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Leicester City’s fans were treated to some of the most entertaining football in the club’s history as they won the Premier League title last season.

Players like Mahrez and Vardy were producing moments of magic every week for the Foxes, with the Algerian’s strike against Chelsea and Vardy’s wonderful volley against Liverpool still in most fans’ memories.

Leicester fans may be able to cast their minds back to a few belters before this year; some will even recount strikes from the King Power was called The Walkers Stadium, or even from the Foxes time at Filbert Street.

Even prior to their title win, Leicester could boast a few legends at the club such as Gary Lineker, Steve Walsh, Alan Birchenall and Emile Heskey. However, there are some obscure names who managed some absolute scorchers.

Here at the Transfer Tavern we’ve dug through the archives to pick out some amazing Leicester goals you probably don’t remember.

MUZZY IZZET vs Tottenham, 1998

The first goal on our list comes from Turkish midfielder, Muzzy Izzet.

Izzet managed a few pearls in his eight years at the club, but arguably none were better than this strike against Spurs.

After Les Ferdinand, who would later play for the Foxes, scored the opener for Spurs, Emile Heskey hit an equaliser in the first half.

This set the stage for Izzet to win the game with a stunning volley and secure three points for Martin O’Neill’s side.

LILIAN NALIS vs Leeds, 2003

Leicester’s 4-0 demolition of Leeds United was one of the few bright spots of the 03/04 season.

The Foxes secured their first win of the season thanks to a brace from Paul Dickov and goals from Lilian Nalis and Jamie Scowcroft.

It was the first goal from the Frenchman that provided the highlight as Nalis hit a looping 25-yard volley to score his first for the club.

Unfortunately the season ended in relegation for both sides, but at least Leicester can look back fondly on this day.

JEFFREY BRUMA vs Watford, 2011

Considering he was recently playing the Champions League for PSV, you could be forgiven for forgetting Jeffrey Bruma even played for Leicester.

Now at Wolfsburg, the Dutchman had a stint on loan to the Foxes while they were still in the Championship.

In their 4-2 win against Watford, Bruma managed two superb strikes, with the better of the two shown above.

That game was Bruma’s only real contribution for Leicester that season, but fortunately both parties they both moved on to better things.

The midfielder is coming close to matching Ronaldo both in terms of goal numbers and swagger during his early days in the Spanish capital

Wearing the No.5 shirt for Real Madrid and weaving his way through opposition defenders on his way to a masterful individual goal, it was hard not to invoke memories of Zinedine Zidane while watching Jude Bellingham take on Napoli in Tuesday's thrilling Champions League clash. Despite the French midfielder's legendary status, though, that might even be selling Belingham short on current form.

By netting Madrid's second goal in their 3-2 win, he became just the second Madrid player to score in their first two Champions League games for club. The only other man on that list? Cristiano Ronaldo.

To put Bellingham in Ronaldo's bracket after just nine games might seem foolish. Ronaldo, of course, spent nearly 10 years at Madrid, scored 450 goals, won La Liga twice, bagged four Champions Leagues, and took home the Ballon d'Or four times. Bellingham, by comparison, has had a prolific start, but Madrid have a meagre one-point lead atop La Liga. They are not the same kind of player, nor the same quality (yet).

It is, though, difficult to recall any player who has had such an instant impact on the 14-time European champions and the city that surrounds them Ronaldo arrived from Manchester United in 2009. For an ageing Madrid side who are on the hunt for their next Galactico, there is comfort to be found in the fact that their newest megastar looks to have arrived, and has the potential to reach Ronaldo-levels of impact on the team.

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  Alternative arrivals

  It started in May 2008. Spanish publication reported that Ronaldo, by consensus the best player in the Premier League and assumed Ballon d'Or winner, wanted to leave Manchester United. A day later, Ronaldo denied it. Sir Alex Ferguson convinced the player to stay for one more season, but the re-election of Florentino Perez as Madrid president in 2009 all-but sealed the deal. Here was architect of the original Galacticos returning to his gilded chair at Santiago Bernabeu, and he wanted the jewel of the Premier League.

  Ronaldo's arrival, sealed in June 2009, was appropriately grandiose. The picture is now infamous: Ronaldo, head up and arms spread, taking in the roar of a packed stadium. The Madrid white is crisp, his hair is appropriately tangled. He was greeted by Alfredo di Stefano as he walked on the stage, then considered the best player in Madrid history. Everything was set up for the new signing to etch himself into Madrid greatness.

