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Glenn McGrath is ruled out of yet another series against India © Getty Images

Glenn McGrath has been ruled out of the remainder of the current Test series against India. A scan revealed his ankle had not healed enough for him to participate in the Boxing Day Test, a New South Wales(NSW) team spokesperson said.”Glenn Mcgrath had a scan on Tuesday and it’s improved a lot but he’s still not right to play,” said Glenn Daniel. “He’s aiming for the New South Wales game against Victoria starting on 9 January.”McGrath was earlier expected to play for NSW against Tasmania on December 19, but cancelled a net session after experiencing pain.”It has not settled, and still swells up. He still gets pain when he bowls,” Pat Farhat, the NSW team physio, said.The latest setback comes after Jason Gillespie suffered a groin strain in the second Test. Brad Williams sprained a shoulder joint in the same test, but bowled on the final day, allaying fears about the extent of his injury.Australia’s frontline fast bowlers have been laid low with a spate of injuries in recent months, and this led to an under-strength attack playing in the first two Tests against India.The only sign of relief is Brett Lee’s likely return to the Test squad after recovering from ankle and stomach injuries. If found fit, Lee will be a certainty for the third Test, which begins on December 26.The squad for the third Test will be announced on Monday, December 22, after India’s tour match against Australia A.

Paul Strang has been released from his professional contract with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.The 32-year old requested the release to take up a commentating job during the Zimbabwe tour of India and, thereafter, a club contract in the Liverpool Cricket Premier Division in England.Although Strang would have left tomorrow with the Zimbabwe Board XI to tour South Africa, the selectors replaced him with Dirk Viljoen, saying that experience should be given to someone who will use it locally.Strang has therefore been released with immediate effect."It’s a positive life decision for myself. I have had a couple of chronic injuries over the past two years, making every day a challenge" said Strang.An all-rounder who will be remembered for his leg-spin bowling, Strang made his Test debut for Zimbabwe in the third match against Sri Lanka, in Harare in 1994.He lists his personal highlights as scoring a century against Pakistan in a Test match, picking up five wickets in the same innings in Sheikhupura 1996/97 and 8 for 109 in the first Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo two years ago.He said he also enjoyed the 3-0 whitewash of England in a one-day international series in 1996, and the World Cup in that country in 1999.Vice-Chairman of the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers’ Association, Strang says he will maintain the office.Zimbabwe Cricket Union Chairman, Peter Chingoka has thanked Strang for his service to the local game."The union is grateful for his eight years to the Zimbabwe Test campaign", said Chingoka.

The Jumbos romped to a 50-run victory over the Free State Eagles on Wednesday after a devastating opening spell from their new ball bowlers.Mfuneko Ngam and Justin Kemp took two wickets apiece as the Eagles were reduced to 11 for four before the end of the ninth over.Ngam underlined the good impression he made on the SA A team tour to the West Indies and since. He bowled full, fast and straight and it was these virtues that gave him the scalps of Boeta Dippenaar – LBW to a yorker – and of Kosie Venter who was bowled.With Kemp taking the scalps of Test players Nicky Boje and Gerry Liebenberg the stuffing had been knocked out of the Eagles’ innings.What made the performance all the more commendable was the fact that the Jumbos bowling attack was without Garnett Kruger, Mornantau Hayward and Meyrick Pringle.Louis Wilkinson (51) and Wiaan Smit (45) made a brave attempt at a repair job with a 90-run partnership, but as the first 50 of the innings took 22 overs to arrive, the fact that the second came in less than ten still left them behind the eight-ball.The pressure of the run-chase told on Smit who was bowled by Graham Hayward as he attempted to pull across the line of a straight ball.His partner reached his half-century shortly afterwards in 73 balls but he too decided his arm had to be chanced. He chose the first over back from Kemp to attempt it and as he went for the aerial route could do no more than chip to midwicket where Ngam took the catch.Gerard Brophy had thrashed 23 in as many balls in company with Wilkinson but when he was run out at the non-striker’s end in a mix-up with Herman Bakkes, the game was up.EP’s total of 217 for eight was built around a second wicket partnership of 74 in 15 overs between Carl Bradfield (40) and Robin Peterson, the slow left-armer, who was promoted to number three in the order.It paid off perfectly as Peterson scored 61 in 49 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes to blast his side to a commanding position 101 for one before Bradfield fell to Boje.Still, EP looked set for an impressive total but wickets fell regularly against good Free State bowling and in the end it was James Bryant’s 56 from 70 balls which held the innings together.

Barcelona want to sign Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Neves excelling this season for Wolves

Wanderers are currently enjoying a season to remember, sitting seventh in the Premier League and having a strong chance of finishing in the European places.

Neves has stood out as one of their most influential players in 2021/22, starting 25 league matches, scoring four goals and averaging 2.4 tackles per game.

The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from Molineux in recent times, though, and a fresh rumour is now doing the rounds.

The Latest: Fresh Barcelona rumour emerges

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Neves is seen as an ‘option to be the replacement for Busquets’, with the legendary Spaniard turning 34 later this year.

The player’s agent Jorge Mendes ‘has a good relationship’ with Barca president Joan Laporta which could help get a deal over the line, with the report also describing the Wolves midfielder as ‘one of the best in the entire Premier League in his position’.

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Hard to turn down

While Neves has shown great loyalty to Wolves during his career, the lure of playing for a club of Barcelona’s stature could be too much to turn down, given their prestige and history.

To be given the opportunity to replace Busquets would be a great honour – the Spain international is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders of all time – and he may want to follow in the footsteps of past Portuguese greats Luis Figo and Deco in playing for the Catalan giants.

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In an ideal world, Neves would stay put at Wolves, but it is increasingly easy to envisage a scenario where he moves on in the summer, looking for a new challenge as the 24-year-old approaches his prime.

In other news, a Wolves player has suffered a suspected injury. Find out who it is here.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Howthey were out

An unbroken 168-run partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Niraj Patel saw India Blue prevail by six wickets in Ahmedabad © Cricinfo Ltd

It was a statement of sorts from Dinesh Karthik. Left out of the Indian squad to play the series against Pakistan on Saturday after a string of indifferent one-day scores, he produced the innings of the tournament to steer India Blues to the Challenger Trophy title. It was the first century of the series and allowed the Blues to be the only team to hunt down a target successfully. A rather lukewarm tournament ended in electric fashion, with Karthik shining brightly under the lights.The dew finally had an effect on the chase, after three successive games where winning the toss and batting made the difference. India Red shrugged off two mini-collapses to post a healthy 269 but sizzling fifties from Suresh Raina and Niraj Patel provided ideal foils for Karthik’s controlled aggression. Conventional drives were interspersed with punchy slog-sweeps in an effort that overshadowed everything that went before. The national spot was gone but it wasn’t going to douse Karthik’s fire.Though he began with a crunched four through the covers it was Raina making all the noises at the other end: uncorking champagne strokes with flourish. Raina set the tempo for the chase, ripping cover drives of the highest class and juddering pulls off the back foot. His 45-ball fifty came after the Blues were three down and rattled the Reds in a matter of a few overs.Karthik soon got into the act. Spin offered him a chance to take full toll and his crackling sweeps set the innings in motion. S Badrinath, trying his part-time offbreaks, was slog-sweeped confidently over midwicket and Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, was clueless against him.Raina’s dismissal demanded some caution but Niraj proved to be an able ally, milking the bowling with wristy manoeuvres. The India Red bowlers gradually lost rhythm, the heavy dew didn’t help, and their attempts at pitching it short were met with meaty pulls. Karthik received a let-off on 42, with the mid-on fielder grassing a tough, high chance, but his 83-ball century, his maiden hundred in domestic one-dayers, was one of his more memorable efforts.His 168-run stand with Niraj was a Challenger Trophy record for the fifth wicket and the game was headed in only one direction once he brought up his century. Niraj, the left-hand batsman from Gujarat, showed the value of an innings builder in the middle order. His three fours and a six were vital but what really frustrated the Reds was his ability to find the gaps and run hard. It might have been second-fiddle but the target could have proved elusive without his cool.

Gautam Gambhir looked assured during his knock of 82 © Cricinfo Ltd

Another good partnership had set up India Red’s innings earlier in the day. Gautam Gambhir and Badrinath rescued India Red from a shaky start before a cool and calculated knock from Mahesh Rawat down the order boosted them.The Reds needed a sound partnership to bail them out of an early hole. Joginder Sharma nailed two early blows (he could have had three if Ajinkya Rahane had held on to a sharp chance from Mohammad Kaif) and Ranadeb Bose tempted Kaif into a airy drive. Gambhir led the rescue mission, asserting himself from early on. He latched on to anything wide and milked the bowling with minimum fuss.Giving him company was Badrinath. He couldn’t match Gambhir for assuredness but displayed the gumption needed to grind it out on this surface. The outcome was the first century stand of the tournament; ironically between two men competing for the same spot in the national side.But Amit Mishra, in good form with the ball recently, foxed Gambhir with a quicker one and got Virat Kohli, who chipped a leading edge back to the bowler, off the very next ball. Rawat’s street-smart effort pushed the Reds past 250 but Mishra’s spell in the middle made the difference eventually. Had Gambhir stayed on the Reds could have well to 300, sealing the contest at the halfway stage itself. Once given the opportunity, Karthik didn’t need a second invitation to latch on.

Bob Woolmer and Mohammad Yousuf take a look at the Karachi pitch © AFP

At the risk of making Karachi sound like a tourist hotspot, the port city is bathing in sunlight, temperatures are idling in the mid-20s and a cool sea breeze is blowing across the National Stadium. For the important business of Test cricket, conditions are ideal.The good cheer has slipped into the West Indian camp as they attempt to build on a draw in Multan with what would be a memorable, nay, historic win in Karachi. It’s arguable whether they should be so cheery given their recent away record: It’s been over six years since they won a Test abroad against a major Test nation, a harum-scarum innings triumph at Edgbaston.During this period, they have only drawn six of their 44 away Tests against the upper cricketing echelon. They haven’t even drawn a major series abroad since 1995. Precisely why, perhaps, Brian Lara attached such significance to the Multan Test. “We are very optimistic and the drawn Test is a great template for us,” Lara told the media. “We can walk around with that Test in our back pocket.”History is not lost upon him. “One of the motivating factors on the last day in Multan was the fact that we hadn’t won abroad against a major side for so long. First we have to start playing good cricket – that is the first step. But that record shouldn’t affect us negatively and the guys are looking forward to the challenge.”His geography isn’t bad either, correctly locating Karachi in the south, where the sun is out earlier and for longer. He might have added that the combination helps in producing what the local curator called “win-loss tracks.” The last two Tests in Karachi, against India and Sri Lanka, have produced crackerjack Tests for everyone’s tastes: fast bowlers have thrived (even Abdul Razzaq has a five-wicket haul here), spinners have prospered (Danish Kaneria’s last ten-wicket haul was here in 2004), batsmen have been rewarded and officials and spectators have gone home smiling. And even if the pitch currently appears dry and grassless, it is worth bearing in mind that only one of the last ten Tests at this ground has ended in a draw.A draw would be good enough for a series win for Pakistan, though probably not enough to assuage doubts that have gathered around them since the England series. Pre-series scripts didn’t see West Indies dominating a drawn Test (though they probably didn’t expect Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif to be out on drug charges). There are concerns aplenty, though some are greater than others.

Brian Lara is 96 short of 12,000 Test runs © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq’s recent form – without a fifty in eight innings – is one such though it still seems inconceivable that he won’t come good sooner rather than later. Of more concern is Abdul Razzaq’s place. It says much about his career that even a pivotal 80 in his last innings isn’t enough to remove uncertainty about his true worth to the Test side (only his third fifty in 26 Tests). But Karachi has been kind to him; apart from his only Test five-for, his most memorable all-round performance came here, in January against India, seven wickets and scores 45 and 90.The other lingering question is that of Mohammad Sami. One of the problems of non-performing allrounders is the space they deny specialists but what Sami’s primary occupation is remains open to question. It is suspected he is here as a tearaway. His form in domestic cricket has been good, though no-balls continue to plague him. “Sami brings pace if he plays and if he does, hopefully he will perform well. Our bowlers Gul and Nazir have done well for us but the pitch here supports fast bowlers usually so we will see.”Many things can be expected from this Test. Mohammad Yousuf might break one of the longest-standing batting records in international cricket (that of Viv Richards for the most runs in a calendar year). Inzamam might come back into form. Corey Collymore might receive the luck that is so emphatically his due and hustle out Pakistan. Brian Lara might become the first man to score over 12,000 Test runs (he needs 96 more runs). If he does, it is likely that he will move alongside Sachin Tendulkar as the top century-maker in Test cricket. Above all, a result other than a draw, can also be expected.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Younis Khan, 4Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik,8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Shahid Nazir, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Danish KaneriaWest Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Daren Ganga, 3 Brian Lara (capt),4 Runako Morton, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 DeneshRamdin, 8 Dave Mohammed, 9 Darren Powell, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 CoreyCollymore

Denesh Ramdin wants to emulate the best wicketkeepers in the game © Getty Images

Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy are helping Denesh Ramdin, the West Indian wicketkeeper, improve his batting and wicketkeeping skills on the tour of Australia. “I’ve been looking at a few guys over the years, Jeffrey Dujon, Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist, seeing them on television, see them dominating cricket as batsmen at No. 7 and scoring centuries,” Ramdin told . “I think that’s one of my goals, to bat at seven and score a lot of centuries as well.”Ramdin spoke to Healy during West Indies tour of Sri Lanka in July and was given some technical tips to work on.”I think I’ve developed a bit more with my keeping,” he said. “I’ve come over to Australia and he’s done a few more things with me, a couple of tips batting-wise and about the wickets and how to keep on them with the bounce. By talking to him he helped me setting drills that will help me through the Tests and also while I’m at practice.”Ramdin, who was picked for West Indies after only 13 first-class matches, said he would like to achieve the batting standards set by Dujon and Gilchrist and the wicketkeeping levels of Healy. He scored 71 in a 182-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Dwayne Bravo and avoided an innings defeat in the second Test against Australia at Hobart.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Damien Martyn piled on the agony for Pakistan with an unbeaten 100© AFP

For the second day in a row, Australia did all the running and completely shut Pakistan out of the game. Damien Martyn stroked a sublime century and Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer missed theirs by a whisker as Australia declared their second innings on 5 for 361. That left Pakistan the small matter of scoring 564 for victory, and in the six overs of play before close, they lost Imran Farhat to close on 1 for 18.Pakistan had taken all the points on the opening session of the Test, but since then it’s been one-way traffic. Langer and Adam Gilchrist snatched the initiative away from them on the first day, their batsmen were hopelessly shambolic on the second, and today Pakistan had more misery heaped on them by Martyn, Langer (97) and Ponting (98). As if being pummeled by the Australian batsmen wasn’t bad enough, Pakistan were further hampered by a couple of injuries in the field. Inzamam-ul-Haq was off the field for 140 minutes with a back problem – though the sharp chance he took at first slip to dismiss Michael Clarke just after returning made you wonder what kind of back-fixing treatment was administered in the dressing-room – while Shoaib Akhtar, easily Pakistan’s best bowler of the match, hurt his left shoulder while diving in the field and went off early in the afternoon session.Going into the third day, Australia already had a cushion of 215 runs, and they ensured that there would be no let-up for Pakistan. Barring early spells from Shoaib and Mohammad Sami, both of whom bowled with plenty of fire and swung the ball appreciably, the Australians were seldom bothered. Shoaib got an early strike during that spell, forcing Matthew Hayden to shoulder arms to one that came back and knocked off stump (1 for 28), but then Langer and Ponting took over.Both saw off Pakistan’s main men, and then made merry against the lesser bowlers. Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Khalil bowled at a friendly medium pace, while Danish Kaneria was largely innocuous, though he managed prodigious turn on occasions.

Justin Langer carried on from where he had left off in the first innings, making 97 in the second© AFP

As in the first innings, Langer was in glorious form, peppering the off side with exquisite extra-cover drives. Yousuf Youhana, the stand-in captain, refused to post a sweeper in that position to check the runs, and Langer cashed in, repeated threading the gap between cover and mid-off. And when the ball was dropped short, he quickly latched on with pulls and cuts.Ponting, on the other hand, wasn’t entirely assured at the start. The footwork was unsure, his head was falling over towards the off side, and deliveries outside off were being forced to leg. However, as his innings went along, the fluency came back, as did the drives through cover and the swivelled pull off anything even marginally shot. His best shot of the day, though, was a magnificent straight-drive off Razzaq, off a similar delivery to the one which had bowled him in the first innings.The two added 163 for the second wicket, with Langer upping the ante as he neared his century – he moved from 85 to 97 in five balls – but he fell just three short of becoming the first batsman to score a hundred in each innings of a Perth Test when he nicked one onto his stumps off Razzaq (2 for 191).There was no respite for Pakistan, though, as Martyn shrugged off his first-innings failure and played with the grace and elegance that’s his hallmark. He hardly needed any time to get his eye in, unveiling some crisp flicks off his legs and drives through cover. His stand-out stroke, though, was the late-cut against Kaneria and Farhat, who tried his hand at some quickish legbreaks. Repeatedly the spinners bowled fractionally short outside off, and repeatedly Martyn rocked back and tapped the ball unerringly into the gaps behind square.Australia lost a few wickets at the other end, most notably that of Ponting, who dragged his back foot out while attempting a sweep and was smartly stumped by Kamran Akmal. Darren Lehmann and Clarke didn’t make too many, but that hardly mattered. The declaration came immediately after Martyn got his hundred, and when Farhat was trapped in front by an indipper from Glenn McGrath, Pakistan’s misery was complete.

Chittagong 300 and 129 for 2 (Faisal 65*) beat Rajshahi 234 and 194 (Mashud 59) by 8 wickets
ScorecardFaisal Hossain, nicknamed Dickens, scripted another classic at Comilla when he hammered a 41-ball 65, and took Chittagong to a facile eight-wicket win. With this win, Chittagong joined Dhaka and Khulna at the top of the Mirzapore Tea Fifth National Cricket League. Faisal’s innings contained three massive sixes and nine fours.Akram Khan, captain of Chittagong, promoted Faisal up in the batting order after he had hit an unbeaten 99 in the first innings batting at number six. His breezy innings enabled Chittagong to reach the target of 129 in only 26.3 overs. Anisul Hakim, the opener, contributed 37.Faisal’s show completely overshadowed a gritty knock from Khaled Mashud, the Rajshahi captain, earlier in the day. Mashud scored 59 in 139 balls as Rajshahi finished on 196 in their second innings. Yasin Arafat, the offspinner making his debut, finished with a match haul of 9 for 149 and was later adjuged the Man of the Match. Saifullah Khan was the most successful bowler for Rajshahi, with match figures of 7 for 143.Khulna 160 and 156 (Parvez 48) beat Sylhet 80 (Razzaq 7-11) and 160 (Hadi 43, Bashir 4-36) by 76 runs
ScorecardAt Sylhet, Khulna needed only 25 minutes to wrap up their match. When Sylhet began the day on 145 for 9, the last two batsmen, who had added a stubborn 16 last evening, needed another 91 runs for victory. But they put on only 15 as Tapash Baisya was stumped by Hasibul Haq after scoring 30. Tamim Bashir, who claimed the last wicket, finished with 5 for 43 in his 23.3 overs. He was jointly adjudged Man of the Match with Abdur Razzaq, the Khulna spinner, who claimed seven wickets in the first innings.Razzaq’s magical spell resulted in Sylhet being bowled out for only 80 in the first innings with only the two openers reaching double figures. It was all downhill after that,and Khulna joined Dhaka and Chittagong at the top of the table.
Dhaka 374 (Halim 119, Niamur 62, Muntasir 58) beat Barisal 193 and 118 (Mahmud 4-19, Muntasir 4-31) by an innings and 63 runs
ScorecardKhaled Mahmud, after a combative half-century to rescue Dhaka from a perilous position, bowled them to victory, taking 4 for 19 as Barisal were skittled out for 118 in their second innings. Fahim Muntasir, an offspinner fighting to get back into the national side, also had a fine match, scoring 58 and, then, taking 4 for 31.

Somerset County Cricket Club have signed a new five year deal with Boundary Sports to provide the players clothing.Birmingham based Boundary Sports, pledged their support to the club when they took over running the club shop at the County Ground in December 2000, which has gained over the last twelve months. Last season Boundary Sports sponsored the players kit.In addition they company also sponsor the Somerset C.C.C. youth sides.This season Boundary Sports will benefit from a change in the E.C.B. advertising regulations, which will allow sponsor’s names to appear on the chest of shirts as well as the lapels.Earlier today Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me, “We are very pleased to extend our arrangement with Boundary Sports to continue to supply our players with quality clothing.”Boundary Sports owner Sol Abbas said, ” From a business point of view our tie up with Somerset County Cricket Club has been very good, and we are very very pleased with the performances of last season, which is a vanguard of my publicity.”