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Pakistan breathed a sigh of relief in Christchurch today when keeping their ICC Under-19 World Cup aspirations alive by qualifying for the Super League series when beating England by six wickets.Having been beaten by Nepal in their match, the Pakistanis were in a must-win situation today and they made the most of it after winning the toss and putting England in.England were soon in trouble with their two openers back in the pavilion with only 22 runs on the board.However, Nicky Peng maintained the consistent form he has shown with the bat this summer to score a handy 59 off 83 balls and with assistance from Gordon Muchall (18), Bilal Shafayat (21) and Kyle Hogg (40) built a position of reasonable advantage.But England could well have done with extra runs in the two overs they missed out on as a result of being dismissed in 48.1 overs.Irfan-ud-Din used his off-spin to good effect to take four for 42 from his 10 overs, including the key wickets of Peng and Hogg.Pakistan made a solid start which wasn’t spectacular but was certainly effective. Opener Salman Butt scored his 35 off 93 balls while his partner Kamran Younis scored 15 off 41 balls. Thirty-five runs were scored for the first wicket and then a key 83 runs for the second wicket as Khaqan Arsal joined Butt to score 62 off 76 balls.Kamran Sajid was 22 not out out and Asim Butt scored 20 to round out a Pakistan batting effort which saw the side home to their six wicket win in the 45th over.Tim Bresnan took three wickets for 46 runs for England.

VVS Laxman, with an unbeaten 346, created Ranji history by becomingthe first batsman to score two triple hundreds in the 65 year oldcompetition as Hyderabad rubbed Karnataka’s nose in the dirt for thesecond day running in their Ranji Trophy semifinal at the MChinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday.Undeterred by the loss of Mohd. Azharuddin for 123 in the seventh overof the day, after a 288 run fourth wicket association, Laxman marchedserenely onward, abetted by two able partners in Vanka Pratap andParth Satwalkar. Cuts, drives, pulls and flicks all flowed inprofusion from Laxman’s blade as he played every shot in the bookexcept the hook to lift Hyderabad to an invincible position of 663/6at close of play.Azhar and Laxman began in frenetic fashion in the morning, takingseven boundaries off Prasad and Ganesh in the first six overs. Azharescaped a run out appeal when Mithun Beerala threw down the stumpsfrom point with a direct hit. He also tried to pull a shortish onefrom Prasad but the ball lobbed off the edge, landing just short ofmid on. The danger signals were there and in the same over as the twoafore mentioned incidents, Prasad had his revenge. Driving away fromhis body, Azhar presented a catch to Vijay Bharadwaj at second slipwho grabbed it with alacrity.Laxman survived another chance at 194 when Bharadwaj stretched to hisright at first slip and got both hands to the ball but it justwouldn’t stick. Laxman duly got to his double ton with a gentle pushthrough the on side to leave everyone wondering what the final harvestwould be. Vanka Pratap played some elegant on drives, both the loftedversion and all along the ground as he added 124 for the fourth wicketwith VVS before Joshi bowled him round his legs when he missed anintended sweep.Satwalkar continued the good work, holding up one end, and permittingLaxman to forage for runs without a care in the world. Laxman simplylooked unstoppable and although the Karnataka attack toiled manfullythey were clueless on where to bowl to him. Indeed they seemed tothrow in the towel at one point as the irregular bowlers, B Akhil andA Vijay conducted the proceedings when Laxman reached the vicinity ofhis triple hundred. He got to the landmark with a push into the coversthat was worth only a single but for the kindness of Venkatesh Prasadwho managed to give away an overthrow from close range.Satwalkar departed in the first over after tea, caught behind by Naiduoff Akhil for 37. In one final flourish, Laxman hit Joshi over longoff for the first six of the day and the second of his innings, andalso lofted Ganesh for back to back boundaries over cover andmidoff. After Riaz Sheikh was sixth out at 636, the shutters werepulled down as Laxman and Fiaz Ahmed played for the morrow. ThilakNaidu had been immune to the fielding lapses all this while and gaveaway his first bye with the score at 646 although five more followedsoon after when the ball went through to hit the helmet behind him. Aclutch of records beckon tomorrow when Laxman resumes his innings andHyderabad will probably have no compunctions in snuffing out the lastembers of Karnataka’s resolve by extending their innings for plentymore.

Joe Gomez is expected to move away from Liverpool this summer, with rivals Everton and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham among the teams interested in his signature.

While Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is believed to want Gomez to stay and remain apart of the squad, he doesn’t know where the Englishman can fit in, and with game-time not at all guaranteed at Anfield, a sale is expected.

His departure could provide some of the more younger players an opportunity to become apart of the first team squad, including Sepp van den Berg, who has become a fan favourite at Preston having spent the last year there, after joining on-loan back in February 2021.

