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The ECB National Academy XI has been defeated by the South Australia 2nd XI in Adelaide in the most recent match of the winter programme. The state side won by 7 wickets after being set 189 to win in their second innings.The Academy were in trouble from the outset, being bowled out for just 214 on the first day of a match that was scheduled to last four days. Only the captain made a sizeable contribution to an inadequate total when Yorkshire’s Matthew Wood scored 94, opening the batting. Four other batsmen got to 20 or more, but none exceeded 35 to provide Wood with suitable support.As a contrast, three South Australian batsmen recorded fifties with Nathan Adcock leading the way with 67 batting at number seven. Darren Dempsey scored 64 and there was an innings of 58 from Daniel Harris. There were three wickets apiece for Alex Tudor and Ryan Sidebottom.Batting again with a substantial first innings deficit of 80, the Academy did better thanks to a partnership of 120 for the seventh wicket between Nicky Peng (75) and Tudor (70). Graeme Swann scored a useful 36 at number nine, but although a total of 268 represented a major recovery from 88 for 6, it was not enough to stretch the home side who completed their victory on the third day.

Even on one leg, there’s clearly still life in Brian Lara yet. But the second day of the tour match against Australia ‘A’ in Hobart represented yet another occasion on which its champion batsman and its line-up as a whole only limped and sputtered into action for West Indies.Still waging a losing battle against a persistent hamstring injury, the brilliant left hander was compulsorily demoted to number seven in the batting order. And, by the time that he arrived at the wicket, his team had already crashed to 5/80 and was staring another debilitating defeat squarely in the face.It was just as well, perhaps, that the defiant Ridley Jacobs (30*) was the man at the other end when his turn eventually came. For, in the doughtywicketkeeper-batsman, he found an ally at least capable of resisting for a long period the excellent line and length being maintained by a trio of wholehearted fast bowlers.Initially, Lara (62*) scratched, scraped, hobbled, and looked vulnerable to another early dismissal. But he then did something he has rarely seemed close tomanaging on this troubled tour – purposefully built a first-class innings littered with a brace of flourishing strokes. Every exertion appeared painful as he began; a state of torment not assisted by some high class bowling from Don Nash (3/37), Andy Bichel (1/52) and Mathew Inness (1/24) that tested the star player’s capacity to use his inconvenienced feet.With Jacobs there to help him and his own confidence growing noticeably all the while, though, he added an important unbroken stand of ninety-two to help lead amini-recovery at the end of the day. And, while it brought the tourists no closer than 267 runs to their opponents’ imposing 9/439 declared, the liaison at least delivered something in the way of optimism to the West Indian camp.Coach Roger Harper conceded that he would have preferred to have allowed his most accomplished batsman to recover from recent pain-killing injections for theentirety of the day. Necessarily, though, potential disaster in the West Indians’ fate in the match became the mother of Lara’s afternoon reinvention.”He had a course of injections in Perth and he’s still a bit sore,” confirmed Harper.”There’s still some time before the Third Test starts in Adelaide and we hope that he’ll be fully recovered.””The soreness in his leg, the stiffness; he was having some treatment in the dressing room,” said Harper of the decision to bat him so low in the order. “He wanted to rest it for a while and give himself as much time as possible prior to going out there. Ideally, we were hoping that he’d be needed tomorrow.”Lara’s pain was eased, and his need to run hurriedly between the wickets negated, by his capacity to strike ten boundaries and a five in a hand that spanned only 103 minutes. He also seemed to experience more freedom when spinners Brad Oldroyd (0/29) and Simon Katich (0/29) were asked to bowl the closing twelve overs of the day.Earlier, Australia ‘A’ had rocketed its way toward its lunch time closure with some highly spirited batting of its own. The in-form Katich (46) and Brad Hodge (14) disappeared in the midst of accurate spells from Marlon Black (1/71) and Kerry Jeremy (1/85) respectively. But wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin (37),Nash (30 from fourteen ferociously played deliveries) and Bichel (20) maintained the tempo of the innings sweetly.Perhaps mindful of the possibility that any of them might be called up to their country’s Test team in the wake of the injury-enforced absence of Brett Lee, pacemen Nash, Bichel and Inness then forced the West Indians to endure a torrid start to the reply. Sherwin Campbell (9), Daren Ganga (18) and Wavell Hinds (40) all succumbed to miscued, and unwisely attempted, hook shots while Jimmy Adams (0) and Marlon Samuels (9) were beaten by deliveries of fuller length.

