Somerset are still unsure whether West Indies big hitter Chris Gayle will be joining them for this year’s Twenty20 competition.
Those looking at the bet bonus for the cricket season note how Gayle had agreed a deal in January which would see him make the move in June.
However, after talking to the West Indies cricket board and appearing to resolve an earlier dispute the 32-year-old could be involved in his countries summer tour.
Director of cricket at Somerset Brian Rose admitted they are still not certain about where Gayle will be playing summer. He said: I'm certainly hoping that within the next three to four days I'd get some sort of conclusive statement from the player or the West Indies board.
Gayle has not played international cricket since December 2010.
Rose went on to say: “I don't know what they are going to do, to be honest. I'm keeping my fingers and legs crossed at the moment, which I'm sure the public are as well."
Somerset’s recruitment of their overseas players has been far from a simple process this season, they had looked at re-signing Roelof van der Merwe who was at the County last season. Problems with a work permit though meant the South African was unable to return to Taunton this summer.
They have now signed South African Albe Morkel for the twenty/20 campaign and his fellow countryman Vernon Philander for the first half of the County Championship season.
Meanwhile, those over at TransferBetting.co.uk note how the captain of the side Marcus Trescothick has been ruled out for at least six weeks with an ankle injury.
Brian Rose did confirm that it was the same injury that the former England international suffered last year.
"We have to deal with it now, otherwise it would be career-threatening, he’s going to miss six to seven weeks but hopefully he'll be perfect for the rest of the season.” Rose said.
Trescothick will be hoping for a quick recovery as he looks to lead his side to success in all forms of the game.
Manchester Goalkeeper Joe Hart insists the Manchester derby later this month remains vital, despite his side being five points behind table toppers Manchester United.
Hart – who will be looking to affect France euro 2012 betting odds this summer - had admitted it will be a tough task catching United but insists everybody at City will keep going until it is mathematically impossible for their local rivals to be caught.
Roberto Mancini has been playing what looks to be mind games with Sir Alex Ferguson, saying the title is ‘finished’. The England goal-keeper feels this is just his manager’s way of easing the pressure on his players.
The 25-year-old is aiming for his side to pick up maximum points from now until the end of the campaign to give them the best chance of catching United should they slip up.
Hart said: "There is no point in us turning up on Sunday if the title race is over. We've still got to believe, we've still got to fight for every single point available.”
England’s current number one went on to say: “We've got to rely on other teams. We can only battle away and try and win every game and hope that United slip up."
There has been lot made of former captain Carlos Tevez return to the side, the Argentina striker was told by Mancini he would never play for the club again.
Hart, however, is delighted to have Tevez back in the side saying he brings an added dimension the team. The Englishman said about his teammate: "We have been a bit dry on goals recently, so that fresh Carlos input has been awesome,"
He then added: "You can say what you want about Carlos Tevez, but when he plays, he plays to win and he plays for his team-mates.”
Manchester City face a trip to bottom of the table Wolves in this weekend’s Super Sunday fixture. Not only will Hart and co be looking to win, they will want be improve their goal difference a significant amount as the title could prove to be that close.
As the days tick away to April 14 and the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree, it appears that time may well have run out for the Henry Daly trained Pearlysteps to be fully it in order to take his chance in ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase, writes Elliot Slater.
The nine-year-old has been removed from most betting lists for the four-and-a-half-mile marathon contest having twice run well below expectations of late when pulled up in a listed chase at Ascot in February, and then again when failing to complete the course at Newbury in late-March, being pulled up when completely tailed off in the race won by the progressive Ikorodu Road.
Having generally been on offer at Bet Grand National 66/1, Pearlysteps was always going to be a borderline starter for the Aintree feature event following his two recent flops which came after he had appeared to be seriously progressive earlier in the term when running a cracker to chase home Grand National contender According To Pete in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock in testing ground, the gelded son of Alflora keeping on dourly to be the only one in the field to give the in-form Malcolm Jefferson-trained stayer anything to think about. Those wanting to capitalise on a Betfair Free Grand National Bet could do far worse than placing their stake on this outsider.
No official word has yet been received on a final decision about the winner of three of his 17 career starts, but many people now anticipate that Daly’s charge will be absent from the list of acceptors at the upcoming five-day declaration stage for the big race. Daly has generally had a disappointing season with just 24 winners, but his horses have certainly been finding their form of late with three of his last five runners having hit the target, a stat that may well have given hope to supporters of Pearlysteps that he might stage an early-spring revival.
Sussex Sharks have boosted their squad for the summer’s Friends Life t20 competition with the capture of the hugely-experienced Scott Styris.
The south-west club finished second to Hampshire in their table last season with an impressive return of nine wins from their 16 Friends Life t20 matches.