The Dutchman would effectively be a like-for-like replacement for Gomez versatility wise, with both players showing competence at playing in the right-back position as well as playing in the centre of defence.

Having played in 40 games in all competitions already this season, van den Berg has scored two goals and kept 13 clean sheets – becoming one of the first names on the team sheet at Deepdale.

Averaging a 7.03 in his second season in the Championship, the 20-year-old hasn’t made a single error which has led to a goal and is making 2.2 tackles per game as well as accurately completing 75% of his passes.

In addition, the youngster who was dubbed “complete” and compared to German defender Mats Hummels by scout Jacek Kulig, is completing on average 1.7 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game, as well as 73% of his dribble attempts and 63% of his duels, while giving away less than one foul per game.

Branded “quality” by teammate Ryan Ledson, van den Berg himself believes this will be his last loan spell at Preston, with bigger things in mind – saying previously: ” I have felt all of the love I’ve gotten ever since I came here and I really appreciate it.

“It means a lot to me and helps me. You never know, but I reckon after this season that it unfortunately has to come to an end.”

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Despite being valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, he arrived at Anfield back in 2019 for £1.71m, and will be looking to add onto his four senior appearances for the Reds next season, and Gomez’ departure could give him a great opportunity to do so.

In other news: Liverpool now plotting bid to sign £36m-rated “magician”, just imagine him & Jota

	Mahendra Singh Dhoni isn’t daunted by the prospect of playing the Twenty20 international in front of 90,000 spectators at the MCG © Getty Images

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain in the limited-over formats, has urged his team-mates to respect the international guidelines for on-field behaviour in the wake of the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds controversy. He said there would be some allowance for “chit-chat” between players as long as there was nothing untoward being uttered.”Whoever the players are, they know the international guidelines that are set out to be followed,” he said, when asked about the importance of player behaviour in the forthcoming limited-over games. “Each and every player should respect it. It is the responsibility of an individual more than their skipper to know the limitations and to know where they stand.”It was reported that the Australian players were unhappy over Harbhajan’s reprieve, given that he had been handed a three-match ban in the first hearing. Dhoni would also remember the World Twenty20 match in Durban last year, a match that marked the start of the fractious relationship between the two sides.”We don’t really care about whatever has happened so far,” he said a day before the Twenty20 international in Melbourne. “It’s a fresh start and we’re going to play some good cricket. There’s always chit-chat going on between the players. If nothingcontroversial is said, I think both the teams will be happy with it. We can’t just shut up and play. It’s cricket and you’ve got to do lots of things with the bat and the ball and there should be chit-chat out on the ground.”Dhoni preferred that contentious catches be referred to the third umpire, a procedure which was used in the final two Tests of the series. Before the first Test in Melbourne, Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting had agreed to take the fielders word but reviewed the pact after the controversial Sydney Test. “I believe in referring it to the third umpire,” Dhoni said. “A fielder can mislead so it’s important that it’s referred to the third umpire.”Was he expecting a hostile reception from a crowd that’s expected to be close to 90,000? “If they are not on the field it does not really matter,” he said. “We don’t care whether we receive a hostile reception or not. In Eden Gardens there are 100,000 spectators, in Kochi there are 80,000 spectators. Still, this is a huge ground and playing in front of such numbers would be exciting.”

Lou Vincent is back to fill the vital opening position alongside Stephen Fleming © Getty Images

Stephen Fleming is confident that recalled opener Lou Vincent can once again rise to the occasion against Australia when the two sides meet in the next CB series match on Sunday. Vincent, who has played 87 ODIs and spent his teenage years in Adelaide, has flown to Perth to join the New Zealand squad following Nathan Astle’s shock retirement.Vincent is expected to open the batting alongside Fleming and should have fond memories of the WACA ground after scoring a century on Test debut there in 2001.Fleming said although Astle’s retirement was a blow, Vincent was a capable replacement. “It changes the fabric,” he said, referring to the loss of Astle. “But you get Lou in, who has got skills to offer, and he’s experienced.”Not the experience that Nathan has got, but he has played against these guys quite a bit. He has opened the batting for New Zealand a lot. He has worked hard after getting a setback at home and he is coming into form, which is a positive sign.”Astle’s departure also increases the pressure on Fleming, who has himself been battling for form in the CB Series. However, Fleming believes he and Vincent can create a successful partnership at the top of the order.”My view is that I obviously need to get the majority of the runs, being the experienced player, and I haven’t done that so far. Lou can create a strike-rate with the way he plays and if he comes off then it makes my job easier.”New Zealand are contemplating resting Shane Bond for Sunday’s game, with oppressively hot conditions forecast. Kyle Mills’ comeback could also be delayed because of the heat.Fleming said his team wanted to beat Australia, but admitted their main focus was on finishing above England in the tri-series in order to reach the finals. He added this would be reflected in team selection, with New Zealand to play England again on Tuesday in a match that could decide which side made the finals.”You have got to prioritise a little bit,” he said. “You want to win each game and I want to beat Australia, but we have to be smart about our resources and look towards the finals, if we can get there.”But he remained confident Australia were within reach despite being unbeaten after five games. “Of course they are beatable, but you have to play well to do it and we haven’t played well enough so far. We played OK in Sydney and got close. We’ve competed in good areas for pockets, just not long enough. I don’t think we are too far away.”

Shoaib Akhtar will be the key performer in the first Test, but not – one suspects – with the bat © Getty Images

After two series dominated by talk of building bridges and cross-border bonhomie, the cricket will push itself to the forefront at the third time of asking. While goodwill stays on the periphery, this will be a keenly contested series between two teams that couldn’t be separated in India ten months ago, and which have since gone on to consolidate and improve their positions in the ICC Test table.After victory against England which was as emphatic as the 2-0 scoreline suggests, Pakistan must surely start favourites on home soil. Until the victories at Multan and Rawalpindi in 2004, India hadn’t even won a Test across the border and there will be no hospitability on offer from a side that Inzamam-ul-Haq has transformed with the help of Bob Woolmer.As has traditionally been the case when these two old rivals meet, Pakistan’s hopes are centred on a fearsome pace attack and a middle order that looks full of runs. Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Asif – the back-up – can all comfortably exceed 140 kmph, with Rana also proving a dab hand at exploiting any juice there may be in the pitch.Shoaib, you sense, will be the key. Out in the cold when Pakistan toured India, and shredded by the Indian batsmen on their last visit to Pakistan, Shoaib has found a second wind in his fourth decade. England’s batsmen were often undone by his searing pace, but they were equally flummoxed by the slower delivery that he has worked on to such telling effect in recent months. With speed his calling card, Shoaib doesn’t need a seaming, grassy pitch to be an influence, and that makes him especially dangerous.Just as hazardous to Indian hopes will be Rana, who can combine genuine pace with swing. An innocuous trundler at first glance, he’s anything but, as India’s batsmen discovered to their cost in the one-day series last year. Even Sami, derided so often for bowling figures that would embarrass a part-timer, was a key performer when Pakistan restored parity at Bangalore last year.The batting, which came to the fore in that game, also appears formidable, with Inzamam in prime form. Salman Butt played with tremendous assurance against England, while Younis Khan has been a different batsman since his century at Kolkata last March. Then, there’s the stylist formerly known as Youhana. Mohammad Yousuf answered many critics with his displays against England, and his performances against India last year banished the ghosts of 2004 when he so often appeared clueless against Irfan Pathan.The Indian batting order is even more formidable on paper, but Virender Sehwag’s recent fallow run and the lack of a consistent opening partnership remain concerns. Sehwag has been peerless against Pakistan, and his turbo-charged starts are paramount if India are to upset the rhythm of a pace attack looking to draw blood. Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman will also be expected to harvest their fair share of runs, after two seasons in which India have ridden piggyback on Sehwag and Dravid.Having led India to victory at Multan last year, Dravid knows better than most how important it will be to unsettle the opposition at Lahore. There will be no better way to do that than to produce an innings comparable to the ones he played at Rawalpindi (2004) and Kolkata (2005), when his unruffled accumulation of runs sapped both Pakistan’s energy and spirit.Sheer weight of runs will be imperative for India given the threadbare look of the pace attack. Irfan Pathan remains on the learning curve, while Ajit Agarkar has yet to convince that he can derail an innings. Zaheer Khan and RP Singh represent little more than a gamble, as India once again look set to rely on the slow-bowling duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Kumble was magnificent on the last tour here and his importance can be inferred from the result at Bangalore last year, when he had a poor outing in front of his home crowd.Fronting up against him will be Danish Kaneria. Frequently targeted by the Indians in the last series, Kaneria impressed everyone with his ability to keep coming back. His repertoire has expanded, but he will still need all his wits about him to take on a line-up that plays legspin far better than England ever could.There will be many eyes trained on the pavilion too, with Greg Chappell and Woolmer being old Ashes adversaries. Chappell proclaimed yesterday that neither coach could influence the result of the series – “That will be decided out on the pitch” – but he was just being modest. In contests of this intensity, the coaches’ primary job will be to ensure that their wards keep cool heads in situations where a moment’s agitation and over-eagerness could be the difference between glory and ignominy. Just ask Chetan Sharma.

Heath Streak: coming in from the cold?© Getty Images

A return to international cricket is a possibility for Heath Streak, and some of the other so-called rebel players, as a result of a series of meetings with Zimbabwe Cricket to broker a resolution to the long-standing dispute.The players have refused to play for Zimbabwe since last April, after a disagreement about selection policy led Streak to resign and be replaced as captain by Tatenda Taibu. Fourteen other players supported him, although some have since rejoined the mainstream of Zimbabwean cricket, and the remaining rebels recently agreed to resume playing league matches.But today Streak – who is by far Zimbabwe’s leading bowler in Tests, with 202 wickets – told Reuters: “We have a meeting on Friday, and following on from the constructive meetings we’ve had so far we’re hopeful of a positive outcome.” Apparently the Zimbabwean government’s sports commission helped set up the meetings.Zimbabwe are shortly due to depart for a tour of South Africa, which includes two Tests and three ODIs. It’s unlikely that the rebels’ dispute will be resolved in time for them to take part in those matches, but after that Zimbabwe do not have any international cricket planned until they play New Zealand in September.

Sri Lanka A completed their second successive win over the Kenyan national team, by six wickets at the Ruaraka Sports Club in Nairobi yesterday. Sri Lanka A now lead the five-match one-day series 2-0.Kenya’s Maurice Odumbe was named Man of the Match for his impressive 119. His century came from 92 balls, and he hit 15 fours. Odumbe shared a fourth-wicket stand of 183 with Kennedy Obuya, who made 72. This helped lift Kenya’s total to a healthy 273 for 8 – but it wasn’t enough. Poor fielding cost Kenya dearly, as Sri Lanka A overhauled the target with seven balls to spare.Jehan Mubarak made 102, but he did have two lives: the first came when he had only made 9, when the ball slipped through Francis Otieno’s hands as he was preparing to throw it up. His celebrations turned sour when the umpire disallowed the catch.

Saeed bin Nasir and Shahid Afridi hit impressive halfcenturies as Karachi Whites consolidated their grip overKarachi Blues in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-I cricketmatch at KCCA Stadium here Friday.After taking a first innings of 33, the Whites closed thepenultimate day of the four-day clash on 212 for two intheir second knock.Saeed, who was tragically run out for 68 in the firstinnings, was batting with a fluent 73 off 115 balls in theunbroken third wicket stand of 86 with Test reject HasanRaza (36). Saeed has so far hit six fours and one six.Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan all-rounder, struck a typicallyswashbuckling 60 off 59 balls while dominating the openingpartnership of 80 with Ghulam Ali (37). He hit eight foursand a brace of sixes, the second clearing the ground by along way.Earlier, the Blues skipper Mohammad Javed was left strandedon 79 as his side managed 218 after resuming at 167 forseven. Javed’s 171-ball innings contained four boundaries.Pacer Tanvir Ahmed took two more wickets Friday to finishwith five for 64 in 25 overs.International umpire Afzaal Ahmed was unable to take hisplace Friday because of a back strain and was replaced byKhalid Mahmood.

A major injury update has emerged on Newcastle United utility man Matt Ritchie…

What’s the talk?

Chronicle reporter Lee Ryder has revealed that the Scottish full-back will be involved as the Magpies head down to St. Mary’s this evening.

The ex-Bournemouth man has not featured in the Premier League since the 4-0 loss to Manchester City at St. James’ Park in December.

Ryder Tweeted: “No major injury worries for #nufc ahead of their trip to Southampton. Matt Ritchie returns to the squad.”

Buzzing

This news will leave Eddie Howe buzzing as it will provide a big boost to his squad heading into the remaining months of the campaign.

It will be especially useful over the next four days as Newcastle face two Premier League matches in quick succession against Southampton and Chelsea.

Squad rotation to keep players fresh and avoid any further injury blows will be key and that is why the head coach will be delighted to welcome back another option.

Ritchie’s experience and versatility could be particularly key across the two games. Whilst he may not be a player Howe wants to pick from the start, given that he has only just returned from injury, he could be a useful substitute to bring on when needed.

He has shown throughout his career that he is adaptable and willing to play in any position to help the team on the pitch. As per Transfermarkt, he has played left-back, right-back, left-midfield, right-midfield and centre-forward throughout his time with Swindon, Bournemouth and Newcastle, among others.

This means that Howe can use him in a variety of positions as cover for potential injuries in the upcoming matches, which is one reason why he will be delighted to have him back and in the squad against the Saints.

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His experience is another one as the 32-year-old has a wealth of top-flight football under his belt. Ritchie has played 162 Premier League matches throughout his career – playing in the division for Portsmouth, Bournemouth and now the Magpies.

This suggests that he has the nous to provide a boost off the bench at this level. He should have the relevant experience, given the amount of football he has played in the Premier League, to know what to do in the final 15 minutes to see a game out and this is why Howe will be delighted to have him available on the bench tonight and moving forward.

AND in other news, Howe must brutally axe £35k-p/w NUFC dud with “so much ability”, he’s lost his “spark”…