Leeds United youngsters Jamie Shackleton and Lewis Bate have both picked up injuries on Under-23s duty, according to journalist Adam Pope.

The Lowdown: Leeds youngsters see off Man United

The young Whites enjoyed an evening to remember on Tuesday night, as they took on Manchester United in a Premier League 2 clash.

It was Leeds who prevailed 3-0 at Elland Road, with Stuart McKinstry, Max Dean and Archie Gray finding the net and the latter’s strike a stunner from 35 yards.

Shackleton and Bate also featured for the Whites but a negative update has emerged regarding the pair.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Bate, Shackleton “doubts”

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, BBC’s Pope confirmed that Shackleton and Bate picked up knocks during the match, although they are only thought to be minor issues:

“Shackleton & Bates picked up small knocks in the Under 23s 3-0 win over Man Utd.”

According to Leeds Live, both players are now “doubts” vs Wolves on Friday.

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The Verdict: Blow to Marsch’s depth

In terms of Jesse Marsch’s first team, Shackleton and Bate’s injuries are not going to majorly affect their plans, with the pair not expected to play key roles between now and the end of the season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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That’s not to say that they can’t be important players one day, but with a relegation battle on the cards, experienced heads are needed in the next couple of months.

That said, it is yet another blow to the manager’s already dwindling depth – Bate has made a Premier League bench nine times this term while Shackleton has featured somewhat regularly, playing 683 top flight minutes.

In other news, a journalist has made a key claim regarding one Leeds player. Read more here.

	Mark Boucher is three dismissals behind Adam Gilchrist and will almost certainly reclaim the world record when he next plays a Test © Getty Images

Mark Boucher wanted Adam Gilchrist to extend his career by a year so the world’s top two Test wicketkeepers could have one final showdown on the field. Australia are hosting a three-Test series against South Africa next season before a return series in South Africa and Boucher said he was disappointed Gilchrist would not be part of it.Boucher will almost certainly reclaim the world Test wicketkeeping record from Gilchrist when he next plays a match and there will be no ongoing battle for the title as there was with Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling mark. Boucher is only 31 and therefore has plenty of time to put a significant gap between his final tally and Gilchrist’s record of 416 dismissals.”I sent him a message to say how disappointed I was to hear that he was calling it a day because the last time I saw him I told him he’d better keep his incredible career going so that we could have one last showdown at the end of the year,” Boucher told the . “It was a big shock to hear he was going. But everyone knows how important his family is to him so I’m sure he made the right call. I’ll miss him a lot.”If I think of the great innovators of my time, guys who revolutionised the game and made people see it in a different way, I’d say Jonty Rhodes and Adam Gilchrist would be top of the pile. Jonty changed the way people thought of fielding and Gilly has set the bar so high for the next generation of keeper-batsmen that it’s almost unfair.”Boucher’s captain Graeme Smith said Gilchrist would always have his respect. “The way he made an effort to contact Boucher when he broke the world record was typical of him,” Smith said. “We were in Pakistan and Australia were in India. It just wasn’t a question of dialling a local number.

