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Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since the first international break of the season as they face off against Dundee at Parkhead this afternoon.

What was Celtic's last result?

The Hoops maintained their position at the top of the league table with a 1-0 win in the Old Firm clash in their last game before the national team matches kicked off.

Kyogo Furuhashi scored a stunning goal to secure all three points against Michael Beale's side at the start of the month. The Japan international raced in behind Connor Goldson, from Matt O'Riley's clever header, and rifled a terrific volley into the bottom corner and past Jack Butland.

Brendan Rodgers was without the likes of Maik Nawrocki and Cameron Carter-Vickers but Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke produced solid displays to keep a clean sheet intact throughout the 90 minutes.

What's the latest Celtic team news?

The Northern Irish head coach has revealed that Reo Hatate is back in training and could be available for selection against Dundee this weekend.

Marco Tilio, who is yet to make his Celtic debut, has also recovered from his injury issue but may need time to work his fitness levels back up and get used to the group before he hits his stride.

Meanwhile, Cameron Carter-Vickers is closing in on his return to action and could be back over the weeks to come, although he will not be in contention to start this afternoon.

The Hoops have, however, been dealt a huge blow in the build-up to this match as Liel Abada is set to be out for between three and four months with a thigh injury that was sustained on international duty, Rodgers has confirmed.

Football FanCast already published an article explaining why South Korean ace Hyun-jun Yang should come into the starting XI in place of the Israel international.

However, there could also be a change on the other flank as Luis Palma could be in line to make his Hoops debut after joining from Aris FC during the summer transfer window.

Will Luis Palma start against Dundee?

Rodgers should unleash the Honduras international from the start on the left wing as the talented ace has the potential to offer more than Daizen Maeda at the top end of the pitch.

The 23-year-old forward, who was described as "ambitious" by his new manager, was as an unused substitute against Rangers earlier this month and went on to enjoy an excellent international break with his country.

Palma produced a phenomenal performance against Grenada as he recorded a Sofascore rating of 9.1 and contributed with one goal and one assist, along with five shots on target and three chances created for his teammates across the 90 minutes.

The £3.5m signing also arrived at Celtic off the back of a terrific start to the season with Aris in Greece. He racked up two goals and three assists in five matches in all competitions, which included two goals and two assists in four Europa Conference League qualifiers.

As per Sofascore, the 5 foot 10 magician created four chances, one 'big chance', and assisted one goal in his only top-flight appearance for Aris this term, which earned him a rating of 7.7.

Palma came into the 2023/24 campaign after an impressive season last term, as he proved himself to be a reliable goalscoring option from out wide.

The gifted wizard averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.12 across 20 Super League starts and chipped in with 11 goals and four assists, along with 1.4 key passes per game.

He also contributed with two goals and four assists in seven cup appearances for Aris, including three assists in four Europa Conference League qualifiers, which meant that he scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in total throughout the campaign.

How many goals did Maeda score last season?

Maeda, on the other hand, scored 11 times and assisted seven in 49 matches in all competitions for the Hoops during the 2022/23 campaign.

The Japan international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.78 across 35 Scottish Premiership games, which included 25 starts, and chipped in with eight goals and five assists.

This means that the attacker was directly involved in a goal once every 1.92 league starts on average last term, whilst Palma produced one goal involvement every 1.33 starts on average for Aris.

These statistics indicate that the £3.5m-rated whiz has the potential to provide goals and assists with greater regularity than Maeda on the wing, if he can translate his form from Greece over to Scottish football.

The Honduras international's aforementioned 1.4 key passes per game also suggest that he could provide more creativity than the Japanese marksman as he only conjured 0.8 per match last season.

So far this season, Maeda has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 and assisted one goal, whilst he has failed to find the back of the net once in four Premiership starts for the Bhoys.

He has already missed four 'big chances' in front of goal, which comes after he spurned 11 of them last term, and this shows that the 25-year-old gem has been wasteful at the top end of the pitch.

Whereas, Palma has only missed one 'big chance' in 30 league games since the start of last season to go along with his 11 goals in that time, which means that the 23-year-old maestro could be a far more reliable option in the final third for Rodgers in comparison to Maeda.

