crook on Twitter, Southampton made no effort to sign Alli from Tottenham during the January transfer window, stating: “Also reliably informed #SaintsFC did not make any attempt to sign Dele Alli this window”.

This is despite previous reports linking the 25-year-old with the south coast club, with Ralph Hasenhuttl an admirer of the England international.

The Verdict: Missed opportunity

Despite his poor form, Alli could have been a fantastic option for Southampton, who have now missed the opportunity to pull off a late transfer in January. This could have been similar to the Takumi Minamino loan move from this time last year, which proved to be relatively successful.

Once hailed as ‘good enough for Real Madrid’, it seems ridiculous that Southampton would not have gone in for the Spurs ace, particularly when he seems set to be leaving on a free, with a £10m fee following clauses being met. Having totalled 91 career goals, Alli could have been of real use to Hasenhuttl, as he would’ve bolstered the Saints’ attacking options with proven top-flight quality.

If Southampton want to push higher up the league table, they will need to meet £100,000-per-week demands. Otherwise, they won’t be able to secure many players of significant quality in today’s inflated market.

In other news: Southampton are till in talks over this striker

Cricket Australia will not finalise its next candidate for the ICC vice-presidency until August

Peter English09-Jul-2010Cricket Australia will not finalise its next candidate for the ICC vice-presidency until August after its board decided only to review the events that led to John Howard’s rejection last week. Australia and New Zealand must make another joint nomination for the role, which includes two years as the global organisation’s president from 2012, and there will not be a swift conclusion to this complicated episode.Jack Clarke, Cricket Australia’s chairman, led the teleconference from London on Friday and briefed his board on the way Howard’s appointment was blocked at the ICC’s annual conference in Singapore. Howard has not withdrawn from the race but will stand by Cricket Australia’s decision if it does not retain him.No names were discussed as possible new candidates and the board will not be asked to consider a nomination until its next meeting on August 13. “Jack gave a highly detailed debrief to the directors and one of the key things he stressed was that Australia and New Zealand were joined at the hip throughout this process,” a Cricket Australia spokesman told Cricinfo. “They want to remain that way as they move forward.”New Zealand Cricket’s board will discuss the situation on July 23 before further talks take place between its chairman Alan Isaac and Clarke. When the ICC board rejected Howard’s elevation it gave the organisations until the end of August to provide another option.One person who is definitely not in contention is Mark Taylor, the former Australia captain. He has ruled himself out due to his commentary, business and family interests. Allan Border, a former board member and Test leader, is also not interested.In the early stages of the process New Zealand promoted its former chairman Sir John Anderson for the role, but Howard, 70, won the nomination following a decision made by an independent panel. That move was stopped in Singapore when six board members from Asia, Africa and the West Indies signed a letter opposing Howard. The issue did not even get to a vote.

Tottenham have joined Newcastle in the race to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Newcastle move

Newcastle have been after the Brazilian for a number of weeks and appear to be closing in on the defender nicknamed ‘The Beast’.

Sky Sports revealed on Thursday evening that the Magpies are moving closer to a deal, with all parties ‘hopeful’ of finalising a move.

Carlos has submitted a transfer request and has already agreed personal terms at St James’ Park, but it seems as if Tottenham are making an 11th-hour attempt to dramatically scupper a switch to the north east.

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The Latest: Spurs keen

The Daily Mail shared a story on Thursday, revealing that Spurs have joined Newcastle in the race to sign the 28-year-old.

The north Londoners have expressed their interest, with The Sun adding that Tottenham will back Antonio Conte with a £50m raid for Carlos and Adama Traore.

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Carlos is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, so should he move to north London, he would be Spurs’ highest-valued defender.

Conte could also do with a marquee defensive addition, as he has used left-back Ben Davies in a central role on a regular basis, and he could then offload Japhet Tanganga in the coming days.

Carlos has plenty of experience in La Liga and Ligue 1 and is the 16th-highest valued centre-back in the world, so a move for less than his £40.5m valuation could be an excellent piece of business from Tottenham.

In other news: Offer ready: Conte could soon sign ‘game-changer’ for Spurs after recent Levy meeting…find out more here.

