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When rain arrived to curtail played on the fourth evening, Australia needed six wickets to win, while England required a further 127 runs to make them bat again

Brydon Coverdale17-Dec-20171:26

Swann: Would like England to save it without rain

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe idea that Brits love to talk incessantly about the weather is more than a persistent national stereotype. Two years ago, research showed that at any given moment, one third of the UK population were either discussing the weather, or had just done so, or were about to. It is a trait that may serve them well ahead of the final day in Perth, where Monday’s forecast is for a morning storm and up to 15 millimetres of rain. And therein lies England’s hope of holding on to the urn a little longer.The state of play was this: Australia needed six wickets to win, while England required a further 127 runs to make Australia bat again. The pitch was cracking up, the occasional ball jagging so far that fast bowlers looked like legspinners and the odd delivery staying low, just to add to the challenge. Mitchell Starc bowled James Vince from around the wicket with a ball that bit so sharply off the pitch it changed its angle from down leg to demolishing off stump, and left Vince glancing at the pitch with the same sort of mystified look that Mike Gatting had against Shane Warne in 1993.In short, this would not be an easy task for England, if the rain stayed away. Dawid Malan was on 28 and Jonny Bairstow had 14, and England were on 4 for 132. Earlier, Australia had piled up 9 for 662 before they declared. It was the ninth-highest total in Australia’s Test history, and their heftiest score since the Cardiff Ashes Test of 2009, when they amassed 6 for 674 in their second innings. England fans will remember that their side clung on for a draw on that occasion.This time, Australia had earned themselves a 259-run first-innings lead. It was almost true to say that Steven Smith was the difference between the teams, for he himself had accumulated a career-best 239. The day began with some positive signs for England, as they plucked out Mitchell Marsh for 181, removed Smith, and ran out Starc within the first five overs. And the day ended early with Perth’s wet weather giving Malan and Bairstow a reprieve. But not much that went in between was good for England.In the second over of their reply, England lost Mark Stoneman, who flirted tamely outside off stump and edged behind off Josh Hazlewood. In the eighth over, Alastair Cook was brilliantly caught and bowled by Hazlewood, who grabbed the chance low and to his right, continuing Cook’s recent run of poor form. Cook has now failed to pass fifty in any of his past 10 Test innings, and in fact has crossed 30 only once during that time. His double-century against West Indies in August seems of a different time.The loss of Joe Root for 14 compounded England’s problems and left them at 3 for 60. Root was dismissed from Nathan Lyon’s first ball of the innings, caught at slip after his edge ricocheted off the wicketkeeper Tim Paine. Vince played with impressive intent in scoring 12 boundaries during his 55, but there was nothing – literally nothing – that he could have done to prevent himself being bowled by Starc. Any batsman would have assumed the ball was sailing down leg, so Vince shaped to glance, only to lose his off stump.Josh Hazlewood stoops to claim a low catch off Alastair Cook•Getty ImagesThe early wickets of Marsh, Smith and Starc had given England hope of running through Australia’s lower order, but Paine and Pat Cummins refused to budge, and compiled a 93-run stand that continued to frustrate England. Cummins made 41, his fourth score in the forties this series, and at the end of his innings he had accumulated precisely twice as many runs in this series as Cook, and had even done so from one fewer innings. Cummins was lbw to Anderson and Paine finished not out on 49 when Lyon skied a catch to give Anderson his fourth wicket.It was Anderson who had trapped Marsh lbw from the second ball of the day, and then also had Smith lbw shortly afterwards with a delivery that angled in and then straightened. Marsh had been denied a double-century and Smith a 250, but their 301-run partnership had been enough to put Australia within reach of the urn. Starc was run out in a mix-up with Paine, perhaps distracted by another vociferous lbw appeal, but it was England’s last breakthrough for more than 20 overs.Along the way, England became just the eighth team in Test history to have five bowlers all concede 100 runs in the same innings, and Anderson and Broad became the only bowlers to have twice been part of such a scoreline, having also done so in that Cardiff Test of 2009. But if England find a way to produce the same result here, they won’t mind a bit. A draw would keep them alive in the series, though they would have to win in Melbourne and Sydney to retain the Ashes. But a slim hope is better than none. For now, at least 11 Brits will be taking a close look at the weather forecast.

