All posts by h716a5.icu

David Hussey had promised to pay back his debt to Nottinghamshire and is already a good part of the way there after cracking 126

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge30-Jun-2009
ScorecardDavid Hussey finished the day with 126 to his name•Getty ImagesDavid Hussey had promised to pay back his debt to Nottinghamshire and is already a good part of the way there.The Australia batsman, lured to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League last season despite having agreed a two-year deal at Trent Bridge, celebrated his return to the county with a largely impressive – if not quite chanceless – century as Nottinghamshire dominated the opening day.”I realise I left Nottinghamshire in the lurch,” he said last week after accepting a surprise invitation to stand in for his compatriot, Adam Voges, who is with Australia A for five weeks. “This is a great opportunity to repay them.”For good measure, it is not a bad platform from which to remind Australia’s selectors that he is not far away should their Ashes campaign not evolve as planned. Hussey has yet to win a Test cap but is clearly at home in English conditions. Picking up where he left off during his previous stint with Nottinghamshire, a four-year period that included their 2005 Championship triumph, he posted his 20th first-class century in their colours.On a ground almost always helpful to swing bowling, Lancashire could not be faulted for effort after Chris Read had won the toss and chosen to back his batsmen.But until, finally, Hussey wearily miscued Karl Brown to mid-on, having faced 145 deliveries, Lancashire has induced only one error of not. Much to the frustration of their captain, Glen Chapple, who troubled Hussey more than any bowler, it came and went on 45, when an edge to backward point was dropped by Mal Loye.Otherwise, almost everything with which Lancashire tempted him in his strong area outside off stump was punished. Probably four fifths of his runs were scored on that side of the wicket, most in the arc between cover and third man.The innings effectively rescued Nottinghamshire from another wobbly start from their top order.Will Jefferson, pushing forward, edged to the wicketkeeper off Oliver Newby, who then gained what Bilal Shafayat, his next victim, clearly felt was a fortuitous lbw. Mark Wagh, who also took advantage when Lancashire failed to control their away swing, reached 40, but the introduction of a change of pace in the shape of Steven Croft saw him caught at second slip. Samit Patel departed in the same spell, edging to the wicketkeeper as he tried to force through the off side.But Hussey’s first scoring stroke went to the midwicket boundary and it was clear his confidence was high. In a stand of 170 with Ali Brown for the fifth wicket, he scored 106, reaching three figures with a soaring six over the top off Gary Keedy, who found some slow turn but could manage only one wicket.Without Sajid Mahmood, with the England Lions, as well as Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson, Lancashire’s bowling was always likely to be stretched. Newby’s early successes with the new ball were his only ones and Kyle Hogg, the third of Chapple’s quicker trio, tended to have the ball swing too much.In the circumstances, two wickets for Karl Brown on his first Championship appearance of the season was a welcome bonus. As well as proving Hussey’s unlikely undoing, his gentler medium pace had gained him a scalp with his third delivery, strangling Ali Brown down the leg side, although not before the former Surrey plunderer had passed fifty for the fifth time in his last six Championship innings.The wickets of Mark Ealham and Darren Pattinson rewarded another day of unstinting toil by Chapple, but Nottinghamshire suffered only one loss against the second new ball as Lancashire wilted in the heat.To compound the frustrations of the visiting team, who arrived on the back of two heavy defeats in the Championship, they endured more punishment from an unlikely source as Ryan Sidebottom, the only member of England’s pre-Ashes squad playing for his county this week, weighed in with an unbeaten 35, his best first-class score for Nottinghamshire and his highest for anyone since making 40 not out for Yorkshire against Kent in April 2001.

Donny van de Beek’s time at Manchester United could be drawing to a close after a frustrating 18 months on English soil.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato (as relayed by the Daily Star), the 24-year-old’s agent is working hard to secure his client a move away from Old Trafford, with Serie A giants AC Milan interested in securing his services.

The report states that Van de Beek’s representatives are targeting a January departure, although it remains to be seen whether United’s hierarchy would be willing to let their £39m acquisition leave midway through the campaign.

Solskjaer would be gutted

After scoring 41 goals and laying on a further 34 assists for his teammates in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, van de Beek’s arrival in the Red half of Manchester was greeted with great excitement.

However, the physical demands and fast-paced nature of the Premier League often looked to overwhelm the technically gifted midfielder last term, limiting him to just four starts in the top-flight throughout 2020/21.

And it’s been a similar story this time around. Van de Beek has played just six minutes of league football in United’s opening seven fixtures despite Solskjaer’s side often struggling to break down their opponents.

The Dutch international was also sacrificed as a half time substitute in the Red Devils disappointing Champions League defeat against Young Boys, illustrating his lowly standing in the first-team squad.

Nevertheless, Solskjaer is still believed to be a big fan of the attack-minded midfielder and wants to see more of him this season, but whether he’s prepared to wait for his chance is doubtful.

Van de Beek’s exit in the winter window would leave the Old Trafford outfit short of strength in depth in the engine room, and as a result, United’s Norwegian boss would be left feeling gutted as he attempts to end the club’s trophy drought. If the manager does still like him, selling would be a puzzling decision from the Red Devils hierarchy.

It’s unlikely that Milan would be able to afford the £27m-rated maestro, yet if they are prepared to match his price tag, football director John Murtough must resist the temptation to sell, preventing a transfer nightmare as the 20-time English champions plot a route back to the Premier League summit.

Solskjaer will need all the resources available to him if he’s to beat the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea to the major silverware on offer, and van de Beek has the potential to come good in the remaining months of the campaign.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer potential blow in pursuit of “excellent” £60m gem, fans will be gutted 

Flocking to Twitter, many Chelsea supporters have been left excited following a Fabrizio Romano update involving rising star Aurelien Tchouaméni.

The AS Monaco prodigy, who started for France against Spain at the weekend in their 2-1 UEFA Nations League final victory, has been turning many heads throughout Europe.

Tchouaméni, starting nearly every Ligue 1 game for Monaco last season, made an extremely impressive 3.5 tackles per 90 on average and marked himself out as a real enforcer in front of the back four (WhoScored).

At just 21-years-old, the Frenchman also has plenty of years left ahead of him and could even reach a higher level than his current form – prompting Chelsea to take a swift interest.

According to reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano on his Here We Go Podcast (via Route1futbol), the Blues now have Tchouaméni on their list of targets as sporting director Marina Granovskaia eyes defensive midfielders.

Flocking to this claim, many Chelsea fans have been left overjoyed, with one suggesting he could even be a better signing than West Ham star Declan Rice.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Chelsea fans excited by Tchouameni claim…

“Bring him home”

Credit: @AVN54872570

“Tchouameni is the man not Rice.”

Credit: @walter81414191

“Praying for a Marina Masterclass”

Credit: @Prince_Havertz

“Marina should just hijack this deal fast!!!!!”

Credit: @nii4real_

“Marina get it done”

Credit: @CFC_kai

“On my knees”

Credit: @shina_oj

“we’re back”

Credit: @0shi_val

In other news: ‘Horrible’, ‘Sell him’, ‘Hugely disappointing’…Many Chelsea fans erupt over player after what they’ve seen, find out more here.

Stuart Board lived up to his promise to provide late-innings resistance for England’s beleaguered cricketers, as he and Graeme Swann compiled a spirited and thrilling eighth-wicket stand of 108 in just 12.3 overs

