Metropolitan police blunders meant rapist was free to attack 146 more elderly victims Scotland Yard has admitted one of the biggest errors in its history after it accepted that blunders by officers led to 146 elderly people becoming victims of a “perverted, callous and violent” serial sex attacker and burglar. Delroy Grant was convicted of a 17-year reign of terror that saw him attack at least 203 elderly people in their own homes. Police accept that 146 of these attacks happened after he should have been arrested but errors branded by an independent investigation as “basic”, coupled with “simple misunderstandings”, left him free. Police admit that in 1999 they had a golden chance to catch Grant but blundered and not only failed to detain him, but ruled him out as a suspect. Grant was finally convicted on Thursday of 29 offences, a fraction of the crimes police suspect he committed. He was convicted of three rapes, one attempted rape, six indecent assaults, one sexual assault, 16 burglaries and two attempted burglaries after a three-week trial. Officially police believe he was responsible for a total of 203 crimes across south London, but his total offences could be double that, a senior officer said, amounting to 400-500 crimes. None of his targets were younger than 68 years old, while the eldest victim was aged 93. Police say Grant started offending in 1991, carrying out his first sexual assault one year later, and his crimes stretched though to 2009. Seven of the elderly victims who found the courage to go to the police have died of natural causes before seeing their rapist brought to justice. Others were so traumatised that their final years would be lived haunted by fear that he would come after them again. Police linked the offences by 1998, and one senior source said Grant returned not just to the same areas to strike again, but to the same street, and even targeted the same victims. Grant, 53, was dubbed the “night stalker” because he invariably struck at night, having watched his victims, sometimes for hours. He would cut the phone lines and electricity to their houses, then enter, shining a torch in their faces. Sometimes he carried out a ferocious assault; sometimes he heeded pleas for mercy. Police realised their blunder after Grant was finally arrested in 2009 and referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. On 28 May 1999, Grant carried out a burglary during which a member of the public spotted a car that seemed suspicious and noted down the number plate. On hearing that a nearby house had been burgled, the person then contacted the police and passed on the car registration. Police did investigate. They managed to become confused and link the number plate to a Delroy Grant living in east London, who was completely the wrong age. DNA from the man in east London was checked against DNA recovered from the crime scenes. It did not match. But worse was to follow. By August 1999, the name of Delroy Grant was marked down not just as having being investigated, but as being eliminated from inquiries. Grant carried out at least three rapes after May 1999. An IPCC investigation found that three officers were responsible, and cited “a number of basic actions that were not undertaken”. The officers have since received advice. After the convictions, one of Grant’s elderly victims said she would have her first peaceful night’s sleep in years. “Thank you so much for telling me,” the 83-year-old said. “I can go back to sleeping at night and being awake in the daytime.” As Grant’s victims and their families took whatever solace they could from his conviction, it was left to the current leadership of Scotland Yard to apologise and vow to fix the sins of the past. Commander Simon Foy, head of the homicide and serious crime command, said: “In 1999 there was an opportunity to have identified and apprehended Grant … it is appropriate … to apologise now for this missed opportunity that led to his continued offending for so long afterwards. We are deeply sorry for the harm suffered by all those other victims and for our failure to bring Grant to justice earlier.” Three internal reviews failed to identify the blunder. Police conducted serious case reviews in 1999, 2003 and 2009. Deborah Glass, IPCC commissioner for London, said confusion over a suspect and a poor response to a burglary led to the failure to arrest Grant. “It is clear that a simple misunderstanding had horrific consequences,” said Glass. Judge Peter Rook QC told Grant his convictions were “of the utmost gravity”. He said: “You should appreciate the sentence you receive will be what is called an indeterminate sentence.” Grant seemed to be living a model life. He was a Jehovah’s Witness who cared for his former wife, and a cricket lover. Once arrested, he tried to blame his son, Delroy Jr, then accused his first wife, Janet Watson, 53, of trying to frame him. It was a defence branded as “utter, utter rubbish” and “pure fiction and fantasy” by Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting. A jury at Woolwich crown court, after deliberating for eight hours and 29 minutes, reached a majority verdict of 10 to two on all 29 counts against Grant, of Brockley, south-east London. ‘A lack of diligence’: how the Met again missed chances to catch violent rapist Sorry may be the hardest word, but the Metropolitan police has in recent years been getting practice in saying it. The “basic” errors that left Delroy Grant free to strike for a decade after he should have been caught are the latest in a series of instances that have led the force to apologise for missing chances to stop a serial attacker. In the case of John Worboys, the Met missed chances to stop the man who was known as the “black-cab rapist” . Worboys drugged, raped and sexually assaulted at least 85 victims despite numerous women reporting his attacks over many years. He was arrested then released after a woman came forward in July 2007 and officers chose to believe his account, not hers. The victim said she had been “lied to and laughed at” by officers. Worboys was given an indeterminate sentence in April 2009. Soon after, errors were revealed about another serial rapist, Kirk Reid , who sexually assaulted 71 women over eight years. Police had a dozen clues and chances pointing to Reid, but missed them. Senior officers say the Worboys errors were the result of a “culture of disbelief” of rape victims, while in the Reid case, errors also appeared to be systemic. But one senior officer said the errors that left Grant free stemmed from lack of diligence by individual officers, and not because of something systemically wrong. The officer accepts that is of next to no comfort for anyone. Crime Police Older people London Rape Independent Police Complaints Commission Vikram Dodd Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