Therefore, the Northern Irish head coach must now move the Japan international aside and onto the bench for this clash with Dundee in order to offer Palma the opportunity to showcase his quality on the left wing.

The talented whiz is coming off the back of an impressive international break and could, therefore, be full of confidence and ready to produce a big performance on his debut for the Scottish giants this afternoon.

Maeda has not provided a regular source of goals or assists over the last 12 months or so and Palma's statistics for club and country during that period indicate that he could be an upgrade on him, if he can adapt to life in Scotland and hit the ground running today.

Ash Herron, the wife of Nottingham Forest and USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, has revealed which player broke her nose during a warmup.

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Turner moves to Premier LeagueWife, Ash, breaks nose in warm upShe reveals which player did itGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Herron has revealed she suffered a broken nose during one of the pre-game warmups while watching her husband in action. Ash is one of many wives set to feature in the new Amazon Prime Video documentary called 'Married to the Game' which will showcase the lives of significant others who are with Premier League footballers.

AdvertisementNottingham Forest TwitterWHAT HERRON SAID

“I’ve got a broken nose right now because I went to a game and got hit in the nose,” Ash Turner told talkSPORT. “It happened during the warm up. It was [Gonzalo] Montiel. I don’t think it’s glitz and glamour.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Turner and his family made the switch from the MLS to the Premier League back in 2022, when he sealed a move to join North London giants Arsenal.

Speaking on the difference between the MLS and the Premier League, Turner's wife added: “I don’t think I was necessarily prepared for the intensity of the Premier League. We came from MLS and obviously that’s not as high profile. This league is just developed in people’s blood and it’s a beautiful thing. The pressure for the players and their families is something I don’t think you can prepare for. You have to just go through the journey and experience it and that’s where you really learn the ins and outs of everything."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TURNER?

Turner and his Forest teammates are looking to get back to winning ways this weekend after suffering a disappointing 3-2 loss to Newcastle United last weekend. Nuno Espirito Santo's men will host West Ham United in their next clash at the City Ground on Saturday.

Much of the attention on West Ham United’s transfer window has been around the club’s midfield situation.

The Irons had to combat the loss of Declan Rice with the additions of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez, whilst also adding Mohammed Kudus to relieve the creative burden off Lucas Paqueta’s shoulders in the Premier League.

So far this summer, David Moyes has only added one defender in Konstantinos Mavropanos, but the Scotsman is reportedly on the hunt for some fresh faces for the backline…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to the Evening Standard, the Hammers have submitted a formal bid to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

Negotiations between the clubs over a fee are ongoing, with Moyes keen to sign a player who can provide centre-back cover and stands out as a prospect for the future.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The fact that the titan is still at the League One side is baffling to some, including Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who said:

“It’s an absolute joke Ronnie is still here. We are all amazed and it’s not because we are being greedy or silly.

“He’s as good as he’s ever been, He answered all the questions about him after the gaffer came back to the club in January. He was outstanding in both legs of the play-offs when he was up against some giants.

“He’s now far too good for us and I don’t believe he will still be with us when the season starts as he is made for some of the teams in the Premier League.”

Would Ronnie Edwards be a good signing for West Ham?

Last season, the 20-year-old gem made 40 starts in the third tier, where he averaged two tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game, was part of 14 clean sheets, made no errors leading to a shot or a goal, completed 75% of his dribbles and won 73% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

He has forged a formidable reputation thanks to his potential and consistency whilst also establishing prominence on the international stage. In June 2022, Edwards was included in England’s U19 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Championship and started in the final as his side won the tournament with a 3-1 extra-time win over Israel.

Later that year, the youngster made his England U20 debut and in May 2023, he was included in the Three Lions’ squad for the U20 World Cup. At the tournament, he started all four games, kept two clean sheets, managed 90% pass accuracy, averaged 2.3 clearances per game, won 67% of his duels, and made no errors leading to a shot or a goal.

Similarly to Edwards, Mavropanos is another supremely talented centre-back – a potent combination of ball-playing excellence and defensive solidity.

Ranked against his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Greek titan sits within the best 12% for progressive passes per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90, as well as the highest 18% for tackles per 90, interceptions per 90, aerials won per 90 and blocks per 90.