  Bellingham's arrival, by comparison, was tame. The 19-year-old was taken on a tour of Valdebebas. before a press conference and photoshoot. For a €103-million(£88m/$110m) million player — a more expensive signing than Ronaldo — this was hardly a glorious entrance.

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  An ideal introduction

  In a sense, though, Bellingham's unveiling felt more high-stakes. Ronaldo, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and proven Premier League superstar, didn't really have anything to prove when he arrived in Spain. His footballing legacy was well on its way to being secure at the age of 24, even if he was able to grow his legend considerably at the Bernabeu.

  Bellingham is different. Though considered by most in England and Germany as being one of the most talented midfielders in the world, Madrid fans weren't quite convinced. Here arrived a 19-year-old, hailing from a country that has never managed to produce the kind of technical midfielders that La Liga values, who was going to wear Zidane's shirt.

  It is hard to find fanbases that seem to value a connection with the badge more than Madrid. It is contradictory that one the biggest clubs in Europe, with such a global brand, covets players who must understand what it means to be a 'Madridista.'

  Bellingham certainly gave the impression that he did. In his introductory press conference, the Englishman was equal parts arrogant and humble; a teenager that seemed assured in his own abilities, but well aware that he was not at the level of Madrid's greats. At least not yet. He called Madrid "the greatest club in the history of the game". He admitted that he had "goosebumps" when Los Blancos first expressed their interest. He called Zidane one of the best to ever play the game, but emphasised that he wasn't "trying to be the same as him".

  This was an ideal way to go about things, a big-money signing showing he was aware of what Madrid needed and what he hoped to bring.

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  Replacing the irreplaceable

  It was hard to ignore there was certainly a void to be filled at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo is, by pretty much any measure, the best player in Madrid history. Depending on which side of footballing theory you subscribe to, he is either the best, or among the best players to ever kick a ball.

  For nine glorious years, he effectively ran Madrid. Ronaldo smashed every goalscoring record for Los Blancos, and won everything there was to win. In an era when the Pep-Guardiola-led Barcelona looked primed to dominate Spanish and European football, Ronaldo effectively levelled the playing field almost on his own.

  There were other greats alongside him — Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Gareth Bale, to name a few — but Ronaldo played superstar. He had a swagger about him. There was a signature celebration, a massive Nike deal, an impending sense of dread from opposing defenders every time he touched the ball.

  Madrid were never dead when Ronaldo was on the pitch; he could turn games on his own, and make it all look very easy. A winner at Camp Nou was met with him telling the riled up Barca fans to "calma". A bicycle kick against Juventus drew a standing ovation from the 41,000 supporters in Turin. This was a product, a star, a commodity, and also an elite footballer.

  And Madrid haven't really had anyone like him since. Benzema led from the front with his goals upon Ronaldo's exit in 2018, but as he entered his mid-30s, it was clear that was never a long-term solution. Vinicius Jr has assumed some of the mantle, especially given his attacking stardom and infectious personality on the ball. But by no fault of his own, the Brazilian doesn't have the adulation of Spanish football quite like Ronaldo.

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  All the makings of a superstar

  Bellingham, though, looks ready to take on that mantle. For all of his platitudes about being humbled by the shirt, and understanding the pressure that comes with playing at Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham plays like he's the best in the world. He dribbles more than everyone on the pitch except Vinicius, finds gaps in defences with scything runs and powerful strides. He seems to hold onto the ball for too long — and then find the killer pass. He is so good on the ball, that the wrong decisions are made to look right.

  And then there are the goals. Bellingham rarely smashes them in from 25 yards, or peels off the shoulder of the last defender to meet a perfectly-timed cross. Nor does he chop behind his right leg, pivot onto his left, and curl the ball past a sprawling goalkeeper.

  Instead, he creeps into the right areas, and sniffs out chances. He anticipates rebounds to poke home from close range. He has shown throughout his short career, most recently in Naples, that he can pull off the spectacular, too.

