The Middle East to move for Terry

John Terry’s name is being bounded around in the United Arab Emirates, as the money men look at the possibility of bringing the former England captain to the region.

Terry, 32, has been pushed to the outskirts of the Chelsea team by Rafa Benitez and clubs in the UAE are investigating a lucrative deal as the Blues captain nears the end of his career.

A source in the UAE told the Sunday Mirror Sport: “There are a few clubs that could afford John Terry and his signing would be a massive coup over here.”

One of those rumoured to be interested is his former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, who is the current Sporting Director at  Al Nasr, others are UAE Pro League champions Al-Ain and Al Jazira.

Terry has already been approached by the chairman of Al Jazira Sports Company, Sheikh Mansour, who tried to tempt him to Manchester City in 2009.

The 32 year old’s contract, which he got as a result of City’s interest, runs out next year, meaning Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovich will have to decide if he wants to keep Terry at the club beyond his current £150,000 a week deal. The Russian’s choice of new manager could play a role in the defender’s future, as some may favour him more than others.

Terry has expressed his desire to stay at the Bridge for the remainder of his career, but he and his family regularly holiday in Dubai and negotiations over a new contract haven’t taken place yet, alerting clubs in the Middle East of his possible availability.

Sides in the region have moved away from buying players towards the end of their career; who were brought in for off the field benefits, and have recently gone for players at the peak of their powers.

As Terry enters the twilight period of his career, he may see the opportunity to move to the UAE as one last big pay day, but he has turned down large money moves in the past, as football is usually his first choice.

Ex England and Staffordshire Laura Newton believes it maybe tough for Staffordshire this season in division two

Ex England and Staffordshire player Laura Newton, believes the Staffordshire Women’s first team will have a tough season ahead of them but have the capabilities to have a successful year.

Newton played for Staffordshire in 2002 and now is Women’s Regional Cricket Development Manager for the West Midlands, which sees her support and challenge counties on their governance and provisions of Women’s and Girls’ cricket.

The 34 year old said: “The structure has changed this coming season with bigger divisions and a focus on every game mattering (no home and away fixtures).

“Staffs will be playing against a number of teams that were in the higher division last season so there will be some tough games.  Counties’ standards improve year on year and if the players have put in the hard work over the winter they should reap the rewards in the summer.”

Staffordshire got promoted into division two last season and will be looking to England international Danni Wyatt and Australian international Ellyse Villani for the experience they will need, but Newton insists it’s not totally down to them.

She continued: “Danni (Wyatt) has the potential to be a match winner every game, with the bat, ball or in the field.  She requires the assistance of her team and will sometimes not come up to her or the team’s expectations, so it is important they all play for each other and take responsibility for their roles.  Elyse, like Danni, has potential to dominate a bowling attack and very early on; she will be able to influence the game on and off the pitch talking to the youngsters.

“When a County squad has international players, there is a danger of placing a huge reliance on those players and they can become pivotal on the team’s performance.  Defining roles is crucial and Danni and Elyse can help the other players develop their own games affecting the team’s performance positively. “

Newton believes that Staffs have moved on in just ten years since she last played for the county and they have adapted with the times.

“The Women’s game has drastically changed over the last few years; T20 has made players innovate with sweeps and paddles and work hard on technique in order to hit the ball harder and in the air,” she explained. “It was still very traditional when I played for Staffs and all players and teams have had to move with the times so progression has definitely been made. “

In her current role Newton over sees a number of counties in the Midlands and is looking to evolve Staffordshire cricket even further.

She said: “Each County is at different stages of maturity therefore my work with each County can be similar but also can be very different.

“To give an example of my work with Staffs, I have presented the National Vision for Women’s and Girls’ cricket to Bob Askey and Leigh Rees and as a result of the document Bob (Askey) and Leigh (Rees) are in the process of setting up groups to tackle areas for development and areas of strength in order to service the needs of the County and continue to move it on.

“We are always looking for examples of ways girls will become or have become involved as it means less time experimenting and more time working on things that work.  There isn’t a fool proof way but the little things matter with girls; for instance handing them a leaflet that has been personalised, gives precise details of training and is attractive in design will help migration.

“The West Midlands Counties are all improving; and that is down to more Clubs offering girls’ cricket and therefore more girls are playing and being coached from an earlier age and more frequently.  I don’t doubt there will be a few gems in the system already and that patience coupled with the elite coaching offered in Staffs will unearth plenty of talented players.”

Staffordshire start their season at home against Wales on the 6^th May.

It’s all about consistency for England’s Beth Morgan, if Middlesex are to compete

Middlesex captain Beth Morgan believes the key to success this season under the new format is consistency.

Last year Middlesex finished third behind champions Kent and runners up Sussex and Morgan insists to catch them they have to perform week in week out.

The 30 year old said: “We have been working hard and we have a lot of improving young players so we’re looking forward to the challenge of playing them (Kent and Sussex) again this year and seeing if we can put in a good performance and see where we’re at.

“Our biggest concern in the last few years has been consistency in all aspects of the game. We have put in some brilliant performances at times but not backed this up week to week, particularly with the bat.

“We have worked a lot on the tactical side of the game and decision-making both with the bat and with the ball. We believe we have the ability in the side, it’s just now down to individual players to work out how to score runs and take wickets consistently in different conditions and situations.”

It’s not all about skill though; the Middlesex side have been working physically as well and look to be a lot fitter, hoping their high level of performance can be maintained.

“The girls have been working really hard. We have trained every fortnight since Christmas and I have been really impressed with the work put in,” Morgan continued. “Part of each session has been focussed around strength and conditioning with a coach and many of the girls have really seen the benefit of this, in being able to perform their skills better all round, and for longer.”

Even with all this work in the preseason, the England international still sees Kent and Sussex as the two favourites for County Championship Division One title, but sees it as a more open contest this year.

Morgan explained: “It was a great achievement for us to finish third last season and not necessarily something we expected in our first season in division one, so we were really pleased.

“Kent and Sussex are two very strong well-established sides and have dominated the county game for the last few seasons. Both teams have so much international experience, but there is always the potential for an upset as any team on their day is capable of a good win.

“The new layout will also open it up. Every team has to perform every week as we come up against so many different sides and the standard is really high, any team could finish anywhere. It’s great to get the opportunity to play against more quality sides with quality players.

“Previously you knew you had to play the same team twice so it’s great now to feel you have something to play for every match.”

Middlesex have also added to their squad to hopefully close the gap even further, with the addition of England academy player Catherine Dalton, who has moved from Essex and Morgan is really excited about the 19 year old.

She said: “She’s a really exciting prospect. We have been really impressed with her positive attitude at training and I’m really looking forward to having her as part of the team.

“We also have some excellent young players coming through who may have an opportunity at some stage, which is really exciting. Naomi Dattani is a really exciting player, explosive with the bat and a talented left arm seamer.”

They are also looking at several options for an overseas player but there hasn’t been anything finalised yet, nevertheless Morgan believes there are players at the club people should keep a close eye on.

She stated: “Natasha Miles will be one to watch. She had a brilliant season last year as our pacey opening bowler and has been rewarded with an England Academy place. Her batting has improved no end and I think we may see important contributions from her in all aspects.

“Catherine (Dalton) will also be one to watch as an all-rounder in her first season with us.”

Miles in her second season for Middlesex in 2011 took 14 wickets at an average of 25.93, helping them reach that third spot, behind Sussex and Kent who they will face in the first game of the season on 7^th May.

Morgan knows it is going to be a tough test first up, but she can see the positives in playing the champions to build their confidence and believes all the expectation is on them.

The England batsma\n said: “The first match is always an important one, to set the standards high and build some momentum. Obviously Kent will be a really tough challenge and are a very strong team but we don’t have anything to lose, the pressure is on them to perform up to last year’s standards so we will give it our best and enjoy the challenge.

“We obviously have to play Kent at some point so I’m quite glad it’s the first game, we can play with total freedom which is really nice for our first match.”

When the cricket does start Morgan will be totally focused on Middlesex and not wondering whether England are watching. Last season she averaged 44.63 with the bat and is looking to replicate that this year.

“Obviously playing forEnglandis really important to me and I have been working really hard to try and retain my place in the squad. But when I play county matches I will just be trying to do my best for that team on the day and doing everything in my power to help us win. Hopefully, if I perform well the rest will take care of itself,” she explained.

“I was really pleased to get some good scores last season, but I will just be taking each game at a time this season and trying to put in a good performance for the team. I’m not a big fan of stats because match-winning contributions can come in different forms. The big thing for me is to be contributing in each game and helping Middlesex put in good performances.”

England’s Heather Knight is confident Berkshire can compete

England’s Heather Knight is confident that Berkshire’s young squad can compete at the top of the County Championship.

The 21 year old hasn’t been in touch with the side all winter as she has been on international duty but she believes the talent is there in the team, it just has to be brought to the forefront.

She said: “We are a young side but I think the belief is there that we can have a really successful season.

“We should definitely be looking to the top half of the table but we need to see more players stepping up and put in performances in tough games.

“We probably didn’t play completely to our potential last season but we are a pretty young developing side and we did get to the twenty20 final. Everyone has trained really hard over the winter and I think some real improvements have been made.”

One player Knight is expecting to step up to the mark and lead from the front is Daisy Gardener. The seam bowler took 10 wickets last season at an average of 31.3 and Knight believes this could be her year.

She added: “Daisy (Gardener) is a really talented girl who’s been around a few years now. Her bowling has come on a lot in the past couple of seasons and if she can match her wicket taking deliveries with consistency this year she’ll have an amazing season.”

Berkshire had a tough season last year, winning only twice in the County Championship and they hope the added experience of the arrival of Australian Asha Smith will bring them more success. The 23 year old has already spent two years with the county in 2009 and 2010 averaging 23.1 and 16.7 respectively with the bat.

Knight continued: “She’s an aggressive batsman, who can take the game away from the opposition and can win us games. She has also been known to turn her arm over and bowl on occasions.”

They have also had the confidence boost that captain Isa Guha’s attention will be solely on the County Championship after she retired from international cricket in March at the end of the New Zealand tour.

At the age of 26 Guha has been part of the England side that won the Ashes in 2005 – the first time in 42 years, and won both the World Cup and the Twenty20 equivalent.  Knight believes it is great news that she has continued playing for Berkshire.

She added: “I’m really pleased Isha (Guha) has decided to carry on playing county cricket, her knowledge and experience will be invaluable in such a young side. Hopefully there will be a few wickets for the old timer too.

“Knowing Isha (Guha) fairly well I had a vague inkling it was in the back of her mind to retire but it came sooner than I thought when she announced it to the England team after our last game in New Zealand.

“She’s had a great 10 years both on the pitch and off it being an integral member of the England side. She’s a real role model to younger girls and I remember watching her play when I was younger.”

From a personal aspect Knight is hoping to lead from the front with the bat for Berkshire.

The 21 year old continued: “I don’t like to set targets such as number of runs, so I’ll be looking to dominate at the top of the order and help put big scores on the board helping Berkshire to win.

“I’ll admit I had a poor start to the campaign last season and I also missed a chunk of games through injury, but put together a few big innings at the end of the season. I’ll be looking to start better this year and score consistently throughout.

“I’ve been working hard in the nets on my positive approach and also playing spin has been a key area”

Berkshire start the season at home against Nottinghamshire, who were the only side to finish below them last year and the England batsmen believes it’s a great opportunity to start in the right way.

“A good start is definitely crucial especially only playing each team once in the new format. We haven’t always started the strongest, but it’s a game I believe we should win,” she said.

“We finish the season with three away games and winning away from home is never easy.

“Three away games in the business end of the season isn’t ideal, but with the amount of travelling the girls do these days most of them should be used to it.”

The last game of the season is against Sussex who Knight is tipping to win the league along with Kent.

“Sussex and Kent are always up there, with the strength and depth they have in their squads, but the last few seasons have shown anyone can beat anyone,” explained Knight.

The new season starts on 6^th May and the 21 year old is excited about what might be ahead, she continued: “It’s always exciting in the last few weeks before the season gets into full swing, training indoor just isn’t the same as getting outdoors and playing.”

Meir Heath finish third in the National Indoor Knockout Cup Final at Lords

Elsa Evans believes the sense of occasion that came with playing at Lords was an influential part of Meir Heath finishing third in the Indoor National Knock Out Cup final at Lords on Sunday 15^th April.

Evans’ side have taken part in various tournaments to get to this stage of the competition as 80 teams were whittled down to the final five of the Knock Out cup.

She said: “I think we had a pretty sound run in the tournament and played some really good cricket at times and I don’t think we played bad cricket at any point.

“To be honest it was a case of nerves, I think the whole situation of playing in the finals got to us a little. On paper Plympton and ourselves are just as strong, but we need to work on keeping our wicket.”

The final, played out between themselves, Plympton, Burton Latimer, Twickenham and Shillingstone, took place in a league format with the top two teams progressing to the final.

Meir Heath started their challenge against Devon side Plympton and unfortunately they got off to a slow start, the long journey down to Lords perhaps taking its toll when they were unable to defend 85.

They then went on to win the next two games against Twickenham and Shillingstone comfortably, scoring over a 100 in each game. This meant if they beat Burton Latimer in their final game, it would come down to bonus points between the two of them and Plympton.

Meir Heath had met Burton Latimer in the semi final stage a couple of weeks ago in Milton Keynes and had lost to them in the group stage but then beat them in final, so both teams went into the game full of confidence.

Burton Latimer batted first and finished on 116 from their nine overs. In reply the Staffordshire side made a good start and some big hitting from Frankie James left them with hope, but the fall of wickets as they chanced their arm to get close to the run rate, kept pushing them further away from their target.

Meir Heath finished on 106-6 meaning the final would be played out between Plympton and Burton Latimer; the Devon side ran out easy victors by 57 runs to become national champions.

Evans said: “Losing wickets is always going to play a crucial factor when it’s minus five per wicket lost, we just lost too many wickets and from then on it’s hard to come back.

“We definitely had the potential to be in the final but credit goes to Plympton and Burton Latimer they just played better than us on the day, but I’m very proud, it’s such a great achievement coming third out of eighty teams, especially with having such a young side.”

Even though Evans is proud of the girls, it was still disappointing for the 21 year old to come so close, but there will be no excuses.

Evans continued: “It was an amazing day and a privilege to play at Lords, the facilities and hospitality were amazing, we loved every minute of it. The journey may have played a part but we aren’t a team to make excuses about our performances.

“The tournament is an excellent idea and brings the fun back into women’s cricket. It gave us a chance a chance to play through the whole winter and bond more as a team, especially when bringing new players into the squad.”

Meir Heath Ladies CC have their day at Lords after progressing to the National Indoor final

Meir Heath Ladies Cricket Club has progressed to the final of the Indoor National Knockout Cup at Lords after beating Burton Latimer CC.

The girls travelled down to Milton Keynes for the semi final stage of the competition, where they finished second in the round robin part of the tournament, losing only to Burton Latimer. When the two sides met again in the tournament final, it was Meir Heath who came out the victors, winning by 35 runs, to ensure their place in the competition final at Lord’s in April.

Captain Elsa Evans was unable to play in the semi final due to a broken finger but went with the side to offer her advice and support. The 21 year old is sure the squad will be full of self-belief when they have their day at Lords.

She said: “There’s certainly a confident vibe around the side, but this time we need to hit the ground running and not to expect it to be easy.

“We know the standard is going to be a lot higher and we just need to go into the first game with the correct mindset.

“We’ll definitely be going down to Lords hoping to win, we can’t just go and expect to win.”

Evans is referring to the semi final when the side started the competition slowly losing the first game by 35 runs, putting themselves under pressure to qualify resulting in them having to win all of their remaining games; which they managed to do comprehensively.

Evans continued: “The opening game came as a bit of a shock to the system and we knew we had our work cut out.

“After the first game I told the girls to keep their heads up and I changed the tactics. Through watching the other games I realised that pace was the better option, so I said that Franki (James) and Amy (Carnwell) should bowl their allotted overs as they were the two quickest. We also changed the batting and looked to score off every ball not just picking up the boundaries and it seemed to work.”

Evans says she will be absolutely gutted if she misses the final, but she wouldn’t jeopardise the tournament by playing not fully fit.

She explained: “It’s not every day you get to play at Lords so I’m hoping to be fit, but I’m not going to play if I feel if I’m going to be a hindrance to the girls in anyway.”

The girls travel down to Lords on the 15^th April to take part in the final.

Anya Shrubsole has her focus on the new County Championship season after being named player of the series in New Zealand

http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/sport/somerset_county_cricket_club/9637989.Cricketer_Anya_Shrubsole_keen_for_Somerset_challenge/

After being named player of the series in New Zealand, Anya Shrubsole has turned her focus to Somerset CCC and the challenge which awaits them.

Somerset were promoted into division one last season and the 20 year old isn’t daunted by the thought of playing in the top league believing  they will hold their own against the country’s elite.

She said: “I believe we will be very competitive this year with a number of teams of equal ability.

“There is quite a big jump in standard to the top sides in division one such as Kent and Sussex, but the rest are definitely within our reach.

“The squad is looking forward to the new challenge. We had a disappointing second half of the season last year and it is something we are looking to put right.

“We have trained really hard. With people living across the country it’s sometimes hard to get everyone together, but we have managed to do it.”

Somerset finished third in division two last season behind Essex and Surrey and were promoted due to the change in layout of the County Championship.  Divisions one to three have increased from six to nine teams and the division five sections have been scrapped.

The England seamer believes the new format will have a huge impact on the cricket played on the day.

“Playing each side only once you don’t get a chance to rectify any mistakes, so it is vitally important to hit the ground running from day one,” Shrubsole continued. “It may have an impact on who wins and gets relegated, but we won’t be able to judge until we have played the new format.”

Somerset start their campaign at home against Surrey who also being newly promoted face the same challenge as themselves. The last three games of the season are also at home and Shrubsole sees this as a great opportunity to start and finish the year in the best way possible.

She explained: “It’s massively important to get a good start. To get a win in the first game can fill you with confidence and set you up for the season.

“It’s always good to play at home especially with the new format, so to have the last three games at home may play into our hands. Having said that we are capable of winning anywhere, so it’s important that we approach each game with that mindset.”

Even though it’s a new challenge she feels they will be well prepared and there won’t be too many shocks for her or her teammates.

“We know quite a lot about the other counties, having played against them in recent years so there won’t be too many surprises. We know pretty much what players we are going to be playing against so we can plan effectively,” She said.

“Sussex and Kent are the two strongest teams in the division so I would expect one of them to win the league. If I had to say one, it would be Kent.”

Shrubsole knows Kent and England’s captain Charlotte Edwards well, having made her international debut back in August 2008. The Somerset seamer has just returned from international duty in New Zealand where she was named player of the series on a tour which England won 7-0.

In the third twenty20 fixture she achieved figures of 5-11 off 4 overs, the third best figures in women’s international stats and also took four wickets in three games in the 50 over version.  The 20 year old is hoping to take this form and confidence into the county arena.

She continued: “It went very well for both the team and myself. It was very pleasing to be named player of the series but it was most pleasing to be able to contribute well to a very good tour.

“It gives me a lot of confidence going into the summer. Hopefully I can continue my performances for England in New Zealand, for Somerset and help contribute to a successful season.”

Georgia Elwiss believes Sussex can go one further this season and win the County Championship

Georgia Elwiss is excited about the prospect of the coming season and what it might hold for Sussex.

The 20 year old seamer has just returned back from England duty in New Zealand and believes Sussex have a strong case in this year’s County Championship and could go one better than last season.

Elwiss said: “The squad has trained really well and the girls have been working very hard over the winter. We finished the season really well last year and the girls have taken this momentum into training.

“We have some got a number of great youngsters coming through; the likes of Izzie Noakes, Sophie Parnell and Georgia Adams will be looking to cement their places in the squad this year.”

Last year Sussex finished second 1.64 points behind Kent last year in the County Championship Division One, and were runners up behind the same team in the twent20 competition and Elwiss believes the pressure is on Kent once again.

The England international continued: “It was disappointing to finish second last year and Kent will be favourites again for the County Championship; they have an incredibly strong side, but be sure we will fight them all the way.

“The twenty20 is a different matter, it’s a lot more of an open competition, so I can’t pick a favourite, both leagues will be very closely contested this year.”

The players that Elwiss is referring to are her England teammates, Charlotte Edwards, Laura Marsh, Lydia Greenway and Tammy Beaumont, but Sussex can fight fire with fire. They had three players on the tour to New Zealand while Holly Colvin was unable to go because of university commitments.

Elwiss explained: “Sarah (Taylor) and Arran (Brindle) had fantastic tours. We also have Holy Colvin who was unable to tour and Caroline Atkins who is captaining the England academy side to South Africa later this month.”

Even with the strong squads around them the England seamer is only focused on Sussex.

She said: “We try to focus on ourselves over the winter. There had been some talk about some overseas players signing for other counties but I’m not too bothered about that.”

In the first two matches of the season, Sussex play two of the promoted sides Essex and Surrey but Elwiss is adamant they have to get off to a good start and can’t be complacent.

“Surrey and Essex are both very good teams. We have come up against Essex in the Twenty20 recently so we know a little about them. Surrey and Somerset have payers we have played against for years,” the 20 year old said.

“It doesn’t matter what order we play the games in, we have to win every one, we have to hit the ground running.

“The new division means we play each other only once, which means the cricket on the day is crucial. I think it will play into our hands and hopefully we can stamp our authority on the division from the first game.”

The county championship has been restructured this year. The division five section has been scrapped meaning the top three divisions have increased from six to nine teams and Elwiss believes it will be “a very exciting league.”

Elwiss is confident coming back from New Zealand after remaining unbeaten with England winning the tour 7-0.

“Our tour to New Zealand was amazing. We set ourselves the challenge of winning all eight games and only the rain prevented us from doing that,” she stated.

“Obviously you want to play every game you can for England but that’s part and parcel of being a world class side. There is huge competition for places and you have to fight to get your place.”

After international duty Elwiss has one message to the rest of division one: “Sussex are looking strong.”

Painsley Catholic College have a strong showing at Staffordshire Lady Taverners

Painsley Catholic College under 13s cricket team have progressed to the Lady Taverners County final against Wolverhampton Girls High School A.

The under 13s went through the group stage unbeaten, seeing off Wolstanton High, Ormiston Horizon Academy, Sir Thomas Boughey and St Joseph’s, the smallest margin of victory being 24 runs against St Josephs and the highest 59 runs against Ormiston Horizon Academy.

They were due to play the final at the same time as the under 15s final at Fenton Manor, but Wolverhampton A were unable to attend due to academic commitments, meaning the final will be played at a neutral place in April.

Painsley also had a strong showing in the under 15s tournament where they made it to the final, but were beaten comprehensively by Wolverhampton by 68 runs.

They didn’t start the tournament well, losing their first game against the same side by 81 runs, but they went on to win the next two games, meaning they went through to the semi finals in second place.

In the semi final Painsley played Birches Head High School and they brushed aside the Stoke based school with ease, setting up the final with Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton batted first and set a target of 99 for Painsley to chase down but like the first game of the tournament they fell well short only reaching 31 runs.

Georgia Elwiss keeping an eye on her friends and ex teammates at Staffs

Former Staffordshire seam bowler Georgia Elwiss admits her old teammates will have a tough season ahead of them but she wouldn’t count them out.

Staffordshire women were promoted into division two last season and will now be playing the likes of Lancashire, Warwickshire and Durham this year and Elwiss doesn’t underestimate the task ahead of them.

The England international said: “Division two will be a great challenge.  They will be playing against some very strong sides.

“They have been training really well over the winter and have recruited Elyse Vaillani from Australia who is a great signing. She is a very destructive player.”

Vaillani who will be Staffordshire’s overseas professional this season has represented Australia in the twenty20 format six times at the age of 22 and already knows one of her teammates this summer. The opening batswoman plays for Victoria down under, the same team that Danni Wyatt played for this winter.

Elwiss states that she will be keeping a keen eye on her friends and old teammates, while she plays for Sussex in division one.

She added: “I do of course always love to see how they are doing. Staffordshire cricket will always be close to my heart, the coaches there helped me to get to where I am today.

“The girls have a fantastic spirit and I do hope they have a very good season and wish them all the success playing in division two.

“If they play well who knows what they can do.”

Elwiss was part of the England side that has just completed a victorious tour of New Zealand, where they whitewashed the White Ferns.

She said: “Obviously you want to play every game you can for England but that is part and parcel of being a world class side. There is huge competition for places and you have to fight to get your place in the side.

“The tour was amazing. We set ourselves the challenge of winning all eight games and only the rain prevented us from doing that.

“We are very happy with how it went.”

While keeping an eye on Staffordshire, Elwiss will be hoping to go one better than last year and win the division one title with Sussex.