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West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Kortney Hause to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee (via Birmingham Live), with the West Ham insider revealing that David Moyes’ side have made contact with Aston Villa regarding a move for the centre-back this month, although talks between the two clubs are still believed to be in the preliminary stages.

Regarding the Hammers’ interest in the 26-year-old defender, Ex said: “Hause was on the bench for Villa in their cup defeat at Manchester United [and] has featured very few times under new manager [Steven] Gerrard.

“Despite this, Aston Villa have reportedly offered him the option of a new contract to keep him at the club. Hause is said to be one of a number of centre-back targets [for West Ham] and talks are only at the primary stage.”

He’d be a major upgrade

Considering just how much West Ham have struggled for numbers at the back following the injuries suffered by first-choice centre-back pairing Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna, it would appear a very wise move for Moyes to bring in greater depth into the position this month if he wants to give his team the best possible chance of securing a top-four finish this season.

While it is true that Hause has not featured regularly for Villa since Gerrard’s arrival at the club in November, the former England under-21 international has nevertheless proven that he would make a fantastic addition to Moyes’ current options at the back.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances last term, the £4.5m-rated defender helped his side to keep three clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as making 1.1 interceptions, 0.6 tackles, and 7.6 clearances per game and winning 65% of his duels.

These returns saw the £25k-per-week defender earn an impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Villa’s sixth-best player – and their best-performing centre-back – in the top flight in 2020/21.

For comparison, over his eight league outings this season, Issa Diop has failed to convince that he is of the standard required to be a starter for West Ham. The centre-back has helped his side to keep two clean sheets, in addition to making 0.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 3.3 clearances and winning a mere 2.9 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the Frenchman average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.59, ranking him as the Irons’ fourth-worst player – and their worst-performing defender – in the top flight.

As such, it is clear to see that the player who Matt Law dubbed a “ridiculous bargain” for the £3m that Villa paid to Wolves for the 26-year-old back in 2019 would be a major upgrade on Diop, leading us to believe that Moyes simply must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Villa centre-back this month.

In other news: Transfer insider reveals West Ham have “looked at” signing £25m beast, fans surely buzzing

After two frustrating years in Delhi, unsure of his moorings in a team full of strokemakers, Tiwary has come home, and the pumped-fist celebration on reaching his 50 said more than a thousand words could