  But when the ball does hit the net, something recognisable happens. Bellingham's now trademark celebration started in his Birmingham City days. The midfielder runs to the fans — opposing or friendly — and raises his arms in adulation, a silent plea for acknowledgment. These days, he finishes it with an almost aggressive grabbing of the Madrid badge, tugging on the shirt with such vigour that it wouldn't be a shock if stitches fell out of the expensive-looking adidas top. It's not Ronaldo 'Siu', but it's close.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após escapar do rebaixamento na rodada final do último Campeonato Brasileiro, o Ceará colocou em prática um processo de reformulação do elenco e trouxe jogadores conhecidos no cenário nacional, como, por exemplo, Fernando Prass e Rafael Sobis.

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Diante de muita expectativa, a torcida acreditou que a equipe iria começar a temporada passando por cima dos rivais e conquistando vitórias importantes, mas não foi isso que aconteceu. Sob o comando de Argel Fucks, o time colecionou empates e viu o técnico perder o emprego com cinco jogos.

A solução foi buscar Enderson Moreira, que tinha experiência dentro do clube e conseguiu recuperar o animo dos atletas, que resultou na ampliação da invencibilidade para 15 jogos.

Pouco antes da pandemia do coronavírus, o treinador que ostentava uma boa campanha, deixou o Vozão e aceitou a oferta do Cruzeiro. Agora, cabe a Guto Ferreira dirigir o time e manter o embalo nos campeonatos que o time participa.

Veja o desempenho do Ceará em cada torneio:

Cearense

Os gigantes do estado entraram apenas na Segunda Fase e o Ceará não decepcionou. Com 11 pontos conquistados, a equipe se encontra no G4 e precisa de pelo menos um ponto nas duas rodadas finais para garantir uma vaga na semifinal.

Copa do Nordeste

Por conta dos inúmeros empates no começo da fase de grupos, o Vozão demorou a embalar. Com as duas vitórias consecutivas diante do River-PI e Sport, o time alcançou a quarta posição da chave B e precisa apenas das próprias forças na rodada final para carimbar a classificação.

Copa do Brasil

O drama tem tomado conta das partidas do Ceará na competição nacional. Nas duas primeiras eliminatórias, classificações sofridas contra o Pacajus e Oeste, o último nos pênaltis. Na Terceira Fase, o Vozão bateu o Vitória no jogo de ida e agora joga por um empate.

May the Force be with you during A-League round 10…

The bizarre Star Wars-themed A-League round is here to coincide with the release of the movie 'The Last Jedi'.

To celebrate and get into the spirit, Goal has compiled a list of Star Wars-themed awards that could be given to clubs during this weekend's matches – which include the Sydney derby and Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United.

Thanks to Facebook group for the list of awards.

Slide on….

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  1You Rebel Scum award

  The team that causes the biggest upset of the round.

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  2Padme Amidala "You're breaking my heart" award

  A player who scores a second-half stoppage time goal to get a result for their team.

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  3C-3PO award

  The player who contributes nothing for 90 minutes.

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  4Jango Fett award

  Player who loses their head.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has signed with Kowloon Cantons for the inaugural edition of Hong Kong’s domestic Twenty20 league, the Hong Kong T20 Blitz

