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Lukas Podolski’s return to the Arsenal squad has come at the right time, coming back into the fold only a few games after Theo Walcott, and in turn sharpening Arsenal’s attack.

It’s the Arsenal way: you get one or two back from injury and one goes out again. Mesut Ozil has picked up a “shoulder injury,” though I’m sceptical about the legitimacy of it. Arsene Wenger seems to be playing a smart move by giving the German international a mini winter break after non-stop ninety-minute outings since his arrival in the Premier League.

But that isn’t so much of an issue. Jack Wilshere came back from his suspension, and the Arsenal midfield was never something to really worry about this season. The issue, rather, has been in attack, where Olivier Giroud has looked tired, ineffective in front of goal and subsequently lacking in confidence to grab a game by the scruff of the neck.

Podolski, upon his return at West Ham on Boxing Day, did far more than the Frenchman had for what seemed like a frustratingly long barren spell. The German added invention to Arsenal’s play at West Ham, incision and directness. There’s a matter of freshness too, but Podolski is the far more clinical of the two. He’s the forward who came to Arsenal in the summer of 2012 with the reputation as a goal scorer, and he certainly gave evidence of his qualities with a stunning left-footed effort, which, coincidentally, was supplied by Olivier Giroud and the other returning forward Theo Walcott.

It eases the pressure on Wenger going into the January window. Everyone knows this Arsenal team is not yet complete, though it’s also not to say it’s too far off. Can they win a trophy without a prolific centre-forward? It’s not impossible. Chelsea won the Europa League last season, as well as the Champions League and FA Cup the season before. And before any mention of Didier Drogba comes up, his numbers were clearly declining, as he tallied his lowest record of goals in a Chelsea shirt in his final season with the club. There’s also evidence in Europe of Juventus going through a season unbeaten without a prolific goal scorer. So yes, it can be done.

The problem Wenger faces is a matter of availability, in that none of the club’s likely top targets will be on the market in January. It would be unwise to buy for the sake of buying to simply appease the masses.

Loic Remy is a name that has been thrown out as a suggestion, but will the Frenchman fire a top Premier League side to the league title? According to reports on his loan spell from QPR, it is possible to pick him up from Newcastle this January, and he may well help to take Arsenal over the line this season. But what about the long term? If Remy was good enough to be a striker for one of those challenging for the title, one of the big teams would have picked him up while he was at Marseille. There will be a clamour again for Arsenal to go out and sign an elite forward in the summer, which could complicate the matter of having already signed a Remy-esque striker in January.

Arsenal do need reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window. A defender, either a centre-back or right-back, is a must. As well as that, and in spite of the team’s strength in midfield, another option, namely a direct player with pace and who can stretch the play, would be a welcome addition. Though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return shouldn’t be overlooked.

As for Arsenal’s current attack, which does feature four full internationals, there isn’t such an overwhelming need to spend (unnecessarily) if all four are fit and capable. Over Arsenal’s last four league games, Podolski, Giroud and Walcott have either scored or supplied for another; Nicklas Bendtner, too, would have had a goal had his effort at Manchester City not been wrongly ruled offside.

The issue is quality, not quantity. Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League and have a favourable home tie against Cardiff this midweek. Think of how effective the team’s attack would have been if Podolski and Walcott were not out injured for such lengthy spells. Podolski has been out since August.

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Both his and Walcott’s immediate impact upon their return has gifted Wenger some time to continue to work with what he has. For taking Arsenal to the summit of the Premier League on New Year’s Eve without two vital players, he deserves as much.

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Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is reportedly interested in signing CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia when the transfer window reopens in January, according to Talk Sport.

The Magpies face tough opposition in the race to sign the 24-year-old, with Italian giants Lazio and Napoli also vying for Doumbia’s signature. It is thought that the Russian side CSKA Moscow would be willing for the Ivorian international to leave the club for a fee of around the £16 million mark.

Doumbia made his reputation at Swiss outfit Young Boys where he scored 57 goals in two seasons – before joining Moscow in the summer of 2010. Young Boys missed his presence the following season as they failed to qualify for the Champions League proper losing 6-3 to Tottenham in the fourth round qualification stage.

The striker then continued his impressive goal tally netting 26 goals for Moscow last season. Doumbia won the Russian Premier League golden boot despite CSKA Moscow finishing a disappointing third in the table and failing to qualify for Europe.

