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England Under 19’s ended the third day of the First Test against Australia in Adelaide 230 runs ahead of their hosts with one second innings wicket remaining, thanks to a fine 97 from Somerset’s Neil Edwards.The tall left handed opener from Penzance was disappointed to be run out just three runs short of what would have been a richly deserved century.He told me: "It was definitely good to get some runs under my belt, and going into the morning I felt really confident and relaxed and really up for it."He continued: "I was pleased with the way that I had played both the seam attack, and especially the spin, which has been causing me problems on the tour so far. Soon after lunch got my fifty, and from there on I was in the frame of mind to take the game to them a bit and started to attack all their bowlers!!"Regarding his dismissal he said: "I had no idea what score I was on when I called for a single off the leg spinner that was half stopped by a diving full stretch fielder at mid wicket. I was already well down the wicket and I was nearly home when the fielder directly hit the stumps! There was a run there but some confusion had left me run out on 97 but I was’nt too disheartened when the boys told me my score. However it would have been something really special to have made my first Test century on my England debut."He concluded : "This was a really special day that I will never forget, and I would like to thank everyone at home for their support."Somerset coach Kevin Shine was full of praise for the young opener. He told me: "Neil is a player for the future. He is a genuine opening bat who has got his feet on the ground and should build upon this experience. England Under 19 cricket has been a spring board for many star players like Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick and Neil is capable of following in their footsteps."

Tasmania has cruised to victory over Queensland in its Mercantile Mutual Cup game at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart today. Set 102 for victory, the Tigers needed just half of the allocated overs, reaching the target for the loss of only three wickets.The Tasmanian side’s chase began poorly, with Michael Kasprowicz claiming the wicket of opener Todd Pinnington (0) with the first ball of the innings. Pinnington was caught behind, edging the ball to keeper Wade Seccombe.Kasprowicz’s opening partner Adam Dale snared the Tigers’ next wicket, just three overs later, as Seccombe again took an easy catch behind the wicket. The dismissal of Dene Hills (3) left the Tigers teetering at 2/8.Opener Jamie Cox (27) and Shaun Young (52*) set about rebuilding Tasmania’s innings, as Cox guided a Kasprowicz delivery past gully for four.Young survived an appeal for lbw off the next Kasprowicz over, and rubbed salt into the wound by driving the next ball through gully and point to the boundary.Cox and Young continued to find the fence, both beating the mid off fieldsmen in consecutive overs. Young was probably a touch lucky to survive two lbw appeals off Dale’s bowling.The introduction of Ashley Noffke to the bowling attack proved fruitful for the Tigers. Young first cut the bowler through gully and point for three, and then added four more to his score, driving over Noffke’s head.Cox took Young’s lead and in Noffke’s next over cut a delivery past point for four, and then deftly chipped the ball over square leg for two. Young featured in the runs again as he took another boundary off the Queensland bowler.However, a quick delivery from Dale saw Cox (27) become the Tasmanians’ third victim, out to a lbw decision. Young was then joined at the crease by teenager Shane Watson (16*).Young and Watson quickly piled on more runs, the former again finding the boundary through the gully. The man of the match reserved special punishment for the medium pace of Scott Prestwidge, pulling him twice through square leg for sixes in the same over.With Tasmania needing just six runs to win, rain looked likely to set in. However, Young took delight in again driving Noffke to the boundary, then bringing up his 50, and registering the winning runs by lobbing a shot into vacant space at deep cover point.After a brilliant display with the ball earlier in the day on a helpful pitch, the Tasmanians took full points from the match. What made it even better was that they also recieved a bonus point for reaching their target within 35.1 of the maximum forty-four overs available to them in the rain-reduced contest. The win will not completely remove the sour taste left by the drubbing they received from the Bulls in the Pura Cup match between the sides that concluded two days ago. However, the determination, spirit and unity shown today by the Tigers shows there is still a spark in Tasmanian cricket.

Rangers chief Ross Wilson made a number of moves in the January transfer window to shape Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad at Ibrox.

He brought in James Sands, Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo on loan, whilst also landing Mateusz Zukowski on a permanent basis.