Daniel Brettig11-May-2016

A marriage of convenience will see Michael Clarke try to kickstart his Twenty20 career via the fledgling Hong Kong Blitz later this month.Clarke, who retired from international cricket in August 2015, then announced his return to grade cricket too late to be considered for the IPL auction and has not yet stirred much interest from clubs ahead of next season’s Big Bash League. T20 was not his strong suit as a cricketer – he played his last recognised T20 game in 2012 – and the decision to offer his services to Hong Kong around two weeks ago suggests he knows he has to start somewhere.Equally the organisers of the new competition, set to be played from May 27 to 29, are delighted to have secured a cricketing name of Clarke’s stature. Ashes and World Cup victories make him an instantly recognisable figure to help promote a tournament designed to build interest in T20 in the region.”To summarise Michael’s credentials is impossible, he is simply one of the best cricketers of this generation, if not ever,” Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) chief executive Tim Cutler said. “Hong Kong cricket has delivered many firsts recently, however to have a recent Test captain who oversaw a famous Ashes whitewash, the 2015 World Cup victory and whom sat atop the world batting rankings a number of times is just incredible.”Not only does this vindicate the effort in putting the tournament together, it also shows the growth of cricket in East Asia. With over 80,000 participants in China there is immense potential in East Asia. With rugby and soccer both making strategic plays into the nascent Chinese sporting market, we look forward to working with the ICC and Asian Cricket Council in growing cricket throughout the region.”Clarke’s contract with the tournament also includes a mentoring component, and he has committed to a pair of two-hour sessions discussing cricket and leadership with the developing men’s and women’s squads. The men’s team appeared at the World T20 tournament in India earlier this year.”A key area for our national squads, both men and women, is to grow strong leadership, and to have someone such as Michael Clarke to spend some time mentoring and providing input in this key area is very exciting,” the HKCA director of cricket Charlie Burke said. “It’s not every day you get to pick the brains of a former Test and World Cup winning captain that has had a very successful time at the helm.”It says a lot about Michael that he wants to help cricket grow in an emerging region, and we thank him for reaching out to us.”Hong Kong Cricket has ambitions to build on the initial Blitz, perhaps by attracting BBL fixtures to the city in the future whenever Cricket Australia decides to expand the number of matches and/or teams.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Chris Morris scored 14 runs off the final over and two off the last ball, as Reece Topley failed to gather a return at the stumps and complete a run out that would have forced a Super Over, to give South Africa a nail-biting victory at Newlands.Morris rescued South Africa from a middle-order meltdown in which they tumbled from 98 for 3 in the 16th over to 119 for 7 in the 19th and made hard work of what was shaping as a more routine chase.Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali shared five wickets, while Ben Stokes also produced an impressive four overs, to almost overshadow Imran Tahir, who had taken 4 for 21 to restrict England to 134 for 8. Tahir’s effort, which equalled his career-best, slammed the brakes on England after a brisk start. As it turned out, England did not need too many more runs and once again it was fielding errors which meant they finished on the losing side.England may not have thought it would get that close after they stuttered through a significant part of their innings. Their run rate was less than six an over for 17 overs after they plundered 36 off the first three and threatened to post a towering total.Alex Hales and Jason Roy were severe on Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott upfront but their aggression did not last. Roy pulled a Rabada slower ball to Hashim Amla at midwicket and Hales top-edged a sweep in Tahir’s first over, which almost brought a nasty outfield collision, to start the slide.England lost 5 for 29 in the next six overs and South Africa took control. While David Wiese and Morris squeezed, Tahir attacked. He beat Stokes with a googly to have him stumped and had Eoin Morgan and Moeen caught off successive deliveries to stand on the cusp of a hat-trick. He almost got it with a googly to Jordan that missed the top of the stumps.Even though he didn’t, the damage was done. England only had Jos Buttler but he and the lower order could not cut loose to leave South Africa fancying their chances at the halfway stage.South Africa approached the chase watchfully and, with the top-heavy nature of their line-up, they needed to. Amla, who has had his problems against left-armers, offered a chance when he slashed at a Topley delivery and got and edge but Buttler could not hold on.England did not have to wait long, though. Three balls later AB de Villiers was caught on the fine-leg boundary and in the next over Amla was out when David Willey got down well to a low catch at mid-on. South Africa lost the bulk of their experience and still needed 100 runs but had 15 overs to get them.Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy shared in the highest partnership of the match – 41 for the third wicket – but they did not always look at ease. Duminy survived an lbw shout off Jordan and neither of them found the boundary easily. The required run rate increased to almost eight an over and the pressure told.Adil Rashid proved particularly difficult to get away and Duminy succumbed. He was caught at long-on in an attempt to go big and England began to strangle. They pushed the required run rate towards nine and then du Plessis tried to accelerate but picked out long-on too.South Africa needed 37 runs off the last four overs with only the finishers left. David Miller’s lack of game time and the two allrounders’ inexperience gave England the advantage especially after Jordan bowled another boundary-less over.Rilee Rossouw was next to go, top-edging a sweep, but Miller showed the aggression of old when he took 11 runs off three balls from Moeen Ali to leave South Africa needing 21 off two overs.Jordan bowled the perfect penultimate over. He had Miller caught at long-on and bowled Wiese with a full delivery to end his four overs with career-best T20 figures of 3 for 23 and leave Topley with 15 to defend off the final over. The only problem was that he had to do it against Morris.As he did in the Wanderers ODI a week ago, Morris showed big-match temperament and after Abbott gave him the strike he finished the job. A four off a low full toss, a six off another and a two ran as though his life depended on it meant South Africa proved their potential under pressure and England were left to wonder what could have been if Topley had pulled off the run-out.