Pardew may envisage Doumbia as a replacement for Demba Ba, who has recently voiced his discontent at St. James’ Park.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have been bolstered by the news that Pardew has signed at the new contract at club meaning the 51-year-old will not stay at the club until 2020.

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Tottenham Hotspur are believed to have spent more than £40m to acquire Colombian centre-back Davinson Sanchez from Ajax in last summer’s transfer window.

The 21-year-old signed a long-term contract upon his arrival, but it was announced on Tuesday that the defender had penned a new and improved deal.

Indeed, Sanchez is now contracted to Tottenham until the end of the 2023-24 campaign, which is an indication of just what the Premier League club think of him.

Toby Alderweireld has not been able to move Sanchez from the position alongside Jan Vertonghen, meanwhile, which is very impressive.

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The Tottenham fans have not always been delighted with Sanchez’s form this season, but the Colombian is still young, and there is no question that he has huge talent.

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Sanchez, who is a seven-time Colombia international, recently took to Twitter to thank the Tottenham fans for their support since his arrival in London, and as expected, the supporters were out in force to hail the defender.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Naby Keita was one of the names that frequently popped up during Liverpool’s transfer window in the summer.Initially it seemed that a deal was dead in the water, but eventually an agreement was made for the midfielder to sign for the Reds from RB Leipzig before the start of the 2018-19 season.All parties were content with the arrangement, but it appears that there has been a shift due to the recent departure of Philippe Coutinho.The Brazilian joined Barcelona last week in aÂreported £142m deal, making him the third most expensive signing in history.According to theÂLiverpool Echo, Coutinho’s exit has sparked Anfield bosses into enquiring about the possibility of accelerating Keita’s move.It is believed that the Merseyside outfit are willing to pay a premium on top of the £55m already agreed to speed up the process.However, Leipzig are reportedly not prepared to let go of the box-to-box midfielder before the end of the season.This latest news has got Liverpool fans talking on Twitter.

Not long ago, it appeared English football had reverted back to the dark ages, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Perhaps such a condemnation was rather premature, considering the Three Lions comfortably qualified for the World Cup in Brazil, albeit in a rather laboured and uninspiring fashion.

But more than simply FIFA rankings and our place at the world’s greatest footballing spectacle at stake, the slow but steady decline of the national team, the unfulfilled potential of our supposed golden generation, epitomised concerns about the manner in which we view, teach and train football in England.

Harry Redknapp summarised the issue perfectly in his column for the Sun in June this year, after an incredibly poor showing from the Young Lions in last summer’s U21 European Championship, arguing; “The overriding problem we all face is that English football must change. And it has to come from the very top of the game. We do not know how to play football. We just boot the ball up the pitch and it gets us nowhere.

“In international football you cannot just hit and hope because you give the ball away. It’s all about possession, retaining the ball, controlling the game. We need coaches who believe in that ideal.”

Extrapolate the current trend further, and you can only see the Three Lions moving backwards as a footballing entity. A view clearly shared by new FA chief Greg Dyke, who a few months ago instigated his own committee to get to the heart of the intrinsic issues the national game currently faces.

But before we receive Dyke’s recommendations around March-time next year, there are already signs that things are changing for the better. The source; the current Premier League campaign.

In a season completely different to any other, where Tottenham broke their transfer record three times in the same window, Manchester United have transformed into uncomfortable mid-tablers and Arsene Wenger spent £42million on a single player, as if someone somewhere in the footballing heavens had hit the reset button and instigated a ground-zero scenario not too dissimilar to the end of Fight club, it’s surprisingly been the football purists that have managed to progress, whilst the hoof-ball enthusiasts have failed to dominate.

The purists I’m referring to in particular are Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal.

The fact Arsene Wenger is now reaping the rewards for over a decade’s worth of stubbornness when it comes to his footballing philosophy is no coincidence. With Mesut Ozil seemingly the final piece of the purist jigsaw falling into place, Arsenal are now topping the Premier League table, and barring Manchester City’s home form are undoubtedly playing the best football in the country right now.

Compare that to Chelsea, a side who Jose Mourinho has transformed from free-thinking experimentalists, often to their own demise at times last season, into a gang of Special-One-fearing robots, and you begin to see my point.

The Blues are currently five points off the league leaders, despite trumping their summer spending by some £20million in the offseason, which I’d argue has something to do with the fact only 60% of their goals this season have come from open play, in comparison to Arsenal’s 83%.

At the same time, Everton and Liverpool have both emerged as dark horses this season. The Reds are currently in second place with 30 points, whilst their local rivals aren’t too far behind in fifth with 28.

Over the last few years, both clubs have sought transformation into aesthetically pleasing sides after suffering from brief identity crises.

Following campaign upon campaign of stagnation, the Anfield outfit turned to Brendan Rodgers, a manager famed for his faith in possession football and bringing through youngsters.

And it’s through that philosophical belief that he’s got the Liverpool house in order, donning the youngest roster in the entire division and insisting upon a style of football that emphasises control of the ball as the key to success.

This season they’ve averaged 55% possession per match and a pass completion ratio of 85%, with the latter statistic only bettered by Arsenal, City and Swansea. Their 57 long balls per match is also the fourth-fewest in the league.

In a similar fashion, Everton’s loss of David Moyes had many at Goodison fearing the worst. But if anything, the appointment of Roberto Martinez has pushed the Toffees even closer towards his predecessor’s ultimate aim of Champions League qualification.

The Spaniard has insisted upon a style of football sharply deviating from the former Everton  gaffer’s more traditional and direct approach, that’s seen them claim the fifth-highest possession rate in the league and a pass success rate of 83% this season.

With more emphasis on inventive attack than solid defence, and smooth transitions between 3-4-3 and 4-5-1 formations, the Merseysiders have become incredibly pleasing on the eye. Subsequently, results are improving all the time, best illustrated by four points claimed in their last two Premier League fixtures against Manchester United and Arsenal.

However, what’s most impressive about Everton’s transformation is the fact they were largely considered to be a long ball side, albeit more classy than your average West Ham or Stoke outfit, just a matter of months ago.

Martinez has been able to create an incredibly different, more productive and inventive style of football out of essentially the same group of players, which should serve as a lesson in mind for those Three Lions neysays who argue our entrenched hit-and-hope culture is incapable of change.

If Phil Jagileka and Gareth Barry can be at the heart-beat of a team who outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend, any home-grown talent can.

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Furthermore, at the centre of each club’s successful escapades this year has been a glowing British contingent. At Arsenal, Welshman Aaron Ramsey is leading the scoring charts, with eight goals and five assists in 14 starts. Jack Wilshere, Theo Wacott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kerian Gibbs too have all contributed; their influence would have been key if they’d managed to stay off the sidelines.

For Everton, Phil Jagielka, Irishman James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Leighton Baines and Leon Osman have all been vital to the cause, but it’s Ross Barkley – perhaps the greatest technical talent of his generation – who’s been receiving the rave reviews for his impact in the final third.

And at Liverpool, although Luis Suarez has been the star of the show, the efforts of Daniel Sturridge, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling should not go unnoticed.

From the depths of long-ball oblivion, the unpredictability of the current Premier League season has allowed the purist sides, prioritising technical ability and flair over mechanical stability, to shine through, with home-grown talents at the core.

It’s by no means a revolution to England’s footballing woes, but certainly serves as a suggestion we’re finally moving in the right direction. One can only hope that all three clubs maintain their strong form until the end of the season, demonstrating to the more traditionalist managers, including Roy Hodgson, that there is a vital correlation between results and the breed of football you choose to adopt.

Yet there is one sour note to finally end on. Wenger, Rodgers, Martinez; all philosophical dreamers and champagne football enthusiasts, none English. If the modern game is to be transformed, we need home-grown coaches teaching a style of play more common abroad than in the British isles.

Such an overhaul could take generations to fully materialise, but its the shining examples Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool are providing this season that will get the process in motion.

Tottenham have enjoyed a decent start to their Premier League campaign under new boss Andre Villas-Boas, taking eight points from their first games to sit in eighth in the table. One of the major plus points of this start has been the form of striker Jermain Defoe, who appears to have adapted brilliantly to his new role as a lone front-man. This in turn has cast a shadow over Emmanuel Adebayor’s starting place in the side, but is there a way for both of them to co-exist?

