Micky van de Ven has been in the news this week after the Tottenham Hotspur defender opted to go on The Overlap to do an in-depth interview with Gary Neville.

The Netherlands international spoke about a range of topics, which you can go and watch on their YouTube channel, and explained that the main reason he signed for Spurs was because Ange Postecoglou promised that he would be a starter.

That has been the case for the left-footed star so far in North London, as he has started 54 of his 55 appearances in the Premier League for the club, per Sofascore.

The former Wolfsburg defender has not had the best start to the season, losing 62% of his aerial duels in the top-flight (Sofascore), and could lose his place as a starter unless his form improves.

Spurs ready to make move for Premier League star

Van de Ven’s security in the starting line-up could also come into question if the Europa League champions are able to bring in another player in his position.

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 TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi in the January transfer window.

The report claims that Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United are among the other teams, alongside Spurs, who have made contact with the England international’s representatives to gauge his interest in a move.

It adds that Tottenham, along with the other Premier League sides mentioned, are ‘ready’ to make an offer to sign the Eagles star, whose contract at Selhurst Park is due to expire at the end of the season.

Why Guehi would be an upgrade on Van de Ven

If Spurs can win the race for Guehi, whether that is for a cut-price fee in January or on a free transfer next summer, he could come in as an upgrade on Van de Ven on the left side of the defence.

Despite being naturally right-footed, the former Chelsea academy graduate typically plays in the left centre-back role for club and country, which means that he could come in as a direct rival to the Dutchman’s place in the team.

Van de Ven brings attacking qualities, with six goals this season, to the side, but Guehi has also shown that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch, with two goals and three assists as a centre-back this term, per Sofascore.

This shows that replacing the Dutchman with the Palace captain may not hinder Tottenham too much from an offensive perspective, whilst it could improve them defensively, based on their respective form this season.

Guehi’s impressive performances in the Premier League for Palace in the 2025/26 campaign suggest that he would improve Thomas Frank’s backline as a direct replacement for van de Ven in the left-sided centre-back role next to Kevin Danso or Cristian Romero.

25/26 Premier League

Guehi

Van de Ven

Appearances

15

15

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.9

2.2

Clearances per game

5.1

3.3

Blocks per game

0.3

0.3

Duels won per game

5.7

3.0

Ground duel success rate

62%

56%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

38%

Yellow cards

2

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the England international has outperformed the Dutchman in a host of defensive metrics in the top-flight this season, particularly in aerial duels.

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Van de Ven’s 38% win percentage in aerial duels is a dismal statistic to have as a centre-back, tasked with being dominant in the air against attackers and defending set-pieces, whilst Guehi excels in that department, winning 71% of his aerial contests.

These statistics may go a way to explaining why Palace have conceded six goals fewer than Spurs in the Premier League, per Sofascore, and are six places above them in the league.

Reporter Bobby Manzi once described Guehi as a “monster in defence” and his statistics this season back that claim up, as he has been a dominant and impressive Premier League centre-back.

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Therefore, Spurs should be pushing hard to win the race for Guehi’s signature, either next month or in the summer, because he could come in as a significant upgrade on Van de Ven, who would then not have the starter status that he joined for in the first place.

Only 64 minutes of play was possible as rain curtailed play at the theDSY ground in Vasco during the Cooch Behar Trophy Under-19 tournamentmatch between Tamil Nadu and Goa. With play starting only at 4.30 pm,Tamil Nadu were 59 for no loss in 15 overs with the openers NoorulRiaz (27) and S Badrinath (24) coming in unscathed. Meanwhile therewas never any possibility of play due to rain in the other match ofthe day at at the District Sports Authority stadium in Kakinadabetween Andhra and Kerala.

Fourteen wickets fell on the second day of the match between Federal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with Federal Areas edging ahead. Federal Areas led by 85 runs at stumps with two wickets in hand, after bowling Khyber out for 111 and then reaching 196 for 8. Khyber had ended the curtailed first day at 82 for 4, and only managed to add another 29 runs to their total on Monday morning. Federal Areas’ seamers did all the damage with Nasrullah Khan and Saad Altaf taking two wickets each on Monday to finish with figures of 5 for 34 and 3 for 53 respectively. Khyber seamer Imran Khan came back with a strong reply, with three early wickets, but Federal Areas captain Bazid Khan steadied their innings with his 64. Once his 71-run partnership with Awais Zia was broken, though, Federal Areas lost three more quick wickets, and found themselves 136 for 6. Lower-order resistance from wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum, who finished the day unbeaten on 32, allowed Federal Areas to extend their lead. Khyber legspinner Yasir Shah took 3 for 79 in the day, while Imran took 4 for 44.Baluchistan’s seamers gave their side control of their match at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, bowling Sind out for 105 in the first innings. The batsmen then built on the 68-run first-innings lead, and ended the day 170 ahead with seven wickets remaining. Sind, who had bowled Baluchistan out for 173 on the first day, were in trouble from the outset on Monday morning. Abdur Rauf and Mohammad Irfan ran through their top order, reducing them to 32 for 6. The third seamer Rizwan Haider got in on the act, picking up two wickets, as did left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar. Rauf finished with figures of 4 for 52, while Irfan took 2 for 23. Baluchistan then had a rocky start to their second innings as they slumped to 13 for 3, but Sohaib Maqsood scored an unbeaten half-century and put together an unbroken 89-run stand with Naved Yasin, to help them end the day at 102 for 3.

The sanctions against Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt will expire on September 1, the ICC has confirmed. That means the trio, who were banned for their role in spot-fixing on Pakistan’s tour to England in 2010, can return to competitive cricket – including international cricket – from September 2.Butt, Asif and Amir were banned for 10 (five years suspended), seven (two years suspended) and five years respectively, after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing in a case stemming from the 2010 Lord’s Test.”I welcome the ICC’s decision and thank everyone who supported me throughout my bad time,” Butt told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s like a new lifeline for me. It’s only me who can understand what this means for me. I can’t explain how excited I am about regaining my bread and butter. I have suffered enough and I am a changed man now and have learnt my lesson. I will continue to play my cricket with good spirit.” Butt will now turn out for the Lahore Blues in the upcoming domestic T20 cup, where Blues will play the qualifying round.The three players, as well as their agent Mazhar Majeed, were also convicted for their wrongdoings in a London court. They were charged with conspiracy to accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat with regard to the Lord’s Test, when three pre-determined no-balls were bowled – two by Amir and one by Asif – orchestrated by Butt and arranged by Majeed. While Amir and Majeed had pleaded guilty before the trial began, Butt and Asif denied the charges. Butt was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, Asif got one year and Amir, six months. Butt was released seven months into his jail sentence, in June 2012, under the UK government’s early release scheme for foreign nationals. Asif and Amir served half their sentences, in keeping with the court’s directive – that they serve half their sentence in custody and then be released on licence, with conditions which, if broken, would see them back in detention for the remainder of their term.In January this year, with the backing of the PCB, Amir was allowed to return to domestic cricket ahead of schedule by the ICC. Explaining the concession, the ICC had said then: “The ACSU Chairman [Ronnie Flanagan] had exercised the powers vested in him under Article 6.8 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code after he was satisfied that Amir had cooperated with the ACSU by fully disclosing his part in the matters that led to his disqualification, admitting his guilt, showing remorse and cooperating with the Unit’s ongoing investigations and by recording messages for the ACSU education sessions.”

