Shadab Khan followed up his maiden first-class century with a five-wicket haul as Pakistan A knocked off a 37-run target, winning by eight wickets in Bulawayo on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2016
ScorecardBrian Vitori’s performance was one of the positives for Zimbabwe A•AFP

Shadab Khan followed up his maiden first-class century with a five-wicket haul as Pakistan A knocked off a 37-run target with eight wickets to spare in Bulawayo on Wednesday, thereby taking the series 1-0.Shadab, batting at No. 10, made 132 in Pakistan A’s 512 after Zimbabwe, driven by centuries from Brian Chari and Sean Williams, posted 346. Their 199-run third-wicket stand helped the hosts recover from Ghulam Mudassar’s early twin strikes. Zimbabwe A lost their last five wickets for 48 runs, with Shadab taking 4 for 84 in 24 overs.Pakistan A’s first-innings total was set up by Zain Abbas (78), but a mini-collapse resulted in them slipping to 289 for 6. That they managed a 167-run lead was largely due to the seventh-wicket stand of 130 between Saad Ali (97) and Shadab. The hosts let it slip away further by allowing the last three wickets to add 93 runs.Zimbabwe’s hopes of emulating their first-innings batting performance received a fillip courtesy Tarisai Musakanda (87) and Williams (42). But left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar dismissed Williams to trigger a collapse in which Zimbabwe A tumbled from 113 for 2 to 202 all out. Shadab’s maiden five-for meant he finished with a match haul of 9 for 166.Pakistan A’s openers took the side to within three runs of a modest target before Brian Vitori dismissed Abbas and Umar Amin. Saad knocked off the winning runs off the first ball he faced, with Pakistan A completing the formalities in seven overs.

Leeds United could struggle to sign Rangers winger Ryan Kent if they are relegated to the Championship ahead of next season, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Is Kent leaving Rangers this summer?

The Whites are on the verge of going down from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, following three years back in the top flight. Destiny is out of their hands, with Everton knowing that victory over Bournemouth at Goodison Park will send both Leeds and Leicester City to the Championship, as well as Southampton.

In truth, it would take something fairly special for the Whites to remain in the division at this point, as they look to avoid the drop in dramatic circumstances for a second year in a row.

Once the summer transfer window arrives, much of the focus will be on new signings, although the calibre of players they are able to bring in could be dependent on which league they are playing in in 2023/24. One individual who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is Kent, who could leave Rangers at the end of the campaign.

The £18,000-a-week winger's current deal expires this summer, and it doesn't look as though he will sign an extension at Ibrox.

Could Leeds miss out on Kent move?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones claimed that Leeds' potential move for Kent could be scuppered if they go down this weekend:

"I don't know that Kent would be willing to play in the Championship. I don't think that's what his vision is going to be at this stage, so we'll have to wait and see exactly how the two align."

In fairness, the lure of the Premier League will be great for Kent this summer, so the thought of suddenly representing Leeds in the Championship is unlikely to appeal to him.

This is someone who played in the Europa League final for Rangers last season, and he has racked up 90 goal contributions (33 goals and 57 assists) in 218 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants. His attacking quality could be a real asset for the Whites if he did decide to join – Steven Gerrard once called him "sensational" – but it would be hard to begrudge him a move elsewhere if a top-flight club came calling.

It highlights just how big Sunday's action is for the Leeds, with a miracle survival act proving to be so huge when it comes to signings in the summer window.

Prague has a proud history of producing supremely talented footballers, with stars going through the doors at Sparta and Slavia

The Czech Republic is frequently described as a 'Dark Horse' in European football thanks to its long history of nurturing quality footballers. The capital city, Prague, is a hotbed of talent, with an ever-growing list of stars emerging from the city.

Clubs such as Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague (read more about them here!), as well as Bohemians, have all played their part, though, very often the best players are snapped up quickly and ushered off into the arms of Europe's elite teams.

Here, GOAL takes a look at some of the best footballers who come from or are indelibly associated with Prague.

Prague is one of GOAL's Soccer Cities 23 – find out more here!

• Getty
  

  Tomas Rosicky

  Affectionately known as 'Little Mozart', Tomas Rosicky is one of Prague's most famous and talented football sons. The diminutive playmaker comes from a soccer family, with his father Jiri playing for Sparta Prague in the 1970s, while his brother also spent time at the club.

