All posts by h716a5.icu

Ricky Ponting has said he would be more than happy to have Andrew Symonds in his Ashes squad but conceded the selectors faced a hard call on whether they could squeeze him in

Cricinfo staff19-May-2009Ricky Ponting has said he would be more than happy to have Andrew Symonds in his Ashes squad but conceded the selectors faced a hard call on whether they could squeeze him in. The touring party will be named at 11am (AEST) on Wednesday and there is no guarantee that Symonds, who was once a certainty in the starting XI, will be chosen.His off-field issues over the past year have led to him being stood down from the side on two occasions and he has struggled to regain his best form at first-class level. That has allowed Marcus North to capably slot into the No. 6 role, while Andrew McDonald has held down the allrounder’s position.Shane Watson and Brad Hodge will also come into contention along with Symonds, who made his latest comeback for Australia in the recent one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE. Ponting said it would be no great bombshell if Symonds was named in the squad, which is likely to feature 16 players.”I wouldn’t be surprised, he has had his share of battles over the last 12 months, obviously the well documented stuff off the field,” Ponting told AAP. “He’s worked his way back into domestic cricket pretty well and played well for us over in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.”He’s a great guy to have around a team, there is no doubt about that. Obviously the selectors are going to have some tough decisions to make in the coming hours.”Blog with Alex Brown on the Ashes squad between 10.30am and 12.30pm (AEST) on Wednesday

After falling to a defeat last time out in the Premier League, Leeds United will be hoping to pick up their first win of the new season when they travel to Newcastle United on Friday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side lost 3-0 to Liverpool, with Pascal Struijk’s red card for his challenge on Harvey Elliott the understandable talking point after the game.

However, the defeat meant that the Whites now linger only just above the relegation zone and desperately need a positive performance and result against the Magpies tonight to lift the mood.

One way in which Bielsa can do that even before the game is by starting new signing Dan James.

The Wales international arrived from Manchester United on transfer deadline day and has only been restricted to one substitute appearance thus far as Bielsa understandably looks to ease him into life at Elland Road.

However, with Rodrigo badly struggling at the start of this new season – here on FFC we’ve called on the Leeds boss to drop the Spaniard tonight – James might have the perfect chance to make his full debut for the club.

Speaking after the game against Liverpool last week, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan said: “He came into really tough circumstances in the game. We were fighting to get back into it and were down to 10 men, so it wasn’t the ideal circumstances to make your debut.

“But the glimpses we saw of him, he has good feet, good link-up play, he’s good at cutting inside. He is a top player all round. It was everything that we expected, that he showed at Man United during the time he was there.

“He looks like the type of player who will be perfect for Elland Road. He ticks a lot of the boxes that will make us a better team this season. We do play very direct and down the wings and the cut inside to link up with Patrick Bamford.”

His former Old Trafford teammate Andreas Pereira lauded the 23-year-old as being “explosive and so fast” in an interview with the club’s official website last season, and that level of pace and directness is something that the Whites could really do with as they look to get their campaign going.

His performances at Euro 2020 over the summer showed exactly why he could be a major thorn in the Magpies’ defence, averaging an impressive 2.5 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game – not only was he electric taking players on, but he also showed an impressive end product too.

The £43m-rated star could terrify Newcastle tonight at St James’ Park if Bielsa decides to start him.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star must be dropped tonight against Newcastle…

When Rafa Benitez was first announced as Everton manager, it caused controversy among the supporters at Goodison Park.

Their frustration was fully justified, too. They had lost Carlo Ancelotti and brought in a coach who has such a great affinity with Liverpool and Anfield.

Those bad vibes have been quickly eradicated, though, with the Spaniard engineering seven points from a possible nine at the start of the season.

On the chalkboard

Benitez’s new signings have hit the ground running brilliantly, with Demarai Gray finding the net on two occasions already.

However, the Toffees have struggled in one area of the pitch; defensively.

Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina have been missing for the early stages of the campaign, which has meant a centre-back pairing of Mason Holgate and Michael Keane.

Unfortunately, it has not gone well. Everton have only kept one clean sheet in all competitions this season, which came against Brighton last time out.

