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Everton and, in particular, Farhad Moshiri have a reputation for making bad transfer decisions with over £500m spent over the last six years and their most recent relegation battle proves they have nothing to show for it.

The Toffees now find themselves in reported financial turmoil as they attempt to pump money into their new riverside Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium whilst trying to keep the club’s neck above water in the top flight, with the side a game away from losing their Premier League status.

As a result, Moshiri, Frank Lampard and the powers at Goodison Park have work to do to ensure they can identify the right players at the right price this summer as they are in no position to be continuing on the path of reckless spending that once was, and instead should be making smart business decisions when it comes to improving the team.

One player that has been recently linked with a move to the blue side of Merseyside is Adama Traore in a deal believed to be worth £20m, and if the reports are true then Everton could be heading for yet another disaster next season.

The 26-year-old Wolves outcast who was slammed for his “poor decisions” by journalist Muhammed Butt, was shipped off to La Liga via Barcelona for the second half of the most recent campaign on loan after failing to make little impact on the team down in the Midlands.

In Traore’s 20 league appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, the Spaniard scored just one goal and delivered no assists to his teammates, hardly living up to his “unstoppable” tag in the words of Darren Bent.

He also lost possession of the ball every 3.1 touches on average per game and missed three big chances, proving that he is not effective in delivering an end product when deployed in the forward line.

One thing Everton are desperate for next season are goals, as Frank Lampard’s side scored 23 fewer than they conceded this season which contributed to putting them in a dangerous position at the bottom of the table. In fact, Richarlison was the side’s top goal-scorer with just 11 strikes in all competitions.

Everton cannot afford to make mistakes of the past, and Moshiri should consider the weaknesses found in Yannick Bolasie that could quickly become a similar scenario with Traore. Bolasie was a prolific dribbler just like the Wolves winger but similarly had no end product when it came to goal contributions.

Bolasie scored just two goals and contributed four assists in 32 appearances for the Toffees after signing a five-year deal with a transfer fee of £25m back in 2016, and after seeing out his contract on various loan deals left the club in 2021 on a free transfer.

With that being said, Moshiri must learn from his mistakes and avoid making any more signings that can’t deliver a reliable impact on the team going forward, otherwise Everton could find themselves in a similar situation as they were last season or worse.

AND in other news: Offer accepted: Everton closing in on 1st summer signing, Lampard will be ecstatic

Liverpool are set for some changes this summer when it comes to their squad with some players out of contract and a reliable source has given an update on one transfer that will divide the opinion of supporters.

What’s the latest?

According to Liverpool reporter for The Athletic James Pearce, Divock Origi has now agreed on terms with AC Milan ahead of his contract expiry at Anfield this summer.

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Pearce wrote in an article for The Athletic that although a contract has not been signed as of yet, the Liverpool striker has come to an agreement on personal terms in a deal that will see him join the Italian club.

It comes after Origi failed to make enough appearances to trigger an extension clause on Merseyside, which means he will be free to leave this summer and now AC Milan are looking like the most likely club to secure a move for the player.

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that Origi has become a cult hero at Liverpool despite being a fringe player. He has provided some of the biggest and most iconic moments during his time at the club and supporters will surely be gutted to see him leave this summer after eight years.

For the Reds, the 27-year-old has scored 41 goals and contributed 18 assists in 175 appearances, but it’s not his tally of goal contributions that has put him in the hearts of the supporters with his influence in big moments stealing the spotlight.

Origi scored one of the most iconic goals in the club’s recent history when Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a fast corner to land on the end of the striker’s foot against Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield, scoring the fourth and final goal to send Liverpool through to the final where they went onto win the entire competition.

Another reason he is so adored by the red side of Merseyside is that in the Premier League, the Belgian goal machine has scored 27.27% of his league goals against their fierce local rivals Everton, with his most recent winning goal coincidentally coming from the Merseyside Derby last month.

With that being said, it is no wonder that supporters would be gutted to see him leave the club this summer with the striker offering important goals and important moments in one of Liverpool’s most victorious periods over the last few years.

AND in other news: Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah

BBC Radio journalist Mike Minay has now shared a major fixture update out of Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Man City flying…

The Sky Blues have absolutely flown out of the blocks at the start of this campaign, with marquee summer signing Erling Haaland grabbing all of the headlines for his imperious form.

The Norwegian has so far notched an impeccable 12 goals in seven games across all competitions as the Premier League champions seek to retain their title for a third successive season.

However, as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar looms, with the historic winter tournament set to begin in late November, the congested fixture calendar presents a challenge to clubs up and down the country.

The tragic passing of Britain’s longest-ever serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II has also resulted in the postponement of all football league fixtures this weekend as a mark of respect.

The Latest: Minay shares Man City fixture update…

While it is clear that England’s games have been called off, European governing body UEFA are yet to confirm their stance on the UK’s participating clubs in the Champions League.

Sharing an update on Twitter, Minay has some significant news for Man City supporters in this regard.

He explained: “#ManCity’s #UCL game with Dortmund will go ahead on Wednesday. UEFA are yet to state what is happening with next week’s matches involving British teams. BBC Sport has been told City are able to provide the policing needed so the game will go ahead at the Etihad.”

The Verdict: Good news…

City’s next bout in Europe going ahead as planned represents arguable good news considering the issue of jam-packed fixtures coming thick and fast.

More postponements across other competitions may have seriously complicated the champions’ calendar, not least due to the fact Pep Guardiola’s side are usually fighting on all four fronts for the majority of a season.

Indeed, City’s clash against Dortmund on Wednesday needs to be put to rest, and we believe that the game should go ahead as planned.

Dubai 2018, Dominica 2017, Brisbane 2016: just three from a growing list of final-day thrillers involving Pakistan.

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2018Australia’s last-gasp survival in Dubai was just the latest addition to a growing list of final-day thrillers featuring Pakistan. Except this time, their go-to man for such situations, Yasir Shah, couldn’t get the job done. Here’s a look back at their spate of recent nail-biting finishes.

Karun Nair showed little stress during his epic knock against England, and celebrated his triple without a trace of flash. Here’s why

Sidharth Monga in Chennai19-Dec-2016In the 188th over of India’s innings, Ravindra Jadeja cut Moeen Ali slightly wide of deep point. Karun Nair had batted the whole day in the Chennai heat and humidity with all his armour on. He had added 223 to his overnight 71 in close to six hours on his second day of batting. He had run 146 of his 294 runs until then. He was visibly struggling running his runs, walking some of them. On some occasions he sprinted for the first, but would stop dead as soon as he realised the second was not available. Towels, gloves and fluids were being sent out.When Jadeja hit that ball into the gap, Nair ran just as hard for Jadeja’s runs as he did for his own, and initiated the second, and somehow stumbled into his crease. The declaration was perhaps delayed because of his proximity to the landmark, but Nair was not making any distinction between his runs and the team’s.About nine overs earlier, during the drinks break, the big screen at the ground began to show the highlights of Virender Sehwag’s triple-century at the same venue eight years ago. The similarities were unmistakable: weather-affected Test, consequently a flat pitch, big score by the visiting team after winning the toss, and then a triple-century in response. You could see Nair was watching it even as Ben Stokes ran in. You wondered if that was when the thought struck him. Or if that was when he started feeling he was on to something beyond just special: a debut hundred turned into a triple-century. Like Sehwag, he could become now the fifth man to bring up his hundred, double-hundred and triple-hundred all on the same day.His opponents didn’t forget to congratulate the young man on his monumental achievement•AFPNair, though, is a level-headed man. He didn’t let such thoughts get into his head. If they did, he got rid of them quickly. “I think it never took place in my mind,” Nair said of the thought of scoring the triple. “After I crossed 250, the team management had certain plans of going after the bowling and declaring. So I think within the space of five overs I got to 280-285, that’s when I started thinking and Jaddu [Jadeja] kept egging me on to not throw it away and get to 300 easily.”Like KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, Nair too didn’t visibly have to change gears although his pace went up dramatically. The three hundreds came off 185, 121 and 75 balls. The last fifty took just 33 deliveries. Yet, apart from the flat-bat pull over mid-on, you couldn’t pick a shot a traditional Test fan should scoff at.”I think after reaching hundred the pressure is off,” Nair said. “You just go out there and play the shots that you can and you just look to hit the gaps. Once you cross 150, it is just playing freely like how you always do and just expressing yourself.”My game doesn’t change much. It’s just the mental approach that changes. In Test matches, obviously you have a lot more time to get settled and play big. I think the approach doesn’t change at all. I don’t play any different shots in any other format. I just play the same way.”Over 27% of Nair’s runs against the spinners came off the sweep or a variation of the sweep•Associated PressIt helped that Nair swept and reverse-swept the England spinners to distraction. Fifty-three of his runs – out of 195 against spin – came through the various varieties of the sweep. “I have played the sweep shot almost all my life,” Nair said. “You do have to practice a lot. You have to work hard at it. It is my go-to shot whenever I need some boundaries. If the gaps are open for it, I go for it.”Like his India A and Rajasthan Royals coach, and a great from his state of Karnataka, Rahul Dravid, Nair internalises his emotions. With his parents watching – his mother for the first time because she feared she was an unlucky charm – this would have been quite an emotional moment for him. Yet what you saw was arguably the most subdued celebrations on reaching a triple-hundred.”There are a lot of things that go in my head that I want to do, but at that moment it just doesn’t come out,” Nair said. “I think I will just have to get more hundreds for me to show emotion.”Until then where does he show emotion? “There is always the shower to do all these things.”

England have not enjoyed consistent success at Test level since 2013 and these are some key areas that will decide if they can overcome Australia

George Dobell in Cardiff06-Jul-20155:40

Ashes Key Battles: Will spin play a part?

These are puzzling times in English cricket.While the drawn Test series in the Caribbean was hailed a “disaster” by one commentator, the drawn Test series at home against New Zealand was hailed “wonderful.”And while England’s limited-overs success against New Zealand was encouraging, it seems premature to label it a new age. It came, after all, against a side which, by the end, was without four of the first choice attack that took them to the World Cup final.It has been heartening to see the outpouring of support for England in recent weeks. To see grounds full – or all but full – for ODIs is one thing; to see crowds gripped by thrilling cricket – thrilling cricket – has been more heartening still. It has been many years – maybe as many as 10 – since the feel-good factor in English cricket has been so high.So it seems churlish to point out that this England side was humiliated in the World Cup only three or four months ago. It seems churlish to point out that the last Ashes series ended in a whitewash defeat and that only one of the last five Test series has been won.The truth is, this young England side has huge potential. But it is, as yet, unfulfilled.This Investec Ashes series may well come a little early in their development cycle. Many are still learning their way at this level: Jos Buttler has yet to make a Test century; Mark Wood and Adam Lyth have played only two Tests each and Joe Root and Gary Ballance, for all their excellence over the last 18-months, know that this is the opposition that will define them as Test players. Australia are favourites. It should not be doubted.But England can win. If they can find the consistency to complement the flashes of brilliance they have shown in recent times, if they can replicate the bravery of their talk with the audacity of their action.Here we look at the key areas where England need to perform if they are to win:CatchingIt is a dim memory now but, at the start of their World Cup campaign, Chris Woakes dropped Aaron Finch at square leg before he had scored. There was little in England’s cricket afterwards to suggest it was a defining moment, but who knows? Finch went on to score a century and the belief ebbed out of England.The point is, if England are going to have any chance of success in this series, they are going to have to take more catches than they have in recent months. At one stage against New Zealand, at Headingley, they missed three chances in eight balls. It seems unthinkable that England’s bowlers will create so many chances that such profligacy will go unpunished.The cordon behind the stumps has been most fallible of late. Buttler, for all his flair with the bat, remains a work in progress with the gloves, while Ian Bell endured a tough time against New Zealand.Evidence suggests England will retain faith in the same fielders in the same positions. If that leads to the same results, the Ashes will be lost.The pressure will be on Moeen Ali to tie down Australia’s batsmen•PA PhotosSpin bowlingBy the end of the series against India, it seemed Moeen Ali had won over his critics. His deceptively quick offspin, benefiting from lovely drift and sharp dip, proved effective against some of the best players of spin in the world and played a huge role in England coming from behind to take the series.A few months on, however, he is on trial again. Two modest Tests in the Caribbean and two more against New Zealand – albeit four modest Tests which realised a far from disastrous 11 wickets at an average of 41.63 – and he is again finding himself described as a “part time” bowler. Ironically, the man who many suggest as his replacement – Adil Rashid – has bowled fewer overs and taken fewer wickets at a higher average than Moeen in first-class cricket since the start of 2012. England are not over burdened with spin bowling choices at present.Still, Moeen will have to bowl far better than he managed in those four Tests if England are to prevail. If he drops as short as he did in Barbados, he will be hit out of the attack and England will be stuck with four right-arm seamers and little hope of capitalising on worn surfaces. If he rediscovers the consistency and bite he found against India, he will cause damage. So far this summer, he has struggled to keep an end tight.Either way, he will be given plenty of opportunity. Not only will Australia come at him – they appear to see him as a weak link – but they will probably play two left-arm seamers in their side, which should create rough outside the right-handers off stump to encourage both Moeen and Nathan Lyon.How Moeen fares will go a long way towards deciding the fate of the Ashes.Alastair CookCook has played five series against Australian. In one of them he averaged 127; in the other four, he averaged a maximum of 27. He appears to be back to his best in recent Tests, but the Australia attack represents a sterner challenge.How he comes through it will have a huge bearing on the series. If England’s largely young middle-order is to be given the best chance to prosper, they require some protection from the new ball and some foundations on which to build.With an inexperienced opening partner in Lyth, a No. 3 with some questions to answer in Ballance and a No. 4, in Bell, who is coming into this series on the back of some low scores, there is need for Cook to score heavily if the stroke-makers are to be given a decent chance.PitchesThere has been much talk about the positive cricket England are going to play of late. And that is all well and good: they have a side that, in several cases – Buttler, Moeen, Wood, Stokes – would appear to be at its best when it playing aggressively.But all such talk will be meaningless if the sides are not given the chance to play attractive cricket by the surfaces. If, as feared, the surfaces are low, slow and flat it will not only negate the Australian pace bowlers, it will negate the England ones and the batsmen of both sides who like the ball coming on to the bat. It will make it almost impossible to play bright, positive cricket and reduce this series – like the one in 2013 – to a war of attrition.That’s okay. But if England really are committed to the aggressive approach we keep hearing about, they need to convey that message to the groundsmen.All the evidence suggests that the pitch in Cardiff will be slow, flat and – though the authorities deny it – designed to ensure five days of ticket sales. It would be a betrayal of England’s ethos if so.New ballJames Anderson and Stuart Broad will have to use to new ball effectively if England are to win. In recent times, the first new ball has often been squandered as the pair ease their way into games. Perhaps wearied from previous exertions, perhaps saving themselves for future ones, the pair have often bowled at a relatively gentle pace early on and then sought to pick up the pace when they sense key phases of the match.While such an approach is understandable – no two seamers have bowled more in international cricket since 2010 – it runs the risk of allowing batsmen to settle against them.Both men have tended to bowl back of a good length in recent times, too. While such a tactic has a place – especially when the wicket is flat and the intent is to frustrate batsmen – when the ball is new and conditions at their most helpful, Broad and Anderson have to force the batsmen to play more often by bowling deliveries that would hit the top of the stumps.Wood and Stokes are exciting talents who could well change a game or two in this series. But it seems likely that, if England are to win the Ashes, either Anderson or Broad will have to be their side’s top wicket taker.

Is there any silver lining in the 3-0 loss? Likely not, but a valiant attempt will be made nevertheless

Andy Zaltzman25-Dec-2013Happy Christmas, Confectionery Stallers. If Christmas is your bag. If not, happy late December, I hope Santa gives you as wide a berth as he seems to have given the England cricket team so far in their not-even-slightly-festive season. I imagine that when Alastair Cook packed his Christmas stocking in his suitcase a couple of months ago, he would have assumed that he would wake on Christmas morning – his own birthday also, although even Jesus might have struggled to finesse a series draw from England’s current position – and find it packed with the usual goodies, from cricket gloves to farming equipment, from satsumas and chocolate coins to sticker books.Instead, he will have woken in Melbourne desperately hoping that his stocking contained some, or preferably all, of the following: a new spinner (preferably one of the expensive ones that can also bat, field and crack the odd gag); an in-form wicketkeeper; some footwork; a genuine fully operational Len Hutton; some t-shirts for his top-order batsmen, emblazoned with the slogan “I will not get out playing a stupid shot at the first available opportunity”; a coin that works for the MCG toss, some replacement batteries suitable for use in a struggling swing bowler; and a signed affidavit from Australia’s bowlers promising not to bowl him unplayable jaffas at the top of his off stump for the rest of the series.These are troubling, fascinating times for the England cricket team. For a long time you could predict what the likely line-up of the Test XI would be a couple of years in advance. In fact, of the team that played the final Test before Andy Flower took over as head coach – the Mohali Test of December 2008 – seven were playing in Perth (Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Prior, Broad, Swann and Anderson, all almost ever-present during the Flower years), and an eighth (Panesar) played in Adelaide.Now, after Australia’s Samsonesque demolition of the pillars of the England team, it is in a state of flux, much as it was between every single match in the late 1980s, when the England selectors seems to be on a crazed mission to produce enough former Test cricketers to form a new political party and win a parliamentary majority within two elections.England have had three major failures in the last two years – against Pakistan, South Africa and now Australia – and avoided a fourth, in New Zealand, largely due to some rogue physics operating on Matt Prior’s stumps en route to his match-saving hundred in Auckland. Cook is their highest-averaging regular batsman in that time, at 40.9, and even he has only had one good series out of the nine played in that time. With the ball, only Broad is averaging under 30 since January 2012.Before that Pakistan series, England had three of the top four bowlers in the world rankings, and four of the top ten batsmen (including two of the top three). At the start of last summer’s Ashes, they still had Cook, Trott, Swann, Anderson and Broad in the top tens. Now Broad – currently ninth in the Test bowling rankings – is England’s only top-ten representative with either bat or ball.This team needs renewal. Ideally not the kind of 20-year process of unending and often gratuitous renewal that seemed to happen in the 1980s and 1990s, but renewal nonetheless. Hopefully, if Santa is kind to Cook, beginning at the MCG, with another entry in the impressive catalogue of Pointless England Consolation Victories In Dead Ashes Test Matches.* Just a short blog this week, as I need to stake out my garden to see if I can catch a reindeer, or at least hurl abuse at them and their irresponsible owner after they befouled my lawn last year after gorging on carrots and mince pies. I will address the captivating simultaneous snatching of a draw from the jaws of victory and the gullet of defeat by both South Africa and India in next week’s Confectionery Stall. Suffice to say, it was a brilliant Test match that has set the stage for a truly unforgettable Test series. Unfortunately, that stage will be instantly dismantled after the second Test in Durban. Congratulations to all those responsible for this travesty. I hope you enjoyed your petty power games. They must have been fun. Please pop an apology note in the post when you have time, addressed to “Cricket In General, c/o The World”.

New Zealand seem the ideal opposition for youngsters like Angelo Mathews to take charge of the team, before the sterner challenge in Australia

Andrew Fernando28-Oct-2012When Angelo Mathews strode to the crease in the World Twenty20 final, the Premadasa still believed. There were plenty of runs yet to make, and the required run rate was beginning to wrap its tendrils around the innings, but something about the new man in the middle inspired confidence. Mathews had scythed Sri Lanka out of thornier tangles before.But this time it was his anxious dismissal that ushered in the panic that asphyxiated the middle order. When Darren Sammy brought fine leg in after bowling three consecutive dot balls to Mathews, the batsman should have become aware of the trickery that was afoot. Instead, he dove into the trap. Having goaded Mathews into playing the scoop, Sammy bowled an off cutter, and ball gripped on the dry surface, evaded Mathews’ stroke, and clattered onto the stumps. Fifteen balls later, Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis had also lost their wickets, mindlessly. It was a dispiriting display from a middle order that forms the core of Sri Lanka’s future.Mathews is now officially a captain, perhaps in all formats from February, and he and Thisara Perera are now too experienced to claim youth as justification for their failures. Both men, and others like Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have proved capable and have built encouraging reputations, but they haven’t yet taken full ownership of a team that will soon be theirs. They are not yet thinking, planning or performing on the level their seniors operate on. A home tour against New Zealand is their chance to show how much they have grown, and crucially, that they are ready to shape the team they play in, rather than simply being shaped by it.In many ways, New Zealand is an appropriate foe against whom Sri Lanka’s youngsters can test themselves against. The visitors are not so soft that any battle scars earned will be of no value but they are also not so brilliant that every minor flaw in developing techniques will be exposed and exploited.New Zealand have no bowlers that will frighten Sri Lanka’s youngsters, but the hosts can be assured that on this tour, they will be worked over, analysed and plotted against. Tim Southee bowled one of the spells of the World Twenty20 to force a tie against Sri Lanka in their match in Pallekele and Jacob Oram has also had success in Sri Lanka recently. Adam Milne has pace, though his talent may be too raw to be classified as a major menace, and Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult will provide a robust challenge in the Tests. New Zealand’s batsmen aren’t flawless either, but they are good enough to scourge poor bowling, and Kane Williamson is one of the better players of spin from outside the subcontinent.The stakes are slightly higher because the tour is played at home, and there are no ready excuses should Sri Lanka’s younger crop fail. There is pressure to succeed, and familiar pitches and venues at which to perform. The stage is almost perfectly set for them to take the baton from the seniors and bring Sri Lanka’s post-Murali transition phase to a close.The youngsters are also better placed to help the team overcome the disappointment of another major-finals loss. Watching another team lift the trophy in Colombo would have hurt more than any of the other runners-up medals, and the loss would have been hardest on Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who for all their success, know that they are fast running out of chances to win a world title. When Sri Lanka lost their last final in 2011, the team couldn’t shake their funk for eight months, when they seemed rudderless and listless in all three disciplines. Mathews and company can harbour better hopes for their own futures, and it may be upto them to provide the positivity and energy that will help Sri Lanka focus on a new challenge.Beyond New Zealand, an Australian summer beckons. It is perhaps Sri Lanka’s biggest tour in years given the enthusiasm most Sri Lankans have for seeing their side get the better of Australia, and the fact that they will play their first Boxing Day Test since 1995 – when Muttiah Muralitharan was no-balled by Darrell Hair. Some of the seniors may not have enjoyed previous tours there, but Mathews, Chandimal and Perera have already shown they are not daunted by a little extra pace and bounce. If they can emerge from the New Zealand tour with form behind them, Sri Lanka’s hopes of a maiden Test win in Australia will be boosted significantly.Before then though, there is plenty to achieve. Jayawardene and Sangakkara have shown no signs of slowing down yet, but they have repeatedly shown a desire to unburden themselves of leadership to focus on giving whatever they have left with the bat. Sri Lanka’s youngsters must come into their own, before the reins are upon them.

A virtual quarter-final that goes down to the penultimate ball. Both teams go through. Couldn’t ask for more

Ross Done23-Sep-2010Choice of game
I made sure I could attend all the Champions League games in PE, even if it meant going alone (as was the case tonight). It was so worth it. The match was a virtual quarter-final, and while it wasn’t as dramatic an ending as the Chennai v Victoria game, in some ways it was even better.Team supported
I was supporting the Warriors, just for them to make the semis. And my wish came true.Key performer
For the Warriors, Justin Kreusch was the main performer, followed closely by Rusty Theron with his awesome death bowling. Keen to see what happens to him come IPL auction time. For Chennai, Hussey on the batting side, and in the field I’d give it to Justin Kemp and Hussey. Catches win matches, as they say.One thing I’d have changed
I was really hoping for Colin Ingram to show his mettle. He top-scored in both the 40- and 20-over domestic competitions last season, and has just been selected for the SA squad. He’s having a rather dismal Champions League though.Face-off I relished
I was looking forward to seeing how Makhaya Ntini did against the IPL team that didn’t want him anymore, and also how the Warriors spinners would do against Indian batsmen. Ntini seemed pumped up, but the spinners got a bit of stick.Wow moment
In the fifth over of Chennai’s innings, the band started up in earnest. It got the crowd going and the sounds of cheer echoed around the stadium.Player watch
It was a bit chilly, so the crowd stayed in their seats and didn’t give the players too much trouble. Ingram took a great catch at long-on, where I was sitting, but later made a bit of a botch of another attempt. He dropped the catch, almost forgot to chase after it, and having finally stopped it before the boundary, picked it up again when he was out of play. Four runs!Shot of the day
Notable was Murali Vijay’s six off Boje’s first ball. Nothing says “We’re going after you” like a mow over cow corner. That over went for 16. The best shot, though, was Mark Boucher’s four, which got the Warriors enough runs to get into the semi-finals. The crowd cheered like the home team had won the match.Crowd meter
It was overwhelming support for the home team, with spots of Chennai supporters here and there. The mood was great, though. The first Mexican wave went around three times and the band meant there was lots of supportive singing going on. It really is something you have to experience live.Fancy-dress index
The day started off rather windy and cold, but there was a bunch of guys with their shirts off and “Warriors” spelt on their chests. Brave souls.Entertainment
Having been to all the PE games, this was definitely the tops. The attendance was slightly lower than on the previous Saturday, but they pulled out all the stops. The fireworks were great. The DJ helped keep the vibe without any repeats (but for the Chennai theme song). The band was on song, and at one point started playing “Wave Your Flag”, and most of the audience joined in.Accessories
The facilities at St George’s are pretty good, so I didn’t really need to bring much. Just some warm clothing and my phone to keep track of deliveries on Cricinfo, as I can’t call the carrom ball from the boundary.Banner of the day
Some female admirers of young Mr Ingram had a “Colin’s Corner” poster. They also cheered loudly for him.Overall
It was great cricket: a game that went down to the second-last ball, a brilliant vibe, and both sets of fans went home happy as their teams qualified for the semis.Marks out of 10
9/10. It would have been better if some of my friends could have made it and if the attendance could have been just a little higher. It was Rudi Koertzen’s last game umpiring at St. George’s Park. After the game he did a lap of honour and the crowd cheered. When he got to the band, they sang “Bye bye Rudi, we hope we see you again”. Nice moment.

When Manoj Tiwary hits he hits, when he defends he defends. There are no half-measures, no lack of clarity, writes Sidharth Monga

Sidharth Monga in Mumbai05-Feb-2007

Manoj Tiwary: pockets bursting with confidence © Cricinfo Ltd
Manoj Tiwary hits Zaheer Khan, India’s strike bowler who tormented Bengal in the first innings, over mid-off for a mighty six, watches the ball thud against the boundary board and walks away towards square-leg. He then lets his bat rest against his thigh, unstraps his gloves, pulls his shirt sleeve up to form creases around the shoulder area, walks back towards the stumps, holds the bat pointing skywards and bends slightly along the knee.For a moment he reminds viewers of the audacious Kevin Pietersen just after he’s fearlessly swept Shane Warne out of the rough in front of square. When you ask him if it’s a coincidence, he lets out a shy smile and says, ” [I am a big fan of Pietersen’s]. I just love his aggression. And this [styling himself according to Pietersen] started the first time I saw him.” And somewhere there’s more than just a routine that’s Pietersen-esque; he has got a swagger to go along as well.When Tiwary hits he hits, when he defends he defends. Whatever he does, he seems to know what he’s doing. There are no half-measures, no lack of clarity. When his team is down, he attacks, usually picking out the best bowler. He’s aware of his technical limitations and makes no bones about it. He likes to score quickly, but doesn’t stick to the book. He’s not wary of taking the aerial route, yet there’s is no recklessness to his batting. He leaves a number of balls outside the off stump, has a plan as to when and what to hit.When he gets in, he scores big – his 94 today was the first time this season when he’d missed a century after crossing 50. And the three earlier times he’d gone on to at least 150. One must recognise the bucketfuls of confidence behind the boyish frame. “I am not scared of anything; I know I am good.” It shows even in his defensive shots, pushing a ball back to the bowler and, just as he’s been eye-balled, disdainfully walking away towards square leg, concentrating on pulling his shirt sleeve up. At the same time, he’s not one to shirk away from a sledge or two. “I enjoy it,” he says. “I enjoy that a bowler is making an extraeffort to get me out. And I always give it back when it gets verbal.”Tiwary couldn’t finish off the job today, falling to a rash stroke in a critical juncture. Until then, he’d gone after Zaheer, smashing 40 off 42 deliveries, clattering seven fours and a six. And while he was there, in partnership with Deep Dasgupta and Ganguly, even 472 looked achievable. But the nerves seem to take over as he closed in on a century. He tried too many shots, including a reverse-sweep off Ramesh Powar, before finally slashing at a wide one from Abhishek Nair. Dasgupta admitted it was an uncharacteristic phase. “This is his first half-century in the season and he has got 796 runs. Had this been his first century I would have agreed he was nervous.” Tiwary preferred to dead-bat the question. “I was not nervous, nor was I flustered that the runs were not coming. That’s my style of play, it sometimes doesn’t pay off.”

Sourav Ganguly believes that Tiwary is ‘one for the future for India’ © Cricinfo Ltd
Yet one musn’t forget what a memorable season it has been. Two innings stand out. His 151 against Karnataka in the semi-final at Eden Gardens followed a first-innings duck and was made under serious pressure after Bengal had let a first-innings advantage slip while chasing 307 on the last day. He’s also managed a double-century to bat Mumbai out of the league game at Kolkata, allowing Bengal, for the first time in their Ranji Trophy history, to inflict a follow-on on Mumbai.But will he be able to carry this confidence forward as smoothly as he did from age groups cricket to first-class cricket? Are we over-estimating him? Not if Sourav Ganguly is to be believed. “He is one for the future [for India],” Ganguly insisted while prasing Tiwary’s efforts in the final. He’s already earned the moniker “”. For, like Ganguly, Tiwary doesn’t back away from a fight, always has a trick up his sleeve, and has a special fondness forthe big-match environment. He’s captained Bengal to a Cooch Behar Trophy [Under-19] triumph this year, where he scored a fifty against Mumbai in the final, and a double-century in the semi-final. And the journey from age-groups cricket to first-class has been a smooth transition. “The purpose of batting everywhere is to make runs; bowlers are meant to be hit,” he says, “And I enjoy the challenge.”He’s become the highest run-getter for Bengal in a single Ranji season, overtaking Arun Lal’s record in 1993-94. Four more runs and he would have ended the season with an average of 100. Unintentionally, and at a more trivial level, he can claim comparisons with another great. He would prefer sticking to Pietersen though; Sir Don Bradman might not have lofted so many shots in the air in an entire season.