S&P cuts Portugal’s debt rating two notches to BBB and keeps it on negative watch The cost of Portuguese borrowing has risen to a new record on the bond markets after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the country’s debt overnight. The yield on 10-year Portuguese government bonds hit a new high above 8% on Friday morning. Following a downgrade by Fitch on Thursday, S&P cut Portugal’s debt rating by two notches to BBB and kept it on negative watch, warning it could lower the rating one notch further once the details of the European Union’s permanent bailout fund are unveiled. Markets shrugged off comments by Herman van Rompuy , the EU president, who said that European leaders gathered in Brussels had agreed a comprehensive package of economic measures, including a permanent bailout fund for the eurozone. Once it has been approved by national governments, the European stability mechanism will replace the existing temporary fund. “We will make sure that €500bn (£440bn) is available with triple-A status. We have agreed to ensure that the temporary facility has an effective lending capacity of €440bn. It will be in place in June,” said van Rompuy. He also stressed the importance of credible stress tests to strengthen the banking sector. European leaders have adopted the Euro Plus Pact to improve economic co-ordination, which will be joined by six countries that are not in the eurozone – Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania. Portugal’s crisis intensified on Thursday when prime minister José Sócrates resigned after his minority Socialist government’s latest austerity measures were rejected by parliament. The country must refinance €4.5bn of debt in April, and is dangerously close to becoming the third eurozone state in six months to ask for a bailout. “Even Moody’s who downgraded Portugal two notches to A3 10 days ago may have to consider further moves,” said Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income research at Evolution Securities. “The factors that could push Portugal’s rating lower according to Moody’s are: First, the likely trend in interest rates the government has to pay to access capital markets; with five-year yields 70bps higher than they were 10 days ago this box is already ticked. Secondly, how successful the government is in achieving fiscal targets; there must be a big question mark next to this following the government losing the vote on further austerity measures, and thirdly, uncertainty over how much support the government has to provide to the banks. “The latter is to a large extent dependent upon the first two factors and will be adversely affected by the widening sovereign yields and political uncertainty. So it does not seem inconceivable that we see more rating action on Portugal over the coming days and as they slip closer to the tipping point of low triple B from S&P so it becomes more likely that they will have to request a bailout.” European debt crisis Europe Portugal Europe Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Stars including Jason Schwartzmann, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Bruce Willis to join new film Moonrise Kingdom Jason Schwartzmann, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Bruce Willis will join a stellar cast for Wes Anderson’s latest film , Moonrise Kingdom, according to reports in the US. News of Anderson’s follow-up to Fantastic Mr Fox first emerged in November. Now a small casting agency based in Rhode Island, where the movie will be shot, has confirmed the cast list. Schwartmann and Murray are old hands as far as Anderson is concerned, while Swinton and Willis will make their debuts for the film-maker. Ed Norton and Frances McDormand are also joining the production. Moonrise Kingdom is a 60-set tale which revolves around two young lovers who take off from their New England hometown causing friends and family to embark on a search for them. Willis, according to previous reports, will play the town sheriff, who’s also having an affair with the missing girl’s mother (a role pencilled for McDormand), while Norton has his eye on the part of a scout master. Murray will play the girl’s father, described as having his own issues . Anderson has written the screenplay along with regular collaborator Roman Coppola. Moonrise Kingdom will shoot on Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island, and in “numerous locations around the state” in late spring. The area has been a favoured location for Hollywood in recent years due to a generous tax relief program for film-makers, but Anderson’s movie could be one of the last to benefit. Governor Lincoln Chafee is currently proposing to end the tax-credit scheme on 1 July. Wes Anderson Bill Murray Tilda Swinton Bruce Willis Ben Child guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Hit the auto-update button for the latest. It might work today • Send your thoughts to rob.smyth@guardian.co.uk 25th over: New Zealand 92-2 (Ryder 56, Taylor 26) This might be New Zealand’s window of opportunity, with the offspinner JP Duminy coming into the attack. Ryder chips high over extra cover for a couple, and two singles complete the over. “I’m torn,” says Jay Rose. “As an Australian, I desperately want to see the Kiwis win this one, but a hard-earned grudging respect for Graeme Smith makes me want to see him end his career with a WC trophy. Plus, I simply can’t see NZ beating India, which is even more important.” 24th over: New Zealand 88-2 (Ryder 53, Taylor 25) One from Kallis’s over. This is a good spell for South Africa, with the last five overs bringing only 12 runs. As Pat Symcox says on Sky, New Zealand’s dot-ball ratio has been too high today. Yet, for all that, they are still in a perfectly acceptable position. “Just to clarify – having children doesn’t mean you get up early; it just means your sleep is more fractured from 5-7am,” says Kristian Petterson. “Oh, and that your significant other loathes you even more than ever as they deal with said offspring as you snore. Apparently.” 