Dale Steyn would like everybody to just “shut up,” about his new hairdo, to stop pre-empting how much longer he will play, because “if I am fit and I am strong I will bowl all day.” He wants to cut his team-mates a bit of a break because they are playing in “really difficult conditions to bat and bowl” in Bangladesh, but those frustrated phrases are all just a facade. Steyn is actually having the time of his life.”I love what I am doing right now, even if it’s in 40 degree heat and the ball is staying ankle high and it’s not bouncing and there’s no seam and it’s very slow. Shit, I love it. I would rather be here than anywhere else right now,” Steyn said.Just a week ago, Steyn looked like he would rather be anywhere else. He struggled for success in Chittagong and looked a shadow of the seamer who could charm even subcontinent surfaces. It all seemed to be getting too much. Steyn was shattered after South Africa’s World Cup semi-final defeat and sullen through an IPL in which he warmed the bench more than he played. He sneered that he did not want to “waste” the deliveries he had left on an ODI series in Bangladesh and has now admitted he needed some space to sort himself out.”There was a period after the IPL when I actually didn’t want to have a ball in my hand. I just needed maybe two or three weeks – maybe four weeks – just to get that love back again. I said before coming here that sometimes if you don’t have that love or passion for the game, things kind of don’t go your way,” he explained. “And then when you have got it you just don’t want to let it go. I just love being on the field right now.”Was the romance rekindled by his new record – fastest to 400 wickets in terms of balls and joint second in terms of matches? “No, it’s was not really different to any of the other wickets I’ve taken, to be honest,” Steyn said of Tami Iqbal’s nicking off. “It’s nice to have the numbers but I’ve had a lot better moments in my cricketing career. But it’s cool – it’s nice to have 400.”It was nicer to be able to let his hair down. “It’s pretty cool to take a wicket and get the headband off and the hair out. I think I’ve taken some abuse about my hair. Funnily enough, it doesn’t influence the bowling at all. So, I guess, shut up.”Floppy fringes have not been known to have much of an impact on fast bowlers and on Thursday, that was more evident than ever before. A few hours after Steyn celebrated his milestone, Mitchell Johnson picked up his 300th and Steyn had words of praise for his Australian counterpart’s approach.”Mitch is a scary bowler,” Steyn said. “I think he is one of those guys who are never going to be a line and length bowler. His captain is never going to ask him to run in and just hit a line and length. He’s going to bowl fast, he’s going to scare you and he’s going to get you out like that. He’s going to make you make a mistake because of his pace.”I think that’s why he bowls well against England – because they don’t like him. Even when he is bowling badly, they still don’t like facing him, and he still going to get wickets. That’s his strength; that he is quite a scary guy to face regardless of his pace. He is quite an intimidating bloke with his long moustache.”Sounds a little like Steyn himself, but if you think that means the South Africa would want Johnson in his strike force, think again. When asked who he thought was better than Johnson, it took Steyn a split-second to reply. “Vernon Philander.” He didn’t add a “shut up,” afterwards, but it was probably implied.Steyn’s dominance has partly come down to his the men at his side, who he is happy to share his success with. “Overall as a bowling unit, we are looking to get 20 wickets and so far we are doing quite well. I would have been very happy if I had taken just one wicket in my international career. And I managed to get 400. I never thought that that would happen. Ever in my life.”No wonder he is having such a good time.

Group A

Mukhtar Ahmed’s record-breaking 123 off 67 deliveries, the highest individual score in domestic T20s in Pakistan, helped set up Sialkot Region‘s thrilling seven-run win over Karachi Region Whites, as the latter narrowly missed out on chasing down a target of 199.Sialkot, led by Shoaib Malik, opted to bat and got off to a flying start as Ahmed and his opening partner Nauman Anwar added 125 runs in 12.1 overs. After Anwar’s dismissal for 51 off 34 deliveries, Ahmed maintained a brisk scoring rate despite little support from the batsmen at the other end – apart from the openers, none of the Sialkot batsmen managed a double-figure score. Ahmed was dismissed off the last ball of the penultimate over, after striking 18 fours and three sixes, and his innings ensured Sialkot finished at a strong 198 for 5.Karachi Whites responded cautiously and lost three wickets for 45 runs within the first six overs. Opener Ahsan Ali – who scored 76 off 46 balls with seven fours and four sixes – shared an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Saifullah Bangash to keep the chase ticking over. The side, however, struggled to keep pace with the asking rate and went into the final over needing 30 to win. Tariq Haroon smacked two sixes and two fours off the first four deliveries but the side was eventually restricted to 191 for 6. Sultan Ahmed and Bilawal Bhatti were the best bowlers for Sialkot with returns of 3-0-26-2 and 4-0-22-2 respectively.Sharjeel Khan’s brisk 45-ball 91 helped Hyderabad Region rout Multan Region by eight wickets and eight balls to spare at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad.Put into bat, Multan lost their first three wickets for 32 runs, with openers Imran Farhat and Kamran Akmal falling for 13 and 4 respectively. A 109-run stand between Sohaib Maqsood (77 off 50 balls) and Naved Yasin (55 not out off 31), however, led Multan’s strong recovery and took the side close to 150. Kashif Naved’s quick 26 off 13 balls helped push the score to 186 for 4.Hyderabad were unfazed by a formidable target as Sharjeel struck 13 fours and four sixes to give his team a sound start after the early loss of opener Azeem Ghumman. After Sharjeel’s dismissal, Faisal Athar (56 off 41 balls) and Lal Kumar (23 off 15 balls) remained unbeaten to take the side home in 18.4 overs.Three wickets from Mohammad Amir, and half-centuries by Nasir Jamshed and Naved Malik powered Rawalpindi to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Bahawalpur with 29 balls to spare.After choosing to bat, Bahawalpur had got to 28 for 0 before they lost three wickets in the space of 12 balls and slumped to 32 for 3 in 6.2 overs. Aamer Ijaz was the only batsman to make it past 20 – scoring 33 off 29 balls – as the rest of his team-mates fell like nine pins. Amir finished with figures of 4-0-23-3 while Hammad Azam took 2 for 22 to restrict Rawalpindi to 125 for 9.Rawalpindi started poorly by losing Awais Zia off the first ball of the chase but Jamshed made 62 off 36 balls and Malik smashed four sixes in his 51 off 43 deliveries to ensure the target was achieved in the 16th over.

Group B

Karachi Region Blues thumped Abbottabad Region by seven wickets in their opening group match of the Haier Mobile T20 Cup.Karachi Blues’ decision to put Abbottabad in to bat proved vital as Mohammad Sami dismissed the openers and reduced the side to 1 for 2 early in the innings. Younis Khan tried to anchor the innings through the wobble and shared a 78-run stand for the third wicket with Sajjad Ali, and the partnership helped Abbottabad reach a competitive total of 153 for 8. Apart from Younis’ 34-ball 51, which included five fours and three sixes, Adnan Raees played a cameo of 30 off 23 balls while Sohail Akhtar scored 21 off 13 balls to lift the side towards the end.Karachi Blues lost opener Khurram Manzoor cheaply but Shahzaib Hasan (36 off 20) and Khalid Latif (65* off 36) shared a 54-run stand to keep the chase on course. Hasan and Asad Shafiq fell in quick succession but Latif and Fawad Alam, who scored 45 off 31 deliveries, took the side to victory with 20 balls to spare.Riding on a knock of 48 by Ahmed Shehzad and a cameo from Saad Nasim, Lahore Region Whites clinched a thrilling contest against Islamabad Region, acing a 169-run chase with three wickets and a ball to spare.Shehzad and Azhar Ali provided the side with a powerful start, cracking up a 50-run opening stand within four overs. Lahore lost the pair in quick succession, but Mohammad Hafeez’s patient 34 off 29 deliveries provided much-needed steadiness that Nasim later built on. Nasim controlled the chase, bringing the equation down to 11 off the last over with four wickets in hand. He struck successive boundaries in the final over to turn the game in favour of Lahore Whites, finishing unbeaten on 28 off 19 deliveries with two fours and a six.Earlier, Islamabad made a promising start after opting to bat, the impetus coming from opener Shan Masood’s knock of 32 off 19 deliveries. Babar Azam (59 not out off 50) shared two fifty-plus stands – first with Masood and later with Imad Wasim – to help his side to reach a competitive total of 168 for the loss of only three wickets. Shahid Yousuf also struck a handy 30 off 25 as Wahab Raiz and Aizaz Cheema clipped one wicket each.

It may be too early to get excited about the corner South Africa could be turning but we’ll do it anyway. This is sport, and it’s exists for excitement – the kind that was provided by the series-opener between South Africa and India in Dharamsala where the advantage changed hands and the calmer heads triumphed. For a change, South Africa ended up on the right side of both.They did not allow pressure to dictate to them and handled spontaneous moments better than before, something JP Duminy explained was discussed in the lead up to the series. “In the last few days we spoke a lot about competing on this tour. We knew that no matter what was thrown at us, we needed to have a counter-punch and we needed to make sure that we focused on the next ball,” Duminy said. “Rohit played an exceptional innings but the way we came back in the last three or four overs was good for us. At one stage, we were looking at chasing 220 and that probably would have been a winning score.”South Africa gave away just 41 runs in the last five overs to ensure India’s total could not creep up over 200 and leave their own batsmen overawed. A change of ball helped the South African cause as did Kyle Abbott’s calm. Abbott has accepted the role of death-over bowler but has not had much opportunity to practise it as he continues to act as a reserve to the premier pace pack. In Dharamsala, he showed that he can become part of the first-choice.Even with their efforts at the end of the innings, South Africa still had the daunting task of chasing 200 – something they had done successfully only once before in the shortest format. The burden of history could have weighed on them but did not.AB de Villiers, in his new role as opening batsmen, and Hashim Amla blended aggression and anchorage to complement each other well and put South Africa on course. “The start was very crucial for us. We knew that chasing a big total we needed to start off well and the key was that we didn’t lose any wickets in the first six overs. The way AB and Hash played, exceptional,” Duminy said.Amla was run out and the loss of de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in successive overs could have derailed South Africa. JP Duminy arrived at the crease with 107 runs needed off 10.1 overs and was joined by Farhaan Behardien four balls later. South Africa’s middle-order has been known to be soft and Behardien was considered one of the weak links but he is changing that perception.Together with Duminy, South Africa’s highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, Behardien batted patiently and persistently, content to whittle down the target without resorting to frenzied hitting or frantic running. “We tried our utmost to stay in the moment and understand what was required from us at that point in time. We have batted together a few times and I think our communication has improved every game. That was our main focus: to try and build on the partnership. The required run rate was around the 12 or 13 mark and our focus was to keep it around that mark,” Duminy said. “But we also needed to capitalise and find a big over somewhere.”That came in the 16th over, when Duminy struck three sixes off Axar Patel to deflate the required run rate to just 11 runs an over for the last four overs. Tough but gettable, especially with Duminy in good form. On the trip so far, he has looked South Africa’s best batsman, after top scoring in both the warm-up match and the first T20.His purple patch has come after two months off – time he has taken to welcome his first child into the world – and he said he is both refreshed and ready to assume even more responsibility as the India tour goes on. “I wanted want to make sure I start off with a bang,” Duminy said. So did South Africa and that in itself, for notoriously slow starters, represents a corner turned.08.00GMT, October 3: The post-match presentation quotes in this article were replaced with post-match press conference quotes

Agha Salman’s defiance in vainAgha Salman helped Lahore Blues avoid the ignominy of registering the lowest total in the history of Pakistan first-class cricket, but couldn’t prevent United Bank Limited from romping home by an innings and 206 runs at the Gadaffi Stadium.Centuries from Umair Khan and Saeed Bin Nasir helped UBL declare their first innings on 432 for 5 after being inserted by Blues. In reply, the Blues were reduced to 21 for 7, before being bowled out for 96. Only Salman, who scored 56, offering some kind of resistance. The previous lowest total was 20 by National Bank of Pakistan against Pakistan Customs in 1998. Seamer Ehsan Adil, who last played a Test for Pakistan in Sri Lanka earlier this year in Pallekele, was the main destroyer of Lahore’s batting. His four-wicket haul included three in the same over.Following on, Blues didn’t do much better,as the left-arm pace and spin combine of Mir Hamza and Yasim Murtaza picked up eight wickets between them to bowl them out for 130.Zia-ul-Haq sends Karachi crashing to innings defeatLeft-arm seamer Zia-ul-Haq picked up nine wickets in the match as National Bank of Pakistan thumped Karachi Whites by an innings and 23 runs at the National Stadium.Zia, who hails from Vehari, the town where Waqar Younis was born, has been in contention for national selection for a year now following his successful stint with the under-19 team. He was part of the Pakistan A squad that toured Sri Lanka in May this year, and took six wickets in three List A games and three wickets in the three-match unofficial Test series. He was subsequently drafted into the Pakistan T20 squad in place of Wahab Riaz but returned without making it the playing XI.Fawad Alam’s double-century, however, was the key to National Bank making 465 in their first innings. Along with Umar Waheed, who scored a hundred, he ensured that the lead swelled to 238 before the bowlers took over again in Karachi’s second innings.Sui Northern Gas registers big winIn Hyderabad, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat the home team by 153 runs. The conclusion of the game, however, was followed by controversies.The local Sindhi daily, , reported that at least three cricketers were caught taking part in ‘immoral activities’ in a private party. This led to the PCB omitting Umar Akmal from Pakistan’s T20 squad for the games against England. The incident, however, remained unconfirmed as Umar and two other cricketers, including Hyderabad captain Azeem Ghumman, denied any wrongdoing.

At its commencement, suspicions were high that match ten of the Carlton andUnited Series would effectively go a long way toward marking the end ofIndia’s campaign in international cricket in Australia this season. And byits cessation, the impression was certainly reinforced – a devastating 152run loss to Australia ensuring that the vanquished now have only the barestof chances of progressing beyond the preliminary rounds of this competition.Given that a series of seven losses from eight matches had preceded it onthis tour, there was only a sliver of an opening for the Indians to setabout reviving their fortunes in international competition in any case.But even that was never a real possibility, for the Australians’ batsmengained a early, record-breaking advantage for their team after it had wonthe toss and there was absolutely no way back for their rivals at all.Indeed, from the moment in the opening over of the day that Mark Waugh(116) powered the very first delivery that he received to the cover fence,the writing was probably on the wall. On Australia’s national day and infront of a capacity holiday crowd at the Adelaide Oval, Waugh and AdamGilchrist (92) simply toyed with an uninspired Indian bowling and fieldingoutfit.Against an attack which was rapidly forced to come to grips with thereality that the strip in use for this game was again eminently unsuited tobowlers, the two openers ignited the game with a sizzling exhibition. Theyset about shattering their previous best association (of 39) in thetournament, Gilchrist characteristically playing very powerfully throughthe off side to establish the trend. Two sparkling shots through and overpoint off Debashish Mohanty in the sixth over and then a glorious off driveoff the same bowler in the eighth all generated boundaries and there was noparticular diminution in his scoring rate thereafter. Not to be completelyoutdone, Waugh was also in fine touch from the outset, serially easing andnudging the ball into gaps the ball for many of his runs. Neither wasafraid at any stage to lift the ball over the infield, nor to hit withpower and precision through a tightly set field.Before Gilchrist eventually fell to a mistimed slog sweep at Anil Kumbleand was caught at deep mid wicket by Rahul Dravid, they added 163 runs inpartnership in thirty overs without offering so much as a chance. Aroundthe raising of a fourteenth one-day international century for Waugh, theNew South Welshman and Ricky Ponting (43) then added another centurypartnership of their own for the second wicket as the spirits of India’splayers took a collective pounding. Even by the time that Pontingsuccumbed to another deep mid wicket catch by Dravid off Kumble and Waughventured too far down the pitch in missing a sweep at Sachin Tendulkar,there was not even a remote prospect of recovery.Indeed, the main interest left in the innings centred around the idea ofhow close Australia might come to surpassing its all time record score(3/332 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 1989/90) in one-day internationalcricket. Andrew Symonds (26 off 15 balls) and Shane Lee (27*, also off 15deliveries)edged them excruciatingly close but, as matters transpired, their tally of 5/329 was the second best in Australia’s historyand not quite good enough to claim the major prize. Consolation (and someconsolation at that) did come, though, in the fact that it was the highestever innings score at one-day international level in this country -exceeding the 2/323 compiled by Australia in a match against Sri Lanka atthis venue in 1984/85.In such circumstances, there was only one likely result in the match. Andit was duly secured with a minimum of fuss and, sadly for India, with aminimum of resistance too. Worn down by a mixture of the shattering effectof earlier events and their state of general fatigue, the Indians revealedmuch the same frailties and flaws against accurate pace bowling and sharpfielding which have seen them consistently surrender to this opponent thisseason. That Sourav Ganguly (5) and Tendulkar (18) proved perfect partyguests by coming armed with a pair of injudicious strokes, and Umpire SimonTaufel made a contribution of his own in initiating the dubious first balldemise of Hrishikesh Kanitkar (0), only added the icing to Australia’scake. Only a lovely flurry of boundaries from Dravid (63) around a fivewicket haul from Brett Lee (5/27) extended the life of the on-fieldcelebrations.Even after this fifth loss, it is still possible in theory for the Indiansto secure a berth in the Finals, but that would require a fundamentalrevision of their form. To all intents and purposes indeed, they alreadyseem a completely spent force. And even if that miracle were to beachieved, it would probably require an even more momentous turn of eventsfor them to conquer an opponent against whom the prospect of victory stillseems no closer than it did when the tour began all those weeks ago.

