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Alex Obanda butchered 79 from 48 balls to lead Kenya to a resounding victory over Canada in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Dubai

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Alex Obanda butchered 79 from 48 balls to lead Kenya to a resounding victory over Canada in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Dubai.Following their disappointing defeat to minnows UAE in their opening game, where their conservative approach strangled hopes of chasing 165, Kenya came out firing in pursuit of a modest total from Canada. Obanda dominated a 126-run opening stand with Steve Tikolo, which came from only 76 balls.The pair were severe on the generous serving of short balls dished up from the Canada bowlers, who were clearly wilting in the heat of the Kenyan attack. From the first over Obanda unfurled an array of rasping cuts and pulls, taking 13 off Umar Bhatti’s opening over, as he raced to his fifty from just 23 balls.The pair reached 64 inside the five overs and, while Tikolo didn’t get much of the strike, he was no less aggressive when he did. His 50, from 36 balls, included five fours and a six, enough to reminded everyone that, even at the age of 38, he remains one of the most gifted batsmen outside Test cricket.It made made a mockery of the target Canada scrapped together earlier in the day. They were inserted by Maurice Ouma and lost John Davidson in the first over of the game, bowled by Hiren Varaiya for a duck. Rizwan Cheema, the Canada captain, opening with Davidson tried to arrest the early momentum with a couple of big shots, but things didn’t improve for his side as Hiral Patel fell for four in the fifth over, pulling a short ball from Jimmy Kamande straight to Tikolo at square leg.The bulk of the runs came through contributions from Cheema (32), Geoff Barnett (30) and a run-a-ball 36 from Ashish Bagai. Despite these useful starts, none of the batsmen could get away. Kamande’s nagging offspinners choked the middle order and his dismissal of Cheema, with a doosra, was one to remember. The batsman had no clue as it spun away from him and clipped the edge through the wicketkeeper Ouma.Medium-pacer Nehemiah Odhiambo, who was the pick of the bowlers in Kenya’s opening match, was again in the wickets today, as he bowled a devastating ‘death’ over of yorkers to collect three wickets and give away just four runs.It set the momentum which Obanda and Tikolo lifted to another level to revive Kenya’s hopes of progressing in the tournament.

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a serious leg injury.

The Lowdown: Poveda on loan at Blackburn

The 21-year-old was sent out on loan to the Championship club during the summer in order to enjoy more regular football, but it has not quite gone to plan.

Poveda, who has been described as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola after his spell at Manchester City, has been limited to just four league starts so far at Ewood Park.

On Saturday, the youngster unfortunately left the field injured in his side’s 1-1 draw away to Bristol City with what looked like a serious issue.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Serious injury confirmed

On Tuesday, Blackburn’s official Twitter channel confirmed the news using quotes from Mowbray, who said that the midfielder looks set for a lengthy spell out of the team. The Rovers boss outlined: “The news isn’t particularly good, he’s broken his fibula and has some ligament damage.”

As per Blackburn’s official website, Mowbray added: “It’s a fracture and it’s not good news for him or us. We’ve been in touch with Leeds United and it looks as if he’ll have an operation to insert a plate. We’ll see what Leeds want to do because he’s their player, but he will be out for a significant period of time.”

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The Verdict: Big blow for Poveda

It is a cruel blow for Poveda, especially as he tries to force his way into Mowbray’s starting line-up more regularly, and he now faces a mental challenge to overcome following such a huge personal setback.

The hope is that the Leeds youngster can make a swift enough recovery to get some more game-time at Blackburn before the season is out, ideally returning to Elland Road more rounded player next summer.

At 21, he still has a long future ahead of him, so this will hopefully be a minor speed bump in his career rather than a prolonged setback like the one suffered by Adam Forshaw.

In other news, Phil Hay has discussed Leeds’ potential January transfer business. Read more here.

Jamaican allrounder Andre Creary will lead a 15-man West Indies squad for the Under-19 World Cup beginning in New Zealand in January

Cricinfo staff25-Dec-2009Jamaican allrounder Andre Creary will lead a 15-man West Indies squad for the Under-19 World Cup beginning in New Zealand in January. Yannick Ottley, an allrounder from Trinidad and Tobago, will be his deputy.The West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) chairman of selectors Clyde Butts, who was coach of the Under-19 team during the World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004 and was manager during the 2008 edition in Malaysia, said the “balanced” outfit had the potential to win the competition.”I think we have a very good team and I am confident they have the ability to go all the way,” Butts said on Thursday. “The team is a balanced one with quality batting, very good bowling and excellent in the field. I especially expect a lot from the two leg-spinners Akeem Dwyer and Yannic Cariah, who are capable match-winners. They (team) know what is required and the two leg-spinners add to the balance because they are very capable batsmen as well.”Creary represented West Indies in the 2008 World Cup, where his team emerged victorious in the Plate final. Butts, though, believed the team this time around was a much-improved one. “I can see them going all the way. This team is better balanced than two years ago when we went to Malaysia and won the Plate Final,” he said. “Since I saw them in the Under-19 tournament in Jamaica and the WICB One-Day tournament in Guyana, you can see the vast improvement and development. They play well together and were excellent during the recent camp in St Kitts. You could clearly see the improvement and the boys are very enthusiastic.”West Indies are expected to arrive in New Zealand on January 2, and will play two warm-up games, against Ireland and Australia in Christchurch and Lincoln respectively. They begin their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on January 15 before taking on Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.Butts said West Indies will aim to make the most of the two-week preparation ahead of the tournament. “It will be very important that the players make the mental and physical adjustment in New Zealand,” he said. “The conditions will be a challenge, New Zealand is literally on other side of the world, but the big advantage, is that the team will be arriving early and will have the chance to play warm-up matches. They will be travelling straight to New Zealand so they should have enough time to get set for the big competition.”Squad: Andre Creary (capt), Yannick Ottley (vice-capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Nelson Bolan, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Yannic Cariah, Akeem Dewar, Shane Dowrich (wk), Nicholson Gordon, Trevon Griffiths, Jason Holder, Keon Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jomel Warrican.

Everton have been struggling with a mild injury crisis over the last three months, but with players now returning from injury there has been no better time for them as the Toffees take on some of the Premier League giants in their upcoming fixtures.

Between now and Christmas, Everton are set to face Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, all within their next six fixtures, and will be hoping to grab as many points as they can from these huge games to climb into a much better position in the table.

Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 11th in the table with just four wins so far this season, and with such tough fixtures coming up for the Toffees they will be thankful for the returns from injury with the likes of Richarlison and centre back Yerry Mina.

Everton have been ruthlessly exposed at the back over the last few months with Benitez’s side conceding seven goals in their last four games, with an embarrassing 5-2 defeat to Watford contributing to most of those goals.

It appears that most of Everton’s defensive issues come from set pieces, and zonal marking, with this being something that the manager has addressed. Everton’s expected goals against from set-pieces is 4.0 and tied for second-worst in the league.

Responding to this, the Spanish coach said; “The main thing for us is to make sure we attack the ball and show some character when we have to challenge, we’re not doing that. It’s not just zonal marking, if it’s man-to-man, then they block your defender and you could have a man free.

“I think it’s a question of how to defend, show character and the aggression you have to show when defending a setpiece.”

With all this considered it is no wonder that fans were buzzing that Yerry Mina made his return to training at Finch Farm last week.

Rafa could solve one of his biggest problems in conceding too many cheap goals, by unleashing the £18m rated beast against Man City in their next game.

The club took to Instagram to announce the highly anticipated return of the defender, with the caption reading: “Return of the King.”

Standing at 6 foot 5, the defender who has been described as a “monster” by Michael Ball, possesses all the physical traits to improve them from dead-ball situations.

The Toffees seem to be on the other side of their injury disasters, with key players back in training ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend and Dominic Calvert Lewin’s imminent return after being sidelined with a quadriceps injury in August.

In other news: Better than Iwobi? Jonathan Ikone on Everton’s radar

In terms of squad depth, Liverpool have a comfortable number of players across all positions on the pitch, particularly in the midfield area.

One midfielder that has not seen as much action as some of the other midfield players in Jurgen Klopp’s squad is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has only started five of the 12 games he’s appeared in across all competitions.

With this in mind, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when it was reported earlier in the year that the Englishman could look for a move away from the Merseyside club to get his career back on track and get some regular minutes elsewhere.

Taking this into account, if Oxlade-Chamberlain does end up leaving, the club could already have their ideal long-term replacement for him in their youth ranks with 18-year-old midfielder James Balagizi.