Having been described as a “Rolls-Royce” by Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry, Edwards deservedly looks destined for Premier League football, and he could gloriously flourish at the London Stadium.

Moyes could have a central defensive pairing for the ages, should his recruitment staff get a deal for the young Posh sensation over the line before Friday's transfer deadline.

Nottingham Forest won the race for USMNT star Gio Reyna as they put a “higher offer” in place, with said deal leaving Fiorentina disappointed.

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• Dortmund invited offers for playmaker
• Interest from England, Italy & France
• Reds able to agree deadline-day deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international playmaker was on the move as the January transfer window swung shut. Borussia Dortmund opened themselves up to offers, with a loan agreement eventually pushed through after extending the 21-year-old’s contract in Germany.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reyna had attracted interest from across Europe, with teams in Italy and France also said to be keen, but he ended up embracing a Premier League challenge at the City Ground. That switch impacted a number of other clubs, with Cagliari unable to lure Antonin Barak away from Fiorentina as the Serie A outfit were outmanoeuvred in their bid for Reyna.

• WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT REYNA?

  Cagliari sporting director Nereo Bonato has told : “At club level and with the boy [Barak], there were all the agreements. It was an operation that was also suitable on an economic level. There was [Genoa star Albert] Gudmundsson and Reyna who were Fiorentina’s two big targets and we had seen in the Viola managers the desire to get there at all costs. Unfortunately, Nottingham Forest made a higher offer for Reyna and Genoa preferred to keep Gudmundsson. We had to adapt to these choices.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?

  Reyna has now followed in the footsteps of his father – former Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder Claudio – by heading to England. He made his Forest debut off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth and will be hoping to make his home bow on Saturday when the Reds play host to Newcastle.

Glasgow Rangers have been busy in the market throughout the summer transfer window and could take their incoming business into double digits before the deadline

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

The Light Blues have been able to bolster their squad in a number of areas as Michael Beale has snapped up nine new signings to date.

Leon Balogun, Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, and Sam Lammers have all come through the door on permanent deals. They have also loaned in winger Abdallah Sima from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

A tenth addition could be on the way over the coming weeks as they were recently touted with interest in Millwall centre-back Jake Cooper, who is now into the final 12 months of his contract with the English side.

How good is Jake Cooper?

The 6 foot 6 titan is a dominant defender who could arrive at Ibrox to form a monstrous partnership with Connor Goldson at the heart of Beale's backline.

John Souttar has started the current campaign on the left of the central defensive pairing but the Scotland international's fitness record in recent years suggests that the Gers need an excellent option to compete with or provide cover for him.

The former Hearts stopper has missed a whopping 87 competitive matches through injury since the start of the 2020/21 season and was absent for 43 Rangers games last term.

Cooper, on the other hand, has featured in at least 42 league matches for Millwall in each of the last five campaigns, which shows that he is a durable and reliable option on the left side of the defence.

The left-footed brute could form an intimidating partnership with Goldson as they are both able to dominate opposition attackers in the air. Cooper won 67% of his aerial duels last season and 73% of them during the previous term, as per Sofascore.

In fact, the English ace ranked within the top 5% of his positional peers at Championship level with 5.05 headers won per 90 during the 2022/23 campaign.

Meanwhile, the current Rangers colossus has won at least 63% of his aerial contests over the last three full Scottish Premiership years, which shows that both players come out on top in the majority of their headed duels and would be able to deal with teams who hurl balls into the box or try to play long to a target man.

Cooper, who was once hailed as "invaluable" by boss Gary Rowett, averaged Sofascore ratings of 6.94 and 7.13 across the 2022/23 and 2021/22 seasons respectively, whilst only Goldson (7.29) recorded a score higher than 6.96 last term.

These statistics suggest that the 28-year-old Gers target has the quality to be an excellent performer due to his consistently impressive performances, whilst also being more reliable than Souttar in terms of his potential availability throughout the year.

Therefore, Beale could land a monster partner for Goldson to start alongside the English battler when Souttar is unavailable by securing a deal to sign the dominant Millwall giant before the window slams shut.

Chelsea's summer move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo could now collapse, following a "key development" regarding the potential signing of him this summer.