On that occasion, Keane was actually in good form. The Englishman won 100% of his defensive duels and was also successful with 92% of his passes.

That was a rare good performance from the centre-back, who has actually been a liability in 2021/22.

The £69k-per-week earner failed to pick up his man for the goal that Everton conceded against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup and was also at fault in the draw with Leeds.

Keane turned slowly and couldn’t intercept the ball, which allowed Patrick Bamford to pick up possession and then play in Mateusz Klich, who found the net.

He has attracted widespread criticism this term, particularly from Sport Witness journalist Sean Lunt. Speaking about his ineptitude last month, the reporter commented: “Another sloppy goal for Everton to concede and it’s Michael Keane again. He’s regressed awfully once again, Everton would do well to sell at this point.”

Selling the 28-year-old might be a stretch too far but it would be wise of Benitez to axe him from his starting XI when they face his former team Burnley.

They take on the Clarets next Monday and could be boosted by the return of Mina and Godfrey, who both now seem back to fitness.

Despite his productive performance against Brighton, it’s still incredibly difficult to trust Keane completely. He should be taken out of the firing line.

AND in other news, Signed for £28m, now worth £90m: Kenwright struck gold for Everton with £325k-p/w gem…

Liverpool have received a big injury boost ahead of their Premier League encounter with Leeds United over the weekend after Virgil van Dijk played down concerns over an ankle issue.

What’s the word?

The 30-year-old centre-back suffered a late fitness scare during the Netherlands’ 6-1 World Cup Qualifier win over Turkey in midweek after he was spotted clutching his ankle following a high challenge from Halil Dervisoglu.

Van Dijk appeared to be in considerable pain but told local media that he was “already over it” following the final whistle at the Amsterdam ArenA.

New Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal was quick to point the blame at the slow play of his goalkeeper, Justin Bijlow, and defender, Devyne Rensch, for his captain’s injury.

“The last (goal) could not happen, in my opinion, but it was a soft ball of our right full-back,” said the former Ajax, Manchester United and Bayern Munich boss (as relayed by The Independent).

“And by law the goalkeeper, who played three fantastic matches, makes a mistake, also a slow ball. That’s why Virgil van Dijk is a little bit injured now.”

The Liverpool talisman made no reference to the tackle on Twitter, though, saying: “Proud captain today, great performance all round. What a great atmosphere too! Now time to head back to Liverpool and prepare for a tough couple of weeks ahead.”

Jurgen Klopp will be delighted

With Liverpool set to take on Leeds United at Elland Road over the weekend following the return of Premier League football, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp will be delighted to have his star defender available for selection as he’d have been panicked to see the challenge he was on the receiving end of.

Van Dijk missed the majority of last season through a serious knee injury and the 19-time English champions fell to third place in the top-flight table in his absence.

His return to Merseyside in good health will be a huge relief for everyone associated with the club, and Klopp can plan ahead for the tricky trip to south Yorkshire with his first-choice centre-back in mind.

And, in other news…Get it done: Liverpool enter race for £17m forward, Klopp would absolutely love him

Southampton were heavily linked with Teun Koopmeiners in 2020, and after he completed a move to Atalanta in the transfer window, you’d have to feel that the Saints missed out on a player who would’ve been ideal in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

What’s the word?

Southampton reportedly bid around €16m (£14m) for the Dutch midfielder last summer but were unsuccessful in their attempts to bring him to St Mary’s, as he remained with AZ Alkmaar for the 2020/21 campaign.

However, he completed a move to Atalanta late in the summer transfer window in a deal reportedly worth €12m (£10.3m), which suggests that he could’ve been a bargain option for the Saints.

Would Koopmeiners have been a good signing for Southampton?

The 23-year-old midfielder certainly seems to fit Southampton’s transfer model as he is a young midfielder who would’ve cost just over £10m, which was the budget Ralph Hasenhuttl set for new signings ahead of the transfer window.

The Austrian also suggested in the transfer window that he was looking for a player who could play as a centre-back or a ‘number six’, and Koopmeiners has been a regular in both of those positions in his career thus far, so he would’ve been ideal at St Mary’s.