One position in which he has opted to wait until the summer to strengthen is centre-back. He secured a deal to sign John Souttar on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, but did not bring anyone in to immediately bolster the squad in that position.

Blunder

The Gers were linked with a swoop for Belgian defender Danilho Doekhi throughout the January transfer window, with the Vitesse Arnhem tank reportedly available for a cut-price fee of £2m with his contract expiring later this year.

Wilson will now be left feeling red-faced, as Doekhi’s recent form suggests that the 23-year-old would have been a brilliant signing for the club.

In his last four appearances for Vitesse in all competitions, the Dutchman has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.35. He scored two goals from centre-back and won an incredible 33 duels – 8.25 per game – whilst captaining the team in two Eredivisie and two Europa Conference League outings.

Meanwhile, Rangers slipped up in the Premiership recently as John Lundstram was played as a makeshift centre-back against Motherwell. His lack of quality in that position was left horribly exposed for the away side’s first goal as he got caught flat-footed in a one-on-one in the build-up, which played a major role in van Bronckhorst’s side drawing the game 2-2.

Thomas Letsch, manager of Doekhi’s current club, previously lauded the 23-year-old’s talents, saying: “He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

These quotes highlight the immense quality the defender provides on the pitch, and his recent statistics back up the hype that his manager delivered to him.

Across 20 Eredivisie starts this season, Doekhi has won an impressive 68% of his duels whilst making 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he is a strong defender who is able to read the game well, with his average SofaScore rating of 7.01 suggesting that he is also able to provide consistently high-quality displays.

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Therefore, Wilson will surely be disappointed in himself after failing to strike a £2m deal to bring the 23-year-old to Ibrox in January. His statistics suggest that he would have been a boost to Van Bronckhorst’s squad, and the Dutch head coach would not have been forced to resort to using Lundstram at centre-back.

Hopefully this blunder will not cost Rangers the league title this season and they will be able to snap up Doekhi for nothing in the summer. The Gers now rely on their current central defenders stepping up and ensuring that the club are not still regretting their failure with Doekhi come May.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine…

	Loud cheers for Michael Hussey in Chennai, but who is this new Gilli? © Getty Images

Gilli, but not Adam: As you walk down from the Madras Cricket Club gate to the media entrance, there are dozens of posters on lamp posts and walls. All of them feature a young man in various smiling poses. This is Vijay, matinee idol for a new Tamil generation. His biggest hit was called and we’re reliably informed that it has nothing to do withthe greatest wicketkeeper-batsman of all time.Welcome to Chennai, Mr Cricket: After that breathtaking 50-ballcentury in Mohali, this was Michael Hussey’s first home game and the roars and chants of his name as he walked out to bat were similar to those that will greet Lionel Messi later tonight when he steps onto the Nou Camp turf. The silence when he inside-edged one from Dhawal Kulkarni was all-pervasive and it suggested that IPL fans are quickly becoming one-eyed, like every good home crowd should be. The sole exception was when Sachin Tendulkar was spotted on TV, talking to the commentators. God, afterall, transcends parochial boundaries.Friendly fire: Dwayne Bravo over-pitched and Matthew Hayden teedoff so quickly that Suresh Raina had to fall to the ground like someonepole-axed by Joe Frazier. After that, ducking a bouncer should be child’splay.Queen for the Super Kings: For most of the evening, the soundsystem belted out popular Tamil tunes, but after the 16th over of theinnings, it was Queen’s We Will Rock You that had them stomping theirfeet in the stands. The way Hayden and Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished the innings off,it was an appropriate tune as well.Going going, Gony: If the Mumbai Indians were going to score 209, it really needed Sanath Jayasuriya to play a blinder. But after carving Jacob Oram for four boundaries, he was too late on a pull against Manpreet Gony. The displaced Punjabi is built like Brian McMillan and bowls at lively pace. That crucial wicket was part of a fine spell where he conceded only 18 runs and did a McGrath by bowling a maiden.A soapy hat-trick for Murali: Coming on to bowl the 11th over, Chennai’s adopted son – his wife is from here – started with three shocking wides down the leg side. If you ever needed proof of how badly dew can affect a bowler, this was it – Mr. Accuracy himself looking likehe was trying to grip a wet bar of soap.