  Rosicky broke into the Sparta Prague first team as a teenager and played a part in securing back-to-back league titles in 1999 and 2000, but his ability was such that Europe's elite were forced to sit up and take notice.

  Borussia Dortmund came knocking and made him the most expensive player in Bundesliga history when they forked out DM 25 million (equivalent €12.7m today) for his services in 2001. Arsenal was Rosicky's next port of call in 2006 and he earned cult hero status with the Premier League club, helping them to FA Cup glory in 2014.

Advertisement

• G
  

  Pavel Nedved

  Pavel Nedved may not be a Prague native, but his performances for Sparta Prague, and indeed the Czech Republic national team, in the 1990s were the catalyst for his future career success. Czech fans of a certain vintage will fondly recall his pivotal role in the national team's run to the final of Euro 96.

  A truly complete midfielder, capable of playing anywhere across the line, Nedved played a part in three league titles for Sparta between 1992 and 1995 before moving on to Serie A, where he shone first for Lazio and later Juventus.

  Indeed, his displays for Juve earned him the Ballon d'Or in 2003 as he saw off challenges from the likes of Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini. He remains, to this day, the only Czech player to win the prestigious accolade.

• Getty
  

  Vladimir Smicer

  Vladimir Smicer is a Premier League legend for Liverpool fans, but he is also a heroic figure in Prague, where he dazzled in the red and white of Slavia. The 80-cap Czech international began his career in the capital at Slavia and helped them to a league title in 1996.

  His career subsequently took him to France and England – he enjoyed a trophy-laden six years at Anfield, even winning the Champions League – but he made a triumphant return to Prague in 2007, helping Slavia to two more titles.

  Smicer was born in Decin, but is now an adopted son of Prague having lived there for the last quarter of a century and he proudly showed the city off to us ahead of the 2023 Europa Conference League final – check it out below!

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Petr Cech

  Petr Cech is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and Sparta Prague played their part in his remarkable journey when they signed him from Chmel Bisany.

  Indeed, while Cech's time in the capital was brief – just one season – his contribution was strongly felt as he went 903 competitive minutes without conceding a goal, setting a new record in the process.

  Cech left Sparta Prague for Rennes, joining the French club for a reported €5.5 million and his career went from strength to strength, first at Chelsea, where he won four Premier League titles and the Champions League, then at Arsenal, where he secured an FA Cup.

  With 124 caps for Czech Republic, he is the most-capped player in the history of the national team and his status as a legend is unquestioned.

Imressive spells from Cecil Pervez and Satsimranjit Dhindsa helped Canada retain the Auty Cup, as they secured a 17-run win over USA in the second match of the series

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles15-Oct-2016
Scorecard1:27