Manchester United look set to try and end the summer transfer window with a bang, with rumours rife that the Red Devils could be plotting to make multiple signings to help bolster Erik ten Hag's squad.

A short-term deal for a new left-back appears to be a priority following the loss of Luke Shaw to injury, while the former Ajax boss is also said to be targeting a new midfield addition, amid rampant speculation that a move for Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat is in the works.

The Moroccan international – who previously played under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht – may not be the only option that the Premier League giants are considering, however, with recent reports having indicated that Benfica starlet, Joao Neves, has also caught the eye of the Old Trafford hierarchy.

How much would Joao Neves cost?

As The Sun reported on Wednesday, United are said to 'have held talks' with the Portuguese outfit regarding a possible move for the teenager, with Ten Hag and co said to hold a 'very strong interest' in the 18-year-old playmaker.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

The report does add, however, that the Red Devils may have to wait until next summer if they are to seal a deal, with the Primeira Liga side seemingly intent on keeping hold of the exciting talent for another 12 months at least.

If a deal is to be struck before the close of the current window, United may have to fork out to meet the player's reported €100m (£86m) release clause, with there having seemingly been a recent increase in that figure after Neves signed a new deal earlier this month.

Who is Joao Neves?

Forking out such a hefty fee for a player still in his teens may be an unlikely prospect, although it is evident that the midfield maestro has caught the attention of those at the Theatre of Dreams, with The Sun report noting that he has even been dubbed the next Bruno Fernandes as a sign of his talent.

The hope would be that Neves could replicate the impact that his compatriot has had since making the move from Lisbon to Manchester back in January 2020, with that £46.6m signing having proven something of a masterclass as far as the club are concerned.

Having signed from Sporting CP midway through the 2019/20 campaign, the 28-year-old has since emerged as a truly influential presence in the side over recent years, racking up a stellar haul of 120 goal contributions in just 188 games in all competitions to date.

A true "creative machine" – as described by Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne – Fernandes notably finished top of the charts in the Premier League last season with regard to 'big chances' created, having already chipped in with one goal and one assist in the league in the current campaign.

Trying to emulate the success of the United skipper will be no small feat for young Neves, although the 5 foot 9 ace has been lauded as part of a group of "highly talented Benfica teenagers", as per talent scout Jacek Kulig – such is his exciting potential.

The Portugal U21 international does only have 24 senior appearances under his belt, although Ten Hag will likely be keen to get his hands on a player who could well explode in the years to come, having already forced his way into the Benfica first-team at such a young age.

Having snapped up Fernandes from his homeland to great effect just a few years ago, perhaps United can repeat that transfer blinder with the addition of Neves in the near future.

Riding on the confidence gained from two massive wins, Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal is hopeful his team can continue what has been a bright start under the new coach in the tri-series final