Even following the signing of Lyanco from Torino, it was still suggested that Hasenhuttl wanted more cover for Oriol Romeu and Ibrahima Diallo in the defensive midfield position, so a late move for Koopmeiners would have made a lot of sense.

Despite predominantly featuring as a defensive midfielder, the Dutchman was in sensational form for AZ Alkmaar last season, contributing 15 goals and five assists in 31 Eredivisie appearances and averaging a superb 7.31 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

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If the 23-year-old is able to replicate those sorts of performances for Atalanta in Serie A this season, then you’d have to feel that Southampton will have made a big mistake in not reigniting their interest in Koopmeiners this summer.

In other news… Southampton can sign their next Walker-Peters in 21 y/o tipped to reach the “very top”

The results from the fifth day of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament 2008-09

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2009
Ajinkya Rahane’s century steered Mumbai to their second straight win © Cricinfo Ltd
South ZoneAn aggressive 95 from M Vijay and good support from opener Srikkanth Anirudha and Arun Karthik handed Tamil Nadu a comfortable eight-wicket win – their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament – over Andhra Pradesh in Visakhapatnam. Tamil Nadu’s job was made easier by their fast bowlers R Suthesh and Yo Mahesh, who took five wickets between them to help restrict Andhra for 190. The duo struck to leave Andhra reeling at 37 for 6. However, Duvvarapu Shivkumar, who top scored for Andhra with 56, triggered a lower-order revival, with the last four wickets added 153. Garikina Prasad, the offspinner, who batted at No. 10, contributed 41. But the total proved inadequate, with Tamil Nadu’s batsmen scoring at more than 5.5 runs an over, led by Vijay, who struck 12 fours and two sixes.Fast bowlers M Arjun and Shoaib Ahmed took three wickets each to help Hyderabad inflict a 105-run defeat on Goa in Visakhapatnam. The two took the first five wickets to fall and left Goa – who were chasing 261 for victory – reeling at 48 for 5 in the 15th over. Though the lower order helped Goa salvage a more respectable final score, the flurry of wickets early in their innings meant they were always behind the eight-ball. Asked to bat, Hyderabad were provided a good start by opener DB Ravi Teja, who scored 69. Though the highest partnership in their innings was only 50 – between Teja and Anoop Pai for the third wicket – the middle order made important contributions to help their team post a competitive score. Amol Shinde made 43, wicketkeeper Abhinav Kumar chipped in with 34, and Ashish Reddy scored a quick 29 to take their team to 260 for 8. Shadab Jakati, the left-arm spinner, took 3 for 52. Goa, at the bottom of the table, have no chance of making it to the knockout stage.A threatening 89-run stand for the seventh wicket between centurion Devraj Patil and Raju Bhatkal could not prevent Kerala from beating Karnataka by a narrow 15-run margin at the Port Trust Golden Jubilee Stadium. Medium-pacer Prasanth Parameswaran took 3 for 15 in 7.3 overs, and was ably assisted by the rest of the bowling line-up as Karnataka faltered in pursuit of 243. They started off poorly, losing their openers Robin Uthappa and CM Gautam with 19 on the board and slipped to a precarious 111 for 6, despite a 54-run partnership between Patil and B Akhil. Though Patil and Bhatkal took their team within reach of the target, Parameswaran’s two wickets ensured Kerala won. Earlier, Kerala squandered a solid foundation for a sizeable score, losing five wickets for 68 runs in reaching 258 for 9. Half-centuries from Karimutthatu Rakesh, Sreekumar Nair and Preambhastn Prem had put Kerala in a dominating position, but three run-outs jolted their hopes of getting a total beyond Karnataka’s reach. It was Kerala’s first win in the tournament.West ZoneMumbai kept alive their chances of finishing in the top two by beating Maharashtra by seven wickets at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot. Maharashtra, put in, managed a score over 200 thanks to an unbeaten 58 from No. 7 Ganesh Gaekwad, who added 71 for the eighth wicket with Rohit Motwani after they had been reduced to 110 for 7. Dhawal Kulkarni struck two early blows for Mumbai, while Iqbal Abdulla and Abhishek took