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Points tableNortherns 228 for 4 (van Jaarsveld 77, McKenzie 73*) beatBoland 226 for 9 (Euley 88, Kemp 4-37, Thomas 3-32) by 5wickets.
ScorecardMartin van Jaarsveld (77) and Neil McKenzie (73*) added 107 for the third wicket, taking Northerns to an easy six-wicket win against Boland. They overhauled the target of 227 in just 43.2 overs.Earlier, Boland had been saved from humiliation when Wesley Euley, playing his first Standard Bank Cup innings, scored 88 at nearly a run a ball, batting aggressively against Justin Kemp in particular. Kemp returned figures of 4 for 37, and 27 of those runs were off Euley’s bat. Euley’s 94-run fourth-wicket partnership with Gerhard Strydom ensured that Boland ended on 226 for 9. Alfonso Thomas took 3 for 32.Border 188 (Sugden 42*, Boucher 41, Louw 5-27) beat EasternProvince 116 for 8 (Langeveldt 3-21) by 11 runs (D/L Method).
ScorecardAn undefeated 42 from Craig Sugden and 41 from Mark Boucher could not save Border from being bowled out, inside the allotted 45 overs, for 188. Johann Louw, playing for Eastern Province after moving from Griqualand West at the begining of the season, returned career-best figures of 5 for 27.A 150-minute rain delay, after the supper break, had the slide rule out, and Eastern Province was set a Duckworth-Lewis target of 128 off 24 overs. For the second time this series Border had been caught on the wrong end of the weather but they turned it around with some good attacking bowling, especially from Charl Langeveldt, who took 3 for 21.Continuous pressure on the batsmen resulted in chances being taken and wickets being lost at crucial periods, and Border walk away victorsin an exciting finish.

DuckworthLewis Photo CricInfo

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes cricket authorities should review the Duckworth/Lewis system as the result of changes that have been made to the one-day game.The system is applied for rain-interrupted one-day matches.Fleming believes the introduction of the one bouncer per over law has altered the nature of the game and will therefore affect the calculations on which the Duckworth/Lewis system is based.”I would like to see it reviewed every now and then, even if it does remain in place. Keep reviewing it, it is like everything, when the game evolves, every rule around it has to evolve,” he said.Changing it by use of modern data may prove easier said than done because the D/L system was built up on factual analysis based on the history of all One-Day Internationals.As the new law has only come into effect, there is not the historical perspective on which to base any decisions for change.”I don’t think we can just be happy with it. Keep reviewing it, don’t accept it as being the best form all the time,” he said.Fleming felt that, initially with the new law, the quality of fast bowling would improve and bowlers would get better at using the short-pitched ball. There was still a lot of bowlers’ time left before a different style of batting emerged as batsmen worked the bowling out.”Basically, you’re asking for a more complete batsman, you’re asking for back foot and front foot, so a lot of guys, especially from the subcontinent, are plonking that front foot down and just swinging from the hip may be found out.”You will get a different style of batsman playing in one-dayers,” he said.

The second warm up game for the Indians touring Zimbabwe, playedagainst the CFX Academy side, was heartwarming and at the same timeset off some alarm bells at the back of the mind. Playing against aninexperienced side, the Indians showcased their batting might toperfection. Shiv Sunder Das (110 retired), VVS Laxman (100 retired),Hemang Badani (112 not out) all notched up tons and had an opportunityto spend time out in the middle in Zimbabwean conditions. SouravGanguly retired after making a half century, suggesting that he toowas comfortable out in the middle. It must be remembered that he didnot have a particularly memorable run with the bat in the three Testseries against Australia that concluded recently.However, all this is not source for any worry. If anything, it bodesextremely well for the touring side. But a look at the batting orderin the second innings is cause for minor concern. Opening the inningswith Sadagoppan Ramesh was statemate Badani, another southpaw. Havingdone well in the first innings, Badani is seen by some as aprospective candidate for higher honours. However, with Laxman, SachinTendulkar, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid forming the middle order therereally is no place for Badani in the playing XI. Unless of course, hereplaces Ramesh at the top of the order.Although it might be premature to speculate on the possibility ofBadani being asked to fill in as a makeshift opener, the rumblingshave already begun in Zimbabwe. Ramesh, looked upon as the dashing andeven reckless half of India’s opening partnership ‘needs to provehimself’ says a report. Ramesh’s scores of 42 and 52 (retired) in thesecond warm up game have not inspired enough confidence it seems.Although there is enough truth in the statement that Ramesh does havea somewhat cavalier approach to opening the innings, often chasing atballs that are best left alone, it would be a touch unfair to suggestthat he has failed at the highest level. In the 15 Tests and 29innings that Ramesh has played, he averages a healthy 40.17 and hasnotched up a score of 50 or more almost once in three Tests. What hasgiven detractors fuel for fire is a recent lack of consistency inRamesh’s batting. The last eight innings in Test cricket have yieldedscores of 13, 0, 48, 2, 44, 0, 30, 61 and 25.Through the recently concluded Australia tour of India, there werecries from all quarters to replace Ramesh. However, coach John Wrightbacked Ramesh to the end. The focus however seems to be a bitdifferent on an away tour for India. In recent interviews, Wright, aleft handed opening batsman himself, has stressed the need for a solidopening partnership.”We need a bit of consistency in the opening position. I would be veryhappy if we could go to lunch with only one or two down in the firstsession,” he said, speaking to the Press Trust of India. “Just getthrough the first session and see the new ball off and we have got themiddle order to take advantage of that situation,” added Wright.It goes without saying that Das is seen as the calming influence andthe more solid of the two openers. Ramesh himself is not one to runaway from things. “We start with the basic advantage of a right and aleft-handed opening pair. There is another advantage which comes withour batting techniques. While Das is defensive, I tend to go for myshots. It doesn’t allow bowlers to settle down,” said Ramesh.In recent times however, India have experimented unsuccessfully withmakeshift openers on more than one occasion. The last time India werein Zimbabwe, in 1998-99 stumper Nayan Mongia was asked to open theinnings. As it happened Mongia made 1 and 0 as India slumped to a 61-run loss in the one-off Test match. Another foreign tour and anotherscapegoat was found going back to India’s disastrous tour ofAustralia in 1999-2000. MSK Prasad, sent in at the top of the order inthe Sydney Test scored 3 and 5. It must not be forgotten that VVSLaxman opened in four Tests during the tour of the West Indies in 1997when India lost the series 0-1, failing to get 120 in the famous gameat Barbados. Fortunately, wisdom has prevailed in the end and Laxmanis now firmly ensconced in his rightful position in the middle order.Yet another foreign tour has come about and the rumours have startedonce more. If they remain rumours for the duration of the tour, Indiawould have done right by two talented left handed cricketers oneopener and one middle order bat.