The 28-year-old Togolese front-man was superb last season at White Hart Lane, finishing the term with 17 league goals and 12 assists and it should have been a lot more given his sometimes profligate ways in front of goal, Nevertheless, he was a fabulous focal point to their attack, holding the play up well, bringing the best out of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon out wide and ensuring that the side were an extremely dangerous side to play.

Defoe’s start to the new season, though, which has seen him strike four league goals in their opening five games has really caught the eye. He can still be wasteful, with the game against Reading serving as a prime example – his movement throughout was nothing short of brilliant and he managed to create space for himself easily against a shaky defence and despite a marvellous solo goal, it’s also worth remembering that he missed at least three other gilt-edged chances that game despite finishing with a double.

Nobody in their right mind felt that Defoe was tailor-made for Villas-Boas’ system and in a lot of way, he still isn’t, he struggles to hold the ball up and he can go missing for spells, but he’s a very good finisher when in this kind of form and he thrives on the sort of service that both Bale and Lennon provide, particularly against lesser opposition.

However, whenever the side’s two wingers manage to beat their full-back on the outside and arrow in a low cross, Defoe is often caught on his heels and it’s the sort of run that they’re used to Adebayor making. They may have scored eight goals in the league so far this season, but with the sheer volume of chances that they’ve created, it should have been many more and they were scintillating in the second half against QPR in particular.

A noticeable aspect of the club’s lacklustre first half performance against the Hoops’ was how much they lacked a cutting edge up top, failing to establish a platform in midfield. This all changed in the second half after a tactical substitution by Villas-Boas, as he compensated for his initial mistakes on what was an unbalanced starting line-up.

This saw the ineffectual and quite frankly awful Gylfi Sigurdsson hauled off, Bale restored to the left wing and Clint Dempsey moved inside behind Defoe, with Steven Caulker coming in at the heart of the back four, with Jan Vertonghen shifting to left-back. The result was an excellent second half performance from the entire side, with Bale and Vertonghen a constant threat down the left flank and Dempsey coming into the game more and more through the middle.

Liverpool were linked with a move for Dempsey all summer but they were pipped to his signature by a late move by Tottenham on transfer deadline day. Moreover, I always insisted that Dempsey was not ideally suited to playing in a 4-3-3 formation, given that he was too slow to play on the wing and would narrow the midfield and played more as a conventional forward last term than midfielder for Fulham.

While he is certainly a key squad player and he did well against Lazio in their Europa League clash mid-week, perhaps seeing Adebayor given the nod ahead of the American would see the side become even more of a goal threat. Defoe’s movement could see him drop deeper behind the Togolese striker and be a success, while they’d still retain the physical option of the former Manchester City man as the spearhead to their attack.

Sigurdsson has started life slowly so far at White Hart Lane and unless he’s scoring, he doesn’t especially contribute a whole lot else to their attacking play and his passing can be both ponderous and wayward. Dempsey is the natural choice to fill the role instead given his successes at Craven Cottage last year and they would be mad to drop Defoe while he is in such good form, but Adebayor is a class act and it was a surprise not to see him given a run-out against Lazio.

He appears to still be counting the cost of missing nearly the entirety of pre-season and while he may still be a bit rusty, he is only going to get better with games. His move from the Etihad was completed nearly two months later than initially expected and like Robin van Persie at Manchester United, he will inevitably be a bit off the pace as a result.

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Tottenham may have threatened during decent spells in certain game and the signing of Moussa Dembele already looks a masterstroke give what he can offer the team’s midfield with his surging forward runs and ability to beat a man in the middle of the park, but they have also flattered to deceive just as many times, drawing their opening two home games against Norwich and West Brom at the start of the season.

Defoe is on fire and is assured of a starting place at the moment, but with Villas-Boas showing a willingness to adjust his side if it isn’t doing well against QPR, bringing in Adebayor from the start is the next logical step in making the side an altogether more aesthetically-pleasing and dangerous outfit.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

“My focus has always been lately about how I can be the best version of myself, not just as a cricketer but as a human”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2021The Pandya brothers Krunal and Hardik lost their father Himanshu on January 16. On Tuesday, when Krunal made his ODI debut in Pune against England, and marked the occasion with a match-winning half-century, it was an emotional moment for the brothers, especially the older Pandya, who broke down during an interaction with the broadcasters during the break between innings.Related