three wickets apiece. Chasing 211, Mumbai’s openers – Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane – put on 145 in 22 overs. Gaekwad took the three wickets to fall in the innings, while Rahane reached his century before Mumbai completed the win with 12.4 overs to spare. Mumbai, who now are tied at the top with Maharashtra and Gujarat on eight points, will have to rely on the results of the remaining games in the group phase – Mumbai have completed their four.Half-centuries from opener Sagar Jogiyani and Cheteshwar Pujara helped hosts Saurashtra beat Baroda by five wickets. Set a challenging target of 248, Saurashtra began soundly with the openers adding 36 in under ten overs. However, Chirag Pathak’s dismissal slowed down the innings and Saurashtra were behind the asking-rate when they lost No. 3 Bhushan Chauhan with the score on 83 in the 26th over. But Jogiyani batted steadily, and Pujara stepped up the scoring after Jogiyani fell to finish with 75 off 68 balls and take Saurashtra past Baroda’s total in the final over. Pratik Mehta supported Pujara well with a 28-ball 33, adding 60 for the fifth wicket. Baroda, after opting to bat, wasted a solid foundation laid by a 106-run third-wicket stand between Azharuddin Bilakhia, who top scored with 85, and Rakesh Solanki. They lost their last six wickets for 78 runs, with medium-pacer Jayesh Odedra taking 4 for 44 to precipitate a quick end to the innings.North ZoneAjay Mannu, the Himachal Pradesh wicketkeeper, made an invaluable 70 to help his team record a narrow two-wicket win over Delhi in Una. HP were struggling at 194 for 6 in pursuit of a challenging 282, but Mannu steadied the innings, getting involved in crucial partnerships of 31 for the seventh wicket with K Diwan, and 41 for the eighth with offspinner Sarandeep Singh to take his team within reach of the target. HP had begun their run-chase well, with opener Sangram Singh scoring a quickfire 57. However, the middle-order batsmen failed to build on starts – Vikramjeet Malik made 31 and captain Paras Dogra was trapped lbw on 44. Mannu’s rescue act, though, led the team to their third straight win. Delhi’s innings was anchored by opener Aakash Chopra’s century. He and was involved in a 96-run fourth-wicket stand with allrounder Rajat Bhatia, who made 77 off 68 balls.Haryana too completed a close two-wicket win against Services. Batting first, Services – who had complained about poor facilities in Una – managed only 181. Joginder Sharma struck three early blows, while India legspinner Amit Mishra grabbed 5 for 44 as only three Services batsmen made it past 20. Services’ opening bowlers Rakesh Kumar and Narendra Singh took five wickets to leave Haryana at 78 for 6, but Dhruv Singh and Joginder revived the chase with a 79 -run stand. Arun Sharma then removed Joginer and Sandeep Singh – he finished with 2 for 29 off ten overs – but Dhruv’s unbeaten 68 ensured his team reached the target with 4.2 overs to spare. At the other end, Gaurav Vashisht survived 11 balls for his 1.Uday Kaul top scored with 79 as Punjab posted the first win – a six-wicket victory over Jammu & Kashmir in Dharamsala. Set 219, Punjab’s chase was over in the 38th over, with Ravi Inder Singh and Ankur Kakkar chipping in with 40s. It was the third straight loss for J&K, who were off to a steady start after being put in. Openers Imraj Thakur and Ian Dev Singh scored contrasting 45s, but the middle order, barring Manoj Joglekar, failed to capitalise. Joglekar scored 73 to push his team past 200; the best from the rest was 12. Taruwar Kohli was the pick of the Punjab bowlers, with 3 for 28 off his 7.1 overs.East ZoneRanadeb Bose took a three-wicket haul as Bengal’s bowlers put on an impressive display at Eden Gardens to help their side book their place in the knockout stage. Chasing 250, Tripura were bowled out for 158. Ashok Dinda and spinners Iresh Saxena and Manoj Tiwary scalped two wickets each. Shreevats Goswami scored 74 in Bengal’s 249, with Tiwary making 55 and wicketkeeper-opener Wriddhiman Saha 41. For Tripura, opening bowler Rana Dutta, playing his third List A game, took 4 for 43.A seven-wicket win over Jharkhand in Kolkata boosted Orissa’s chances of qualification. Subit Biswal’s maiden List A century and an unbeaten 88 from Halhadar Das steered Orissa to their target of 261 with 5.3 overs remaining. Jharkhand reached 260 thanks to Saurabh Tiwary’s 76, and a 47-ball 62 from Shiv Gautham.