Scorecard

Younis Khan sweeps on the way to an impressive 79 © Eddie Norfolk

Younis Khan’s 79 guided Pakistan to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa on a difficult pitch in Trinidad. The match was stopped during South Africa’s innings when the batsmen complained about the surface, but Pakistan did not have any difficulty in reaching their total of 200 for 3 with 5.3 overs remaining.”It was a tale of two pitches,” Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, told AFP. “When we batted it was wet and difficult, but later the pitch dried up and became easier.”Pakistan’s reply started poorly, Imran Nazir falling for 0, before Younis and Mohammad Hafeez eased towards the target. Hafeez was caught behind off Charl Langeveldt one short of a half-century, but Younis did not let the slip-up affect him and he managed the proceedings until departing lbw to Graeme Smith’s offspin at 157 for 3. He hit nine fours and a six during his 98-ball innings.Mohammad Yousuf (48) and Shoaib Malik (16) made sure of the victory to continue Pakistan’s strong preparation. After winning both of their warm-ups, the side is ideally placed before the tournament-opening match against West Indies on Tuesday. “I am delighted that all my batsmen and bowlers have got some good practice,” Inzamam-ul-Haq said. “This is an ideal time to enter the main competition.”South Africa have some problems after their batting also struggled in the match against Ireland, but Arthur said there was no panic from the No. 1-ranked side. “These are just practice games,” he said, “and I hope we do well when the main competition starts.”Loots Bosman provided the glue with a battling half-century to lift South Africa to a modest total after they had earlier come unstuck on the tricky pitch. Pakistan had them 27 for 3 before a Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince rescue act added 66 for the fourth wicket.They both fell on 93, leaving South Africa in some difficulty, before Bosman’s bashing helped them to 199. Pakistan’s bowlers kept plugging away, though, and removed them inside their 50 overs. However, Pakistan would have fancied their chances of containing them for even fewer after Mohammad Sami started by removing the opener AB de Villiers lbw and finding Herschelle Gibbs’ edge, while Umar Gul clean bowled Smith for 1.The match at St Augustine, Trinidad, was held up for nearly ten minutes owing to poor pitch conditions. South Africa were 56 for 3, with Kallis and Prince at the crease, after being put in when the game was stopped following complaints from the batsmen. Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, and Smith, South Africa’s captain, came on to the pitch and were involved in discussions with the umpires Peter Parker and Ian Gould.”The batsmen were not happy with the way the ball was bouncing,” an ICC official said, “but the umpires asked them to continue.” The interruption was the latest incident in Trinidad to hamper both sides’ preparations for the tournament. Earlier in the week the teams were evacuated because of a gas leak at their Hilton hotel, while Pakistan’s match against Canada was reduced to a 48-over affair because of a fallen sightscreen.

	A career constantly under the spotlight © Getty Images

1996Dropped from the Pakistan squad for the Sahara Cup against India on grounds of indiscipline and poor attitude. His international debut is thus delayed by over a year.1997Tours England with Pakistan `A’ and makes an impact on and off the field; is cited for indiscipline by the Pakistan manager in the end of tour report. Finally makes his international debut in November in the second Test against West Indies in Rawalpindi.1998February brings his first major impact; 5 for 43 in Pakistan’s first Test win in South Africa.1999The breakthrough year; starts with in Kolkata and continues through the World Cup, where he ends not only as one of the leading wicket-takers, but also its leading star. Soon after, he signs a contract to play for Nottinghamshire. He ends the year by being called for the first time in his career in Australia by umpires Peter Willey and Darrell Hair and John Reid, the match referee; a pattern for highs followed inevitably and immediately by lows is set.2000Bowling action is cleared early in the year but a rib injury forces him to miss the start of the county season. A side strain then forces him out for the rest of the season and then a shoulder injury rules him out of England’s visit to Pakistan in the winter. Knee and ankle injuries are also added to the catalogue before the year is out.2001Returns in March for his first international outing in ten months against New Zealand. Five wickets suggests he is back but breaks down with a hamstring injury nine balls into the next game…and is called again by umpires Steve Dunne and Doug Cowie. A report from the University of Western Australia concludes his action is the result of “unique physical characteristics.” Pakistani officials say the report `clears him’. Misses much of England summer tour due to injury and poor health and is called again in November in Sharjah. Again, he is `cleared’ by the University in December.2002Hit by a brick from the Dhaka crowd in January, forcing him to miss end of tour. Recovers to destroy New Zealand twice at home, in the process bowling the first-ever 100 mph delivery. Blitzes Australia twice later in the year but is banned for an ODI after throwing a bottle into the crowds in Zimbabwe. Caught ball tampering in first Test, though he escapes punishment. A knee injury rules him out of the Test series against South Africa.2003Axed from Pakistan team after a poor World Cup and told by PCB chief Tauqir Zia to clean up his act or be removed from team forever. Recalled in May for a triangular in Sri Lanka and promptly becomes the second player ever to be banned for ball tampering. Appointed vice-captain for Test against South Africa and is served up a lawsuit by a Pakistani citizen for attending a fashion show on a night of religious significance. Banned for one Test and two ODIs for abusing Paul Adams in the first Test. Misses Test in New Zealand with calf and groin injuries but is photographed one day before enjoying a jet-ski ride, much to his management’s chagrin. Typically, returns for second Test, helps Pakistan win with a stupendous seven-wicket burst (11 in the match) and gets injured again in the ODI series.2004A disappointing series against India ends with a back injury in the final Test. Unable to bowl for the rest of the match, he comes out to bat later, freely smacking boundaries in a 14-ball 28. Inzamam publicly questions the authenticity of the injury. Amid disquiet over his commitment and attitude, Shoaib is called before a medical inquiry which eventually finds his injury to be a genuine one. Returns to the squad where on the tour to Australia at the year’s end his true Jekyll and Hyde nature comes out. He fights a lone battle against Australian batsmen in the first two Tests, but in the process is disciplined by match referees (for sending Matthew Hayden on his way) and injures his shoulder at Perth. By the time of the last Test in Sydney, looks physically spent and rumours of disciplinary breaches and problems with the team management emerge.2005Starts the year with a hamstring injury and misses most of the VB Series. Hamstring keeps him out of the India tour and fitness problems preclude his inclusion for the tour to the Carribean. On the bright side, he is offered a Bollywood role. Relationship with both Inzamam and Bob Woolmer erodes steadily and his stock is at its lowest ebb when he is verbally maligned by Worcestershire chairman John Elliott for being a disruptive influence. Comes back for the series against England after proving his fitness in a training camp, finishes with 17 wickets, and silences any number of critics with a rehabilitated performance. Ankle injury surfaces in the last Test at Lahore.

	Injuries have plagued him throughout his career © AFP

2006Questions are raised about his action again, this time, by Greg Chappell after the Faisalabad Test against India. Ankle injury becomes a stress fracture and rules him out of the ODI series. All the while rumours fly about ICC concern over his action although no official action is taken or statement made. Injury forces him to miss the Sri Lanka tour and doctors discover soon after a degenerative knee condition which threatens to end his career. Is due to undergo surgery, the results of which will determine whether or not he can continue playing but speculation about whether it is his action or his injury which have forced him out intensifies.2006Banned for two years after testing positive for the banned substance Nandrolone, Shoaib was sent back to Pakistan and missed the Champions Trophy. The verdict, however, was overturned by a three-man tribunal a month later.2007Things look bright for the bowler as he is named in a 30-man squad for the World Cup. After not initially being picked for fitness reasons, the selectors have a change of heart and recall him. He makes a successful return against South Africa in the second Test, taking four wickets in the first innings. But a hamstring injury forces him to miss not only the second innings, but also the rest of the tour. A televised spat with Bob Woolmer results in Shoaib being fined by the board. Later, after much deliberation, Shoaib is declared unfit to take part in the World Cup due to injury at the very last minute. Speculation has it that his exclusion was from fear of being dope-tested by the ICC, and that traces of Nandrolone were still present in his body.2007A fit-again Shoaib is named in the Asia XI squad to take on an Africa XI but is withdrawn by the Pakistan board after declaring himself unavailable for Pakistan’s tour of Abu Dhabi. Shoaib is included in the squad for Scotland and later named in the team for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. He leaves a training camp in Karachi without permission and is fined at a disciplinary hearing. On appeal, a second hearing suspends the fine and charges and puts Shoaib on a six-week probationary period. A dressing-room spat with Mohammad Asif in South Africa results in Shoaib being sent back home prior to the event.Shoaib is consequently handed a 13-match ban and a fine of approximately US$57,000 for a number of breaches of discipline. He is also placed on a two-year probationary period during which any disciplinary breaches could result in a life ban.2008The board’s announcement of new central contracts in January sees Shoaib demoted from the top category to a retainership. He is handed a five-year ban, preventing him from playing for and in Pakistan, after accusing the board of double standards over awarding of the contracts. His troubles continued when a three-man appellate tribunal, in their interim ruling, rejected his appeal against the ban. To add to his agony, the Indian Premier League maintained their position of not allowing him to take part in the tournament. He pushed for a suspension of the ban and earned a reprieve when the Appellate Tribunal decided to suspend his five-year ban for one month till reconvening on June 4. It made him eligible to represent Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Kepler Wessels: ‘South African cricket will not benefit at all’© Getty Images

Kepler Wessels, the former South African captain, has said that there is little South Africa can gain from the Zimbabwe series which begins today. Key South African players, including Jacques Kallis, have been rested for the three-game one-day series against Zimbabwe. Kallis was an important part of the team that recently inflicted a heavy one-day series defeat on England.”South African cricket will not benefit at all,” said Wessels to News24, a South Africa-based website. “It will not have any influence. The players must do as well as they can, but one cannot really read anything into the performances in this series.”He said that the tour to the West Indies was more significant, and that the players had to put the results of the Zimbabwe tour behind them. Wessels’s comments echoed Graeme Smith’s belief that the only thing his players could take away from the Zimbabwe series was self-confidence.However, Peter Kirsten, the former South African batsman, considered the series to be an opportunity for Zimbabwe to acquire experience even if South Africa had nothing to gain. “South Africa cannot take a lot from the series. I really do not think it will do their self-confidence a lot of good. My experience of victories over poor opponents is that they give you a false sense of security.”Kirsten suggested that South Africa could instead participate in the SuperSport series, as those matches were more difficult than a series against Zimbabwe.

Melvyn Betts has joined Middlesex from Warwickshire, where he spent three seasons and took 83 first-class wickets.Betts, 28, started his career at Durham in 1993 and toured Zimbabwe and South Africa with England A in 1998-99.”I am looking forward to performing well for Middlesex and I am very excited by the prospect of playing at Lord’s," he said. “I feel I have a lot to offer and am just about reaching the peak of my career. Middlesex are a good, young side and I can’t wait for next season to start.”