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s efforts to bring players in during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Responding to a fan asking whether or not the club will make any more signings in the coming days, Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has revealed that they are closing in on two players.

He Tweeted: “That’s the plan judging by conversations I had over weekend. Two deals are close apparently but until they are done they’re not done and no point hiding fact #nufc are finding it tough.”

Buzzing

Eddie Howe will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggest that he will have two players added to his squad in the coming days, although there is no guarantee. It shows that Nick Hammond and PIF are working hard behind the scenes to get things done and that they are making progress with their efforts.

The claim of two deals being close proves that they are making strides in their attempts to bring players in and Howe, along with the fans, will be delighted with this. It remains to be seen who the two players are and what positions they play in, but there it is difficult to deny that the Magpies are in dire need of strengthening across the board.

Ultimately, Newcastle have not been good enough in the Premier League this season and that is reflected in their points tally. They have 12 points from 20 matches and have only won one game throughout the campaign, whilst Norwich are the only team with more goals conceded.

Howe needs players to improve his team if they want to avoid relegation to the Championship and that is why he will be delighted with this update from Edwards. Further additions to his team appear to be on the horizon and he will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect of strengthening his XI.

This also comes after a Telegraph article from the journalist claiming that the Magpies are hoping to sign Diego Carlos by the end of the week. It is impossible to say whether or not he is one of the two players Edwards mentioned in his Tweet, but there is the potential that he is someone the club are trying to sign in the coming days based on the report.

AND in other news, Talks ongoing: Newcastle could sign £40.5m-rated “beast” by Friday, Howe surely elated…

Lancashire did not make any attempt to chase down 336 from 85 overs on thefinal day of their County Championship Division One match against Essex,instead settling for a draw at Old Trafford

27-May-2010
ScorecardLancashire did not make any attempt to chase down 336 from 85 overs on thefinal day of their County Championship Division One match against Essex,instead settling for a draw at Old Trafford.The home side had been offered the target by Mark Pettini when he declaredEssex’s second innings on 212 for 5 after Ryan ten Doeschate and MatthewWalker both completed half-centuries during the morning session.It was soon obvious from the way opening batsman Luke Sutton set about hisinnings that the Red Rose were happy with six points. Sutton finished with a painstaking 26 off 155 balls, his innings spanning just over three hours.Despite opening bowlers David Masters and Maurice Chambers bowling tightspells, Essex struggled to take wickets as they searched for victory on a deadtrack. Chris Wright had both Paul Horton and Steven Croft caught behind by JamesFoster within three balls in the 66th over but it was too little, too late.Horton top scored for Lancashire with 64 off 179 balls and his side had reached177 for 5 from 83.4 overs when the players shook hands on the draw. Essex, who travel to face Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Saturday, took eight points from the fixture.Masters had given the visitors an early glimmer when he had Stephen Moorecaught behind by Foster for five in the ninth over of Lancashire’s chase. Sutton and Horton then shared a second-wicket partnership of 93 in 40 overs which effectively killed the contest.Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria was expected to be a major threat with theball but he only took one wicket for 49 runs from 33 overs. Ten Doeschate claimed Essex’s second wicket in the latter stages of the afternoon when Sutton edged behind to Foster.Lancashire’s reluctance to even attempt to chase down the runs was somewhatsurprising, given their coach Peter Moores had said after day three: “The waythe points are structured this year encourages sides to be aggressive with 16for a win.”Ashwell Prince hit three fours and a six in a brisk 29 before he was caught atshort leg by Billy Godleman off Kaneria and Wright’s double strike meant Essexhad taken three wickets in 10 balls.But Mark Chilton and Glen Chapple batted through to close for Lancashire, whoface Yorkshire at Headingley on Saturday. Simon Kerrigan had earlier claimed the only wicket to fall in Essex’s second innings when Ten Doeschate holed out to Croft at long off for 56 off 57 balls – his second half-century of the match. Essex added 57 runs from 9.4 overs with Walker finishing unbeaten on 53 off 108 balls.

Pakistan breezed to a 68-run win over Windward Islands in the first of their warm-up games at Gros Islet.

