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Tottenham Hotspur’s N17 draw against Sunderland to kick off 2026 was imperfect, but it did suggest that Thomas Frank has been receptive to the criticism that has come his way.

It was an improvement on the drab goalless draw at Brentford days before, though admittedly, it would have been a feat to have produced a more lifeless and uninspiring display than that one.

Premier League 25/26 – Lowest xG Totals

Team

Goals Scored

xG

West Ham

21

20.5

Wolves

14

19.0

Tottenham

28

18.9

Burnley

20

17.6

Sunderland

21

16.8

Data via FBref

Tottenham need more impetus and verve in the centre of the park, and the right acquisition could have a transformative effect on the wider

system.

One of the most exciting young midfielders in the Premier League has been earmarked.

Spurs lining up Premier League midfielder

Tottenham’s usual midfield duo consists of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha. Both stars lack the multi-dimensionality to charge Tottenham’s midfield and provide playmaking support to sit alongside their natural defensive strengths.

Tottenham are searching for energy and inspiration. The current crop are too tentative and inanimate in the middle of the park.

Brighton talent Carlos Baleba could be the answer to the Londoners’ problems. According to Caught Offside, Spurs are in the mix for the 22-year-old, ready to challenge long-term suitors Manchester United.

Valued at around £87m, he wouldn’t come cheap, but it’s tacitly accepted at the AMEX that his dip in performances and the abiding interest in his signature point toward a departure in 2026.

Despite a poor season on the south coast, the Cameroon international has the potential to become one of the best in the world, perhaps even growing into Spurs’ new version of Mousa Dembele.

Why Baleba could be Spurs' new Dembele

Baleba was immense for Brighton last season, with his performances leading analyst Ben Mattinson to describe him as “one of the best midfielders in the league” last year.

After an intense Man United-centred transfer saga last year, Baleba has struggled for form this season, but with such potential and a proven ability to perform in the Premier League, he could bring the spark that has been lacking.

This complete midfielder might even establish himself as the next Dembele, especially given that he would join from a divisional rival.

Carlos Baleba’s Premier League Form

Stats (* per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

34 (31)

16 (14)

Goals

3

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

54.0

32.3

Accurate passes*

33.6 (88%)

19.9 (86%)

Chances created*

0.6

0.2

Succ. dribbles*

1.0 (62%)

0.4 (58%)

Ball recoveries*

5.8

3.2

Tackles + interceptions*

3.7

2.0

Duels (won)*

5.9 (55%)

3.1 (46%)

Data via Sofascore

Baleba hasn’t been at the races for a while, but he’s still a physical and athletic force. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 21% of midfielders across Europe for successful take-ons and the top 13% for ball recoveries per 90, as well as the top 15% for aerial duel success rate.

Dembele, too, knew something of the art of progression. The retired Belgian midfielder has secured cult status in north London, playing across seven campaigns and drawing praise from many around him, with countryman Kevin De Bruyne even claiming he was “the best in the world” during his prime.

So silky on the ball and industrious when against the run of play, Dembele made it tick in the middle, so intelligent and aware of his surroundings.

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Baleba isn’t there yet, but he’s shown that he can develop into a Premier League superstar. Indeed, the young Cameroonian has been described as a “monster” of a midfielder by football scout Antonio Mango.

Given that Dembele took a while to get himself up to speed after joining the club from Fulham over a decade ago, it’s clear that Baleba could be a consummate success if signed.

Sure, he’s not at his peak, and he’s inconsistent, but there is such talent there, and he would add not one but a range of dimensions to a static Spurs midfield.

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Leeds United look set to be dealt a big blow ahead of their upcoming matches as supporters wait to hear exactly how long Joe Rodon will be out injured for.

After the Wales international went off with an ankle injury in the first half against Sunderland, Daniel Farke has since confirmed that the centre-back will be out of action for around three weeks with ligament damage.

Rodon, as outlined in the post above, is set to miss a league game after 104 consecutive starts, which is some achievement from the former Tottenham Hotspur defender.

This means that Leeds will have to adjust to defending without the Welsh titan in the backline for the first time in a long time, whilst having to defend against Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz.

Leeds eyeing move for Premier League defender

The Whites already have one eye on how they may replace Rodon in the short-term, as they are looking at signing another central defender.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to Football Insider, Leeds United are plotting a move to sign Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi in the upcoming January transfer window.