23rd over: New Zealand 87-2 (Ryder 53, Taylor 25) Botha has been pretty economical today. Just three singles from that over, so his figures are now 7-0-19-0. “Can anyone give me a good reason,” begins Gary Naylor, “why SA deny themselves the services of the best fielder in the world in order to use him as a below average keeper?” Because fielding isn’t quantified. Which is not to say you don’t have a point. 22nd over: New Zealand 84-2 (Ryder 51, Taylor 24) Nobody really knows what a good score on is on what is a pretty slow pitch, but I reckon New Zealand would take 250. Taylor opens the face to glide Kallis to third man for a single. Then Ryder pushes a single to reach a really good half-century, defiant at first and controlled thereafter. He almost falls to the last delivery, however, gloving an attempted hook to third man for a single. “Dear Coronation Street, I like cookery programmes,” says Scott Murray. “Please stop telling stories about people in Manchester and start doing recipes. Dear Brian Cox, I am frightened of the dark. Please stop talking about space.” 21st over: New Zealand 80-2 (Ryder 49, Taylor 22) Three singles from Botha’s over. South Africa could do with a wicket here. They might just, for the first time, be thinking dark thoughts. “I’m sensing,” begins Jonathan Wood, “that Clinton isn’t a morning person.” 20th over: New Zealand 77-2 (Ryder 48, Taylor 20) Graeme Smith continues to shuffle his bowlers – he really is a kid in a sweet shop – with Kallis replacing Morkel. Taylor ducks under an existentialism-heavy bouncer, and there are just two from the over. “I don’t even read the commentary here anymore, except maybe the bits in bold,” says Niall Harden. “I’m here for the great life advice, withering sarcasm, Freudian misprints and unsettling videos. I don’t even really understand rugby.” 19th over: New Zealand 75-2 (Ryder 47, Taylor 19) Botha replaces Tahir, and the hitherto strokeless Taylor plays a gorgeous extra-cover drive for four. That’s his first boundary. This has been an extremely good partnership, not least because it would have been easy to wave the white one after that abysmal start. “If Steve Kerr wants to watch the Sharks/Crusaders game he should head to the Famous Three Kings just by West Ken tube,” says John O’Mahony. “Probably the best sports-watching pub ever. They have about 50-odd screens and they all seem to be showing something different. Some of the tables even have their own TV. Not been there for a couple of years mind so might have gone downhill.” Everything does. It says here. 18th over: New Zealand 69-2 (Ryder 44, Taylor 14) Morkel hasn’t been at his best today – too wide to Ryder in particular, and he clubs two more through the covers. Whatever you do, don’t let him free those massive arms. Morkel gets a slower ball wrong later in the over and Ryder helps it around the corner for four to bring up a good fifty partnership. “In response to Guy Hornsby’s comments in the 9th over, people who get up early every day are not preternaturally happy people,” says Ewan Dunnett. “They are usually depressed and full of fear. So much so they can’t sleep. Children’s television presenters, much like many comedians, are full of inner demons.” Children’s TV presenters are a fascinating genre of human. Have you seen that lass on Dancing On Ice. I haven’t, because I have never watched Dancing On Ice, ever , but my friends tell me she has a ceaseless jauntiness that borders on the disconcerting. 17th over: New Zealand 61-2 (Ryder 39, Taylor 13) New Zealand must find a way to impose themselves on Tahir, which is easier typed from thousands of miles away than done. Just three from the over, which is again played with a respect that borders on fear. “How about a bit more commentary about the game,” says Clinton Rowling. “Remember that thing people are logging on to the live feed to follow?? As much as I find your campness amusing and your amazement that people get up early slightly interesting I’m logged on to follow a quarter final game at the cricket World Cup….” Sure. Where do I send the editorial consultancy fee? And when do I come and tell you how to do your job? 16th over: New Zealand 58-2 (Ryder 37, Taylor 12) The returning Morkel’s first ball is belaboured towards backward point by Ryder, and Duminy saves four with a brilliant diving save. Just one from the over, but this has been a decent comeback from New Zealand. Their tactic should be to just stay in the game as long as possible and hope that the asphyxiating pressure does for South Africa later on. It goes against all logic, but I think New Zealand have got a real chance today. “A question for OBO readers,” says Steve Kerr. “Does anyone know of a London pub showing the Crusaders/Sharks Super XV game live on Sunday? Obviously can’t be arsed going to Twickenham and will donate independently here .” 15th over: New Zealand 57-2 (Ryder 36, Taylor 12) There’s more chance of Lord Henry Manners of Mannersville zestily picking his nose at the dinner table than there is of Ryder picking Tahir. He hasn’t got a clue, but he’s getting away with it for now. Taylor isn’t entirely comfortable either and he gets a leading edge that falls safely on the off side. “In the 6th over, when it was 16-2, you said that South Africa could have this game won by the 10th over,” says Luke Dealtry. “It’s now the 13th over and the Kiwis are 50-2. CHOKERS!” You said the word. You’re not supposed to do that. If you say the C-word five times in a mirror, terrible things will happen . 14th over: New Zealand 53-2 (Ryder 35, Taylor 9) Three singles from Peterson’s over. “Oh come on all you townies, out here in the wilds of Oxonshire there is the dawn chorus (coming in strong at about 0500 currently but set to move earlier),” says Angus Doulton. “Exactly what is needed to fortify one for a morning’s OBO humour. Actually even in the midst of town, you’d be surprised what a few blackbirds can do to support the critical first mug of tea.” I wish I was in bed. Normally, if you wake up early by accident, you can spend an hour moseying around, then get an extra nap in and still be up for midday when the day formally begins. 13th over: New Zealand 50-2 (Ryder 34, Taylor 7) Imran Tahir is going to bowl. He has stunning record in this tournament – 12 wickets at an average of 9.83 – and his second ball is a delicious googly that beats Ryder all ends up. Three from the over. “Rob old chap, am I the only one picking up a bit of, umm, Kenneth Williams campness in your commentary this morning?” says Steve Hudson. “Lovely man paunch? Danny M’s whispered sweet nothings? If you’re building up to a frank admission of some sort, just let me tell you that the OBO crew will be very supportive. After all, there’s no room for intolerance in the world of online bilge these days. We’ll tolerate anything. Clearly.” 12th over: New Zealand 47-2 (Ryder 33, Taylor 5) Peterson is back for Morkel, who took a little bit of abuse from Ryder. As does Peterson when a widish delivery is clattered through the covers for four. He gets four more to the same area off the last ball of the over, this time with a cut stroke. Ryder looks dangerous. “What a great start by the South Africans,” says George Miller. “Peterson has really been a revelation for us in the WC. Although we are supposed to working on three papers (tomorrow, Sunday and Monday), production has pretty much ground to a halt.” 11th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Ryder 25, Taylor 4) “Any tips on getting my colleagues in Norway to embrace the majestic game that is cricket (even if it is the pyjama format)?” says Al Weeks. “I can’t see why it’s not a big hit here already, the climate is perfect for it and with the recent performance of minor nations they’ve probably got a chance of putting an ad hoc team together and giving England a close game.” Show them lots of videos of Viv. He was even cooler than your average Scandinavian, so they’ll surely recognise the swagger . 10th over: New Zealand 34-2 (Ryder 24, Taylor 3) Ryder spanks another square drive for four off Morkel, despite or perhaps because of the presence of Kallis at short point. It went through his legs in fact. Ryder then pulls through square leg for three. He’s a dangerous customer, and he looks in the mood to give it some humpty. “I’m a Kiwi watching in Wellington,” says Cat Doran. “Expecting an early night once we implode.” Now that’s what I call confidence. 9th over: New Zealand 27-2 (Ryder 17, Taylor 3) Crikey, Danny Morrison has entered the commentary box and is now using that soft, ticklish voice of his. I bet he whispers the sweetest nothings. Botha bowls a leg-side wide and then Ryder pushes a single to mid off. NZ bat a long way down – Oram is down to come in at No9 – so there’s no need to panic just yet. But they need to find a bowler to target, and I’m not sure there are any. “I don’t really get why anyone would want to get up early every day,” says Guy Hornsby. “It’s a necessity in order to pay the bills, to top up the supply of Liver Compromiser. The sort of people that do it are the preternaturally happy people – like children’s TV presenters – that talk in awful lingo: work/life balance, working ‘clever’, maximising your potential, living life to the full. I just got a bit of sick in my mouth from that. There are so few jobs that would make you want to do that. Astronaut? Actor? International playboy? OBO writer? I bet Hugh Hefner doesn’t get up in the morning. And yes, I’m hungover.” I just typed ‘children’s TV presenter’ into google, and look what was the second result . 8th over: New Zealand 24-2 (Ryder 16, Taylor 2) Morkel replaces Steyn, and Ryder flays a full delivery square on the off side for four. Good shot. “If you want to become a morning person it is simple – have a small child (yes yes I know, OBO readers, but even Millings has managed),” says Robin Hazlehurst. “You will get up at ungodly hours for several years and eventually get used to it. Option two, be a small child, they are certainly morning people. You were probably one too once, you just don’t remember.” 7th over: New Zealand 17-2 (Ryder 10, Taylor 1) One from another crafty Botha over. New Zealand are in all sorts of bother, already. “Yesterday’s link to the freak yoga instructor and his rooster was bad enough, but linking to Nick Berry singing that execrable dirge is going too far,” says Martin Sinclair. “I’d rather complete my census than sit through that twaddle!” 6th over: New Zealand 16-2 (Ryder 10, Taylor 0) In their last World Cup knockout game, the 2007 semi-final , South Africa lost the match inside 10 overs. They might have won this one by the 10th over. They have been outstanding. “You can rail against morning people all you want,” says Peter Hanes, “but never forget that they’re the ones that ensure that the supermarket is stocked with fish fingers by the time you get there.” WICKET! New Zealand 16-2 (Guptill c Botha b Steyn 1) This is too easy for South Africa. Steyn dupes Guptill with a lovely slower ball, and he drives it high in the air to mid off, where Botha takes a nonchalant running catch. 5th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Guptill 1, Ryder 9) The offspinner Johan Botha replaces Robin Peterson. As Mark Nicholas says on Sky, Graeme Smith is loving captaining a side with so many options. It’s like going from the basic five channels to the full Sky+ experience, or so I’d imagine if I had Sky. Botha so nearly zips a quicker one through Ryder, who gets a very late inside edge. One from a very good over. South Africa have been seriously impressive thus far. “Morning people have just taken the next logical step from pretending they didn’t want to come to the party you didn’t invite them to,” says Dan Smith. “They couldn’t come to that party, or indeed any other event you wouldn’t want them at, because they need to be up bright and early for a granola-fuelled jog to the office. I spit in their carrot juice.” 4th over: New Zealand 14-1 (Guptill 1, Ryder 8) An unusually sloppy over from Steyn includes a low full toss and a leg-side wide to Ryder, who then inside edges a hot inswinger to fine leg for four. These are very dangerous times for New Zealand, who could fold if they lose another one here. Ryder ends the over by clunking a pull over mid on for three. “Please can we have early mention for what I expect to be the star of today’s game?” says Neil Withers. “I am of course referring to Daniel Vettori’s amazing moustache – I saw it last night on TV and couldn’t stop laughing! It’s the finest display of slug-balancing since Baldrick.” 