Cricinfo staff27-Apr-2010
Scorecard
Mohammad Hafeez scored 57 and took 1 for 16•Getty ImagesPakistan breezed to a 68-run win over Windward Islands in the first of their warm-up games at Gros Islet. Put in to bat by Windward Islands, the visitors reached 160 for 7 thanks mainly to Mohammad Hafeez’s enterprising half century. Windward Islands crawled to 92 for 4 in reply, with Mohammad Asif the only Pakistan bowler to go for more than four runs an over.Pakistan lost Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal early in their innings but Hafeez steadied the middle order and lead a late charge before he was bowled by Keron Cottoy for 57. Captain Shahid Afridi and Fawad Alam both reached the 20s before they were dismissed, and a late flurry by Misbah-ul-Haq, who smote two sixes in an eight-ball 17, boosted Pakistan’s score in the closing overs.Windward Islands’ reply never got going, and after captain Johnson Charles was caught by Hafeez off the bowling of Mohammad Aamer for 15 the fight seemed to go from the batsmen. Keddy Lesporis top-scored with 24, while the wickets were shared around by Pakistan’s bowlers, with Aamer, Hafeez, Afridi and Saeed Ajmal each picking up one.Pakistan’s next warm-up is against Zimbabwe on Thursday at the same venue.

With the January transfer window close to opening, Everton manager Rafa Benitez has dropped an exciting hint on one piece of business that the Merseyside club could do in it.

What’s the news?

When asked what the current situation is with Lewis Dobbin’s contract and whether or not he will sign a new one before his current deal runs out in the summer, Benitez had this to say on the matter.

He said: “I think the player is quite happy and our conversations with him have been quite positive. I have confidence that he will be delighted to stay with us in the future.”

As a product of Everton’s youth academy, the winger has made a total of 52 combined appearances for their U18 and U23 sides, scoring 16 goals and providing 12 assists along the way.

Labelled as a player that has a “fantastic attitude towards being desperate to be an Everton player” in the past by David Unsworth, the 18-year-old has been on the fringes of Benitez’s senior side this season with three Premier League appearances under his belt.

If Everton were able to secure Dobbin with a long-term deal next month, this would be a big boost and plus point not only for the player himself but for the Everton fans to potentially see another one of their youth players break into the first team and become a regular figure for them in the future, following in the footsteps of players such as Tom Davies, Jonjoe Kenny and Anthony Gordon.

If the youngster does sign a new deal in January and manages to take any opportunity he gets to play in the first team to impress Benitez, then this could be the start of a very exciting senior career for the teenager at Goodison Park, something that would understandably leave fans buzzing.

In addition to Dobbin’s potential new deal, it would be worth Everton bringing some new players into the club as well, particularly in the defensive areas given how the Toffees have conceded 29 goals in 17 league games so far this season, more than the likes of Burnley, Brentford and Southampton.

In other news: EFC must sign £22.5m-rated ace, Moshiri has already “tried to negotiate a transfer”…

While the debate over eligibility of players rumbles on, the Netherlands have gone abroad to boost their chances in the coming year

Cricinfo staff16-Mar-2010While the debate over eligibility of players rumbles on, the Netherlands have gone abroad to boost their chances in the coming year and recruited two players with Dutch passports and first-class experience in Australia and New Zealand.Tom Cooper, a 23-year-old batsman who played for Australia at Under-19 level, and 24-year-old Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Derek de Boorder will both play for the country this coming season. Neither will be deemed to be an overseas player by the ECB and so both can compete in the English 40-over competition. They will also be allowed to take part in ODIs and the ICC’s World Cricket League but not the ICC’s first-class Intercontinental Cup.”There are still a few formalities to be finalised,” Jeroen Smits, the high performance advisor to the Dutch board told Cricket Europe. “We are confident that both players will be available for our first matches.”I’m delighted that the selectors, who make the final decisions, will have the possibility of including these players in our squad and, looking further forward, I see them as potentially playing a significant role in our plans for next year’s World Cup.”Cooper has been a regular in the South Australia side in 2009-10 while de Boorder also commands a regular place at Otago.