Today belonged to Courtney Walsh and to the West Indies. Courtney Walsh became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, surpassing the mark of 434 set by India’s Kapil Dev. It was fairy-tale stuff at Sabina Park as Courtney Walsh ran in, one wicket to break the world record, and one Zimbabwean wicket to get. His home crowd of 10,000 people roared expectantly, and one could nothelp but feel that this was meant to be. Henry Olonga was caught at short leg and the crowd went wild as did the West Indian players. History had been made. In true West Indian fashion it was celebrated, and after the day’s play there was much pomp and ceremony.No such celebration for us though, as we have managed again to relinquish a very good position. Day 3 started with us very buoyant and focused. We held the advantage and wanted to drive it home. Things were going swimmingly with the West Indies reduced to 171-7, due again to some very disciplined and very good bowling. We looked like taking a sizeable first innings lead – a must as the pitch was starting to deteriorate. there was lots of wear and the cracks were starting to open; they would play a major part later in the game.However, what transpired was not according to plan as Jimmy Adams, showing stubborn defence punctuated with the odd aggressive drive and cut, and Franklin Rose, who played and missed 2 out of 3 balls early on and then had a swish which invariably went for 4, whittled away at our first innings 308. In three hours they had changed the course of the Test match, as well as set a newWest Indies 8th-wicket batting record.Starting day 4 we were still in the game but not in control as we would have liked to have been. We got together and agreed that, if we could bowl them out relatively quickly, we were still in with a shout of winning, as the pitch would be a nightmare on the last day and anything above 200 would be a stern test. We did knock them over only 31 runs ahead only after Jimmy Adams had completed a very patient but very gutsy and important hundred.We needed a good batting performance as the pitch was playing unevenly; add to this Ambrose and Walsh and Co. and it was going to be tough. Tough was an understatement. We capitulated to 100 all out. Yours truly and Johnson managed to get into the 20s, but we both got balls that kept very low, as did Andy Flower. It was a difficult wicket, but with better application and better shot selection we should have done better. The West Indies were 8 for no wicket at the close — but not without incident, as Johnson beat the outside edge of Campbell’s bat and hit him on the gloves twice from a good length. We are probably 50 runs shy of what would have been a very testing target for them, but cricket is a funny game and who knows what tomorrow holds?