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Jan-2018A couple of wins is all it takes sometimes. That is what Sri Lankan cricket has been telling itself over the past year. “We’re not far off/ the talent is there/ the boys just need some confidence/the puzzle pieces just have to fit together.”The suggestion, of course, is that the state of Sri Lanka’s cricket is not as bad as on-field results suggest. And when the team occasionally pulls off a special victory, such as the 322-run chase against India at the Oval last year, this line of thinking only becomes more prevalent.On Saturday, this will be put to test. Two victories in their wake, Sri Lanka approach the tri-nation series final with their attack having hit their stride, and key batsmen having begun to find form. But beyond the morale, there is another reason feeding this team’s confidence. Their new coach – Chandika Hathurusingha – has begun to lead the ODI outfit out of darkness, it is hoped.”Actually, it was a hard time for the team and the Sri Lankan fans over the past two years, especially in the one-day format,” stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal said. “But now, with the new coach, we’ve got some new strategies. We’ve got a lot of faith in him, and we’ve got some confidence. We’re not thinking about the result. We are always thinking about how to play good cricket when we’re in the middle. That’s the main change we have in the team.”Chandimal’s own reinstatement to the ODI team and his elevation to the acting captaincy was partly driven by Hathurusingha’s recommendation, so it is no wonder Chandimal feels kindly towards the new coach. Other players have also expressed confidence in Hathurusingha – Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews having done so in the past two weeks. On the heels of two big victories, there is a little optimism.”Winning always gives you more confidence going forward,” Chandimal said. “But if you have a good coach and don’t have good cricketers, you can’t get the good result. Likewise, if you have good cricketers with a bad coach, you also can’t get the good result. Now we’ve got the right mixture, and we’ll hope to do well tomorrow.”If Sri Lanka can defeat Bangladesh on Saturday, the Hathurusingha era will have begun on a bright note – an outcome that seemed unlikely after Sri Lanka had lost their first two matches. Though no fewer than three players (Mathews, Kusal Perera and Nuwan Pradeep) will be out through injury, Sri Lanka hope the good vibes generated by Thursday’s thumping win will lift them in the final.”We just need to be competitive,” Chandimal said. “We have something up our sleeve for tomorrow, and if we can execute that in the middle, then I’m sure we can get a good result.”

Southampton boss Russell Martin could be dealt another injury blow, as one of his most important players came off injured during their final game of the international break…

How have Southampton started this season?

The Saints had a miserable 2022/23 season, as they finished 20th in the Premier League and were swiftly dumped to the Championship, after only winning six matches and scoring 25 points.

The South Coast side also lost some of their best players during the transfer window, most notably they sold club legend James Ward-Prowse to West Ham for £30m, Romeo Lavia to Chelsea for £58m and Nathan Tella to Bayer Leverkusen for £20m, in total, which generated £156m in transfer revenue.

Despite losing so many key players before the season started new manager Russell Martin has guided his side to a solid start to the season, as Southampton currently sit seventh in the table on 10 points.

Although they have somewhat started well, the most notable point of their season so far has been their 5-0 thrashing by Sunderland, which ended their unbeaten start to the season.

And it now seems like things could go from bad to worse for the new Saints boss…

Who has suffered an injury at Southampton?

As per Daily Echo senior reporter Alex House, Polish defender Jan Bednarek came off in the 34th minute during his nation's 2-0 loss to Albania in the European Qualifiers.

Despite the disappointing result, the 27-year-old Saints titan was one of the Eagles' stand-out performers during the international break.

His most impressive performance was in Poland’s 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands, where he finished the game with the second-highest rating of 7.8, per Sofascore, only behind goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.

Last summer, the £60k per-week defender left Southampton on loan and moved to Aston Villa but by doing so, he angered the St Mary's fanbase after he described his new club Aston Villa as “massive.”

How big a blow is Bednarek's absence?

After he was recalled from his loan in the January transfer window many Southampton fans were quite right to resent his return.

However, since his comeback on the pitch, he has been an integral part of the squad and heralded as one of Southampton's best players

This was confirmed by his Sofascore rating last season – as after rejoining in January, the "monster" – as once hailed by journalist and analyst Sam Tighe – ranked as the Saint's third-best performer with an average rating of 6.93.

His stand-out performances were also backed up by BBC pundit Garth Crooks, after Southampton’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in February.

He said:

“What a defensive display by Southampton at Stamford Bridge.

“Bednarek was the standout defender for me.

“The Poland international has had a difficult season, but put his body on the line on more than one occasion, organised his defence brilliantly and weathered everything Chelsea could throw at him.”

Bednarek’s injury could mean he misses Southampton’s massive Friday night fixture against third-place Leicester, which would undoubtedly be a gutting blow to Martin and the team.

So far in 2023/24, the £60k-per-week centre-back has started every game this season, so it'll be a tough task to replace him, with the burden likely to fall upon recent summer additions Mason Holgate, who joined on loan from Everton, or versatile 19-year-old Shea Charles, who joined on a permanent deal from Manchester City but is typically a defensive midfielder.

Moeen has been a key figure in England’s continued one-day success, first in Australia and now in New Zealand where he took 3 for 36 including two wickets in two balls

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington04-Mar-2018Chalk and cheese. Moeen Ali’s recent form in Test and one-day cricket. After a forgettable Ashes, where he averaged 115 with the ball, Moeen is so confident after a change of formats that he feels he “can turn a game” with the white ball when the pressure is on.Of course, the two skill sets are very different. In Tests, a batsman can sit and wait for the bad ball and a bowler has to prise them out whereas in the one-day game there are two ways to be successful – wickets and economy – with the batsman usually the first who needs to take a risk or change his approach. But it was important for England that Moeen’s problems in one format did not extend into another.He has been a key figure in England’s continued one-day success, first in Australia and now in New Zealand where he took 3 for 36 – including two wickets in two balls – to spark a New Zealand collapse in Wellington alongside his close mate Adil Rashid.Moeen, and Rashid, certainly had to deal with expectation in Wellington on a pitch that offered considerable help and with New Zealand ahead of the game, on 80 for 1, before spin started to make inroads. Moeen’s first ball, a big full toss, had been clobbered for six by Kane Williamson but after that it was an immaculate 10 overs, to follow a miserly spell in Mount Maunganui where he claimed 2 for 33. Though the runs have yet to really flow again with the bat, in eight ODIs against Australia and New Zealand he has taken 10 wickets and conceded 4.60 per over.In Wellington he had Mark Chapman caught at point then trapped Tom Latham lbw first ball after DRS overturned a not out – “it looked out straightaway, but then I thought it might be umpire’s call,” Moeen admitted – before added Colin de Grandhomme when he lofted to long-on.”We both knew we were the two guys who were going to win this game but I didn’t feel pressure to take wickets or anything like that,” Moeen said. “In one-day cricket lately I feel I’ve bowled quite well in Australia and I feel as though I can turn a game like that in terms of not just taking wickets but trying to bowl tight and then the wickets will come. A lot of the times they don’t come but I managed to get three quick wickets and the obviously Rash had two as well.”There will be an indication of where Moeen’s Test game is at later this month in the two-match series which concludes the tour, but he did not wallow for long after averaging 19.88 with the bat and almost 100 more with the ball in the five Tests against Australia.At a time when much is being made of the packed international schedule, with players opting out of first-class cricket and continued talk of burnout Moeen partly credited England’s non-stop international merry-go-around in helping him move on from a the difficulties of the Ashes – because there was no time to dwell on it.”I didn’t have time to think too much about it with the one-dayers,” he said. “Once they were done I’d pretty much got over them to be honest with you. You’ve just got to try and move on and just look forward because we play so much cricket. You can’t afford to dwell on the Ashes. I know it’s a big series but it’s just a game of cricket at the end of the day. Ashes or no Ashes it’s Test cricket and you try to give your best. That’s all you can do.”With the new players around and just the different type of characters, a bit more of a younger side, and knowing as a team we’re a lot more confident in the one-day white-ball stuff. You just feel you get energised a little bit after a difficult months and it’s good for anybody I guess.”England were also pushed well out of their comfort zone in Wellington, an uneven pitch which took spin negating any big hitting. Eoin Morgan acknowledged England aren’t known for winning in such conditions and Moeen also saw it as a significant moment for the team.”The most important thing for us was to win the game batting first on a tough wicket,” he said. “We can take a massive amount from that. I feel when we are chasing we can get anything – we believe that as a team – but batting first we can get better at setting a target. Defending these days is quite difficult.”Conditions may challenge England in different ways as the series concludes on the South Island with two daytime matches, firstly in Dunedin and then in Christchurch. The weather is likely to be a touch cooler and the morning starts may offer encouragement to the seamers. But if it spin that’s needed, England have a confident pair to call on.

England’s senior bowler says he relishes the responsibility of being vice-captain, but wants whole team to chip in

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton13-Mar-2018James Anderson wants some of England’s younger players to be more vocal when it comes to sharing ideas and contributing to the leadership of the Test team.Anderson was confirmed as Joe Root’s vice-captain for the New Zealand Test series on Tuesday, having taken the position in Ben Stokes’ absence in the Ashes, but believes there is an important collective role for the players to have below the captain.”Most teams I’ve played in, the vice-captaincy didn’t mean people talking any more or other people talking less,” Anderson said. “It’s a group effort, a team, we need everybody’s input – Alastair Cook’s input, Stuart Broad, and we need the younger guys to start chirping up a bit more to be honest and having some more input. That’s what we want to do as a team – get to a point where everyone has their say. We’ve got an open and honest dressing-room, all we’re trying to do is improve this team.”Anderson (134 Tests) is England’s second-most capped player of all time, behind former captain Alastair Cook (152) while Stuart Broad (114) is in the top ten. Root has 65 caps and is part of the senior core alongside Stokes (39), Jonny Bairstow (50) and Moeen Ali (49). Among the less experienced players is the batting trio of Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan – the first two of which will be playing for their Test futures in New Zealand. Chris Woakes sits somewhere in the middle, having played only 22 Tests and needing to re-establish his Test credentials after a poor Ashes.The team was constantly under pressure during the 4-0 Ashes defeat, but Anderson hoped that that experience would help some players find their voice.”It probably is one of the quieter [teams],” he said. “I think the Ashes would’ve have helped in that respect because that’s as pressurised an environment as you can get and we came through that pretty strong as a group and hopefully we can kick on from there – not just in the dressing-room but on the field as well. We’ve got areas we need to improve and we know that. Hopefully that Ashes series helps us do that.”James Anderson and Stuart Broad during training at Hamilton•Getty ImagesKeeping the vice-captaincy means that Anderson is just injury or illness to Root away from leading England in a Test match – “Yep, I’ll cross that bridge if and when that happens,” he said – and on the final day of the Ashes was left to dissect the 4-0 margin when Root was struck down with a bug that meant he was asleep in the dressing-room when the match ended.”I enjoyed that last day [in Sydney], I know I can play it down a bit and say I didn’t like it but that responsibility I like – it’s the same as taking the new ball. I enjoy trying to help the team, whether that’s defending the lads in front of the cameras, you guys, trying to fend off Geoffrey Boycott, whatever it might be, I enjoy each challenge that comes my way.”Anderson’s bowling output is showing no signs of diminishing – he took 17 wickets at 27.82 and conceded barely more than two an over against Australia – but he won’t keep going forever. The next milestone on the horizon is to become the leading pace bowler in Test history, with Glenn McGrath’s 563 wickets now 40 away, but Anderson wants to ensure he helps rejuvenate England’s Test side.”I think we’ve got some really special players and I want to see this team doing well. I just try and do everything I can to help the guys come through, whether that’s the bowlers or talking to the young guys, help them settle into Test cricket as quickly as possible, or even the batsmen – chatting to them in a net session. I think it’s an important job, certainly for the more senior guys, to do.”England now have four days, weather permitting, of action in Hamilton to prepare for the two Tests against New Zealand – it will be glorified middle practice given the hotchpotch scenario of pink and red balls over two two-day matches – and there is little room for error in a short series. They were fortunate to escape with a 0-0 draw five years ago and lost the first Test of a three-match series 2008 before winning 2-1.”We have recognised the areas that we came up short in the Ashes. It’s going to be just as tough in New Zealand,” Anderson said. “Maybe the attention around it is not going to be as big, that sort of pressure might not be as big, but we’re still playing a team that is really settled at home. They’ve got a really good formula when they play here, they’ve got a really good bowling attack who know how to take 20 wickets on these pitches here so we’ve got to really use this next week as best we can.”

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a twist on Ivan Perisic after Tottenham confirmed his very serious injury blow this week.

Arsenal vs Tottenham

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has guided his new side through a very impressive start to this Premier League campaign.

The Lilywhites have clinched victory in four out of their opening five league matches; scoring 13 goals while displaying real character in parts. Tottenham's wins over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley and especially Sheffield United exemplify just how much they've transformed under Postecoglou.

Spurs were forced to dig deep against the Blades last Saturday after going behind against the run of play, with two late, late goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski gifting them all three points.

The north Londoners are now gearing up for their toughest test and biggest match of the campaign to date against fierce cross-town rivals Arsenal. Both sides go into the contest on a similar run of form, as Mikel Arteta's men also boast four wins out of their opening five but in far grittier fashion for the most part.

Tottenham team news

Postecoglou has no fresh injury concerns to worry about heading into their battle with Arsenal, except one of course.

Huge news came to light this week that winger Perisic suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. The Croatian sustained it during non-contact training and is now set to undergo rehabilitation in a bid to get back to full fitness.

Perisic's injury has been described as a "big blow" by sections of the media, as the 34-year-old had been providing real injections of quality coming off the bench this season. There have been reports that the player could even miss the rest of this season, but according to Romano, this actually may not be the case.

Sharing a twist to the tale, the journalist suggests that, if all goes to plan, Perisic could make a return in March/April – and there is a "feeling" he can do it.

"Ivan Perisić has torn his ACL — he will miss the next 5/6 months as Tottenham confirm," wrote Romano on X. "Perisić, fantastic professional who’ll now work hard to be back and help Spurs in March/April… then Euro 2024 with Croatia, feeling he can do it."

How good is Ivan Perisic?

Signed by Antonio Conte last summer, Perisic arrived with plenty of pedigree and experience. The versatile ace went on to make 34 top flight appearances last term; racking up more league assists (8) than any other player in Tottenham's squad.

Speaking to the BBC last year, both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer sang the praises of Perisic.

“Perisic is a seasoned pro isn’t he, he’s such a good player and can play different positions for you," said Lineker (via Spurs Web). The Newcastle legend responded: “He’s a really good player. You won’t be around for as long as he has and have the career he has [without that]. He’ll be a big player for them today.”

Having him back for the last month of the season would be a big boost for Postecoglou and co.

Celtic have been busy when it comes to new contracts in recent months, and another player has penned new Parkhead terms in the last 48 hours.

Who has signed a new Celtic contract?

The Hoops have enjoyed a solid start to life under new manager Brendan Rodgers in the Scottish Premiership, currently sitting top after dropping two points from their opening six games. There have been disappointments in the Scottish League Cup and opening Champions League group game, though, with a number of new faces brought in over the summer.

In total, Celtic signed 10 players in the recent transfer window, eight on permanent deals and two on loan. The club have also extended the contracts of key players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Callum McGregor and Liel Abada in recent months, and another player has followed suit.

The club confirmed on Tuesday that full-back Anthony Ralston has signed a new four-year deal to keep him at the club until 2027, with the defender saying:

“I’m absolutely delighted, and it’s a great feeling to sign with your boyhood club on a new contract. It never gets old, that feeling of being able to put pen to paper to secure your future where you want to be.”

Rodgers was also buzzing at the news, saying:

“I’m absolutely delighted for Anthony. He was a young player who showed a lot of promise when I was first here.

“When I spoke to him a little while back, he’s so happy to commit himself to Celtic. He loves being here, he loves being a part of the club and he loves being here and ready to contribute, and I’m very happy he’s decided to sign on.”

How old is Anthony Ralston?

Ralston, who can also play slightly further forward as a right midfielder if needed, is a product of the Celtic academy and has spent the majority of his career at Parkhead.

The Scotland international did spend time out on loan with Queen’s Park, Dundee United and St Johnstone but has now made 90 senior appearances for the Hoops in all competitions.

The defender is now 24 years of age, so you’d like to think he still has plenty of years left in the tank in Glasgow, looking to add to the nine major honours he has won at Celtic Park.

After beginning the season as first choice, Ralston, described as an "excellent" player who "has it all" by journalist Josh Bunting, has been left on the bench in Celtic’s last three games in all competitions, so his immediate task will be looking to break back into Rodgers’ side after signing his new contract.

South Africa will play five home Tests, 13 ODIs and nine T20s in the 2018-19 summer, which will see incoming tours from Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2018South Africa will play five home Tests, 13 ODIs and nine T20s in the 2018-19 summer, which will see incoming tours from Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The international fixtures, released on Monday, start on September 30 and end on March 24 but there is a 10-week gap between mid-October and Boxing Day, leaving room for the possibility of a T20 Global League, though the future of the tournament remains uncertain.After the busiest home season in South African history in 2017-18, which included 10 Tests – one of which was the first day-night, four-day long format fixture – South Africa will have much less of a workload next summer. They will only play half the number of Tests but more than double in ODIs and T20s, as preparation for the 2019 World Cup.That means the five major Test venues receive one match each, with a significant change in the hosting of the Boxing Day Test. Centurion’s SuperSport Park has been selected as the venue for the fixture, which will move inland after several years of being played on the coast. Previously, the match has alternated between Durban and Port Elizabeth, with the rationale that holiday-makers from up-country would fill the stadiums but poor crowds over recent years have forced a change. Though many Highveld residents flock to the sea over the festive season, a large number remain at home over that period and CSA have long spoken about trialling the Boxing Day match there.The New Year’s Test remains at Newlands in Cape Town while Kingsmead and St George’s Park will host Sri Lanka in the final tour of the summer. The Tests will not have the profile of the previous season, when India and Australia featured in two high-octane tours of South Africa, but with Faf du Plessis’ men ranked No.2, and the return of big names such as AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn (provided he comes through a county stint at Hampshire and away Tests against Sri Lanka in July), CSA are hopeful interest in the long format will remain high.”Following the outstanding Test match cricket played by the Proteas during the past season we can also look forward to plenty more world-class entertainment by our acknowledged stars during the five Test matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka,” Thabang Moroe, Acting CSA CEO, said.But the focus of next season is on white-ball cricket, with coach Ottis Gibson mandated to do everything he can to win the 2019 World Cup, a tournament that is likely to be a swansong for several players. Du Plessis, de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy, amongst others, may end their international careers at the World Cup, giving South Africa extra motivation to try and break their major tournament drought.Moroe emphasised that South Africa will aim to get as much preparation in as possible, hence the glut of 50-over fixtures. “It is going to be a very busy period and a very big one for our Standard Bank Proteas who will be using the programme of 13 ODIs against three different opponents in addition to the away tours to fine-tune their preparations for the 2019 ICC World Cup,” he said.Though Zimbabwe did not qualify for the World Cup, they will be South Africa’s first opponents and the only ones who will play at the smaller venues around the country. Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Paarl, East London, Potchefstroom and Benoni will not have any matches against either Pakistan or Sri Lanka, with those concentrated at the big grounds.Fixtures

v Zimbabwe

September 30: 1st ODI, Kimberley
October 3: 2nd ODI, Bloemfontein,
October 6: 3rd ODI, Paarl
October 9: 1st T20, East London
October 12: 2nd T20, Potchefstroom
October 14: 3rd T20, Benoni

v Pakistan

December 19-21: Three-day tour match v SA Invitation XI, Benoni
December 26-30: 1st Test, Centurion
January 3-7: 2nd Test Cape Town
January 11-15: 3rd Test, Johannesburg
January 19: 1st ODI, Port Elizabeth
January 22: 2nd ODI, Durban
January 25: 3rd ODI, Centurion
January 27: 4th ODI, Johannesburg
January 30: 5th ODI, Cape Town
February 1: 1st T20, Cape Town
February 3: 2nd T20 Johannesburg
February 6: 3rd T20, Centurion
v Sri Lanka

February 13-17: 1st Test, Durban
February 21-25: 2nd Test match, Port Elizabeth
February 28: One-Day tour match v SA Invitation XI, Benoni
March 3: 1st ODI, Johannesburg
March 6: 2nd ODI, Centurion
March 10: 3rd ODI, Durban
March 13: 4th ODI, Port Elizabeth
March 16: 5th ODI, Cape Town
March 19: 1st T20 Cape Town
March 22: 2nd T20, Centurion
March 24: 3rd T20, Johannesburg

Two huge crunch contests await Ipswich Town in the Premier League to close out an up-and-down February, with Kieran McKenna hopeful for a pair of big positive results in front of the Portman Road masses.

That is the case despite Ipswich’s only game this month in Suffolk seeing the Tractor Boys slip up to bottom-of-the-table Southampton, as Ivan Juric’s Saints collected only their second win of a sorry campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are the two heavyweights travelling to Portman Road in quick succession – with both sides capable of a slip-up of their own – as Alex Palmer now prepares to be the new heroic goalkeeper in between the sticks to spearhead a change in fortunes.

Alex Palmer's debut for Ipswich

Another reason why McKenna will be feeling optimistic about his team’s chances in these key clashes to come is Palmer’s standout debut, with the ex-West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper keeping his lowly team in the contest last time out.

It’s fair to say the new £2m buy was under the cosh for most of his first taste of Premier League action, considering Ipswich were reduced to ten men for all of the second 45 minutes, leading to wave upon wave of Villa attacks nearly breaching the visitors.

The confident 28-year-old would end up finishing the chaotic contest with six saves next to his name, which included thwarting this deflected effort right at the death after a mazey Marcus Rashford run had left various Ipswich shirts in the dust.

Having garnered a reputation at West Brom for being a dependable shot-stopper – with 11 clean sheets tallied up in Championship action this season before his big break to Suffolk – McKenna will pray more Villa-style performances are up his sleeve moving forward.

Having Palmer to rely on means it will be easier to shift this Tractor Boys flop very soon, with the flappy alternative to the 28-year-old costing his side dear in many contests before the fresh ‘keeper’s arrival.

McKenna must now sell £35k-p/w Ipswich star

Whilst Palmer only cost a modest £2m to obtain from Tony Mowbray’s side, this dud cost McKenna and Co an extortionate £15m to get in through the door last summer.

It’s safe to say that rash splurge hasn’t worked out for the relegation-threatened outfit whatsoever, as Arijanet Muric has been demoted to the substitutes bench ever since Palmer’s entry into the building.

First Impressions

Arguably, with hindsight on Ipswich’s side, this was always going to be a risky buy, considering the Kosovan ‘keeper already had a relegation to the Championship on his CV with past employers Burnley.

Muric would only feature ten times in the league across the Clarets’ dismal 2023/24 campaign, but from those rare appearances, the ex-Manchester City youth product would pick up zero clean sheets, with these Premier League woes then following him to Suffolk.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Palmer

Muric

Games played

30

18

Total goals conceded

27

33

Goals conceded*

0.9

1.8

Saves made

78

69

Goals prevented

-0.03

-1.09

Total clean sheets

11

1

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, albeit Muric has been chucked into the deep end of a relegation battle compared to Palmer starring in the division below, it’s obvious why Ipswich will feel they’ve struck gold with the cheap signature of their new 6 foot 3 face, with 11 clean sheets picked up in the second tier among other glowing numbers.

He too has shown he can handle the pressures of the Premier League if his debut is anything to go by, with Muric – who was once lauded as having a “really high” ceiling by his manager – now unfortunately fading into the background, having conceded five more strikes this season in league action compared to his counterpart from 12 fewer clashes.

Not all hope will be lost on Muric’s end, having won himself this move after a bumpy Burnley stay, but it looks likely that the £35k-per-week flop – who has made the joint-most errors leading to a goal in the top-flight this term (five) – will need to be sold on again when the summer window comes around.

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