The long-awaited showdown between the government and the Kenya Cricket Association failed to happen after a judge at Nairobi’s High Court decided there was not enough time to hold the hearing and rescheduled it for March 7.Last week Milton Makhandia, a High Court judge, ordered Ochillo Ayacko, the sports minister, and the KCA to appear in court at the same time in a bid to resolve the bitter dispute. The minister has been trying to suspend the KCA and replace it with a cross-party “normalisation committee”, while the rump of the KCA executive is battling to retain control of what remains of the association.While the delay might suit the court, it is certain to thrust Kenyan cricket even further into crisis. As long as the KCA remains even nominally in charge, it will not receive any financial support from the ICC, sponsors, or the bulk of the Kenyan cricket community. Almost all coaches have been sent home, and it is understood that the board has no money to meet debts.Furthermore, the ICC Intercontinental Cup tie against Namibia which is due to take place in Windhoek on February 25 now risks becoming a total farce. Many of Kenya’s leading players are on strike, while others haven’t even been told they have been picked for the squad and are unlikely to be able to play at such short notice. While central funds are available to get players to and from the game, and also to accommodate them there, there is no money for other expenses or back-up.

Venkat: ‘I am not able to accept the fact that the leg-before decision will also be referred to the third umpire’ © Getty Images

The International Cricket Council’s proposal to have lbw decisions referred to third umpires by batsmen has evoked a strong reaction from S Venkatraghavan, the former Indian offspinner and umpire, who says such a move would reduce on-field umpires to mere dummies.Venkatraghavan, who officiated in 73 Tests and 52 one-dayers, said instead of resorting to the television umpire for every decision, the ICC should put in place quality umpires to minimise chances of a wrong decision. He also said ICC must not hesitate to pull up umpires if they make too many mistakes.”I am a traditionalist and in my opinion, the ICC should put in place the best umpires instead of coming up with such proposals,” he told Press Trust of India. “A player has to accept the decisions given by the on-field umpire. After all there are certain rules wherein the on-field umpires can seek the assistance of the third umpire before declaring a player dismissed for stumping, run-outs and even for catches taken on the boundary line.”These are perfectly alright but I am not able to accept the fact that the leg-before decision will also be referred to the third umpire. Such a rule will reduce the on field umpires to dummies. If this rule change is accepted that would mean that every jurisdiction is given to the third umpire. It amounts to having the game held without on-field umpires, who could eventually be termed as dummies and robots. That will take the charm out of the game. I think I have officiated during the best of times when the game was played as per the laws of the game.”

Graham Thorpe: determined © Getty Images

Graham Thorpe has vowed that he is ready to fight for his England Test place this summer. Back spasms, a poor start to the season and a modest winter in South Africa have left him precariously positioned in the England squad; this despite an average of 56 in the last 21 Tests. Thorpe is also aware of the competition for batting spots from Kevin Pietersen and Robert Key, both of whom have been left out of the first Test against Bangladesh which starts a week on Thursday at Lord’s, and from his Surrey team-mate Mark Butcher, who is currently injured.But nevertheless, a determined Thorpe – who has hinted this season may be his last at the top level – has resolved to enjoy however long left he has in the international arena. “At the moment I’m in possession and I’m going to enjoy every day which I get playing for England,” Thorpe, 35, told BBC Sport. “I realise there are people out there who are pushing me very hard. That’s keeping me going, driving me on.”I don’t think it’s going to be too long before you see Kevin Pietersen playing Test matches for England. There are also lots of other good players out there. Robert Key, who I thought was very unlucky to miss out on the Test squad. He’s an exceptional player and you’ve still got Mark Butcher in the wings. That’s good for the English game.”

After nine seasons, the phone finally rang for Michael Hussey ©Getty Images

After a cracked rib ended Michael Bevan’s tournament, Trevor Hohns, head of the Australian selectors, gave Michael Hussey a ring at about seven o’ clock last night to tell him he was in the international team. Hussey wasn’t expecting it.”I was pretty shocked really. It was a surreal feeling. He [Hohns] said I was in to replace Bevan for this game. It is a strange feeling really. It is something you obviously dream about as a kid. For all your life you are hoping you get the call. And then when it does finally come, it is a bit of a bizarre feeling. I was hoping and praying that I wouldn’t wake up to find out it was all a dream.”He realised it wasn’t, and spoke about his intended approach to the game on Sunday. “I think I will feel a bit nervous. It is great that it is at the WACA in front of my home crowd and my family and friends will all be able to be there. So I have plenty of support in that respect. I am just going to go and try and enjoy the whole experience.Hussey has been a prolific middle-order batsman for Western Australia, scoring over 12,000 runs in nine seasons. And with more than 5000 in 146 one-day games, with eight hundreds and 39 fifties, he has been one of the most consistent batsmen in Australia. Though he comes in for Bevan in the middle-order, and serves the same purpose, he hasn’t modelled himself on the man he’s replacing.”I haven’t really molded myself on him. But we do play a similar role. I guess that they wanted a like for like player. The main thing is to score runs. Quite often you come in with four or five overs to go, and you pretty much have to slog from ball one. That is the great thing about batting in the middle order, you get so many different challenges, and you have just got to try and cope with them as best as you can.”Though the tour of Sri Lanka was imminent, Hussey preferred to concentrate on the job at hand. “I am really just trying to get my head around this game on Sunday. After Sunday I can sit down and see where they are going and if they want to have a chat to me I don’t know. I will go to Sri Lanka if they need me.”I am going to try and concentrate on scoring as many runs as I can, and whatever will happen will happen. I hope that it is not the one and only experience, I am sure the selectors will keep me in the forefront of their minds over the next few years. Hopefully there will be more opportunities as well.”

The end of a decade of planning is nearly in sight as Southern Electric Premier Division 3 club New Milton prepares to relocate its Headquarters from Ashley to the newly developed Fernhill Sports Ground.The ground has two cricket pitches with pavilion and scoring facilities. The overall atmosphere is private, fairly enclosed, and the main ground has been built to a high specification.It is anticipated that visitors will enjoy playing there in the years to come. From New Milton’s point of view, the move provides fresh impetus for those coming through the Colts section. In future, no limitation need be put on their progress by lack of top class facilities.New Milton president John Dodd has paid a public tribute to New Milton Town Council for its visionary approach to sports facility provision, not only to cricket, but also for soccer, rugby and bowls.”It is difficult to believe that any Council anywhere has gone to greater lengths to provide opportunities for its young people.”I am sure all the sports are conscious of the need to play their part by extending participation and further developing their coaching structures,” says Dodd, whose New Milton club hopes to be able to offer opponents the opportunity to play on the new Fernhill ground from the end of July, subject to League approval.

Those who followed the advice of my colleague, Matt Finnegan, prior to the First Test will be happy with England’s victory inside three days of actual play. England are now 6/5 favourites for a quick repeat and a fifth successive Test Series win.It is difficult to see the Pakistanis getting into the Second Test in Manchester. They were woefully under-prepared (and cold) at Lord’s. With the younger players inexperienced at playing on English tracks, Pakistan would perhaps have stood a better chance in a Three or Five Test Series.Back England to win the second test at 6/5 – after checking the weather forecast first.The draw is as short as 5/4 due to doubts about the weather. Old Trafford is one of the wettest grounds in the country (something that usually counts against backing Lancashire for the Championship), and only one one-day game has taken place there so far this summer.Pakistan are 7/2 to win – which would normally be an insult to some quality performers. Younis Khan might represent some value at 4/1 to be their first innings top scorer. For England, Michael Vaughan is in the form of his life, and is priced at 5-1 to be top scorer in England’s first innings.Looking further aheadThe long-awaited Ashes Series draws ever nearer. Let’s hope poor weather doesn’t scupper a contest that could define this English summer.England have real momentum going into the Ashes – and can be backed to hold the mighty Australians 2-2 in the series – priced at 6/1.