Looking ahead to the 2012 competition coming this summer and Sussex have pulled off somewhat of a coup by signing one of the most experience short-form cricketers on the globe.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Styris has been named as their first overseas player for the competition and he has graced a host of tournaments around the world.
He returned from international cricket last summer and has spent the last two campaigns playing for Essex, but he claims to be “really excited” about turning out for the Sharks in 2012.
Mark Robinson, Sussex’s professional cricket manager, reckons the signing of Styris can give his side a massive boost in the Friends Life t20 as the Sharks look to go all the way to Finals day.
He said: “We have lacked someone who is able to come in during the middle overs and be able to clear the ropes, and Scott as we’ve seen to our cost is proven at doing this.
“His experience and his all-round capabilities will mean he will be a real addition to the Twenty20 squad."
Meanwhile, Sussex have moved to bolster their LV Championship Division One campaign for 2012 by securing a deal with Australian seamer Steve Magoffin, who will arrive at Hove in time for their second game and will remain for the early months of the season.
Those looking to partake in Betfair Cricket betting would do well to heed the punditry of Michael Vaughan before placing a stake.
The appointment of Roberto Di Matteo has certainly given Chelsea a huge boost. The players look happier, are performing better and as a result the fans have something to shout about again. The whole club has a new energy about it as they look forward to an FA cup semi final while being on the brink of a Champions League semi-final. But their weekend fixture at Aston Villa might be their last chance in terms of qualifying for the Champions League or next season.
That would be a huge blow to the club and one that won't please Roman Abramovich, but ironically, as the Russian owner is desperate to win the Champions League it is his decisions and actions that have put the club in the situation it is in today and fans of Victor Chandler will know this.
If they don't win the weekend's game they can say goodbye to Champions League football through the league next season and they can then focus on the Champions League and FA Cup.
I think Chelsea will win this one, as in fairness to Villa, they haven't offered much all season. Without Darren Bent they just don't look like they will ever score. You can see the Chelsea players booming with confidence and the old guard of Lampard, Terry and Drogba will make sure that the rest of the team put a performance in to keep them in the frame. The odds on www.betvictor.com make them strong favourites.
It will be interesting to see who Di Matteo picks up front too. Torres is slowly getting better with each game, and although he still isn't scoring he has got the bit between his teeth and is having a positive impact on the games. On the other hand Drogba is also playing well and leads the team from the front. Either way one of them will be left disappointed.
Roberto Di Matteo did his case for the permanent Chelsea manager position no harm as he masterminded the Premier League side to a vital 1-0 victory against Benfica in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg. The Italian made six changes to the side that drew against Tottenham the previous weekend, and it was one of those changes that grabbed a crucial away goal for Chelsea in Lisbon – Salomon Kalou scoring in the second half.
Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien all dropped to the bench for the first-leg tie against the Portuguese giants, with Di Matteo proving he has the strength of character to make the big calls in the big games. The move paid off; Chelsea producing the sort of disciplined performance that Andre Villas-Boas failed to get out of the side before his sacking and those betting Champions League money will be wondering if the side can go all the way.
Not only did the Londoners manage to stop a Benfica side that had scored in every one of their home games so far this season, they also managed to come away from Portugal with an away goal that could prove decisive in their quest to reach the semi-finals and this advantage is reflected in the Champions League betting.
After such a turbulent campaign, reaching the Champions League semi-final would be quite an achievement, and it would definitely enhance Di Matteo's chances of taking the manager's job on a permanent basis. Nobody expected Chelsea to get this far in the tournament, and if the club can see off Benfica in the second leg, then there would be a real belief that they could possibly go on and finally win the Champions League.
Sporting amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen was riding the crest of wave last year when he partnered his father's Oscar Time to a tremendous second place behind Ballabriggs in the John Smith's Grand National, but the prospects of him achieving a similar level of success with Roulez Cool in this year's renewal look remote after his mount could only finish a disappointing fourth in a run-of-the-mill hunter chase at Newbury on Friday, writes Elliot Slater.
With Oscar Time ruled out of action this term with a training injury Waley Cohen's main focus this term has been on trying to get the very best out of another of his father's horses, the high-class Long Run, but after finishing runner-up to Kauto Star at Haydock and Kempton this term his star mount could only finish third to Synchronised when attempting to land the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second year running. Forty minutes later the 28-year-old was back on duty at Cheltenham partnering Roulez Cool in the Christies Foxhunters Chase and was well positioned and apparently travelling strongly when he blundered and unseated his rider at the ninth fence, to cap a very disappointing day for all the Waley-Cohen family. Anyone looking at the latest Grand National betting odds online will not have been impressed.