After joining the Reds from fellow Premier League club Manchester City as an U11 player, Balagizi has gone on to make 35 appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side in which he has managed to score eight goals and provide 13 assists along the way, highlighting that he has some attacking prowess in him, in a similar way Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown during his time at Anfield, having 14 goals and 13 assists under his belt.

Balagizi, who has been previously likened to former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in terms of his style of play, has also made six appearances for Liverpool’s U23 side, showing that they believe he is capable of mixing in along with some of the older players in their youth ranks.

So far this season, in the 12 appearances he’s made across all competitions, Balagizi has played in numerous positions on the pitch in midfield and up front, showing his versatility, also in a similar fashion to Oxlade-Chamberlain when he’s been given the chance to play.

With all of this in mind, it seems as though Balagizi has the potential to continue with the U23s and eventually break into the first team at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp in the same way fellow Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has done, especially if Oxlade-Chamberlain ends up leaving in the summer to try and get more minutes on the pitch elsewhere.

In other news: FSG could secure LFC’s next Van Dijk with swoop for “incredible” £13.5m-rated machine – opinion

Sunderland will take on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after the draw took place on Saturday.

As to be expected, a number of Black Cats supporters were quick to give their thoughts to the news when it was announced via the club’s social media channels.

Sunderland are the only team outside of the Premier League left in the competition following a penalty shootout win over Queens Park Rangers in midweek. Lee Johnson admitted after the game that he would like to face either Arsenal or Tottenham in the last eight, and he has got his wish with a trip to the Emirates Stadium.

The quarter-final will be played in the week commencing 20 December, with Sunderland having 10 League One fixtures before then.

Sunderland fans react

Sunderland posted on their official Twitter channel regarding the cup draw with Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime and here is what these fans had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘mental’ that the Black Cats were drawn against Mikel Arteta’s side, whose character has been called into question in recent months.

“Here we go!”

Credit: @gavingeorge88

“Finally a draw that might actually earn us some money”

Credit: @DreamingDejaVu

“mental that a League One team will be in the semis for the Carabao”

Credit: @richard_acw

“Fantastic! I was worried we would get a big club”

Credit: @Dale_seaham

“We’ve been waiting for this for so many years, it feels so good … the boy is finally coming home”

Credit: @_EAEGG

“Fantastic. Doesn’t matter if we lose, this season is about promotion but I bet they underestimate us. Anything can happen.”

Credit: @petercarneyH

In other news: Many SAFC fans slam ‘appalling’ ace who lost 75% of his duels vs Rotherham. 

Kirstie Thomson, an opening batsman, will make her international debut for South Africa women tomorrow when they take on West Indies women in the first ODI

Cricinfo staff15-Oct-2009Kirstie Thomson, an opening batsman, will make her international debut for South Africa women tomorrow when they take on West Indies women in the first ODI. Thomson will open the batting with wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty as a part of a new opening combination for her team.”We have an extremely strong squad on hand and we have selected this team according to combinations,” South Africa coach Noor Rhode said on the eve of the fixture in Paarl. “We have played the West Indies on a number of occasions and have selected the team that will be able to capitalise on the opponents’ weaknesses.”Thomson was recalled into the squad after a successful recovery from a lower back stress fracture, which kept her out of the squad that went to the Women’s World Cup in Australia in March. She also opens the batting for Gauteng, where impressive performances have contributed to her selection.”Kirstie is experienced upfront and was initially selected as an opener before she got injured,” Rhode said. “Her and Trisha (Chetty) will provide a stable partnership at the top for us.”South Africa will be keen to make amends for their defeats to West Indies in the Women’s World Cup and the World Twenty20 three months later.South Africa women: Sunette Loubser (Capt), Alicia Smith, Trisha Chetty (wk), Shandre Fritz, Mignon du Preez, Cri-Zelda Brits, Kirstie Thomson, Shabnim Ismail, Ashlyn Kilowan, Charlize van der Westhuizen, Dané van Niekerk, Angelique Taai (12th Woman).

Reliable Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has recently answered a question on Hoops left-back Boli Bolingoli.

The Lowdown: Bolingoli in 2021…

Bolingoli has made just eight appearances during the calendar year, loan with Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

A permanent move away from Celtic Park failed to materialise over the summer, despite links of a return to Turkey with Altay SK.