The report claims that the West Yorkshire outfit have set their sights on signing the French central defender to bolster Farke’s options at the back as a result of Rodon’s ankle injury.

It adds that the Whites want to sign the former Monaco man on loan for the second-half of the 2025/26 campaign, to compete with Pascal Struijk, Jaka Bijol, and Rodon, when he is available.

Football Insider also reveals that Chelsea are keen to offload the £80k-per-week defender in January, but they are unable to send him out on an international loan as they have already filled all of their spots, handing Leeds a boost in the race for his signature.

Why Disasi is a perfect Rodon replacement

Leeds should sign Disasi because he has the potential to be the perfect replacement for the Welshman in the next three weeks and if he is out for any further time.

Even when the Wales international returns to action, the French defender would still be a brilliant replacement for him as a rotation option, or as competition for Bijol and Struijk.

It has not worked out for Disasi at Stamford Bridge, with zero minutes in all competitions this season, but his Premier League form for Chelsea in his debut season and on loan at Aston Villa last term suggest that he can be a good option for Leeds.

Flopping for a team competing for the top four and winning trophies, as Disasi has, does not mean that he is not good enough to be a key player for a side looking to avoid relegation, as Leeds are.

Rodon is the perfect example of that. He only played 24 times for Tottenham, per Transfermarkt, before his move to Leeds, and he has started every Premier League game so far this season for the Whites, although that streak looks set to end this week.

Axel Disasi (Premier League)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

31

13

Goals

2

1

Pass accuracy

91%

90%

Ground duel success rate

62%

52%

Aerial duel success rate

69%

62%

Error led to goal

0

1

Clean sheets

5

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Disasi has only made one error that led to a goal in 44 Premier League games so far, and has been incredibly dominant in the air.

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Rodon, meanwhile, has made one error that led to a goal and won 69% of his ground duels and 54% of his aerial duels in 18 Premier League appearances this season, per Sofascore.

This suggests that Disasi, who was described as a “complete” and “dominant” defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may even offer more quality to Leeds as an aerial presence, winning a higher percentage of his contests in the air, whilst both players rarely make catastrophic mistakes.

The chart above, comparing Disasi’s first season at Chelsea with Rodon’s form this season, suggests that they both excel in similar areas, which means that the Frenchman could be a perfect replacement for the Welsh star.

The 27-year-old star has the Premier League experience and proven quality to hit the ground running, as he did at Villa last term, as a fantastic short-term loan option for Leeds, offering them instant quality as an aerially dominant defender to take Rodon’s place in the next few weeks.

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	Mickey Arthur: In Ahmedabad Makhaya Ntini finally got it just right with that special bounce that hits the top of off stump © AFP