Cricinfo staff14-Mar-2010″I’ve always known that he had the talent,” said Sourav Ganguly after the game. “Players like [Manoj] Tiwary, [Cheteshwar] Pujara and [Wriddhiman] Saha. It’s just a question of giving them the opportunities. In this format, the best time to score runs is when opening. He batted very freely and played some big shots as well. Hopefully, he’ll keep going like this the rest of the tournament.”Sunday at the Eden Gardens did for Tiwary what Saturday at the Brabourne had done for Ambati Rayudu. The way the IPL has gone so far, both for young talent that briefly lost its way and for Kolkata, the theme tune could well be Redemption Song. After two frustrating years in Delhi, unsure of his moorings in a team full of strokemakers, Tiwary has come home, and the pumped-fist celebration on reaching his 50 said more than a thousand words could.After hurting his ankle while turning for a run, Tiwary appeared to find even keener focus. The more Jacques Kallis glared, the harder he hit the ball. Even Anil Kumble wasn’t spared, with a deft cut through point and a fine paddle sweep off a googly catching the eye. It helped that opposite him was one of Twenty20’s most adept practitioners, Brad Hodge.By the time the partnership was broken, Kolkata needed just 35 from 50 balls. And though Bangalore bowled better in the second half of the innings, there was never any apprehension in the stands about the fate of the match. This was just one big party from start to finish, with Angelo Mathews and Murali Kartik lighting the first firecrackers.”Everyone deserves credit,” said Ganguly, when asked about the reversal of fortune for a team that managed just three wins all of last season. He was too tactful to mention John Buchanan’s name, but with no Art of War and no multiple-captaincy theories, Kolkata have been transformed into a formidable unit. And they still await the arrival of Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Shane Bond and David Hussey. “The support staff, the mindset, the atmosphere within the team, everything has changed,” continued Ganguly. “In Twenty20, it’s all about playing freely.”Bangalore won’t lose sleep over this. Had they lost a close game, there might have been inquests. Here, they were bullied out of contention from the opening Powerplay itself. “The first six overs cost us the game,” said Anil Kumble. “There were too many shots too early. The wicket was a little on the slower side and the ball wasn’t really coming on. But the Knight Riders also bowled very well.”Kartik’s spell, which included Eoin Morgan’s embarrassing reverse-sweep dismissal, illustrated just why so many are bemused that he hasn’t even been a fringe player in the Indian ranks following Kumble’s retirement. When it comes to nous and an understanding of the limited-overs format, he can certainly teach the younger pretenders a thing or two.As for Mathews, he has the old Steve Waugh-Gavin Larsen gift. Seemingly innocuous, he’s ceaselessly accurate and against batsmen looking to force the pace, he will always have some joy. Add in the free-stroking batsmanship that won them the first game, and you can see why Ganguly will have a selection problem of plenty when the other expats return.Just three days in, and you realise why the IPL matters for young men like Tiwary. Yusuf Pathan had an outstanding domestic season, with twin centuries in the Duleep Trophy final, a 39-ball 80 in the Deodhar Trophy final and strong performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. While those events got coverage, not one innings in that array made the front pages and news-bulletin headlines like Saturday’s 37-ball blast.Three years ago, before the knee injury that ruined his chances of an ODI debut in Bangladesh, Tiwary was Indian cricket’s man-in-waiting. But apart from the true cricket tragics, few will be able to tell you how his career has progressed since. In the space of 29 balls in front of his home crowd though, he reminded people that he too is a contender. Like Rayudu, he’s just 24. The recent past can be written off as a bad dream. The future is no longer touched with grey.

Bermuda endured a nightmarish first day in their Intercontinental Shield match against United Arab Emirates, crumbling for 56 after opting to bat first and then conceding a 136-run lead as UAE closed on 192 for 2

Cricinfo staff06-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Bermuda endured a nightmarish first day in their Intercontinental Shield match against United Arab Emirates, crumbling for 56 after opting to bat first and then conceding a 136-run lead as UAE closed on 192 for 2, opener Arshad Ali unbeaten on 75.Bermuda’s troubles started early, as their opening pair of Chris Foggo and Fiqre Crockwell were parted in the second over. What followed was carnage, the highest partnership of the innings a mere 18 as every batsman apart from Foggo was dismissed for six runs or less.The wickets were shared around by UAE’s bowlers, but left-arm spinners Shadeep Silva and Ahmed Raza proved particularly destructive. Raza found himself on a hat-trick in the 21st over as Foggo, who struck three fours and a six in his 29, and Stefan Kelly departed in consecutive balls.Joshua Gilbert survived the hat-trick ball, and he and Jordan DeSilva survived another 10 overs before Amjad Javed returned to trap DeSilva lbw and Gilbert was run out four balls later.Bermuda deflated further as Abdul Rehman and Arshad put on a steady 94 for the first wicket before Rehman was pinned infront by Rodney Trott for 65. Arshad then added 46 with captain Khurram Khan, registering his seventh first-class fifty and securing UAE’s dominance with an unbeaten 52-run stand in Saqib Ali’s company.

A round-up of the second day’s action from the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy Super League

Cricinfo staff16-Dec-2009Group ARohit Sharma sent the national selectors a strong message•K Sivaraman
Scorecard
Mumbai’s bats have continued to make headlines this season, but none more sensational than Rohit Sharma. “There are several batsmen who score a hundred on a given day in Ranji cricket. I need to continue and score and a really big knock to stand out,” Rohit told the after he batted himself to 145 on day one at the Brabourne Stadium. A day later Rohit walked the talk with the first triple-century of his career, an unbeaten 309 from 322 deliveries, that formed the fulcrum of a massive first-innings total, leaving a weary Gujarat facing a mountain to climb.Rohit was a hulk on the second day on a flat track, extending his overnight stand with Sushant Marathe (144) to 342. Marathe’s dismissal was followed by two wickets, but Vinayak Samant chipped in with an unbeaten 50 to further torment Gujarat in Rohit’s company. Rohit, whose previous best was 205, outdid that by some distance, hitting 36 fours and four sixes. Four of seven bowlers carried the burden of the bowling attack against an enormous innings, and it was legspinner Salil Yadav who leaked the most runs: 201 in 50 overs for one wicket. The bowlers even resorted to a negative line but Rohit was batting on a whole different level.”After hitting the first ball for four I felt like I could continue to bat like yesterday,” he told reporters after the day’s play. “The track was good and I knew it would be more easy for me once Gujarat opts for the new ball. I just wanted to take it ball by ball. I was prepared to play my natural game even if I get out. But after crossing 200 I didn’t want to take a chance.”
Scorecard
Hyderabad’s chances of avoiding relegation to the Plate League next season took a beating on day two against Tamil Nadu at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. They pressed on from 269 for 4 to 347, with Anoop Pai scoring 51, but a mute performance with the ball let them down majorly. Tamil Nadu’s openers Srikanth Anirudha (70) and Abhinav Mukund (66*) put on 96 after which Arun Karthik came out and made an unbeaten 49 to help Mukund get the score to 189 for 1. If Hyderabad get three points via a first-innings lead, they could equal Himachal Pradesh but the latter have one outright victory. It’s not looking too bright for Hyderabad.
Scorecard
A brisk 144 from Orissa’s Halhadar Das gave the visitors a 191 first-innings lead over Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala, which was reduced to 144 by stumps. Resuming day two on 55 for 2, Orissa were boosted by Halhadar’s 155-ball effort and 53 from Niranjan Behera to put up 316. Halhadar tucked into the attack with gusto, adding 90 with Behera, and hit 20 fours and three sixes. Mohinder Sharma, with 5 for 102, carried Himachal Pradesh’s attack with determination. They then reached 47 for 2 at the close with defeat looming large.
Scorecard
Two wickets before stumps on day two at the Karnail Singh Stadium denied Punjab the day’s honours. Railways had been boosted from 191 for 6 to 276 thanks to Karan Sharma’s unbeaten 59 from the No. 8 spot, against a six-wicket haul from young Rahul Sharma. Punjab then made a good start after an early wicket, through Mayank Sharma (54) and Sunny Sohal (30), but Railways pegged them back. Murali Kartik, Railways’ captain, snapped up Sohal, after which Sidhana and Uday Kaul put together 86. From 123 for 2, however, Punjab lost Sidhana and Pankaj Dharmani for 0 in the space of three overs in the last hour of play.Group B
ScorecardA second day of bat-powered domination allowed Bengal to tighten their grip over Delhi at the Jadavpur University Ground. Delhi’s hopes of running into the lower order and aiding their chances of claiming the needed first-innings leadwere given a boost when Pradeep Sangwan dismissed Wriddhiman Saha for 120 to snap a 249-run stand, but in walked Bengal’s captain, Laxmi Shukla. Shukla eased himself in alongside Sourav Ganguly, and by the time the former India captain went for 150, followed by Saurashis Lahiri for 0, Shukla was firm. Ashok Dinda, back after making his first India appearance, made 41 and with Shukla carried Bengal close to 500. Shukla was last out for 132 from 137 balls. Bengal were further lifted by veteran workhorse Ranadeb Bose, who took out Delhi’s openers in his first 19 deliveries. Aditya Jain and Mithun Manhas put on 50 before stumps, leaving Delhi with much to do on day three.
Scorecard
A pair of centuries from two experienced players helped Baroda claim the second day’s honours in Pune. Baroda batted the entire day, moving from a 277-run deficit into a small lead and with it vital points, thanks to Connor Williams’ 18th ton and Shatrunjay Gaekwad’s maiden ton. Williams, in his 115th game, hit 129 and Gaekwad, son of former India opener Anshuman, made a patient 103. They put on 214 for the third wicket. Baroda lost two wickets in relative succession following Williams’ exit and will look to a vigilant Gaekwad for more.
Scorecard
Ganesh Satish’s second first-class century rallied Karnataka to a strong total on day two in Rajkot. From 45 from 41 balls overnight, Satish pressed on to 120, adding 125 for the fourth wicket with Amit Verma (68). Satish’s dismissal at 250 for 5 was followed by a century stand between Manish Pandey (55) and his captain Robin Uthappa (62 from 56 balls)as Karnataka put up 384. For Saurashtra, spinner Vishal Joshi picked up 4 for 77 and was supported by Kamlesh Makvana’s 3 for 82. The home side was given a good opening stand in the 16 overs remaining in the day, with Chirag Pathak dominating, but Saurashtra face a tough third day.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has backed the Whites to seal a move for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Barkley

The 28-year-old has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge this season, making just one start in the Premier League and going way down the pecking order.

The midfielder has been linked with a move to Leeds as Marcelo Bielsa looks to bolster his squad, but Everton and other suitors are also thought to be interested.

The England international’s current Chelsea deal expires in 2023, so the Blues are running out of time to receive a fee for him.

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The Latest: Kenny backs Barkley links

Kenny believes that Leeds signing Barkley – with whom he briefly played at Elland Road during a loan spell for the midfielder in 2013 – would be a good deal, as he told Football Insider:

“Leeds could do with a new midfielder who knows how to attack after the number of injuries they have had. Again, he’s not playing at Chelsea so I would imagine he is definitely available.

“Whether he is what Bielsa wants, who knows? Everyone who comes will have been signed off.

“So if he comes in it would probably be a good move.”

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The Verdict: Something different in midfield

While Barkley has never quite made it at the very top level, rarely being an indispensable presence for Chelsea, he could be an exciting addition for Leeds this month if they can acquire him.

He has 33 caps to his name for England, which is no mean feat, and he possesses the ability to break the lines in the middle of the park and dribble at pace. He has also been hailed as a “dedicated” player with “great quality” by his former Blues manager Frank Lampard.

Barkley has averaged 1.4 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in the league this season, highlighting how he could bring something different in midfield for Leeds, with Kalvin Phillips averaging 0.6 and 0.3 per game respectively by comparison. Kenny is right to talk up an Elland Road return for his former team-mate.

In other news, Phil Hay has made a key Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

Plays of the day from the final day of the first Test at Chittagong

Andrew Miller in Chittagong16-Mar-2010Shot of the day
Junaid Siddique’s pummelling straight drive off Steven Finn that carried him through to his maiden Test century. Given his uncertainties against the quicks in the first innings, Junaid’s response was heroic in the extreme, as he stayed in line at all times, cut out the flinches off the ribs that had curtailed his stay on Saturday, and resolved to bat Bangladesh through to safety. Not even the advent of the nineties could upset his composure, as Finn came round the wicket to alter his line of attack, but was met with a crashing blade and an instant punch of delight, even before the ball had crossed the rope.Reaction of the day
Press boxes as a rule are a dour and objective domain. Applause is generally frowned upon, lest it gives the impression that you are rooting for one team or the other. But every now and again, one’s true colours are run gloriously up the mast, as occurred at the moment when Junaid reached his ton. A spontaneous, genuine and heartfelt explosion of applause and cheering burst forth from the sizeable Bangladeshi contingent, and even one or two of the Brits followed suit. It just goes to show that, regardless of the result of this match, a notable PR victory has been secured nonetheless.Send-off of the day
Junaid’s partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim had lasted for two balls shy of 70 overs, when finally – finally! – Graeme Swann made the breakthrough. Ten balls after lunch, in the 108th over of the innings (and Swann’s 41st for that matter), Junaid propped forward with less conviction than he might otherwise have shown before the interval, and squeezed a simple edge to Paul Collingwood at slip. But the bowler’s reaction was eyebrow-raising to say the least – a massive, lip-readable, obscenity and a double pump of the fists. It was a touch unnecessary but somewhat revealing. Few Bangladeshi batsmen have ever been worthy of such a back-handed compliment.Anticlimax of the day
One of Bangladesh’s two heroes made it to his landmark. The other, sadly, succumbed five runs short. Mushfiqur’s efforts throughout the game have been magnificent – he was the hub of his team’s resistance in the first innings and the yeoman support for Junaid in the second. But just when his second Test century was looming, he was coaxed into arguably his only rash shot of the match, a gallop down the track and a loose swipe at Swann, who slid a fuller delivery beneath the bat and into the off stump.Catch of the day
Michael Carberry had a busy time in the field on debut, with a key run-out in the first innings and the match-sealing catch in the second. The moment, when it arrived, was a sprinting, tumbling affair at deep midwicket, as he made ground to a lofted clip from Naeem Islam and clung on near the turf to wrap up the contest by 181 runs. And fittingly, it handed a tenth wicket to the Man of the Match, Graeme Swann, the first England offspinner to achieve such a feat since Jim Laker in his heyday of 1956.

The January transfer window is just around the corner and Newcastle United have been tipped to be busy throughout the month in terms of making signings.

Eddie Howe looks set to strengthen his Magpies squad, with Ousmane Dembele, Joe Rodon, Lucas Paqueta and Dusan Vlahovic just a few of the names linked with a switch to St. James’ Park.

However, the answer to every problem may not lie within the transfer market as Howe could look to bringing through a young gem instead of making a new signing in a certain position.

Save millions

One player who could be brought through into the academy to save PIF spending millions is forward Dylan Stephenson, who has been impressing this season.

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope once said “he certainly knows where the net is” and his record for the youth team this season backs up that claim. He has scored 11 goals in 16 games for the under-23 side, with 10 in 13 in the league and one in three in the EFL Trophy.

Earlier this year, Magpies youth coach Neil Winskill heaped praise on the young attacker. He told the club’s official website:

“I’m thrilled for Dylan because he is such an honest, hard-working lad. He’s the type of player any team would like to have in their XI, who’s going to really put a shift in for you.

“Every game and training session, the physical stats come through and he’s always top of the charts but we had a chat during the week about the need for him to be consistent with his quality, and he spoke to me about how he thinks people will judge him on goals.”

This shows that Stephenson, who has also been dubbed as “adaptable” by coach Elliott Dickman, is willing to put the hard yards in on the pitch, which could be crucial in a relegation battle setting. It proves that he will not down tools if things are not going his way and he will continue to battle to the death and that could be something that the fans appreciate seeing.

Therefore, the 11-goal predator could be a promising player to bring through as he has the goal record to suggest that he has the potential to make an impact at first-team level and the work rate to earn the support of the fans. This is why Howe must unleash him in the senior side and offer him a chance to show what he can do.

If he can impress and score goals in the Premier League then it could save PIF from needing to spend millions of pounds on a new striker in January.

AND in other news, Downie shares NUFC update after speaking “to the consortium”, fans will be thrilled…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has praised Kalvin Phillips’ decision to have surgery, also hinting at him staying put beyond the summer.

The Lowdown: Phillips undergoes surgery

The Whites have suffered yet another injury blow with the news that the England midfielder is going to be missing for a significant chunk of action.

The 25-year-old has suffered a hamstring injury and is likely to miss around two months of football, having undergone successful surgery.

Leeds will have to battle on without their talisman during a hectic period in the season but he should be back for the business end of the campaign.