How old is Moises Caicedo?

The 21-year-old has emerged as arguably the Blues' biggest transfer target of the summer window, as their midfield goes through something of a rebuild ahead of the new Premier League season.

N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both left Stamford Bridge in recent times, while Jorginho joined Arsenal back in January, so new faces are needed to shine in the middle of the park alongside relatively new arrival Enzo Fernandez.

Caicedo enjoyed a fantastic season for Brighton, proving to be one of their most important players and excelling next to Alexis Mac Allister, who has already departed the Seagulls to join Liverpool earlier this summer. The Ecuadorian has seen his current club be extremely stubborn when it comes to accepting an offer from Chelsea, however, demanding huge money for his services, not helped by the amount Arsenal paid for Declan Rice, for example.

Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the Blues' pursuit of the young midfielder – one that could cause plenty of concern among the fanbase.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

According to Football Insider, and journalist Pete O'Rourke, Chelsea are "not currently in active talks" with Caicedo over a summer switch to Stamford Bridge, having seen a second bid for him turned down. The transfer is "now facing collapse", even though the player himself is "keen" on the move coming to fruition, in what is threatening to become a potentially ugly situation. The report has described it as a "key development".

Missing out on Caicedo now would be such a blow for Chelsea, considering how much they have tried to get him since the end of last season, and he remains a standout option who could help give their midfield such an injection of youth and quality. Graham Potter once said, "it doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level", further outlining his class as a player.

Last season, the Ecuador international averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League, showing what a tenacious presence he is out of possession, but he is also a technically-strong footballer, completing 88.8% of his passes in the competition.

The hope is that there is still time for the situation to change, allowing Brighton to finally accept a bid that suits all parties, but it looks increasingly as though Chelsea could have to look elsewhere for a high-quality midfield addition, which is far from ideal with the beginning of the new season edging closer all the time.

The Blues begin their campaign with a home clash with Liverpool next month, which promises to be an exciting match, and they will be coming up against a Reds side who have already made big midfield changes this summer, bringing in both Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

If Chelsea don't ensure the same has happened by the time the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge, they could find themselves in a sticky situation in Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge at the club.

Big Picture

The concept of the points-based “Super Series”, trialled last summer to add over-arching context to the sport’s three different formats, was quietly put into mothballs ahead of this season. But had it still been in existence, we’d have been geared up for an improbably thrilling climax to the second tour of the English summer. Following West Indies’ victory in Saturday’s one-off T20 and their stunning run-chase in the second Test at Headingley, England’s lead would have been a narrow eight points to six with a possible 10 still up for grabs – an ideal level of intrigue leading into the latest finish to an English season on record.And yet … taken in its own context (and leaving aside the threat of cold, wet conditions and potentially indifferent crowds), this particular one-day series requires remarkably little artifice to have an interest all of its own. Part of that may be due to a tinge of desperation on the part of the visitors – West Indies, currently ranked No.9 in the world in ODIs, are in serious peril of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup – they will need a 4-0 or 5-0 series win to vault into the top eight positions. And even if that challenge proves beyond them, the fact that the World Cup will be taking place on English soil in barely 18 months’ time means that there are still plenty of benefits to be had in this reconnaissance mission.More pertinently, however, the coming five matches represent the first trickle of a new era for West Indies cricket following the thawing in relations between their senior players and the CWI. A pair of star batsmen are back in harness for this trip – Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels – with the promise of more to come if further progress can be made in negotiations. It’s small steps, but significant ones, given how far apart the two parties have been since last year’s World T20, when it could be argued that the righteous fury that the board ignited within a tight-knit squad turned out to be a major factor in their surge to the trophy.For England, too, there is plenty at stake in the coming few days. They have put so much into their white-ball cricket in recent seasons that this brief outing – sandwiched as it is between seven home Tests and the rapidly approaching Ashes tour – seems an odd throwback to the pre-2015 era in which one-day cricket was seen as a second-class citizen. All the more reason, therefore, for Eoin Morgan’s men to put their best feet forward as the season draws to a close, and keep that precious “momentum” (whatever that really entails…) bubbling into their new-year engagements in Australia and New Zealand.It is a measure of the progress made by England in recent months that their last ODI outing was such a bitter anti-climax. Previous one-day teams might have been delighted to make it as far as the final four of a global tournament, but there was barely disguised dismay as England crashed to defeat in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy against the eventual champions, Pakistan, in Cardiff, after their riotous run-makers were left floundering by the pace and hostility of, in particular, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LWWWL
West Indies LWLLW

