Western Australia lost a cricketing icon when Ken Meuleman passed away on Friday night at Hollywood Private Hospital in Perth after a battle with bone cancer.Meuleman, who turned 81 last Sunday, is synonymous with Western Australian cricket as three generations of Meulemans represented the state. Ken, his son Robert and grandson Scott all played for them over seven decades.Ken Meuleman began his cricketing career in Victoria where he played six seasons of first-class cricket and one Test match, against New Zealand in 1946 where he made a duck in his only innings.He moved to Western Australia in 1952 and immediately became a star in the team. In 48 matches, he made 3398 runs at an average of 51.48 with 11 centuries, 13 half-centuries and a top score of 234 not out.Meuleman was a strong supporter of grass roots cricket and coached for many years after his retirement. He had a direct hand in the development in many of Western Australia’s finest Test cricketers including current Australian opener Justin Langer.
The ECB have named the England under-19 squad for the first Test against South Africa, with Nottinghamshire allrounder Bilal Shafayat continuing as captain.The match takes place from August 1 to 4 at Headingley and is the first of three Vodafone Tests and three Vodafone one-day internationals against South Africa during the month.England under-19 squad:Bilal Shafayat (Capt) Ravinder Bopara Tim Bresnan Neil Edwards Adam Harrison Andrew Hodd (wk) Mark Lawson Michael Parsons Samit Patel Liam Plunkett Joseph Sayers Luke Wright Tim Boon (Coach) Graham Saville (Manager)
In a press conference held late today, the BCCI have expressed their unhappiness at the decisions of ICC match referee Mike Denness. Denness suspended Sehwag for one Test; and handed out suspended bans and fines for five others, including Sachin Tendulkar.The BCCI issued a statement signed byboard president Jagmohan Dalmiya, calling for the removal of Denness as match referee for the remaining Test, and indicating that several players wished to pull out of the series. The BCCI further indicated that they would accept a South African referee if no-one from the ICC panel was available. The board also stated that it intends to take up the issue further with the ICC.
A major Newcastle United transfer update has emerged on the club’s move for left-back Matt Targett…
What’s the talk?
According to The Shields Gazette, the Magpies have agreed a fee in the region of £15m with Aston Villa to sign the defender on a permanent deal in the summer.
The Toon are not obligated to exercise the clause, which means that Eddie Howe can make a calculated decision at the end of the season based on the 26-year-old’s performances for the club between now and the end of May.
Delight
This update will surely delight supporters as it means that Newcastle will be able to sign Targett on a permanent basis heading into the 2022/23 campaign, which will come as a boost to the team after his impressive displays in recent weeks.
Howe said this of Targett upon the defender’s unveiling in January: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.
“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”
The Southampton academy product has lived up to this hype from the head coach, as he has been excellent on the left side of Newcastle’s defence.
In four Premier League appearances for the Magpies, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.17 as the Magpies picked up an outstanding haul of 10 points from those matches. Kieran Trippier (7.68) is the only player who has averaged a higher score in the top flight for the club this season, which illustrates just how impressive the 26-year-old has been since joining on loan from Villa.
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This is why fans will be delighted to learn that PIF are able to sign him on a permanent deal for £15m at the end of his temporary switch. They will surely be keen to see him agree a long-term contract at St James’ Park if he is able to continue performing to a high standard at left-back between now and the end of the campaign.
Supporters will also be buzzing with the club for striking this agreement as part of the loan deal. It shows excellent planning from PIF and Howe, and hopefully it is a sign of similarly shrewd moves to come in the next transfer window.