‘Bowled as per plan and it worked out’ – Nazar

Another superb spell by Cecil Pervez helped Canada stave off USA’s lower order and retain the Auty Cup, as they secured a 17-run win in the second match at Woodley Park on Friday. Pervez followed up his 3 for 38 in the first match on Thursday with 3 for 42, including the key scalp of Akeem Dodson for 73.USA, who had won the toss earlier, got off to a shaky start in their chase of Canada’s 216, when they stumbled to 10 for 3 in four overs. Abdullah Syed was bowled for a golden duck by a Pervez inswinger in the first over, before Alex Amsterdam and captain Steven Taylor were both caught driving to Canada captain Nitish Kumar at backward point, off Satsimranjit Dhindsa.Dodson and opener Fahad Babar then put on a USA fourth-wicket record partnership of 127 – also USA’s best ever stand against Canada for any wicket – to dig the hosts out of a major hole. Dodson counterattacked early in his innings, exploiting the short straight boundary as he skipped down the track to loft offspinner Nikhil Dutta over long-on for six in the eighth over. He eventually brought up his fifty off 62 balls in the 25th over, while Babar brought up the same landmark off 79 balls in the 30th.Kumar rotated his spinners in an effort to slow down the scoring rate and build pressure. It had its desired effect by the 32nd, when Dodson offered his first chance on 54, drilling a return catch to Varun Sehdev that ricocheted off the bowler’s hand and had the crowd gasping as it nearly carried to the fielder charging in from the long-off boundary. Babar eventually cracked at the other end with two balls to go in the 36th, when he tried to guide Junaid Siddiqui’s legspin behind point but played on to his stumps instead. This opened the door to the rest of USA’s fragile middle order.Dodson offered another chance just two balls later, driving Dutta flat to long off, where substitute fielder Shehan Kamileen spilled the chance. Dutta plugged away and eventually got his first wicket later in the over as Nicholas Standford played around his pads to be trapped in front for a third-ball duck.With USA needing 64 off nine overs and Dodson still at the crease on 73, Kumar brought back Pervez for his second spell. The seamer struck with his fifth ball, getting one to jag back from outside off and bowl Dodson. It was the first of four wickets in consecutive overs, as keeper Hamza Tariq caught Timil Patel – down the leg side – off Dhindsa in the 43rd over, and Hammad Shahid off Pervez in the 44th. Dhindsa then induced a leading edge from Jessy Singh for the ninth wicket, to put Canada within one wicket of victory at 163 for 9 in the 45th.Elmore Hutchinson, the only other USA player to reach double figures, gave them hope briefly when he sandwiched a cut through point for four between two monstrous sixes over the sightscreen to take Pervez for 19 in the 46th over. Dhindsa followed that up with a sloppy over that included two wides and another four through point, to bring the equation down to 21 off 18 balls.A long Canadian team discussion ensued before Kumar gave the ball to left-arm spinner Salman Nazar, who had figures of 0 for 25 in four overs at that stage and hadn’t bowled since the 17th over. After three singles off the first five balls, Nazar ended the match with an arm ball to No. 11 Prashanth Nair, who tried to dab it past the keeper, expecting turn, but instead chopped it onto his stumps. Hutchinson was left stranded on 37.Earlier in the day, five Canadian batsmen crossed 20 but nobody reached 50. Dutta, promoted to No. 4 after making a second-ball duck on Thursday at No. 8, top-scored with 43. He came in after Hutchinson dismissed both openers inside the Powerplay, having Bhavindu Adhihetty caught slogging to mid-on for 14, and Srimantha Wijeratne edging a flick down the leg side for 18.Nitish Kumar made a brisk 32 at No. 3, before he was caught in the covers off Nair’s left-arm spin. Coming together at 74 for 3, Dutta and Sehdev then produced Canada’s best partnership of the day, putting on 53 for the fourth wicket, before legspinner Patel had Sehdev caught behind for 26. Nazar then spooned a catch to Taylor at midwicket in Patel’s next over before Dutta fell in the 37th, chopping onto his stumps off Shahid, who was USA’s most troublesome bowler on the day and finished with 1 for 28.Singh came back for a late spell after going wicketless with the new ball and won three lbw appeals to dismiss Hamza Tariq, and then Siddiqui and Dhindsa off consecutive balls. Canada were reduce to 197 for 9, but USA’s inability to polish off the tail for the second time cost them. No. 9 Dilon Heyliger crashed Singh’s hat-trick ball for six over long-off to start the 49th, and followed it with a four over midwicket and another towering six over long-off. He finished with a vital 31 off 17 balls that helped add 19 runs for the last wicket which eventually accounted for the winning margin.

Match facts

October 9, 2016
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)

Big picture

Having been clouted to all parts of Centurion, the Wanderers, and most brutally in Durban, Australia’s punch-drunk bowlers will be seeking some respite in Port Elizabeth. Equally, Steven Smith, the touring captain, will be eager to add some respectability to a series score line that is as stark as the contrast between crestfallen Australia and jubilant South Africa on Wednesday night at Kingsmead.Unfortunately for Smith, and coach Darren Lehmann, Australia’s options for an improved line-up are slim. Scott Boland arrived as one of the more experienced members of the attack, but was promptly dropped after game one, while Joe Mennie’s fast-medium pace also lasted only one match before he was shuffled back out. The spectre of defeat invariably leads to players starting to think of their own positions in the team, and it will be critical for Lehmann and Smith to ensure minds remain focused on the task.Lehmann has stated that he believes the biggest problem for Australia’s bowlers has been an inability to replicate training patterns under the spotlight of crowds, television cameras and confident opponents, something for assistant coach David Saker, and Ryan Harris, the bowling assistant, to ponder.”We’ve got to find a way to get some early wickets and put some pressure back on South Africa, and at the moment, we’re not doing that,” Lehmann said after Durban. “And we’re not doing the good things that we do in the nets and taking them out into the middle in front of a packed house. At the end of the day, the blokes have trained really well and prepared well, and bowled really well in the nets, but international cricket is quite pressurised. They’ve just got to get used to that.”For South Africa, Port Elizabeth will be about seeking to avoid a let-down following the heights of Kingsmead and the sealing of the series. Acting captain Faf du Plessis appeared somewhat shocked to have been on the winning end of that match, something for which he had David Miller to thank, with a century that was scored having picked up a groin injury that has proved bad enough to leave him sidelined. The hosts will also be mindful of trying to keep Australia’s batsmen under slightly more control than they managed in game three, even if a mighty total ultimately proved inadequate.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: LLLWW

In the spotlight

Early in South Africa’s chase in Durban, Quinton de Kock was subjected to plenty of verballing by the Australians in reference to a slow start that was soaking up balls. That baiting seemed primarily to wake de Kock from his initial slumber, and he went on to hammer 70 from a mere 49 balls to get South Africa off to the start they needed to stand a chance. Off the back of his punishing 178 in the opening game, his wicket looms as vital to Australia’s chances.John Hastings’ reputation for miserly spells has taken something of a hit in recent days, as he has not been able to quell South Africa’s scoring in ways that he has previously managed against other teams. As the most experienced member of the bowling attack on tour, Hastings will be expected to step up in Port Elizabeth and lead a better collective display.

Teams news

The groin injury which Miller sustained during his monumental matchwinning hundred will keep him out of the rest of the series which is likely to mean a recall for Farhaan Behardien. The rest of the recast batting order, which made room for Hashim Amla by shuffling Rilee Rossouw down the order, can be expected to be retained. Dale Steyn, however, may be rested now that the series is decided as could Kagiso Rabada with the possibility of playing an extra spinner.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien , 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Dale Steyn/Kyle Abbott, 10 Kagiso Rabada/Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran TahirScott Boland may be in line for a recall by Australia’s tour selectors, after the bowling attack was hard-hit once again in Durban. Usman Khawaja is also waiting for his next chance.Australia: (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Mathew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Chris Tremain, 11 Daniel Worrall/Scott Boland

Pitch and conditions

Spin, and pace off the ball will likely play a role on one of South Africa’s slower pitches. The weather forecast for Port Elizabeth is for fine conditions, with periods of cloud cover.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won four of the seven ODI encounters between the two teams at Port Elizabeth, though South Africa have won the two most recent contests, in 2009 and 2011
• Australia haven’t lost four matches in an ODI series since England won 4-0 with one match rained out in 2012

Quotes

“I think we worked out we’re taking pretty much seven of our first-choice one-day team out of the bowling attack, and when you go through that it’s some high-quality bowling. But it’s an opportunity for the young guys to learn, to learn quickly and learn what they need to do to step up in international cricket. At the moment, we’re failing in that and they’ve got to get better.”

South Australia almost held on for a draw, but Queensland wrapped up a 128-run win with 12 balls to spare on the final day

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016
ScorecardAlex Carey added a second-innings 54 to his 76 from the first innings•Getty Images

Queensland secured victory late on the final day at the Gabba, where South Australia’s last wicket fell with just 12 balls left in the day’s play.Theoretically chasing 446 for victory, the Redbacks’ best hope was realistically a draw, and some fight from the tail gave them hope of doing so, until spinner Jason Floros sealed the Queensland win by bowled Chadd Sayers for 22.South Australia had resumed on 2 for 71, and lost captain Travis Head for 34 and Jake Lehmann for 10. Opener Jake Weatherald compiled 73 before he was caught behind off Floros, but a pair of fifties from Tom Cooper and Alex Carey kept South Australia fighting. Cooper made 52 and Carey managed 54, continuing a fine game after he top scored with 76 in the first innings.But Queensland’s bowlers kept chipping away and got the result they were after, with Floros, Ben Cutting and Peter George each collecting three wickets.