South Africa will stick to their aggressive bowling strategy of drawing India’s heavyweight batting line-up out of the comfort zone, and will take a call on a second spin option only after having a look at the Kanpur pitch on Wednesday, revealed Mickey Arthur, the team’s coach.Arthur told Cricinfo that India would be committing a blunder if they prepared a pitch for the third Test that would crumble because “nobody in the world would want to face our bowlers at 150 kmph on a surface where the ball would go through the top from day four”.”We have our bases covered either way,” Arthur said. “If India are gambling on working on a pitch that will crack, as media reports suggest, they might be in for a shock. We could be looking at uneven bounce then on the fourth and fifth days, and fast bowlers could prove quite a handful. But we have not closed out options yet, we also have another option in the left-arm spin of Robin Peterson.”Arthur, who is currently in Ahmedabad with the team, said he didn’t believe that the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) had distracted the Indian team. “Look, when things go badly, the media pin the blame somewhere. If things had gone well for India, this issue would not have come up at all.”Looking back on the second Test in Ahmedabad, where South Africa won by an innings and 90 runs, Arthur said Rahul Dravid’s dismissal was the turning point on the first day when India were embarrassingly bowled for 76 runs, their second lowest total ever at home. Dravid lost his off stump to a Steyn special that pitched on middle and swerved just that bit to beat the bat.”It was an unbelievable ball, wasn’t it?” said Arthur. “It was really an important wicket because Rahul is the kind of batsman who could have stayed and thwarted us on this wicket. He has so often done that before, so when that wicket fell, we knew we were through.”Arthur said that some credit for the Ahmedabad win would go to a bowling strategy that was quickly revised after the first Test in Chennai ended in a dull draw.”The mistake we committed in Chennai [where India replied with 627 to South Africa’s 540] was we focused on swing,” said Arthur. “After that game was over, we spent a lot of time with the bowlers to work out the best way forward. We realised we needed to be a lot more aggressive, we spoke about really hitting the deck at the right length, over after over. We talked about roughening up the Indian batsmen with short deliveries, and more importantly, the follow-up deliveries after the bouncers.”The key, or rather the theme of the revised strategy, Arthur revealed, was to get Indian batsmen out of their “traditional” comfort zone. “We realised after all those discussions that the crucial aspect was to force India’s batsmen to play outside their comfort zone, which is the front foot. We decided we will never allow them to settle down in that forward zone, but instead force them back with aggressive bowling. Hit the deck, hit the deck in the right area – that is what we kept repeating to ourselves.”Arhtur admitted he was “happily surprised” by the pitch that was on offer at Motera, which contributed significantly to the South African gameplan. “I would say a lot of credit would go to Vincent Barnes [the assistant coach] because of the hard work he has put in with all the bowlers, especially Makhaya Ntini.”Even though Steyn walked away with five wickets, it was a pacy Ntini who forced the door open for South Africa with the wickets of opener Wasim Jaffer (9), VVS Laxman (3) and Sourav Ganguly (0) to leave India reeling at 30 for 4 in the first hour of the Test. “In fact, if you look back, Makhaya had started regaining his rhythm on the fourth day of the Chennai Test [when India lost their last eight wickets for 146 runs]. Here, he has finally got it just right with that special bounce that hits the top of off stump,” said Arthur.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Sourav Ganguly hit a 112-ball 88, allowing Asia to lay a solid platform and subsequently for its bowlers to go for the jugular © Getty Images

A spirited bowling performance from Dilhara Fernando in conditions that tested fast bowlers complemented a wholesome batting display from his teammates as Asia sealed the second edition of the Afro-Asia cup with a degree of comfort. It was another tall scoring match but Asia were always in control.As in the first ODI at Bangalore, Asia won the toss, elected to bat on a flat pitch and batted the opposition out of the game, only this time the victory was more comprehensive. Mark Boucher and Boetta Dippenaar showed their mettle with fluent half centuries but their untimely dismissals ultimately dictated the course of the match, as their side fell 31 runs short of the target.Requiring 338 to square the series, Africa needed one batsman to go the distance and play a big innings, and the loss of three wickets within the first 15 overs didn’t help their cause, despite a healthy run rate. AB de Villiers, sliced in half by a Mohammad Asif away swinger, fell to a brilliant take by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, diving to his right. Vusi Sibanda, a player starved of international cricket, showed no signs of rustiness as he managed to get nicely behind the line of the ball and caress it past the infield.Dippenaar, often given the cold shoulder by the selectors in the South African one-day squad, found his feet and piloted the chase with Sibanda for company, adding 60 for the second wicket. The trump card for Asia was Fernando, and he rewarded his captain almost immediately, sending back Sibanda and Justin Kemp in the same over. Both dismissals were characterised by intelligent seam bowling – Sibanda succumbed to the pull after being softened up by a vicious lifter off the previous ball, while Kemp was squared up by an inswinging yorker which knocked back his middle stump.

Like in the first ODI at Bangalore, Asia won the toss, elected to bat on a flat pitch and batted the opposition out of the game, only this time the victory was more comprehensive. Mark Boucher and Boetta Dippenaar showed their mettle with fluent half centuries but their untimely dismissals ultimately dictated the course of the match, as their side fell 31 runs short of the target

