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A round-up of the first day of matches from the seventh round of the Regional Four Day Competition

Cricinfo staff27-Feb-2010Leeward Islands hit back superbly to gain the initiative at the end of a see-saw day against Combined Colleges and Campuses in St Lucia. Left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh tore through the top and middle orders – he finished with a maiden five-for – to leave Leewards reeling at 85 for 7 at one stage. But wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton contributed an invaluable 98, adding 122 with Lionel Baker to rescue Leewards and post a respectable 227. Baker, in CCC’s response, was lethal with the ball, taking 3 for 14 to rattle the top order. He was backed up by legspinner Anthony Martin, who took two wickets in his first over, to reduce CCC to 36 for 5 at stumps, still 191 adrift.Guyana got themselves into a comfortable position against Windward Islands in St George’s, reaching 239 for 3 courtesy unbeaten half-centuries from Assad Fudadin and captain Ramnaresh Sarwan. Offspinner Shane Shillingford took all three wickets to fall on the day, and had Guyana in a spot of a bother at 95 for 3. But Fudadin and Sarwan added 144 in a patient stand to turn the game in Guyana’s favour. Sarwan, who finished the day on 81, reached his half-century before Fudadin, pulling medium-pacer Delorn Johnson for a boundary. He had been dropped on 11 by Miles Bascombe, a lapse Windwards were left to rue at stumps.Centuries from opener Brenton Parchment and Danza Hyatt put Jamaica in a strong position against Trinidad and Tobago at St Andrew’s. Jamaica reached 348 for 7 at stumps, though they would have expected to fare far better after their openers had put together a partnership of 200. Legspinner Imran Khan took much of the credit for the T&T fightback, grabbing five for 101 to undermine an intimidating opening stand. Jamaica lost three wickets for 40 after Parchment and Hyatt’s association but Horace Miller’s 66 stabilised the innings. However, there was another burst of wickets, this time four falling for 40 as Imran chipped his way through the line-up to leave Jamaica a touch disappointed at stumps.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side head into Tuesday afternoon’s Premier League fixture against Southampton in an excellent run of domestic form, with Spurs yet to suffer defeat under the management of the 52-year-old on English soil.

The latest fixture in this run was the highly impressive 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, a game in which almost every Tottenham player on the pitch enjoyed a fine performance.

However, there was one Spurs man who did not enjoy the finest of displays against Patrick Vieira’s side, something which has become a bit of a theme in recent weeks, in the shape of Tanguy Ndombele.

Conte must not start Ndombele

While the £34.2m-rated midfielder only featured for 11 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the weekend, he failed to make any impact on the game whatsoever – something which could cost Conte and his side dearly if he is given the opportunity to start against Southampton this afternoon.

Indeed, the France international who Tim Sherwood dubbed a “maverick” had just 11 touches of the ball, completed a mere nine passes, lost all three of his attempted duels, gave away possession of the ball once, was dribbled past by an opponent once and conceded one foul.

These returns saw the £120k-per-week midfielder earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.3, by far and away ranking him as Tottenham’s worst player on the day.

As such, with Spurs facing what is sure to be a challenging test against a team coming into today off the back of an impressive 3-2 win at West Ham United, Conte simply cannot afford to start Ndombele in the middle of the park, as a repeat of his performance against Palace could well cost Tottenham dearly.

Indeed, when taking into account that the club’s £63m record signing has averaged a SofaScore match rating of just 6.58 over his nine Premier League outings this season – ranking him as Spurs’ sixth-worst performer in the league – it is clear to see why Graham Roberts stated his belief that Ndombele is turning into something of a “joke” in north London.

In other news: Paratici preparing bid for “relentless” £37k-p/w dynamo, he’d transform Conte’s Spurs

Everton writer for The Athletic Patrick Boyland has revealed the latest information in the Toffees’ pursuit of signing a right-back in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

In The Athletic’s ‘Transfer Mailbag’ series, Boyland responded to a question from an Everton fan regarding the possibility of signing a right-back to challenge Seamus Coleman by saying: “That’s certainly our understanding currently — right-back is still an area of priority.

