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Surrey appear to be heading for an early return to the Second Division in the Norwich Union League after suffering a fifth consecutive defeat in their Edgbaston meeting with Warwickshire.Last year’s promotion winners endured another batting slump and an injury scare for England batsman Mark Butcher in struggling to 136 despite an unbeaten 52 by Ben Hollioake.Warwickshire also had problems at 55 for 4 but all-rounder Dougie Brown set up a three-wicket win with more than seven overs to spare by scoring 63 after a bowling stint of 3 for 14.The only good news for Surrey – and for England – was that a hospital scan revealed no serious damage to Butcher when he was struck on the left earguard by a short ball from Neil Carter.The left-hander retired after making three and his Test team-mates, Ian Ward and Alec Stewart, were quickly cleaned up in three deliveries from South African-born Carter.Mark Ramprakash did a little better by making 20 until edging Vasbert Drakes (3 for 35) high to Keith Piper’s right for the best of the wicket-keeper’s four catches in his benefit match.Saqlain Mushtaq held up Warwickshire in a stand of 49 with top scorer Hollioake, but Brown then applied a swift closure by taking the last two wickets.Recalled England paceman Alex Tudor landed an early blow for Surrey and Ed Giddins dismissed David Hemp and Michael Powell to quell the jeers from the crowd on his return to a former county.Brown negotiated these setbacks with a rapid 50 in 59 balls and Surrey were out of contention when the Scot was caught at mid-on after a partnership of 73 with Trevor Penney. The consolation wicket went to Adam Hollioake but the Surrey captain joined the injury list after bowling only one ball in his second over.Cricket manager Keith Medlycott came on as substitute and promptly held a slip catch from Penney as Ben Hollioake took two wickets in successive balls.

Everton have now set their sights on signing a midfield star who could replace James Garner if he leaves as a free agent in the summer, according to reports.

Man Utd and Newcastle interested in James Garner

Whilst much of the plaudits have been sent the way of Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Garner has quietly been enjoying his best season yet in an Everton shirt. Unfortunately for the Toffees, however, that form is set to coincide with the end of his current contract in the summer.

The Friedkin Group should be desperate to agree fresh terms with their midfielder, but reported interest from former club Manchester United and Newcastle United may yet put a pin in those plans.

Having his say on Garner’s future, David Moyes claimed that the club will be doing everything to keep hold of Garner beyond this season and if it was up to him, he would not be heading for the exit door.

The one-year extension option should hand the Toffees the advantage in talks, but they’re not without a back-up plan if Garner does depart in the summer. According to TeamTalk, Everton have set their sights on signing Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.

Everton now eyeing Hayden Hackney move

The young midfielder has looked destined for the Premier League for some time now, even if that does not come courtesy of Championship promotion at Middlesbrough.

In previous years, he’s been content with staying put in Teesside, but reports are now claiming that Hackney is switching agents when January arrives in what could be a major hint about his club future.

League stats 25/26

Garner

Hackney

Minutes

1,433

1,821

Goals

1

3

Tackles Won

23

29

Ball Recoveries

66

124

Out of possession, Hackney is one of the best midfielders that the Championship has to offer. The 23-year-old is tireless off the ball and even has a knack for goals when given the chance. If anyone is ready for the Premier League in England’s second tier, it is the Middlesbrough star.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Premier League transfer insights Unlock deeper transfer analysis by subscribing to our newsletter. Dive into Everton’s potential targets, player profiles like Hayden Hackney, and informed context that helps you understand transfer decisions and squad building. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for Premier League transfer insights Unlock deeper transfer analysis by subscribing to our newsletter. Dive into Everton’s potential targets, player profiles like Hayden Hackney, and informed context that helps you understand transfer decisions and squad building.

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New Boro boss Kim Hellberg knows the extent of the talent that he has on his hands too, telling reporters: “Hayden is a fantastic player. He’s good at everything. He could play in every position there is on the pitch and do it brilliantly.

Related Everton join race to sign a "generational" talent in Jack Grealish repeat

The Toffees are eyeing a six-month loan deal…

Posts ByTom Cunningham

“He has all of that, but then he has also been the captain in these last two games and has been leading the squad so well. You could see his happiness when everyone else scored [at Hull].”

Everton line up move to sign "future £100m+" KDH replacement on loan

Sri Lanka will have no practice game ahead of the second Test in Port of Spain from April 3 after the cancellation of their scheduled fixture against West Indies A in Tobago. The match was to be a three-day affair, starting on March 29, but the West Indies board said “flight problems” had led to it being scrapped. The visitors will instead practice in the nets at Tobago’s Shaw Park.Sri Lanka lead the two-match series 1-0 after securing their first Test win in the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Wednesday. It has been a disrupted trip for Sri Lanka after heavy rain led to the tourists’ opening practice game, against a Guyana President’s Select XI, being shifted from Bourda to the Providence Stadium.

Rosalie Birch – an eye on the captaincy © Getty Images

Rosalie Birch has been named as England’s captain in their Twenty20 curtain raisers later this month. The women will play an Invitational XI ahead of men’s domestic Twenty20s at Taunton on June 24, and then Taunton two days later. Charlotte Edwards, the usual captain, has been ruled out following a knee operation.It’s the second lead role Birch has taken in the last few weeks, after also being promoted to Super 4s captain of the Sapphires, replacing the retired Laura Newton. Is this a hint from the England selectors that she could be considered for the vice-captain vacancy, a position vacated by Newton?She certainly hopes so – and her goals stretch even further. “To lead my country is my greatest ambition,” she told Cricinfo, “and I hope to impress for the future.”The matches, then, are a big opportunity for her. “To be asked to captain the England side in our showcase Twenty 20 matches is a great honour.”It should be awesome to be part of a men’s Twenty20 day and I am very much looking forward to the challenge of captaincy. I am very excited to be skippering such a talented side in what should be two high profile games.”The other Super 4s captains are Gill Richards, a fringe England player, Nicki Shaw and Alexia Walker. Caroline Atkins was the England captain in their match against Hoddesdon men – and she rose to the occasion with a topscore of 53 in a losing cause.”I have captained The Braves (who became the Rubies) at Super 4s when Connie (Clare Connor) was injured, and I am currently Brighton and Hove captain,” Birch added. “Unfortunately in recent years I haven’t had a look in what with being in the same team as the captain Connor, but I have learnt a lot from her and Lottie (Edwards).”

Ramnaresh Sarwan has just found another reason to celebrate © AFP

India dropped two places in the ICC ODI rankings, following a 4-1 loss to the West Indies, a defeat that has also seen Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan suffer in the player rankings following below-par individual performances.Before the series began, in third place, India had a chance to cut South Africa’s lead above them to a single point if they won all five matches. That wasn’t out of the question against a team ranked eighth and given India’s own excellent form (18 wins from 24 matches) before the series. Four consecutive defeats, though, have seen India drop to fifth, allowing Pakistan and New Zealand to benefit without having played recently.Dhoni began the series in second place for ODI batsmen, but 95 runs from five innings has seen him drop to fourth and his second place taken over by Ramnaresh Sarwan. Pathan also started the tour in second place in the bowling list, but six wickets in four matches has seen him slide to seventh, although there are relatively few rating points between many of the players in that top group.Rahul Dravid has dropped out of the top 10, to 12th, but Virender Sehwag has moved into the top 20, up six places to 18th, Yuvraj Singh remains in 10th place and Mohammad Kaif is up eight spots to 46th position.Ajit Agarkar, left out of the Test squad, has jumped back into the top 20 bowlers, rising eight places to 13th while Harbhajan Singh is also in that top 20, down one spot in joint 11th, with Makhaya Ntini.Sarwan’s 273 runs, including a hundred and two fifties, means he is closing the gap on Adam Gilchrist at the top and the jump follows his entry into the top 10 only last month, after a productive series against Zimbabwe. Chris Gayle is up three places to 11th position.Ian Bradshaw has broken into the bowling top 10 for the first time, up nine places to eighth spot, and he is the first West Indies bowler to reach the top 10 since Reon King five years ago. Bradshaw is not the only West Indian bowler moving up: Gayle is up eight spots to 30th, Fidel Edwards climbs 17 places to 42nd, Marlon Samuels is up 24 places to 64th and Jerome Taylor has climbed 10 spots to 81st position.The West Indies has not been able to improve, though, on its eighth position but have gained seven rating points because of the series win. They are now five points behind seventh-placed England in the table.

If there has been an aspect of this Test moredisappointing than the pitch, it must be the audience.Rahul Dravid, on the very first day, said that he was”maybe a little disappointed” at the low turnout, butpointed out that it was tough to get away to watchcricket on a weekday. Saturday brought no appreciableincrease, however, and only on Sunday afternoon wasthe ground filled to even half its capacity. Theoppressive heat and the soulless wicket may have hadsomething to do with it, but what little crowd therewas, right from New Zealand banner-waving cheerleaderSonny Shaw to Parthiv Patel’s classmates, ensured thenoise levels remained high, even if the audience countwasn’t.**************For five days, the scoreboard at the Sardar Patelstadium listed New Zealand players who may not beimmediately recognizable. Natahn Astle and CraigMcMillian, of those players, did particularly well. Daryl Tufey and Danel Vettori were two other similarly misnamed. Astle, incidentally, was just “alittle crocked,” according to Lou Vincent, and hencehis late arrival at the crease. One journalist,however, spotted Astle coughing and sneezingvehemently at his breakfast table, while a New Zealandreporter, after a visit to the dressing rooms justbefore lunch, told of how Astle was resting flat onhis back, and how Mark Richardson was none too bonnyeither. “It just happens sometimes,” said Vincent.”You try to be careful, and then one day you brushyour teeth in the tap water and something happens, oryou just happen to catch the flu.”***************Finally a vehicle with a more extensive securityconvoy than the Indian team’s arrived at the Moterastadium. Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat,arrived silently and stalked into the stadium,surrounded by Black Cat commandos. Narhari Amin, the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, escorted him to a glass-fronted room next to the AIR cubicle, from where Modi watched Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle grind thebowling. Just before the presentation ceremony, Modiwas kept waiting for almost 10 minutes as officialsscurried about, waving frantically for the teams tocome out of their dressing rooms. Whopping big chequeand trophy presented, Modi left as swiftly andunremarkably as he came.*************************The pitch had the final word, so the final word on thepitch. One Gujarat junior cricketer says that itshould have been no surprise that this wicket playedas it did. Around one month before the Test match,BCCI pitches committee chairman Venkat Sundaram dropped in to assess a 40-over-a-side match played between Gujarat’s Ranji probables. Theside batting first made only 165, and the surface, thecricketer says, played exactly like this one – nothingin it for the fast bowlers and only slow, slight turnfor the spinners. Sundaram seemed happy with that,for the surface was virtually replicated for the firstTest.

Sanath Jayasuriya reaches his hundred on the second day at Harare© AFP

On his own form
From the second Test against Australia I started to play my natural game and I have been in better form since then. There are little things that can go wrong when you play a lot of international games, which sometimes which you even don’t know. I have been ironing out my faults with Owen Mottau individually since the second Test against Australia. It helped me a lot. He worked with me for a long period.On today’s innings
If I get into the 30s, 40s or 50s, I always want to get a big score. When I am batting well I always try to get big hundreds. The ball that I got out to bounced more than I expected. I don’t set any targets when I go out to bat, but I will try to get as many runs as possible.Marvan [Atapattu] and myself know each other very well, and we were rotating the strike with singles and fast running between the wickets. That was essential because the outfield was not that fast. We were trying to convert twos into threes. We have a good understanding having opened in Tests and one-dayers.Before I got out he came up to me and said we have got 281, we’ll try and get the 19 runs for the 300, but next ball, unfortunately, I was out. It was disappointing that we lost some cheap wickets. The middle order batsmen should have got more runs on the board as they had a good opportunity to do that today. It is a good pitch, but it is not easy to play shots. You have to play yourself in otherwise you don’t find the ball hitting the middle of the bat. Once you get in you can get runs, but you have to occupy the crease longer here than in Sri Lanka.

PAARL, South Africa, Feb 25 AFP – Roland Lefebvre, captain of the Netherlands, predicted today that neither England, India nor Pakistan will win the World Cup.Instead, he reckons reigning champions Australia, hosts South Africa and New Zealand are way ahead of the rest of the pack to reach the March 23 final at Johannesburg.Lefebvre, leading the Dutch in only their second World Cup, was clearly unimpressed with England, India and Pakistan even though his team was routed by all three teams in the preliminary league.”I don’t think they have got what it takes. All three of them lack a bit of confidence,” the Dutch captain said.”England played solidly at Newlands against Pakistan. They probably are the best bet of the three teams to qualify for the Super Sixes.”Lefebvre’s remarks came after his team succumbed to a 97-run defeat to Pakistan today, their fourth successive defeat in a row.The 36-year-old, who played county cricket in England, has led the Dutch team since his retirement from professional cricket five years ago.His lone wicket against Pakistan was his 200th for the Netherlands.Lefebvre was proud the way his team played in the tournament despite the defeats.”The team was competitive and was not rolled over or thrashed by the big teams,” he said.”It is a big plus that we could take 19 wickets in the big matches against India and Pakistan.”The lack of pace bowling in the league back home and the high quality of spin in this World Cup have found us wanting a bit.”

DURBAN – South Africa cricket coach Graham Ford hopes fast bowler AllanDonald and batsman Jonty Rhodes will return from retirement for the two,three-Test series against world champions Australia at the end of the2001-02 season.”I’d love to have both available, of course. They are players of proveninternational ability and they are both match winners,” Ford toldReuters here on Friday.”It is also obvious how much respect they command from the opposition.”The problem for Ford and South African cricket is that both men haveretired from the Test arena to play exclusively in one-dayinternationals.Donald and Rhodes are determined to stay fit for the 2003 World Cup,after which both plan to retire from the game.However, because the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) doesnot have separate contracts for one-day and Test players, both men wereasked to be “technically” available for the two versions of the gamewhen they signed new contracts in April.”I’m not accepting finality either way,” Ford said.”There is a lot of time before the two series against Australia and alot of cricket to be played between now and then.”If we have to play Australia without either of them, then we’ll supporttheir replacements and still back ourselves to win.”Ford’s caution about their respective return to the Test arena was,however, not matched by his predecessor as South Africa coach, formerEngland and Kent all-rounder Bob Woolmer.Woolmer believed Donald would almost certainly return to Test cricket,particularly with the lure of the home-and-away series against worldchampions Australia.”His decision to play one-day internationals was based, I believe, onfrustration at not being able to finish a Test without injury and not ona burning desire to give up the five-day game,” Woolmer told Reuters.”When the going gets tough against Australia, which it inevitably willdo, and a place opens up in the bowling line-up, and Allan is fit, Iexpect he’ll be desperate to help beat the Aussies in a Test series,”Woolmer said.South Africa play three Tests in Australia over the Christmas and NewYear period before both teams fly to South Africa for three more Testsnext February and March.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery believes Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier may need to wear protective equipment against Southampton on Saturday, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Injuries galore…

The international break came at the right time for the Whites after they registered back-to-back wins against Norwich and Wolves.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The 3-2 victory at Molineux came at a cost, with Patrick Bamford, Diego Llorente, Mateusz Klich and Meslier all being forced off due to injury.

Bamford has been ruled out for six weeks with a fresh foot problem, but Llorente and Klich have returned to training.

Leeds confirmed earlier this week that Meslier was yet to return to Thorp Arch training, but the club expect him to be fit for the visit of Southampton.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI after that update from the club emerged.

He labelled the injury as ‘nasty’, however, the expert admitted he’d be ‘very surprised’ if he wasn’t available for selection on Saturday, hinting at possible protective padding.

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“It was very, very painful.

“He hasn’t trained in the first week of the international break but Leeds are fairly confident for the Southampton game.

“It may be that he has some sort of protective padding to help that area. But I’m fairly confident this will just be a case of pain management.

“It was a nasty one that forced him off but I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t available for the game against Southampton.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

The Frenchman is yet to miss a Premier League game this season, so you’d expect Jesse Marsch will be keeping his fingers crossed that he can call upon the 22-year-old once again at Elland Road.

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Meslier leads the way when it comes to saves made in 2021/22, becoming a key member of the squad following promotion to the Premier League.

He may well require protective padding on his bruised upper thigh and lower torso, as Dinnery mentions, and if that helps, it should be a no brainer from the Leeds medical staff.

In other news: Journalist now drops ‘big boost’ for Leeds and Marsch as talks with Radz and 49ers emerge.