3rd over: New Zealand 6-1 (Guptill 1, Ryder 1) Robin Peterson is having quite a tournament. “This is it, isn’t it?” says Duncan Bonnett. “I’ve spent the whole of last night and this morning not laughing at the Aussies in case it comes back to bite my boys as karmic revenge. We need to get into the Kiwi middle order quickly, or I’m afraid the ahem, nerves, will start to jangle out there. On paper, we’re too strong for the Kiwis, but what if they pick scissors instead of rock?” Could make a ‘Dale Stone’ joke. Doesn’t really work . Dale Stone! WICKET! New Zealand 5-1 (B McCullum ct and b Peterson 4) A sensational return catch from Robin Peterson gets rid of the dangerman Brendon McCullum. He danced down the track but was done by a bit of extra bounce and pushed the ball back to the left of Peterson, who dived and then extended a telescopic arm to take a wonderful catch. He took an unbelievable catch off his own bowling earlier in the tournament to dismiss Ian Bell, and this was comparable. Brilliant stuff. 2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (Guptill 1, B McCullum 4) Dale Steyn’s first ball is driven urgently through extra cover for three by Brendon McCullum. Those are the only runs from the over, although one delivery to Guptill bounces twice before reaching the keeper, a reflection of the pace of this pitch. New Zealand have beaten South Africa at the last two World Cups, famously so in 2003 when Stephen Fleming played an awesome innings; they are not the same side these days, but don’t write them off, at least not until they collapse to 40 for seven. They certainly have a puncher’s chance now that they are batting first. “Hold your horses Smyth, my boy,” says Andrew Jobson. “In the (admittedly unlikely) event of the match being abandoned, the higher-ranked team (SA) progresses. So New Zealand would be knocked out, and SA could then get beaten in the semi by the winner of SL-Eng, preserving both teams’ winless records.” 1st over: New Zealand 2-0 (Guptill 1, B McCullum 1) South Africa open with a spinner, as usual. How odd it is to type that sentence. Today it’s Robin Peterson rather than Johan Botha and his first over, played cagily, brings just a couple of singles. “Can today’s match officially be termed a west London derby?” says Elliot Carr-Barnsley. “Also, cracking article by Selvey on Yardy’s depression.” It was. Selve is in storming form at the moment. Morning people Who are these weird “morning people” I keep seeing? They’re a menace to society with their walking, talking and general 6am sentience. My alarm has been going off before 5.30 and 6 throughout this World Cup, and I’ve not felt so consistently violated since I inexplicably watched most of the first season of Gossip Girl in one hit. Why would anyone get up at such an hour, never mind seem so jaunty and busy ? Yes we all admire your lust for life and the incontrovertibly superior energy content of your diet, but please don’t rub in our face, at least not before midday. Thankfully the Guardian power-showers are one of the best things that have ever happened to anyone, ever, so I now feel vaguely human. But I still don’t understand these strange “morning people”. They’re worse than the paediatricians. There’s even a guide how to be a morning person . No thanks! As these two are serial losers in the World Cup knockout stages , here is some encouragement for them from one of the most inspiring figures ever to bestride this earth. Ignore the bit at the top right of the video. New Zealand have won the toss and will bat first. I think they had to do that to have a realistic chance of victory. That sets this game up beautifully. If they put 250 on the board, chase won’t be the only CH-word we’ll be mentioning as South Africa’s batsmen go about their business. Both sides have picked three frontline spinners. Daniel Vettori returns to the side, even though he is not fully fit, and the left-armer Luke Woodcock also comes in, with James Franklin omitted. South Africa have Johan Botha, Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson, while the big three – Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and AB de Villiers – return after sitting out the final group games against Bangladesh. Morne van Wyk misses out as a result. New Zealand Guptill, B McCullum (wk), Ryder, Taylor, Styris, Williamson, Vettori, N McCullum, Oram, Southee, Woodcock. South Africa Smith (c), Amla, Kallis, de Villiers (wk), Duminy, du Plessis, Botha, Peterson, Steyn, Morkel, Tahir. New Zealand at the World Cup Group stages: P61 W39 L22 (Win percentage: 64) Knockout games: P6 W0 L6 (Win percentage: 0) South Africa at the World Cup Group stages: P42 W30 L11 T1 (Win percentage: 71) Knockout games: P4 W0 L3 T1 (Win percentage: 0) An early email, from Guy Collier “So this isn’t exactly to do with the cricket but stick with me and I will do my best to bring it around. I am currently running a social experiment to see what happens when we open up questions of identity and move away from the traditional tick box approach you see in the census form – and if one small boy, albeit one who is actually 6ft tall and 30, can run a census from his bedroom using just social media. And the power of OBO cricket. “I am looking for any and all plugs to encourage people to state on Twitter #altcensus today I am…. I will gather all the statements to see how they compare to the national census. If anyone has any questions they can check www.alternativecensus.org.uk . So here is my tenuous cricket link: what box do half the England cricket team tick when asked about national identity…? Maybe if they took part in the Alternative Census we could find out!” The power of OBO cricket. Arf! The winners of this match will play either Sri Lanka or England in Colombo on Tuesday. This will be played before the India v Pakistan semi-final. Scandalous, clearly, but all part of the plan from cricket’s governing body, the BCCI, to ensure that India win. Preamble Morning. Who says 50-over cricket has nothing new to offer? This fascinating competition will enter virgin territory today, when either South Africa and New Zealand will win a World Cup knockout game for the first time. The fact they