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller at Headingley09-Aug-2009Australia 445 (North 110, Clarke 93, Ponting 78, Broad 6-91) beat England 102 and 263 (Swann 62, Broad 61, Johnson 5-69, Hilfenhaus 4-60) by an innings and 80 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsStuart Broad powers one down the ground during his entertaining 61•Getty ImagesAustralia required a session and six overs on the third day at Headingley to wrap up a thumping innings-and-80-run victory against England, and so draw level at 1-1 in the Ashes with just the fifth Test at The Oval to come in a fortnight’s time. Mitchell Johnson had the honour of sewing up the contest with his fifth wicket of a resurgent performance, when he bowled Graham Onions for a duck to confirm his return to his best and most hostile form, and underline the fact that Australia have suddenly emerged as firm favourites to complete their 10th Ashes victory in their last 11 contests.It was not, however, a day that went entirely to plan for Australia, who were frustrated – not for the first time in the series – by England’s tail, not least Stuart Broad, who added a boundary-laden 61 from 49 balls to his earlier six-wicket haul, as he became the first England cricketer to achieve such an Ashes double since Darren Gough at Sydney in 1994-95.On Saturday evening, Board had promised to provide late-innings resistance for England’s beleaguered cricketers, and he was true to his word as he and Graeme Swann compiled a spirited and thrilling eighth-wicket stand of 108 in just 12.3 overs. The tempo of the stand, at more than eight-and-a-half runs per over, was the second fastest for any partnership over 100 in Test cricket, behind Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns at Christchurch in 2001-02, and then as now, it was glorious in its futility. It could not save England from a hefty defeat, but it might just preserve a modicum of their self-respect.Such a prospect didn’t seem to be remotely on the cards when James Anderson fell meekly to the third ball of the morning, immediately after cutting Hilfenhaus to the boundary, thus extending his “duckless” streak to 54 Test innings. Anderson hung out his bat limply to a shorter delivery and edged to Ricky Ponting at second slip. Head down, shoulders slumped, and reeking of the bad body language for which Justin Langer has taken him to task in today’s leaked dossier, Anderson took an eternity to trudge from the playing surface. It was an image that summed up England’s match.Prime NumbersInnings and 80 runsThe margin of defeat – an innings and 80 runs – is England’s second largest at Headingley after the innings and 148-run loss to Australia in 1993. The margin of victory was also Australia’s largest since Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath retired.16Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood scored 16 runs between them in the Test – the lowest-ever aggregate for England’s Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in Tests.250Stuart Broad’s strike rate off Stuart Clark in the second innings – he scored 20 runs off eight balls, including five fours. 6.72Clark’s economy-rate during his 11-over spell, which is the first time he conceded more than 4.29 runs per over in an innings in Tests.7-1The century tally after four Tests is 7-1 in Australia’s favour with five of their batsmen averaging over 50. Andrew Strauss is the only England batsman with a series average higher than 40.Matt Prior did what he could to stem the tide, slashing Mitchell Johnson behind square three times in two overs to rattle along at the run-a-ball tempo that makes him most comfortable. But no sooner had Broad nudged a leg-bye to take England past their heaviest home defeat of all time (an innings and 226 runs against West Indies in 1973), Hilfenhaus lured Prior with a perfectly pitched outswinger, which Brad Haddin scooped one-handed in front of first slip, to leave his team just three wickets from victory.That, however, was the cue for England to raise their game, somewhat belatedly given the match situation. Initially Swann endured a torrid time at the crease, inside-edging Hilfenhaus millimetres past his leg stump, then wearing a Peter Siddle bouncer on the point of his elbow before pulling him inelegantly, and with eyes wide shut, through midwicket for another chancy boundary. But at the other end, Broad grew into his role of chief resistor, and four fours in a single over from Stuart Clark – three intended, one fortuitous – saved England from another unwanted notch in the record books, their heaviest home Ashes defeat, an innings and 180 runs at Trent Bridge in 1989.Siddle responded to Clark’s indignity with a hot-headed over that went for 17, including back-to-back bouncers that soared away for five wides each, and was concluded with a larruped four straight back down the ground, as Broad – who by now had exceeded his father’s highest score in a home Ashes Test (37 on this very ground in 1989) – motored towards his second half-century in consecutive matches.Now it was Swann’s turn to get properly stuck into the action. For the second over running, Clark was clobbered for 16 in an over with three more fours, including a perfect pull shot that bisected the field at midwicket. A flat-batted smear off Siddle followed three balls later, whereupon Broad climbed into the biggest and most extravagant thwack of the day, a full-blooded swing that climbed high and handsomely towards Johnson on the long-off boundary, who could only parry a tough chance over the ropes for four.Six balls later, and Broad once again took the aerial route, straight through the fielder’s hands, as he connected with a pull off Clark and left Simon Katich sprawling as he sprinted round to intercept at backward square leg. But the fun could not last forever, and Siddle was the man to make the breakthrough, as Broad failed to get on top of another energetic swipe, and Shane Watson clung on gratefully at deep midwicket. He departed to a standing ovation from a newly invigorated Barmy Army, who had been understandably subdued for much of the morning, but found their voice as the run-rate climbed.With the duck-happy Steve Harmison now joining him at the crease, Swann decided it was not the time to stand on ceremony, and an effortlessly timed pull through backward square sailed all the way for six to bring up a richly deserved half-century, from only 53 balls. Harmison chimed in with a slashed four over the slip cordon to get his innings up and running, as England went to the break still trailing by 98 runs, but with their morale lifted for the first time in the game.After the resumption, however, the end came swiftly. Swann’s uncompromising performance came to an end when he swished outside off to Johnson and was adjudged caught-behind for 62 from 72 balls, whereupon Onions – on a king pair after his first-innings extraction – was struck on the gloves first-up by a ball that very nearly dribbled onto his stumps. In the event, he survived just seven deliveries as Johnson nipped one off the seam to peg back his off stump, and Australia march south to London with their morale sky-high.

