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England team director Andy Flower was named UK Coach of the Year at the 2011 UK coaching awards.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2011England team director Andy Flower has been named UK Coach of the Year at the 2011 UK coaching awards.Flower, 37, was also named UK High Performance Coach of the Year in recognition of his role in helping England to a first series win in Australia for 23 years and becoming the No. 1 Test side in the world.Having taken over from Peter Moores in January 2009 – initially on an interim basis after Moores and Kevin Pietersen, the then captain, lost their jobs on the same day – Flower has also guided England to become World Twenty20 champions and the ECB chief executive, David Collier, lauded his contribution.”Andy has been an outstanding coach to the England cricket team and I am delighted that his dedication, knowledge and all-round leadership skills have been recognised within the wider sporting world,” said Collier.”The last twelve months have been momentous ones for England and this is in no small part due to Andy’s personal drive and determination to bring the best out of his players and ensure that our preparation and performance are second to none.”A special lifetime achievement award was also presented in honour of the former England fast bowler Graham Dilley, who died in October. The presentation was made to Dilley’s son, Chris Pennell, in recognition of Dilley’s work as a bowling coach with Surrey, Scotland and England, and most recently as head coach of Loughborough University.”Graham made a very significant contribution to our game as a coach,” said Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket. “This award is a fitting tribute to the role he played in enabling so many players to realise their full potential at both domestic and international level.”

Hampshire’s Chris Wood smashed a quickfire half-century to help his side avoid any lingering risk of defeat against Worcestershire in the County Championship

26-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Hampshire’s Chris Wood smashed a quickfire half-century to help his side avoid any lingering risk of defeat against Worcestershire in the County Championship.Division One’s bottom two sides finally got under way after a long rain delay, with Hampshire just 59 runs to the good at 84 for six and staring down the barrel of a defeat. But Wood took an extraordinary approach to batting out time, hammering an unbeaten 56 from just 42 balls in an unbroken stand of 79 with Dimitri Mascarenhas (25 not out) before captains Dominic Cork and Daryl Mitchell shook hands on a draw.Worcestershire’s seven points lift them six clear of the relegation zone, where they are replaced by Yorkshire, but the Tykes will have been relieved as the weather and Wood’s onslaught prevented them making any further progress.

Kolkata Knight Riders edged out Champions League debutants Auckland Aces, successfully defending 121 in the sides’ first qualifier

The Report by Sidharth Monga19-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outManvinder Bisla was Kolkata’s top-scorer with 45•AFPKolkata Knight Riders edged out Champions League debutants Auckland Aces, successfully defending 121 in the sides’ first qualifier. Kolkata ran away with 72 for 0 in the first nine overs before the tenacious Auckland side pulled the game back, conceding just 49 runs in the remaining 11. Lou Vincent then scored 30 of his 40 runs in boundaries, even threatening a huge net run-rate advantage, but his run-out was followed by two wickets in three balls from Yusuf Pathan. The squeeze by Kolkata’s slower bowlers, who went for 66 in their 14 overs, left Auckland 22 to get off the last two. Andre Adams hit Jacques Kallis for a straight six to get 11 off the 19th, but Brett Lee’s yorkers proved too good for him and Kyle Mills.The game was full of turnarounds. The first one came after Manvinder Bisla and Kallis got Kolkata’s campaign off to a smashing start. The inside-out shot over extra cover was a favourite for both, and Bisla was especially harsh on Chris Martin who bowled Test lengths to begin with. Bisla found them easy to pull and drive on the up. The left-arm seamer Michael Bates brought some control with his angle and extra bounce, and in his second over he produced a leading edge from Bisla.Left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira and Martin then choked the runs a bit, and Kolkata started playing imprudent shots. Kallis would later say they had over-aimed. Yusuf was the first to show frustration, slogging all around a straight Adams delivery. Kallis fell next when he followed a spell of nine balls for seven runs with a heave straight to deep square leg. Two balls later, Manoj Tiwary slogged too, and the stumps lay splayed again. A couple of run-outs followed, and Kolkata never managed a final charge. Bates finished with figures of 4-0-13-1.The run-out virus carried forward into the chase as Martin Guptill ran himself out without even facing a delivery. The decisive one, though, was yet to come. Before that, Vincent drove, cut and pulled with aplomb to take Auckland to 48 in six, bringing the asking-rate down to 5.28. Rajat Bhatia, now famous in Indian domestic Twenty20 competitions for his slow, rolling legcutters, and Yusuf bowled the next three overs for 12 runs. The last ball of those three featured impatience from Vincent, who charged off after hitting straight to cover, and couldn’t make it back from eight yards.Yusuf then bowled two full deliveries on the pads that hardly turned, but Jimmy Adams and Rob Quiney somehow managed two leading edges, and Yusuf had two caught-and-bowled dismissals in the space of three balls. Another left-hand batsman, Colin Munro, scratched around for 19 off 29 before leaving Auckland an improbable task in the last two.The pitch was slow, the bowlers were steady, but neither of them or the combination thereof was unplayable. Somehow, though, faced with accurate bowling and alert fielding, Auckland allowed themselves to be pushed into a corner until the required-rate reached 11 for the last two. Kallis then bowled his first over, removing Munro first ball and watching the second sail over the straight boundary. Mills and Adams ran hard, but Lee produced a good last over to give Kolkata a crucial win on a day when they didn’t play exceptional cricket.

Thanks to an audacious run chase, Worcestershire not only secured their first top flight win since August 2007, but sentenced the champions, Nottinghamshire, to their third successive Championship defeat

George Dobell at New Road01-Jun-2011
ScorecardThe last time Worcestershire won a Division One match at New Road, Steve Rhodes was keeping wicket for them, Facebook had just been founded and Tony Blair was just back from a visit to see his new friend Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. It was May 2004.But, thanks to an audacious run chase, Worcestershire not only secured their first top flight win since August 2007, but sentenced the champions, Nottinghamshire, to their third successive Championship defeat. It’s Worcestershire’s first Division One win in 27 games and their second in 44.They deserved it, too. Even though they lost every one of their first six games, they had often earned winning platforms, before losing crucial sessions. The results of their games against Somerset, Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Notts could all so easily have gone the other way.There was appropriateness about the architects of this victory, too. Matt Pardoe, Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee – young men who should go on to win many more games for this club – all contributed with impressive innings, while Vikram Solanki, a man who has known the best of times and the worst of times during his two decades with the club, produced a scintillating half-century of the very highest quality. And they did it all without Adrian Shankar.Perhaps, in retrospect, their target was a little generous. Certainly Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, admitted he was “a little surprised” when Notts declared and set a target of 254 to win in 50 overs. But, in the context of the match and on a pitch that remained seamer-friendly, it was demanding.And, when Worcestershire lost James Cameron, beaten by an inswinger, before a run had been scored, defeat looked almost inevitable.Instead, however, Solanki and Pardoe added 117 for the second wicket in 28.2 overs. Solanki, the only survivor from the Worcestershire success here in 2004, timed the ball superbly and utilised the short boundary towards the Ladies Pavilion by hitting four sixes and eight fours. It was his highest score since relinquishing the captaincy at the backend of last year.Pardoe played some lovely strokes, too. Solid initially, Pardoe helped his side establish a solid platform, before accelerating nicely, demonstrating a wider range of strokes than he’s shown previously and running hard between the wickets. As Rhodes put it: “You can’t help but be impressed by him.”Though Worcestershire suffered a mid-innings wobble when Gareth Andrew – stumped – and Vikram Solanki – reverse sweeping – fell in the same over, Moeen and Kervezee demonstrated their emerging class with a stand of 69 in 7.5 overs. The hosts were always ahead of the chase and, after bringing down the requirement to 110 from 16 and then 53 from 10, they eventually secured victory with 25 balls to spare.”This tastes nice,” Rhodes said afterwards. “We’ve played some good cricket this season, but we haven’t got the results. We’ve a young side and it does knock the confidence a bit when they lose games, so they really deserved this today.”This defeat does not quite end Notts’ hopes of retaining the Championship, but the warning bells are ringing loudly. Their top-order batting remains fragile, their bowling attacks looks thin and their fielding is, at times, remarkably poor. Riki Wessels looks a good addition and Alex Hales will return to action at the end of this week, but there were times on this last afternoon, when Chris Read must have wondered who he could throw the ball to in an attempt to stem the tide. They’re down to seventh in the table and, on the evidence of the last few weeks, will be more concerned with matters at the bottom rather than the top of the table.Read deserved better. Earlier in the day he produced a very fine hundred to take Notts to a seemingly impregnable position. Runs flowed more quickly than Worcestershire would have liked, with Read completing his first century for 12-months with a lovely straight drive for six off Jack Shantry.The innings also finished in a blaze of sixes. Three times in four balls, the blameless Alan Richardson was carved over the boundary. He deserved better. His bowling – and the keeping of the excellent Ben Scott – played just as big a part in this victory as the batsmen on the final day.The win takes Worcestershire off the foot of the table. Bearing in mind the respective budgets of the two clubs, it’s a mini-miracle that they have leap-frogged Hampshire. Yorkshire aren’t a million-miles away, either. Relegation isn’t quite the certainty that some have suggested.Meanwhile Mark Wagh announced his decision to retire with immediate effect. The 34-year-old, who was planning to call it a day in August, has brought the date forward after suffering a horrendous run of form. His Championship record this season – he’s averaged just 16.25 – is grim for one so richly talented. Watching him of late – whether with the bat, or in the field – has been painful. He leaves to pursue a career in Law. Good luck to him.Wagh once said he’d consider his career unfulfilled if he never played for England. Well, he never did. But any career than includes 31 first-class centuries and two Championship-winners’ medals can’t be all bad. What’s more, he has provided pleasure. Of all the batsmen I’ve seen, no-one has timed the ball more sweetly than Wagh. Not even Gower or Azharuddin. Wagh was, perhaps, the most graceful batsman of his generation. Not the best – he didn’t always have the grim determination that sometimes separates the best from the rest – but quite possibly the most enjoyable. The historian Robert Brooke once referred to the Wagh as “the most joyous batsman” he’d seen in his 70 years. I couldn’t agree more.Besides, had injury not intervened, he might well have played for England. After recording a magical triple-century at Lord’s in 2001, he scored heavily for the England Academy and started 2002 an ace away from a call-up. Alas, it was not to be. Damaging his knee ligaments in a game of football, he missed several months of cricket and never quite came as close again.Perhaps fewer people realised just how good he was than might have been the case. But he helped Warwickshire win a Championship title in 2004 and Nottinghamshire win one in 2010. Both clubs will remember him with fondness. It seems somehow fitting that he should slip out of the game, applauding other players off the pitch, at this most tranquil and beautiful of grounds.

Nottinghamshire won their opening two matches without being particularly impressive and pulled it off again here in an engaging contest that could easily have gone the way of Worcestershire

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge28-Apr-2011
ScorecardFootball managers like to believe that the mark of champions is the ability to play badly and yet still win. Over the course of a 90-minute football match that might be possible but a four-day cricket match, with so many more opportunities for one side to gain a clear upper hand, is another matter. Yet Nottinghamshire appear to have the knack.They won their opening two matches without being particularly impressive and pulled it off again here in an engaging contest that could easily have gone the way of Worcestershire, long odds-on to be relegated before the season began and, by contrast to the champions, stuck the worrying habit of losing matches they might have won.In the opinion of their coach, Nottinghamshire dropped too many catches and made too many errors at the crease to feel comfortable with themselves, even though they lead the Division One table with an ostensibly unblemished record. But their failings are at least familiar ones, the consequence of which is that there seems always to be one or two among the senior players who can draw upon their experience and deliver at the critical moment.More often that not, it is Chris Read or Paul Franks who comes up with the answer and this time they both played crucial roles, Franks in particular in the first innings, when his 82 enabled Notts to grab a 67-run lead that was always going to be valuable on an uncertain surface.And when the match threatened to slip away from them in the final innings, with a 262-run winning target still 54 runs away from them with only four wickets in hand, the two delivered in tandem, gambling that an attacking approach would deflate a Worcestershire side of brittle self-belief. Franks hit 26 off 36 balls, Read 35 off 44, finishing the job with a towering six over the head of the inexperienced off-spinner, Moeen Ali.Worcestershire deserved some consolation, yet it was a fittingly emphatic way in which to end a contest that had kept the crowd here fully engaged when some might have been tempted, for obvious reasons of national interest, to stay away. It had unfolded with ebb and flow from the start and did so again on the last day as Notts appeared to have the initiative but then found themselves facing a more testing last-innings run chase than they would have liked.Their openers went cheaply, which was really no surprise, but Alex Hales, one of a rich crop of young players making their mark around the circuit, then looked to be making the task relatively simple, threatening to compile an innings to match the quality that Alexei Kervezee had revealed in Worcestershire’s cause.Yet there was another twist. Hales, a 22-year-old right-hander with a good eye and an assertive style, looked as sure, despite the vagaries of the surface, to complete a century as he can have felt in any innings in his career so far. But his attempt to hit medium-pacer Gareth Andrew over the on-side field for his 14th boundary instead flew off a leading edge to cover. Twice out in the 80s in Nottinghamshire’s unlikely win over Yorkshire at Headingley last week, he had suffered the same fate this time.Cursing his error as much as his luck, Hales threw his head back in frustration, not least because he had left his side with yet another sticky spot to overcome. Samit Patel, caught behind after an inside edge had looped to the wicketkeeper via pad or body, and Adam Voges, leg before to Wright, had gone too in the moments before as Worcestershire, willing battlers, had worked their way back into contention. When Steven Mullaney, having begun with a couple of classy cover drives, lost his off stump, Notts suddenly found themselves six down and some way short of their target.But Worcestershire, for whom Alan Richardson and Damien Wright bowled well but their supporting cast less so, could not push their advantage. The pitch by now was as likely to send the ball shooting through at ankle height as to threaten a batsman’s fingers but Read and Franks know such conditions well and had their measure again. Moeen Ali, at mid-wicket, held a fine catch to give Richardson his ninth wicket in the match as Franks fell, but by then the job was as good as done.It was tough on Worcestershire, for whom the impressive Alexei Kervezee might have stretched the home side more had he not been caught at gully from a ball that struck him painfully on the top hand. He had added only five to his overnight score and Gareth Andrew, his partners in a 135-run stand for the sixth wicket, went shortly afterwards, caught behind off Franks. Yet a breezy 33 from Wright gave the home side more to think about.Kervezee was their big consolation. “I thought he was superb,” the Worcestershire director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, said. “What impressed me most was the way the penny seems to be dropping about playing the ball on its merits. Sometimes he is a runaway train in the way he plays and gets out but in this innings he blocked the good balls and put the bad ball away for four and he did it in a way that was quite unfazed by some difficult conditions and some good bowling.”

The ICC has written to the Pakistan Cricket Board asking for an explanation as to why Mohammad Aamer was allowed to participate in a domestic club match, when he has been provisionally suspended from all official cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2011The ICC has written to the PCB asking for details into the appearance of Mohammad Amir in a friendly club match. Amir is currently provisionally suspended from all levels of cricket facing charges of spot-fixing placed by the governing body in the aftermath of the Lord’s Test during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010.Amir took part in a game in Rawalpindi on Monday, though the contest is not believed to carry any official status. But under the ICC’s anti-corruption code of conduct, Amir – and Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, the other two players suspended – are not allowed to play even at club level if those clubs are affiliated to the regional cricket body – in this case the Rawalpindi Cricket Association – which is in turn, affiliated to the PCB. It is believed that the club Amir turned up for is not affiliated to the Rawalpindi association.A spokesman for the Pakistan board said they were also investigating the matter. “Yes, we have come to the knowledge of Amir playing a match in Rawalpindi and we are investigating the matter,” Nadeem Sarwar told .At the moment it is believed that the ICC has only asked for details of the appearance, after which it will decide whether or not it constitutes a breach of the code. Local officials in Rawalpindi say Amir apologised after appearing in the game, saying he wasn’t sure whether or not he could play in a game at that level.Amir, along with Butt and Asif, was suspended by the ICC after the spot-fixing row centering around pre-planned no-balls broke during the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan.An ICC anti-corruption tribunal heard the case relating to the three suspended players in Doha, Qatar, last month and is due to announce its verdict on February 5.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs interested in signing Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien, according to a report from TEAMtalk. 

The lowdown: Ruben Neves successor?

The 23-year-old central midfielder has amassed 174 career club appearances across spells at Huddersfield and a loan stint at Barnsley and could be ready for a step up to the Premier League.

Such a step could be forthcoming in one-way shape or form as the Yorkshire club embark on a Championship play-off semi-final clash with Luton Town for a shot at promotion.

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However, with talismanic Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves heavily linked with a move out of Molineux this summer, Bruno Lage may already have pinpointed a possible successor…

The latest: Wolves ‘keen’

As per the report from TEAMtalk, Wolves, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Brighton and Southampton are all ‘keen’ on O’Brien.

It’s claimed that the Midlands outfit could land the man described as an ‘exceptional player’ by Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan owing to his supreme versatility by triggering a £12million release clause.

Furthermore, the report states that the future of O’Brien ‘could depend’ on the ongoing promotion bid as it is ‘highly unlikely’ the Englishman stays at the club should they fall short.

The verdict: Bargain fee

Albeit unproven at the Premier League level, O’Brien has forged a stellar second-tier career and this season earned a superb 7.00 average Sofascore rating whilst completing 2.0 successful dribbles, winning 7.5 of his duels and making 2.2 tackles on average per game – evidence of a well-rounded overall midfield package.

Under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the opportunity to sign the workmanlike midfielder for the mooted £12million release clause is one the Wolves hierarchy shouldn’t pass up.

Whether or not Lage and co can persuade Neves to stay at Molineux beyond this summer remains to be seen, however, the club would be wise to make a move for O’Brien either as a provision or even as a future successor to Joao Moutinho.

In other news, Premier League side could join the race for ‘amazing’ Wolves star. Find out more here.

Jonty Rhodes, the former South African batsman, will continue to help Kenya with their preparations for the World Cup, which starts on February 19

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2011Jonty Rhodes, the former South African batsman, will continue to help Kenya with their preparations for the World Cup, which starts on February 19. Rhodes, who first worked with the team during a three-week training camp at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria in November 2010, will link up with the squad when they return to Kenya later this week, following a tour of India.Kenya are currently engaged on a World Cup warm-up tour of India and crashed to heavy losses in the first four encounters of their trip, with their final match against Baroda XI at Vadodara on Tuesday.”Jonty will be a tremendous asset to the squad during the final phase of our preparation,” said Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Sears. “The reports that came back from the squad after working with him in South Africa were incredibly enthusiastic and we are delighted that he will be with us again during this crucial period.”We are doing everything we can to ensure our squad arrive at the World Cup in a position to fulfill their undoubted potential and Jonty’s involvement will be a key part of that.”Rhodes will be with the squad during their World Cup preparations in Nairobi, and will also travel with them to an ICC High Performance Camp in Dubai on 30 January and then on to Sri Lanka for the final stage of the preparations and warm up matches. Kenya’s first game of the competition is against New Zealand at Chennai on February 20.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was on the receiving end of boos from the Burnley fans during Saturday’s Premier League clash. 

The lowdown

Villa made it two wins on the bounce with a 3-1 victory at Turf Moor that dented the hosts’ survival hopes.

Danny Ings opened the scoring against his former club after just seven minutes, Emiliano Buendia doubled the visitors’ advantage just after the half-hour and Ollie Watkins made the points safe early in the second half.

Villa climb to 11th place, while Burnley remain two points above 18th-place Everton, having played two games more.

Martinez started in goal for 33rd time in 34 Premier League matches this season, and was denied his 12th clean sheet of the campaign by a late consolation strike from Maxwel Cornet.

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The latest

BBC Sport journalists Gary Rose and Emlyn Begley noticed the angry reaction of the Clarets fans.

They felt he was ‘time wasting with a goal kick’ just 36 minutes into the game.

Villa were already two goals to the good at that stage, and the home supporters seemed to suspect that he was trying to protect the lead by running down the clock before the interval had even arrived.

The verdict

Rose and Begley weren’t the only ones to sense the frustration. One Sky Sports journalist observed that the spectators had been ‘moaning’ about the alleged time-wasting for the whole half.

And Martinez is a ‘keeper who can sometimes land himself in trouble with the referee. He’s been shown four yellow cards this season, as many as any GK in the top flight, but escaped such punishment this time around.

It was a busy afternoon for the £47,000-per-week Argentine, who had to make five saves – two from shots inside the box – to preserve his clean sheet. He also recorded two high claims and 22 attempted passes (via SofaScore).

In other news, Aston Villa are interested in this defender.

Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan is attracting interest from multiple clubs according to a report from the Scottish Daily Express. 

The lowdown: Loan sensation

With Ruben Neves looking more and more likely to leave the Black Country this summer, it looks like Ronan may not be too far behind.

Signed from Rochdale in 2014, he came through the youth ranks at Molineux before making a senior debut in 2016 against Nottingham Forest.

The 24-year-old has made 13 appearances for the Wanderers’ first-team altogether but has spent a majority of his professional career out on loan with spells at Walsall, Portsmouth, Dunajska Streda, Grasshoppers and Blackpool.

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Having been sent to St Mirren for the duration of the 2021/22 campaign, Ronan is now attracting interest for a permanent move…

The latest: Permanent deal?

As per the Scottish Daily Express, St Mirren, Aberdeen and St Pauli are all keen on landing the Republic of Ireland youth international.

It’s claimed that the German Bundesliga.2 side have ‘registered an interest’ in Ronan ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report does however state that the man described as being ‘valuable’ by ex-teammate George Dobson is ‘keen’ to return to Wolves and break into Bruno Lage’s plans.

The verdict: Cash in

Under contract at Molineux until 2024 having signed a new deal in September 2020, Ronan would be well within his rights to fight for a place in the first team next season.

However, despite a stellar campaign on loan this term containing eight goals and five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions, at 24 and without a single Premier League minute under his belt, a move permanent move would perhaps be the best bet for all parties.

Even with the possible departure of Neves widely speculated, Lage would surely look to replace the Portuguese star in the market as opposed to from within and the 14-cap Under 21 international should seriously consider the reported suitors.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly eyeing up a move for an exciting player. Find out who it is here.