An assured 140 not out from Mathew Sinclair put Central Districts in a commanding position on the first day of their sixth round State Championship match against Canterbury at Christchurch’s Village Green today.Central Districts was 267/4 at the close of the first day on a slow pitch with an even more lethargic outfield.Sinclair, the specialist converter of centuries into 150s and beyond, did it again today at QEII in front of the man who counts.Watching chairman of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee was noticeably impressed by the way Sinclair built his innings after coming in at 37/1 in the 12th over.Canterbury struggled to produce chances all day with Ryan Burson (2-52), who was not selected in Canterbury’s original XI, the only successful bowler in the morning session, trapping David Kelly (24) lbw on the crease.Kelly began with a couple of pulled boundaries, but the juicy outfield prevented several shots adding to the total of fours between the tenth and the 26th overs.Before the start Canterbury’s Stephen Cunis failed a fitness test on his injured thigh and Paul Wiseman was recalled. The former New Zealand off spinner was the day’s only successful bowler other than Cunis’ stand-in, Burson. Wiseman had promising newcomer Peter Ingram caught at slip for 35 shortly after lunch, which brought in Ben Smith, who scored 200 not out at New Plymouth when the sides last met in December, to join Sinclair, fresh from a score of 161 at Alexandra last week.By then Sinclair had deliberately and leisurely played himself in before reaching 50 off 97 balls and his twelfth career century in 180 deliveries.Characteristically, Sinclair’s smooth stroke play did not stop there.Since the right-hander scored his maiden century he has had innings of 166 not out against Auckland and 203 not out against Northern Districts in early 1999. He made 214 against the West Indies, 182 for the North Island and 102 for CD in 1999/00 then 100 not out against Zimbabwe President’s XI, 150 against South Africa, 204 not out for New Zealand against Pakistan as well as a score of 145 for CD last season.Sinclair’s recent 161 against Otago signalled the 26-year old’s readiness for England and the Test series. With today’s innings only twice has the Australian-born batsman been out between 100 and 150.Glen Sulzberger, his captain, told CricInfo: “When he gets in he just looks to keep going as much as he can. He was disappointed not to get 200 last week.”We dominated most of the last game against Canterbury,” he rued. Canterbury came back from conceding a double century to Smith to win when Aaron Redmond took four cheap wickets in CD’s second innings.Smith (41) departed to Burson in the 82nd over today, cutting late to Canterbury captain Gary Stead at gully.The score was then 222/3 and could have been more but for the outfield and Canterbury bowling some good lines in the middle of the innings.Sinclair and Sulzberger continued to stumps, quietly emphasising the CD advantage on a lethargic pitch that may take spin on the third and fourth days.”The pitch is starting to crack up a little, especially at one end,” said Sulzberger, rubbing his hands at the thought of bowling his off spin in the fourth innings. “Historically it doesn’t turn here,” he added, “but time will tell I suppose.”Canterbury, lacking hamstring-strain victim Warren Wisneski as well as their salvo of CLEAR Black Caps, struggled with the easterly wind all day. Quick bowlers Burson and Wade Cornelius bowled tight spells prior to lunch, but it may be the team’s spinners who decide the outcome of the match.Sinclair, the man who believes one hundred is never enough was reluctant to speak until the end of his innings.”See him on the third day,” joked a team mate. He might need to be taken seriously by Canterbury unless they can surprise him with the new ball tomorrow morning.

A sublime 83 from 23-year-old Pierre de Bruyn guided Easterns to a first innings total of 222 for eight when bad light ended play on the first day of their Supersport Series match against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Friday.De Bruyn was promoted up the batting order in the absence of Mike Rindel, who was ruled out of this match by a finger injury, and relished the opportunity to prove his worth.Under overcast skies, the talented youngster peppered the boundary rope with his 15 fours and one six.De Bruyn was also involved in two significant partnerships.”Pierre would’ve batted further down the order, probably at six, seven or eight. But we decided to move him up the order and he took the chance well, especially on a pitch as unpredictable as this,” said Easterns skipper Deon Jordaan.Dolphins captain Dale Benkenstein won the toss and sent Easterns in to bat, with the hosts limping along at 21 for two after 13 overs.That brought in De Bruyn, who together with Brad White stabilised the innings with a 72-run stand for the third wicket.White departed on 33 when caught behind by Errol Stewart off the bowlingof Benkenstein.Derek Crookes then entered the fray against his old team-mates in his first Supersport Series outing for Easterns.With De Bruyn leading the way, the duo combined for a fourth-wicket partnership of 61 runs as Easterns showed signs of early domination.De Bruyn was certainly the dominant force after lunch.But the very shot that had earned him so many runs was to be his downfall.The partnership ended when De Bruyn was caught brilliantly by Eldine Baptiste at deep third man after trying to execute his square cut off a ballfrom John Kent.That took Easterns into the tea break at 163 for four.Crookes was the first to go shortly after tea, scoring a mere 24 runs that stood out amidst a shaky Easterns middle-order.The collapse was rapid after that, with the Easterns tail flicking ever so briefly as the innings went through its final death throes, sparked by Kent’s figures of 4-66.A solid 30-run partnership between Albie Morkel (14 not out) and Kenny Benjamin (11 not out) took the Easterns total to double Nelson when the batsmen took the option of bad light 20 overs before the scheduled close.