Daniel Vettori has said his team fought well to dismiss Sri Lanka for 452 but the real test was to back that with a good batting performance

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle19-Aug-2009Daniel Vettori has said his team fought well to dismiss Sri Lanka for 452 but the real test was to back that with a good batting performance.New Zealand fought back through the spin and pace combination of Vettori and Chris Martin who shared eight wickets between them to dismiss the final six Sri Lankan batsmen for 66 runs after the home team had started the day at 293 for 3.”From where we were yesterday the big thing for us is that everyone showed some fight today to put ourselves in a position where we really couldn’t have asked for too much [more],” Vettori said. “The real key for New Zealand is to back that up with a good performance with the bat.”He said New Zealand needed to bowl well in pairs if they are to restrict the home side’s batsmen. “Because we were leaking runs at the other end the Sri Lankan batsmen were able to play me out and not have to take so many risks,” he said. “The hardest thing was trying to get Chris and me bowling together because we both wanted the same end. The key to bowling (in the rest of the series) is (getting) the rest of the bowlers to support Chris and myself and just bowl in tandem.”The big wicket of Mahela Jayawardene, resuming from 108*, in the second over of the day boosted New Zealand’s confidence. “Mahela is such a disciplined batsman he doesn’t take any risks. He knows these sorts of grounds and bats so well,” Vettori said. “He showed the discipline and maturity you need to score in this part of the world. For us to get him so early gave the team a little bit of lift particularly with the new ball around the corner.”New Zealand ended the second day at 87 for 2 and Vettori said the most pleasing thing was how well his batsmen played the Sri Lankan bowlers. “It is always going to be difficult for a lot of their guys coming up against bowlers they have never seen before. Sometimes when New Zealand teams are facing quality spin bowling they can be a bit jittery but there was good confidence (on display) here. I thought [Tim] McIntosh, [Daniel] Flynn and [Martin] Guptill, for the short time he was there, looked like they were in control. It’s a good sign for us.”However, with New Zealand still trailing by 365 runs, Vettori said the home side still held the edge. “Sri Lanka is obviously in front with the quality of their bowling line-up. [Thilan] Thushara bowled exceptionally well today. We know we got a lot of work to do in the morning. [Jeetan] Patel’s a good player of spin if he can stick around for a while with McIntosh they can set up something for us.”Vettori said that Jacob Oram could not take the field the whole day because he was ill but would be fit to bat if needed on Thursday.

West Ham have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Europa League clash this evening…

What’s the latest?

The Hammers are expected to be without the services of right-back Vladimir Coufal for the next three matches due to an ongoing problem, according to club insiders Claret and Hugh.

He missed the weekend’s 1-0 win over Everton, having pulled out of his Czech Republic duties over the international break, and now it appears he will miss both the Genk game and the London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

It is hoped that he could resume training next week but a clash with defending champions Manchester City may prove to be too soon for a return.

Speaking about the 29-year-old after the game on Sunday, the Irons boss said, via football.london.

“Vladimir has taken an injection he had a bit of discomfort in his pubis. He has had an injection in there, he got the injury in the Man United cup game and he has been carrying it for a few weeks.”

Huge blow

This will come as a massive setback to Moyes and West Ham.

Coufal missed their last Europa League game with what seemed like a knock but was able to return in the defeat to Brentford right before the break, though you could tell that he was far from 100% as he put in a disappointing display.

He was then not named in the squad to face the Toffees and according to the reliable insiders, he’s set to be out for the next three matches, which is certainly devastating as he is the clear first-choice option in the role.

The Irons have some important and tricky fixtures coming up, so to not have the £18m-rated right-back available is certainly gutting news.

His value to the side and their chances of success cannot be understated. He finished last season with the second-highest number of assists (seven), only behind fellow full-back Aaron Cresswell (eight).

That goes to show that Moyes’ wide department is a crucial creative cog in this system.

Furthermore, Coufal has been an absolute animal defensively, too – as per WhoScored, he averaged a squad-high 2.1 tackles per game and wasn’t far behind for interceptions (1.2 per game) either.

That form had continued into the current campaign, where he is averaging 2.1 tackles each outing once again.

Perhaps Jamie Carragher’s endorsement of him on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football last season truly hints at his influence, he said [4th May, 22:24pm]:

“We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play.

“He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out.”

On the above evidence, this will be a frustrating development that is sure to leave Moyes hugely worried heading into some very important fixtures.

A win over Genk would keep up their 100% record in the Europa League, whilst matches against Spurs have always offered up goals and drama, and then there’s the small matter of Pep Guardiola’s City.