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The Latest: Whelan finds positives

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claims that it is a wise decision to have surgery immediately, rather than risk Phillips not being at his best for a long time. He said:

“It’s a really sensible move. We know how integral and important Kalvin is, and his value to this team will have demanded the surgery to take place in order to sort it out properly.

“No one wants to be without their talisman, but Leeds United will also realise that having him long-term is better than playing with a Kalvin Phillips that might be in and out of the team with the same problem.”

Furthermore, Whelan hinted at the Leeds hero staying at the club for a further 12 months at least, seemingly ruling out the idea of a summer exit amid rumours of other Premier League sides eyeing a swoop for him. The 46-year-old stated:

“It’s vitally important that he gets the treatment he needs. If that means we have to go without Kalvin for two months, but then we get him for the next 12 – then brilliant.”

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The Verdict: Better in the long run

Whelan is right- losing Phillips midway through the season is a big blow, but the decision to have surgery immediately is the right one, taking the hit now rather than letting it going on for several more months.

This way, the England international should return in good shape in February or March, rather than playing with an injury for the entirety of the campaign.

Regardless of where Phillips is playing his football in the future, it is important that he isn’t hampered in the long-term because of delaying surgery and making the situation worse.

In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Mark Ramprakash, Robert Croft and the former England captain Mike Denness have been recognised in the New Year Honours list

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2012Mark Ramprakash, Robert Croft and the former England captain Mike Denness have been recognised in the New Year Honours list.Ramprakash and Croft, who both retired from first-class cricket in 2012, have been awarded MBEs while Denness, who played 28 Tests for England, has gained an OBE for services to sport.Ramprakash ended a 25-year career at the age of 42 having amassed 114 first-class hundreds, to become one of 25 players with a hundred centuries, and finished with 35,659 first-class runs at an average of 53.14.That success was rarely translated to the Test arena where he averaged 27.32 across his 52 Tests, but on the domestic scene he was often without equal for Middlesex and Surrey. He has recently returned to Middlesex as batting coach.”I think this MBE eclipses all that I have achieved in the game,” he told . “It came straight out of the blue. I think for most players representing your country is the biggest moment in your life.”When you experience winning Test matches, there is little other feeling that comes close to that. I have been lucky to play for so long and achieve things throughout my career like the 100 first-class centuries. But this is an acknowledgment of your entire career.”I have been committed to cricket for 25 years. That is a very long time but I enjoyed every minute of it. To have that acknowledgment from someone outside of what you did is an immensely proud moment.”Like Ramprakash, Croft, the Glamorgan offspinner, called time on his career at the age of 42 after scoring more than 12,000 runs and claiming more than 1100 wickets at first-class level. He played 21 Tests and 50 ODIs for England, but one of his most famous moments came with the bat when he helped save the Old Trafford Test against South Africa in 1998. He retired from international cricket in 2004 and continued to be a key part of Glamorgan cricket.”It is a great honour and a privilege to receive an MBE,” Croft said. “It’s fantastic to receive recognition of years of hard work, and especially in a team sport it’s good when an individual receives an accolade.”It’s not something that you set out to get, but it is wonderful when it comes along. I don’t think it has sunk in properly. I’m still just a Carmarthenshire boy who did quite well in cricket.”I count myself lucky that I was able to play for as long as I did and I’m grateful for the support I have received over the years from team-mates, coaches and everyone at Glamorgan Cricket.”However I don’t think I could have achieved what I did without such supportive family and friends. I owe a lot to my parents, Susan and Malcolm, my grandparents, my wife Marie and children Callum and Kara Beth.”Denness, meanwhile, is the only Scotsman to have captained England and led the team in 19 of his 28 Tests although it was a controversial tenure, particularly during the 1974-75 tour of Australia. However, his 188 at the MCG was, at the time, the highest score by an England captain in Australia. In his first-class career, where he played for Kent and Essex, he scored more than 25,000 runs. He later became an ICC match referee and president of Kent.”I never expected this and it really is a great honour,” Denness said. “This completes a thrilling year, during which I have served as Kent Cricket president. It really has been outstanding, there has been so much commitment from everybody; I thoroughly enjoyed Canterbury Week and all that it involved, and I will treasure the memories for the rest of my life.”David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “The award to Mike Denness is a fitting recognition for a long and distinguished career in cricket which has seen him fulfil a variety of key roles.”Mark Ramprakash was among the most supremely gifted batsmen of his generation and can be justifiably proud of being one of an elite band of cricketers who have scored 100 first-class hundreds.”Very few cricketers achieve the feat of scoring more than 10,000 first-class runs and taking more than 1,000 first-class wickets as Robert Croft did for Glamorgan during a 23-year career. His honour is richly deserved.”

Plays of the day from the second day of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan

Brydon Coverdale and Osman Samiuddin15-Jan-2010On a hiding to nothing
Marcus North was hoping for a big score in Hobart to ease questions over his future but when he came to the crease at 4 for 423, he found himself in an unenviable position. He was following a triple-century partnership, he knew a declaration was likely to come in an hour or so, and that quick runs were what the team wanted. North scratched to 21 and played a couple of good strokes before he edged behind. It wasn’t the roaring success he wanted but it probably wasn’t enough for the selectors to axe him, and Ricky Ponting hoped they took into account the situation. “t was a horrible time really for him to have to come out and bat today,” Ponting said. “It’s one of those situations where you haven’t got a lot to gain and you’ve got a lot to lose. Hopefully that’s taken into consideration.”Kamran is that you?
Sarfraz Ahmed hasn’t had the cleanest debut you could hope for as a Test wicketkeeper but he has held onto most of what has come his way. Apart from one: Brad Haddin, in the middle of one of those breezy hands of mental disintegration, got an edge off Danish Kaneria which hit Sarfraz’s thigh before he had time to react. In his defence, it was a thick edge and they are never easy standing up to spin. Little difference it would have made to Kaneria, who had three catches grounded by Kamran Akmal last week and countless others over the years.An overthrow, sort of
Seemingly every day, Pakistan have found new ways of looking terrible in the field and another comical effort continued the trend in Hobart. Ricky Ponting chopped the ball near his stumps and away to the leg side, and Sarfraz collected and shaped to throw at the stumps of Ponting, who had taken off and turned back when he realised no single was on offer. But Sarfraz’s throw flew out the back of his hand away behind him, allowing Ponting a very odd looking overthrow.Haddin’s hundred
It was a more positive day for Haddin, who made a quick 41 with the bat and then collected his 100th Test dismissal. At times during his 20 months in the Test side, Haddin has been criticised for a lack of cleanliness behind the stumps but he has had an excellent summer and his milestone came with a straightforward edge behind to remove Imran Farhat.Clarke’s view on the review
Pakistan were convinced they had Michael Clarke on 113 when he flashed outside off stump. Rudi Koertzen’s not-out decision was supported by the third umpire, who reviewed Hot Spot and saw no contact, and the ball did not appear to touch the bat on the normal vision. Snicko heard something, although it was unclear if the ball had already passed the bat at the time. The stump microphone later picked up Clarke telling his partner Ponting: “I didn’t feel like I hit it at all. There was a noise.” That’s what most observers thought, too.Hayden gets political call-up
The success of Shane Watson and Simon Katich has meant Australia haven’t missed Matthew Hayden terribly over the past year, but he will make a comeback all the same. Hayden has been named as captain of the Prime Minister’s XI to take on West Indies in Canberra on February 4 in the lead-up to their one-day series in Australia. Hayden will lead a team made up largely of younger players viewed as potential stars of the future. The prime minister Kevin Rudd was at Bellerive Oval on the second day and showed his bowling style in the nets. His action wasn’t textbook, although the ball did at least reach the other end of the pitch and turned when it got there, unlike the famous footage of his predecessor. One of John Howard’s efforts dribbled off the middle of the pitch.