Dippenaar carried on, reaching his half century with an effortless straight drive past Fernando. Boucher, let off by Harbhajan Singh at midwicket, rotated the strike and played the supporting role. Just when the pair was beginning to cast doubts among the Asians, Dippenaar holed out to deep midwicket, leaving the repair work to Boucher and Shaun Pollock. Boucher relieved the pressure, carting boundaries off the part-time bowlers, including thundering sixes off successive balls off Virender Sehwag.However, Boucher chanced his arm once Fernando returned and a skier was taken easily by Mohammad Asif at long-on. Pollock entertained, albeit briefly, with a fluent 35 but his dismissal took the fight out of the Africans. Fernando prised out Johan Botha and a flurry of boundaries by Morne Morkel were only of entertainment value as the innings folded up for 306.Earlier, Sehwag laid the foundation with a typically belligerent half-century, allowing Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Yousuf to propel the side in conditions where the batsmen were hardly tested, given Africa’s inexperienced attack. The pitch was a front-foot thumper’s dream and Sehwag merely had to hit through the line and bisect the gaps on the off side, forcing Kemp to make some early bowling changes and field adjustments. Sehwag’s dismissal – lobbing a catch to deep mid-on – immediately slowed the scoring rate as both Ganguly and Dhoni, earning a promotion in the batting order, seemed prepared to graft it out.Ganguly began with a silken drive past the covers and grew in confidence, targeting Botha on quite a few occasions, using his feet and getting to the pitch of the ball. Dhoni added the spark in the middle overs, treating himself to two sixes. However, he succumbed to another of Kemp’s intelligent bowling changes, playing all over an Albie Morkel-yorker.The conditions were such that the batsmen needed very little time to get their eye in and unleash strokes to all corners of the ground. While Yousuf, Mahela Jayawardene and Sehwag took the attack to the bowlers, Ganguly played the steadying hand. The plan was probably for him to stay till the end but he fell 12 short of the ton that has eluded him for a while and it was Yuvraj Singh who added the finishing touches with a 13-ball blitz that yielded 30 runs. Having amassed a solid total all it needed from the Asian bowlers was to be patient and slowly tighten the noose around the Africans. In the event Fernando’s incisive bowling made the Asian task even more easy.

George Binoy at ChennaiBrothers in arms
A sibling rivalry – in good spirit or not – is an extremely effective motivator. The older one is generally under greater pressure for it’s not pleasant to be outdone by the kid. The brothers Morkel – Albie and Morne – shared the new ball at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Albie, three years older than Morne, got hit by Virender Sehwag for three fours in his first over. Morne, on the other hand, began with a maiden. Albie was the first to take a wicket when he bowled MS Dhoni with a yorker but Morne ended the day with the scalps of the Mohammads – Yousuf and Rafique. Bigger isn’t always better.Insignificant for most, but not Botha
It’s difficult to take the Afro-Asian Cup seriously. The number of last-minute withdrawals, because of injuries or just plain whims and fancies, is a clear indication that the players don’t either. But for Johan Botha it was a rather big deal for he was playing his first international game since the tour of Australia in 2005-06 when he was reported for a suspect action. He had an encouraging start with a close shout for lbw against Sourav Ganguly with his second ball. Thereafter the only moments of excitement in his spell was when MS Dhoni got stuck into him for two sixes, one of saw the ball land on the roof.You’re in my way Mr Umpire
If a team-mate somehow stops you from getting a wicket, you could be forgiven for venting your spleen (in a respectable manner) on the field. But what do you do if it’s an umpire? Ask AB de Villiers. Rafique pushed the ball towards mid-off and charged for a single, de Villiers sprinted across from cover, picked up, took aim and fired at the stumps. Had he hit, Rafique would have been out by a long way. He didn’t hit, because umpire Tony Hill, instead of running towards the leg side, ran between de Villiers and the stumps and promptly intercepted the throw. Imagine if this had happened in the 1999 World Cup semi-final.AB gets his man
The umpire might have saved Rafique once but he would have had to out-run de Villiers to do it again. Rafique slashed at a wide ball from Morne Morkel and got a top edge high and far over the infield. de Villiers sprinted after it from cover, reached the ball just in time and, with arms outstretched, took the catch while running at full tilt. He tumbled to the ground as soon as the catch was taken but the ball was as safe as the snitch in Harry Potter’s hand.Deja-vu?
In the first ODI at Bangalore, de Villiers began Africa’s pursuit of 318 with a four off Mohammad Asif but lost his off stump the very next ball when he shouldered arms to one that cut back in. Today, chasing 338, de Villiers hit his first boundary off Asif – a powerful golf-swing over cover. The next ball was pitched on a good length on middle stump, seamed away from de Villiers, squared him up and took the outside edge. Dhoni, who was initially moving the wrong way, dived low and to his right to take a stunning catch inches above the ground. Remember to be careful after you hit Asif for four on Sunday AB.Sweet chin music
The last thing you expect on a flat batting pitch is to see a ball that is potentially life-threatening. Vusi Sibanda, having cruised to 35 off 37 balls, was batting with minimum fuss. In the 13th over, Fernando jolted him out of his comfort zone with a brute of a delivery. It was short-pitched on leg stump and it rose so sharply that Sibanda, in his hurry to get his head out of the way, arched backwards, lost his balance and hit the turf. He was shaken no doubt, and when Fernando let him have another short one next ball, Sibanda top-edged the pull and was comfortably caught by Dhoni.

Graeme Smith and his team are feeling the after effects of the gruelling schedule © Getty Images

Australia will aim to maintain their supremacy over South Africa when they play a “dead rubber” third Test starting at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, said there would be no let-up despite winning the series after the first two Tests. Asked whether the series win might open the door for other members of the touring squad to play in the final match, Ponting said “I wouldn’t think so. The guys who are in the side at the moment are playing well and deserve their selection for the next Test as well. Everyone’s put their hand up and done the job.”South Africa, though, might make some changes. Batsman Hashim Amla and fast bowler Dale Steyn were added to the 16-member squad after they lost the second Test by 112 runs in Durban.Graeme Smith, the South African captain, said some of his team-mates were feeling the effects of a gruelling programme, with the current series following a 10-week tour of Australia. South Africa still have a series against New Zealand to play, with three matches in successive weeks starting April 15.”The selectors have decided to have a few extra options,” said Smith. “I wasn’t a part of the decision. We’ll go to the Wanderers and make a decision on what is best for this Test match and for the New Zealand series.”Smith admitted it would not be easy for his team to bounce back from losses in the first two Tests. “We’ve been outplayed in the Test form of the game. With the quick turnaround time and the amount of emotional and mental strain that it takes with such important Test matches it’s always going to be tough.”History is on South Africa’s side. On their two previous tours Australia won the first two Tests but lost the third. It will, however, need a major improvement from South Africa, whose batsmen have not been able to build big enough totals, while the bowlers have lacked the strike power to dismiss Australia cheaply.”We want to put up a better performance,” said Smith. “We had a terrific one-day series but we’ve just been outplayed on some of the days in the Test matches. We seem to get close and get ourselves into decent positions and we let ourselves down.”Smith’s own poor form as an opening batsman has been one of the reasons why South Africa have struggled. In six Tests against Australia this season, including an appearance for the World XI in the Super Series, his highest score was the 40 he made in the second innings in Durban.Justin Langer, the Australian opening batsman, will be playing in his 100th Test. He will become the third member of the current team, behind Shane Warne and Ponting, to reach this landmark.South Africa Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Boeta Dippenaar, Hashim Amla, Andrew Hall, Garnett Kruger, Dale SteynAustralia (likely) Ricky Ponting (capt), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz, Stuart Clark

West Indies 347 for 3 (Hinds 188*, Chanderpaul 102*) v South Africa
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Wavell Hinds: a classy century© TouchLine

For the past decade, West Indies cricket has been in a perpetual state of crisis, but it is fair to say that they have rarely looked as downtrodden as they did in the build-up to this match. And yet, by the close of the first day at Bourda, their two remaining senior batsmen, Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, had compiled a wonderful unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 241, to make a mockery of the pre-match predictions that West Indies, minus their seven Cable & Wireless-contracted players, would be unable even to stand their ground.An end to the sponsorship row may be in sight, but the impending return of the likes of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle was never going to happen in time for this first Test. And so, when a skeleton West Indies team had slumped to 24 for 2 after six overs, with Andre Nel steaming in for both wickets, the omens were pretty depressing, and the crowds at Georgetown even more so. South Africa, who had just completed a miserably one-sided series against Zimbabwe, must have wondered if there was any resistance in the pipeline.By the close of an extraordinary day, however, Graeme Smith and his toiling team knew they were in a struggle. Though the man of the day was indubitably Hinds, who closed on a career-best 188 not out, the final word went to the man of few words, Chanderpaul, who was making his captaincy debut in front of his hometown fans. As the shadows lengthened, Chanderpaul first refused an offer to leave the field for bad light, and then – gloriously – brought up his 12th Test century with a steer for four off Charl Langeveldt’s last ball of the day.Chanderpaul’s quiet commitment to the West Indian cause was yet more proof that the patient still has a pulse, but Hinds’s performance was even more extraordinary. As vice-president of the West Indies Players Association, he has been deeply embroiled in the off-field events, and last week he reportedly came close to withdrawing from the team out of solidarity.But he’ll be glad now to have stuck to his guns. Had Herschelle Gibbs held onto a sharp chance in the gully when Hinds had made 13, West Indies would have slipped to 24 for 3 and the game could have taken on a very different complexion. But on a slow, low Bourda wicket, his flamboyant approach began to pay dividends, as he peppered the off-side boundary with a succession of flashy drives, often holding the pose in his followthrough, just to give the snappers some extra time to focus. It was far from being a poseur’s performance, however, and with 30 fours and two sixes from 230 balls, he was on the verge of one of the fastest double-centuries of all time.At the drinks break in the final session, Smith had pointed to the scoreboard and read the riot act to his fielders, but to no avail. Hinds used his height and power in precisely the manner that the absent Gayle would have adopted. He brought up his hundred with a furious flurry of runs – first belting Nicky Boje out of the attack with 21 runs in two overs, before clobbering Smith’s offspinners over mid-on for a one-bounce four. Boje was not recalled until late in the final session, whereupon an edge from Chanderpaul flew unchallenged to the boundary between the keeper and slip.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: a watchful captain’s innings© TouchLine

If that moment summed up South Africa’s day, then so too did the performance of Jacques Kallis, who had helped himself to an obscene wickets tally in the two-Test mismatch against Zimbabwe. Here, he was far more reluctant to turn his arm over, and was slapped for 66 runs in eight wicketless, maidenless overs. Hard though Nel and Makhaya Ntini persevered, it was apparent just how badly South Africa miss the services of Shaun Pollock, their one true class act in the bowling department.If Hinds and Chanderpaul were the stand-out performers, then the unsung hero of the day was West Indies’ debutant batsman, Donovan Pagon. Coming into this match, Pagon’s career statistics were nothing much to write home about – 25 matches in a three-year career, 1201 runs at 31.60, with a top score of 110. But not even Sarwan, the man into whose shoes he was being asked to step, could have done more to arrest West Indies’ top-order slump.Standing tall and still at the crease, with a sound awareness of his off stump and a temperament to match, Pagon punched his first ball into a gap on the off side, and followed up with six measured fours, the pick of them a sweetly timed on-drive as Andrew Hall entered the attack. It was only after the lunch break that his nerves began to take hold, and when Nel returned to the attack, Pagon’s first false stroke was also his last, as he chipped a nothing shot to Jacques Kallis at silly mid-off.Nevertheless, Pagon had made his mark, and as news of West Indies’ progress spread through the city, the stands began to sway with ecstasy once again as Chanderpaul and Hinds informed South Africa in no uncertain terms that they do, after all, have a fight on their hands.How they were outWest IndiesSmith c Boucher b Nel 11 (24 for 1) Regulation edge, pouched one-handed in front of first slip.Ganga c Boucher b Nel 0 (24 for 2) Pushed at a wide one, simple catch at knee-height.Pagon c Kallis b Nel 35 (106 for 3) Early on a defensive push, skewed to silly mid-off.

South Africa’s fast bowler Andre Nel is torn between the crease and the altar, after carelessly arranging to get married in the middle of next week’s fourth and final Test against West Indies.Nel had not expected to feature in the series when he set the date, but he picked up five wickets in an innings for the first time in his career at Cape Town last week, and is now an automatic selection for the Centurion Test – if available, of course.Given that he is contracted to the United Cricket Board, it is unlikely that he will be permitted to miss the match. The UCB have allowed players such as Shaun Pollock and Gary Kirsten to take time off to be present at the birth of their children, but Nel is due to marry his girlfriend Deanne Weitz in Johannesburg on the second afternoon of the match, and the venue is only an hour’s drive from the ground.”I’ve discussed it with him," said South Africa’s coach Eric Simons, "and hopefully he can put [the ceremony] back by a few hours.” South Africa are reluctant to enter the match without Nel, who has taken 17 wickets at a cost of just 20 runs each in the series.”In a certain way I had probably given up on playing Test cricket again,” said Nel, who reinvented himself at Northamptonshire last season, where he gained an extra yard of pace and helped the county to a double promotion. “But now that I’ve been given this lifeline I want to grab it and hang on.”

