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Guyana Amazon Warriors seized home advantage with a packed spin bowling line-up to restrict St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to 108 for 8, before chasing it down comfortably for a four-wicket win

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAdam Zampa and Martin Guptill had solid days with bat and ball respectively for Guyana Amazon Warriors•CPL/Sportsfile

Guyana Amazon Warriors seized home advantage with a packed spin bowling line-up to restrict St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to 108 for 8, before chasing it down comfortably for a four-wicket win. Patriots had trouble coping with the turn on a slow pitch and made the chase look more difficult with a late flurry of wickets, but Amazon Warriors cruised home with 22 balls to spare.Simmons bats with one pad

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots opener Lendl Simmons, who scored 50 against Guyana Amazon Warriors, made a bizarre change during his innings by taking off his right pad on a slow, turning pitch at the Providence Stadium. He took the back pad off at the end of the 12th over and continued to bat like that even against the fast bowlers, until he was dismissed in the last over.
“He’s batting with one leg guard. I have never seen this in any cricket apart from backyard,” Ian Bishop said on commentary at the start of the 13th over.

The pitch came under heavy criticism from the television broadcast commentators at the Providence Stadium, with a low and slow track producing likewise action from the Patriots line-up. The visitors opted to bat but three specialist spinners in the Amazon Warriors attack – Steven Jacobs, Adam Zampa and Veerasammy Permaul – exploited the favorable conditions superbly, none more so than offspinner Jacobs, who took the new ball and finished with 1 for 7 in four overs.Arriving in Guyana after a pair of blistering half-centuries in far friendlier batting conditions at Warner Park in St Kitts, Evin Lewis laboured through an 18-ball innings before a desperate shuffle across his stumps to flick Jacobs resulted in Lewis being trapped in front for 4 in the fourth over.Lewis’ opening partner Lendl Simmons exemplified the Patriots’ overall struggle with the conditions, lasting until the final over to score 50 off 60 balls before he was run-out by Martin Guptill. In between, Zampa wiped out the middle order, including the key scalp of captain Faf du Plessis for just 1.Guptill was the only batsman to look unencumbered by the nature of the track, scoring at nearly two runs a ball as he struck three fours and four sixes on his way to 43 off 22 balls and the Man-of-the-Match honours. Following the second-over departure of Dwayne Smith, Guptill and Chris Lynn produced a 60-run second-wicket stand across six overs before Guptill perished to left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi after an attempted drive went awry.Amazon Warriors reached the halfway stage needing just 24 runs to win with eight wickets in hand before a brief stumble was sparked by a leg-side stumping to remove Jason Mohammed off the bowling of Samuel Badree. It was the first of three wickets in the space of nine deliveries for just three runs as Badree had Christopher Barnwell lbw for a second-ball duck before Shamsi struck again to claim Anthony Bramble for 1.Lynn held firm though and remained until Amazon Warriors were within one shot of clinching the match when he was bowled for 34 by JJ Smuts, before Jacobs and Sohail Tanvir calmly knocked off the final six runs. While Amazon Warriors cemented their hold on top of the table, Patriots’ woeful start continued, having now lost four of their first five games.Patriots left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie was fined 75% of his match fees after the game for breaching Level 2 of the CPL Code of Conduct. At the end of the 16th over, he threw a ball back at batsman Steven Jacobs, thereby in violation of Article 2.2.7 which relates to “Throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during a CPL Match.” Santokie accepted the proposed sanction.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to bolster their squad heading into the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Thierry Small to Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Ibrox outfit have made contact over a possible move for left-back Thierry Small.

The report claims that the Gers have registered an interest in the young defender as Michael Beale is pursuing a deal to add the prospect to his defensive options for next season.

It is stated that Tottenham Hotspur had a bid of £800k rejected by Southampton for the player in January as they held out for a fee in the region of £1.2m.

Who is Thierry Small?

He is an 18-year-old left-back – signed from Everton for £5m in 2021 – who is currently on loan at St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

With his positional ability in mind, he could well be the ideal heir to current first-team ace Borna Barisic.

The Croatian defender, who turns 31 later this year, is heading into the final year of his contract at Ibrox and Beale could bring Small in with a view to him replacing the full-back in the future.

Since arriving in Glasgow in 2018, the 30-year-old has scored nine goals and assisted 48 in 200 competitive appearances for the club in all competitions.

In the Premiership this season, Barisic has made 2.4 key passes and 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, showcasing his ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Small is not quite at that level yet, with 0.9 key passes and 1.4 tackles and interceptions per match for St. Mirren, but he has shown promise with his performances in the top flight at the age of just 18 by creating chances and making defensive interventions week-in-week-out.

The Englishman, who does not turn 19 until August, has played 13 matches in the league this season and this experience in Scotland could allow him to make a seamless transition should he move to Rangers as he now knows what it is like to perform at this level.

Small's form at youth level for Southampton and Everton also suggests that he has the potential to make a huge impact in the final third from a left-back position. He scored 11 goals and assisted four in 51 matches for the two academy sides combined and as a result, could grow into a Barisic-esque defender who can burst forward to be a difference-maker in attack.

The youngster has plenty of time left on his hands to grow and develop and the Light Blues could invest in his potential instead of signing a ready-made and established player in that position.

Once hailed as a "very enjoyable" player to watch by ex-boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, he could be a future star for Beale if he is able to kick on and translate his academy form over to first-team level.

Leeds United are in serious danger of being relegated back down to the Championship in their third season in the Premier League following their promotion in 2019/20.

The Whites are 19th in the table and two points adrift of 17th-placed Everton with three matches left to play before the end of the campaign.

Sam Allardyce has been drafted in to keep the side up after Javi Gracia failed to have the desired impact at Elland Road and was beaten 2-1 by Manchester City in his first match.

The one-time England boss is an experienced campaigner in the Premier League and has worked with some terrific talents throughout his time in the game.

One player Allardyce had thrived with was French forward Nicolas Anelka, who scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 37 appearances under his management at Bolton.

The dynamic former Arsenal and Chelsea talisman used his pace and movement out of possession to generate chances for himself and the Leeds boss could use his success to unlock the full potential of Georginio Rutter at Elland Road.

How has Georginio Rutter performed for Leeds?

The Frenchman has failed to score or assist a single goal in 12 appearances for the Whites since making the move from Hoffenheim for a club-record £36m fee in January.

There is no doubting that the attacker has struggled over the last four months or so but Allardyce's arrival provides a clean slate and he could absorb the boss' knowledge and attempt to replicate the form that his compatriot, Anelka, showed in order to keep the club in the Premier League.

LeedsLive journalist William Jackson gave the £76k-per-week forward a score of 8/10 for his "dangerous" performance and noted that the manager was in attendance to watch the attacker's impressive display in his player ratings piece as the ace played for the U21s on Monday, which is a positive step in the right direction.

Rutter is a marksman who has similar attributes to Anelka during his time at Bolton – scout Jacek Kulig once hailed the French gem's off-ball movement and lauded his "blistering" pace and "clinical" finishing, which suggests that the 21-year-old has the qualities to use his pace to run off the back of opposition defenders to create chances for himself.

His 11 goals and four assists in 26 Bundesliga starts for Hoffenheim also show that the youngster has the quality to provide a relatively consistent end product in a major European league and that his form for Leeds may be a confidence issue, or the previous managers not utilising his talent in the right way.

Allardyce has proven, with Anelka, that he can get the best out of a number nine who runs in behind and looks to cause problems for defenders on the shoulder and could unearth his new star by unleashing Rutter in the last few matches.

Tottenham Hotspur have had little to look forward to in recent years, but the promise of a new manager seeks to change that.

The only worry that remains is that Daniel Levy will be the man heading that search, especially after the resignation of his director of football Fabio Paratici, who lost his appeal and has subsequently had his ban upheld.

This is just one moment in a long line of embarrassing examples for the Lilywhites, who have stalled following years of impressive progression under Mauricio Pochettino.

Antonio Conte failed miserably in his search for silverware in north London, just years after Jose Mourinho had suffered a similar fate. Whoever is chosen as the next to grace their dugout must be fully aware of the tough task that awaits and the tumultuous atmosphere within.

Whilst Cristian Stellini sees out the season before his likely departure too, Levy has some time to start deciding which direction to take Spurs. One thing is for certain: the 61-year-old will want to give his new boss the strongest possible starting lineup with which to tempt a top coach in and keep the top assets around.

Whilst transfers might not be his particular strong suit, he can be safe in the knowledge that at the very least Destiny Udogie will be returning this summer fresh from a fine loan in Italy. Arguably, given their struggles at left wing-back and the veritable strength of the opposite flank, this could prove to be huge for the future and the present of this side.

Who is Destiny Udogie?

Having signed for £15m last summer, Conte saw fit to ship the 20-year-old out on loan to Udinese, safe in the knowledge that Ivan Perisic would fulfil the role until his development had finished.

However, few would have predicted just how defensively culpable the experienced Croatian would be. Brought in with a packed-out trophy cabinet and experience at the top level, his seven league assists perhaps mask the positional deficiencies of the 34-year-old.

Just 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearance per game marks a disappointing return for someone who has been ever-present in a system that focuses on sitting deep, with football writer Andrew Gaffney even claiming the £180k-per-week man was a "complete liability at the back".

Meanwhile, Udogie too has enjoyed a fine offensive campaign but married it with far more solidity – six goal contributions give way to his 2.3 tackles per game, making him far more well-rounded given the uncertainty of the philosophy the new boss might employ.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has spoken to Football FanCast about the potential of the Italy U21 international, and what Spurs fans have to look forward to upon his return.

He claimed:

"It has been an area that Tottenham have been looking to improve in for a while now and this hopefully will see Udogie being as the answer to those left-wing back issues going forward.

"As I said, he's a very exciting player and somebody that Spurs fans will be looking forward to seeing next season."

With a sparkling future ahead, Udogie's return will surely mark the end of the ageing wide man who has struggled to live up to the immense expectations his name demanded.

Eddie Howe delivered some important injury news following Newcastle United's 6-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

What's the latest Newcastle injury news?

The Newcastle boss took to his post-match press conference to confirm that Allan Saint-Maximin will not be available for selection in the mid-week clash with Everton at Goodison Park on Thursday.

Howe confirmed the absence of the French winger but was unable to give a clear update on Fabian Schar's availability: "I think Everton will be too early for Maxi.

"With Fabian, I don’t know how he is yet. We’ve got a couple of knocks in there."

Will Anthony Gordon start vs Everton?

The Magpies will be keen to continue their strong pursuit of Champions League football next season with a successful trip to the blue side of Merseyside and Anthony Gordon could be the perfect player to get under the skin of his former club.

The 22-year-old has been a consistent feature from the bench – averaging 36 minutes per performance – but a golden opportunity to start on the left flank against Everton could prove to Howe that he is more than worthy of more minutes and a starting spot in the competitive forward line.

Over 25 Premier League appearances for his two clubs, Gordon has scored three goals and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 shots on goal per game, proving that he is keen to make an impact in front of goal.

Indeed, the £60k-per-week ace – hailed as "different class" by former teammate James Tarkowski – is yet to find the back of the net but could be involved in bittersweet success on his return to Goodison Park later this week, success that could even be the catalyst in relegating the Toffees.

It has also been reported this week that Saint-Maximin could be set to leave St James' Park this summer, so it will be important for Gordon to make a good impression on his manager to deter Howe from bringing in another winger who could ruin his chances of becoming a nailed-on starter in the future.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Howe should unleash Gordon in the starting XI during the Frenchman's absence as an opportunity to get a look at the player in a full performance would be advantageous to Howe whilst giving the patient winger the minutes he deserves.

Unai Emery has enjoyed a terrific start to life in charge of Aston Villa by winning eight of his first 14 Premier League matches at the helm since replacing Steven Gerrard earlier this season.

One of his former teams, Arsenal, are outshining the Villans in the division this season, though, as the Gunners are currently top of the table with 11 games to play.

Emery had the pleasure of managing a number of their current squad during his time at The Emirates; including Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson.

They are now playing their part in a potential title-winning campaign and the Spaniard could use inspiration from his work with those talents to develop some of Villa's promising young players.

Only three outfield stars featured in more games for Emery than Xhaka during his spell with Arsenal and the boss could find his next version of the Switzerland international by unearthing Tim Iroegbunam next season.

Who is Tim Iroegbunam?

He is a 19-year-old central midfielder who has graduated from the Villa academy and is currently out on loan at Queens Park Rangers until the end of the campaign.

Like Xhaka, the England U20 international is a tall and combative force at 5 foot 11 in the middle of the park, someone who is also capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch.

In the Premier League this season, the Arsenal enforcer has scored three goals and provided five assists from midfield while averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.2 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 53% of his individual duels.

Iroegbunam, who scored four goals and provided four assists in 30 matches for West Brom's U18s, was recently described by manager Gareth Ainsworth as a player who "glides past people and can finish with both feet" and this highlights his attacking threat.

The "impressive" – as dubbed by ex-coach Michael Beale – teenager has only scored twice in 25 Championship starts for QPR but is in his first season of regular first-team football and is still finding his feet at first-team level.

His defensive attributes are also there for all to see. In the Premier League last season, the youngster made five tackles and interceptions combined and won four of his six duels in a 2-0 win over Norwich, which shows that he has the quality to make an impact at the top level on his day.

Iroegbunam, who has averaged 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match in the Championship, is a midfielder with the potential to influence games at both ends of the pitch and Emery could utilise his talent as a box-to-box player, as he did in 51 games with Xhaka.

Therefore, the Spaniard could unearth his next version of the possible title-winner by bringing the teenage Villa talent into the squad for pre-season this summer after his loan spell in London.

Everton recorded a huge victory over the weekend, as they halted Brentford’s unbeaten run with a narrow win at Goodison Park.

It was Dwight McNeil whose goal made the difference, as his thunderous left-footed strike had them in front within one minute. Then, in typically Sean Dyche fashion, the Toffees remained resolute to hold onto that slender lead; although they should have added to it on many occasions following.

They now face a wholly different task this weekend with a trip to Chelsea, where they have notoriously struggled. Realistically, any Premier League away day has been a tough task for the Royal Blues, who have won just once this season on the road.

Despite that, Stamford Bridge is hardly the fortress it once was, as despite Graham Potter’s side having seemingly found form of late they still bear some of those fragilities that can be exploited.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion boss has perhaps given the Merseyside club a huge boost in their quest to find an edge, as the news that N’Golo Kante could return might spur Dyche to add his own returnee to battle alongside him.

Given the Frenchman’s questionable fitness over recent years, there is cause to believe he could be overrun by the midfield talents of the visitors, including James Garner.

Will James Garner be fit for Everton?

The 22-year-old made his £15m move to Goodison Park in the summer, yet has seen his progression into the first team staggered due to a back injury sustained just before the World Cup.

It has left him missing eight games in total, however, in their last two matches, the midfield maestro has been reinstated to the bench. Twice an unused substitute, perhaps with a trip to face the Blues he could finally be handed that all-important start to battle with a legend of the league.

Once widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, Kante’s time at Chelsea has been ravaged in recent years by numerous ailments.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, the 31-year-old has missed around 56 games in total and will likely return vastly unfit for this weekend regardless of how much training he has done beforehand.

Although Garner might be rusty, it will be nothing compared to his opponent’s lack of action.

Given the offensive impetus the former Manchester United man can offer from midfield, he could expose this lack of fitness by exerting his will on the game. His set-piece delivery also adds an extra level of quality to his play, with his potential being described as “obscene” by former teammate Jack Colback.

Last season he would score four and assist a further eight in the Championship, with his all-action brand of football capturing the imagination.

The youngster could do so again this Saturday, by brutally exposing a Premier League legend.

Manchester City want Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell as the Premier League champions seek to fix a ‘problem position’ for Pep Guardiola.

The Lowdown: City left-back woes…

The Blues’ left-back area has indeed been an issue under Guardiola with the Spaniard turning to former makeshift options like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabian Delph in past seasons.

At the time, Benjamin Mendy would often be sidelined through injury, forcing Guardiola to get creative.

More recently, the now-departed Joao Cancelo flourished in that role as a creative left-back, but was forced to operate on his weaker side being a traditional right-footer.

Fast forward to now, the likes of Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez and Aymeric Laporte are options for Guardiola in that area, but they remain without a natural, out-and-out left-back.

The Latest: City target Chilwell…

According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, City are keen on signing Chelsea defender Chilwell as they prioritise a ‘problem position’.

The 26-year-old could be a target as reinforcing City’s left-back area is set to be a transfer ‘priority’ for them this summer.

The Verdict: Right man?

Homegrown and arguably proven in the English top flight, Chilwell stands out as a viable candidate to seriously strengthen their ranks.

After his return from a hamstring injury, Chelsea boss Graham Potter has heavily favoured the Englishman with Chilwell featuring in every game since recovering.

The former Leicester City star has also been praised by sections of the Stamford Bridge media with Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella calling him ‘class’ recently.

On a reported £190,000-per-week, Chilwell’s signing could require significant investment in terms of wages and transfer fee, but he could represent a solid option.

Despite Eddie Howe’s recent comments, journalist Jordan Cronin has insisted that Newcastle United have touched base over Scott McTominay.

The Lowdown: Midfield is an area to improve

It’s no secret that Newcastle could do with at least one new midfielder this month, which was probably required before Bruno Guimaraes’ recent injury, but that will have likely only intensified their search.

This is because last season, Guimarares was playing more advanced with Jonjo Shelvey sitting behind him, and that led to the Brazilian scoring five in the Premier League, whereas he’s only got three this term as Shelvey has also been largely absent.

Therefore, a new No 6 could well be just what the Magpies need, someone who can conduct play and do the hard yards while Howe unleashes Guimaares in the final third more often – which is where someone such as McTominay could come into the equation.

The Latest: McTominay on the radar

However, Howe recently rubbished any talk of Newcastle swooping in for a loan deal for McTominay, although Cronin has heard different information on the contact between Newcastle and Manchester United.

Speaking on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel, he said: “Eddie Howe denied that there was contact with Scott McTominay, but from what I was told, Newcastle did enquire about Scott McTominay – but Manchester United said that there was no chance of letting him go.”

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The Verdict: Newcastle could aim higher than McTominay

Given that McTominay has only been able to start six league games this season, it would suggest that the Scotland international isn’t quite up to the standard of a top-four club, which is what Newcastle are clearly looking to become.

The Magpies have been linked with moves for players such as Moises Caicedo and Youri Tielemans as of late, which would signal a big statement of intent given they’re also wanted by the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

If Newcastle could bring in McTominay on loan until the end of the season without an obligation to buy, he could be a decent stopgap signing, although if someone such as Tielemans and Caicedo become more attainable this month, PIF could move for them instead.

What is clear is that there is interest in McTominay despite the Toon boss playing it down, and it remains to be seen if Manchester United can be lured into a sale for a player surely keen on more regular game time.

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Everton’s season has been nothing short of disastrous, with the Toffees once again poised to struggle at the foot of the table.

Despite this, and their current position of joint-bottom, the hierarchy are yet to put their hands in their pockets to try and pay their way out of this mess. It is clearly a squad lacking the quality to stay up, and yet with nearly a third of a window done, there has been little indication of any concrete rumours.

As the division’s second-lowest scorers, up front is the role that certainly needs filling.

Despite that, one of Frank Lampard’s reported targets Danny Ings seems set to now move to relegation rival West Ham United, further adding insult to injury.

They need someone through the door immediately, if at the very least to offer Dominic Calvert-Lewin some much-needed competition for his striker spot.

An alternative that they now seem to be scrambling for is Lyon forward Moussa Dembele, who saw rumours emerge about his future in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Frenchman has just six months left on his £69k-per-week deal, and as such has caught the eye as a potential cut-price option for the financially restricted Blues.

It must be said that, should they complete this deal, it would represent an immense coup for a club currently in disarray despite his poor form this season.

With just two goals to his name this season, it may seem like the 26-year-old is hardly the answer to their long-standing issues in front of goal.

However, he has proven on numerous occasions throughout his career that he can be a clinical asset when called upon, as last season he bagged 21 times in Ligue 1 whilst delivering four assists.

This marks an improvement Calvert-Lewin’s best goal tally in the Premier League of 16, which he would hope to recapture should his fitness prevail once more.

Because of this impressive scoring run, Dembele actually ranks in the top 5% for non-penalty goals when compared to other strikers in Europe’s top five leagues.

What stands as a further testament to his ability is the wide array of talent he is likened to on FBref’s ‘similar players’ model. The list boasts Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Victor Osimhen and Olivier Giroud.

With quality to rival many of these, the former Celtic man certainly would provide a fine alternative to the English striker currently starting at Goodison Park. 

Brendan Rodgers once lauded all the qualities that would surely make him a success in England, as he claimed: “Moussa was everything with his power and pace.” The now-Leicester City boss continued: “His opponent at centre-back was strong but Moussa is so powerful with ability, touch and work rate.”

He would push Calvert-Lewin to his limits, likely usurping him if his quality shines through, but hopefully inspiring a fire in the English forward’s belly to rediscover himself.

That said, the deal would spur at least one of them to get the goals that will secure safety.