In the spotlight

He’s days away from his 38th birthday, and in terms of his career, he’s already deeper into autumn than even this English season. But there’s an inevitable sense of new beginnings for Chris Gayle, as he prepares for what will be his first ODI appearance since the 2015 World Cup, already two and a half years ago. Gayle showed during his brief and explosive foray at Chester-le-Street that he remains a formidable campaigner, still without equal when it comes to dispatching length deliveries into the ether, of which there were far too many in England’s gullible bowling performance in Saturday’s T20. His running between the wickets, never exactly a strength even in his heyday, remains an Achilles heel. But he’s got his sights firmly set on the 2019 World Cup, and amid the thawing of relationships with CWI, who would bet against him securing his dream farewell?It’s not the same format, but there will be several of the same players ready to greet him as he makes his return to the white-ball fray. Ben Stokes was controversially omitted from England’s ranks in the one-off T20 at his home ground in Durham, but now he’s back on parade, and reunited with the team that swiped his dream, and his final over, into the night sky in Kolkata 18 months ago. Most significantly, perhaps, Stokes will be reunited with Marlon Samuels – a player who has been under his skin and in his face for the best part of two years. Salutes, taunts and a truck-load of vitriol has flowed between two players who wear their hearts on their sleeves. It’s not always edifying viewing, but it’s rarely less than entertaining. And given the importance of the two characters to their teams, whoever wins their personal duel will go a long way to winning the overall contest.

Teams news

Given how tough Jonny Bairstow has found it to break into England’s first-choice XI, it is quite a surprise – though an entirely merited one – that he has been preferred once again to Jason Roy at the top of England’s order. Roy received unequivocal backing throughout the group stages of the Champions Trophy, but eventually had to give way through his sheer dearth of runs. Bairstow did his best with 41 from 57 balls in a low-scoring semi-final – only Joe Root managed more for England – and, in the words of his captain, Eoin Morgan, “he deserves a chance to make the position his own.” England will be strengthened significantly from the T20 line-up with the return of their two allrounders, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali. Chris Woakes may be in line for his ODI return, having suffered a side strain in the opening match of the Champions Trophy, but Tom Curran – impressive in his three T20s to date – could be in line for a debut.England (possible) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Jake Ball, 11 Liam PlunkettWest Indies’ T20 squad contained none of the Test players who made names for themselves during the first leg of their tour, but the ODI squad is an amalgam of the two formats – with the likes of Shai Hope, the breakout star of the Test series, and Jason Holder, blended in with the likes of Gayle and Samuels. Jason Holder returns to his leadership duties in place of Carlos Brathwaite.West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Shai Hope (wk), 5 Kyle Hope, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Jason Mohammed, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Jerome Taylor, 10 Kesrick Williams

Pitch and conditions

It promises to be bright and intermittently warm at Old Trafford on Tuesday, which ought to cheer up West Indies after their less-than-enthusiastic tackling of the chilly evening conditions at Chester-le-Street on Saturday. It’s been a while since Old Trafford hosted a 50-over game, but Lancashire amassed 300-plus scores in both of their Royal London Cup fixtures earlier this season, so plenty runs could be in the offing.

Stats and trivia

• Old Trafford will be hosting its first ODI in two years, since the visit of Australia in September 2015. England will be hoping to put up a better showing than they did on that occasion. Australia needed fewer than 25 overs to rattle to their series-winning victory target of 139.
• The last time these two sides met in an ODI series was in the Caribbean in March, when Morgan’s men were 3-0 winners.

Quotes

“I don’t think anyone knows [how to bowl to Gayle], do they? He’s such a good player he just hits the ball out of the park wherever he wants.”
“It’s obviously a huge boost with the calibre of player Chris is. We can expect some really good things from him.”

Sri Lanka Cricket, who had already named a T20 squad ahead of the ODI series against India, have now announced a new 15 two days ahead of the one-off game

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Sep-2017

Although Sri Lanka Cricket had already named a T20 squad ahead of the ODI series, two days out from the one-off match against India, the board has released a new squad, this one featuring legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and seam-bowling allrounder Dasun Shanaka.Sri Lanka’s revised T20 squad

Upul Tharanga (capt), Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilshan Munaweera, Dasun Shanaka, Milinda Siriwardana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Isuru Udana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Vikum Sanjaya

Also in this side are spinner Akila Dananjaya, who was Sri Lanka’s most penetrative bowler in the ODIs, seamer Suranga Lakmal, who has recovered from a back complaint, and allrounders Wanindu Hasaranga, Thisara Perera and Milinda Siriwardana. Seam bowler Isuru Udana has also been named, while Dushmantha Chameera and Vishwa Fernando have been omitted.Kusal Mendis, whom the management feels is suffering from mental fatigue, has been rested as well.Vandersay has not played a T20 for Sri Lanka since the World T20 last year, which is perhaps surprising, as he had been one of the team’s standout players in that tournament. His return was complicated by injury, but the selectors have tried other spinners ahead of him as well. Notably absent from this 15 is left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan – a more aggressive but expensive option.*On the seam-bowling front Sri Lanka have Lasith Malinga, in addition to Lakmal and Vikum Sanjaya. The most senior batsman is Angelo Mathews, and this will also be Upul Tharanga’s first match as full-time T20 captain.T20s are the one format in which Sri Lanka have a creditable record in 2017. They won both the three-match series against Australia and South Africa, and drew the two-match series against Bangladesh to keep a 5-3 win-loss record. The victories over Australia and South Africa, however, were against substantially depleted teams.The match is scheduled to be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 6.*The story had earlier stated Seekkuge Prasanna had been ommittted. However, he is in the squad.

A loss for New Zealand would dent their chances of a straightforward entry into the semi-final, while a defeat for West Indies would further hurt their net run-rate, which is already down in the negative

The Preview by Annesha Ghosh06-Jul-2017With one win, one loss, and one washed-out match, New Zealand are tottering at fifth place on the points table. They are coming off a narrow five-wicket loss to Australia, which went down to the penultimate over, but will take heart from the resistance offered by their bowlers in that match. They will also take heart from the form of their opponents – West Indies, finalists in 2013, have yet to win a match and come into this game having been dismissed for 48 against South Africa, their second-lowest total in ODIs.A loss for New Zealand would dent their chances of a straightforward entry into the semi-final, while a defeat for West Indies would further hurt their net run-rate, which is already down in the negative.West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor has stressed that “panic is not in our books”, but has also acknowledged it was “down to business time” for her side, with the threat of falling out of contention for a semi-final berth. “All the teams are in the business mood; we, too, do need to get into the business mood. It’s all about belief, going out there and getting the job done,” she said.No West Indies batsman has made a half-century in the tournament so far and they would look to heed the advice of coach Vasbert Drakes, who emphasised the importance of clarity: “I want the players to be clear in what they want to do, be clear in their decision making, be clear in their thinking.”Their chances of a turnaround will depend heavily on former captain and wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira finding form in her 100th ODI appearance, after scores of 1, 6 and 3 so far. Allrounder Deandra Dottin, who followed her 20-ball 29 against Australia with scores of 7 and 0, will also look to summon her might with the bat and deliver breakthroughs with her medium-pace.No West Indies batsman has yet struck a half-century in the tournament•AFPA cloud cover is likely to loom over County Ground for a major part of the day, which could assist the medium-pacers early. However, considering spinners have bagged 21 wickets as opposed to the 10 by the seamers in the three matches played so far at the venue, it’s unlikely New Zealand would risk tweaking with their four-spinner attack, led by the offspin-legspin pair of Anna Peterson and Amelia Kerr.New Zealand allrounder Amy Satterthwaite, who had returns of 6 for 17 – the best T20I bowling figures – with her medium-pace at this ground in 2007, could also find purchase with her offspin should the match be played on a used pitch. In assessing the challenges West Indies may pose, Satterthwaite echoed coach Haidee Tiffen, underlining the need for her side to guard against the mercurial nature of the opposition. “They are a dangerous side and a quality side as well and must be hurting with their start and we know that they’ll come back strong. They showed that in the way they won the World T20 title last year, so they know how to win games,” Satterthwaite said.West Indies’ resources in the bowling department are limited. Having lost their fast-bowling strike bowlers Shakera Selman and Shamilia Connell to injuries, their effectiveness revolves largely around Taylor’s offbreaks – she is the side’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with three dismissals. West Indies will look to left-arm spinner Shanel Daley and offspinner Afy Fletcher to back Taylor up in their pursuit of their first win on the tour so far.

Shai Hope battled to a gritty 90, leading West Indies into a handy lead, before Yasir Shah claimed another six-wicket haul to push Pakistan ahead on an attritional fourth day

The Report by Danyal Rasool03-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYasir Shah claimed five wickets in the final session to turn the second Test in Pakistan’s favour•AFPIt was a memorable day of Test cricket at the Kensington Oval, but for West Indies, it was a cruel finish. After all, West Indies – led by a resolute 90 from Shai Hope that lasted over five hours – made Pakistan’s bowlers graft and toil for the majority of the day, but the defining period will be five minutes of chaos that saw his side lose three wickets in eight balls for one run. It might yet lose them a game they have grated their way back into on more than one occasion, but with the lead already 183 with one wicket in hand, the Test is still alive. Yasir Shah claimed another six-wicket haul to lead Pakistan’s fightback in the final hour.With West Indies leading by 154 runs with six wickets still in hand, thoughts may already have been turning to an early declaration on the final day. But all of a sudden, Hope sought to cover drive a flighted Yasir delivery through the air, perfectly picking out Azhar Ali at cover. The next ball saw Vishaul Singh, the other set batsman, drag an inswinging delivery from Mohammad Abbas onto his stumps. Six deliveries on, Jason Holder poked at one from Yasir, and even as the light eroded, Younis Khan was never going to drop that.There was still enough time for West Indies’ last recognised batsman – Shane Dowrich – to edge one that ballooned up for an easy catch to second slip. Yasir dismissed Alzarri Joseph soon after to take his innings tally to six, and West Indies’ hard work crumbled.They had begun the final session with the resoluteness that characterised their batting all day. The runs, which had begun to flow a little too freely, dried up after tea as Misbah operated spin from both ends, waiting for the new ball. The likelihood of a wicket seemed to recede with both Vishaul and Hope looking increasingly comfortable, and West Indies began to take hold of the game. Shadab came closest to a breakthrough with an lbw shout against Vishaul that Pakistan decided to review, only to be thwarted by the on-field umpire’s call. As a result, the breakthrough Yasir provided through Hope’s moment of ill-judgment will seem even more fateful, coming as it did at a time when the hosts were looking to bat Pakistan out of the game.Momentum in the first session had fluctuated, a half-century partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and Hope steering West Indies into the lead. West Indies got off to a terrible start, having added only one run to their overnight score when Shimron Hetmyer, who had looked convincing on the third evening, was dismissed by Mohammad Amir. The manner of the wicket was identical to his dismissal in Jamaica, the ball seaming back in sharply to crash into the stumps.Hope and Brathwaite batted more positively after coming together, but just as it looked like West Indies might creep into the ascendancy once more, Brathwaite was undone by a combination of vicious spin from Yasir and staggering reflexes from Younis. Yasir pitched one well outside leg stump from around the wicket, which spun sharply across and clipped the shoulder of his bat. Younis dived to his right with agility and reflexes that belied his age, holding on to a splendid one-handed catch that could end up being as crucial as any runs he scores this game.The afternoon session was a cagey affair as Yasir resumed the session by bowling around the wicket again to exploit the rough, while Roston Chase and Hope kept him at bay. Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Amir kept chipping away laboriously from the other end, as Misbah appeared reluctant to trust a misfiring Shadab with runs at a premium. But it was Yasir’s persistence from around the wicket that finally paid off for Pakistan when he drew Chase into driving him on the up. Chase hadn’t been able to get to the pitch of the ball, and the drive came straight back to Yasir for an easy catch, giving Pakistan a breakthrough they needed badly.