“They know it needs to be addressed and that they’re currently putting too much strain on Coleman.”

Boyland also revealed that they “continued to track Rangers’ Nathan Patterson even after the failed summer move” who “is the favourite as it stands.” Everton have also tracked “Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay and Metz’s Fabien Centonze” as well as Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles being mentioned.

Everton fans will be buzzing

Seamus Coleman, now 33 years of age, is approaching the 13th anniversary of when he first signed for the Merseyside club and is still their first-choice right-back by some margin with Jonjoe Kenny making just two Premier League appearances this term.

The Irishman is still a key player for Rafa Benitez’s side having played 13 league games this season. However, with the right-back approaching veteran status, it may be wise for the Everton hierarchy to start seeking out an eventual replacement.

After 13 years of loyal service, Coleman will certainly go down as a fan favourite at Goodison Park. That said, it’s no secret that he’s is approaching the end of his lengthy spell in the royal blue.

Performances this season have largely been under par, earning a SofaScore match rating of above 6.2 just twice in his last five matches. That highlights the club’s need for a replacement with it clear that Benitez doesn’t much fancy Kenny as Coleman’s long-term successor.

The 33-year-old’s contract expires in June 2023, meaning that the Irishman will go into the final year of his contract next season, should he still be an Everton player.

This should act as an alarm bell of Everton’s hierarchy who will surely opt against handing an ageing full-back a contract extension in six months’ time.

Therefore, the news that a right-back is a priority for Benitez and Moshiri should leave fans elated.

AND in other news, Benitez heading for unforgivable EFC transfer disaster on “cold” £40.5m-rated machine…

Many Aston Villa fans have been left buzzing over some news on Marvelous Nakamba.

As per the official Twitter page of the Villa Park faithful, the central midfielder has won the club’s Player of the Month (POTM) award for November, in partnership with Cazoo.

Nakamba played the full lavishing praise from Steven Gerrard for his performances.

The Zimbabwe international has been one of AVFC’s most consistent performers in the Premier League this season, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles (2.2) and pass success (86.7%) per game (WhoScored),  and there is no doubt that his award is richly deserved.

Villa fans on Nakamba award

These Villa supporters buzzed as the award was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that Nakamba has been a ‘monster’ for them this term:

“Quite right. Has been superb recently, long may it continue.”

Credit: @thomasjavfc

“Been immense, Marvelous!”

Credit: @johndunse

“Smashing it Marv!”

Credit: @94_JordanAV

“Been a monster”

Credit: @GuyPoxon

“Massively deserved, player”

Credit: @AVFCJack_

“This man has been fantastic since he’s been given a run of games by Gerrard”

Credit: @VillaWatch1

In other news, find out which ‘standout’ ace could now be dropped against Leicester City here!

After Celtic beat Real Betis 3-2 in their previous Europa League outing, the Hoops are back in SPFL action this afternoon with a home clash against Motherwell.

With the Bhoys having the likes of Albian Ajeti, Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Giorgos Giakoumakis out injured as well as Christopher Jullien and Karamoko Dembele, here’s how Ange Postecoglou could line up his team this afternoon with as many as ten changes.

In goal, we think Joe Hart will return to the starting XI with Scott Bain dropping out after scoring an own goal against Betis. 

At left-back, we can see Greg Taylor coming back in for Liam Scales with Josip Juranovic coming in for Osaze Urhoghide in the right-back position. 

For the centre-back positions, we think Postecoglou will bring Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt back in with Nir Bitton, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £14k-per-week according to Salary Sport, and Stephen Welsh dropping out after their appearances in midweek.

In the two central-midfield positions, we think Postecoglou will opt for club captain Callum McGregor and David Turnbull ahead of James McCarthy and Ismaila Soro who both started in the win over Betis.

Ahead of those two, we think Postecoglou will bring Tom Rogic and Michael Johnston back into the frame with Ewan Henderson also starting after coming on as a substitute against Betis and scoring a goal.

To make up for the severe injury issues Celtic have at the top of the pitch with the likes of Furuhashi, Giakoumakis and Ajeti out, we can see Liel Abada being given a shot to lead the team through the middle. He’s been an offensive threat this term, registering a tally of seven goals and eight assists across all competitions so far this season and could deliver the Hoops another league win. 