Richie Benaud will be farewelled at a small, private, family gathering this week after his wife Daphne phoned Canberra to inform the Prime Minister’s office that her husband had not wished to be the subject of a state funeral

Daniel Brettig12-Apr-2015Richie Benaud will be farewelled at a small, private, family gathering this week after his wife Daphne phoned Canberra to inform the Prime Minister’s office that her husband had not wished to be the subject of a state funeral.The Prime Minister Tony Abbott had publicly announced the offer on Friday as the world mourned the death of Benaud at 84. But Daphne indicated it had always been her husband’s preference to be sent off in an understated manner, in keeping with his preservation of privacy and restraint over a life of more than 60 years in the public eye.”I thought it was important that as a mark of the respect that we have long had for him that we should offer a state funeral,” Abbott told reporters on Sunday. “But my understanding is that Richie’s own wishes were for something very, very quiet, and something very, very private.”Having met through their work in newspapers and television – Daphne had been the secretary of the English cricket writer EW Swanton – the Benauds were steadfast companions over more than four decades. Richie paid special tribute to Daphne when he was inducted into Australian cricket’s hall of fame in 2007 and, on Sunday, Daphne spoke of their relationship.”Richie was a lot of fun,” she told the . “But there’s a better way of putting it. I was a cricket fan from way back and I first saw him play when I went to Headingley on the ’53 tour. I was still at school in England, I thought the English team were boring, but the Australian team had so much spark. I thought ‘gosh’.”By ’67 we were married and it was a partnership right from the very beginning. We were writing all the time, doing the journalistic thing and television.”What I loved about Richie right from the beginning was his dryness of wit. I didn’t fall hook, line and sinker, but our relationship grew gradually. We’d often sit there saying nothing, like when we went to the Bradmans to visit Don and Jessie, I never said a word. I’ve always been a better listener and that seemed to work well. We spent a lot of time in silence and we were both happy with that.”

Tamim Iqbal’s recovery towards full fitness is right on track to play in the World Cup, starting in three weeks

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2015Tamim Iqbal’s recovery towards full fitness is right on track to play in the World Cup, starting in three weeks. For the first time since his December 29 operation, he played pace bowling in the nets after he had only taken throwdowns and played against the bowling machine over the past week.While the rest of the Bangladesh team leaves for Brisbane on Saturday evening, Tamim will depart for Melbourne on Sunday. He has an appointment with orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Young followed by his third platela rich plasma (PRP) injection on January 27. He hopes to start training on January 29.Tamim complained of pain on his left knee which was later diagnosed as a grade one tear on his meniscus, after which Dr Young performed the arthroscopic evaluation and surgery on his left knee on December 29.He is pinning his hopes now on the PRP injection as well as a running session in Brisbane which he hopes will underline his return to fitness.”I don’t think there is a major problem with my knee,” Tamim said. “I am playing all kinds of shots against all sorts of bowling. My next sprint session in Australia is the most important to me. I had some pain sprinting before the operation, so if my pain goes away while sprinting, the fitness would have improved. But I have to be in rehab even during the tournament.”I will get my injection on the morning of January 27, and I will meet a physio in the evening. They will give me the following week’s instructions. I have completed two of the three injection courses in Australia. I will complete the last one now. I will join the squad on January 28 and start practice the next day.”Coach Chandika Hathurusingha had said on Thursday that Tamim would only be picked if he is 100% fit.”I don’t think anyone would want to play an unfit player, and especially not in a big tournament,” Tamim said. “I hope to play with 100% fitness. I don’t want to be a burden to the team, so I am putting equal importance to my fielding. The next 10-12 days in Brisbane is the most important phase of our preparation.”If we can use this time well, we won’t have many problems going ahead. I missed a few good sessions here, so if I can use the next two weeks properly, I will be happy. Of course I should be able to play at least two practice matches. I will try to play the warm-up matches in Brisbane since I have heard that wickets there are one of the toughest in Australia.”The recovery has not dampened Tamim’s spirits, as he spoke about his goal for this World Cup campaign and explained how he had missed out on his personal target in 2011. Tamim has only two fifties in World Cups, both against India. The first of these, in 2007, was his famous onslaught on the India bowlers, but overall he averages just 21.93 in 15 matches of the tournament.”There are no centuries for Bangladesh in the World Cup so I hope I can be the first to do that,” Tamim said. “If I can’t do it, I would hope someone from this team gets to do it. I didn’t set any goals in the 2007 World Cup. I was too happy to be playing against the big teams.”In the next tournament, I had set myself some goals but I couldn’t reach them. We played at home but I wouldn’t say it was a great World Cup for me. I haven’t started well in this campaign, with the injury. But I hope to finish it nicely.”Tamim trusts that the Australian conditions will suit his style of batting, as there will be true bounce. He also felt that in Bangladesh, those conditions are being overplayed. Overseas, Tamim has a slightly better average than at home though he has only three fifties in nine matches in Australia and New Zealand.”My batting style goes with those wickets,” he said. “I think wickets in Australia and New Zealand are perfect for stroke-makers. I think we have become too concerned about wickets there. We should think about how we can win matches.”If you look at history, you will see that Asian batsmen have done well there. India scored heavily in the Test series. There is no need to think so much about the wicket. I think Australia is best for batting. I don’t think wicket will be a big issue.”Still, he would like to start cautiously in both Australia and New Zealand, particularly against the two new balls. Since the introduction of the new rule on October 1, 2011, Tamim has averaged 30.60 in 31 innings and has had only two substantial scores with a strike rate above 100.”It would be tougher in Australian conditions now that there are two new balls,” Tamim said. “We are the sort of team that has to rely on a good start and good finish, and you can see that in our past.”We have to start more carefully than teams like Australia in their conditions. It would be tough to hit out from the start, but spend six to seven overs which would make it easier for us.”

Front and center on this weekend’s agenda at the USACA AGM is a vote to ratify an amended USACA constitution. The result will speak volumes about who holds the power for steering the future of cricket in the country.

Peter Della Penna14-Nov-2014The USA Cricket Association’s Annual General Meeting takes place on Saturday in New York City at a time when emotions are running high for stakeholders around the country. Front and center on this weekend’s agenda is a vote to ratify an amended USACA constitution. The result will speak volumes about who holds the power for steering the future of cricket in the country.US cricketers and administrators have often been accused of being apathetic toward affairs involving governance, most recently by Atlantic Region administrator Shelton Glasgow. In the wake of USA’s relegation two weeks ago to ICC WCL Division Four, players and administrators have been more vocal in expressing their views on the lack of support the organization has provided members, bringing more attention to the desire for change in how the game is governed in the USA.Just what kind of changes are deemed necessary depends on which side of the fence you’re on. More than a half-dozen prominent representatives of the national team, plus administrators like Glasgow, think change should involve the removal of executive USACA board members including president Gladstone Dainty.On the flip side, Dainty supporters like USACA vice president Michael Gale and Northern California Cricket Association president Sunil Kumar are staunch advocates of the current executive remaining in power to right their own wrongs. For them, change equates to revisions in the constitution – authorizing a slimmed-down decision-making authority by eliminating the majority of voting rights for member leagues and redirecting that power into the hands of the incumbent executive. Despite the mounting pressure from those dissatisfied with the current regime, Dainty has an outstanding record in voting processes and the odds are stacked in his favor to receive the necessary two-thirds majority of yes votes for the proposed changes to the constitution to be ratified.Some observers may wonder what a revised USACA constitution would look like. USACA has not made its proposed constitutional revisions accessible in public domains, like its own website. According to a USACA source, an updated constitutional draft was distributed to member leagues in October with a cover page that included the text “Adopted November 2014,” even though nothing yet has been officially voted upon. What has been made public by USACA, though, is an announcement on the AGM meeting agenda that fresh elections will occur within “60 days after the ratification of the Constitution,” but the same promise for fresh elections is not made if the proposed changes are voted down.The vote on the constitution will be decided by USACA member leagues. At the time of the last USACA election in 2012, only 15 leagues were eligible to vote while another 32 were deemed ineligible due to being classified as members “not in good standing”. On Wednesday, a USACA source provided an email sent out by a USACA administrator announcing a list of 40 league members eligible to vote at the AGM, but the email includes no information about how 16 of the 40 leagues regained eligibility to vote which they didn’t have two years ago. Among the 16 are two leagues, Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board and Florida Southeast Cricket League, that have since left USACA to join the American Cricket Federation, which makes their appearance on the list all the more curious.Also on the list are 10 leagues that were unrecognized by USACA prior to 2012. According to the current USACA constitution, leagues are required to apply for membership status and must go through a probationary period that can last anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Such leagues are not eligible to vote in that time frame. Each league must then go through an approval process by the USACA board to attain full member status including voting rights. Nothing is mentioned in any USACA board meeting minutes since 2012 about 10 new leagues applying for provisional associate member status, let alone confirming elevation to full membership.Likewise, no information is included in any of USACA’s board meeting minutes over the last two years regarding the 16 leagues who are now being welcomed back to vote on Saturday, except for a brief mention on March 23 in which Dainty requested that 11 leagues who had their voting status suspended in 2012 should be reinstated based solely on their ability to pay member subscription fees, and that reinstatement should be “fast-tracked” in time for these 11 leagues to vote on the revised constitution. This membership fee could also be deferred for 2014 in lieu of leagues providing evidence that they had budgeted equivalent money to be spent on local development projects rather than sending it to USACA.Another topic on the agenda is the state of USACA’s financial affairs. USACA schedules its annual AGM in November to fall outside of the non-profit filing deadline for US federal tax returns. As of 2012, USACA was more than $3 million in debt, but USACA’s data for the 2013 financial year won’t become public until after the constitutional vote occurs.Whatever the outcome of Saturday’s vote, the American Cricket Federation continues to apply pressure. After the 2012 election, many leagues defected and formed the new group, dissatisfied with USACA’s governance. The ACF announced on Friday that they intend to form a shadow USA national team to rival the officially sanctioned USACA team that is recognized by the ICC. This is the same scenario which earned USA a suspension from the ICC in 2005.The ICC put USA on warning at its annual meeting this year, and could potentially impose sanctions for the third time in a decade during its next annual meeting in June 2015. Regardless of ratification or rejection of USACA’s constitutional proposals, governance will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future in US cricket.

Bangladesh’s batting woes in the West Indies ODIs mean pacer Al-Amin Hossain has remained out of the spotlight, despite topping the bowling charts

Mohammad Isam27-Aug-2014Bangladesh’s batting woes in the West Indies mean fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain has remained out of the spotlight, despite being the highest wicket-taker in the ODI series from both sides. He’ll he hoping to catch the attention at least in the solitary Twenty20 on Wednesday.He took ten wickets in the three matches against West Indies, including two four-wicket hauls, with early spells that must be heartening for a Bangladesh team management desperate to find a strong performer. Mashrafe Mortaza has been steady and bowled better with the old ball but Taskin Ahmed gave too many in the first game while the spinners and the batsmen were mostly clueless.Things were different for Al-Amin before this tour, though, as he sought to end a wicket shortage. Since his debut late last year, he had often bowled lengthy spells which had momentary sparks and the odd close calls, but he could never sustain the pressure. He has also suffered days when luck wasn’t on his side.Before the series, he had taken just six wickets in nine ODIs, but his tenacity possibly made him an automatic choice for the West Indies series. Now, things are starting to look up for him. “I would say that my fortune has changed just a bit,” Al-Amin said. “I wasn’t getting the wickets before this series but now I have bowled better and got the wickets. It was always important to plan well, and without that it was impossible to be successful at this level.”I will have to remain proactive, and think on my feet. Very few times does a batsman give a chance, but that increases in T20s because of the nature of the game. I enjoy playing in this format and, provided I play, I would look to carry over my ODI form to the T20.”Al-Amin’s T20 performance is unique among Bangladesh bowlers. Without too much flash, he dries up the runs with the new ball and later uses changes of pace to good effect. His best figures in T20 internationals came against West Indies earlier this year, where he picked up 3 for 21.Late last year, he also had one of those T20s that bowlers dream of. He became the first bowler to take five wickets in one over in T20 cricket.He will be facing a much sterner test at Warner Park, much like in the third and final ODI. His second four-for came in that match but apart from his first wicket, the rest came much later in the match, after Denesh Ramdin and Darren Bravo had massacared the Bangladesh bowlers. He admitted that game was particularly challenging.”I really enjoyed taking Chris Gayle’s wicket [in the third game], and the first three I picked up in the first ODI. The margin of error was very small in the third ODI. A bowler was getting smashed if he missed a yorker by a few inches or the slower ball wasn’t landing in the right place. They were hitting sixes off good and bad balls, and the straight boundary was quite short.”On Wednesday, Al-Amin will have to deal with the short boundary again and, given that he has been one of Bangladesh’s few performers on this tour so far, he may have to deal with an extra bit of the spotlight too.