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While South Africa’s squad dispersed hours after completing their innings victory at Newlands, New Zealand are not taking any breaks before for the second Test

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town05-Jan-2013While South Africa’s squad dispersed hours after completing their innings victory at Newlands and will enjoy three days off, New Zealand are not taking any breaks before for the second Test. They have practices planned for both days of the weekend which would have spent playing Test cricket had the match not ended before tea on Friday.”It’s important to feel the pulse of the group and find out what’s required in terms of training because quite a mental toll gets taken on you when you play a Test match,” Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, said after defeat. “There are times when you need to get straight back on the horse and other times when you need to have a little bit of reflection.”Team management decided to put the emotion aside and concentrate on the former, despite a feeling of embarrassment and shock still running deep in their squad. McCullum used the word “hurt,” at least four times when discussing how his players felt. That is unsurprising given that they lost the match in an hour and 40 minutes on the first morning when they were bowled out for 45.New Zealand had seven sessions after that to digest what they had done and claw back respect. They managed to do a bit of both. McCullum is adamant that they cannot forget about being dismissed in less than 20 overs in a Test because the memory of that will help them avoid repeating it. But he also recognises that the team has to move on quickly because another challenge awaits.For them to do that, they have focus on how they improved as the match went on and how they can continue to perform at the level they did on days two and three. “The way we responded with the ball on the second day and then to get to 169 for 4 was a remarkable improvement from the previous day,” McCullum said. “We’ve seen some ways where we can be successful against South Africa if we do those hard yards upfront.”It helped that New Zealand’s bowlers were able to exploit the movement on offer on the second morning. They also adjusted their lengths accordingly after they were guilty of inconsistency as they chased the game on the first afternoon. McCullum hinted that there will be some changes to the attack.Chris Martin’s three-wicket return may not justify replacing him but the suggestion is that Neil Wagner, another left-arm quick, will play in Port Elizabeth. Only if New Zealand are feeling particularly brave will they gamble on the rookie left-armer, Mitchell McClenaghan. Their spinner is also a cause for concern. Jeetan Patel was ineffective with the ball and comically bad with the bat. Bruce Martin, a left-arm spinner, has been taking wickets domestically and could come into contention for that spot.One thing McCullum confirmed is that the batting, albeit the main problem, will not be tinkered with. That is partly because New Zealand do not have too many options. Colin Munro is the only reserve batsman on tour so the same top six will front up in the second Test. “They deserve an opportunity again especially since we can see some improvements,” McCullum said.In the second innings, New Zealand’s line-up, bar Martin Guptill, moved their feet better, chose their shots more selectively and showed better temperament which included more patience and less hot-headed, ill-thought out aggression. By doing that, they bored South Africa’s bowlers somewhat.The evening session on day two saw the South Africa quicks drift. They expected New Zealand to struggle against the short ball but they didn’t get the length exactly right and when they tried to go fuller and induce an edge, they gave away runs. According to McCullum that was how New Zealand transferred some of the pressure back to South Africa.”We were able to implement a better defensive strategy against them which helped us absorb the pressure a little better. Once we were able to do that, we were also able to put some pressure back on to them. There are some encouraging signs,” he said. “Those are some areas where we can walk away saying that if we continue to nail them that will give us a far better performance but we have to do that across the entire game rather than only the second innings.”New Zealand’s focus over the next two days will be on how to improve their consistency and play more like they did in the second innings more often. That may take longer than two days to perfect, but they have to start somewhere.Monday will be reserved for playing in a Jacques Kallis charity golf tournament, where the proceeds will go to his scholarship foundation. However, do not be surprised if New Zealand sneak in a net session too. They will travel to Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, as will the South African squad, who will meet up a day earlier than scheduled.

A number of Wolves supporters are happy after a transfer update claimed Wanderers are unlikely to sign Francisco Trincao permanently this summer.

Bruno Lage’s side are enjoying an increasingly excellent season, with three Premier League wins in a row this month and talk of a European push gathering momentum.

One player who has blown hot and cold throughout the campaign is Trincao, however, having moved to Molineux on loan from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

The Portuguese starlet has made 18 appearances in all competitions but he only has just one goal to his name, also failing to register a single assist.

According to journalist Gerard Romero [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Barcelona are not expecting Wolves to trigger the purchase clause in the Trincao deal, allowing him to return to Spain.

Wolves fans positive after Trincao update

These Wanderers fans reacted positively to the update on Twitter.

“Not surprised he’s been very poor so far”

Credit: @nathjones00

“Correct decision if the clause is around €25million as rumoured”

Credit: @SamW160

“See I’m not too bothered about this. I can see signs of brilliance but £25m is steep! He’s got half a season to change our minds though…”

Credit: @LewyDeWolf

“Rightly so”

Credit: @wwfcjoe_

“Thank god”

Credit: @xReecexx

“Probably for the best”

Credit: @KyleCarnell7

In other news, Tim Spiers has provided a key Wolves transfer update. Read more here.

Lots of Everton fans were critical of the performance of Jonjoe Kenny in their 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Nathan Patterson unavailable and Seamus Coleman dropped to the bench, Kenny was left to play at right-back, and he seemed to struggle throughout the game up against both Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho.

The 24-year-old lost out on three of his duels and failed to make a single dribble, tackle or cross, while he also lost possession of the ball on 24 different occasions in total, the most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

He did not do enough to warrant keeping his starting place ahead of Coleman and Patterson, and Duncan Ferguson now has a selection dilemma to ponder ahead of Everton’s next match.

Everton fans blast Kenny

These Toffees fans on Twitter blasted Kenny’s performance against Aston Villa on Saturday:

“Kenny can’t pass a ball 5 feet”

Credit: @blackhurst92

“Can’t believe Kenny was playing today, offers nothing with the ball. No Gordon as well was baffling. Heading for the Championship after years of squad mismanagement, fully deserved”

Credit: @MarkWood17

“Kenny and Holgate starting. 2 lightweights in midfield. Wingers having to cut back all the time. No cohesion. Absolute shambles of a club.”

Credit: @nsno1878

“Jonjoe Kenny, who’s he conned into making him a pro footballer?”

Credit: @JoelBeckett93

“Jonjoe Kenny is atrocious”

Credit: @paddy55304510

“Jonjoe Kenny is dead set one of the worst players I’ve ever seen.”

Credit: @LDand_13

In other news, find out whose display against Villa was also slammed by many Evertonians

Gareth Andrew smashed 27 off 11 balls to give Worcestershire their first away win in the Friends Provident t20 and send Leicestershire crashing to their sixth consecutive home defeat

07-Jul-2010
ScorecardGareth Andrew smashed 27 off 11 balls to give Worcestershire Royals their first away win in the Friends Provident t20 and send Leicestershire Foxes crashing to their sixth consecutive home defeat at Grace Road.Chasing a victory target of 143, the Royals looked to have blown their chances when they lost quick wickets and slipped to 112 for 7 with three overs to go. But Andrew struck four boundaries plus a huge six off Leicestershire captain Matthew Hoggard to turn things round and the Royals won by three wickets with six balls to spare.Victory lifted them off the bottom of the North group table and dealt a major blow to the Foxes’ hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. Worcestershire had made a solid start to their chase with opener Phil Jaques and Sanath Jayasuriya putting on 41 in six overs with little trouble.Jayasuriya struck the first six of the match with a fine shot off Hoggard but Jaques holed out to deep midwicket having hit five boundaries in his 27-ball innings. But the Royals’ reply began to stutter as spinners Brad Hodge and Claude Henderson suddenly curtailed the run rate.Henderson claimed the wicket of Jayasuriya and Hodge put the Foxes in control with a three-wicket spell in his four overs that cost 26 runs -14 of them coming off his final six deliveries. But Andrew strode in to snatch the game from the home side in dramatic fashion to give the Royals a well deserved success.Top scorer for the Foxes was Wayne White with 26 off 22 balls and but for 21 extras the home side’s total would have been considerably lower. Hodge and Jacques du Toit put on 48 in the first six overs but the departure of Hodge triggered a collapse that saw five wickets tumble for 32 runs in five overs.Du Toit was dismissed with a brilliant piece of work on the square leg boundary by Alexei Kervezee who knocked the ball up to prevent a six and then skilfully flicked it into the hands of Jaques to complete the catch. Offspinner Moeen Ali picked up the wickets of James Benning, Josh Cobb and White to finish with three for 19 and the Foxes’ total of 142 for 8 always looked short of being a competitive target.During the game Leicestershire’s members were asked to sign a petition for a special general meeting following the shock resignation last week of chief executive David Smith.

Gabby Agbonlahor has given his reaction to some early Glasgow Rangers team news that has now emerged before their UEFA Europa League clash.

The Lowdown: No Morelos or Roofe

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now confirmed that both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe will not be available for the semi-final first leg against RB Leipzig through injury.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-3/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It means that the Dutch manager will have to look for an alternative solution up top, with Fashion Sakala filling in there in the 3-1 win away at Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend.

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England international striker Agbonlahor, who is also a pundit for Sky Sports and talkSPORT, has claimed that it is a ‘big blow’ for the Teddy Bears to be without both Morelos and Roofe:

“It’s looking very tough for Rangers.

“Without Morelos and now without Roofe, that’s a big blow. It’s going to be very difficult without an out-and-out striker.

“Their best bet is to try and park the bus in that first leg. Try and get out of there alive. Even a 1-0 defeat is not the worst result, they can’t come out of that game with a 3-0, 4-0 loss.

“They can’t go in open because it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere at Leipzig are a top team. The tactics have got to be spot on, try and frustrate Leipzig and get the game back to Ibrox.

“When you’re at Ibrox, that atmosphere with a chance of getting to the final, anything can happen.

“They’ve really got to be on it in the first leg though.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Of course, being without both strikers for the game will be worrying for the club and its supporters.

They are the top two scorers in the squad, with no fewer than 35 goals between them in total over all competitions so far this season, and the Light Blues may need a few goals to get through the tie given Leipzig’s firepower.

Christopher Nkunku is the main threat, with a whopping 30 goals from midfield in all competitions, and so players like Sakala will now have to step up in order to overcome the Bundesliga side.

In other news, find out what big behind-the-scenes twist has now emerged at Gers here!

Full coverage of the Zulqarnain Haider retirement controversy

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2010November 8, 2010
News- Zulqarnain in UK, mystery over exit from Dubai
November 9
News- Zulqarnain Haider announces retirement
News- Zulqarnain Haider confirms threats and retires
News- Younis Khan, Adnan Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez in Test side
News- Haider asylum bid would require whistleblowing
Audio/Video- Switch Hit: Cricket’s whistleblower?
November 10
News- Got threats in domestic cricket as well – Haider
News- PCB suspends Haider’s stipend contract
News- ACSU gets in touch with Zulqarnain Haider
November 11
News- ICC needs to tap players’ phones – Haider
Audio/Video- ‘They threatened to kill me and my family’ – Haider
November 12
News- Zulqarnain Haider was unlikely to play the fifth ODI
November 29
News- Haider’s family reports threats to police
News- Fact-finding committee submits report on Haider controversy
December 24
News- No clear motives behind Haider flight – report
April 17, 2011
News- Haider to return to Pakistan after safety assurance offered by government
April 21
News- Haider reconsidering decision to return, after receiving threatening calls
April 25
News- Haider returns to Pakistan five and a half months after fleeing to London
April 28
News- Pakistan police arrest bookies in Sialkot believed to be behind threats to Haider
May 17
News- PCB set up committee to look into Haider’s response to board’s letter, sent in December, enquiring why he fled the team

Steve Rhodes claimed a “moral victory” for Worcestershire after rain thwarted their victory attempt on the final day of the Championship match against Gloucestershire

George Dobell at New Road01-Jun-2010
ScorecardSteve Rhodes claimed a “moral victory” for Worcestershire after rain thwarted their victory attempt on the final day of the Championship match against Gloucestershire.Worcestershire would have risen to second in the division two table had they been able to secure the win. But, with rain preventing any play until 3.45, the visitors were able to cling on for a draw. Perhaps, had Vikram Solanki clung on to a chance offered by Vikram Banerjee at fourth slip, Worcestershire might have been able to force victory.But, by then, Gloucestershire were already 85 runs ahead with just 18 overs remaining.It was wretched luck for Alan Richardson, however. The 35-year-old seamer, who bowled 28 accurate overs in the second innings, was easily the pick of the attack and richly deserved his third five-wicket haul of the campaign.A couple of Gloucestershire players were also grateful for the reprieve. Both James Franklin and Chris Taylor were dismissed by bizarrely inappropriate shots. Franklin obligingly pulled directly to the man positioned for the shot on the square-leg boundary, before Taylor undid much of the value of his resistance with a horrid heave across the line.Without Richard Jones, however, who was off the field with a hamstring strain, Richardson lacked support and Gloucestershire were able to cling on until the sides agreed to shake hands on the draw with 10 of the scheduled overs remaining. Jones will undergo a scan to ascertain the extent of his injury in the next 24 hours.”It’s very frustrating,” Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, said afterwards. “I felt we played all the cricket in the game but we can’t control the weather. That’s two games in a row we’ve had the best of draws. It’s a moral victory.”Rhodes expressed satisfaction at Worcestershire’s start to the season, however, taking particular pleasure in the performance of the club’s younger players.”We’re reasonably well placed,” he said. “We’ve only lost one [championship] game – which is better than anyone else in the division – and we’ve shown a bit of resilience. There are good signs for the future. Our two leading run scorers are aged 20 and 22 [Alexei Kervezee and Moeen Ali respectively] while until this game 23-year-old Richard Jones was our leading wicket taker. All three are very ambitious and, with hard work, can go a stage further.”I’ve always said I want us to be in a position to challenge for promotion in the last month of the season. That would be lovely. We’re a proud county and we want to be playing in the top division.”Gloucestershire were stung by the news that they had suffered a two-point deduction for their tardy over rate. Still, they are up to second in the table (equal on points with Sussex, who have a game in hand) and look likely to be involved in the promotion race.”We still felt we could win this morning,” their captain, Alex Gidman said afterwards. “But to come out of the game with a draw having not played our best cricket is a positive for us.”Gidman also insisted he was not concerned by his side’s poor form with the bat. Despite Gloucestershire averaging the lowest score per wicket of any side in the country and are the only team without a first-class century in the campaign.”I’m not really worried, no,” he said. “We’ve played on some tough wickets and, at the halfway stage of the season, we’re challenging for promotion. Statistics are fine, but it’s what works for the team that is important, and we’re right in the hunt.”Meanwhile Gloucestershire have added Ian Butler to their squad for the T20 Cup. The fast bowling allrounder, who recently impressed in New Zealand’s World T20 campaign, joins up with compatriots John Bracewell, Hamish Marshall and James Franklin in Bristol.

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has dropped an exciting transfer claim about Newcastle United’s plans for the January window.

What’s the story?

Speaking live on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk at 12.10pm, he said: “As I’ve been reporting for the last few days, Trippier, as the new owners would hope, is the first of maybe at least four or five new signings arriving this January.

“Newcastle are very interested in bringing Lucas Digne to the club, they need a new left-back. Digne is one of a few they are looking at, and there has been some initial discussions between both clubs.

“What makes this one a little interesting is that Everton are keen on Sean Longstaff, and it’s my understanding that an offer came in from Everton just after Christmas. Time will tell whether the two clubs could come to an agreement on some sort of swap deal plus cash.”

PIF making moves

Downie’s claim that Trippier is the first of a number of signings to potentially walk through the door at St James’ Park is sure to have the likes of Eddie Howe and the club’s fans very excited.

The Magpies are in a precarious predicament at the moment, firmly entrenched in a relegation battle and needing a truly miraculous escape to beat the drop from the Premier League.

But, rather than just giving up and even planning towards life in the Championship, the club’s new owners are going full steam ahead with trying to keep the Tyneside club afloat.

Trippier’s arrival is a statement of intent in itself given he was playing for a Champions League playing side like Atletico Madrid, and if any new additions are on a similar level of quality and experience, then Newcastle’s hopes of surviving will take an absolutely massive boost.

PIF are making some big moves.

Meanwhile, Craig Hope has delivered a major Newcastle update…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are still interested in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha, but  they could find it tricky to complete a deal for him this month.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Peter O’Rourke said: “Palhinha has been a long-term target for Wolves, and some of the signs we’re getting from Sporting Lisbon is that they would consider selling him before Monday’s deadline.

“£25 million has been mentioned, I think that will put him out of Wolves’ price range right now, and I think there are other bigger clubs also looking at the Portuguese international as well.”

The midfielder is contracted to the Portuguese champions until summer 2026 and has been a regular for Sporting this season, making 26 appearances so far in all competitions.

Moreover, according to Portuguese newspaper Record (as relayed by Sport Witness), there are numerous other clubs interested in the 26-year-old, with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla all named as potential suitors.

Lage will be seething

Wolves manager Bruno Lage will likely be hoping to add to his squad before Monday’s deadline as he looks to secure a top-six finish in his first season in charge at Molineux.

The Portuguese influence at the West Midlands club over recent years has been well documented, which makes the interest in Palhinha particularly understandable. However, the midfielder would prove to be a solid option and a long-term suitor to Old Gold regular Joao Moutinho, who is now 35.

With midfielders Ruben Neves and Moutinho both playing regularly and enjoying impressive campaigns thus far, it could be argued that Palhinha wouldn’t instantly get in the Wolves team if he moves to the Black Country. The support he could provide over the coming seasons would be invaluable, though.

The 12-cap Portugal international is known to be defensive-minded and has even played at centre-back, making Wolves seem an even more perfect fit for him. Lage’s side have the Premier League’s second-best defence, having conceded just 16 goals in 21 games.

It would certainly be a blow for the Wolves manager if he is unable to bring his fellow countryman to Molineux this month. What would make it even worse is if Sporting opted to sell the midfielder to a Premier League rival – that would well and truly have Lage absolutely seething, given how good a fit Palhinha appears to be for the Old Gold.

In other news: Wolves could land perfect Traore replacement in “exceptional” £27m-rated “phenomenon”

Shane Warne has said he is “flattered” at all the talk of a possible comeback to help Australia’s struggling bowling attack

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2010Shane Warne has said he is “flattered” at all the talk of a possible comeback to help Australia’s struggling bowling attack and stopped short of completely ruling out a return even though it would be a huge admission of the team’s current failings.Warne has arrived in London on a promotional trip for his new chat show and was greeted at Heathrow Airport by photographers and reporters who were only interested in one topic. “Just landed in London it’s freezing and was welcomed by press and photographers asking am I making a comeback? What have I missed ?,” he posted on his Twitter feed.Earlier, his column made a brief mention of the debate in Australia, which has led the creation of a fund and a website – bringbackwarne.com – that is aiming to raise enough money to bring Warne out of retirement. “We offer the Rescue Fund to the King of Spin,” the website says, “pleading with him once again to don the baggy green and attempt us to win back the Ashes.””There has been a bit written in Australia and people have been asking me about making a comeback,” Warne wrote in the newspaper. “All I can say is that it is very flattering to hear those words.”However, he preferred to look at what options Australia could take among their current players. It is almost certain that Xavier Doherty won’t be retained after taking three wickets in his first two Tests and being punished by the England batsmen.”Do they opt for Nathan Hauritz or a wrist-spinner like Steve Smith?”, Warne wrote. “Do they play two spinners or none at all and prepare a green, grassy wicket in Perth? That would be a big gamble against England’s seam attack.”The pitch is not fast and bouncy these days, so maybe you get a local guy who knows the Perth conditions, like left-arm spinner Michael Beer. Sometimes horses for courses works. Australia have to explore all options and win this next match to get back into the series. They need to look at all avenues and go all out for a win.”Beer, 26, has taken 16 first-class wickets in five matches at 39.93. He played against England in their opening tour match at Perth and claimed 5 for 207 but conceded runs at five per over.Hauritz is favoured for a recall, and hit a hundred as nightwatchman for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia having gone wicketless in his first innings. However, in his previous Shield match, against Western Australia at the WACA, he took a five-wicket haul.”Whenever you’re dropped you are always looking to perform well,” Hauritz said. “I’ve been lucky enough to take some wickets and score some runs but the job’s only halfway done. I was dropped for not doing my role in the side. I’ve got to go back to first-class cricket and prove I can do that and restore the faith in the selectors and the captain. If you’re taking wickets, scoring runs and playing the role they want you’re put in their faces.”Meanwhile, back in Melbourne, England’s wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, admitted he was bemused by the rumours. “I’ve absolutely no idea what’s going on,” he said. “I don’t read the press, I don’t hear anything, I don’t listen to any of it. If he’s going to come back, great. If he’s not, who knows? Whoever comes into their team we’ll have to look at, process, work out how we’re going to play against them like any other player, whether it be Shane Warne, Merv Hughes or anyone else. We’d look at them, the video footage and respect them like any other cricketers, so that’s what we’re going to do.”