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Ireland are out of the World Cup after losing to South Africa, but their captain William Porterfield says he is proud of the performances his team have put in during the tournament

Firdose Moonda at Eden Gardens15-Mar-2011An Irish journalist, one who has followed the team through their various divisions, arrived at Eden Gardens with hope in his heart, but reality in his head. “It’s not like the last time,” he said. “Then you only had to win one of our three games to get to the next round; now even if you win three games you are not assured of a place in the knockouts.”The “then” he was referring to was the 2007 World Cup, when Ireland’s stunning win over Pakistan, and later Bangladesh, shook the cricketing world. So surprising was their performance that it may have played some part in the 2011 tournament structure. The two groups of seven, with the next round being the quarterfinals, is a format designed to send the Full Members through to the knockouts and the Associates home.By its very foundation, this edition of the World Cup was built to disadvantage the smaller teams. If they wanted to challenge the system, it would require a consistent effort over a month of competition, in which they would face four Test playing nations. It means that they wouldn’t be rewarded for one case of luck; they’d need to show that good fortune is matched with good skills and that they are able sustain their intensity over a period of time.Ireland were the one Associate that stood a chance of doing that. After pushing Bangladesh to within 27 runs of a loss, they beat England, gave a respectable account of themselves against India and lost a by a margin of less than 50 runs against West Indies. Their last chance to qualify for the quarterfinals was to beat South Africa, a task as daunting as they get, and after a crushing 131-run defeat, the sparks they lit at the tournament have been put out. They still have a match to play, but it will have no impact on whether they qualify for the knockouts. The dream is over, but there is time for reflection on the highlights.Porterfield was a proud man despite the weaknesses his side displayed.•Getty Images”We knew today was a final for us in terms of keeping hopes alive for qualifying,” William Porterfield, the Ireland captain said. “We’ve done a lot of good things in this tournament. The result against England stands out, but the way we bowled and fielded throughout the tournament, especially our ground fielding has been right up there with anyone.”Ireland’s commitment was on display again on Tuesday, when they threw their bodies around Eden Gardens from ball one, when Gary Wilson prevented a run from being scored. The effort they put into cutting off the run flow was undone by the two catches they dropped and it’s that kind of consistency that Ireland lack.They’ve been able to play well for periods of matches, but only once, against England, did the whole package come together. Issues of finishing, both with bat and ball, are some of the concerns they need to address, and Porterfield spoke about wasted opportunities.”We got ourselves into a lot of winning positions. In the game against the West Indies we were right in the game. We should have won the game against Bangladesh in the end too.” Against South Africa, they had big name opposition with their backs against the wall at 117 for 5 but then let them accumulate 272.Porterfield was not unhappy with the bowling, even though they did not bowl South Africa out, saying that he was satisfied with the effort they made to take more wickets. “Boyd [Rankin] came back; he is our principle wicket-taker. We wouldn’t have done things very differently. We weren’t too distraught at half-time.”Their chase, dented by wickets, is what Porterfield thinks should have gone better. “Throughout the tournament, we formed a few good partnerships but we never backed up one partnership with a second.” Their highest partnership against South Africa was 41 runs, between Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson, but they have had two century partnerships, against England and India, in the tournament.Porterfield was a proud man despite the weaknesses his side displayed. He felt his team had played with a lot of heart and that they will benefit from the experience as a whole. “The more we play against [big] teams, the more we are learning as a unit. We are going to take a lot out of this tournament.”Their last match, on Friday against the Netherlands, will be their last hurrah, for this World Cup and possibly for a long time, as the fifty-over tournament will become smaller from the next edition. That match, which is all about playing for pride, will have a much deeper context to it, because the two teams that meet may disappear from the ODI stage for an indefinite period. “It’s not going to be difficult to get the guys up for it,” Porterfield said. “It’s probably the first match we are going into as favourites.”

Jitendra Patil, the left-arm pace bowler from Maharashtra, has been charged with ball tampering in an Under-22 CK Nayudu Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2010Jitendra Patil, a left-arm fast bowler from Maharashtra, has been charged with ball tampering in an Under-22 CK Nayudu Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. This is the first time such an incident has occurred in Indian domestic cricket.Harvinder Sodhi, the match referee, confirmed the incident, but said he was yet to take any action. “Since the umpires report came a bit late, I would only be taking a decision tomorrow [Thursday],” Sodhi told the . “I have fixed a hearing for this on Thursday [the final day of the game].”An official from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association said there was no provision to immediately suspend the offending player or prevent him from bowling.Patil was allegedly caught applying cream on the ball, four deliveries into Maharashtra’s 39th over, on the third day of the game. As soon as it was noticed by the umpires, they ordered a ball change, and later awarded five penalty runs to Uttar Pradesh. As per the BCCI rules, the batsmen had a choice of seven balls to choose from, including a new one.

Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has been described as a ‘benevolent dictator’ by financial football expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: Desmond oversees glorious period

The 71-year-old has a 35% stake in the Hoops, who he has supported throughout his life, having initially owned a chunk of Manchester United during the 2000s before selling his share to Malcolm Glazer.

Desmond has overseen a great period in Celtic’s history, with trophies coming thick and fast and another Scottish Premiership title looking likely to arrive next month.

At a time when billionaires own clubs and don’t necessarily care deeply about them, Demsond’s Hoops roots make it a different situation at Parkhead.

The Latest: Maguire praises ownership

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire discussed the Irishman’s frugal ownership style, praising it overall:

“If you’re a fan first and an owner second, you’re going to do what you think’s best for the club’s best interests. I’ve always said that the best ownership model is one of a benevolent dictator, who will act in the best interest at heart.

“He’s a billionaire that happens to be a fan, rather than a billionaire who wants an executive toy.  It’s slightly different because he is a very prudent owner. Could Celtic have accelerated the gap between them and Rangers in recent years? Perhaps.

“But I think they have always taken the view that they have got the biggest stadium and some of the biggest commercial deals, and that is sufficient.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-2/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Positives outweigh negatives

Football club owners are almost never universally popular among supporters and that is no different with Desmond, with fans criticising him numerous times in the past.

That being said, the positives outweigh the negatives with him and he is ensuring Celtic are run in a sensible fashion, often spending within their means.

Desmond cares deeply about the Hoops, which immediately works in their favour, and when he eventually sells up, it could be a case of only appreciating him when he’s gone.

In other news, a report has made an exciting Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

England Lions continued their unbeaten run to win the A team tri-series in Worcester, beating India A by five wickets in a big chase

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Andrew Gale top scored with 90 in England Lions’ title win•Getty ImagesEngland Lions continued their unbeaten run to win the tri-series in Worcester, beating India A by five wickets in a big chase. There were five half-centurions in a high-scoring encounter, but the two that stood out were Andrew Gale, who top scored with 90, and Darren Stevens, who smashed 68 off 53 balls to help seal victory with eight balls to spare.England’s decision to field seemed to backfire when openers Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan delivered an attacking start by adding 68 in under ten overs. However, from there on, England, led by left-arm spinner Stephen Parry’s three-for on his Lions debut, kept India in check with timely breakthroughs, ensuring no partnership went past the 50-mark.Cheteshwar Pujara, who finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter, anchored the Indian innings with a knock of 87 off 89 balls, containing just six boundaries (four fours and two sixes). With some assistance from the lower order, he helped India post a competitive 278, but his bowlers failed in their defence.England lost captain Alastair Cook, returning after missing three games to a back problem, in the second over but recovered well. Opener Steven Davies struck 55, and added 76 for the second wicket with Gale. While India’s batsmen struggled to build partnerships, England showed no such difficulty.Gale received excellent support from Ravi Bopara in a stand of 68, followed by 71 more with Stevens, whose innings was laced with nine fours and a six. Gale fell in the 42nd over, but Stevens kept England ahead of the required rate and when he was dismissed with the score on 260 the rest just had to hold their nerve. James Taylor did just that in his unbeaten 19 and completed the formalities in the penultimate over.”This has been a really worthwhile series,” Cook said. “The most pleasing things is that every player has contributed at some stage over the series and helped us win. It’s a good opportunity particularly for the younger players to test themselves in this sort of tournament and to see how they measure up against touring sides.”

Worcestershire seamer Alan Richardson took two wickets against Northamptonshire on a rain-affected first day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road

Cricinfo staff25-Aug-2010Stumps
Scorecard
Worcestershire seamer Alan Richardson took two wickets against Northamptonshire on a rain-affected first day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road. Only 34 overs were possible due to the persistent rain that was sweeping the country in the afternoon, with Northamptonshire closing on 96 for 3 and Alex Wakely top-scoring with 48.Richardson took the wickets of Ben Howgego and Wakely in claiming figures of 2 for 21, with the home side losing two quick wickets after lunch before the heavens opened. Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to bat in overcast conditions and they survived an early scare when Worcestershire wicketkeeper Ben Cox thought he had caught Howgego off Richardson in the first over – but his appeal was turned down.It was slow going for the hosts at the start with only 21 runs being scored in the first 13 overs. Howgego in particular found it hard to get going and he made just four off 35 balls before his frustration got the better of him when he slapped Richardson straight to Gareth Andrew at gully.The arrival of Alex Wakely allowed Northamptonshire to free themselves from their early malaise and the runs began to flow more freely with Wakely not taking long to get into his stride. He and Stephen Peters added 70 runs together in the morning as the home side recovered from their shaky start to make it to 91 for 1 at lunch.Peters had batted sensibly all morning and showed more poise than his fellow opener Howgego – and knew when to play his shots or defend. But Wakely, who was just two short of a half-century, perished in the second over of the afternoon session when he edged Richardson to former Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki at first slip.Solanki then took a second catch in the following over when he snared David Sales in the same position off the bowling of Jack Shantry. Rob Newton came out to replace Sales but he did not get the chance to score before rain stopped play midway through the 35th over, soon after 2pm.Eventually the umpires, Mark Benson and Nick Cook, made the decision to abandonplay for the day an hour and a half later, meaning 61 overs were lost. Peters and 20-year-old Newton will resume at the crease tomorrow, weather permitting, with Peters looking to push on from 38 not out and Newton looking to get off the mark.

Stuart Broad has admitted that he knew his Ashes tour was over from the moment he began his second spell on Monday afternoon, as England’s famous innings-and-71-run victory at Adelaide was tempered by the loss of one of the key members of their bowling at

Andrew Miller in Adelaide06-Dec-2010Stuart Broad has admitted that he knew his Ashes tour was over from the moment he began his second spell on Monday afternoon, as England’s famous innings-and-71-run victory at Adelaide was tempered by the loss of one of the key members of their bowling attack.Broad was ruled out of the tour shortly before play on the final day of the second Test, after the ECB chief medical officer, Nick Peirce, confirmed that he had suffered a torn abdominal muscle. He is due to fly back to England on Wednesday, where he will undergo a ten-week programme of rehabilitation, with a view to returning to fitness in time for the latter stages of the World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh that gets underway on February 19.”Obviously I’m heartbroken. I’m distraught at leaving the tour,” said Broad. “Within two or three balls of my spell, I knew I was in big trouble, and I immediately said to Jimmy Anderson, ‘I might be struggling here’. I got through a few overs, but it felt like someone stabbing me in the stomach. I put a couple of bouncers in and I could hardly breathe. I knew my tour was over. I was going for broke then, and just trying to get a wicket before I was gone.”Broad briefly remained on the field after grimacing through his 11th over, but was off receiving treatment on the injury for much of the afternoon. While he was off the field, he bowled off a minimal run-up in the nets with a strap around his waist, and was seen lifting a medicine ball with considerable difficulty. He returned to the field late in the day, but did not bowl another over.”I had an injection to see if I could get through this Test, bowling and do a job from one end, but the tear was too big, and it wasn’t really feasible,” said Broad. “I’ve been fortunate in my career, because I’ve been fairly injury free, but this is a blow. It’s going to be hard to watch, but I will be watching – because the guys are playing fantastic cricket.”The lads have a fantastic opportunity to win the Ashes, and I hope they will keep playing this sort of cricket without me. It will be hard to leave this changing room. It is a fantastic place to be, but it’s a great opportunity for whoever takes my place. Everyone is capable of stepping up and delivering.”My next focus is to get it 100% right for the World Cup and be fresh and ready to perform then,” he added. “It’s eight to 10 weeks’ rehab, and the first World Cup game is nine weeks (away). But the thing about that World Cup is that it goes on for years, so even if I miss the first game I’ll still be available for the end of it. But my family are coming out for Christmas, so we will probably cross like ships in the night.”England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, admitted that Broad had known his fate before the results of the scan had been confirmed. “It was pretty clear last night what was likely to happen, so I had a couple of words with him,” he said. “He’s distraught, and I think we’re all distraught that he’s going to be leaving us because he’s a big part of our side, not just on the field but off the field too.Broad, 24, will also miss the seven-match ODI series that follows the Ashes, as his focus shifts to the second of England’s twin peaks for the winter. “Stuart will return to England shortly to commence a rehabilitation programme and we expect him to make a full recovery in time for the World Cup next year,” said Dr Peirce in an ECB statement.”Playing for England in an Ashes series in Australia has been something I’ve dreamed of for a long time so to have that cut short by injury is devastating,” said Broad. “So far the series has been everything I had anticipated and knowing I’ll play no further part is quite hard to take. Given the way we had started the series I was looking forward to playing a leading role in England retaining the Ashes but that’s not to be.”Injuries happen and there’s nothing I can do about it other than make sure I get stuck into rehabilitation and come back stronger in time for the World Cup next year. This winter is a big one for the England team so my focus will have to shift to preparing for the World Cup.”Despite claiming two wickets at 80.50 in the first two Tests, Broad’s height and aggression will be sorely missed throughout the rest of the series. It means that England’s tour match against Victoria at Melbourne, which gets underway on December 10, will take on an extra significance, with Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan all competing for the vacancy.”He’s been one of the mainstays of our bowling attack for a while, and he’s got all the ingredients to bowl well in Australia as well,” said Strauss. “We’re devastated for him but the show moves on, and those other three have got a chance to stake a claim and have a big impact on the series now.”The likelihood is that all three of those will play in Melbourne, and we’ll see which one is looking the most potent and the most suited for Perth, which is going to be important as well,” added Strauss. “What happens in Melbourne will have some effect, but we’ve got to think what bowler is likely to make an impact.”

Mal Loye made his first century since returning to Northamptonshire as thehosts’ batsmen put them in charge on the first day of their CountyChampionship Division Two encounter against Surrey at Wantage Road

24-May-2010
ScorecardMal Loye led Northamptonshire’s recovery with a century•Getty ImagesMal Loye made his first century since returning to Northamptonshire as thehosts’ batsmen put them in charge on the first day of their CountyChampionship Division Two encounter against Surrey at Wantage Road.Loye made his ton off 203 balls on his way to a magnificent 121 not out, as heand former captain Nicky Boje made 161 between them, with Boje making anunbeaten 77 and opener Stephen Peters also claiming a half-century.Surrey had threatened a revival after lunch in reducing Northants to 169 for5, with Championship debutant Tom Jewell taking the scalp of their skipperAndrew Hall. But Loye’s century was the cornerstone as the hosts reached the close on 330for 5.Surrey won the toss but chose to bowl in glorious conditions as they looked fortheir first Championship win in 17 matches. Northants wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien was given an early let-off when he was dropped by his Surrey counterpart Steven Davies off Andre Nel in only the third over.The Ireland international went on to make an explosive 44 off 54 balls beforeTim Linley forced him to edge to Davies, who this time made no mistake, to endan opening stand of 90 with Peters.Peters went on to reach his fifty off 86 balls with a four smashed throughcover off Jade Dernbach as Northants went into lunch on 115 for 1. Linley struck again in the fifth over after the restart when Peters (61) went cheaply by launching him straight to Chris Schofield at extra cover.David Sales went for a duck when he was well and truly bowled by Nel, with allthree of his stumps toppled. Northants were starting to look less assured at the crease and they lost their fourth wicket when Rob White (8) nudged to Davies.Hall made just five before he gave 19-year-old Jewell, playing in just hisfourth first-class game, his first wicket by slashing wildly at his shortdelivery to give Davies an easy catch. Loye then reached his fifty off 114 balls, including a six smashed over square leg off Linley.Boje, who resigned as skipper last week, became the third batsman to go past 50after tea, doing so off 87 balls after being dropped on 29 by Schofield atmid-on.His and Loye’s partnership put Northants back on top as Surrey’s bowlers beganto toil in the sun as they had done in the morning, with Loye making his centurywith a four through square leg off Dernbach. The sixth-wicket pairing then comfortably batted out the rest of the day without alarm.

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘in talks’ to sign Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Botman alternative?

As per The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, the St. James’ Park faithful have now submitted an ‘improved’ offer to Lille to try and sign Sven Botman, who is their ‘top centre-back target’.

It is ‘unclear’ how they will respond, but he is ‘keen’ on a move to the North East.

However, Lille may wait until the summer before they decided on selling Botman, and so the Tyneside outfit may have to start looking at other centre-half targets as the days go on this month.

The Latest: Carlos talks

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the Magpies are now ‘in talks’ with Sevilla to sign Carlos, who are trying to persuade him to sign a new contract.

However, the central defender is ‘keen’ on the switch, but they may have to cough up £40m after their initial approach of £30m was turned back.

The Verdict: Get it done

Even though Botman is seven years younger, there is not much between them, and Carlos is actually averaging more tackles, blocks and passes at a higher success rate in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

Nicknamed ‘The Beast‘, the Brazilian loves to get stuck in, and he even rattled Lionel Messi in a draw between Sevilla and FC Barcelona last campaign because of how close to the edge he plays.

He seems exactly the type of personality that the Toon need for a relegation dogfight, and if he is up for the move, then Carlos could be a real shrewd signing.

Nonetheless, at 28 years of age, he is at his peak, and so now is the best time to get a deal done.

In other news, find out who NUFC have now started talks to sign here!

While Ange Postecoglou has somewhat transformed the makeup of the Celtic squad with the signings of players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate, the Bhoys still possess an impressive number of academy graduates in and around their first team.

At present, Stephen Welsh, Anthony Ralston, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and Karamoko Dembele are all flying the flag as homegrown Celtic talents in the senior squad – something which will undoubtedly be a huge source of pride for Hoops fans.

The Parkhead faithful could well be on the verge of seeing the latest product of Celtic’s incredibly efficient production line stake a regular place in the first-team squad – and perhaps even the starting XI – in the shape of 16-year-old Ben Doak.

“Generational talent”

Despite only turning 16 last November, there is an incredible amount of hype surrounding the ability and potential of the young Celtic midfielder, who is already reported to be attracting the interest of Premier League giants Liverpool.

Indeed, Bhoys Analytics quite clearly believe that the Scotland under-17 international is a player with an exceptionally bright future in the game, tweeting back in September: “Ben Doak is a name Celtic fans should get familiar with. Real chance of producing a generational talent.”

This prediction would not appear to be too far wide the mark, as, just five months later, the youngster has already gone on to make his Premiership debut – playing 22 minutes of the Bhoys’ 1-0 win over Dundee United towards the end of January – along with gaining experience of the biggest game in Scottish football with a nine-minute outing in Celtic’s 3-0 win over Rangers on Wednesday.

After his debut against the Tangerines, Postecoglou himself took the time to praise the 16-year-old, stating: “He’s a fantastic kid who comes from a good family. He looked really composed for his age. He’ll have grown up a bit today, it will have given him a different perspective on life. He probably would have been on the other side of the terracing if he hadn’t been playing!”

Furthermore, former Bhoys captain Jackie McNamara said of the teenager after his maiden appearance: “I thought he was excellent. He was direct, the kid’s got no fear. That’s the beauty of young players. They’ve no experience of fear and the stuff that goes with it, they just want to go and play. He’s an exciting talent. He’s got so much pace and directness – it’s exciting to watch.”

Dembele has long been the Celtic youngster that fans have been expecting to make a splash in the first-team squad. However, should Postecoglou put his faith in Doak over the remainder of the current campaign – something which would seem advisable – the Parkhead faithful could well be witnessing the emergence of a new legend at Celtic Park.

In other news: Nicholson continuing Ange’s revolution as Celtic make bid for “graceful” 111 G/A beast

A big Rangers transfer claim has emerged on Alfredo Morelos and his future in Glasgow…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has tipped the Colombian to be the subject of interest from clubs south of the border this summer. The attacker is set to miss the rest of the season through injury and O’Rourke believes that the Gers fans may not see him in action again.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “It could be a real possibility that we have seen the last of Morelos in a Rangers shirt. We’ve had speculation about his future every transfer window since he’s been at the club.

“He’s scored goals again in Europe, which is going to attract interest from teams in the Premier League and across Europe, and he will not be short of offers in the summer because of his goalscoring record.”

Van Bronckhorst will be terrified

This update will surely leave the Ibrox head coach scared, as losing Morelos would be a gigantic blow to his side ahead of next season.

The prolific goalscorer has been crucial to the Gers this term and his exit would take a huge attacking threat away from the team.

In the current Premiership campaign prior to his injury, he scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 25 starts whilst averaging a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.32. He created two chances per game and nine ‘big chances’ for his team-mates as he showed that he can be a regular scorer and provider from the number nine position.

Earlier this year, Van Bronckhorst hailed the striker’s intelligence on the pitch as he said: “I think Morelos is doing really well in finding the moments to be available as a target man but also keep his threat in the 18-yard box, because that is where he is very dangerous. I think his knowledge of when to come or when to stay away is getting better and better.”

Morelos has also excelled in the Europa League, in which he scored four goals in eight starts to help the Gers on their way through the competition, with Van Bronckhorst’s men now set to face RB Leipzig in the first leg of the semi-finals this week.

His superb statistics domestically and in Europe illustrate how important he has been for Rangers and why losing him would leave a significant hole in the squad. There is no guarantee that Ross Wilson will be able to adequately replace him, and that is why the Dutch head coach will now be scrambling to convince the Colombian to stay at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Sold at £5m: Wilson had a huge Rangers howler on “perfect” 23 y/o Aribo heir…