He’s since made two sporadic Celtic appearances under Ange Postecoglou, who decided to start the Belgian in a defeat to Livingston in September and a win over Motherwell earlier this month.

Aside from those fixtures, Bolingoli hasn’t featured in a Scottish Premiership matchday squad, leaving many wondering what’s next for the defender, who is still under contract until 2023.

The Latest: Devlin’s response…

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic on Wednesday prior to the Hoops’ 3-1 win over Hibernian.

He was asked by one Celtic supporter about Bolingoli’s situation, to which he described it as ‘incredibly odd’.

“People I speak to around the club were as surprised – on both occasions – as we all were from afar. Just an incredibly odd situation.”

The Verdict: Ange needs to make a call…

You’d have expected if Postecoglou saw Bolingoli in his Parkhead plans, he would have been a regular in the league following Greg Taylor’s shoulder injury back in September.

However, the Hoops boss has used youngster Adam Montgomery and right-back Josip Juranovic at left-back, with Bolingoli making a couple of appearances in between.

On that basis, it might be wise for Postecoglou to resolve the situation for good by giving the club the green light to move Bolingoli on for good.

Not only would it put to bed the end of his Celtic career, but it would also free up the wage bill, with Bolingoli currently on £15,000-a-week.

In other news: ‘Difficult’ – Injury expert reacts as ‘excellent’ Celtic ace may miss 3 more games. 

South Africa women aim to beat West Indies soundly in the home series that includes four ODIs and three Twenty20s in October, according to their coach Noor Rhode

Cricinfo staff04-Sep-2009South Africa women have targetted beating West Indies soundly in the home series that includes four ODIs and three Twenty20s in October, their coach Noor Rhode said.West Indies have prevailed in their previous two encounters but by narrow margins – by two wickets in the 50-over World Cup in Australia and by three runs in the World Twenty20 – but Rhode expected a better show from his players at home.”We’ve been training hard and we want to give them a hiding in our own back yard. A series victory will be a great confidence booster ahead of the World Twenty20 in the West Indies where we play our opening match against them.”The ODIs, from October 16 to October 23, and the Twenty20s, from October 26 to October 28, will be played at Boland Park in Paarl and Newlands in Cape Town.South African players will get to prepare for the series with the domestic Super 4 tournament in September. The CSA Women’s Competition will follow in October.CSA Amateur Cricket Manager, Max Jordaan, said the series at home would help the players to improve on their past performances. “The recent ICC events created much anxiety for the relatively inexperienced team. A good series win would set up this team for better performances in the next ICC T20 in the Caribbean.”

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes Celtic should stick with Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou despite the pressure piling at Parkhead, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s comments

The Hoops have now been victorious in just two of their last eight fixtures in all competitions following a 4-0 defeat at Celtic Park to Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.

Prior to that loss, Postecoglou commented dismissing the ‘narrative’ that his Celtic side were ‘struggling’.

However, on Friday morning, reporter Kieran Devlin dropped a worrying claim regarding Postecoglou, admitting it looks doubtful he will get the extended period needed to really instil his philosophies.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who now contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports, was asked by Football Insider if Postecoglou’s position should be under threat.

He thinks the Hoops will give the manager some time, especially with players out injured, with Kyogo Furuhashi only recently making his return.

“I don’t think so.

“Rangers have dropped points as well. It was always going to be tough this season for Celtic. They didn’t have much money to spend, they lost Odsonne Edouard and Scott Brown.

“They’ll give him some time. As long as he doesn’t start losing week in, week out. They’ll give him some time, definitely.

“They’ve got players out with injuries as well, like Kyogo Furuhashi.”

The Verdict: Spot on

Celtic chiefs shouldn’t be expecting miracles from Postecoglou in his first season. There’s been plenty of changes off the field, a number of incomings and outgoings in regards to recruitment and he’s had to deal with plenty of injuries.

Time is required with Postecoglou being dealt a rough hand to start with, and hopefully, things will get better over the coming months.

If they don’t, then Celtic may decide to seriously consider Postecoglou’s position, but for now, they’ll have to remain patient.

In other news: Another Celtic injury blow confirmed with ace who Ange called ‘quality’ added to list.