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XXXX Queensland Bulls allrounder James Hopes has made a late dash toHobart to be on stand-by for tomorrow’s Pura Cup clash against theTasmania Tigers.

Queensland Cricket18-Dec-2002XXXX Queensland Bulls allrounder James Hopes has made a late dash toHobart to be on stand-by for tomorrow’s Pura Cup clash against theTasmania Tigers.Hopes flew to Tasmania today as a pre-cautionary move after off-spinnerNathan Hauritz was troubled by a calf muscle strain at training thismorning.The allrounder was part-way through captaining the Queensland Academy ofSport team in their match against the Tasmanian 2nd XI at Allan BorderField, top-scoring with 57 in the first innings and taking 2-31 from17.5 overs.Hauritz was bothered by the injury during last weekend’s Australia ‘A’match against Sri Lanka and the Queensland selectors felt it was best tocover all contingencies should he not be 100 percent tomorrow morning.Hopes had the company of wicket-keeper Wade Seccombe for the flight toHobart today after the Bulls gloveman was granted permission to delayhis trip to be present at the birth of he and wife Vicki’s third child.The Seccombe’s became parents again yesterday with the birth ofElizabeth Grace.Meanwhile the Bulls have benefited from the presence of Queenslandcricket legend Carl Rackemann during their build-up for the match.Bulls coach Terry Oliver has taken steps to incorporate past Queenslandplayers into the team’s routine wherever possible, with Rackemanntravelling with the team on Monday.Oliver has involved the likes of Ian Healy, Rackemann, Geoff Foley andScott Prestwidge in the team’s preparations so far and has plans toutilise the experience of Trevor Barsby and Allan Border when available.”Having these blokes around is good for some of the younger players toget an idea of where the team has come from and it’s good for me to haveanother person to bounce ideas off,” said Oliver.Rackemann, the leading wicket-taker in Queensland history, coachedZimbabwe for two seasons with some success before returning to farm inQueensland.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Tasmania, Pura Cup, Thurs Dec 19 – Sun Dec 22,Bellerive Oval: Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, AndrewSymonds, Stuart Law, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke,Nathan Hauritz, Joe Dawes, Damien MacKenzie, Scott Brant, James Hopes(one to be omitted, twelfth man to be named)

Glasgow Rangers have suffered a blow to their pre-season plans as it was revealed by The Scottish Sun that Ryan Kent is not training at the moment as he struggling with an injury.

The Lowdown: Kent not pictured at training

The Gers returned to pre-season training a few days ago as they start their preparations for the new campaign.

However, Kent was not pictured, and that led to fears from several of the supporters that there could be an issue.

The Latest: Kent injured

Now, there has been a big update provided on the 24-year-old.

The reason he has not been pictured on the training field is that he is struggling with a niggling injury and is therefore confined to the gym at the moment. An Ibrox source, though, has claimed the issue is nothing to worry about.

The Verdict: Blow to Gerrard

Of course, it is positive to hear that the injury should not be too serious, but this is still a big set-back. The last thing Steven Gerrard will have wanted when his players returned is to see one of them struggling – in pre-season, every single day counts as the squad aims to get its fitness into perfect shape ahead of the new term.

For one of his most important players to be carrying the injury does not make the situation any better. Kent has managed 27 goals and 28 assists in 128 games for the club, of which 13 and 15 came last term respectively (Transfermarkt).

His pace and skill down the left wing are huge assets – as the Gers aim to qualify for the Champions League group stages this term, they will need the former Liverpool youngster 100 per cent fit and firing.

In other news, Rangers fans were delighted with an update on this 4-goal ace.

A battling, unbeaten innings of 85 from Craig White could not prevent England from being asked to follow on in the fourth Ashes Test at Melbourne

Stephen Lamb28-Dec-2002A battling, unbeaten innings of 85 from Craig White could not prevent England from being asked to follow on in the fourth Ashes Test at Melbourne. White’s innings salvaged a measure of pride for England after the tourists had been reduced to 118 for six in reply to Australia’s 551. England were eventually bowled out for 270, and an unbeaten 55 from Michael Vaughan took them to 111 for two in their second innings, still 170 behind.England, 97 for three overnight, were soon in dire straits. Nightwatchman Richard Dawson departed in the fourth over of the day, edging a turning delivery from Stuart MacGill to Martin Love at slip. Robert Key fell six balls later, lbw to an inswinging Brett Lee yorker.Nasser Hussain was MacGill’s second victim, brilliantly caught by a diving Matthew Hayden at short leg. The England captain got an inside edge on to his pad as he tried to sweep, and the ball ballooned up off his forearm.White then joined John Crawley to forge a 54-run partnership that initiated England’s fightback. It ended when Jason Gillespie was brought back, inducing a skyer from Crawley as he tried to pull. Justin Langer ran in from mid-on to take the catch.James Foster joined White, and another 55 runs were added in 23 overs before the next wicket fell. Steve Waugh eventually brought himself on, and ended Foster’s valiant effort by trapping the Essex wicket-keeper lbw for 19. Andrew Caddick and Steve Harmison were both dismissed by Gillespie with the new ball.Gillespie ended with four for 25, and White was left unbeaten after hitting MacGill for three sixes and scoring nine other boundaries in a stay of more than three hours.Sent in again by Waugh, Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick continued to attack before an umpiring howler by Russell Tiffin triggered Trescothick, adjudged lbw to a ball which hit him outside the line. Mark Butcher also fell before the close, playing firm-footed at Gillespie and edging to Love at slip.Vaughan and Hussain saw out the nine overs remaining, as Vaughan took his tally of Test runs scored this year to 1,397, overtaking Dennis Amiss’s England record.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, regarding Manchester City’s pursuit of his services…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are preparing to offer £90m to Aston Villa in an attempt to prize Jack Grealish away from the club this summer.

The report claims that Grealish has had his head turned by the Premier League champions, suggesting that he would be keen to complete a transfer if it becomes a realistic possibility.

City journalist for The Athletic, Sam Lee has also stated that a deal for Grealish could happen very quickly if there are no bumps along the road.

Fans will be livid

Aston Villa fans will be livid following this news. Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the club will be willing to accept City’s offer, the line about Grealish having his head turned is extremely worrying for Villa supporters as it shows a willingness from his side to make a move happen.

That is not to say that he will now hand in a transfer request and force a move, but he could have a word with the Villa owners and make it clear that he would like to be given the opportunity to explore a transfer. He has given so much to the club and deserves a good send-off if it does happen, but that would not take away from the fact that Dean Smith would be losing his talisman.

Grealish was directly involved in 16 Premier League goals in 24 starts last season, averaging a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.56. Ollie Watkins’ score of 7.16 was the next highest in the team, showing how the Villa skipper was head and shoulders above the rest of the squad in terms of quality performances. This is why the fand will be devastated if his eagerness to arrive at The Etihad this summer leads to him leaving the club.

Back in 2019, Pep Guardiola lauded Grealish as an exceptional talent who is capable of creating chances and admitted that he was too expensive to join City.

He told The Mirror:

“He’s incredible.

“A top player. I’m happy he [initially] stayed in the Championship to defend his club.

“He’s a talented player who always creates something.

“An exceptional player but too expensive for Manchester.”

This shows that Pep has had his eyes on the England international for some time, but that he has been unable to afford him in the past. Now, it appears as though City have the money and are ready to sanction a serious assault for Grealish’s services.

Villa fans will be hoping that he stays with Smith’s squad for at least another season, but this update is not good news for them.

AND in other news, Villa stance on “outstanding” £75k-p/w maestro emerges, Dean Smith will be furious…

David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that he clubs would have contacted Leeds over Diego Llorente but expects the Spaniard to still be at the club next season.

The 27-year-old joined in a reported £18m deal from Valencia last summer, with his first campaign in the Premier League a season of two halves.

Injuries restricted Llorente to just a handful of appearances during the first half of the season, much to the frustration of the Elland Road faithful.

However, after returning from a groin and them hamstring problem, the defender found his best form in the Leeds side and quickly made himself undroppable.

Once forcing his way into the team, Llorente featured in every Premier League game until he was rested for the final-day victory over West Brom.

Following that brilliant end-of-season form, Leeds were reportedly preparing themselves for big offers, although they had no intention of cashing-in on the Spanish defender, who was named in their squad for Euro 2020, although he didn’t feature.

Asked whether he expects Leeds to face any interest for his services, Norris told FFC:

“I’m sure there would have been contact made – they’ll be keeping tabs on him. Leeds are not going to look to let him go, he’s going to cost a fortune.

“I don’t expect to see anything happen, unless one manager pushes the boat out and takes a risk.”

Dermot Reeve, the former England allrounder, has been named coach of New Zealand state side Central Districts

Cricinfo staff04-Jul-2008Dermot Reeve, the former England allrounder, has been named coach of New Zealand state side Central Districts.Reeve played 29 ODIs and three Tests, but was best-known as one of county cricket’s most successful captains when he led Warwickshire to consistent silverware during the 1990s. He finished his career at Somerset, where he took on the director of cricket role, before moving into TV commentary.”We are excited about having a coach of the experience and standard of Dermot join the Central Stags,” Blair Furlong, the Central Districts chief executive said. “It is a fantastic opportunity for the Stags and our up and coming players to be exposed to someone of his Dermot’s ability.”Reeve emigrated to New Zealand in 2006 and takes over the role vacated by former England batsman Graham Barlow.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that any of the Whites’ four centre-back options could start on the opening day of the season.

The Lowdown: Leeds blessed with strong options

Marcelo Bielsa will be looking to enhance his squad this summer in order to keep competition for places strong and allow him to rotate abundantly.

One area which doesn’t need strengthening is centre-back, though, with Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk all representing good options in that role.

The quartet could all justify being starters for Leeds next season – all four were among the squad’s top 10 performers last term, according to WhoScored – giving Bielsa a selection headache going into their Premier League curtain-raiser away to Manchester United next month.

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The Latest: Whelan lauds depth

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan hailed the Whites’ depth at the back, admitting that it is impossible to guess who will start at Old Trafford. He said:

“It could be any of the four. We are blessed with four quality centre-halves. I cannot remember a time where we have had this much competition in that position.

“It’s going to be a really difficult decision to make. Every single one has got a case to play.

“You have internationals in Cooper, Llorente and Koch and a great young player in Struijk who I thought was excellent last season. He really stepped up to the plate and showed what a fantastic centre-half he is. He just got better and better.

“It is going to be a hell of a jostle in pre-season for those two spots. I am excited by it.

“Llorente really showed what a top player he is when he came in. He got a good relationship going with Struijk. He also had a good one with Cooper as well.

“It is going to be a real tussle between the four of them. You just hope that none of them get any kind of injury that halts their pre-season. Competition is so important to get the best out of players.”

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The Verdict: Dilemma for Bielsa

Bielsa finds himself with a genuine dilemma this summer, albeit an enivable one, with four such strong centre-back options from which to choose.

The fact that Cooper made the most Premier League starts (25) out of the centre-backs last season suggests that he is the front-runner to start at Old Trafford on 14 August.

Struijk (22) is second in that respect, but Llorente’s performances improved steadily as the season went on, also making him a strong option. With just 13 starts, Koch is arguably the least likely to play, but again there would be few qualms if he makes Bielsa’s starting line-up for the season opener next month.

Whelan is right – Bielsa could face quite the selection headache when it comes to choosing his two starting centre-backs.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly pulled out of a move for one player. Find out who it is here.

A summary of the latest action in the County Championship

Cricinfo staff11-Jul-2008First Division
Nic Pothas held Hampshire together with 62 against Lancashire © Getty Images
A 214-run stand for the third wicket between centurions Anthony McGrath and Jacques Rudolph lifted Yorkshire to 359 for 5 on day one against Kent at Canterbury. Having added 97 with Adam Lyth (50) after the early loss of Andrew Gale, McGrath found a solid ally in Rudolph and the two clicked away at a good rate. McGrath’s 144 from 226 balls was his first hundred of the Championship season, while Rudolph’s unbeaten 121 was the fourth of season in which he has amassed 677 runs. Yasir Arafat took two wickets after McGrath fell with the score 341 for 3, but Rudolph and Matthew Hoggard held out until stumps.Nic Pothas’ hardworking 62 held Hampshire together against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl as the visitors shared the wickets around. Pothas, who came close to being run out by Lou Vincent before he had scored, battled hard against a strong attack after the top slipped to 85 for 4. Michael Carberry fell in the first over of the match, offering Glen Chapple a return catch, and Andrew Flintoff removed his former team-mate John Crawley with an edge to slip. Pothas took two sixes off Gary Keedy but finally fell having a wild slash at Chapple, sending an outside edge to Flintoff at second slip.For John Ward’s summary of Nottinghamshire’s match against Surrey at Trent Bridge, click here.There was no play at Chester-le-Street between Durham and Somerset.Second DivisionRain limited the action to 33.5 oversat Bristol, but there was enough time in between the showers for the Gloucestershire bowlers to put Middlesex under pressure, the visitors struggling to 73 for 4. Jon Lewis accounted for the wickets of Billy Godleman (0) and Ed Joyce (13), while Steve Kirby had Dawid Malan smartly held by William Porterfield at second slip. In the 12th over Shah retired hurt with a knee problem, and though he was later to return, his stay was brief when he edged a short delivery to the wicketkeeper, Steve Snell. Eoin Morgan was on 23 before bad light curtailed a miserable first day for Middlesex.At Derby, only 30.1 overs were squeezed in due to rain, but it was enough for Derbyshireto reach 111 for 3 against Leicestershire. The visitors elected to field first and soon had Derbyshire 15 for 2. Chris Rogers dug in for 52 off 89 balls, adding 96 with Wavell Hinds, and was last out when play was called off. Hinds was unbeaten on 33 from 62 balls, with two boundaries.Just 4.2 overs of play were possible at New Road as Northamptonshire progressed from their overnight 134 for 6 to 153 for 6, with enough time to shade a first-innings lead of seven over Worcestershire. The two South Africans, Nicky Boje (18) and Lance Klusener (14) are the not-out batsman going into the third day.No play was possible between Glamorgan and Essex at Cardiff.

Michael Vaughan has resigned as England captain following the series defeat against South Africa, which was sealed by the five-wicket loss at Edgbaston on Saturday

Cricinfo staff03-Aug-2008
Michael Vaughan has resigned as captain following defeat against South Africa © Getty Images
Michael Vaughan has resigned as England captain following the series defeat against South Africa, which was sealed by the five-wicket loss at Edgbaston on Saturday.The decision was announced during a hastily arranged press conference at Loughborough even though yesterday evening Vaughan said he “would let the dust” settle on the defeat.Paul Collingwood has also stood down as one-day captain, meaning that England will announce a new captain for both forms of the game on Monday. The frontrunner is Kevin Pietersen, who is a fixture in both teams. Collingwood is currently serving a four-match suspension for a slow over-rate.An emotional Vaughan said he felt the time was right to go and will take some time out of the game and won’t play in the final Test at The Oval, though he remains available for selection for future England contests.”It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but also the easiest,” said Vaughan. “I put my heart and soul into the job but if I kept on going my career could have come to an abrupt end. I think this decision will prolong my career.”I thought it might be time to go in New Zealand, where my body was working well but my mind was not working well. I will always cherish the support I’ve had, but this is a weight off my shoulders.”I had every ambition to lead the England team to the next Ashes Series but as England captain I feel I’ve run out of steam,” he added. “I believe that the best thing for the team is to embark on a new direction under a new captain.”I also believe the best thing for me is to try and get back to being best batsmen I can be. I’ll still have all the experience and knowledge to pass on and I hope to be a valuable player for both my county and the England team.Vaughan’s captaincy timelineJuly 2003 – Named England captain for the second Test against South Africa at Lord’s after Nasser Hussain steps down
August 2003 – Secures first Test win as captain, by 70 runs at Trent Bridge
August 2003 – England level the series against South Africa with a nine-wicket win at The Oval
March 2004 – Leads England to their first series win in West Indies since 1967-68
May-August 2004 – England win all seven Tests in the summer against New Zealand and West Indies
January 2005 – A draw at Centurion Park gives England a series victory in South Africa for the first time since 1965
September 2005 – England regain the Ashes after 16 years with a draw at The Oval
February 2006 – Breaks down with a knee injury at the start of tour of India. Doesn’t play again for nearly a year
May 2007 – Makes Test comeback with a century at Headingley against West Indies
June 2007 – Resigns one-day captaincy
August 2007 – Loses his first home series as captain, going down 1-0 to India
March 2008 – Drops Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison after Hamilton defeat against New Zealand
August 2008 – Resigns as Test captain following five-wicket loss against South Africa at Edgbaston
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have always been so supportive and have provided a huge inspiration to me as captain. A captain is only as good as his teams and I’ve been fortunate enough to captain some terrific players and great blokes.”It brings an end to Vaughan’s 51-match run as captain, four games short of becoming England’s long-serving leader, although his 26 victories makes him, statistically, the most successful captain.”He’s led from the front and always led with integrity and honesty. He’s been the best possible ambassador for the England cricket team,” said managing director Hugh Morris.However, the pressure on Vaughan has been growing in recent months despite back-to-back series victories against New Zealand. The series loss to South Africa is England’s third in five series, dating back to the 1-0 reversal against India last summer. They then lost by the same margin in Sri Lanka before losing the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Vaughan led a shake-up of the team by dropping Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison and England hit back to take the series, but the performances were not convincing.Adding to the stress on Vaughan has been his own lack of runs. He has made 40 in five innings against South Africa, consistently being troubled by the pace bowlers, and his last ten Test have produced just one century and an average of 22.He took on the role against South Africa in 2003, following Nasser Hussain’s resignation which also came after an Edgbaston Test. His first Test in charge, at Lord’s, was a thumping innings defeat, but he subsequently secured victories at Trent Bridge and The Oval as England shared the series.The defeats in the past two weeks at Headingley and Edgbaston were the first time he has lost back-to-back Tests and a hallmark of his reign as captain was how England could bounce back from defeats. His finest moment was the 2005 Ashes victory, although he was also at the helm for historic away successes against West Indies in 2004 and South Africa in 2005.

Carlton Palmer believes it should be a no-brainer for Newcastle United to fork out £3million for Kyle Bartley.

Magpies boss Steve Bruce is looking to beef up his defence after conceding 62 Premier League goals last season – nine more than relegated Fulham.

Florian Lejeune has also departed for Alaves having spent last season on loan with the Spanish club.

That means Bruce only has four senior central defenders at his disposal – Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez.

Newcastle have been heavily linked with making a move for 6 ft 4 Bartley, who impressed despite being unable to stop West Bromwich Albion suffering an immediate return to the Championship last season.

The 30-year-old made 31 appearances and also showed he is a threat in the opposition box by scoring three goals, but it was not enough for the Baggies to secure their Premier League status.

Palmer, who has kept a close eye on Bartley during his time at the Hawthorns, believes signing Bartley for a cut-price fee would be a shrewd piece of business by Newcastle.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He is absolutely worth a punt at £3million. His salary is not going to be huge compared to what you would normally pay.”