Lee Ryder has criticised the performance of Jacob Murphy as Newcastle United lost 2-0 away to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Another loss

The Magpies slumped to their second defeat in two games at the hands of Dean Smith’s team, with a stunning goal from Danny Ings and a penalty from Anwar El Ghazi enough to give the hosts all three points at Villa Park.

After the 4-2 home defeat at the hands of West Ham United last weekend, Steve Bruce is now under pressure to try and get his first points on the board in the new season.

The Latest: Murphy criticised

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder criticised Murphy’s performance, claiming that the 26-year-old found it ‘a real struggle’ for long periods in the match, and that his yellow card added to a ‘tough’ afternoon.

The journalist gave him a mere 4/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest out of anyone in the Newcastle line-up.

The Verdict: Must do better

If Murphy is to cement the starting place at right wing-back as his own, then he must perform better than he did at Villa Park yesterday.

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The Englishman lost out on four of his duels in the game and also failed to record a single shot, dribble, interception, key pass, accurate cross or long ball. He lost possession no fewer than 15 times, the joint-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Getting a yellow card on top of all that really summed up his afternoon, and he will be hoping for better displays over the rest of the season.

In other news, Newcastle have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of this youngster

A round-up of the third day’s play in the second round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff04-Jan-2009Group A
Fawad Alam scored an unbeaten 86 against Pakistan International Airlines as National Bank of Pakistan finished the third day in the ascendancy in Karachi © AFP
For the second time in the match, Danish Kaneria breezed through the Pakistan Customs tail in Karachi to help Habib Bank Limited wrap up an emphatic innings-and-98-run win. Resuming on 61 for 5 in their second innings, Pakistan Customs put up some resistance. Overnight batsmen Zahoor Elahi and Mohammad Hussain (25) pushed the score to 114, before HBL captain Younis Khan got the breakthrough. Elahi dominated the scoring, with 12 fours in his 94-ball 81. He fell soon after, and Kaneria’s spun out the tail to end the innings on 129.National Bank of Pakistan look set to make it two wins out of two in the season, with left-armer Wahab Riaz’s 3 for 6 in 2.4 overs wrecking Pakistan International Airlines’ pursuit of a stiff 321 in Karachi. Two other players who were given international exposure in the past year, Nasir Jamshed and Fawad Alam, helped NBP pile up an impressive 322 in the second innings – the first-innings totals had been 213 and 215. Jamshed scored 115, while Alam made an unbeaten 86. For PIA, offspinner Tahir Khan took 5 for 62. Riaz then struck thrice to leave PIA at 42 for 3, but Khurram Manzoor, who’s been scoring heavily of late, could pose a threat for NBP on the final day.Both Tanvir Ahmed and Azam Hussain took four-wicket hauls as Karachi Whites fought back on the third day, but Sui Southern Gas Corporation still managed to gain a 33-run first-innings lead, having laid a strong foundation on the second day in Karachi. Azam removed Saeed Bin Nasir on his overnight score of 94, but Wajid Ali (81) and Ahmed Zeeshan (31) took SSGC five runs within Karachi’s 278. Azam claimed Wajid, who added 19 to his overnight 62, and Tanvir soon joined in on the act. The sixth-wicket pair gave SSGC the all-important first-innings lead, but Karachi did not let their spirits drop, and kept the lead to 33. They were in a spot of bother after losing three wickets while still in the red, but 62s for Afsar Nawaz and former Pakistan batsman Asim Kamal, who was unbeaten at stumps, took them to 155 for 4. If they pick up wickets early on the fourth day, SSGC could pouch their first win of the season.In the 47.2 overs possible in Lahore, hosts Lahore Shalimar scored 116 runs for the loss of five wickets against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. Junaid Malik and Suleman Khan, who batted through the truncated second day, failed to convert their half-centuries into hundreds. Mohammad Khalil, a former Pakistan international, took two wickets as Lahore crept along to 331 for 7.There was no play for the second successive day between Khan Research Laboratories and Water and Power Development Authority in Rawalpindi. WAPDA, put in by KRL, had closed the first day at 217 for 5 in their first innings.Group BA draw is on the cards in Islamabad, where no play was possible on the third day. Abbottabad had dismissed Rawalpindi for 325 in the first innings, and have not yet commenced their reply.Faisalabad are in with a good chance of beating the weather and completing a win over Hyderabad at the Iqbal Stadium. They forced the pace on Sunday, scoring 145 runs in 25.4 overs to declare their first innings at 354 for 3, a lead of 175. Zeeshan Asif, resuming on 80, was unbeaten on 133, and Usman Arshad scored a quickfire 52 off 45 balls in an unbroken stand of 102. Ahmed Hayat then struck twice as Hyderabad slumped to 19 for 2 in their 9.2 overs before close.Sialkot seem the odds-on favourites in their closely-fought contest against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium. Sialkot will begin the final day needing 76 runs for a win, with seven wickets still in hand. Karachi Blues, trailing by 12 on the first innings, began the day at 52 for 1 but lost three quick wickets. Opener Shahzaib Hasan fell for 51, and the only other batsman to reach double figures in the top seven was Sheharyar Ghani (42). Karachi were in trouble at 135 for 7, but Babar Rehman’s run-a-ball 59, which included ten fours, and a 21 from wicketkeeper Mohammad Hasan helped them past the 200-mark. The two fell to left-armer Nayyer Abbas, with Karachi managing 219. Sialkot’s openers put on 60, but Rehman dismissed the pair to leave them at 79 for 3. He combined with keeper Hasan to get rid of Kamran Younis (55), but an unbeaten 42 from Sialkot captain Mohammad Ayub, supported by Haris Sohail’s 13 off 78 balls, made sure the visitors will begin the final day with the upper hand.After 13 overs on the first day, no overs were bowled on Sunday in the match between Islamabad and Peshwar at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. Put in by Peshawar, the hosts were at 47 for 2.Abdur Rauf did a Kaneria as Quetta, resuming on 144 for 4, were dismissed for 210, but Nazar Hussain snared four of the top five to leave Multan at 80 for 4 by close on the second day at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Captain Nasim Khan was the only batsman to go past 50 in Quetta’s first innings, with Sajjad Hussain backing up Rauf’s 5 for 50 with figures of 3 for 32. Nazar, though, left Multan reeling at 33 for 4, before Rameez Alam (24) and Ansar Javed (34) did the recovery job, one which they will look to continue into the third day.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has earmarked Leeds United starlet Joe Gelhardt as one to watch in the Premier League this season.

What’s the story?

The 19-year-old has yet to make a first-team appearance at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa, but Hay has tipped the teenager to be the club’s surprise package.

During a Q&A for The Athletic, the journalist name-checked the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Cody Drameh, but reserved special praise for Gelhardt and said he could be the man to make the biggest impression.

He said: “Possibly Shackelton. I’d like to think Drameh might get a chance if Ayling gets injured or has to relocate to centre-back. But Gelhardt is the one, I feel. So much talent there. Everyone talks about it.”

Bielsa should give him a chance

The former Wigan starlet only arrived at Elland Road last summer but has since made a big impression behind the scenes at Thorp Arch, with Hay previously revealing that the club feel they pulled off an absolute steal.

He said: “He’s been hugely impressive in the (Under-23s). Every time I see him, he looks like a massively talented player. Leeds have been quite honest in saying that the money they paid for him, around about £700,000 up front, from what I was told, is a small fee for somebody with massive amounts of talent.”

With 11 goals in just 18 games at Premier League 2 level, including a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 win over West Brom last season, Gelhardt is doing everything he can to make waves at academy level.

Bielsa has just Patrick Bamford as a recognised striker option to call upon, and with the Whites yet again not bringing in a new striker to add some competition, it’s surely the perfect time for Gelhardt to be brought into the fold.