A big Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged regarding Bayer Leverkusen attacker Moussa Diaby… 

What’s the talk?

Sport1 journalist Patrick Berger has claimed that the Magpies are among the clubs who are keen on a deal to sign the Frenchman at the end of the season. The attacker is said to be available for a fee in the region of £50m, whilst two other Premier League clubs are also in the running for his signature.

Berger tweeted: “Manchester United, FC Arsenal and Newcastle are interested in Moussa Diaby. The French winger from Bayer Leverkusen (16 goals/9 assists this seasons) has no release clause. Price tag: €60m. As a potential successor Bayer monitoring Carles Pérez from AS Roma.”

Excitement

This update will surely leave Eddie Howe excited for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that PIF are eyeing up players within the £50m price range. If they did not believe that they could strike a deal of that magnitude, then it would be strange for them to be showing an interest in Diaby, which is why the 44-year-old Newcastle boss can feel excited about the calibre of transfer that the club is aiming to complete this summer.

Instead of fishing for bargain deals in Europe or trying to secure loans from other Premier League clubs, Newcastle may look to poach outstanding performers to bolster their squad in mega-deals. Diaby falls into this category because of his potential price and his displays for Leverkusen this season.

His performances in the Bundesliga are another reason why Howe will be buzzing with this news. The 22-year-old has been in electric form for the German club, with 12 goals and seven assists in 24 outings this term. He has also caught the eye in the Europa League as he has four goals and two assists in seven starts in the competition.

This shows that he is able to regularly contribute with quality end product in the final third. He is a game-changer who can win valuable points for his team, as he has proven throughout the campaign with Leverkusen.

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Meanwhile, no Newcastle player has more than six goals or three assists in the Premier League. This suggests that Diaby would be a major upgrade on their current options at the top end of the pitch if he is able to replicate his Bundesliga form in England, which is why Howe will be excited by the prospect of working with him in the 2022/23 campaign.

PIF must now ensure that they are able to beat Manchester United and Arsenal to his signature in order to seal the £50m deal to improve the ex-Bournemouth coach’s squad at St James’ Park.

AND in other news, Howe’s first mistake: NUFC dud who lost possession every 3.1 touches flopped big time…

Mark Dobson has resigned as England women’s head coach midway through the tour of Australia and New Zealand. Citing personal reasons, the ECB level-three coach apologised to the England team and returned home.Surrey’s Mark Lane, drafted in after assistant coach Vince Wells opted out of the tour for personal reasons as well, will take over on a temporary basis for the remainder of the tour.Dobson, 40, was appointed coach in June 2007 and his first assignment was New Zealand’s visit last August. He had a brief first-class career at Kent and Glamorgan and has been in the game as a coach ever since.

Rahul Dravid admitted that the batting came a cropper on a seaming pitch © AFP

Rahul Dravid, the captain, says India will have to play out of their skins to qualify for the Super Eights following their shock defeat to Bangladesh. Dravid blamed the batting for the loss and said they were 30 to 40 runs short as Bangladesh chased down the required 192 to win by five wickets.The chase was fashioned by half-centuries to the young brigade of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Saqibul Hasan. “Our backs are up against the wall,” Dravid said. “We didn’t get enough runs on the board. I thought 240 would have been a good score but the wicket surprised us.”Their bowlers kept it really tight and they didn’t let us get away. We know we’ve got to win two games now. We’ve got our backs to the wall and have got to fight pretty hard.” India now have to beat both Bermuda, on Monday, and Sri Lanka, on Friday, to avoid the risk of elimination.He also defended his decision to bat first on a pitch which had plenty of bounce and movement, which was fully utilised by the Bangladesh seamers, Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel.”I don’t know if we can regret it,” he said. “We could have just batted a lot better. The ball did seam around a lot more and for a bit longer than we had expected. The wicket had a pretty dry look about it.”Dravid’s counterpart, Habibul Bashar, was upbeat and gave due credit to the bowlers who set up the victory. After losing the toss, Mortaza picked up two early wickets, before the spinners made life difficult for the middle order. Mortaza picked up two further wickets in his second spell to clean up the tail and restrict India to less than 200.”The boys did a terrific job – it was a good toss to lose,” Bashar said. “When I saw the wicket I was in two minds. Because we only played with two seamers we knew we needed to take a wicket early and Mashrafe did that. Playing against a team like India you have to work hard – and this will give us a fair chance to qualify for the second round. It’s a great day for Bangladesh.”