AND in other news, Insider suggests £46m “phenomenon” is a “realistic” target for NUFC, it’ll excite Howe…
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee could hardly hide his excitement about being back in action when he called Twenty20 “three hours of the most amazing cricket”. He will be spearheading Australia’s attack in the ICC World Twenty20 after a seven-month layoff from the game.The quartet of players Australia trooped out in front of the media in Johannesburg on Thursday – Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Lee – all indicated it was important to remember the 20-over game was all about entertaining the crowd.”We need to make sure we adapt to this new tournament as quickly as possible but the most important thing is this event is attracting a different demographic to cricket,” Lee said. “Bearing in mind that Australia haven’t come here to finish second, third or fourth, Twenty20 is all about having fun with the crowd. It’s three hours of the most amazing cricket with plenty of sixes.”Lee missed Australia’s victorious World Cup campaign in the Caribbean after injuring his ankle ligaments during a training session in February and the ICC World Twenty20 provided the perfect opportunity for him to re-establish himself as a star on the global cricket stage.”This tournament is a massive consolation for missing the World Cup, it’s a real opportunity for me,” Lee said. “I’ve been able to use the time off to concentrate purely on pre-season fitness and it was a good opportunity to give my body a bit of a rest from bowling. So I’m really happy with my fitness and the way I’ve been bowling. I’m champing at the bit.”Lee said it was also important to embrace the differences that Twenty20 has brought to the game. “Things like sitting on the boundary and not in the change rooms, teams having to swap change rooms straight after a match – we should embrace it as new and accept that things are done differently in Twenty20. The spectators like it and it brings us closer to them.”Lee indicated that he would not be looking to cut down on speed or bowl defensively in the tournament. “The aim is still to get ten wickets, no matter what form of the game,” he said. “If you can get wickets early on, it’s definitely going to dent the opposition’s run-scoring.”You need to keep the boundary-scoring down too, but you need a couple of guys who are around 150 kph, using their pace and getting the ball up in the spot. If the batsmen are going for big shots, it does mean you have a better chance of taking a wicket and it doesn’t matter if it comes by knocking [down] the stumps or if it’s caught on the boundary.”Australia are once again overflowing with batting power as they enter the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 as favourites, but Hussey, who had a disappointing World Cup with little opportunity to shine, said he was just chuffed to be part of a winning team.”I actually thoroughly enjoyed the West Indies, it was just a pleasure to be with the team and see how well the top four batted and how well the bowlers executed our plans,” Hussey said. “I probably won’t get a lot of opportunity in this tournament either, but I’m really keen to play and get into a match situation again. I’m sick and tired of all the training.”Hussey said that Australia would have to rely on their natural instincts because they did not have much experience of Twenty20 cricket. “You can put a couple of tactical things in place, but it’s best to just let your instincts take over and trust your skills,” he said.”We haven’t played much of this format of cricket, so we’ll need to get our skills up. But we are all very experienced cricketers who know our games very well and we don’t rely on one or two key players – we have match-winners all the way through the squad.”
Bermuda completed a 2-0 series win over Canada with an 11-run win at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, inflicting the fourth defeat in four ODI matches played by the Canadians in the last month. Although they had the consolation of a victories in the Intercontinental Cup, the results are a major blow to Canada’s World Cup preparations.Irvine Romaine’s 101 was the anchor of Bermuda’s impressive 272 for 7, and although Canada batted much better than in other games, there were always slightly behind the clock and in the end the stiff target was just out of reach. Romaine, a powerful striker of the ball, slammed his hundred off 111 balls, hitting five sixes and 12 fours.The controversial decision by the Canadian selectors to omit their regular opening bowling combination of Henry Osinde and Umar Bhatti from this match surely had a bearing on the outcome. Austin Codrington did take the first three wickets that fell, but there was not the same control and power in the opening bowling as usual.The selection throughout the summer has been a mess, and although this was identified as a problem after last year’s failure in the Intercontinental Cup, nothing seems to have changed.One local observer noted: “There should have been a focus on preparing for the World Cup, realistically from the time Canada qualified in the 2005 ICC Trophy, but this has not been the case. Indeed since the 2001 ICC Trophy was played in the Greater Toronto area there has been a procession of coaches for the national side. Additionally, there have been three High Performance Managers in the past year; something which does not lend itself to a proper evaluation and selection process.”The section on Canada in the ICC Americas Annual Report for 2005-2006 indicated the new national coach was to have a say in the selection process. This does not appear to have been put in place.At least this time Canada batted with conviction. John Davison looked good for his 55, and then Ian Billcliff played a good innings that gave his side hope for victory. If nothing else, this match saw Canada reach a respectable total for the first time this summer. But it will be Bermuda who emerge from this brief series with hope for the World Cup. For Canada, time is fast running out to get out of first gear.
Dinesh Mongia reminded the selectors of his first-class credentials by hammering an impressive 101 not out for the Indian Board President’s XI against West Indies.Mongia, who has yet to play a Test match despite featuring heavily in India’s one-day plans, rescued his side from 186 for 7 as they declared on 275 for 8. He added 56 for the eighth wicket with Amit Mishra, with three sixes and 12 fours in his 14th first-class hundred.The Board XI had been reduced to 17 for 2 during a fiery opening spell from Mervyn Dillon, who dismissed Sanjay Bangar and Gautam Gambhir in his opening five overs. Hemang Badani (67) and Mohammad Kaif steadied the ship with a 91-run partnership, but after Carl Hooper snared Kaif for 40, three more wickets fell for 20 runs, with Jermaine Lawson grabbing two of them.West Indies reached 20 for 0 in reply at stumps, with Chris Gayle not out on 14 and Wavell Hinds on 5.
England’s players have been given until the end of the Champions Trophy this weekend to decide whether they are prepared to tour Zimbabwe next month. The deadline follows the announcement by Steve Harmison yesterday that he was not willing to take part in the trip.The official line of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) is that no more withdrawals are expected, but newspapers today are reporting that several players, most notably Andrew Flintoff, are having serious doubts.Flintoff was one of the players who was adamant that England should not travel to Harare during the last World Cup, and given that the situation there has not improved – and arguably has deteriorated – it is conceivable that he might join Harmison. Flintoff became a father earlier this month, something which is likely to have hardened his stance further.Insiders say that about half of the 15-man squad were against playing in Zimbabwe last year, and Harmison’s comments in his News of the World column hinted that there were still serious reservations. “My decision was made in Cape Town over 18 months ago when England’s World Cup squad spent an horrendous four days before finally deciding not to go to Harare,” he wrote. “Nothing has changed for me. The situation there is worse now.”Richard Bevan, the chairman of the PCA, said that no other cricketers had flagged with him that they were considering withdrawing. “If any player does have an issue for personal conscience reasons, he’s already been told he doesn’t have to travel,” Bevan told the BBC. “That’s not to say the ECB or anybody else is ignoring the issues going on in Zimbabwe and certainly this will not be treated as a normal tour. I think the majority of players will be going and will be supporting the ECB. But let’s wait until the selectors have picked a side.”
David Sewell’s season in Dutch cricket has come to an abrupt end following problems with his registration with the VRA club which is leading the competition.It is understood problems associated with his ability to play for the club were realised and dispensation was sought, however it was not granted and he is no longer eligible for the side. It is likely he will be returning home to Otago soon.Those New Zealanders remaining continue to have mixed fortunes. Andre Adams in his last four innings for HCC has had scores of 62 not out, nine, two and 25 while his bowling returns have been one for 49 off eight overs, one for 17 off eight, two for 41 off 10 and three for 29 off 10.Tama Canning, for VOC, scored 45 and took one for 43 from 10, then followed that with 50 and one for 47 off 10, 10 and two for 30 off 8.2 overs. David Kelly has had scores of 17, 20 and 30 for Rood en Wit.In his last three games for Hermes DVS Greg Todd, scored 23, 20 and 19, but also took three for 28 off 10 overs. Former Canterbury player Darron Reekers has been performing well for his Quick Haag club but he hasn’t been able to shift it from the bottom of the table. He scored 54 off 56 balls in one game, then 49 and 29 and, in his most recent match, yesterday he didn’t bat but took four for 20 off 10 overs.Former international Shane Thomson scored 56 not out for competition frontrunner VRA while in his last two innings for HCC, Alex O’Dowd has had scores of 52 and 64.In her last two matches for Rood en Wit Sarah Burke has taken two for 35 and three for 13, both off nine overs and in her last match she scored 40 not out.Craig Spearman has scored the 500th run of his first-class season with Gloucestershire after the latest round of games in which he hit 15 boundaries on the way to scoring 85 against Derbyshire. However, he scored a duck in his second innings. Chris Cairns has been showing some consistent batting form in recent matches with 19 and 58, off 42 balls, against Kent in a 287-run loss while in his last two one-day games he has scored 65 not out off 56 balls against Scotland and 57 not out off 58 balls in a five-wicket win over Hampshire.Stephen Fleming scored 13 and 42 not out for Yorkshire in their 10-wicket win over Derbyshire while he followed that with 90 off 107 balls in a seven-wicket loss to Surrey in the one-day competition.Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been getting plenty of bowling, taking one for 104 off 14 overs against India A and four for 74 off 14.3 and one for 124 off 20 overs in the 287-run loss to Kent.Around the leagues, Rob Nicol has found something more like his run scoring touch with 64 and 52 on the last two Saturdays for Rishton in losses against Bacup and Enfield. Michael Parlane, in the East Anglia League with Swardeston, hit 79 in a two-wicket win while taking two for 76 off 16 overs but on the past weekend he was out for a duck and took two for 49 in a 54-run loss.In the Liverpool and District competition, Warren McSkimming is in 10th place on the premier league run scorers list. He has scored 301 runs for Lytham and is averaging 60.20. He scored 106 not out in a drawn match against Leigh.In the first division of the same league, Aaron Barnes heads the runs list with 753 runs in 14 games, at an average of 83.66. James Marshall is third with 624 at 48.00.Meanwhile, Chris Harris continues to make his mark with the Lashings XI. In a match against the Bunburys, Harris scored 52 not out in a total of 239 for four and in their next match against Waltham Forest he took four for 40. In their most recent match against Acton, a 21-run win to Lashings, Harris scored 110 in the total of 330 for seven.
NatWest Series Day/Night One-Day International India v Sri Lanka Thursday 11th July 2002 2.30pm start “This match is the biggest International sporting event to be staged inBristol during 2002″In world cricket there can be no more spectacular match than India v Sri Lanka. These two great one-day sides meet in Bristol to renew their rivalry, with some of the world’s greatest cricketers marking up these two flamboyant sides. Sachin Tendulkar leads the star-studded Indian side again Sanath Jayasuriya’s Sri Lankan one-day specialists.A match not to be missedAll ticket applications will be taken from 1st November 2001. 2002 Members’ Price Reduction – members get booking priority for the month of November.Tickets can be obtained from The Ticket Office, Gloucestershire CCC, The County Ground, Nevil Road, BRISTOL BS7 9EJTicket Hotline – 0117 910 8010 Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3.30pmTicket Prices