The 18-year-old made it onto the bench for the Premier League games against Manchester City and Liverpool towards the back end of last season, but wasn’t brought on.

With Hay claiming that Gelhardt is highly-rated inside the club, this season seems like the perfect chance for Bielsa to give him a chance in the first-team.

Fans will surely be excited with Hay’s prediction that the 19-year-old could be Leeds’ surprise package this season in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

The battle for Test cricket’s wooden spoon has moved from the Arctic gloom of Dunedin to the warmth and Caribbean sunshine of Napier – and the shift in the balance between the teams prior to the second Test is just as stark

Tony Cozier18-Dec-2008
Will West Indies pick left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn at a venue where Monty Panesar picked up six wickets in March? © AFP
The battle for Test cricket’s wooden spoon has moved from the Arctic gloom of Dunedin to the warmth and Caribbean sunshine of Napier – and the shift in the balance between the teams prior to the second Test is just as stark.By mid-afternoon of the fourth day of the first Test last Sunday, West Indies were 173 for 6 replying to New Zealand’s 365. The infamously fragile tail was exposed. The situation was as bleak as the weather.Jerome Taylor’s brazen, counter-attacking 106, his seventh-wicket partnership of 153 with the immovable Shivnarine Chanderpaul and two New Zealand second innings wickets in the final 10 overs of the day so transformed the contest that the team happier at the last day washout was the one in the new, widely condemned black-trimmed sweaters.The swing in fortunes has continued in the interim and the force is surely with West Indies. It was evident in their exuberance, even on the flight into Napier when the vivacious, black Air New Zealand hostess, originally from Zimbabwe, had Sewnarine Chattergoon and Shivnarine Chanderpaul handing out coffee, tea, biscuits and water to the delight of team-mates and passengers.The attitude was the same at their net session yesterday under a welcome blue sky and a temperature in the mid 20 degrees at the expansive Nelson Park, across the road from the Test venue, McLean Park.With the conditions in their favour West Indies provide an excellent opportunity to reverse three successive series losses to New Zealand, their last victory dating back to 1996, and keep New Zealand below them at No.8 on the ICC Test standings.It is not to say that captain Chris Gayle is without his concerns. His latest opening partner, Sewnarine Chattergoon, was out for 13 and lucky to even get there. Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin once more fell cheaply, a failure diminished by Taylor’s brilliance.The bowlers, as usual, lacked consistency and were hard pressed to dismiss opponents with a new opening batsman (Tim McIntosh, who scored 34) and an experimental switch in the order (Danuel Flynn up to No. 3 where he scored 95 and Jese Ryder to No. 5 where he made 89). All three are left-handers and West Indies need to reassess their tactics of a 7-2 off side-leg side field bowling to a line wide of off stump, where all three are strong.The balance of the attack will also be high of the agenda of the convenor of selectors, Clyde Butts, who is in New Zealand for the entire tour in his official capacity, Gayle, vice-captain Ramdin and coach John Dyson.In the first Test, they opted for Lionel Baker, on debut, as the fourth fast bowler in preference to Sulieman Benn, the tall left-arm spinner. The decision was influenced by heavy rain preceding the match and the expectation that the pitch would be damp. There was no help for speed, swing or seam and Gayle ended up bowling his off spin for 20 overs on the first day – and claiming three of the four wickets.Knowledgeable local information that the pitch at McLean Park is hard and faster and bouncier than at Dunedin’s University Oval would point to the retention of the all-pace bias.Yet reference to the previous Test at the ground, won by England by 121 runs in March, would favour Benn.In England’s second innings 467 for 7 declared, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori wheeled away for 45 overs with his left-arm spin for a return of 4 for 158. The figures of England’s equivalent, Monty Panesar, in New Zealand’s second innings were 46-17-126-6.The presence of West Indies’ only genuine all-rounder at present, Dwayne Bravo, would solve the problem. He would be No.6 in the order and the fourth quick bowler, allowing for the inclusion of a specialist spinner. He continues to recuperate from his ankle operation. He cannot return fast enough.In the meantime, West Indies have every reason to assert themselves. It is not often in recent times that has been the case.