In an ideal world, Moyes would have loved to have Coufal available, so it’s a major blow to the Hammers.

AND in other news, Big call: Moyes must ruthlessly axe West Ham’s £10.8m-rated “complete beast” vs Genk…

The contest veered between bat and ball, dominating certain passages, but, at the end of the day, New Zealand had their backs firmly to the wall

Jamie Alter at the SSC27-Aug-2009Don Bradman hit just six sixes in his Test career. Denis Compton had three. Colin Cowdrey cleared the ropes 13 times in 114 Tests. Thilan Samaraweera is in good company, and he knows it.It’s a sign of the position he has reached in the Sri Lankan team, after an outstanding last 18 months with the bat, when Samaraweera replies to a question about his newfound penchant for sixes (In his first 52 Tests he had one, but he has hit four in the last two Tests.) “Well I know there are greats in this game who haven’t hit a lot, so I’m just fine with my record.”Welcome to the all-new Samaraweera. Last year when he spoke to the media during the series against India it seemed he was yet unsure of himself. He searched for words, he appeared shy. The media was something to be wary of, it seemed from his tone. Just over a year on, with the confidence of a man in sublime form and his position cemented, Samaraweera smiles broadly and answers questions with confidence, throwing up stats few would have known. He’s even hitting sixes.Samaraweera will never forget 2009. Two double-centuries in Pakistan. A career-threatening injury and the scars of the horrific attack in March. A successful rehabilitation in three months. Two centuries in consecutive Tests against New Zealand, and over 1000 runs in the calendar year. There are Test players who don’t experience that in a career.It’s been a richly deserved run. A poor tour of England in 2006 resulted in Samaraweera being dropped after the Edgbaston Test. It was a difficult period being away from the national side but he altered his game, spending long days and weeks with Chandika Hathurusingha, the Sri Lanka A coach. “I had to stay out of the team for 20 months and I thought that was too much,” said Samaraweera. “Honestly I did really well before that. I had a bad series in India but I played well against Pakistan and Bangladesh before the England series. I should have come back in six or seven months but didn’t. That made me hungry for runs.”He changed his attitude too, focusing more on scoring opportunities. The recall came for the tour to Australia late in 2007, where Samaraweera played one of two Tests. He was persisted with and cemented his place with a century and a fifty during the tour to the West Indies in early 2008. He hasn’t looked back. “When I came back Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace [Sri Lanka’s coach and assistant coach] helped me score runs,” said Samaraweera, who has been in outstanding form over the past 18 months. “The main ambition was to stay at the crease but look to score runs. That changed everything for me.”The belief is evident. Having slowly inched toward Mahela Jayawardene and then outscored him today, Samaraweera spent 14 deliveries and roughly 20 minutes on 99. Jayawardene had been cut off on 92 and Chamara Kapugedera was playing his first Test since January. It was a testing period but the desire to play the senior role burned bright. “Being on 99 wasn’t important,” he said. “Kapugedera was back after a long time and was trying to settle down. I settled him and he settled me.”Settle he did, as New Zealand found out. Samaraweera repelled a good over from Chris Martin and raised his century, fittingly, with a cover drive. As most of his other productive shots, it was placed accurately in the gap. Immediately after getting his century, Samaraweera launched an attack, hooking the very next ball for six and then reaching and driving Jacob Oram through the covers for four. Daniel Vettori was driven with exceptional footwork inside-out past mid-off for four and a couple of overs later, on dancing feet, he lofted Jeetan Patel for consecutive boundaries. He repeated that shot soon after, and New Zealand’s attempts to make further inroads had been snuffed.”At the moment I am free because the team is doing well,” said Samaraweera. “Myself and [Tillakaratne] Dilshan want to take pressure off Mahela and [Kumar] Sangakkara because they’ve been under a lot of pressure over the last ten years.”Samaraweera’s form dipped in the three Tests against Pakistan last month, but a sublime 159 in Galle and a flawless 143 at the SSC marks an imposing series. “Full credit to the team management,” he said. “They have given me full authority to play positively. They encouraged me after the Pakistan series and said it was a matter of time. In the last Test against Pakistan I got back my rhythm. As for getting 1000 runs in eight Tests, it’s just good the team is doing well.”Thanks in no small part to Samaraweera’s unforgettable run of form.

West Bromwich Albion have lodged a complaint to FIFA regarding an unpaid transfer fee.

What’s the latest?

In a recent report for the Express & Star, Joseph Masi revealed that West Brom are yet to receive the full transfer fee for the £2.5m sale of centre-back Ahmed Hegazi, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad Jeddah this summer.

Masi added that, despite it being unknown exactly how much of the fee remains outstanding, Al-Ittihad have disputed the figure, something which has led to the Baggies raising the issue with FIFA in order to find a resolution.

Finally, it is said that West Brom hope to receive an answer from the governing body this week, which could lead to Valerien Ismael receiving an injection of cash ahead of the January transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

The situation surrounding Hegazi’s unpaid transfer fee is obviously far from ideal for West Brom, but should FIFA decree that Al-Ittihad owe them a significant fee for the defender, and this fee is paid ahead of the winter market, there would appear to be a rather significant silver lining for Ismael.

Indeed, with the 46-year-old recently stating that he is already working towards a number of deals in January, the potential of receiving a substantial amount of money prior to the transfer window’s opening would undoubtedly come as a major boost for the Frenchman, who would certainly welcome an injection of cash in order to rejuvenate his squad.

With West Brom already involved in what looks to be a fiercely-contested race for a top two finish this season, the possibility of having slightly more money to spend this winter could well make all the difference in the Championship standings come next May, while the potential of bringing in a fresh face or two is also sure to have The Hawthorns faithful buzzing.

In other news: Valerien Ismael must unleash “vocal” 18 y/o colossus, he could save West Brom millions

West Ham are in a stronger financial situation than newly-rich Newcastle United as things stand, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: New developments at West Ham

The Hammers are going from strength to strength at the moment, shining on the pitch under David Moyes in the Premier League, not to mention impressing in the Europa League and reaching the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Away from the actual football, West Ham have also been boosted by the news that Daniel Kretinsky, a Czech billionaire, is in advanced talks to buy a 27 percent stake in the club, while a stadium expansion has also been approved.

The former could perhaps then lead to full ownership in the future, potentially putting the Hammers in an extremely strong financial position and finally ending the GSB era.

The Latest: Expert gives exciting update

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire explained why West Ham are worth more than Newcastle currently, despite the Magpies’ recent big-money takeover:

“You can’t underestimate the London factor which generates interest from sponsors. After all, matchday income between the clubs is broadly similar, so that isn’t a huge driver.

“Newcastle made £25m from matchday revenue over the last financial year, while West Ham made £27m.

“West Ham do have a bit more commercial revenue, and that is likely to be independently-based rather than through parties connected to the owners.

“That is driven by being in London. They also have the benefit of paying next to no rent.

Newcastle requires a big infrastructure spend because of the approach taken by Mike Ashley.

“You put those factors together and that’s why, for the moment at least, West Ham are in a far better state than Newcastle.”

The Verdict: Great time to be a Hammer

West Ham fans have had their fair share of misery down the years, from relegations to ownership issues, but this is an exciting time for the club.

Moyes has got his side playing some excellent football, with another European finish looking on the cards this season, and it looks as though the money is going to be available to make the squad even stronger if Kretinsky’s potential arrival is everything fans hope it will be.

This is a wonderful opportunity for West Ham to really establish themselves, especially at a time when fellow London clubs such as Arsenal and Tottenham arguably aren’t the forces they once were.

In other news, an expert is concerned by one West Ham player’s injury. Find out who it is here.

The New Zealand cricket team was named the recipient of the Spirit of Cricket Award at the ICC Awards ceremony in Johannesburg

Cricinfo staff01-Oct-2009The New Zealand cricket team was named the recipient of the Spirit of Cricket Award at the ICC Awards ceremony.It is the second time New Zealand has won this award (the first being in 2004) which is presented to the team which, in the opinion of the Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and Match Referees and the ten Full Member captains has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.The award was presented to New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori by Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of the ICC.Upon receiving the award on behalf of his team Vettori said: “I think most teams within world cricket aspire to the intangible notion of the Spirit of Cricket. It’s not easy to define but I think when you get out on the field of play most guys know where that line is and most play the game in the right way.”If we can couple the Spirit of Cricket award with the ICC Champions Trophy then we will be very happy indeed.”This Spirit is described in the preamble to the Laws of Cricket: “Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself.”The preamble goes on to say: “The Spirit of the Game involves respect for:
*Your opponents
*Your own captain and team
*The role of the umpires
*The game’s traditional values
The award has previously been won twice by Sri Lanka (2007 and 2008), England won it in 2005 and 2006 while New Zealand took the honour at the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004.