Roulez Cool was confidently expected to get back on the winning trail at Newbury and book his place in the Grand National, but after cruising through to take up the running at the fourth from home he crashed through the next fence and soon faded, some observers venturing to suggest that he might well have sustained an injury in the process (of his almighty blunder. Bookmakers reacted to the defeat by pushing Roulez Cool, (winner of the 2010 Stratford Foxhunter Champion Hunter Chase), out to as big as 100/1 in places (from 50's), and his prospects of contesting the Liverpool marathon are now looking increasingly unlikely.
There are a few claimants for team of the year. Whichever Manchester club wins the league title will have beaten, for different reasons, formidable opposition. Swansea City have brought substance with the fresh air they have added to the top flight, whilst there is scope for a heroic escape at the foot of the table.
But no team has exceeded expectations in the manner Newcastle United have. An 11-match unbeaten run at the beginning of the season pre-empted a serious assault on Champions League qualification and they now sit in 6th place, level with Chelsea and eight points clear of Liverpool. Not many people placing a Bet Victor bet at the start of the season will have expected them to do this well.
The appointment of Alan Pardew was mocked by Magpies fans as the latest blunder by enemy number one Mike Ashley, but whilst the owner still makes the odd unpopular decision –renaming St James' Park for example – the recruitment of Pardew actually embodies his shrewd and dedicated running of the club.
Many outsiders also thought a man whose spells at West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Southampton ended in poor results and acrimony was ill-suited to the task of taking Newcastle to the next level after the excellent work of Chris Hughton, but Pardew, like many of his players, has answered the critics, as people making a VC bet will know.
He has made astute signings such as Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse. They, along with Tim Krul, Cheick Tiote and Fabricio Coloccini have formed an impressive spine that has meant the club have not meant influential figures such as Joey Barton, Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan.
These players have proved themselves at the highest level and are now on the radar of the big clubs; regular wins are now expected of this talented group and the rising of expectations is a small price to pay. The Magpies are capable of consolidating their status as a top-six team next season.
Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant managerial role at Chelsea.
It is thought the 44-year-old is among a shortlist of candidates, along with Barcelona's Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid's former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who will be targeted by Roman Abramovich in the summer.
Andre Villas-Boas left the London club at the start of March after a disappointing first term in charge and was replaced by former player Roberto di Matteo on a temporary basis and fans of Victor Chandler won't be expecting him to take over full time.
Di Matteo has subsequently led Chelsea to three consecutive victories – including a place in the last eight of the Champions League and an FA Cup semi-final spot – but Abramovich is still expected to look elsewhere for Villas-Boas' permanent successor.
Abramovich is a known admirer of Klopp after the German guided Dortmund to the Bundesliga title last season. The champions currently sit five points clear of an impressive Bayern Munich side this term and look well set to retain their crown with Bet Victor making them strong favourites.
Klopp, who signed a two-year contract extension in January, has stopped Chelsea's interest dead in its tracks and has reaffirmed his commitment to Dortmund.
"I can turn them down straight away. I will not be moving there. But I do think it is cool that I am being named in the same breath as Mourinho and Guardiola," said Klopp.
"That is enough for me - that is already a personal triumph. But I am not available, sorry."
Dortmund's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has laughed off Chelsea's interest in his manager.
"Chelsea do not bother me one bit. It is not for nothing that Jurgen Klopp has just extended his contract until 2016. He will not be going anywhere. It is quite simple," said Watzke.
Abramovich will have to look elsewhere for his new man.
Chelsea were expected to challenge for the title this season, but they're struggling to make the Champions League spots and have already sacked their manager.
So where has it all gone wrong for Chelsea? Well, the first point of call has to be chairman Roman Abramovich. The wealthy Russian is quite clearly an astute businessman but he needs to realise that it doesn't necessarily make him an expert tactician in football. Subsequently, he should sit back and let a professional do the job rather than interfering all the time.
Abramovich's desire to control the club in every area has caused Chelsea to part with eight managers over the last nine years, which anyone following the Premier League betting will know is unacceptable. It's not as if Chelsea haven't had good managers during that time because they have. However, they've not been given the chance to do their job and it's now beginning to hinder Chelsea as a football team.
It's one thing to chop and change a manager but it's another to hinder the long-term program. A new manager can be accepted by players within a matter of weeks and the club can move on. The same cannot be said for the youth program, though.
Fans of Premiership betting will know a manager always has an eye on the future because every club has to enter a transitional period at some stage when their players are too old to carry on playing and they must then integrate the emerging youngsters into their squad.
Due to constant managerial changes, this flow of youth players has been brought to a crashing halt and this means that Chelsea do not have replacements in their academy that are ready to replace the ageing players in their current squad, hence their predicament.
Quality-wise, Chelsea are still a top side with world-class players like Essien, Drogba, and Torres in their ranks. It doesn't count for much without the correct guidance, however, which is precisely why Abramovich must appoint a new manager and sit back to let him do what he does best or else Chelsea will be in this transitional period for a lot longer than they have to be.
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