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Gold League
Babar Naeem’s efforts failed to help Rawalpindi avert the follow-on against Karachi Urban, on the third day of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Cricket Championship Gold League match at Karachi.Rawalpindi, who are leading the Gold League points table, needed to reach a first-innings score of 357 in reply to Karachi Urban’s declaration at 506 for 5 in order to avoid batting again. They were all out for 351 and then at stumps were following on at 63 for 2.Naeem’s 182 – his first century in three years – with 32 fours and two sixes was not enough. Rawalpindi resumed at their overnight score of 122 for 3, 384 runs behind Karachi Urban. The only partnership of substance that Naeem got was with Mohammad Wasim, the Rawalpindi captain, as the two added 144 for the fifth wicket.Tahir Khan, with 5 for 112, and Azam Hussain, with 4 for 94, kept Rawalpindi in check. Naeem hammered 49 off 56 balls before being dismissed on the last ball of the day in the second innings.Karachi Urban, however, need to beat Rawalpindi outright to displace them from the top of the table. Karachi Urban have 15 points and Rawalpindi 21. If Rawalpindi draw the match then Karachi will only get three first-innings points and remain at number three in the seven-team table.Lahore Shalimar were forced to follow on after being bowled out for 170 in reply to Sialkot’s first-innings score of 384 at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. But at stumps Lahore Shalimar needed only 16 runs more to make Sialkot bat again.Sialkot require an outright win here to get the full nine points and keep in sight of the Gold League final and retain their title. They have 12 points from their first three matches and are currently placed at number five in the seven-team ranking.On day three, Lahore Shalimar added only 31 more to their first-innings score as Tahir Mughal and Kashif Raza took the last four wickets inside 12 overs. Mughal got an innings total of 6 for 77 while Raza for 3 for 50.Following on 214 behind, Lahore Shalimar had raised their position somewhat with 198 for 3 at stumps.Ahmed Shahzad, the Lahore Shalimar opener, made his second half-century in the match following his first-innings 52 with 67 off 116 balls. Shahzad’s opening partnership with Salman Butt, the Lahore Shalimar opener, was worth 123 runs.Faisalabad beat Peshawar by seven wickets and lifted themselves from the bottom position in the Gold League at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.Faisalabad, who had gained a 30-run first innings lead over Peshawar added four more to their overnight score of 245 for 9. Peshawar were then bowled out for a pathetic 105 inside 36 overs in their second innings.Faisalabad scored off the 72 needed to win in 17 overs for the loss of three wickets. They stumbled at 19 for 3 but then Taqueer Hussain took them to victory smashing an unbeaten 38 off 35 balls.Earlier, Ahmed Hayat, Faisalabad’s right-arm fast-medium bowler, ran through the Peshawar batting and returned figures of 5 for 20 runs in 10 overs. Peshawar looked steady at 82 for 2 but then there last eight wickets fell for 23 runs. Only three batsmen – Mohammad Fayyaz, 46, Aftab Alam, 25, and Rafatullah Mohmand, 10 – reached double figures for Peshawar.Peshawar have now lost three consecutive matches after having started with two wins. Their points tally still stands at 18. With only one more match remaining – against Lahore Shalimar – Peshawar are not in contention for the final now.Faisalabad gained their first win in four matches and the nine points they now have put them above Lahore Shalimar in the seven-team Gold League table. The latter are now faced with the threat of being relegated to the Silver League next season.Silver League
Hyderabad got a lead of 177 with two wickets remaining in their second innings against Quetta in their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Cricket Championship Silver League match at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad after they batted through the third day and compiled a score of 274 for 8.Faisal Athar, the Hyderabad captain, hit the 12th century of his first-class career, after Hyderabad resumed at their overnight 37 for 1. On day two Quetta had gained a first-innings lead of 97 by making an impressive 290. Neither side, though, is in a position to qualify for the Silver League final.Athar made 117 off 207 balls adding 88 with Pir Zulfiqar (35) for the second wicket and 84 with Hanif-ur-Rehman (54) for the third.Six Hyderabad wickets then fell with 90 as Jalat Khan, Quetta’s right-arm medium bowler, ended 4 for 35 from 21 overs.In spite of having gained a first-innings lead of 152 over Lahore Ravi, Abbottabad are still uncertain of reaching the Silver League final after Lahore Ravi piled on 323 for the loss of nine wickets in their second innings at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground.Lahore Ravi, having resumed at their overnight 72 for 1 with a deficit of 80 runs, batted through the day to take a lead of 171.The Lahore batsmen batted consistently, though only Rizwan Aslam crossed fifty. His fourth-wicket stand with Rizwan Malik (32) produced 87 runs.Junaid Khan, Abbottbad’s left-arm medium-fast bowler, got 3 for 74 and Amjad Waqas, a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, got 2 for 22.Multan were set a target of 644 after Islamabad declared their second innings at 482 for 6 at the Diamond Club Cricket Ground in Islamabad.Azhar Mahmood followed his first innings 105 with 169 in Islamabad’s second innings making his first-class career’s eighth hundred and also crossing 6000 runs in 142 matches. Mahmood added 306 with Bilal Asad for the fourth wicket. While Mahmood’s 169 came off 197 balls with 24 fours and five sixes, Asad’s 146 took 248 balls with 16 fours. Multan were 6 for 0 at stumps.Islamabad with the full 36 points from their previous four matches have already qualified for the Silver League final. If Lahore Ravi defeat Abbottabad in Lahore then Multan will join Islamabad in the final.

Shoaib Malik hopes to be fit for the Indian series © Getty Images

Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s young allrounder, has had surgery on his heels in order to be fit and available for next month’s home series against India. Malik, a regular member of Pakistan’s Test and one-day teams against England in the recent home series, underwent the operation after complaining of acute pain due to corns.”Doctors advised him to go for the surgery as he would not have been able to carry on against India in the same condition,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board official, speaking to Reuters. “He will now be fit before the first Test against India from January 13.”Malik said: “I was facing a lot of pain batting and bowling because I had to put weight on my heels. Doctors say I can now resume playing after a week’s rest. The series against India is very important for me and after a satisfactory series win against England I am looking forward to cementing my place in the side.”The 23-year-old was cleared earlier this month of a suspect bowling action after undergoing tests at the University of Western Australia in Perth. Malik, who opened the batting in the 2-0 Test series win over England, has played in 12 Tests and 107 one-day internationals. Pakistan won the one-day series 3-2. The Indian team is scheduled to reach Pakistan on January 6 to play three Tests and five one-dayers.

Experience and youthful exuberance combined to swamp Bangladesh© Getty Images

There’s a macabre inevitability to the Bangladeshi batting that reminds you of the trashy tomato-ketchup-and-spray-paint Friday the 13th movies. Just as you knew that Jason’s knife would strike soft tissue a couple of times every reel, so you know that Bangladesh’s top order will manage convincing sitting-duck impersonations against the new ball.In their 32 Tests before this one, Bangladesh had survived long enough to sight the second new ball only on 22 occasions, and six of those were against fellow strugglers Zimbabwe. Their utter ineptitude when confronted by Irfan Pathan this afternoon was yet another indication that Dav Whatmore’s wards suffer from some sort of learning disability. For all his talent, Pathan is no Wasim Akram just yet, and most international batsmen cotton on to the fact that his most dangerous delivery is the one that swings back into the right-hander.Having lost their wickets to those inswingers in the first innings, it defied belief that the same mistakes were made at the second time of asking, with three men taking the caught-on-the-crease-lemming route back to the pavilion. The fourth, Habibul Bashar, should have trudged back thanking the good Lord that he doesn’t play for Ray Jennings, who would surely have made him crawl across the floor for a sip of water.The way Bashar allowed himself to be suckered made you scratch your head and wonder whether it was he or Pathan that was the inexperienced 20-year-old. From a novice, such a shot could have been written off as youthful indiscretion, but from the team captain and veteran of 30 Tests, it was a stroke that deserved a spell in solitary. Not since Andrew Hilditch – the happy hooker who Ian Botham used to set up for fun – has international cricket seen such low resistance to pull-and-hook temptations.The technical frailties that the Bangladeshi batsmen continue to exhibit are a symptom of a far greater malaise. On the eve of attaining Test status in 2000, this writer spoke to Minhajul Abedin, one of the stars of the pre-Test era. In that climate of euphoria, his was one of the few dissenting voices. He suggested that Bangladesh were not ready for the challenge because there was no culture of three-day cricket across the country. Almost all the players had been raised in the slap-happy climate of the Dhaka league, and while such a cavalier approach could pass muster in the one-day game, it would undoubtedly be found out in the longer version.As in Pakistan – several of their top order were also clueless against Pathan in the Tests played last April – quality coaching has yet to permeate to the grass-roots level. If India and Sri Lanka continue to produce technically sound batsmen, part of the reason is the coaching at the maidans and schools, which goes hand-in-hand with a culture of playing and watching three and four-day cricket. Pakistan’s batting titans – Inzamam-ul-Haq is a prime example – have thrived despite the system, and not because of it, helped by reservoirs of talent that no amount of coaching can instil.The crowd’s agony over the batsmen’s meek capitulation was exacerbated by a marvellous display from Zaheer Khan, who rode his luck to belt the cover off the ball in the morning session. The record books will say that his 75 is the highest score by a number 11, but most observers know that he should be batting higher up the order, being well capable of a noteworthy contribution when in the mood. Today, he was clearly energised by the presence of Tendulkar, and that inspiration was given expression through some dazzling hits down the ground.For all his mighty-oak status in Indian cricket, Tendulkar shares a wonderful rapport with the younger bunch. Besides being a senior whom they respect immensely, he’s someone that they can share a laugh, and a chocolate éclair – don’t tell the dietician – with. Greatness, when aloof, can inhibit others, but when it embraces, the ripple effect created can lead to unparalleled feats. For hapless Bangladesh, that morning ripple alone had the force of a tsunami.

Scorecard

Man of the Match Andrew Hall appeals successfully against Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Hall held his nerve to bowl Worcestershire through to the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy final in a nail-biting and topsy-turvey semi-final against Lancashire at New Road. Mal Loye ended unbeaten on 116, but his brave effort was not enough as the Lancashire tail-enders lost their way.After being up against it for the majority if the match, Lancashire had the game in the bag needing only seven runs from the last over. But Hall (4 for 36) stayed calm and fired in the yorkers to great effect. He picked up two wickets and gave away only one run to take Worcestershire through to the final against Gloucestershire.Lancashire made a slow start to their chase of 255 and Nantie Hayward soon trapped Mark Chilton lbw with an inswinging yorker (15 for 1). Matthew Mayson then kept the pressure on with a superb spell of seam bowling (1 for 23 from 10 overs) and got his reward with the big wicket of Stuart Law, caught by Hall at second slip (70 for 2). Hall then got in the act with the two wickets of Carl Hooper and Andrew Flintoff, both lbw, and Lancashire had spluttered to 108 for 4.Meanwhile, Mal Loye stayed firm and gave Lancashire hope with his mixture of aggressive leg-side thwacks and sensible accumulation. He and Chris Schofield hauled Lancashire back in the game with a rollicking 63 stand in which Schofield savaged all before him in a cameo 32 from 31 balls. Gareth Batty may soon be an international, but Schofield – who is an international, in case you’ve forgotten – showed him no respect and crashed him for four boundaries in the 37th over to tilt the game in the balance.But Schofield soon found out that all good things come to an end when he slapped David Leatherdale to Hayward at mid-on (171 for 5). Glen Chapple, another new England call-up, kept Loye support and his enterprising 44 from 43 balls all but secured the tie for Lancashire. But when he was bowled by Kabir Ali going for another big hit, the game was thrown wide open. Warren Hegg and Peter Martin were bowled in the final over and John Wood run out as Lancashire self-destructed to a six-run loss.Hegg, the Lancashire captain, said before the game that Graeme Hick was Worcestershire’s dangerman, and his prediction was spot on, unlike his decision to bowl first. Hick belted 97 from 112 balls in a rollicking start. He got in to the groove straight away and he and the impressive Anurag Singh added 155 for the second wicket. The pair made the most of the good batting track and baking hot conditions as they cashed in on anything wide and short.Singh hit 63 from 104 when Lancashire made a much-needed breakthrough as Singh was caught by Schofield at point off Flintoff (159 for 2). Hick, who was dropped by Hegg in the thirties, continued to give it some humpty and clobbered 16 fours and was on course for another limited-overs century when Chapple struck to dislodge Hick when a leading edge flew to Carl Hooper at cover (191 for 3).Ben Smith (36) and Hall (26) kept up the momentum, and even though Hick’s wicket slightly took the wind out of their sails, their 254 for 5 was enough – just.

Auckland sprinted away to an eight-wicket win over Central Districts before lunch on the fourth day of the State Championship match on the Eden Park Outer Oval – a performance which should produce a couple of interesting echoes amid the New Zealanders as they prepared for tomorrow’s third Test against Australia at the WACA.The first was that Auckland’s comfortable win – after three days of uncomfortable or restricted batting from both sides – should be built round an almost faultless century by Matt Horne, the discarded New Zealand Test opening batsman.Horne’s 18th first-class century was carefully built over 272 minutes, and apart from two rather hairy strokes, did not offer the frustrated Central Districts bowlers a chance.Horne, who had earned top marks from the selector Ross Dykes during the earlier New Zealand A tour of India, looked every inch a first-rate, technically correct opening batsman – assets which seem to have slipped out of Matthew Bell’s gear-bag in Australia.The second echo was more or less caused by Stephen Fleming, scathing criticism of his bowlers, ability to bowl the right line and length in the second Test at Hobart, and his subsequent plea that Dennis Lillee should be asked for starting-from-scratch coaching advice in Perth.A very senior bowler, who shall be nameless, remarked during the first three days of the Auckland-Central Districts match that the indifferent form of the New Zealand seamers in the two Tests in Australia was merely a case of chickens come home to roost in New Zealand.He was referring to the green Eden Park pitch which for at least the first two-and-half days gave the medium-fast seam and swing bowlers extraordinary help, and which left the batsmen resigned to being inevitably undone by some mischief from the pitch.This, said the senior bowler, was the precise fault with the production of the recent crop of New Zealand team medium-fast bowlers. On pitches even half as helpful as this mettlesome Eden Park pitch, New Zealand bowlers were given extraordinary help in the matter of whipping the ball into the pads for lbw, or nicking the outside edge for the fatal catch.The early Auckland and Central seamers had only to land one or two balls an over on the right line and length and they had a fair chance of taking a wicket.As the senior bowler pointed out, in Australia two balls on target would have left four balls for the home batsmen to murder.Five or six balls was the required rate of accuracy at Test level, especially on pitches in Australia which generally favoured Australian batsmen gifted both in the arts of driving and cross-batted strokes.Last evening and this morning Horne and his undefeated partner Aaron Barnes batted with more than a hint of Australian efficiency.In contrast, the Central Districts bowlers, who had looked like demons in the first third of the match, were as nasty as new-born lambs as the Aucklanders marched away to the win with their record-breaking and unbroken stand of 151.Central Districts were hampered slightly by the loss through injury of Ewen Thompson, with his broken forearm, which left them only three seamers and Campbell Furlong’s genial off-spin.Faced by poised and patient batsmen, the Central Districts bowlers were reduced to hopeful trundlers, for the pitch had lost almost all its earlier spite.Horne nearly gave a catching chance when he was 97, and once almost had a ball from Furlong trickle into his stumps.Otherwise, he and Barnes gave the Central Districts bowlers not the slightest bit of charity, and in a game that had already had 12 lbw decisions (and sufficient roared lbw appeals to satisfy a Cossack choir), there was never even one lbw appeal from the hamstrung Central bowlers this morning.There may be problems with with the quality of New Zealand Test bowlers and batsmen on the evidence available from Australia. The solution will not be found there, even from Lillee the grand master of fast bowling. If there are answers to the puzzles they are found in the quality, or lack of it, of the pitches on which New Zealanders play their cricket.

Pacer Cuthbert Musoko’s maiden List A five-for bowled Matabeleland Tuskers for 130, setting up a 31-run win for Mountaineers in their first match of the Pro50 Championship. Musoko’s 5 for 19 off 8.4 overs helped Mountaineers defend a total of 161 with ease, after they had been left reeling by Tawanda Mupariwa’s 6 for 52.Tuskers began their chase of 162 solidly as the openers, Bonaparte Mujuru and Nkosana Mpofu, added 52. They collapsed quickly, however, going from 52 for 0 to 91 for 8, with Musoko, Tatenda Mupunga (2-33) and Shingi Masakadza (2-23) contributing to the slide. Mbekezeli Mabuza shepherded the score past 100 – a 34-run, ninth-wicket stand contributing to the team’s cause – but the chase was too much for the tail-enders.Mountaineers had had their own batting collapse, after being put in to bat, as Mupariwa cut through the line-up, taking five wickets to reduce the side to 57 for 5. They were lifted to 161 only through knocks from Hamilton Masakadza (46) and Roy Kaia. The batsmen added 41 for the sixth wicket, before Kaia shared in a 49-run stand for the ninth wicket en route to his 59 off 90 deliveries. Roy Kaia was the ninth wicket to fall and became Mupariwa’s sixth wicket.Fifties from Joylord Gumbie and Gary Chirimuuta, and a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Bright Mugochi set up a 67-run win for Mashonaland Eagles in their opening match of the Pro50 Championship against Mid West Rhinos.Gumbi’s 94-ball 80 powered the Eagles to a strong start as he shared partnerships worth 62 and 75 runs for the first and second wicket with Kudzai Maunze and Simbarashe Gupo respectively. After Gumbi fell, Chirimuuta consolidated, striking 68 off 60 balls with 10 fours, and contributed to a 72-run stand with Gupo to guide the side towards a strong total. Eagles lost quick wickets towards the end but were still able to post a competitive 265 for 7.Despite the early loss of Tendai Maruma, Rhinos rebuilt through a 74-run partnership for the second wicket between Bothwell Chapungu and Tarisai Musakanda. Mugochi, however, got both batsmen and then effected a run-out to leave Rhinos at a wobbly 92 for 4. A fifth-wicket partnership of 53 between Nyasha Mayavo and captain Remembrance Nyathi provided some resistance but once the stand was broken, Eagles quickly wrapped up proceedings.

Here is a list of the ten greatest footballers that God ever managed to make. He was having a fantastic day by his standards because these guys are just so good. It is a list of by far the best players who’ve ever graced the completely unworthy Premier League. The turf should be sealed off after they’ve played and turned into a pilgrimage site. Or so they think.

In reality this is a list of the biggest egos in the Premier League. The ten players who cannot handle being substituted and storm down the tunnel in a fit of rage, the players who kick out in disgust at water bottles and throw their shirts to the ground really really angrily. These are the players who scream at their teammates when they don’t get the ball but would never dream of passing if they had a chance from 40 yards.

All these players genuinely believe they are the best, they believe that taking them off is a stupid mistake and leaving them on the bench is pure lunacy. They are God’s gift to the game and to their team and to ignore God you must be a fool. In fact you’re all fools anyway, you just can’t comprehend their talent.

Managerial authority means absolutely nothing, the idea that somebody would tell them how to play when they have already mastered all there is to know is laughable. ‘Leave it to me and we will win’ they think, ‘who is this old goat who thinks Jermaine Jenas can replace ME! He must be mad!’ Cue strop.

In football, whole squads can be described as egos, particularly the most expensive ones. The Chelsea and Manchester City managerial jobs in particular require masterful ‘mass-ego management skills’ but that is a story for another day. Today we’re going to focus on the individuals, just as these players would want. It’s all about me, me, me. So here are 10 of the best.

Click on Drogba and Ronaldo below to see the Top TEN

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With the January transfer window sneaking up on the Premier League sides, it is a chance for unhappy players to earn a move away from their current club to earn some first team football on a regular basis. Whether it be an older player hoping for one last hurrah at a big club or an international player looking to break into their side for the Euro’s next summer players will definitely be on the move after Christmas.

The January transfer window can often be the start of a clubs escape from relegation or push for the European places but it has also come in for some criticism in the past few years. Some players have moved in January in the past for extortionate prices, for example Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres, and not lived up to their hype, so it could be described as a time for panic buying. We are hoping for some more big money signings at the big clubs to bring even more talent to the Premier League and for squad players to get their chance at new clubs ahead of a captivating end to the Premier League season, followed by Euro 2012.

Click on Craig Gordon below to unveil the 10 players likely to move on in January

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Compiled by Brad Pinard

Everton boss David Moyes will not relax until his side is a mathematical certainty to avoid relegation from the English Premier League.A 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday went some way to securing Everton’s future in the top flight for another year, but their realistic manager is not prepared to rest on his laurels ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Birmingham City.”If we had lost at Newcastle, we might have been looking over our shoulders,” said Moyes, whose side lie in 10th and six points from the relegation places.”And if we don’t get a result in the next few home games, we might be back looking over our shoulders again. I think that is the way the league is at the moment. I think everyone is in that position.””It’s not quite gone yet, and it won’t be until we are far enough up the league and it is mathematically impossible.”The former Preston manager is too cautious to reveal the figure he believes will ensure his side’s safety.”Nobody knows what the points total is. I think everybody’s suggestion is that it’s going to be higher than what it’s been in the past,” he said.”If that is the case, then everybody is battling to try and get the points.”Birmingham suffered a crushing defeat to West Brom on Saturday, bringing them back to earth after their Carling Cup win against Arsenal on February 27. Moyes, however, is mindful that their Wembley performance is a warning of how good they can be.”I think they did great to get a result against Arsenal, and I think that showed you the level of the Premiership and how tough it is,” he said.Everton captain Phil Neville has been ruled out of the game after picking up a hamstring injury in the win over Newcastle.Dutch utility man John Heitinga took his place from the bench and is set to start on Wednesday. Moyes will also be without his first-choice midfield pairing of Tim Cahill (foot) and Marouane Fellaini, with the latter ruled out of the rest of the season with ankle injury.

The first thoughts to enter my head when I saw Blanco come on for Mexico against South Africa were “What the Hell!! Mexico must be desperately short of players!”  He looked like a big tank rolling across the field. He made Berbatov seem like a Gazelle. So why did Mexico bring him along to the World Cup and more importantly would he make a difference?

Few minutes after he came on I realized why Mexico needed him, he seemed to energize an uninspired team, and brought them to life, their attacking play improved a lot and most of it went through Blanco. He might be the slowest forward in the World Cup but he’s by no means a liability to the team, I think if they could, Mexico would have played him every game from the start. The Man has an innate ability to pick out the right pass, unlock defenses with a chip or a through ball, he’s a player who’s capable creating a moment of brilliance. He also scored for Mexico against France from the penalty spot.

Intrigued and also impressed by his cameo performances so far, I did a bit of research on him; turns out he’s a legend for Mexican Football, considered their most talented player in the last two decades. His career was spent playing in the La Liga, MLS and the Mexican First Division. Having played for Club America for the longest period, his stats were impressive too, showing he had a knack for scoring goals. He’s been playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward or as an attacking midfielder, making full use of his creative talents.

So I realized I have a new reason to cheer for Mexico, this almost immobile and unfit player who incredibly is in my opinion key to Mexico achieving anything in the World Cup 2010, Javier Aguirre has a player who can create a chance from nothing, a brilliant impact sub, who can be brought on when things aren’t going right for Mexico.

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So with a new reason to cheer Mexico on, I look forward to seeing this man who many would consider not in shape to even keep up with a Sunday league team, play at the world’s biggest stage  and impress everyone and show the world why we’ll miss Cuauhtemoc when he finally retires!