The XXXX Queensland Bulls have suffered a setback on the eve of theirING Cup clash with the Southern Redbacks tomorrow following thewithdrawal of Australian pace bowler Andy Bichel for the match at theGabba.Bulls physiotherapist Stephen Partridge ruled out Bichel before trainingthis morning due to a hip injury sustained in Australia’s last VB SeriesOne Day International match in Perth on the weekend.He has been replaced in the Bulls team for tomorrow’s match by ScottMuller, who made a pleasing return to the Queensland ranks last week inthe ING Cup win over Victoria at the Gabba.Bichel is not considered in doubt for the tour of South Africa, with hiswithdrawal from the Queensland team taken as a precaution.”I’m disappointed any time I have to miss playing for the Bulls but witha long tour of Africa coming up, it was in my best interests not to riskaggravating what is admittedly a minor injury by playing tomorrow,”Bichel said.He joins fellow Australian pace bowlers Glenn McGrath and JasonGillespie on the sidelines for this weekend’s round of ING Cup matches,after they were rested from their respective teams.Tomorrow’s match starts at 2.30pm. Queensland lead the ING Cup on 27points with the Redbacks locked in equal second spot on 22 points withNSW and WA.Queensland travel to Adelaide on Sunday, following the Final of the K&RPlumbing Cup one-day competition at Allan Border Field on between Valleyand Norths. The Bulls take on the Redbacks at the Adelaide Oval fromWednesday in the Pura Cup.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Southern Redbacks, ING Cup, Gabba, Friday: JimmyMaher (c), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren,Brendan Nash, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz, DamienMackenzie, Scott Muller, Joe Dawes (all twelve to play).Southern Redbacks, ING Cup team: Darren Lehmann (Captain), Ben Johnson,Greg Blewett (V.Captain), Graham Manou, Nathan Adcock, Paul Rofe, ChrisDavies, Mike Smith, David Fitzgerald, Paul Wilson, Ben Higgins, BradleyYoung.

Well the time has come for us to get stuck into our winter programme. On Thursday, in Bulawayo we start off our two Test Match Series against India, who on paper, and on recent performance look a very formidable unit.I read through their team sheet the other day, and the thought struck me that on their day, every member of their team could be a match winner. Not many other teams in the world could boast such strength and depth.India’s batting has always been its strength, and with players likeTendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, and Ganguly it is no surprise why. But with Srinath fit again, Zaheer Khan, Agarkar and of course Harbhajan Singh bowling for them, the balance of their side has never looked better. With John Wright at the helm they have gone from strength to strength. I feel it is going to take a lot of good gutsy cricket from us to get one over the Indians.Having said all of this, though, there still hangs over their heads the fact that their away record is nothing short of “a few unprintable four letter words”.They have been described as Tigers at home and Lambs abroad, and I am sure that they will be going all out to try and change this particular title as well as their record.This however could work in our favour, as they get to a stage where they start pushing too hard to achieve results, we will be there, hopefully, to cash in on any errors and mistakes they may make.It promises to be a fascinating contest, something I can’t wait to start and get my teeth into. I think people will enjoy the battle between the two teams no more so than the individual duels we are going to witness. Heath Streak against Sachin Tendulkar, and Andrew Flower against Harbhajan Singh promises to be a great contest between great players – Let the action begin!

Bangladesh A will tour India later this month to play three one-day matches and two three-day games, the first of their three back-to-back tours this year. The touring squad is likely to be announced on Sunday.According to the tour schedule released by the BCCI, Bangladesh A play three limited-overs matches against India A in Bangalore, on September 16, 18 and 20. Their three-day games are against Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka from September 22 to 24 in Mysore, and against India A from September 27 to 29.Two weeks after their India tour, Bangladesh A go to South Africa to play two one-dayers and a three-day game, followed by a tour of Zimbabwe, where they are scheduled to play two four-day matches and three one-dayers. The Africa tour ends on November 18.India is the only Test-playing nation where Bangladesh is yet to play a Test: the senior side is scheduled to tour the country in August next year. Bangladesh A have previously toured India in 2001, 2009 and 2012.