All posts by n8rngtd.top

The problems at Old Trafford run far deeper than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that much is obvious from the failed spells of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, two respected and successful individuals in the world of management, but does it mean he’s going to be afforded more time?As many of you may now have noticed, the bulk of the issues faced by the club at pitch level are largely caused by those who spend their days mulling over numbers and money.Ed Woodward, the main antagonist, routinely appoints managers like your Van Gaal’s and Mourinho’s without a clear objective in mind, and when things inevitably start to fall apart, as they have done for every single coach since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, he then uses them as meat shields to absorb the barrage of abuse from angry fans.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Solskjaer, a much-loved character around the Red side of Manchester for his heroics in ’99, is just his latest victim. However, unlike Mourinho, who garnered less sentiment amongst the Old Trafford faithful, and was soon exiled, this time Woodward’s plan has backfired. The fans have realised where the problems lie, and they’re not happy.ÂThis moment of realisation hasn’t hit everybody quite yet, however.

In the wake of United’s dreadful 0-0 draw to AZ Alkmaar, in which they failed to register a single shot on target, talkSPORT’s resident tomato, Alan Brazil, raged (at least looked like he was) over Solskjaer’s management and believes his time could also be up…

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According to The Daily Mail, Andy Carroll will be unavailable for Newcastle United’s Premier League clash against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

The powerful forward is yet to play this season following an ankle operation.

It had been thought that the summer arrival would be fit enough to play a part against his former club after the international break.

However, according to The Daily Mail, Carroll’s return to action is ‘not imminent’.

The report insists that there has been ‘no setback’ when it comes to the 30-year-old, but his lack of first-team training has pushed his return date back.

It remains to be seen whether the Englishman can return to fitness and contribute for Steve Bruce’s side, who showed a lot of faith following his West Ham United release.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, there will be no Anfield return this weekend – a selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle supporters is available to view below:

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Brandon King, Kevlon Anderson and Johann Layne have earned maiden call-ups to the West Indies Test squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2025There was no place for Kemar Roach in West Indies’ squad for the upcoming home Test series against Australia, although the hosts have strengthened their batting by bringing back Shai Hope and John Campbell. They have also given a maiden call-up to Brandon King and Kevlon Anderson, while the fast-bowling attack has a new face in Johann Layne. Anderson Phillip has been retained.The third and final Test of the series in Jamaica, which kicks off the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams, will also be a day-night Test. It will be the third day-night Test in the West Indies and the second at Sabina Park.Roach played West Indies’ last Test, in Pakistan, where he picked up two wickets in a 120-run win that squared the series. Only four wickets fell to quick bowlers in that game in Multan. Roach was in decent form in the Test series in Bangladesh prior to that, picking up nine wickets in two games. He has since played in the first-class West Indies Championship for Barbados and, more recently, for Surrey in the County Championship.

WI vs Australia schedule

June 25-29 – 1st Test in Barbados
July 3-7 – 2nd Test in Grenada
July 12-16 – 3rd Test in Jamaica (day-night)

“Despite being under consideration, veteran pacer Kemar Roach has not been included and has been duly informed,” Cricket West Indies (CWI) said about the 36-year-old in a press statement.Layne, a 21-year-old fast-bowling allrounder from Barbados, came into the 16-man squad after picking up 63 first-class wickets in 17 matches. Trinidad & Tobago’s Phillip last played Test cricket in December 2022, the last of his two appearances, but was in the squad in Pakistan and has a five-wicket haul in the ongoing unofficial Test for West Indies A against South Africa A in Gros Islet.The lead spinners in the side are captain Roston Chase and vice-captain Jomel Warrican, while Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph are the main quicks.The batting suggests a fresh start for the team after they finished one off the bottom – Pakistan were last – in the nine-team WTC 2023-25 table with three wins in 13 games.Campbell is back as an opening option after last playing a Test in June 2022, having served an anti-doping violation in the interim period. He was in good touch at the WI Championship to finish as Jamaica’s top-scorer – and seventh-highest overall – with 517 runs from 11 innings. Campbell and Anderson scored three centuries apiece in the competition.Anderson was one of the stars of the tournament, scoring 573 runs in 11 innings to finish as the third-highest run-getter overall, and Guyana’s best. King, a white-ball star who has turned out for West Indies in 52 ODIs and 63 T20Is so far, played four WI Championship games for Jamaica, scoring 242 runs in eight innings.Hope, an experienced Test-match player with 38 Test caps and a batting average of 41.85, last played a game in November-December 2021.Related

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“I’m excited about the inclusion of young prospect Kevlon Anderson, who comes in after solid seasons in our domestic competitions to help provide stability in the top order, while the return of Shai Hope is welcomed given his consistency in white ball cricket.” head coach Daren Sammy said in a statement. “Brandon King’s inclusion fits a role we have identified that needs special focus to take our team to those closer to the top of the rankings.”We analysed what the top teams in the world are doing and what is needed for us to bridge the gap. We have identified a direction, along with the group of players and resources to give us the best advantage as we seek to take the team up ladder and challenge the best in the world.”Former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Mikyle Louis make up the rest of the squad, adding heft and experience. Joshua Da Silva, Alick Athanaze, Amir Jangoo, Kavem Hodge, Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair are the players to have been dropped from the squad that played in Pakistan. Da Silva, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been ignored despite finishing the WI Championship as it’s second-highest scorer (583 runs in ten innings), while another senior cricketer, Jason Mohammed, was overlooked despite topping that table with 679 runs in ten innings, inclusive of four centuries. Mohammed, 38, has never played Test cricket.Kemar Roach, 36, has been left out of the Test squad in favour of younger fast bowlers•AFP/Getty Images

“The start of the [WTC cycle] is critical to building positive momentum as we strive to work our way up the rankings. Beginning with a strong showing against a team like Australia would be ideal in our quest to bring West Indies back to the helm of Test Cricket”, CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “It was imperative that we sought to put a squad together that was well equipped, in both and the batting and bowling departments, to manage the ebbs and flows of this format of the game, while possessing the ability to apply pressure in key phases, through disciplined, purposeful play.”Sammy, asking for patience from fans towards the players and the team, promised exciting cricket in the series.”I am truly looking forward to this series because we want to start off strongly and make our home turf a fortress during this cycle, while having our passionate and proud fans behind us,” he said. “The matches will be challenging but I believe in this core of players, and they are eager to wear the maroon and make our fans happy.”

West Indies squad for Test series against Australia

Roston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

He smashed the second-fastest century in IPL history as RR chased down 210 in 15.5 overs

Sidharth Monga28-Apr-20255:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop, Aaron

In his third IPL match, the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi brought down to their knees seasoned pros from the best bowling unit in IPL 2025, some of whom have been playing for longer than he has lived.The youngest T20 centurion, among the youngest handful of centurions in all representative cricket, the second-quickest century in the IPL in 35 balls, joint-most sixes – 11 – for an Indian in an IPL innings, highest boundary percentage in a T20 ton, with 94 of his runs coming in boundaries, Suryavanshi knocked off plenty of records. Oh, did we mention that it sealed the chase of 210 in 15.5 overs, the fastest successful chase of 200-plus in an IPL match, after Rajasthan Royals (RR) had lost three straight chases despite bossing 35 overs of those matches?

Watch highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on JioHotstar

Suryavanshi’s opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal played a lovely unbeaten T20 innings of 70 off 40, but he was the first one to admit he was left in the background by “one of the best innings I have seen”.Suryavanshi tried to hit boundaries off 26 out of the 38 balls he faced. He nailed 15 of those attempts, but also got 25 off the 11 false shots when he tried to attack. The most impressive was a six over long-off off a slower hard-length ball from the tall Prasidh Krishna.A perfect mix of intent, skill and luck. All at an age when most kids are dreaming of doing exactly what he did. Or do they even dare dream so high?

Gujarat Titans’ top three continue to score big

Surely, there must be teams thinking it is a matter of two wickets, and GT can be toppled. Yet, their top three keep churning out runs while making them look easy and risk-averse. At the end of the 20 overs, GT had all their top three in the top six run-getters in IPL 2025.B Sai Sudharsan regained his Orange Cap, but he wasn’t quite at his most fluent. Dropped on nine, he was dismissed for 39 off 30, but thanks to Shubman Gill’s quick start, GT still had 93 in 10.2 overs. This was the fifth stand of 50 or more for the pair in just nine innings.

Brief slowdown before the explosion

Sai Sudharsan’s wicket brought a period of lull created by Wanindu Hasaranga’s three boundaryless overs. There was a period of four overs for 23 runs, which Gill broke with two sixes off Yudhvir Singh’s pace in the 14th over. Immediately after that, Jos Buttler, who had got off to a slow start of 7 off 10 balls, laid into Hasaranga first and then compatriot Jofra Archer.Hasaranga’s figures were rearranged to 4-0-39-0, and Archer went for 19 in the 18th over. Thought RR pulled things back with just 21 runs off the two last overs, not many gave them a chance of avoiding being knocked out.2:29

Rapid fire review: Jaiswal getting back to his best?

Suryavanshi and Jaiswal dominate

It might be tempting to think that RR had nothing to lose, which freed Suryavanshi up, but we have seen enough of him in the first two games to know he doesn’t need any external freedom. His first act of disdain came in the first over, off the second legal delivery he faced. Mohammed Siraj, rejuvenated after a break from international cricket, 12 wickets to his name, bowled on a good length, not half-volley, but Suryavanshi launched him over long-on.Related

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• A star is born (to bat): Echoes of Sachin 1989 in Vaibhav's record-shattering spectacle

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• Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, becomes youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket

At the start of the second over, Jaiswal was dropped, and he celebrated it with a six and three fours by the end of the third over. That was the last time Jaiswal enjoyed any kind of lead over his partner.Ishant Sharma was bowling that one extra over to Ricky Ponting in the Perth Test back in 2007-08. Suryavanshi was born in 2011. Ishant tried to bounce the kid, the kid hooked him for six. He overpitched slightly, and Suryavanshi whipped him over midwicket. Ishant did him with a slower one, but the momentum of charging down and his amazing bat speed put enough in the mis-hit to clear mid-off. Then he played the regulation cut so hard that the top edge flew over straight third for a six.Missing Gill because of back spasms in the second innings, GT were being led by Rashid Khan, who went to the offspin of Washington Sundar to the two left-hand batters. At 21, Washington was helping India win the Gabba Test and with that the most ridiculous Test series win of all time. There are levels to it, he was being shown now. Pull, sweep, inside-out drive over cover, and we had the youngest IPL half-centurion of all time, and the quickest this season, in 17 balls.2:31

Ian Bishop impressed with Gill’s crisp ‘timing of the ball’

Prasidh and Rashid brought some sanity to proceedings with ten runs in two overs. Prasidh is the second-highest wicket-taker this IPL. He is tall and generates disconcerting bounce from hard lengths. He can also bowl a mean slower ball into the pitch. That is exactly what he did. He might have expected some respect, but Suryavanshi hit him for a six over long-off off the back foot. The exclamation mark of the innings.IPL debutant Karim Janat was just a lamb to the slaughter with his gentle medium pace as Suryavanshi hit a boundary off each ball of the 30-run tenth over to take RR to 144. And himself to 94 off 34. The asking rate was now only a trickle above a run a ball.It was only fitting that the century came through a six. A six off someone who will be on the Mount Rushmore of T20 bowling. Rashid, who bowled four overs for just 24 amid all the mayhem. Just too quick and too accurate to punish. Suryavanshi kept trying without success, but finally broke even Rashid down.It took a pinpoint yorker from Krishna to send Suryavanshi on a slow walk back. The night he made his debut, Suryavanshi went back with tears in his eyes despite having wowed everyone with a six first ball. He wanted to show more of his batting. Did he ever.

Hampshire come unstuck against Pakistan stalwart as Division One leaders take grip on proceedings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-May-2025Mohammad Abbas took five wickets on his Nottinghamshire debut to put the Division One leaders in a strong position against his former county after 16 wickets fell on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire at Trent Bridge.The 35-year-old Pakistan seamer, who took 180 first-class wickets in four summers at the Utilita Bowl before agreeing to move to Trent Bridge for part of this season, finished with 5 for 31 as Hampshire were bowled out for 196 in their first innings in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 333.Nottinghamshire slipped to 59 for 5 in their second innings but Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White helped them recover to 171 for 6 at the close for a lead of 308, which already looks like a winning advantage on a pitch that has given plenty of assistance to the bowlers.Earlier, Kyle Abbott – Abbas’s former new ball partner on the south coast – hit three sixes in a feisty 67 to rescue Hampshire from 106 for 7, going on to add two wickets to his own five-wicket first-innings haul.Bowling initially from the Radcliffe Road end, Abbas dismissed Nick Gubbins via a catch to fourth slip to claim his first scalp in Nottinghamshire colours in his fifth over as Hampshire, two without loss overnight, found themselves 31 for 2 after 40 minutes, having already lost opener Mark Stoneman, caught and bowled by Brett Hutton.Fletcha Middleton was caught behind as a ball from Lyndon James climbed on him sharply enough to prompt a miscued pull but, approaching lunch, Hampshire might have felt they had the foundation for a decent response to Nottinghamshire’s first innings.But that assessment was blown apart as Abbas returned to the attack from the Stuart Broad End, taking three wickets in as many overs either side of the break, turning 96 for 3 into 99 for 6.Prest, having struck back-to-back boundaries as Abbas momentarily lost his lines, was leg before as the next ball struck him plumb in front. Ben Brown’s off stump was sent cartwheeling and Toby Albert nicked to second slip.Hutton beat James Fuller’s defensive prod at 106 for 7, after which, still 227 behind, Hampshire could quickly have found themselves batting for a second time had Abbott’s positive approach not paid off.The South African hit a half-century from 36 balls as he added 42 for the eighth wicket with Liam Dawson, plus 30 for the ninth with Brad Wheal, last man Sonny Baker keeping him company long enough for the follow-on to be avoided.Dawson fell to a superb catch by Farhan Ahmed at extra cover as Abbas completed his quintet, Wheal becoming a second victim for James in almost a duplicate of Middleton’s dismissal before lunch.Abbott, who lofted a straight six off the left-arm spin of Patterson-White and twice cleared the rope hooking Hutton, was ultimately caught at long-on. It gave Farhan a wicket with his second ball and while Hampshire trailed by 137 runs, it was much fewer than had seemed likely.Abbott then enhanced the value of the runs he had made by dismissing both Nottinghamshire openers in his first four second-innings overs with no sign of the match’s rapid evolution slowing down. He bowled Haseeb Hameed, seemingly beaten for pace, and had Ben Slater nicking to slip.A wicket in the last over before tea and two more shortly afterwards left Nottinghamshire in peril at 59 for 5, albeit 196 runs in front.Joe Clarke was caught behind trying to pull Wheal. Fuller then had first-innings centurion Freddie McCann caught behind off an outside edge and Wheal picking up a second as Kyle Verreynne was bowled by a ball he chose to leave.Nottinghamshire lost a sixth wicket for 84 as James pulled Baker’s first delivery to mid-off but, with signs that some of the venom in the pitch might be starting to dissipate, Haynes and Patterson-White put together a partnership so far worth 87 that might have put the game out of Hampshire’s reach.

Nayar is the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI in January to assess India’s poor run in Test cricket late last year

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Apr-2025The BCCI has terminated Abhishek Nayar’s contract, less than a year after appointing him as assistant coach of the India men’s national team.Nayar, who was appointed last July, is the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI to assess India’s miserable run in Test cricket late last year, beginning with the 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand followed by the 3-1 series defeat in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Soon after India returned from Australia, the BCCI conducted an extensive review meeting in coordination with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Also present at that initial review meeting, which was held in Mumbai, were India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.Nayar, a successful allrounder with Mumbai who played three ODIs for India, was handpicked by Gambhir for the job after he was appointed as head coach. While Gambhir was given a three-year contract – until the 2027 ODI World Cup – Nayar’s tenure could not be ascertained.Gambhir and Nayar worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024 and were key to the franchise winning its third IPL title, the first after a decade. While Nayar has never coached in the domestic circuit, he has worked one-on-one with several international and uncapped Indian players, including Rohit, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.Recently, KL Rahul also credited Nayar for his white-ball success, saying, “Big shoutout to Abhishek Nayar. I’ve worked a lot with him ever since he’s come into the Indian team.”Doubts over Nayar’s future emerged in late January when the BCCI appointed former Saurashtra batter Sitanshu Kotak as the batting coach ahead of the white-ball home series against England. Both Kotak and Nayar, along with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip had also travelled to the Champions Trophy as part of Gambhir’s support staff.ESPNcricinfo has reached out to Nayar as well as Saikia for comments.

Adrian Le Roux set to join as trainer

Adrian Le Roux, who worked with the India men’s team as a trainer for a year in the early 2000s, is set to join in the same position. It is understood that Le Roux, who is currently with Punjab Kings in the IPL, has accepted the offer the BCCI made recently. Le Roux is set to replace Soham Desai, who has been the strength and conditioning coach for India since 2019.After working as a consultant during India’s tour of South Africa in 2001-02, Le Roux signed a one-year contract as trainer with India, which lasted until the 2003 World Cup. He then declined the one-year extension given by the BCCI, saying it was “a personal decision” to stay back home before he joined the South Africa men’s team as a trainer. Le Roux paired successfully with Andrew Leipus, who was India’s physiotherapist then, and the two made a significant difference to the fitness level of players.

Apart from hosts Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies will compete for the last two spots in the main World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2025Pakistan vs Ireland and Scotland vs West Indies will kick off the qualifying competition in Lahore on April 9 ahead of the women’s ODI World Cup, which will be played in October this year in India. Bangladesh and Thailand, the other teams in the fray in the six-team event, will face off the following day.Apart from India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the World Cup, and the final two spots will be filled by the top-two teams from the qualifying tournament. The games will be played at the new-look Gaddafi Stadium and the Lahore City Cricket Association grounds. The two venues, as well as the Aitchison College grounds, will host the warm-up fixtures on April 5 and April 7, after the visiting teams arrive in Lahore on April 3. The last set of games will be played on April 19.

Tournament schedule

April 9 – Pak vs Ire & Sco vs WI
April 10 – Ban vs Thai
April 11 – Pak vs Sco & Ire vs WI
April 13 – Ban vs Ire & Sco vs Thai
April 14 – Pak vs WI
April 15 – Ban vs Sco & Ire vs Thai
April 17 – Pak vs Thai & Ban vs WI
April 18 – Ire vs Sco
April 19 – Pak vs Ban & Thai vs WI

The schedule has been officially released today, on March 14, just over three weeks from the start of the tournament, though three boards – West Indies, Ireland and Bangladesh – had put out the dates and venues in an unofficial capacity when announcing their season’s fixtures and in the case of Bangladesh, their squad for the event.This is the second ICC tournament that is being held in Pakistan, after the Champions Trophy and all the matches will be played in the country. Lahore is the only city being used for the event, as there will be no PSL matches held there until April 24. That tournament starts in Rawalpindi on April 11.As reported earlier on ESPNcricinfo, because of the reciprocal arrangement arrived at by the BCCI and the PCB before the Champions Trophy earlier this year, Pakistan, if they qualify for the main event, will not travel to India to play their matches. Those matches will be played at a neutral venue.India will host the women’s ODI World Cup for the fifth time in 2025 – and the first time after 2011. It will also be the first global women’s tournament to be held in India since 2016 when the T20 World Cup ran parallel to the men’s event. The 2025 edition is set to be similar to the 2022 edition, with eight teams taking part and playing a total of 31 matches.

[ad_pod ]We’ve all got a mate who loves to dig out old photos for a laugh and a chuckle, haven’t we? Well, it seems Declan Rice is that friend to Mason Mount.Sunday’s draw against Leicester City means Lampard is the first Chelsea boss to fail to win any of his first three games in charge since Spaniard Rafael Benitez in 2012/13. While this might look bad on paper though, there are definite positives to be taken.Indeed, despite a form guide poor enough to make any ambitious weekend gambler exclude Chelsea from their already doomed 10-fold accumulator, Lampard’s youth-heavy philosophy is beginning to pay dividends.Mount is one of the youngsters entrusted by Lampard to provide some zip to the attacking lineup, and he recently repaid the 41-year-old’s faith when he netted his first senior goal for the Blues at the weekend (with a little help from Wilfried Ndidi, granted).Amongst those to congratulate the 20-year-old was former Chelsea youth teammate Rice…

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Wareham is in line for a Test debut if she can recover from her quad injury in time while Mooney should be fit despite hamstring tightness

Alex Malcolm28-Sep-2021Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes has been ruled out of the remainder of the women’s multi-format series with India because of a hamstring injury.Haynes suffered the injury in an innocuous incident while fielding a ball during the third ODI in Mackay. She ran in to gather a ball without great intensity but pulled up lame and left the field almost immediately.Related

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Australia coach Matthew Mott confirmed on Tuesday that Haynes would miss the pink-ball Test match, which begins on Thursday, and the three T20Is.”Rachael Haynes, unfortunately, the hamstring is no good,” Mott said. “It was pretty tough last night. I had dinner with her last night. She’s devastated, obviously, these Test matches don’t come around too often. She’s a key member of our squad. Our thoughts are with her at the moment.”Haynes will remain with the squad for the opening day of the Test match but will then return home to Sydney to spend time with her partner as they expect the birth of their first child.Haynes’ absence leaves a hole in the top order. She has opened in five of her nine Test innings and looked set to partner Alyssa Healy at the top of the order, although Haynes’ two Test half-centuries, scores of 87 and 98, have come batting at Nos. 5 and 7, respectively.Beth Mooney appears the obvious replacement having opened in Australia’s previous day-night Test in 2017, although Australia also have Queensland opener Georgia Redmayne in the squad. Mooney also left the field during Sunday’s ODI with hamstring awareness after scores of 125 not out and 52 inside three days. But Mott said it was just a precaution and he was confident his in-form left-hander would be available.”Beth is pretty good,” Mott said. “She was very sensible the other day. She felt something and with all the workload that she has been under, we felt that even after that hundred and the quick turnaround she was a high risk. And she flagged it quite early and I think the medical staff are very comfortable with where she is at. She’ll train today and I expect she will have a pretty light day tomorrow and be ready for the Test.”Georgia Wareham has a chance to make her Test debut•Getty Images

Mott flagged that he will have few debutants on Thursday. One of them could be legspinner Georgia Wareham provided she can recover from the quad injury she suffered in the second ODI. Like Haynes, she suffered the problem while fielding and did not bowl in the game before missing out on the third ODI.”Georgia is ticking all the boxes for her return to play,” Mott said. “Once again, very sensible around that, she felt something quite early, got treatment on it, and has been doing everything she can to be right. Personally, I really hope she gets through it after the disappointment of missing out on the last Test we played. She’s a key member. No matter what the wicket serves up, she’s a wicket-taker, and she’s an incredibly good thing for this team. I think she leads the way in the field, and her batting is evolving all the time. So hopefully, she gets the opportunity. As I said, she’s done everything she can in her power to be ready.”Wareham missed out on Australia’s last Test match at Taunton against England in 2019. But Australia will need another spinner to work in tandem with Sophie Molineux. Jess Jonassen is unavailable due to injury having bowled 75 overs in Australia’s previous three Test bowling innings, while legspinner Amanda Jade-Wellington, who was not selected in the squad, bowled 57 overs in Australia’s only other day-night Test. They also have Ashleigh Gardner who bowled 18 overs of offspin in Taunton.Australia could unleash one or two of their teenaged fast bowlers in Stella Campbell and Darcie Brown after seeing some live grass on the drop-in Metricon Stadium surface this afternoon.”It looks really good,” Mott said.”One of the things we were hoping for is grass and there is plenty of grass on it, so that’s exciting for everyone, for both teams, I guess. It is a couple of days out, obviously. I think [the curator] will give it a shave before the Test match actually starts. But it’s a good sign. I think in the last couple of years in women’s Tests, all the coaches have been asking for pace in the wicket and grass on it. So it’s going to be a fantastic surface for both teams.”The weather could also play a factor with thunderstorms forecast for the first two days on the Gold Coast, but the weather is of minor concern compared with the Covid-19 outbreak that happened in Queensland on Tuesday. Queensland recorded four new locally acquired Covid-19 infections after 50 days with a single local case in the community. The outbreak forced the postponement of the men’s Sheffield Shield clash in Brisbane between Queensland and Tasmania.Gold Coast is an hour south of Brisbane and can be classed as a separate region if firmer government restrictions do come into play in Brisbane. At present, the Test will go ahead as scheduled, but there may be restrictions placed on crowds. Mott said the players and staff would simply prepare as normal.”Yeah, I think we’re all concerned for our families and friends throughout Queensland about the impact of it all,” Mott said. “But to be honest, it doesn’t change a lot of what we do inside here. I think it’s business as usual. We’ve been on a heightened level of risk for a while anyway and been in small groups. We’ve been managing all our protocols really well, so our day-to-day won’t change a hell of a lot. Obviously, it will potentially impact the ability to have crowds here which will be disappointing.”

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Southampton midfielder Harrison Reed has joined Fulham on loan with an option to buy, per the Championship club’s official website.

What’s the word?

The 24-year-old has been sent on a number of short-term deals during his time at the Saints, playing for Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers prior to his move to Craven Cottage.

Reed, a midfielder who has been capped at England youth level, has made a total of 30 appearances for the Saints.

He has not played in the Premier League since 2017, making a five-minute cameo in a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

However, Reed does have a great deal of Championship experience, having played 72 times in the second-tier.

Permanent transfer inevitable

Reed appears almost certain to eventually leave Southampton.

He does not appear to have the quality required to make his way into the first-team and appears better suited to the second-tier.

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And with Fulham holding the option to buy Reed outright, he has the chance to finally earn himself a permanent move away.

Should Fulham not take up that option, Reed’s contract will have just twelve months left on it next summer – that only further insinuates a permanent departure from Southampton before the start of the 2020/21 season being largely inevitable.

He does not have much hope of making his way at St Mary’s; Fulham is his chance to finally get away from the Saints and kickstart his career.

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