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Speaking to Hardik – who presented his brother with his India ODI cap – afterwards on , Krunal said, “This is all dedicated to the old man, his blessings are there with us, and obviously it was very emotional – for you and me, both of us – and again, getting the cap from you, and I guess somewhere down the line, up there, he must be having a good night today, and enjoying the way I batted. So yeah, this is for him.”And, as he revealed, Krunal had brought a bit of his father with him to the Indian dressing room in Pune, in the form of the clothes Pandya Sr had planned to wear that January 16 morning.”I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali on that day, 16th morning. He had a habit of keeping his clothes ready and select everything, his shoes, his pant, his shirts, hat as well… So what I did was just before the game, I got his bag from Baroda here…,” Krunal said, adding that it was his way to make sure he had his father with him for the big day.On that January morning, after Himanshu’s death at 4am, Krunal left the bio-secure bubble in Vadodara that the Baroda team was in for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, to rush back home, and Hardik joined him after leaving the India camp in Mumbai.Krunal managed to play just three games in the tournament as a result of the personal tragedy, even as Kedar Devdhar took charge of the team and took Baroda all the way to the final where they lost to Tamil Nadu. But Krunal had a remarkable run in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy after that, finishing with 388 runs – two half-centuries and two centuries – from five innings at an average of 129.33 and strike rate of 117.93.That led to selection for the England ODIs for the Mumbai Indians man, and a debut straightaway after he had played 18 T20Is between 2018 and 2019.”Dream come true, obviously. I have worked so hard to be here. Especially the last one-and-a-half months I have been putting in those hard yards not just in terms of cricket but in terms of everything: from taking care of my diet to fitness to everything,” Krunal told Hardik. “I have not been working now (with a) result-oriented mind, my focus has always been lately about how I can be the best version of myself, how I can improve not just as a cricketer but how I can improve as a human being as well.”So that focus has always been on the process rather than the result, whether that’s good or bad is secondary for me, neither am I thinking about it. The only constant focus is how I can give the best opportunity to myself before every game.”On the field, it was a very impressive version of Krunal that showed up. When he walked in to bat after India had lost the toss, the scoreboard read 205 for 5 after 40.3 overs, Hardik having just been dismissed. Krunal, in collaboration with KL Rahul, lifted India to 317 from there, scoring 58* in 31 balls with seven fours and two sixes. That was enough to give India a 66-run win, with Krunal chipping in later with 1 for 59 from his ten overs, dismissing Sam Curran.

Club expect to confirm signing early next year with paperwork yet to be completed

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2019Somerset have confirmed that they have agreed personal terms with South Africa seamer Vernon Philander ahead of his signing as a Kolpak player, although the club do not expect to complete the signing until the new year.It had been widely reported that Philander would move to the county following news of his international retirement at the end of the ongoing Test series against England, and the seamer mentioned in a post-match press conference on Friday that he was on the cusp of joining on a “year-by-year basis”.Somerset confirmed in a club statement that they are on the verge of signing Philander, and that they will be “working through all of the necessary processes with the ECB in order to be able to register him as a Kolpak player” following this series. “The official paperwork required to complete the deal is being finalised with the ECB,” the club said. “[We are] working towards the full procedure being completed successfully in the New Year.”ALSO READ: The stats stack up as Philander approaches his endgamePhilander played five games for Somerset as an overseas player back in 2012, taking 23 wickets at 21.43.It remains unclear what will happen to players on Kolpak registrations after the UK leaves the European Union, but it is highly likely that counties will be unable to register new players via that loophole after January 31, 2020. Kolpak players will continue to be eligible to play as local players throughout next season, but may only be available as overseas players thereafter – though the ECB is understood to be considering allowing teams to field two overseas players, rather than one, in the County Championship to compensate.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said: “Vernon is undoubtedly a genuinely world-class performer and we are delighted to have agreed terms with such a talented player. When the possibility of signing him presented itself, and considering the challenges that we feel lie ahead of us with regards to achieving our aspirations, we felt that it was too good an opportunity to miss.”To put it simply, he is one of the very best bowlers in the game and he would add quality to any team in the world. His experience and knowledge of the game will also be of huge benefit to our bowling group, especially the young players looking to break in to the first XI.”The signing of Philander may seem to block first-team opportunities for some of Somerset’s seamers, with Lewis Gregory, Craig and Jamie Overton, Josh Davey and Jack Brooks already competing for places in the Championship side. But Hurry suggested that with the several bowlers – including spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess – in international reckoning, another signing was needed to ensure the squad was deep enough to compete on three fronts.”When we consider the development that a number of our senior bowlers have made in recent years, and the number of those bowlers who are now playing international cricket or on the cusp of playing international cricket, it is vital for us as a club to ensure that we have the quality and depth in our squad to fulfill our aims of winning silverware in all three formats,” he said.”The addition of Vernon to our bowling unit will enable us to continue to manage the workloads of all of our quality seamers through the demands of a full and demanding season even more effectively.”Philander said: “I’m really pleased to have agreed personal terms with Somerset. It’s a great club and I really enjoyed my time there a few years ago.”I know that they won the 50-over cup last year and came close in the Championship and hopefully I’ll be able to help them to another successful year in 2020. Right now, I am 100% focused on the series against England and then my focus will turn to my next chapter.”

A record-breaking innings from Mark Pettini helped Leicestershire to a crushing 103-run victory over Warwickshire at Grace Road.

George Dobell at Grace Road02-May-2017
ScorecardMark Pettini plundered Warwickshire’s attack•Getty Images

A record-breaking innings from Mark Pettini helped Leicestershire to a crushing 103-run victory over Warwickshire at Grace Road.Pettini thrashed the highest score by a Leicestershire batsman against a first-class county in the club’s List A history. It was also Leicestershire’s highest score against a first-class county and the second-highest score ever conceded by Warwickshire in List A cricket.Pettini won excellent support from the home-grown pair of Tom Wells, who registered his maiden one-day half-century and finished with career-best bowling figures, and Aadil Ali, who made his second half-century in succession. Both took full advantage of a fine batting surface – the same one used for Sunday’s defeat against Worcestershire in which 680 were scored – and a jaded attack, suggesting they had the ability to carve out successful careers at this level.Sam Hain made a polished 103 in reply. But from the moment Dieter Klein trapped William Porterfield, beaten by a ball that swung from leg to middle and hit him on the boot, and Jonathan Trott, edging one that swung the other way to take his outside edge, in his first spell there was only going to be one winner.Ian Bell drove to cover and though Tim Ambrose helped Hain add 118 for the fourth wicket, when the pair fell within a couple of overs of one another – Hain courtesy of an outrageously good diving catch from Ali – Warwickshire’s reply fell away. They lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 14 runs and their last five in the space of 15 balls. It was their second chastening defeat in two days and means their defence of their title is already hanging by a thread.On paper, this should hardly have been a contest. It featured, after all, last year’s champions against a team who finished eighth in their group. Not only that, but it featured a side containing six players with international experience at the highest level against a side which featured one man who had played international cricket and was missing its two first-choice seamers (Ben Raine and Clint McKay) due to injury.And it’s true, it was hardly a contest. From the moment Leicestershire’s openers plundered 72 from the first seven overs of the game, Warwickshire looked just a little slow, just a little tired, just a little old. In the field, with the ball and with the bat, they failed to match the athleticism of their unheralded rivals. You could easily be forgiven for mistaking which was the team from the Test-hosting ground and which was the unfancied small club with only two List A wins in the whole of 2016.Pettini, fed over-pitched deliveries at the start of his innings, drove gloriously and, when Warwickshire pulled back their length, cut savagely. Able to hit anything of good length over the top and on a surface offering no assistance to the spinners, Warwickshire had no answer.It was, in fairness, the sort of pitch that makes a bowler wish they’d become a plumber, a butcher or a Big Issue seller. But it was noticeable that, while Warwickshire’s medium-paced attack could get nothing out of the surface, Leicestershire’s extra pace asked a few more questions of the batsmen. Gavin Griffiths finished with career-best bowling figures.So while it’s true that Pettini’s timing was beautiful and the pitch was merciless, this was not a performance that many of the Warwickshire bowlers – or fielders – will look back on with any joy. Bereft of the pace to force the batsmen onto the back foot – anything short was dispatched – and reluctant to rely on the yorker with the straight boundaries much shorter than the square ones, they instead relied upon slower deliveries. But when the stock delivery is slow, the effect is diluted. Really, Leicestershire’s batsmen just waited and plundered.It is hardly surprising then that Warwickshire have recently made the first of their 28-day approaches to players coming out of contract at other clubs by the end of the season. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, of Worcestershire, is one target but they require bowlers as well as batsmen. They have the money to recruit, but attracting players to Edgbaston has not, historically, been easy. They have also announced a new partnership with Staffordshire Cricket, hoping to attract their best young players into their development system.As for Leicestershire, they seem to be finding a pleasing mix of youth and experience in their side this season. Whereas last year the balance veered too much towards experience, the new coach, Pierre de Bruyn, has seen the importance of creating opportunities for home-grown youngsters alongside a few experienced pros.Zak Chappell finished wicketless, but he has pace and potential that any club would relish, while the catch taken by Ali to end Hain’s innings was the highlight of the match. Running every bit of 30 yards from mid-on to long-on, somehow keeping his eye on the ball despite the floodlights and the proximity of the boundary, he clung on to an almost impossible, diving chance. If there’s a better catch taken this season, it will be quite some spectacle.It was not a perfect day for Leicestershire. Staging this as a day-night match in response to feedback from potential spectators who suggested they could be attracted to come after work, they were unfortunate to find the evening bitterly cold. Few, if any, of the 450 schoolchildren offered free tickets stayed until for the late ending (it is a school night, after all) and few of working age took advantage of the cheap – or even free – tickets available for the second innings. Leicestershire remains a club fighting for relevance in its community.But if they play like this, if they field a team that represents the community and offers hope to young local players, if they continue to reach out to potential spectators, they have a chance. This was a heartening evening that suggested, for the huge amount of ground they have to make-up, they are heading in the right direction.