have not done so before is pretty staggering, even if it is not quite the statgasm we might think. This is only the second World Cup to have quarter-finals, so there haven’t been that many knockout games down the years: this is the 34th in total, of which six have been lost by New Zealand and four by South Africa. Since South Africa’s readmission to international cricket, the two sides have strikingly similar records. They were semi-finalists in 1992, 1999 and 2007; they were quarter-finalists in 1996; and they failed to reach the knockout stages in 2003. Yet a more relevant comparison might be between South Africa and another New Zealand team: the rugby boys, who have also found umpteen weird and wonderful ways not to win a World Cup . If South Africa discover another today, in a match they should win, a popular C-word may well be trending on a social networking site near you. (Insert your own ‘and chokers will be trending too’ joke here.) Cricket World Cup 2011 New Zealand cricket team South Africa cricket team Cricket Over by over reports Rob Smyth guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Our occupation at Glasgow University began as an anti-cuts protest. Now it is a living example of what could be It has been an eventful week at Glasgow University, with a massive police operation mobilised to violently evict protesters from one of the longest-running student occupations of recent years. On Tuesday about 80 officers from Strathclyde police, along with a helicopter, 28 vehicles and a dog squad, were sent to the former Hetherington Research Club at the heart of the campus. The building used to be a students’ union but was closed last year due to financial problems and a lack of support from university management – an early victim of the age of austerity in higher education. It lay empty and unused until on 1 February students re-opened it as a base of anti-cuts activism in Glasgow. Now, having been in operation for more than seven weeks, we believe it may be the most enduring of the current wave of student
Continue reading …
Widower seeking gay love, the demise of the landline and the royals divide you, but ill singer gets your good wishes ✒ “It’s the best bit of the paper!” Pamela Stephenson Connolly, G2′s very own sex therapist, answers some remarkable letters every Friday. We still have fond memories of the woman whose husband wanted her to make animal noises in the bedroom. (Cat? Dog? Potbellied pig? We never did find out.) Last week’s problem was equally astonishing, but not for any nowt-so-queer-as-folk-ness. Pamela’s correspondent, a widower in his 80s, wanted some help to find a “male friend”. “When my wife was very ill,” he explained, “she told me that she would be happy if I had the luck to find a man, because I was gay in my teenage years and she thought I would like to renew that experience. My late wife understood because she was a lesbian from the age of 12 until we met.” Yes, there are arguments to be had about whether you can be gay one moment and not the next, whether homosexuality is an “experience” etc, but what struck us was the woman’s concern for her husband – and her lack of jealousy. Our hearts were lifted. At guardian.co.uk/g2, however, Causidicus was beside himself. How dare the letter-writer feel the need to be discreet about his desires because he was a “highly respected person”? He
Continue reading …Widower seeking gay love, the demise of the landline and the royals divide you, but ill singer gets your good wishes ✒ “It’s the best bit of the paper!” Pamela Stephenson Connolly, G2′s very own sex therapist, answers some remarkable letters every Friday. We still have fond memories of the woman whose husband wanted her to make animal noises in the bedroom. (Cat? Dog? Potbellied pig? We never did find out.) Last week’s problem was equally astonishing, but not for any nowt-so-queer-as-folk-ness. Pamela’s correspondent, a widower in his 80s, wanted some help to find a “male friend”. “When my wife was very ill,” he explained, “she told me that she would be happy if I had the luck to find a man, because I was gay in my teenage years and she thought I would like to renew that experience. My late wife understood because she was a lesbian from the age of 12 until we met.” Yes, there are arguments to be had about whether you can be gay one moment and not the next, whether homosexuality is an “experience” etc, but what struck us was the woman’s concern for her husband – and her lack of jealousy. Our hearts were lifted. At guardian.co.uk/g2, however, Causidicus was beside himself. How dare the letter-writer feel the need to be discreet about his desires because he was a “highly respected person”? He
Continue reading …
• Tottenham anxious over winger’s hamstring problem • Spurs face Real at the Bernabéu on Tuesday week Gareth Bale faces a race against time to be fit for Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday week having being forced to withdraw from the Wales squad for Saturday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring strain. The injury, which is a severe blow to Wales’s hopes of causing an upset at the Millennium Stadium, came to light after Bale complained of tightness in his hamstring during a warm-up on Tuesday. When the 21-year-old winger was unable to take part in training on Wednesday, Wales sent him for a scan which revealed he had been carrying the injury at Spurs the previous week. Bale played 90 minutes against West Ham United on Saturday but that was his first full game since 16 January, having been sidelined with a back problem for six weeks. He was struggling with his hamstring towards the end of that time and Spurs will be anxious that the latest setback could threaten his involvement at the Bernabéu. Gary Speed, however, tried to offer a more positive prognosis. The Wales manager said Bale could feature against Real Madrid and also claimed that his decision to declare him unfit for the England game had reduced the risk of him picking up a serious injury that could have ended his season. “The decision was made last night as soon as we got the scan,” said the Wales manager. “I think you can tell on the scans now with the fluid and blood that he was injured from last week. I’m no expert, but I’m sure it’s only a 10-day thing.” Speed could have been forgiven for questioning