Whether Postecoglou goes with this exact starting XI that we have suggested or not, this will still be a big test for the Bhoys in their latest push for the title against a side that have won three of their five previous league games. 

With so many key attacking players out injured, Postecoglou and everyone else at the club will be hoping that the team will be able to keep racking up points while they are out of action so they don’t drop out of the title race.

In other news: “No estimated return date”: Devlin drops big Celtic injury update, Ange will be fuming

Crystal Palace shared important travel details for supporters ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa on their official Twitter channel on Thursday evening, and the club’s post has duly had plenty of Eagles and Villa fans talking.

The Eagles are yet to lose at Selhurst Park under Patrick Vieira and will be hoping to continue that run when they host Steven Gerrard’s side on Saturday afternoon. A win could lift Palace up into sixth in the Premier League on 19 points, with referee Michael Salisbury set to take charge of his first top-flight fixture.

However, the club have urged fans to arrive at the stadium with plenty of time to spare, as train disruptions are expected. Trains to Selhurst and Thornton Heath stations will be limited prior to the game due to engineering works, and they will be shut following the fixture.

Palace fans react

Palace posted all the essential information on their website and shared details on Twitter. Here is what these disgruntled Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘important news’ for those whose travel plans could be disrupted.

“Ridiculous, it will be chaos, you have Palace fans like me, Villa wanting to get to the ground, Leeds on the way to Brighton, what bright spark decided this weekend to take place”

Credit: @JohnOZ50996584

“Do it at night! Ridiculous doing it on Saturday.”

Credit: @Djh2210Hart

“Grim”

Credit: @James_Pratt_1

“Important news people!!!! Those buses will be packed!!!”

Credit: @cjbearcpfc

“This will be fun”

Credit: @Benn_murphy96

“Great planning as usual from the train companies”

Credit: @MickeyT_CPFC

In other news: Palace in talks with £9m worth of talent after Vieira gives the ‘green light’

Reliable Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has answered a question on rumours linking Yokohama F. Marinos forward Daizen Maeda with a move to Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Celtic confident…

A report earlier this month from The Times suggested that the Hoops are confident of securing the 24-year-old’s services in the January transfer window.

Maeda currently plies his trade with Ange Postecoglou’s former employers and is under contract until 2024, but well-placed Japanese sources expect a move to Scotland to go through.

He netted 18 times and registered three assists in 31 J1 League appearances last season, and Devlin has now weighed in with what he knows about a potential move.

The Latest: Devlin’s response…

The journalist conducted a Q&A on The Athletic on Saturday morning ahead of Celtic’s clash with Livingston.

He was asked about the links to Maeda, to which he replied: “They are credible, yes. Unless something dramatic happens that will need addressing, Monday’s article will be a tactical profile of Maeda and how he might fit in at Celtic.”

Devlin then went on to label Maeda as a possible ‘upgrade’ on a player like Liel Abada and hailed the Japan international’s ‘very quick, great movement’, describing him as a ‘tireless worker off the ball’.

The Verdict: Over to Nicholson…

Celtic appear to be confident of bringing Maeda to Glasgow in the New Year, so it looks as if it’ll be over to interim CEO Michael Nicholson to get a deal over the line, with the club having no director of football or head of recruitment in place.

Following Saturday’s performance, with a front three of Giorgos Giakoumakis, Jota and Abada firing blanks against Livingston, a move for the 24-year-old appears to be even more important.

The Hoops can’t rely on Furuhashi in every single game, so adding Maeda – who can play centrally or out wide and has an impressive goalscoring record in the last 12 months – could be a wise move.

In other news: ‘People I speak to’ – Devlin shares ‘incredibly odd’ Celtic situation Ange now needs to resolve. 

Gloucestershire have unveiled an ambitious £10 million overhaul of the County Ground at Bristol, with seating for 20,000 spectators, as they attempt to secure their status as an international ground.Like many grounds in England which have been recently upgraded to international status, Bristol requires the erection of temporary seating in order to cater for the minimum 18,000 stipulated by the ECB. The ground currently only has 3668 permanent seats, but have managed to host 16,000 in one-day internationals with the addition of temporary stands.The proposals include a “world class” media centre, conference facilities, a gym, swimming pool and possibly accommodation for up to 550 students which would help fund the redevelopment.”We believe the scheme we are announcing for public consultation today is both imaginative and sensitive to our surroundings and represents the very best that can be achieved given the constrictions of the site which has been our home for over 130 years,” said the club’s chief executive, Tom Richardson.”We have to comply with the England and Wales Cricket Board standards if the hugely popular one day internationals are to continue at the County Ground and if we are going to be one of the venues for the future World Cups. These matches are essential to provide the funds to develop players of international standing and have positive economic spin-off benefits for the city.”

Many Aston Villa fans slammed Axel Tuanzebe during their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

Villa were looking to return to winning ways against their Midlands rivals after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur prior to the international break. Wolves, meanwhile, were gunning for a third straight win, having beaten Southampton away and Newcastle United at home.

Dean Smith made two changes from the team which lost in north London, with Tuanzebe replacing Kortney Hause in the back three and Emiliano Buendia coming in for Jacob Ramsey in midfield.

How did Tuanzebe play?

The Manchester United loanee earned a SofaScore rating of 6.3, the lowest in the Aston Villa side. He lost both of his duels, misplaced half of his attempted long passes and made an error leading to a Wolves shot. At one point in the first half, Adama Traore brushed past him with ease, with Emi Martinez ultimately bailing his defender out with a good save.

As Tuanzebe struggled, these Villa fans took to Twitter to slam his performance this afternoon, with one insisting that he “looks awkward”.

Tuanzebe under fire from these Villa fans

“Tuanzebe’s not done good enough at all”

Credit: @CharlieAEG

“Still don’t really get the Tuanzebe signing, purely sentimental from Smith, he would only have come as with first team promises and he is leagues behind Konsa!! and if he was signed to play three at the back then it makes signing two wide men and Ings strange”

Credit: @dicktonksy

“Might get shot down here….but Hause is as good or better than Tuanzebe in my opinion. Axel just looks awkward with the ball at his feet to me. Always looks like he’s gonna give it away.”

Credit: @T2Mardybum

“Him [Konsa] and Mings been decent, Tuanzebe on the other hand. If I speak…”

Credit: @DouglasAvfc82

“Villa just about on top but neither side really creating much. Tuanzebe very loose in possession”

Credit: @bozzystuff

“Yikes that Tuanzebe pass was bad wasn’t it”

Credit: @dvtavfc

In other news, Villa face competition in the race for this defender. 

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has provided another update on his injury recovery via Instagram.

Elliott underwent successful surgery last month and now more news has emerged on his road back to fitness, as he was pictured riding an exercise bike at the AXA Training Centre and captioned the image ‘step by step, day by day’.

The 18-year-old suffered a fracture dislocation of the left joint in Liverpool’s win at Leeds United last month.

The club have said that they expect Elliott to feature again this season, but haven’t placed a more specific timescale on his return.

Elliott had started three consecutive Premier League games prior to his injury, having forced his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans on the back of his loan spell at Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

Who else is missing at the moment?

Liverpool currently have two other players out injured with relatively minor issues.

Thiago Alcantara has missed the last four matches with a calf issue, while a groin problem sidelined Trent Alexander-Arnold against FC Porto and Manchester City.

The hope is that both players will be back in action after the international break.

Fan feed Anfield Watch posted a screenshot of Elliott’s post, and here’s how supporters reacted.

Liverpool fans love Elliott’s progress

“Brace is already off, he’s definitely coming back before the season ends…”

Credit: @fugitive187_

“Glad to see him on the mend. Looking forward to his comeback!”

Credit: @AnnieMai22

“Best news I’ve all seen week”

Credit: @oldguy77

“Fantastic news”

Credit: @lfcjason1

“Are you kidding me?? Wow this is good news”

Credit: @diplomaticjohn

“How’s he already on a bike? Crazy”

Credit: @joshanderson933

In other news, there’s been an update on the fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold.