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As Australia’s cricketers lament the imminent demise of the WACA Ground as a major international venue, a paltry crowd for the second Test against New Zealand is expected to underline why this is so.A gathering of around 10,000 spectators is in prospect for day one of the match, with attendances depreciating further from there. Searing temperatures will not help to sell the experience, and some of the ground’s temporary seating has not even been put in place for this week – raised concrete terraces next to the Prindiville Stand will radiate heat rather than noise.There are other factors apart from the unforgiving nature of the ground itself. Promotion of the Test series does not appear to have stuck in the minds of prospective ticket-buyers. Meanwhile the WACA’s odd tradition of not suspending local club cricket on the Saturday of the Test has continued in spite of a yearning by many a local player to attend Steven Smith’s first Perth match as captain.All this is viewed with considerable pain by the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Adam Voges, two players steeped in the story of the WACA Ground who have also enjoyed great personal success in the middle. Johnson’s increasingly world-weary visage was writ large across his thoughts about the looming move of most major fixtures to the Burswood Stadium, potentially as early as the next Ashes summer in 2017-18.”It’s sad, I think it is a great ground to play at,” Johnson said. “Most teams would say the same thing, it’s a great place to play cricket. It will be sad for it to go, there’s not much we can do as players about it except go out there and try to enjoy the games that we do have out there. It’s disappointing but at the same time there’s a new stadium that’s being built and that is going to hopefully bring more people to the games.”It’s a difficult one because it’s a ground that I have had success at, probably my most success at. I remember playing my first shield game here in the early 2000s playing against Joey Angel and Brad Williams and remembering how quick and bouncy it was then and the cracks and how that played, and you just aren’t going to get that anywhere else.”Everyone’s different, I do like that you get a bit of a breeze here with the openings, you’ve got the grassed area, but I think all sports around the world are played in bigger stadiums generally. That’s just the way it is. They are built for getting spectators in and watching us play and perform and I guess to try and excite the crowds. There’s two ways to look at it, but I prefer it like this.”Voges accepted that the WACA quirks loved by the players also contributed to the discomfort of the fans, from the motley assortment of seating arrangements to amenities like toilets, bars and food outlets – none of which are the sorts of issues immediately evident from the cloisters of the players’ dressing rooms and viewing area. He has also spoken to the WACA curator Matthew Page about the ground staff’s ambitions to find a way of preparing fast and bouncy drop-in pitches at the new stadium.”It’s exciting for Western Australia to have a brand new facility,” he said. “It just means that Test cricket here is – not coming to an end, but we’re not going to see as much Test cricket here at the WACA. A little part of me is saddened by that, but obviously it’s a very exciting future as well.”We play on a lot of drop-in wickets now and soon enough we’re going to be playing on another one. It is what it is. We understand that we need that in order for the future of the game to continue and that’s the most important thing. Pagey’s working his guts out to prepare a drop-in that has similar characteristics to the WACA. Whether that’s possible, we’ll wait and see,” Voges said.Page spoke unabashedly this week about trying to replicate “the olden days” at the ground, and it is in a fast and bouncy track that Australia’s players find most of their love for playing here. Value for shots but also value for bowlers, and value for the home side, too. “I really enjoy playing here at the WACA, we generally get a good crowd here and good support,” Smith said. “Hopefully they roll out this week and really back us up to get us over the line in this series.”As for the future move across the Swan River to Burswood, it will be up to the players of Smith’s generation and younger to adjust to whatever vagaries it throws up. For the likes of Johnson and Voges, the prospect of losing the WACA will hurt, but that of spectating at a swish new stadium sits rather better. “I see myself,” Voges said, “watching a bit of cricket there.”

Everton have had a season of nightmares so far, with the side almost falling into the relegation zone last night, only spared by Leicester’s second-half goals against Burnley, which gave the Toffees a lifeline just above the drop zone by one point.

There are so many factors that have come into the demise of the Merseyside club this season, with numerous injury problems to key players, managerial issues amid the sacking of Rafa Benitez in January, and a string of poor defensive performances that has seen the side score 13 fewer goals than they have conceded, winning only six league games out of 24 so far.

There is no doubt that the defensive issues are a huge problem for Everton, and new manager Frank Lampard must address the costly errors that his defensive line are constantly making.

Michael Keane, in particular, is proving time and time again that he hasn’t got the discipline in his position to assist the Toffees in their efforts to save the season and remain in the Premier League, becoming a huge hindrance in the team.

The £69k-per-week dud who was dubbed “sloppy” by BT Sport pundit Jim Beglin, made yet another error in Everton’s most recent Premier League defeat at Goodison Park last weekend that led to Phil Foden scoring in the last few minutes of the game for Manchester City.

His poor decision making and lack of concentration in the moments leading to Foden’s goal in the 82nd minute were scathed by former England goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, who told Football Insider;

“Keane suffers from lapses in concentration,”

“It happens far too often. This is not an isolated incident. This is not a one-off.”

“It is costing Everton dearly. These are errors that could be and need to be stopped.”

This isn’t the first time this season that Keane has let his team down. The defender set Everton back early into an away game against bottom of the table, Norwich City, opening up the scoring for the Canaries with an own goal in the 16th minute, leading to a 2-1 defeat that sparked protests and the sacking of Benitez.

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According to SofaScore, the 29-year-old averages 55.5 touches and loses the ball 9.9 times per game in the Premier League, meaning he is losing possession every five touches he makes. This lack of ball retention is a clear indication that Keane is not offering enough defensively to the side in a very vulnerable time for the team, and could play a huge part in a failed relegation battle if Lampard doesn’t ruthlessly axe him soon.

Everton must try to salvage and survive by any means possible in the last few months of the season, with another tough game away from home coming up in the league this weekend when the side travel to London to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Another defeat could be the final nail in the coffin for the team, and they could easily be inside the relegation zone by the end of the week if they don’t pick up points.

In other news: Lampard could find Digne replacement in loaned-out Nkounkou

Dhiraj Parsana checks out the firmness of the pitch a day before the start of the Challenger Trophy © Nagraj Gollapudi

The winter chill has set in in Ahmedabad. There’s a nip in the air and it gets slightly foggy as the sun dips behind the Sabarmati. What it means for the Challenger Trophy tournament, which starts on Thursday, is that dew will play a crucial role in the games, all of which are day-night contests. Dhiraj Parsana, the chief curator at the ground, warns that the period between 7pm and 8pm is the danger hour when the dew is likely to set in, and perhaps have a bearing on the result.The Motera stadium has been Parsana’s nursery from 1982, when the ground came into existence. At 60, Parsana, a former Gujarat left-arm medium-pacer who played a couple of Tests in the late 1970s, retains the same kind of enthusiasm today as he did when the late Polly Umrigar recommended him to the Gujarat Cricket Association for the groundsman’s job 25 years ago. Parsana, who is a consultant on the BCCI curators committee, is of the firm belief that dew “will be a factor”, but he is doing his utmost to ensure that the moisture doesn’t rise up too much.The process starts five to six days before the match. “First, we start by cutting the grass low on the outfield. If the height of the grass is high the dew sets on it, so we cut the grass to a height of between two to four millimetres.” His caution: cut it too fine and the fielders will have bruised bodies and dirty laundry.The second important factor is not to leave the ground damp just before the match. “We don’t water the ground for a day and a half before the game. So, I will water the ground today [Wednesday] around mid-day, and the next time I will water the outfield will be on Thursday evening after the game.”His other important task is to ensure that the pitch is good for one-day cricket, and remains fair to both teams over the entire duration of the match. He explains his perfect formula: “Maintain around two inches of hardness immediately below the top surface, and below that at least four inches of moisture is needed to help keep the shine on the surface and bind it.”

First, we start by cutting the grass low on the outfield. If the height of the grass is high the dew sets on it, so we cut the grass to a height of between two to four millimetres

To ensure that the moisture level is just right, Parsana has an indigenous method in which he pushes a screwdriver, around four centimetres in length, into the pitch surface. Parsana explains how it works: “If it goes smoothly you will roll again to try and achieve an inch or two of hardness in the top surface.” The perfect state is achieved when you have to use both hands to push the screwdriver, the bottom half of which should feel cool to the touch because of the moisture.It might sound a trifle primitive, but Parsana says it works just fine. He also points out that the best thing that happened to Indian curators was when Jagmohan Dalmiya got experts from the New Zealand High Performance Centre almost a decade ago to help make better grounds across India. He has the Meteorological department supplying him the early morning, day time and late evening temperatures along with the humidity figures that help him work out how much watering he needs to carry out the following day. Parsana, along with his trusted groundsman of 25 years, Kaloji Thakur, have been the first men on the field for the last week to get the ground in the right shape, and the next four days will be crucial for both.Parsana, though, is confident that the combination of modern research along with his own knowledge and experience will ensure that everything works out right. “It has helped in the past and I’m relying on that.”

David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, has denied claims that the side are prioritising Test-match cricket over the one-day game.His comments come on the back of another poor performance in a one-day tournament by England, whose defeat of West Indies at the weekend was scant consolation for being eliminated at the group stage.”We treat one-day cricket with the same intensity and attention to detail as we do Test cricket,” Graveney insisted. “It’s true that some people who support English cricket are only interested in Test matches, but we know we have to earn the support we get for one-day games … you do not have that by right … and you do that by putting up good performances and winning matches. We have not done that and we know we have work to do.”Nobody is sitting on their hands and not rating one-day cricket as important as Test match cricket,” he continued. “For me, it is equally important. Despite what a lot of people said, we went to India to win the tournament, so if you do not win it and you are out before the first stage is over, then it is obviously disappointing.”Asked about the forthcoming Ashes, Graveney admitted that the scheduling of major events was against England. “We always have an Ashes series before a World Cup, which obviously slightly affects our preparation going into the tournament,” he said. “But [the World Cup] will be great viewing time for the UK this time, and we will be doing everything we can to realise our potential.”England have won only seven of their last 24 ODIs.

Imran Khan thinks Pakistan have already adopted a negative mindset before the England series © Getty Images

Imran Khan has lashed out at what he perceives to be negative statements emanating from the Pakistan camp prior to the series against England.Imran, among Pakistan’s most influential captains and one who led Pakistan to their first series win in England in 1987, criticised comments made by Inzamam-ul-Haq, the current captain, and Shaharyar Khan, chairman PCB, labeling England as favourites.Speaking to the London-based from Islamabad, Imran, now a politician, said, “Inzamam has said England start as favourites, the Cricket Board chairman said England are formidable. They’re going to destroy the Pakistan team by saying this.”I can understand the newspapers and television commentators making England favourites. But I don’t understand the cricket captain and the chairman of the board making these statements. Whenever I stepped on the cricket field I always thought we could beat anybody. I would never admit defeat before the match began. Otherwise you get into a negative mindset.”This isn’t the first time Imran has publicly expressed his disapproval with Inzamam as a leader. Although Imran considers him the best player of fast bowling, and among the best batsmen in the world, he openly questioned his captaincy credentials when Pakistan toured Australia last year, a series they ended up losing 3-0. Inzamam at the time admitted he had become depressed because of the remarks.Imran also highlighted the threat Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff will pose to Pakistan’s brittle batting line. “They are tall and get a lot of bounce. They also reverse swing it. Previously English bowlers had no idea of reverse swing. After the new ball lost its shine on the sub-continent they struggled. In Pakistan the ball does swing even when it’s old, but only in January and February when it’s cold. Now it’s rather warm and reverse swing with the old ball will be very important.”But it was Flintoff, the first genuine allrounder since the days of Kapil, Botham, Hadlee and Imran himself, who merited special attention from Imran. “I first saw him during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. I did say that that here is a player who can fill Ian Botham’s boots – an allrounder who can go in as a batsman or a bowler.”Much of Pakistan’s success, he believes, will lie with their fast bowlers. “Shoaib, Sami, Naved and Umar Gul must perform, and then Pakistan have a chance. Umar Gul was man of the match in the Lahore Test against India, which Pakistan won, but then he was injured. He’s more like Glenn McGrath, high arm action, not extreme pace, but moves it both ways and in the air. He’s Pakistan’s best hope.”Imran also suggested that this series was crucial for Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach. “Nobody in Pakistan worries about Bob being English; that isn’t the issue. But this series will be the real test for him. They were wiped out in Australia, but in India they drew the Test series and won the one-dayers. The good thing for Bob is expectations are not high.”

Mohammad Al Sahariar scored a rousing counter-attacking hundred to help the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI secure a draw against the Zimbabweans in the tourists’only warm-up game before the first Test that starts this Thursday.Al Sahariar arrived at the crease with his side 57 for 5, still trailing by 149 with more than two hours’ play left, but he scorched to his first 50 from 28 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Although he slowed down after that, he reached his century off 114 balls which allowed him to forget the indignity of the second-ball duck he recorded in the first innings.Earlier the Zimbabweans, resuming for 384 for 3, continued to pile on the runs, as Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor both made half centuries before Tatenda Taibu declared on 522 for 3 – a lead of 206. Elton Chigumbura then struck immediately, removing both openers to reduce the BCB XI to 11 for 2 in the sixth over before Stuart Matsikenyeri, who scored his maiden hundred on the second day, chipped in with two more to have the BCB XI in trouble – but then the Al Sahariar whirlwind came to knock the Zimbabweans back in place.

Close England 445 and 0 for 1 (Vaughan 0*) lead South Africa 362 (McKenzie 90, Anderson 5-102) by 83 runs
Scorecard

Worth a shout: Andrew Flintoff roars with delight after trapping Mark Boucher lbw

Marcus Trescothick’s wicket to the final ball of the evening rounded off a fruitful day of fight, with a touch of finesse, for South Africa in the third npower Test at Trent Bridge. After a dramatic start by James Kirtley, who took two wickets in as many balls, South Africa were hauled right back in to the contest by some determined and, at times, dazzling batting from Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock.McKenzie and Boucher led the fightback for South Africa with an 129-run partnership, as England lost their way after a good morning in which they took three quick wickets. McKenzie was solid in defence and looked to get forward at every opportunity, stroking a host of superb cover-drives in his 11 boundaries. He and Boucher batted throughout the afternoon session and they passed the follow-on target with ease as the England bowlers couldn’t match their good early work. McKenzie played a cracking square cut off Steve Harmison and brought up his 11th Test fifty with a classical cover-drive two balls later.The new ball didn’t faze him either. He drove Harmison for another four to signal the hundred partnership. Boucher, meanwhile, was happy to play second fiddle to McKenzie as he quietly went about his business. It was the highest sixth-wicket stand for South Africa against England and it squashed England’s early spark and zest in the field as they, like the pitch, went strangely flat.Harmison missed the evening session with a thigh strain, but James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff did temporarily lift England’s spirits again after their wicketless afternoon. Anderson struck to give England, and himself, a boost when he ended McKenzie’s eye-catching innings. Anderson bowled a good length ball outside off which McKenzie drove at loosely and edged to Trescothick at first slip (261 for 6). It was uncharacteristic lapse of concentration from McKenzie who fell 10 runs short of what would have been a well-deserved hundred.Boucher continued to play cautiously until he was adjudged lbw by Daryl Harper. Flintoff nipped one back off the seam and hit Boucher on the back pad for a dogged and effective 48 (284 for 7).Cue Pollock. He strode out with a purpose and batted with one. He played his shots from the off, carting Anderson through the covers and spanking Flintoff past midwicket among his nine boundaries. He’s in good form and he played a crucial cameo for South Africa, guiding them under the 100-deficit mark and frustrating England’s progress.Pollock received handy support from the tail as well. Andrew Hall was beginning to fire until Anderson squeezed one through his defence for 15 (309 for 8). Paul Adams then hung around for a niggly 13 and put on 28 with Pollock before his stumps were shattered by an Anderson offcutter (337 for 9). Pollock was eventually out for 62 when he lofted Anderson (5 for 102) to Kirtley at mid-on, but those 62 runs could be vital come the end of the match.But don’t forget McKenzie. He may have a bad back, but he was the backbone of the innings and was their one shining light in their bleak morning, in which England made an explosive start. Kirtley took his first Test wicket, and his second the very next ball, as South Africa struggled to come to terms on a pitch of increasingly uneven bounce. Jacques Rudolph thick-edged an off-stump delivery to Alec Stewart for 15 (88 for 3). Boeta Dippenaar then fell to a big inducker that rapped him on the pads plumb in front of middle (88 for 4).Jacques Kallis was never comfortable and he played a miscalculated leave to Anderson as the ball crashed in to his off stump.South Africa were reeling at 132 for 5 at that stage, but McKenzie and Pollock battled hard to leave the match finely balanced. And this evening, South Africa will feel things have swung right back their way after Harper incorrectly adjudged that Trescothick gloved Pollock to Adams at short leg. It was the first ball of England’s second innings, and the last of an intriguing day’s play.Click here for the Wisden VerdictClick here for yesterday’s bulletin

XXXX Queensland Bulls squad member Brendan Nash will captain theQueensland Academy of Sport team that embarks on a mini-tour of NewZealand next week.Fellow Bulls squad members Matthew Anderson, Chris Hartley and ScottO’Leary will join Nash in the QAS team that will spend a week in NewZealand, playing a four-day match in Christchurch against the NZAcademy.Those four players, as well as Souths left-hander Lance Kahler, have allplayed first class cricket.QAS coach Richard Done said the match would continue an excellentlearning curve for many of the players.”The majority of the team have played in the tour games against NewZealand in the past fortnight where they have been opposed to some topclass international players,” he said.”Now they have the chance to experience different internationalconditions against another quality opponent. It is only a short tour butit will provide great opportunities for the QAS players who are thefuture of Queensland Cricket,” Done said.QAS touring squad to NZ from November 4-9: Brendan Nash (C), MatthewAnderson, Chris Hartley, Lance Kahler, Damien Mackenzie, Steve Magoffin,Scott O’Leary, Daniel Payne, Craig Philipson, Allan Rowe, Chris Simpson,Boyd Williams. Coach: Richard Done.

ScorecardGitansh Khera finished with 102 not out as Punjab piled up 604 for 5 declared•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Punjab’s middle order piled on the runs on day two in Mohali, crushing the Railways attack under the weight of a total of 604 for 5 declared. Among the runs was Gurkeerat Singh, who registered the first double-century of the season, and wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera who finished on 102 not out. Gurkeerat’s ton came in impressively quick time, too, and he finished 201 not out when the declaration came, off 207 balls with 25 fours and five sixes. Mandeep Singh added 12 to his overnight score of 100 not out, while the other overnight batsman Uday Kaul also went to triple-digits, with 112. The only middle-order batsman to miss out was Yuvraj Singh, who popped a return catch to legspinner Karn Sharma on 23.Railways’ openers, Saurabh Wakaskar and Ashish Singh, had to see out six overs leading up to stumps, and they did so successfully.
ScorecardCenturies from Almas Shaukat, Mohammad Saif and Sarfaraz Khan lifted Uttar Pradesh to a commanding position, as the team compiled 656 for 5 by stumps on day two against Madhya Pradesh.Shaukat, the 19-year-old batsman who scored a ton on his first-class debut on the first day, did not last long in the second, as he was trapped lbw by Jalaj Saxena for 128. However, UP continued to pile on the runs as Saif and Sarfaraz joined hands for a fourth-wicket association which yielded 287 runs. The pair batted together for 53 overs, helping UP close in on the 600-run mark. The 17-year-old Sarfaraz was the more aggressive of the two, striking 15 fours and four sixes during his career-best 155. Saif, playing only his second first-class match, hit 18 fours and one six during his knock, but fell two runs short of a double-century, as Saxena removed both batsmen in successive overs towards the end of the day.Eklavya Dwivedi (28) and Piyush Chawla (25), though, held firm for the last 15 overs of the day to ensure UP did not lose any more ground.
ScorecardOnly 26 overs of play were possible in Vizianagaram, with Ricky Bhui’s century helping Andhra inch to 213 for 4 against Mumbai. Scoring at two an over, Andhra were buoyed by a 173-run partnership for the third wicket between Bhui and the captain Mohammad Kaif. Bhui hit 13 fours and two sixes for his 103, but was dismissed by Balwinder Sandhu in the 12th over of the day. Kaif, though, remained patient and was unbeaten on 89 off 311 deliveries. Tamil Nadu v Baroda in Chennai – Bhatt 10-for leaves Baroda 122 chase

Frederic Veseli joined Manchester United after being released by neighbours Manchester City. The Swiss under-20 star arrived at United with a big reputation and a lot of potential.

The youngster has all the attributes to make a world class centre half. He reads the game well, has good positional sense, strong in the air and strong in a tackle. Veseli also has an eye for a pass and can also adopt a role as an holding midfielder, as he has done several times for Manchester United’s reserves this season.

Veseli was playing in FC Lausanne-sport’s academy, when Manchester City scouted him and signed him in 2008. He initially joined City’s reserve side, but later on in 2008, that was to change to the Elite Development Squad. During his time with Manchester City’s Elite Squad, Veseli got disillusioned with the project as City’s philosophy had changed. With all the money, City were looking at buying experienced players to get them success.

On transfer deadline day in January 2012, Manchester City released Veseli and United acted quickly and signed the Swiss star.

Veseli has been a regular for his national side from the under-15s to currently playing for Switzerland under-20s. His career highlight to date was when he captained Switzerland under-17s to World Cup glory in 2009. The Swiss were playing the hosts and favourites Nigeria in the final in front of 60,000 people. The Swiss came out victorious beating Nigeria 1-0 and Veseli lifted the trophy.

Veseli’s under-17 coach, Dany Ryser, gave Veseli the captains armband because he felt Veseli had a great personality, very professional mentally, great technical qualities, always put the team first and because he was a leader.

The young star has been ever present for the under-21s this season. He was named in Sir Alex Ferguson’s pre season squad for their tour last season, and if he is included again this pre season, Veseli could be introduced into Sir Alex’s first team squad for next season.

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