It remains to be seen whether Usman Khawaja’s comment that he was made a “scapegoat” on the tour of Sri Lanka, will affect his selection chances but coach Darren Lehmann said the batsman was not “on the back foot”

Brydon Coverdale25-Oct-2016Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has said Usman Khawaja is not out of favour with selectors, despite the batsman’s recent comments that he and Joe Burns had been made “scapegoats” on the recent tour of Sri Lanka. Khawaja also labeled the selectors “fickle” for dropping the pair after two Tests in Sri Lanka, given both men were coming off excellent form in the previous few Test series.Lehmann said that he would have a private conversation with Khawaja concerning his public comments, preferring such matters to stay behind closed doors. However, it remains to be seen whether Khawaja will pay the price for his statements when the squad for the first Test against South Africa is chosen later this week.”We have the GOAT,” Lehmann told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday, referring to Nathan Lyon’s nickname as the Greatest Of All Time. “And now we have the Scapegoat. I love these nicknames … He is not on the back foot. [But] I will chat to him privately. We would rather have these things played out between selectors and players.”Khawaja and Burns were axed for the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, although Burns had been Man of the Match in Australia’s last Test before the tour – against New Zealand in Christchurch in February – and Khawaja had made four consecutive first-innings hundreds during the summer. Shaun Marsh and Moises Henriques came in at the expense of Khawaja and Burns.”Being on the selection panel for the Test match, it was warranted,” Lehmann said. “At the end of the day, there were different conditions and those two guys weren’t playing well enough – they averaged eight or seven in two Test matches.”We had to change something, but that doesn’t affect the summer at home. We have to work out what we think the best batting line-up is for the summer.”Khawaja and Burns are in action for Queensland against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match that started at the Gabba on Tuesday, although they will have to wait until later in the game to bat as Khawaja won the toss and sent the Blues in. At the WACA, Shaun Marsh, hoping to prove to the selectors that he had recovered from a hamstring injury, was batting early on day one.And at the MCG, Peter Siddle and Jackson Bird were potentially competing for the final bowling position in Australia’s Test squad, to be announced on Friday – assuming Mitchell Starc proves his fitness at the Gabba. Lehmann said Bird and Siddle both had the chance to bowl themselves into the side for the first Test against South Africa at the WACA.”They certainly can over the next few days I would think,” Lehmann said. “[Siddle] looked really good in the Matador Cup and by all reports he’s got some zing and zip back. He’s playing the Shield game so hopefully he’ll perform well and pull up well, and then we’ll see what we do.”His record is exceptional – he bowls good line and length and can complement Mitchell, but so can Jackson Bird.”