the wisdom of Harry Redknapp’s decision to keep Bale on the pitch throughout the game against West Ham, although he seemed determined to avoid becoming embroiled in a club versus country row with the Spurs manager. There had been the potential for a major fall-out on Thursday morning, when Raymond Verheijen, the Wales assistant manager, wrote “the incompetent amateurs struck again” on his Twitter page. Spurs reacted angrily to Verheijen’s comments, believing they were directed at them for their handling of the injury, but both the Dutchman and Speed have since clarified that he was referring to a newspaper article that incorrectly suggested Bale had strained his hamstring during training for Wales. “It was a total misunderstanding. In no way did that refer to Tottenham,” said Speed. “I can understand how it might be portrayed but I think the fact that it was reported that he did his hamstring in training on Wednesday, that was the incompetent bit.” Asked whether he had told Verheijen, who in the past has used Twitter to voice his disapproval of Roberto Mancini’s training methods at Manchester City, to rein in his comments, Speed replied: “Absolutely. It’s caused an unnecessary problem but we’ve talked about it and nipped it in the bud. There will be no more tweeting of that sort.” Aware of the problems international managers have had with their club counterparts in the past, Speed seemed keen to keep Redknapp onside and build bridges with Tottenham. “We don’t put any blame on Spurs. [Bale] was fit to play 90 minutes and played 90 minutes. He came to us, and maybe if we hadn’t been so thorough in our testing, he may have played. But what we don’t want is for him to play and then pull up and put himself out for the season. The player’s welfare is of paramount importance and that’s what’s happened.” Speed did, though, reveal that Bale, who will continue to receive treatment in Wales, would have preferred to delay the decision. “He wanted to wait and see if he could give it a go,” he said. “But the nature of the strain showed up on the scan. Although England is a huge game and we would want Gareth in, we don’t want to be putting him back for the rest of the season. Spurs also have some massive games coming up.” The Wales manager described Bale’s absence as a “big blow”, although he added: “Any team in the world would miss a Gareth Bale but between now and the next three and a half years we’re going to miss players, and if Wales are going to achieve anything we’re going to have to cope. We’ve had a great week training and the lads are really up for it so it’s not the end of the world.” Euro 2012 Wales England Gareth Bale Stuart James guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Tottenham anxious over winger’s hamstring problem • Spurs face Real at the Bernabéu on Tuesday week Gareth Bale faces a race against time to be fit for Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday week having being forced to withdraw from the Wales squad for Saturday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring strain. The injury, which is a severe blow to Wales’s hopes of causing an upset at the Millennium Stadium, came to light after Bale complained of tightness in his hamstring during a warm-up on Tuesday. When the 21-year-old winger was unable to take part in training on Wednesday, Wales sent him for a scan which revealed he had been carrying the injury at Spurs the previous week. Bale played 90 minutes against West Ham United on Saturday but that was his first full game since 16 January, having been sidelined with a back problem for six weeks. He was struggling with his hamstring towards the end of that time and Spurs will be anxious that the latest setback could threaten his involvement at the Bernabéu. Gary Speed, however, tried to offer a more positive prognosis. The Wales manager said Bale could feature against Real Madrid and also claimed that his decision to declare him unfit for the England game had reduced the risk of him picking up a serious injury that could have ended his season. “The decision was made last night as soon as we got the scan,” said the Wales manager. “I think you can tell on the scans now with the fluid and blood that he was injured from last week. I’m no expert, but I’m sure it’s only a 10-day thing.” Speed could have been forgiven for questioning the wisdom of Harry Redknapp’s decision to keep Bale on the pitch throughout the game against West Ham, although he seemed determined to avoid becoming embroiled in a club versus country row with the Spurs manager. There had been the potential for a major fall-out on Thursday morning, when Raymond Verheijen, the Wales assistant manager, wrote “the incompetent amateurs struck again” on his Twitter page. Spurs reacted angrily to Verheijen’s comments, believing they were directed at them for their handling of the injury, but both the Dutchman and Speed have since clarified that he was referring to a newspaper article that incorrectly suggested Bale had strained his hamstring during training for Wales. “It was a total misunderstanding. In no way did that refer to Tottenham,” said Speed. “I can understand how it might be portrayed but I think the fact that it was reported that he did his hamstring in training on Wednesday, that was the incompetent bit.” Asked whether he had told Verheijen, who in the past has used Twitter to voice his disapproval of Roberto Mancini’s training methods at Manchester City, to rein in his comments, Speed replied: “Absolutely. It’s caused an unnecessary problem but we’ve talked about it and nipped it in the bud. There will be no more tweeting of that sort.” Aware of the problems international managers have had with their club counterparts in the past, Speed seemed keen to keep Redknapp onside and build bridges with Tottenham. “We don’t put any blame on Spurs. [Bale] was fit to play 90 minutes and played 90 minutes. He came to us, and maybe if we hadn’t been so thorough in our testing, he may have played. But what we don’t want is for him to play and then pull up and put himself out for the season. The player’s welfare is of paramount importance and that’s what’s happened.” Speed did, though, reveal that Bale, who will continue to receive treatment in Wales, would have preferred to delay the decision. “He wanted to wait and see if he could give it a go,” he said. “But the nature of the strain showed up on the scan. Although England is a huge game and we would want Gareth in, we don’t want to be putting him back for the rest of the season. Spurs also have some massive games coming up.” The Wales manager described Bale’s absence as a “big blow”, although he added: “Any team in the world would miss a Gareth Bale but between now and the next three and a half years we’re going to miss players, and if Wales are going to achieve anything we’re going to have to cope. We’ve had a great week training and the lads are really up for it so it’s not the end of the world.” Euro 2012 Wales England Gareth Bale Stuart James guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
