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Callum Ferguson has been starved of cricket over the past month but he cashed in with a swift century as South Australia finished the second day at 7 for 405

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2010
ScorecardCallum Ferguson scored a century in his opening first-class game after knee surgery last year•Getty ImagesCallum Ferguson has been starved of cricket over the past month but he cashed in with a swift century as South Australia finished the second day at 7 for 405 against Western Australia. After only 4.1 overs were allowed on the first day, Ferguson showed he was back in excellent nick in his opening first-class game since knee surgery last year.Aiden Blizzard also played a significant part as he brought up his first hundred in his second Sheffield Shield match for the Redbacks. After making 96 on debut, he backed up with 108 not out, hitting 12 fours and three sixes, including one to the legside which moved him to 95.Ferguson, who didn’t play during Australia’s one-day tour of India, breezed to 129 from 143 deliveries to set up South Australia’s bid to get some points over the next couple of days. He put on 176 with Michael Klinger (86) for the third wicket after Daniel Harris became Michael Hogan’s second wicket. Once Ferguson departed lbw, having been hit trying to sweep the spinner Michael Beer, Blizzard took over until bad light and rain ended the day.Mitchell Johnson has been on Western Australia’s books for two years but this is his first match for the Warriors as he prepares for the Sri Lanka ODIs and the Ashes. He struggled for much of the day and had 0 for 96 before he picked up Graham Manou, who left a ball coming back to be lbw. Daniel Christian then hit Johnson to backward point and he finished with 2 for 108 off 24 overs.

What started out as a slow-moving transfer window for Newcastle United ended on a very positive note, and Eddie Howe will no doubt feel the signings his club made in January have addressed some of the desperate issues facing his squad.

Bruno Guimaraes’ big-money arrival from Lyon was no doubt the highlight, with reports suggesting that fellow Premier League side Arsenal were interested in his services.

But, while the Brazilian could be a big player for the future for the Magpies, it might be Dan Burn’s signature from Brighton that really makes the difference for the Tyneside club this season.

With the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League this year with 43 goals conceded, Newcastle were in bad need of a really dominant defender, and while Burn has predominantly played at left-back for the Seagulls this campaign, he would surely be much more of an influence by returning to the heart of defence.

The 6 foot 7 defender himself said: “I’ve enjoyed centre-back. When I was playing left-back or wing-back I was enjoying it. It wasn’t my natural position, there were some things I was limited on going forward. Now playing centre-half again I’ve realised how much I’ve missed playing there. I’ve always known I could play centre-half at this level. I’m proving to people that I can do it now.”

As per Whoscored, Burn’s average of 1.7 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season is far better than that of any Newcastle centre-back, while only Jamal Lascelles has won more aerial duels than him.

Indeed, some analysis done by The Athletic revealed: “Burn’s aerial presence could be a real advantage at both ends of the pitch. When accounting for the strength of the opponent faced in an aerial battle, you can see below how he comes out a lot stronger than Diego Carlos — he is certainly used to the style of the Premier League.”

It’s no surprise then that his former boss at the Seagulls, Graham Potter, is a big fan of the defender, dubbing him as “incredible” and saying: “Anyone that criticises someone like Dan Burn doesn’t understand football, ultimately. I wouldn’t listen to them. It’s irrelevant to me. Dan just gives his best every day.

“He’s playing at the highest level. He’s a fantastic example of what a top athlete should be in terms of it’s not going to go well every day but he recovers, he fights; he fights for the team. He’s everything you’d want from a professional footballer, so just let the ‘experts’ talk.”

As well as that much-needed Premier League experience, Burn appears to be the right kind of person mentality-wise, which is exactly what Newcastle will need in a relegation scrap.

So while Bruno’s signing is the one that might have got Magpies fans very excited, it’s Burn who could make the real season-defining impact given that he’s much more likely to hit the ground running.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are now set to make this decision…

Geoff Boycott has said the ECB needs to schedule County Championship games during the course of a home Test series to enable batsmen from the national team return to their counties and work on any weaknesses in the first-class format

Siddhartha Talya01-Sep-2010Geoff Boycott, the former England opener, has said the ECB needs to schedule County Championship games during the course of a home Test series to enable national players to return to their counties and work on any weaknesses in the first-class format. Several England batsmen, including Kevin Pietersen, struggled for form during the recently-concluded Test series against Pakistan and Boycott claimed that was a major worry ahead of the Ashes.”The England players play so much international cricket that it’s almost impossible to play any County Championship games in between matches,” Boycott said on Cricinfo’s fortnightly audio show . “Pietersen is one of England’s players who plays everything. The fixtures for four-day matches in England are so badly arranged that the England players, even when they get a space between Test matches, they can’t get matches with their counties, i.e four-day cricket matches.”They find that when there’s a week off between Test matches, they find their counties are playing a 40-over match or a Twenty20, which is not ideal. It’s not the best form of practice.”Since the start of 2006, Pietersen has played just one non-England first-class match while Paul Collingwood, another batsman who’s involved in all three formats, has represented Durham in just four four-day games. That pair averaged 23.33 and 19.83 respectively in the four Tests against Pakistan. Those few who have had an opportunity, Boycott said, have been able to show the benefits.”The only ones in the England team that can play County Championship fixtures are the guys who are not picked for the international ODIs,” he said. “It’s no coincidence that the two guys who played best for England in the series against Pakistan have been Jonathan Trott and wicketkeeper Matt Prior.”Now they didn’t play in England’s ODIs against Bangladesh and Australia, so there was a big period when they went back to their counties and batted well for them. They could take their time and play properly out in the middle. Many of the [other] England batsmen are playing poorly. It’s a big worry for the Ashes.”The solution, according to Boycott, was to schedule the Championship fixtures in between Tests where there was a reasonable gap. “There are periods when England play two Tests back-to-back, where you can’t return to your counties. But there are periods when there are nine days before the next Test. So if they organise the fixtures in that period where all the nine counties play Championship matches, then any batsman or bowler who felt he needed more practice could go back and play a proper four-day match.”England host India and Sri Lanka next summer but Boycott doubted the ECB would adopt a change in approach by giving precedence to first-class games over limited-overs. “They are so besotted, are the ECB, with making sure they have a four-to-six-week window to play Twenty20 cricket – about three matches a week for every county. It’s difficult then to fit Championship matches in,” he said.”They’re only interested in making money through one-day cricket. They think they can make Twenty20 in England like the IPL in India and they can’t. We have 60 million people in England but there are a billion people in India who’re nuts about cricket. So there is a bigger catchment area in all the cities to watch. It’s never going to happen [in England].”

Tottenham Hotspur have received a frustrating setback ahead of the north London derby…

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Spurs will be without central defender Cristian Romero for their Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday evening, despite the Argentina international making good progress on his return from injury.

“He’s obviously going to miss the derby, which is a real blow. I thought he might be back for that,” he revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

A little over two weeks ago, Romero was spotted back in first-team training, which was well ahead of his scheduled return in February, at the very earliest.

Meanwhile, in midweek, manager Antonio Conte revealed to the club’s official website that the 23-year-old was ” very close to coming back.”

Huge blow

The Atalanta loanee has proven to be an important member of the starting lineup, providing the backline with a ruthless edge alongside the more error-prone Eric Dier and full-back Ben Davies, who has looked decent out of position.

That much has been reinforced by Conte recently.

“We are talking about another important player for us. We lost him for almost two months, and I think we faced this situation in best possible way because Cristian, for sure, is an important player for us,” he added before their Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

The £31.5m-rated colossus has featured only 13 times for Spurs since arriving in the summer, largely due to persistent injuries but whenever he’s played, he has excelled.

Indeed, his average WhoScored rating exceeds that of the two aforementioned Lilywhites defenders, whilst no other centre-back averages more tackles per game (2.4) and he also leads the squad for interceptions per game (1.7).

Arsenal have been in better form this season and are actually ahead of Spurs in the race for a top-four finish, so to not have Romero available, as Bridge thought he might well be, will certainly come as a huge blow to Conte and the fanbase.

You’d imagine that the Spurs faithful may be getting a little annoyed by these continuous setbacks, too.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops worrying behind the scenes Antonio Conte claim…

As Ricky Ponting walked through the MCC Museum at Lord’s on Monday, he passed within metres of the Ashes urn

Brydon Coverdale at Lord's12-Jul-2010As Ricky Ponting walked through the MCC Museum at Lord’s on Monday, he passed within metres of the Ashes urn. He was on his way to face the TV cameras ahead of a neutral series against Pakistan but in an Ashes year, how could he not have one eye on regaining the greatest prize in Australian cricket? The tiny trophy was right there in front of him, taunting him, yet he must wait four months before it is up for grabs.Between now and November, Australia have four Tests to put themselves into an Ashes-winning frame of mind. They have made a good start, having won seven of their eight Tests since leaving England empty-handed last year. Stumbling against Pakistan, who haven’t beaten them in a Test in nearly 15 years, would be a massive snag in their plans.For that reason, Ponting has his sights set firmly on stopping Shahid Afridi, the new Pakistan captain, from having any influence on the game. In a side without Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, Afridi is the undisputed leader of a young group. He claims to have restored the unity of the team but Ponting knows that if Afridi fails on the field, so might his colleagues.”From an outsider’s point of view at the moment it looks as though they’re sort of running a bit off him,” Ponting said. “I think a lot of their younger blokes look up to him and he’s their leader, the bloke they go to when they need something to happen, so it’s pretty much like every captain of every side is. We always talk about trying to nullify the captain and take the captain down early and we’ll try and do that in this series as well, there’s no doubt about that.”Equally, while Australia are keen to shut down a new-look Pakistan, they also want to try some fresh ideas themselves. Steven Smith will audition for an Ashes role, Tim Paine will gain valuable experience in case he is required again in the near future and Michael Clarke will be promoted to No. 4, a shift that will remain in place for the Ashes.The move up the order for Clarke is a significant step for the man most likely to be Australia’s next Test captain, and potentially their No. 3 when Ponting eventually retires. Over the past year, Clarke has been Australia’s leading Test run scorer while Michael Hussey, who is heading down to No. 5, has sometimes looked scratchy when exposed to the new ball.”It’s just about how well he’s played,” Ponting said of Clarke. “I think his game is very well suited to higher up the order against the new ball, probably a bit more than what Hussey’s is right at the moment. That’s the reason. He has been our most consistent player and that’s been in pretty much all conditions around the world.”The last Ashes series over here he showed that at different times and in challenging times when the ball was moving around quite a bit, that he can do the job up the order. He has developed his game nicely over the last couple of years and hence when you have those guys who are playing that well, we all know they need to be batting as soon as possible, so that’s why he’s moved up an extra spot.”It’s a change that was made with the Ashes in mind. In England last year, Clarke was comfortably Australia’s leading scorer and not surprisingly, they want to get the most out of him in the return battle. The two Tests at Lord’s and Headingley, in addition to the two Tests in India in October, will also provide some insight into Australia’s bowling ahead of the Ashes.Ben Hilfenhaus is back after a long bout of knee tendonitis, which kept him out of all but the first Test of Australia’s home summer, while Smith’s ability as a Test-class spinner will be closely monitored. If he shows enough promise in England, and in India if given the chance, he could threaten Nathan Hauritz come the first Test at the Gabba. All in all, Ponting sees the next two weeks as a valuable building block towards Ashes redemption.”It absolutely is,” he said. “But we’re not solely focused on November. We’ve got a lot of cricket to play before then. I see this as a great opportunity for the young guys to gain some more experience about Test cricket. It’s the true form of the game, it’s the game that tests you out the most, so we’re going to be learning a lot about our players in not only this game but every game we play before the start of the Ashes.”Australia should remain too strong for Pakistan but if they cast their gaze too far ahead, their building block could turn into a stumbling block.

Australia could host a team from Zimbabwe, for the first time in over seven years, following a meeting between Cricket Australia and the Zimbabwe sports minister, David Coltart

Cricinfo staff17-Jun-2010Australia could host a team from Zimbabwe, for the first time in over seven years, following a meeting between Cricket Australia and the Zimbabwe sports minister, David Coltart. If the tour, tentatively set for mid-2011 takes off, it could be the first step towards a reciprocal arrangement of A tours between the two countries.”There is a spot in 2011, but the trouble is that slot was for two Tests in Australia and even though Zimbabwe wants to re-commence playing Test cricket next year, there’s a recognition that to throw this young team into the Test arena against Australia at this stage would be counter-productive,” Coltart told .”We’ve discussed other means of utilising that slot but with more appropriate opposition. It’s very much tentative at this stage. (An A series) is what the discussions are centering on, the exchange of A teams rather than at Test level.”Coltart hopes to firm up the plan during his meeting with Australia’s foreign minister Stephen Smith on Thursday.Australia have shunned bilateral cricketing ties with Zimbabwe since 2003, following the political turmoil in the African nation. There has been a thrust towards resumption of contact in recent times, with the Department of Foreign Affairs saying there will be no diplomatic opposition to the resumption of formal cricket contact.”I’ve had a number of very constructive meetings with the Australian ambassador to Zimbabwe, John Courtney, and he’s certainly been very sympathetic to my arguments and I know his view reflects Canberra’s view, so I don’t anticipate difficult meetings tomorrow,” Coltart said.Cricket in Zimbabwe has undergone a facelift in recent months, with an improvement in the basic facilities and domestic structure. That has translated itself into better performances in the field, with recent victories against India and West Indies. Resumption of ties with Australia could be a major shot in the arm as they look to return to the Test fold in 2011.

A number of Liverpool supporters have laughed off claims that the Reds will have to pay £50m to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer.

Jurgen Klopp didn’t make any midfield additions in the summer transfer window last year, instead persevering with the options already at his disposal.

However, Liverpool have struggled in the middle of the park at times this season, with age arguably catching up with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

In addition, Thiago, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have all been out injured, highlighting the need for reinforcements to be made in midfield in the near future.

Bissouma is one player who Liverpool have been linked with signing in recent months, and according to The Athletic [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], he could be available for £50m this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-16/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Bissouma update

These Reds fans have reacted to the news on Twitter, saying it is too much to spend on the Brighton midfielder, especially given FSG’s reputation for frugality in recent transfer windows and that Transfermarkt value him at just £22.5m.

“£50million is an absolute joke”

Credit: @robertorebelo_

“Would rather spend that kind of money on Diaz”

Credit: @SivoriJoshua

“Non-news. FSG won’t pay even if the asking price is £15m”

Credit: @JamesHoffman88

“£50m? No thanks”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“FSG won’t pay that”

Credit: @97_BOSS_97

“Yeah, not gonna happen”

Credit: @LFCAJ_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a Fabrizio Romano transfer claim. Read more here.

Wolves are more likely to sign Lille’s Renato Sanches than Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek next summer, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with midfield duo

Bruno Lage will likely be eyeing up new signings next month and in the summer as he looks to take his squad to the next level.

Wolves have been linked with moves for both Sanches and Van de Beek, with midfield reinforcements seemingly at the top of the manager’s wish list.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the two players, perhaps making the situation a little clearer.

The Latest: Hatfield provides Sanches update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed a deal for Lille midfielder Sanches appears more likely than Van de Deek at the moment:

“I still think someone like Renato Sanches is going to be probably higher on the list for Wolves this winter or next summer.

“He offers a little bit more of an all-round game. But, I suppose, if they miss out on him or decide to look elsewhere then van de Beek could be a really good option for them.”

The Verdict: Too injury-prone?

Sanches is a wonderfully talented footballer, as highlighted by him winning the European Golden Boy award back in 2016, but injuries have since plagued his career.

That’s the main thing working against the Euro 2016 winner joining Wolves, with the 24-year-old never starting more than 16 league games in a season.

It could be that Van de Beek is a better option in that respect, having started more than 20 league matches three times in a campaign already in his fledgling career and enjoying a superior fitness record.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly still interested in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United are one of many teams interested in Rob Dickie ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic, who claim that the Yorkshiremen are among several sides keen to sign the Queens Park Rangers defender. Many of their Premier League rivals, including West Ham, Southampton, Wolves and Burnley are also mentioned.

Whilst no asking price is specifically mentioned by the report, it’s believed that the Championship outfit would command at least eight figures – give or take £10m – though Transfermarkt value him at just £2.7m.

QPR managed to squeeze nearly £20m out of Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze last summer, so they are capable of driving a hard bargain.

Bielsa needs him

On the face of it, another centre-back addition is perhaps the last thing on Victor Orta’s agenda but given the injury nightmare that manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered, it wouldn’t go amiss to add a talent like Dickie.

The likes of skipper Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente have all faced time on the sidelines since the start of the season. It’s gotten so bad that Luke Ayling had to partner the German in the middle against Arsenal last time out, despite both only just returning from their own injuries.

Standing at a whopping 6 foot 4 and right-footed, the 25-year-old would hand the Argentine a very reliable option to his backline, especially as he’s equally adept in a four and a three.

“Rob is so comfortable on the ball. Physicality, aerially strong, passing: his technical base is so sound. He’s a very talented player,” claims his manager, Mark Warburton.

The Athletic go as far as comparing him to Manchester United defender Harry Maguire in terms of playing style.

Currently, Dickie ranks as the Rs’ best performer on the season so far, averaging a 7.16 rating on WhoScored. An average of 3.9 aerial duels won, 1.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 82.2% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, would certainly back up the aforementioned praise and likeness.

Also lauded for his leadership and being an “unbelievable man” by his former Oxford boss Karl Robinson, the QPR star would surely be a player that Bielsa would love to have at his disposal.

For a little over £10m, it could be quite the steal.

AND in other news, Bielsa dealt gutting Leeds United transfer blow ahead of January…

The Athletic’s Everton correspondent Greg O’Keeffe says ‘it’s not looking good’ for Lucas Digne after the defender was left out once again against Crystal Palace. 

The lowdown

The 28-year-old was excluded from the matchday squad for last week’s Premier League clash with Arsenal after a disagreement with Benitez. ‘Tensions boiled over’, with Digne frustrated by the manager’s style of play and the decision to take him off set pieces.

There was no sign of the Frenchman in the 20-man travelling party for Sunday’s game at Selhurst Park either.

Digne, who joined from Barcelona in 2018, is now in his fourth season at Everton. He has made 127 appearances for The Blues up to this point.

The latest

Writing in The Athletic’s matchday discussion on Sunday, O’Keeffe acknowledged that Digne ‘clearly hasn’t shown the required attitude to change the manager’s mind’ as yet, adding that ‘it’s not looking good for him’.

His Everton future is now uncertain, and O’Keeffe told supporters that the defender is ‘one of our few saleable assets’.

The verdict

You wouldn’t say the door is entirely closed for the 28-year-old at Goodison Park, as a lot can change in the coming weeks and months.

Perhaps he can repair his relationship with the manager and gradually work his way back into favour, but there’s also the distinct possibility that a new left-back arrives in the near future given Everton’s desperate form – they’ve picked up the fewest points of any Premier League team (eight) over the last 12 games.

Either way, it’s hard to dispute O’Keeffe’s claim about Digne’s saleability. Everton’s former player of the season is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the third-highest in the squad, so he could appeal to plenty of prospective suitors.

In other news, many Everton fans loved this transfer link