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Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has delivered a fresh update on Celtic’s interest in Lommel SK midfielder Vinicius Souza.

The Lowdown: Celtic monitoring Souza

The Brazilian first joined the Belgian outfit when he made the move from Flamengo two years ago, but ended up spending the entirety of the 2021/22 season out on loan at KV Mechelen in a bid to find some much-needed game time.

Even though the 23-year-old’s contract with Lommel isn’t set to expire until 2025, this need for regular minutes has seen him being linked with a move away from the Limburg-based side in recent weeks, in particular to the Scottish Premiership, with the maestro believed to be on the wish-list of the Hoops.

The Latest: Joseph’s transfer update

Taking to Twitter, Joseph shared a new update on Celtic’s interest in Souza, with the player ‘keen’ to assess all his options before making a decision. He wrote:

“Celtic are interested in Lommel SK defensive midfielder Vinicius Souza but face competition from a number of clubs, including PSV, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Bologna.

“PSV made a formal approach to Lommel earlier this week.

“It’s understood the player wants to play in Europe next season, but has some reservations about moving to the Scottish Premiership.

“However, he is keen to take time to explore all his options.”

The Verdict: Bitton replacement

Despite Souza having doubts about making the switch to Glasgow as a result of wanting to play at the highest level, let’s not forget that the Bhoys have qualified for the Champions League and will be showcasing their talent on the world stage next season, something that surely has to attract potential new signings.

The Rio de Janeiro-born talent was once dubbed “incredible” at breaking up attacks by Belgian footballer Steven Defour, and the evidence supports that – his 3.8 tackles per game in Belgium are far more than any Celtic player managed last season.

He could be an ideal replacement for Nir Bitton, with Ange Postecoglou now on the lookout for a new holding midfielder since the 30-year-old’s departure.

Lommel, his parent club, are owned by the City Football Group, which the Hoops’ new head of recruitment, Mark Lawwell, was involved in before arriving at Parkhead – could that existing link prove to be essential in Celtic’s chase to secure their man?

In other news… a BBC pundit has backed Celtic to complete the signing of a highly-rated transfer target this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of former star Christian Eriksen, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye reunion…

The Denmark superstar’s return to the grass after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 has been nothing short of a fairy tale story.

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Eriksen ended the 2021/2022 Premier League season in fine form on a temporary spell at Brentford with a return to Spurs becoming possible.

The Times add Antonio Conte’s former midfielder at Inter Milan is a target for the Lilywhites alongside Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans, and what’s more, he could be open to re-signing.

The Latest: Eriksen eyeing return…

According to Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, if the right conditions are met, Eriksen ‘would be keen on a return’ to Spurs this summer as he eyes a move back to north London.

He adds that Tielemans, Weston McKennie (Juventus), Joao Palhinha (Sporting Lisbon) and Idrissa Gueye (PSG) are also potential midfield additions at Tottenham.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Eriksen has displayed flashes of his best Spurs form under Thomas Frank across London.

According to WhoScored, he finished the campaign as Brentford’s best all-round performer by average match rating – making the most key passes per 90 for the Bees and displaying real creativity.

Indeed, the ‘big name’ attacker will also be available on a Bosman deal as things stand – arguably a snip given Spurs themselves valued at him at £100 million just three years ago.

Taking all of this into account, it may well be a no-brainer to get it done.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing shock move for ‘unplayable’ star who Pochettino called ‘huge’, find out more here.

Leeds United have had to get through the majority of this current Premier League campaign without star striker Patrick Bamford.

After scoring 17 goals in 38 league games last term, the Englishman has been dogged by injuries this time around which have left him with just nine league appearances to his name in 2021/22.

One figure in Leeds’ squad who has failed to effectively deputise for the injured Bamford is Rodrigo, who despite playing in 29 top-flight games has only racked up six goals and one assist.

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Signed for a club-record fee of £26m from Valencia in August 2020 under Marcelo Bielsa’s reign, the Spaniard has not been able to take up Bamford’s mantle of being a consistent goalscorer for Leeds this season.

As a result, the upcoming summer transfer window could give Jesse Marsch the chance to get the 31-year-old, who has been dubbed “non-existent” by Kevin Phillips, and his £100k-per-week wages off their books.

In terms of who could come in as a potential replacement for the misfiring Leeds dud, one man who could fit the bill is Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.

Last month, Leeds journalist James Marshment shared a post on Twitter relaying news that the Elland Road outfit were interested in signing the Englishman this summer.

Having spent some time with the Yorkshire club on loan, scoring five goals in 19 appearances during the promotion-winning 2019/20 campaign, the 22-year-old has experience and knowledge of the club, which could make a potential return on a permanent basis tempting for him.

During his time with Arsenal’s senior and youth sides, Nketiah has scored 68 goals and provided 13 assists in 150 appearances across all competitions. This shows just how dangerous an attacking figure he is when at his best, with 22 goals in 90 senior games for the Gunners.

With 19 league appearances under his belt in the current campaign, the former Leeds loanee has found the net four times. Two of those came against the Whites earlier this month, which led to the £9m-rated talent being dubbed “clinical” by journalist Kweku Lawrence.

To further highlight just how deadly he can be in front of goal, only Emile Smith Rowe has a higher percentage for shots on target than Nketiah in the league this season out of players currently at Arsenal.If Marsch feels the need to get rid of Rodrigo this summer, securing the Arsenal attacker on a free transfer could be a great bit of potential business from the Elland Road club.In other news: Insider drops huge Leeds transfer claim involving “big names”, supporters will love it

Just when Colin Munro was threatening a big, game-defining innings, the 18-year-old Sunrisers debutant unveiled a nifty little variation

Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Apr-2019If 2019 has been a season of resurgence for fingerspin in the IPL, it’s largely been led by bowlers with a lot of experience – Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Nabi. On Sunday, a much younger fingerspinner unveiled a new variation to stay in the contest against a rampant hitter.Abhishek Sharma is an 18-year-old allrounder who announced himself last year with an unbeaten 46 off 19 balls on T20 debut, playing for the erstwhile Delhi Daredevils against Royal Challengers Bangalore.This season, he was one of three players who went from Delhi to Sunrisers Hyderabad to pave the way for Shikhar Dhawan to move in the other direction. His Sunrisers Hyderabad debut came on Sunday, against his old team.When Kane Williamson introduced Abhishek in the ninth over of Delhi Capitals’ innings, he was up against the left-handed Colin Munro, who was batting on 32 off 20 balls. Captains are often reluctant to bowl left-arm orthodox spinners at left-hand batsmen, but it soon became apparent why Williamson wasn’t.While it was left-arm orthodox that Abhishek bowled to the right-handed Shreyas Iyer, he primarily bowled a different kind of delivery to Munro. It wasn’t full-on wristspin with the ball leaving the hand with overspin, but a delivery akin to the seam bowler’s legcutter, with the wrist snapping backwards, and the fingers ripping down the side of the ball, to apply a significant amount of backspin.Abhishek delivered this ball from left-arm over, and it straightened away from the left-hander off the pitch. Munro jumped down the track to the fifth ball of Abhishek’s over and launched it for a big six over long-on, but the bowler came up with a fine reply. He tossed up the next ball slower and a lot wider outside off stump, and Munro, reaching out for a booming cover drive, wasn’t close enough to the pitch of the ball to play it safely. The ball spun away sharply, brushed the outside edge of his angled bat, and settled in the gloves of Jonny Bairstow, who had moved quickly and decisively behind the stumps to make a difficult catch look simple.Why did Capitals take so long to bring on Mishra?Before today, Jonny Bairstow had fallen to legspin five times in six innings this season, and the other time to Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s mystery spin. Capitals had a legspinner in their ranks, in Amit Mishra, but Shreyas Iyer didn’t bring him on until the 11th over of Sunrisers’ chase. Bairstow had fallen in the previous over for a 31-ball 41, after putting on 72 for the first wicket with David Warner.Given that Sunrisers weren’t chasing a massive target, and given their middle-order worries right through the season, it was important for Capitals to try and separate their in-form openers early. Bringing Mishra on earlier might have helped them achieve this.Another middle-order meltdownAnd yet, and yet. When Bairstow departed, Sunrisers needed 84 off 61 balls, with nine wickets in hand. Most chasing teams are still very much favourites in that situation, and ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster tool gave Sunrisers a 61.96% chance of winning. But Sunrisers have been exaggeratedly dependent on their openers this season, and when Kane Williamson followed Bairstow to the dressing room for 3 off 8 balls, Capitals could sense an opening, with the equation now reading 78 off 50 balls.Most spectators at the ground would have expected Vijay Shankar to walk in at this stage; he’s been in pretty good form this season, and has shown the game and temperament to adapt to a situation such as this one. Sunrisers, however, sent in Ricky Bhui, who was playing the second IPL match of his career.On a slightly two-paced pitch, Bhui simply couldn’t force the pace. To be fair to him, neither could Warner, who was on 32 off 32 when Williamson fell. Mishra gave away only four runs in the 13th over and five in the 15th, using a mixture of loopy googlies and flat offbreaks at over 100kph to tie Warner down. At the other end Chris Morris and Keemo Paul bowled slower, back-of-a-length cutters into the pitch, giving away just 15 between them in the 14th and 16th.By the time Bhui fell for 7 off 12, the match had swung Capitals’ way. And there was no coming back for Sunrisers when Kagiso Rabada dismissed Warner and Shankar off successive balls in the next over, both batsmen miscuing big heaves off hard-to-hit short balls. All told, Sunrisers lost 8 for 15 in their last 23 balls.

With a 48-point deficit against their name, Durham have their work cut out in Division Two this year. Their captain knows it’s going to be a slog

Jon Culley11-Apr-2017It was the smell of the grass that made up his mind, Paul Collingwood said, looking out over the expanse of it that he knows best.We are taking in the lush spring green of Emirates Riverside, as Durham prepare for the start of their season and reflect on the price they have been forced to pay for overstretching themselves in their lofty ambitions to become a major international centre.It is the same expanse that Collingwood contemplated six years ago, in the wake of being told that his own international status had effectively been terminated, and wondered if he had the will to carry on. He had already retired from Test cricket, but having led England to their first global silverware in the World T20 title the year before, the decision by the selectors to hand the T20 captaincy to Stuart Broad hit him “like a juggernaut.”He thought seriously about quitting altogether. “But then I thought about things and realised there was so much I would miss massively, even the negative things like having to pick yourself up mentally when you are making low scores,” he said.”I played my first competitive cricket match when I was seven. It’s in my blood. And I know it sounds ridiculous but I thought about the smell of the grass and how much I’d miss that and I realised that I didn’t want to stop.” He still hasn’t, even on the eve, virtually, of his 41st birthday, as he prepares for his sixth season as Durham captain.”I think I’ve probably surprised a few people that I’m still here, but I still believe I have something to give. I’m still learning new things, and honestly, I’ve worked hard in the gym and I don’t think I’ve ever felt fitter.”There is the matter of motivation, too, which, despite the high probability of being marooned in Division Two of the Championship for at least two seasons, thanks to the draconian penalties imposed by the ECB in return for keeping the club alive, is still strong, if not stronger. If anything, he says, the pain of forced relegation and the challenge of starting 48 points behind everyone else, has fuelled it.

“I know it sounds ridiculous but I thought about the smell of the grass and how much I’d miss that and I realised that I didn’t want to stop”

“You can sense a real determination among everyone to get the most out of the season,” he said. “There is a real motivation. You know what it’s like when you have adversity, it brings everyone together. The response from the players has been fantastic.”Like the chairman and chief executive and everybody else grateful that the club still has a future, Collingwood has been obliged to take the punishment on the chin. He admits that the dressing room has not found it easy.”There was a lot of anger when we learned what was happening,” he said. “The thing that hurts more than anything is that we go out there year in year out and perform as well as we can and we have carried on doing that despite all the cutbacks.”From the players’ point of view, we felt like we are the ones being penalised when we didn’t really have anything to do with it. That doesn’t seem fair.”Is it too harsh? It depends which way you look at it.”From the club’s point of view, they have done everything they were asked to do [in terms of developing an international venue]. From the ECB’s point of view, they might say that a county should never get into such a financial position where they are unable to pay the players for two months, and that’s got to stop.”But it has happened. It is not the end of the world, we are still playing first-class cricket. At some point you have got to put it on the back-burner and get on with the job.”That job begins with the visit of Nottinghamshire to Chester-le-Street on Good Friday, bringing an immediate chance to measure Durham against a side expected to be among the front runners in Division Two, and already with a win under their belt.”A good start would be very useful, especially against a good team like Notts,” Collingwood said. “On paper you are looking at pretty much an international side, so to get off to a good start against them would give us some momentum and be great for confidence.”But if we are being honest we are going to need everything to go our way if we are to overcome the 48 points.”I heard what the chairman [Ian Botham] said about us being the best side and I love Beefy’s optimism, but I know county cricket and we’re not going to roll teams over. There is a lot of talent in Division Two and we have to respect that.Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth spearhead Durham’s attack•PA Photos”And losing Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick – that’s pretty much 3000 runs out of the dressing room.”We’ve got the addition of an overseas player this year, which we haven’t had too many times in the past. Hopefully he will bring a lot of runs at the top of the order.”I am confident that we will take 20 wickets. Our bowling attack is very strong. We have a great blend, seasoned professionals such as Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth and some fantastic up-and-coming bowlers as well. In addition, we will have Woody [Mark Wood] at the start.”Although 48 points is a lot of points you can’t write us off completely. It will need two or three players to have the season of their lives but something special could happen.”It could be an 18-year-old having that exceptional season, it could be a 40-year-old like me.”Which brings the conversation back to Collingwood’s future. The body remains willing, the appetite sharp. But for how much longer? Will the grass still smell sweet this time next year?”I’m just taking it year by year, and at the end of each season we review where we are. I’ve got things to consider. I don’t want to be a player who outstays his welcome. I have to look at the fact that I’m on a decent wage and as the wages bill comes under pressure I will have to look at whether I’m blocking the way for a couple of younger players joining the squad.”I’d like to think I have something to give in international cricket in terms of coaching, and I’m ridiculously lucky in that I have been able to spend 55 days last year and 60 days this winter with England, while still playing county cricket in the summer.”I think I’ll know when it’s time to go and I’ll be honest about it.”But if I still feel I am pushing this team forward, still contributing in the dressing room, still scoring runs, taking wickets and taking catches – if I’m doing all those things, I want to continue.”

A wrist injury put the Australian legspinner’s career and life in a tailspin. But now he’s slowly getting back on track

Tom Morris02-Dec-2015Do you remember James Muirhead? The fresh-faced wristspinner who fell off the scene faster than he burst on it two summers ago. Ring a bell?At the start of the 2013-14 Australian season, Muirhead was not deemed good enough to warrant a Big Bash contract. By the end of it, he was Australia’s first-choice wristspinner in limited-overs cricket.Nicknamed “Vegemite” for his rosy red cheeks, Muirhead has had a journey not yet a fraction complete. Already the uncertainties, tribulations and utter frustrations of being a professional cricketer have forced him to question the path that, in relative terms, he has only just begun.I must confess I share a close bond with Jimmy. I’ve kept wicket to him, batted with him many times, and trained alongside him. I’ve watched him grow from a supremely confident 3rd XI legspinner at Shane Warne’s old club, St Kilda, to an international cricketer who tumbled back down the ranks again.One week he was playing 3rd XI club cricket on the Ross Gregory Oval, the next, it seemed, he was dismissing Indian maestro Virat Kohli in a World T20 encounter in Dhaka.He’s only 22, but already his career reflects a game of snakes and ladders.Muirhead played the last of his five international T20s last March and, in the 18 months between then and now, his troubles have brewed internally and materialised externally in disturbing fashion. Watching from just 22 yards away, I’ve had front-row seats and at times it has not been pretty. The troubles first started in October 2014.

“I used to think I’d dominate no matter what. Now I know I have to work really hard to compete”James Muirhead

In February that year, an article was published on ESPNcricinfo, titled “The rapid rise of James Muirhead”. Even the man himself now concedes it would be fair to write a story that is the precise mirror image of the original. “I was at rock bottom earlier this year,” Muirhead said last week.”I went to South Africa with Australia and then to the World T20 in Bangladesh. It was an amazing experience. I sat next to Dale Steyn after a game in the change rooms and couldn’t even speak, I was in such awe.”I came home and played a Shield game against NSW at the SCG. That’s when my wrist that I rely on for spin began to ache.”Towards the end of last season, the zip and bounce that had been his forte deserted him. I’d watch in amazement as he would ask club captain Rob Quiney to remove him from the attack. “I’m struggling, bruz,” he’d say before trudging down to fine leg. Confidence shot, he was a shadow of his former self. This happened Saturday after Saturday and game after game for months.Throughout this period, fellow Victorian legspinner Fawad Ahmed was on his way to claiming a competition-high 48 wickets for the season, making it almost impossible for Muirhead to force his way back into the team – even if he did bowl well at club level.”I didn’t really tell anyone about my wrist until it got really bad. It wasn’t one incident, it just got progressively worse the more I bowled. I couldn’t hear the clicking sound in my hand when I let the ball go, so I knew something was wrong. When I bowl well, my wrist clicks and the ball fizzes out – this stopped happening,” he said.”Having no confidence really got to me and I struggled to get out of bed some mornings. I didn’t want to train and I have no doubt I was depressed. It was very difficult times. Everything just spiralled down.”In a short span of time Muirhead went from turning out for St Kilda’s 3rd XI to dismissing batsmen in the World T20•Associated PressCricket clubs can be ruthless places, especially successful ones like St Kilda Cricket Club. From 2000 to 2006, the Saints won five two-day 1st XI premierships and this win-at-all-costs mantra still exists today. Every individual gets analysed, people talk, nobody is spared critical judgement.Success is expected, both individually and collectively. Hardened professionals like Michael Beer, Graeme Rummans, Peter Handscomb, Quiney and Muirhead train alongside school teachers, carpenters and University students. So when Jimmy was struggling, it was natural that people would wonder why.”I couldn’t get the revolutions on the ball and I began to worry about what people were saying about me,” he said.”I’d never cared before, but for some reason now I did and it consumed me. It was as if everyone from the firsts to fourths were looking at me thinking I was shit. I didn’t want to train and I just wanted to quit.”I started to think I might have to find a job even though I knew I had three years left on my state contract. Mentally, I was in a shocking place and I now know I will never be lower than that again.”There was one summer evening where he refused to bowl in the nets – unheard of for someone of his standing. I later found out it was because he was terribly embarrassed. He was bowling a long hop every second ball and being belted out of the net. He’d go and retrieve the ball, put on a brave face, and the same thing would happen again. It must have been demoralising. There was nothing any of us could say that could make him feel better. Physically he was struggling with his wrist, but mentally, he had plummeted to an entirely new low.

“You can see he’s a real natural legspinner. There’s a lot of sidespin on the ball. He gets really big turn. I think that’s got everyone excited”Cameron White

Surgery was initially delayed in the hope that rest would be the cure. It didn’t, so in June 2015, Muirhead went under the knife. The recovery period was six to eight weeks, but in reality he is only just finding his old self again now.”I was in such a bad way mentally because of my bowling,” he said. “I couldn’t understand why one day I would be dipping and ripping the ball, and then a couple of months later I was in pain and was hardly spinning it. Surgery allowed me to refresh and almost start again in some ways.”But to paint a picture of eternal doom and gloom would be to dismiss the journey of fellow twirler Brad Hogg, or to a lesser extent Chris Rogers and Adam Voges. For cricket is a pursuit that often favours the stubborn over the skilful – a fact Muirhead, who has a Perth Scorchers and Cricket Victoria contract, is acutely aware of, following a harrowing 18 months. Like so many before him, he knows he possesses the raw skills. Yet at the elite level, pure talent is nowhere near enough.In many respects it has been his close bond with talismanic chinaman and eternal optimist Hogg that has allowed the western suburbs-raised Muirhead to gain perspective in times of despair.”I work very closely with Hoggy at the Scorchers now and he’s really kept me going through the bad times,” he said.”It doesn’t matter where he is or what time of the day it is, he answers my calls and he’s been exceptionally influential on my life. I actually spoke to him yesterday. He rang me to speak to me about my goals and to see how I was going. Without him I am not sure where I’d be.”I understand now it is not going to be easy. I used to think I’d dominate no matter what. Now I know I have to work really hard to compete.”The other person who he credits with helping halt his rapid slide is Cricket Victoria psychologist Tony Glynn.Glynn, who worked closely with Victoria’s cricketers after Phil Hughes’ tragic death last year, has been spending an hour per week with Muirhead for the past eight months – something the legspinner would have laughed off had he been offered psychological assistance three years ago.In an Ashes tour game in November 2013, Muirhead took the wickets of Alastair Cook (twice), Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen•Getty Images”I would have said, ‘What are sports psychologists for? You don’t even need them. They are a waste of money’,” he conceded. “Now I realise, having experienced the highs and the bad lows, that they are crucial. Tony helps me develop routines, set goals and gives me another person to talk to.”Roger Federer, Adam Scott, Steve Smith, and all these elite athletes have deeply embedded routines. I never thought about it before, but now when I watched these guys play, I see their routine. I didn’t have one but now I do. It allows me to have a default setting for when I play if things go wrong.”When he’s at his pomp, Muirhead’s greatest asset is the wicked revolutions he imparts on the ball. Facing him in the nets, your audible signals are just as important as the visual cues. His legbreak fizzes through the air, the tiny rope on the seam rotating so viciously it creates enough friction to hear quite unmistakably. Probably the only thing more daunting than facing him is keeping to him on a tired wicket.”I’ve stood at slip in the three T20 games he’s played for Australia and you can just see he’s a real natural legspinner of the ball – there’s a lot of sidespin on the ball,” Cameron White said last year. “He gets really big turn. I think that’s got everyone excited, including the people he plays with.”Muirhead, who has played for three Big Bash franchises, does not see himself as the next Shane Warne, despite the early comparisons. He does not aspire to be Stuart MacGill or Yasir Shah, or anyone else, really. As his club and state team-mates will strongly attest, Jimmy just wants to be Jimmy and turn the ball as sharply as his rehabilitated wrist will allow. Last week he played for Victoria’s Futures League team against the ACT at his home ground, the Junction Oval, in a four-day game. Although his figures were modest (one wicket in the first innings), his control was back. “It was a flat deck and was relatively happy with how they came out,” he said. “I’m getting back to where I want to be.”Muirhead has been forced to wade through thick mud. Dirtied and demonised by the terrors in his own mind, he could have thrown in the towel, but he didn’t. If he makes it back to the apex of the cricketing mountain, he will undoubtedly be better for what he has endured. His list of scalps does not include names like Gayle, Pietersen, Duminy, Gibbs and Kohli for nothing.

Batsmen who didn’t quite light up the tournament

25-Nov-2014Inzamam-ul-Haq
19 runs at 3.16 in 2003
Inzamam made his name with one of the greatest World Cup innings during the 1992 tournament. Famously, he helped Pakistan cane New Zealand’s surprise weapon, offspinner Dipak Patel, for 22 runs in Patel’s last two overs. In 2003, though, Inzamam couldn’t manage 22 runs across the entire tournament. In an effort to prolong his career, he had committed to a diet that helped him lose 17 kg, but the first evidence of its impact was disastrous. He made only 19 runs from six matches in South Africa, and not once could he reach double-figures. Recalling that trial for the , Inzy vowed, “I never do that again”.Allan Border
60 runs at 8.57 in 1992
Border might have turned the 1987 World Cup final Australia’s way with this weaker suit, getting England’s Mike Gatting to mis-hit reverse sweep off his left-arm spin, but just over four years later, as Australia tried to defend their title, Border couldn’t come through with his stronger suit. He averaged 8.57 in the tournament, totalling just 60 runs from seven innings. The captain’s nightmare series was not without consequences for his team, as they were knocked out at the group stage in a tournament they were co-hosting.Nathan Astle
79 runs at 8.77 in 1999
The New Zealand batsman’s World Cup career got off to a roaring start in 1996 as his century helped defeat England. That was not a harbinger of things to come: he had to wait ten more innings before reaching double-digits, and that when it came was a 11 against Scotland in 1999. He had three ducks in 2003 as well, but balanced those out with several important innings. His ’96 campaign was also salvaged a bit by that hundred against England. There was no such solace in ’99 as he ran up a sequence of: 4, 4, 2, 0, 11, 20, 9, 26, 3.Mahela Jayawardene made only 5 in the 2003 World Cup semi-final, but made up for it with a classic century in the semi-final four years later•Nick Laham/Getty ImagesMahela Jayawardene
21 runs at 3.00 in 2003
Jayawardene often finds himself being an example of how calculated strokeplay is always better than slogging. No one would have made that argument from his contributions during the 2003 World Cup though. The extra pace and bounce in South Africa got the better of him, and his best chance to get back in form did not pan out as he was not required to bat against Bangladesh or Canada. Coming away with 21 runs off seven innings in the showpiece event of the ODI calendar is not quite flattering to a man who likes the big occasion. But one thing he did do right was cling on to Ehsanul Haque’s outside edge that ensured Chaminda Vaas became the first and only bowler to claim a hat-trick off the first three balls in an international match.Keith Arthurton
2 runs at 0.40 in 1996
On each of his previous tours to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the West Indies batsman had reasonable success with the bat. It was expected that he would be able to cope with the conditions in the subcontinent during the 1996 World Cup. Instead, he had arguably the worst World Cup for a specialist batsman, scoring 2 runs in five innings. That wretched run included ducks in the loss to Kenya, and in the famous meltdown against Australia in the semi-final. It cost him his place in the one-day side for two years.

From Venkataraghavan Srinivasan, India

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
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Dale Steyn crippled India in Nagpur•AFPNo. 10
13/5 in 32 balls
West Indies v South Africa
209/5 in 42.1 overs to 222/10 in 47.3 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
This was the first real ‘big name’ match of the World Cup. For 42 overs, it was shaping up into a cracker. With Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the crease and Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy still to come, 300 looked possible. However, Imran Tahir, on his debut, and Dale Steyn dismantled the lower order with tight, precise bowling. South Africa cantered home with a century from AB de Villiers.No. 9
27/5 in 51 balls
Ireland v Bangladesh
151/5 in 36.3 overs to 178/10 in 45 overs (chasing 206)
Result: Lost
Bangladesh had lost to Ireland in the 2007 World Cup. They needed to win this one at home for pride and to keep their quarter-final hopes alive. Instead, they struggled against a disciplined Irish bowling attack and an unflappable batting line-up. Shafiul Islam, who had World Cup figures of 9-0-80-1, came back for a fiery second spell of 6-1-10-4. The Irish lower order was mopped up and Bangladesh were on their way.No. 8
7/5 in 30 balls
Bangladesh v West Indies
51/5 in 13.5 overs to 58/10 in 18.5 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
Bangladesh were ranked higher than West Indies coming into the World Cup, and it seemed to rankle the latter. Electing to bat, Bangladesh were already in a heap of trouble at 51 for 5 in the fourteenth over, and were looking to rebuild. West Indies, however, went for the kill. Kemar Roach, Sammy and Sulieman Benn, who had shared the first five wickets, shared the last five as well, and West Indies had proven a point.No. 7
11/5 in 40 balls
West Indies v India
154/2 in 30.2 overs to 165/7 in 37 overs (chasing 269)
Result: Lost
Zaheer Khan started the slide by castling the well-set Devon Smith. The next over, Harbhajan Singh had the dangerous Pollard caught at long-on. The keeper Devon Thomas was stumped and the captain Sammy was run out. Yuvraj Singh then had Russell caught at point off an uppish cut. West Indies had collapsed against India, South Africa and England.No. 6
3/4 in 21 balls
West Indies v England
222/6 in 41.1 overs to 225/10 in 44.4 overs (chasing 244)
Result: Lost
England and Bangladesh’s place in the quarter-finals hung on the result of this match. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Andre Russell had taken West Indies to within 22 runs of victory. And then, Man of the Match James Tredwell trapped Russell in front and Graeme Swann took Sarwan and Roach. A Benn run-out later, England had lived to see another day.
No. 5
11/5 in 11 balls
India v England
327/5 in 48 overs to 338/10 in 49.5 overs (batting first)
Result: Tied
Tim Bresnan bowled a terrific 49th over. He started with a slower ball that Yusuf Pathan skied to mid-off. Next ball, he yorked and bowled Virat Kohli, who had given himself too much room. Two balls later, he yorked Harbhajan and had him adjudged leg before. The next over, two run-outs followed five no-balls and India had lost half their team in less than two overs.No. 4
8/4 in 17 balls
England v India
281/2 in 42.3 overs to 289/6 in 45.2 overs (chasing 339)
Result: Tied
If Bresnan did it for England, Zaheer did it for India. England were coasting to victory when they took the batting Powerplay in the 43rd over. In the fourth ball, Ian Bell skied Zaheer to mid-off. Next ball, Zaheer bowled an inswinging yorker to Andrew Strauss, batting on 158, and had him leg-before. Two overs later, he knocked back Paul Collingwood’s off-stump. The following over, Harbhajan had Matt Prior holing out to midwicket.No. 3
3/4 in 31 balls
South Africa v England
124/3 in 31.5 overs to 127/7 in 37 overs (chasing 172)
Result: Lost
A lucky wicket started this one. AB de Villiers left a James Anderson delivery outside off alone, but the keeper noticed belatedly that the bails had fallen. Replays showed that the ball had nicked off-stump. Two balls later, the other set batsman, Faf du Plessis was run out. The following over, Anderson returned to bowl JP Duminy and South Africa had lost three wickets on the same score. Three overs and runs later, Michael Yardy had Robin Peterson caught behind.No. 2
14/5 in 53 balls
Bangladesh v England
155/3 in 30.5 overs to 169/8 in 39.4 overs (chasing 226)
Result: Won
The only team on this list to collapse and still win. Bangladesh were cruising to victory until Imrul Kayes ran an impossible second and was found short. Five overs and seven runs later, Shakib Al Hasan played Swann onto his stumps. Two balls later, Ajmal Shahzad had Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind. In his next over, he bowled Naeem Islam. The following over, Bresnan took a diving catch off a high ball at long onto dismiss Abdur Razzak.No. 1
29/9 in 55 balls
India v South Africa
267/1 in 39.3 overs to 296/10 in 48.4 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
The single largest collapse in the World Cup belongs to the most vaunted batting line-up. After dominating 80% of their innings, India let it go in the last 20%, and it all began with the batting Powerplay. Sachin Tendulkar, after a terrific century, sliced Morne Morkel to point. The next over, Steyn had Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan playing mistimed lofted shots to men in the circle. Yuvraj lifted the last ball of the Powerplay to long-on. Then, Kohli pushed the ball back to Peterson. Steyn crashed Harbhajan’s stumps. Peterson had Zaheer caught at long-on. Steyn returned to get rid of Nos. 10 and 11 off consecutive deliveries.

Alastair Cook and James Anderson were the star performers in an outstanding Ashes campaign, while Australia had few memorable moments

S Rajesh08-Jan-2011In the end, the margin of victory was emphatic – a 3-1 series verdict, with all three wins by an innings, is more than what any England fan would have hoped for when the series began. After the Perth defeat, England were so much better than the hosts that the last two Tests were no-contests. The overall series numbers tell the story of a surprisingly one-sided contest. England averaged 51.14 runs per wicket, which their is highest ever in an Ashes contest. The only other instance when they averaged more than 50 was way back in 1926, in England, when they scored 50.63 runs per wicket. Their previous highest in Australia was 43.18 in 1928. Australia’s average of 29.23 is their lowest in an Ashes home series since 1978, when a second-string Australian team averaged 19.17 during a 5-1 series drubbing. The last time a full-strength Australian team did worse was in 1954. England scored nine hundreds, which is their highest in an Ashes series. Alastair Cook led the way with three, Jonathan Trott made two, while Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Andrew Strauss contributed one each. Australia, meanwhile, struggled to convert their starts – they managed 16 fifties, but only three centuries, two by Michael Hussey and one by Brad Haddin. The last time they had such poor returns at home in an Ashes encounter was in 1990-91, in a low-scoring series which had only six hundreds in all from both teams. Australia won that one 3-0. England’s run-rate of 3.50 is also their highest in a series in Australia. However, in their home wins in 2005 and 2009, they scored at a better rate. Australia’s strike rate of more than 87 balls per wicket was their worst in a home Ashes series since 1970-71.

The key overall numbers for both teams in the series

TeamRuns scoredWkts lostAverage100s/ 50sScoring rateBowling strike rateEngland28645651.149/ 113.5056.73Australia26319029.233/ 163.0987.57Throughout the series, Australia struggled with their top-order batting. Apart from Shane Watson and Michael Hussey, none of their specialist batsmen had series to remember. The contrast with England’s batsmen is clear from the table below: while five of England’s top seven averaged more than 50, Hussey was the only one to manage it for the hosts. Cook was clearly the standout player: his tally of 766 runs is fifth-highest in an Ashes series, and the second-best for England, while his series average of 127.67 is second only Don Bradman’s 139.14 (among those who scored 500 runs in an Ashes series).The only batting position where Australia completely outdid England was at the No.5 slot, where Paul Collingwood had five miserable Test matches. For Australia, on the other hand, there were no hundreds from the top four – compared to seven for England – while numbers three and four averaged less than 22. The repeated failures of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke were perhaps the biggest setbacks for Australia. Together, their No.3 and 4 batsmen had an aggregate of 364, which is Australia’s lowest in a five-Test Ashes series since 1902. (Click here for Australia’s batting and bowling averages, and here for England’s.)

Position-wise batting stats for England and Australia

PositionEng – runsAverage100s/ 50sAus – runsAverage100s/ 50sOpeners107382.534/ 562933.100/ 5No.344589.002/ 117119.000/ 1No.436060.001/ 119321.440/ 1No.57712.830/ 057063.332/ 3No.621442.800/ 317219.110/ 0No.725551.001/ 139656.571/ 4It’s more of the same story in the partnership stats too: England’s average partnership for the top three wickets were all more than 70, which means they were seldom under early pressure. Australia’s on the other hand, were all under 40 – with the third-wicket average less than 18 – which meant they were almost always under early pressure and forced to fight rearguard battles. Hussey and Haddin fought back on a few occasions, but when they couldn’t, England were all over the hosts. England had five century partnerships for the first three wickets, compared to only one for Australia.

Average partnerships for each wicket

WicketEng – average100/ 50 standsAus – average100/ 50 standsFirst78.422/ 236.900/ 4Second95.502/ 030.671/ 1Third71.161/ 317.670/ 1Fourth30.331/ 045.552/ 1Fifth40.331/ 130.880/ 2Sixth87.802/ 160.331/ 2Seventh33.201/ 010.550/ 1Eighth36.801/ 024.110/ 2Perhaps the biggest difference between the two sides, though, was the quality of their pace attacks. Four of England’s fast bowlers averaged less than 35, with their main man, James Anderson, conceding only 26.04 runs per wicket. In fact, Anderson’s haul of 24 wickets is the highest by an England bowler in Australia since John Snow took 31 in six Tests in 1970.Australia’s pace attack, on the other hand, was toothless in comparison. Mitchell Johnson was their leading wicket-taker, but he conceded almost 37 runs per wicket. Leave out the Perth Test, in which he was admittedly outstanding, and his bowling average shoots up to 78.67. Similarly, Peter Siddle had 14 wickets for the series, but 12 of them came in two innings via two six-wicket hauls. Ben Hilfenhaus, the other fast bowler who played at least four Tests in the series, was Australia’s most economical bowler, but also their most ineffective, requiring 135 deliveries per wicket.The kind of scores the two teams put up is a good indication of the kind of bowling attack they were up against. Australia’s batsmen were always under pressure, thanks to the ability of the England fast bowlers to find seam and swing even with an old Kookaburra ball. Australia’s bowlers, though, hardly got the old ball to do anything, which made it much easier for England’s batsmen to go on to big scores once they made starts. The only column where Australia lead is in five-fors, but that only means England shared the wickets around and all the bowlers contributed their bits.Also, England had Graeme Swann to block an end up and take a few wickets – he had 15 at an average of less than 40. Australia’s spinners, on the other hand, were an embarrassment.

How the bowlers fared in the Ashes

OversWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMEngland – pace626.57027.6453.72/ 0Australia – pace631.15140.9674.24/ 0Aus pace, excl. Perth531.43158.03102.92/ 0England – spin224.11638.3184.01/ 0Australia – spin186.15135.80223.40/ 0The head-to-head battlesBefore the 2010 Ashes, Anderson had averaged 56.17 against Australia, with 17 wickets from eight Tests; in Australia he averaged 82.60 from three Tests. One of his biggest worries in the past had been Ponting, who’d completely owned him in previous contests, averaging 204 in the duel, and getting out only once in 280 balls. This time, though, the tables turned completely, with Anderson dismissing Ponting three times in 67 balls. Ponting’s average – a miserable 9.67.

Ponting versus Anderson

RunsBallsDismissalsAverageRun rateBefore the 2010 Ashes2042801204.004.37In the 2010 Ashes296739.672.59The two Australian batsmen who handled Anderson well were Hussey and Watson, who averaged more than 40 against him. Clarke, though, had no answers to Anderson and Chris Tremlett, falling to them five times at an average of less than ten.

More head-to-head contests

BatsmanBowler(s)RunsBallsDismissalsAverageMichael HusseyJames Anderson1122151112.00Shane WatsonJames Anderson148298274.00Michael ClarkeAnderson & Tremlett4413058.80Johnson had a largely forgettable series, but the one batsman he continued to dominate was Ian Bell – he dismissed Bell twice at an average of less than 20. In previous encounters, Bell had fallen to Johnson four times at an average of 9.25. Bell had no problems against Siddle, though, not falling to him even once in 126 balls, and scoring at nearly five runs per over.

Australian bowlers v England batsmen

BatsmanBowlerRunsBallsDismissalsAverageAlastair CookMitchell Johnson1391731139.00Ian BellMitchell Johnson39106219.50Ian BellPeter Siddle1041260-Kevin PietersenPeter Siddle51100225.50The final word in this series, though, must belong to Alastair Cook. The table below shows his head-to-head stats against each Australian bowler. His performance, more than any other, captures the English dominance in this Australian summer.

Alastair Cook v Australian bowlers

BowlerRunsBallsDismissalsAverageRun rateMitchell Johnson1391731139.004.82Ben Hilfenhaus1212860-2.53Xavier Doherty1092000-3.27Peter Siddle94242247.002.33Shane Watson86172186.003.00Ryan Harris68124234.003.29

They cannot use a lack of preparation as an excuse because they are perhaps the most prepared at each tournament

Marc Ellison21-Jan-2010Bangladesh have yet again limped out of the ICC Under-19 World Cup after a successful and dominant lead-up to the tournament in which expectations were high and great hopes were expressed. Their failure was reminiscent of the last two World Cups, which they approached in good form and on the back of strong warm-up campaigns only to fall at crucial hurdles.The current tournament should lead to some introspection over their inability to handle the ‘big games’ and perform under pressure. Even though nations tend to talk down their importance, U-internationals are seen as the pathway to international cricket and it must be acknowledged that their penchant for saving their worst performances for the crunch matches doesn’t set a good precedent for those moving into what is a very young men’s team.Placed in Group A, the ‘group of death,’ Bangladesh sailed past Papua New Guinea in their first match by by five wickets, then lost to West Indies by one run and Pakistan by four wickets after holding the edge for long periods. The latter game, especially, is one they will rue losing, having had their noses in front for the majority of the game before losing with one ball to spare. Against West Indies, Bangladesh – chasing 250 – needed just two runs from four balls with two wickets in hand before collapsing.Their 2010 pre-tournament campaign produced some outstanding results which included a 4-1 hammering of Sri Lanka at home, comprehensive victories against England 2-1 (away) and 5-2 (home) – against a side almost identical to the one that beat India on Thursday in the final Group A match – then disposing of Zimbabwe 5-0 (home). They had a slight hiccup in Sri Lanka where they failed to make the final of the Tri Series tournament, losing to both teams once and registering their only win against the hosts. Once they arrived in New Zealand they comfortably beat the hosts by 36 runs (D/L method) and encountered a star-studded Australian outfit which they beat by 20 runs to complete their warm up matches.They had similar warm-up campaigns in 2006 and 2008. In the lead up to the 2008 tournament in Malaysia, Bangladesh beat the world champions Pakistan 3-2 (away), Sri Lanka 3-2 (home), losing a tri- series final to a rampant Indian side in South Africa and beating West Indies 2-1 at home. During the tournament, they went through Group D unbeaten, impressing with wins against Bermuda, Ireland and, most importantly, a 13-run victory against England in the final match of the group stages before succumbing to a very good South African team in the quarter-final by 201 runs.In 2006, Bangladesh narrowly missed out on the final of the Afro-Asia Cup by losing to eventual finalists India and Pakistan but beating Zimbabwe, Pakistan and South Africa. Shortly after that series they demolished Sri Lanka and England in a tri-series at home. They conquered all before them in Group A with wins against New Zealand, eventual champions Pakistan, and Uganda. They actually won five out of six matches in the tournament, beating West Indies and the hosts to finish fifth, but lost the most important match, a quarter-final against a weak England outfit.This shows up a pattern that in turn raises many questions – at that level, and at that age, how equipped are these youngsters to deal with such pressure? Who is on hand to help out? What are the safety nets? I know in my own experience playing in the U-19 World Cup in 2006 that it can be a very lonely tour for a captain in control of an under-performing group of young men and having to face up to the media immediately after losing crunch games. The coaching staff around you see what is going wrong, and can even see these mistakes made before they happen, yet their own heads are on the chopping block and so they themselves struggle to deal with the frustration.The ability to handle pressure can simply be put down to experience by finding your way through the tight situations and coming out on top eventually. Without a doubt, the most important thing to learn from these events is how to handle the pressure better the next time. I know personally, I would’ve liked more preparation for our campaign back in 2006 to get a feel for the pitches we were playing on, to learn more about playing quality finger spin, and also, to get a better understanding of my players and their ability at that level. Unfortunately, Bangladesh cannot use that excuse as they are perhaps the most prepared U-19 team at each tournament.One thing is for sure, if they can find a way to win those ‘big games’ and get through the difficult pressure moments, then their raw unharnessed ability as a cricketing nation could be freed to produce greater success not only at the U-19 level, but also at the highest level.