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John Dyson, the West Indies coach, has said the gap between his team and Australia has become narrower after a closely-fought first Test in Jamaica, which Australia won by 95 runs

28-May-2008
‘I don’t think in this match, there has been such a vast difference between the two teams that I’ll walk away from here saying it’s not possible for West Indies to win’ © Getty Images
John Dyson, the West Indies coach, has said the gap between his team and Australia has become narrower after a closely-fought first Test in Jamaica, which Australia won by 95 runs.Having trailed on the first innings by 119, West Indies were in with a fighting chance of winning after dismissing the visitors for 167 in their second innings – their lowest total in a completed innings in Tests since being dismissed for 93 by India in Mumbai in 2004. But the final target of 287 was beyond West Indies.”It’s made us realise that they (Australia) are human, and they can falter,” Dyson said as West Indies arrived in Antigua for the second Test starting on Friday. “So if we can apply enough pressure at the right time and continue doing the good things that we can do, they might falter just enough to give us that opening.”I don’t think in this match there has been such a vast difference between the two teams that I’ll walk away from here saying it’s not possible for West Indies to win. If we could just improve on a couple of areas, we’ll put on another good show in Antigua.”Dyson, however, saw much to encourage him over the course of the game, especially in the bowling where Fidel Edwards, in the absence of the injured Jerome Taylor, excelled with his pace and control to take eight for 144 in the match.”We talk constantly about putting enough balls in the right areas,” Dyson said. “I think we saw in this game, particularly the opening spell in the second innings, we put perfect amount of balls in the right areas.”I think Shiv (Chanderpaul) played exceptionally well as we expect from him. I think Runako Morton in the first innings fought really hard. Devon Smith showed again that he’s quite capable of performing. It’s just a pity that he didn’t convert both of his starts or one of them at least into a big score.”Dyson also had good words for Denesh Ramdin, the wicketkeeper. “Denesh Ramdin again kept beautifully. I haven’t seen him have a bad game behind the stumps and he showed in the second innings, yes, he is capable of batting.”Dyson also took note of the work of the allrounder Darren Sammy, who he thought bowled with great control in both innings and also batted well in the second innings for his 35.

Round two of the State Championship gets underway tomorrow and the rampaging Canterbury side will be looking to put a significant performance together against Northern Districts to get their season off to the perfect start

Lynn McConnell04-Dec-2002Round two of the State Championship gets underway tomorrow and the rampaging Canterbury side will be looking to put a significant performance together against Northern Districts to get their season off to the perfect start.Both sides will suffer when the national side is chosen, and points gained at this early stage of the summer when the sides are at close to full strength could come in very handy further down the line.But there are other reasons for Canterbury to want to do well.All-rounder Chris Cairns goes into the match on 599 first-class wickets, Chris Harris will be playing his 100th first-class match and wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins who is on 98 first-class dismissals.More importantly though is the quality time available to players who are prospective Test candidates for the New Zealand team to be named at the weekend.With that in mind Daryl Tuffey will be looking for a similar sort of return for Northern Districts that he had at the Village Green last year. That was the effort that saw him recalled to the Test team, with such outstanding effect in New Zealand’s victory over England at Eden Park.Should Ian Butler pass the fitness test he has to do before the match, it will be an important trial for him to show he is ready to be considered for Test play.Daniel Vettori will be looking too, to get more overs under his belt, the more the merrier probably.Equally, Chris Martin and Shane Bond will be wanting to have plenty of bowling too.In many ways this game is perfectly placed coming as it does before the Test. Two strong teams doing battle on what is expected to be a good pitch at Rangiora, should make for a tight contest.The other match of the round, between Auckland and Wellington at Eden Park’s outer oval, should be an equally absorbing contest.The home team’s batting, especially the top order, will be well tested by the highly impressive Wellington attack which did so well against Central Districts in the first round.Another good performance by left-armer James Franklin could make Test considerations very interesting while Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent and Matt Horne, all prospective Test batsmen will at least have the chance to work out against some top quality bowling.Then there’s the natural rivalry between these two sides to consider. It is shaping as one of the more intense rounds of the competition.

Part of Crystal Palace’s transfer strategy this summer will include bringing in a couple of players on loan, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam has revealed.

Palace recently secured the services of Marc Guehi from Chelsea and it looks like they could turn to the west London club once again as they aim to bolster their squad further.

According to The Athletic, there has been persistent interest in midfielder Conor Gallagher and Palace are now attempting to bring in the 21-year-old in what would likely be a loan deal.

Speaking to FFC about Palace’s summer, Woosnam said:

“In terms of who they actually get, I would expect there to be at least one loan, maybe two.

“They always seem to sort of take that option up of bringing someone in on loan. It’s a bit more flexible than buying them.”

From Gallagher’s perspective, joining a side like Palace makes a lot of sense.

Last season, the England U21 international played a lot of football during his loan spell with West Brom. In total, he made 32 appearances, scoring two goals in the process.

After having a good taste of Premier League football, Gallagher will surely want to get out again and play rather than settle for Chelsea’s bench, which would be the likely scenario given Thomas Tuchel already has the likes of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.

Leicester City striker Josh Eppiah would complement Charlie Wyke up front at Sunderland if the latter stays at The Stadium of Light, The Transfer Tavern has been told.

Eppiah has been on loan at Belgian top-flight side OH Leuven, where he has impressed, according to TT’s EFL spy.

The 22-year-old was mainly used off the bench but still managed to chip in with a goal and assist as Marc Brys’ side went on to finish 11th.

As for Wyke, he was in truly prolific form for Sunderland, hitting 26 goals in 45 appearances in League One.

In the end, though, it was not enough, with the Black Cats missing out on promotion. Manager Lee Johnson will now be keen to bolster his squad so they can go that one step further next year, and our EFL insider has since recommended Eppiah, suggesting he could be the perfect partner for someone like Wyke, who could still move onto pastures new with his contract due to expire in a week.

“Josh Eppiah would excite with his pace and power, working hard off Wyke,” TT’s EFL spy said. “His work rate this season got him regularly off the bench for a top side in Belgium, so he’s capable of playing higher. 

“But playing at Sunderland week in, week out will always impress players enough to want to drop down and play men’s football.”

Sunderland, however, face a real battle to keep Wyke as his contract, which expires at the end of the month, continues to run down.

With Rodrigo failing to deliver the goods last season, Leeds might be in the market for another striker this summer.

However, former Sheffield United frontman Dean Windass doesn’t think that Eddie Nketiah will be on Marcelo Bielsa’s wish list for a second time.

The Arsenal youngster spent the first half of the 2019-2020 season on loan at the Elland Road outfit, and impressed for the Yorkshire outfit, scoring five times in less than 700 minutes of first-team action. Given that he did only play less than 700 minutes, rarely starting, it makes Football Insider’s report about a potential return a surprise.

Due to that lack of game time, he was recalled by Arsenal in that January and became a regular for Mikel Arteta’s team until the end of the campaign.

But the striker’s opportunities were extremely limited last term, making just four Premier League starts and played a mere 104 minutes in the league after Christmas.

With Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang clearly ahead of him in the Arsenal pecking order, the 22-year-old might have to look elsewhere to get regular game-time.

But Windass exclusively told Football FanCast that Leeds won’t be that club:

“I think he will stay at Arsenal. He’s seen it, tried and tested it, he did very well, but I think there’s better players than him, and I think Arteta will try and get him in his team next season.”

Almost every club in the Premier League would jump at the chance to sign Ivan Toney if he became available at Brentford, but Barry Fry, the Director of Football who brought Toney to Peterborough from Newcastle United, has claimed that the striker would fit straight in at West Ham.

The Hammers are one of several clubs to have been credited with an interest in the striker who fired in 33 goals in the regular Championship season as well as a penalty in their play-off final victory against Swansea City.

The latest reports have credited usual big spenders Everton and Chelsea with an interest in the former Newcastle striker and the Hammers will be hoping nothing comes to fruition there if they are to stand a chance of bringing him in to challenge Michail Antonio next season.

David Moyes will be looking to add multiple additions to his squad next season who will be capable of slotting in immediately given that their Europa League campaign starts before their domestic one and Toney would be a signing that could do that, according to Fry who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“At West Ham they’ve got some of the best delivery from corners and free-kicks, which helps as they’ve got two or three players that can really attack the ball and Ivan Toney would only add to that.

“He’s brilliant in the air, both offensively and defensively, so I can see Ivan fitting into West Ham’s style of play.”

Brentford fans would be disappointed to see their 25-year-old star man depart before their debut Premier League campaign as they have something that other promoted teams rarely have and that’s a goal scorer and one that is being chased by several top clubs in England.

It would make sense if Moyes was looking at Toney considering that he is still yet to replace club-record signing Sebastien Haller who was allowed to leave for Ajax without a replacement being lined up, and that may have cost the Hammers a place in the top four as they didn’t have a back up for Antonio when he was injured.

According to a report by Viola News, West Ham United have ‘asked for information’ over recent weeks in an enquiry to sign colossal Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski.

The Lowdown: Hammers searching for a shot stopper?

Despite reports indicating that manager David Moyes’ summer priorities are a new striker, new centre-half and permanent deal for Lingard (Claret & Hugh), West Ham have also been touted to bolster other positions.

One of those is in between the sticks, with current number one Lukasz Fabianski arguably approaching the end of his West Ham career despite recently signing a one-year extension in east London.

The Hammers could be on the lookout for a new shot stopper as his possible heir this summer and the club have already been linked to the likes of Sam Johnstone.

The Latest: West Ham enquiry now made for Dragowski

As per local Florence outlet Viola News, the Irons have now made an enquiry to sign Dragowski amid the search for a possible new keeper.

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Indeed, West Ham have apparently asked for information in recent weeks but are not the only club looking into a possible deal for the 23-year-old.

They face stiff competition from the Premier League with Tottenham, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers all placing Dragowski on their radar.

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse started 36 matches for Fiorentina over the 2020/2021 Serie A campaign, keeping eight clean sheets in that time (Transfermarkt).

The Verdict: Promising but not a priority…

Drawgowski comes as a decent prospect in the goalkeeping department, having made his international debut already at just 23 and playing at a consistently in a top league throughout 20/21.

However, given West Ham’s considerable lack of depth going forward, with star striker Michail Antonio in and out of the side due to reoccurring fitness issues, the Irons have bigger priorities.

A permanent deal for Lingard and new centre-forward should sit top of the pile when it comes to West Ham’s transfer agenda.

The east Londoners should also be monitoring new centre-backs ahead of new keepers, especially given the club’s decision not to renew Fabian Balbuena’s current deal.

Fabianski’s extended stay means West Ham can bide their time in search of a new keeper, but the same cannot be said for other positions in Moyes’ squad.

In other news: ‘Have started negotiations’…Journalist makes exciting West Ham transfer claim, find out more here.

Winchester KS are Hampshire indoor six-a-side cricket champions for the seventh time in the past nine years

Mike Vimpany15-Apr-2002Winchester KS are Hampshire indoor six-a-side cricket champions for the seventh time in the past nine years.Beaten ECB semi-finalists at Lord’s last month, Winchester clinched their now regular spot in the national championships with comparative ease.They beat Paultons by 25 runs before trouncing 2001 runners-up Easton in the first final to be played at the Hampshire Rose Bowl.Chris Wheeler (30), who top scored in both matches, Jimmy Taylor (28), Phil Green (26) and Dave Greatham (25) led the way as Winchester set off on a 156-run scoring spree against Easton, whose bowling and fielding fell apart.Once left-armer Martin Taylor (3-11) had got amongst the Easton top order, the result was a foregone conclusion.Only last-man Mark Stone and Andy Birch put up token resistance as Winchester retained their county indoor crown.Semi-finals:
Winchester 122-4 (Wheeler 32, J Taylor 21)
Paultons 97-5 (Richman 40)Lymington 76-5 (Smith 36, Phillips 20, Sh Green 2-18)
Easton & Martyr Worthy 78-2 (A Birch 15, Sh Green 15, Smith 2-21)Final:
Winchester KS 156-2 (Wheeler 30, Taylor 28, P Green 26, Greetham 25)
Easton & martyr Worthy 93 (Stone 20, A Birch 19, M Taylor 3-13)

As quoted by French newspaper L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), a source has explained that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is ‘ready’ to do one thing as he pursues Paris-Saint Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Return of Poch?

Just over a year and a half after leaving Tottenham, the 49-year-old could now make a sensational return to north London as reports emerge of his interest in coming back to the club.

Indeed, Pochettino could swap the French capital for an N17 return after The Athletic broke news of Tottenham’s contact with their former manager.

He reportedly fancies the idea of becoming Tottenham’s head coach once again, but one huge obstacle appears to be PSG, with the Argentine’s current club not keen on losing him this summer.

The Latest: L’Equipe source makes big Levy claim…

As per the print edition of French newspaper L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), a source close to the situation has detailed just how desperate Levy is to see Pochettino return to Spurs.

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The Tottenham chairman is apparently ‘ready’ to make ‘lots of concessions’ in pursuit of the Lilywhites fan favourite, with Levy also holding a belief this appointment could ease the pressure on his position.

“Daniel Levy knows that, in the face of his unpopularity, he doesn’t have much choice,” the source explained to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) when asked on the Pochettino situation.

“He is ready to make lots of concessions. Bringing back Pochettino, very popular, could allow him to come out of the crisis from the top.”

The Verdict: Boost for Tottenham?

That Levy is seemingly ready to make concessions to land his man could come as an exciting claim for Spurs supporters, but the Spurs chairman’s apparent reasoning behind a possible return for Pochettino may be worrying and indicate a lack of critical thinking.

Indeed, re-hiring the former Southampton manager would come as a big PR win for Levy and may do wonders to appease a large section of fans who, in recent weeks, have voiced their displeasure with his running of the club.

If he really wants what is best for Tottenham, the 59-year-old may have to think harder over who could be the best appointment logically – and that doesn’t necessarily mean the most popular choice.

In other news: ‘Another source just now saying’…Sky reporter drops Pochettino claim on live TV, find out more here.

Everton have ‘been offered’ former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti.

That’s according to the print edition of Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness).

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Real Madrid were in talks with Ancelotti, whom they identified as a candidate to replace Zinedine Zidane. Los Blancos were said to be ‘pushing’ to bring the Italian back to the Bernabeu, and the Italian’s departure has since been confirmed.

Ancelotti signed a four-and-a-half-year deal when he took over at Goodison Park in December 2019 but Nuno could now be a decent replacement option.

The 47-year-old parted company with Wolves at the end of the season after they finished 13th in the Premier League. Prior to that, he led them to promotion and back-to-back seventh-place finishes.

Twitter account Everton News Feed relayed the claim from AS, and here’s how supporters reacted. Many were unconvinced by Nuno’s credentials as a possible successor to Ancelotti off the back of a poor season, with one even remarking that they would rather have the much-criticised Marco Silva back at Goodison Park.

Everton fans concerned by Nuno links

“Don’t think he’s good enough for our club, he’s done a great job at Wolves don’t get me wrong but no Ancelotti replacement”

Credit: @KingKierxn

“I’d rather Marco Silva back”

Credit: @jake_everton

“Just no”

Credit: @bobadilla

“This is so typical Everton”

Credit: @JoshuaBartley

“Avoid this at all costs”

Credit: @BigChungusREE

“Yikes”

Credit: @ajpb03

In other news, many Everton fans flocked to this transfer update on one Toffees midfielder.