The Sussex spinner will not be the last England player to leave a tour early for the sake of his mental health It is a glamorous lifestyle isn’t it, being a professional sportsman. Doing for a living the very thing that other people might do for fun, pay to do even, when they are not earning their crust. Become an England international cricketer and you are in clover these days. You get paid rather well, not in a Premier League footballer or elite golfer sort of way but enough to keep the wolf from the door. And then there is the travel and comradeship. Touring can be wonderful with the business class travel, five star hotels and your mates. Someone delivers your bags to your room and collects them again when it is time to leave, deals with your passport and visas, organises your golf or boat trips. They even tell you when to eat and drink these days. Beyond the actual process of playing cricket there is no need to lift a finger. But then there are the down days. Family at home say, or sweetheart. The England and Wales Cricket Board are generous in their accommodation of families on tour, but nothing can compensate for being at home. Another flight, another coach trip, another hotel room. The itineraries now are so intensive that there is precious little time to relax. This winter, many players and management staff have been away from home since the back end of October all but three nights. And it would be an exceptional person who did not at some time feel a longing to be back in the family bosom. Last week Paul Collingwood, as hard bitten and good a tourist as there is, admitted that he felt a lump in the throat when he heard his young daughter wish that England should lose their match against West Indies so that he could return home. The down days, rather than economy, are the reason that once upon a time, tourists shared rooms. They do that no longer. The team can back you all they like but you return to your room alone and sometimes the walls just close in. Actually, it might be worse in these days of instant communication than when news from home came via airmail or a pre-booked phone call. Skype may bring people together but it can drive a wedge as well. Something about out of sight out of mind. And this is how it affects those who do not already suffer from an underlying depression. Michael Yardy is not the first England cricketer to leave a tour for the sake of his mental well being and you would not bet on him being the last. Marcus Trescothick’s travails have been well documented, his story articulated brilliantly in his book by an author who has been himself a sufferer. It was a revelation and brought home that depression is not a simple case of “pull yourself together”, but an illness. You cannot just jolly a depressive along. It strikes indiscriminately. One morning in Canberra in the winter of 2006-07, Trescothick and I were standing together by the hotel breakfast room toaster having a natter. He was in a fine mood and looking forward to the series. This was no front. Two days later, he had been spirited from the country and was on his way home. No support in the world was able to ensure that once he left the security of his family environment the curtain would not descend once more. It was a great loss to England cricket but quite literally saved Trescothick’s sanity. The back story with Yardy is not dissimilar. By all accounts he has been battling the illness for some considerable while, but this has been a long winter. He was not part of the England Ashes squad, but, in the knowledge he would be involved in the one-day matches that followed he played cricket in New Zealand before joining the squad after the fifth Test in Sydney. So he too has been on the road effectively for five or six months. There might be the thought that his inability to contribute as much as he might have wanted to the series in Australia and this World Cup would have impacted on him, exacerbating the condition that was already there. Certainly it has been disappointing, his selection, truth be told, a poor one. Yardy was an integral part of the successful Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean last year, a revelation with his left arm stuff speared in. Perhaps this seduced the England management into thinking that this could be translated to the longer format. Twenty20 requires different skills however. A bowler who can concede but seven runs per over, say, has done an excellent job. There is little imperative to take wickets as opposed to restraint: batsmen will hit out and get out eventually. This does not apply in 50-over cricket, where a wicket-taking ability is also essential. Yardy’s record of around 20 first-class wickets in a ten year career, and not a single ball bowled in first-class cricket last year, tells its story on that front. His batting is not of sufficient quality. But once again this does not tell the whole truth. A bad run of form can be depressing for anyone but not in the overwhelming manner in which it embraces a clinical sufferer. There was no evidence to suggest that Trescothick, a player of considerably more stature than Yardy, was in anything other than pristine form, the prime years of his playing life ahead of him. Yardy will not play for England again but he will thrive with his county. This may not seem it at the time, but a weight of sorts will be lifted. There will be no more confusion in his mind. And no stigma attached. We can all wish him well. England cricket team Cricket World Cup 2011 Cricket Depression Mental health Mike Selvey guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …