Arsenal are still "also pushing very hard" to sign Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan despite the advanced reports involving Barcelona, according to an update out of Spain.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

Mikel Arteta's side have many plates spinning as they attempt to bolster their ranks for the 2022/2023 Premier League season, with midfield additions and forward reinforcements in the pipeline.

West Ham star Declan Rice is a player of serious interest with Arsenal already having multiple bids rejected for the England international, though they remain determined to complete a deal and talks are ongoing (Dharmesh Sheth).

Meanwhile, the Gunners are believed to be nearing the capture of Chelsea star Kai Havertz, with reliable journalist David Ornstein confirming as much just today.

Lavia of Southampton is also apparently "most likely" to join Arsenal despite interest from Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Gundogan, who is out of contract at the end of this month, has been heavily linked with a move to north London too.

The Germany international commented on his future recently amid links to Borussia Dortmund, saying there are talks happening behind-the-scenes.

"Of course I have a strong connection to Dortmund. I wasn’t surprised those rumours came up," said Gundogan.

"But the probability wasn’t too high for me. It wasn’t a big issue for me to return to the Bundesliga.

"Basically, there is no decision yet. Talks are going on in the background."

Both Arsenal and Barcelona are major suitors for the 32-year-old, who played a real role in helping City achieve monumental treble-win.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Gunners are "also pushing very hard" for his signing alongside Barca, despite Gundogan sending "positive messages" to the La Liga champions.

They say those at Camp Nou are still awaiting a definitive decision from him, meaning Arteta's side are still firm contenders to steal him away despite reports this week suggesting he is on the verge of a deal with Barca.

How many goals has Gundogan scored for Man City?

Over his 300+ plus appearances in sky blue, Gundogan has racked up an impressive 60 goals and 40 assists, highlighting his real threat in the final third.

However, his real strength is making a mark on the big occasion, having most recently bagged a brace in the FA Cup final to seal an all-important victory over rivals Man United – a win which helped them clinch their treble.

He scored many crucial goals on City's way to retaining their Premier League title as well, leaving little wonder journalists have described Gundogan as "one of the most underrated big game players ever".

Wellington toppled Central Districts by five wickets in a closely-fought third preliminary final to set up a final date against Canterbury on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2017
ScorecardMichael Papps put behind a string of low scores to score a half-century and take Wellington into the final•Getty ImagesAfter falling short by 27 runs against Canterbury in the first preliminary final, Wellington did not squander their second chance as they toppled Central Districts by five wickets in the third preliminary final at the Basin Reserve to set up a final against Canterbury on Saturday. Medium pacer Anurag Verma’s 4 for 49 helped bowl out Central Districts for 247, and opening batsman Michael Papps scored 80 to help Wellington scale down the target with three balls to spare.Like Papps, George Worker shone opening the innings for Central Districts. Worker strung together a century stand with captain Will Young (57 off 60 balls) to lift his team to 176 for 2. But Central Districts slid thereafter, losing five wickets for 29 runs, including that of Worker for 85. They were shored up by Josh Clarkson’s rapid 42, off 33 balls, with four fours and two sixes.Wellington showcased their batting strength in the chase. Barring Scott Borthwick, who was caught in the sixth over for 1, all their batsmen made contributions. Papps was supported by captain Hamish Marshall (37), Tom Blundell (21) and Michael Pollard (24).Papps’ wicket was the last Central Districts would take, when he was stumped off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. At that point, Wellington still needed 58 with just 47 balls and five wickets remaining. Luke Woodcock slammed an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls with four fours and two sixes, while Matt Taylor raced to an unbeaten 31 off 29 balls to seal a tense chase in the final over.Blair Tickner and Kieran Noema-Barnett took two wickets each, although the latter was expensive, leaking 59 runs in 10 overs. Patel finished with 1 for 52.

Allan Border, Australia’s famously hard-bitten former captain, was scathing in his assessment of Matt Renshaw’s temperament, after he opted to retire ill midway through his battling half-century on the first day of the first Test in Pune.After a solid opening stand of 82 in over 27 overs, Renshaw’s partner David Warner was bowled in Umesh Yadav’s first over, whereupon Renshaw himself went straight to the umpires for a conversation before following up with his incoming captain, Steven Smith, who was walking out to bat at No. 3.The two had a chat and, after a bit of confusion and several hand signals, Renshaw was asked to wait, presumably because the next man Shaun Marsh was not ready. There was apparent confusion as to whether Renshaw would be asked to play out the over and then go off, but Australia’s team management subsequently confirmed he had to “retire hurt” with an “upset stomach”.That excuse cut no ice with Border, however, who famously refused to allow Dean Jones to retire with dehydration during his epic double-century in the tied Test in Chennai in 1986. Border mocked Jones as a “weak Victorian”, saying he wanted a “tough Queenslander” out there alongside him. Although Renshaw was born in England, he now plays for Queensland.”I hope he’s lying on the table in there half dead,” Border said on . “Otherwise, as captain, I would not be happy.”I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. He’s obviously just got an upset stomach to some degree and he was probably trying to use the situation where David Warner had just been dismissed to race off the ground and go to the toilet.”What happened in the ensuring time there, I can’t ever think of a situation like that that’s happened before where someone’s gone off because they’re a bit ill.”If David Warner hadn’t got out then he wouldn’t have even thought about it. It’s a bit of an odd situation. He probably thought he had time to race off the ground and get back on while the new batsman was coming out to the crease.”I can tell you what, if Shaun Marsh was dismissed in those last 15 minutes I would’ve been ropeable as captain.”Fortunately for Renshaw, Marsh was not dismissed until after the break, and he eventually resumed on 36, at the fall of the third wicket in the 60th over, going on to make a hard-earned 68 before falling to R Ashwin.

The fast bowler’s maiden first-class hundred led Victoria to a 176-run first-innings lead against Western Australia in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2017
Scorecard Chris Tremain unleashes a slog sweep•Getty Images

A century for the fast bowler Chris Tremain delivered a major first-innings lead for Victoria over Western Australia on day two of the Sheffield Shield match in Alice Springs.In reply to the Warriors’ measly 146 in the first innings, the Bushrangers slipped to 7 for 184 when Seb Gotch was out to David Moody, one of his five wickets. However Tremain, who had never previously made a first-class fifty let alone a hundred, formed a key stand of 108 with James Pattinson to grow the Bushrangers’ lead.Four sixes punctuated the innings, which ended when Tremain was last out for 111. Jason Behrendorff claimed three wickets for the Warriors, who reached 0 for 29 at the close.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale bolstered his attacking options earlier this month as the club officially confirmed the signing of Sam Lammers from Atalanta on a permanent basis.

The Light Blues have now added four players to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, with the Dutchman following Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, and Dujon Sterling in committing to the Scottish giants this summer.

However, the Gers do not appear to be done in the transfer market and are eyeing another striker to compete with Lammers, Antonio Colak, and Kemar Roofe.

Who is Josh Maja?

The Glasgow giants reportedly have a genuine and long-standing interest in signing Bordeaux centre-forward Josh Maja in the coming weeks.

His contract with the Ligue 2 side is set to expire at the end of this month and, as it stands, the Nigerian international is poised to be available for nothing.

Beale could strike gold by signing the 24-year-old striker as current Gers attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell could make him unstoppable next season.

The English maestro arrived at Ibrox in January from Norwich and enjoyed a terrific start to life in Scotland. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 and chipped in with six goals and four assists from the middle of the park across 16 league outings.

Cantwell created five 'big chances' and produced 1.3 key passes per game for his teammates, despite having played less than half of the campaign.

The 25-year-old, who completed 89% of his attempted passes in the Scottish Premiership, is able to open up the opposition on a regular basis to create significant chances for his fellow attackers, whilst his goal return last term also suggests that the ex-Norwich magician can make a big impact on his own.

Maja, whose "rare" talent was hailed by former Rangers striker Jermain Defoe, could benefit from Cantwell's creativity after an impressive season with Bordeaux in Ligue 2.

The £10k-per-week finisher averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 37 league appearances and contributed with 16 goals and six assists for the French side.

These statistics show that the 5 foot 11 dynamo, who scored 17 goals in 49 games for Sunderland's first-team, has the potential to be a prolific scorer for Rangers if provided with the right service.

Cantwell could be the player to do that for him as the 25-year-old wizard has proven himself to be an excellent creator for the Light Blues and his constant supply line to the forwards could make Maja an unstoppable threat up front for Beale in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Nigerian gem's ability to assist others from a number nine position, which resulted in him being able to create eight 'big chances' in 22/23, also means that opposition defenders would have to deal with his creativity, in potentially assisting Cantwell, as well as his finishing quality in the box.

Cristiano Ronaldo does not boast the best record from direct free-kicks, with the Portuguese hitting an unfortunate cameraman with one of his latest.

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All-time great in Saudi Pro League actionNetted his 13th goal of the seasonMissed the target with one set-pieceWHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was in action for Al-Nassr against Al-Raed on Saturday. He was among the goals in that contest – with the finishing touches put to a convincing 3-1 win – but his radar was slightly off when lining up a set-piece from the edge of the box.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the ball placed just 19 yards from goal, and very central, Ronaldo opted to go for power when standing over a dangerous free-kick. He whipped his effort around the wall, but also sent it fizzing past the post. The camera operator working behind said goal was unable to move out of the way in time and took a fiercely-struck shot full in the face.

DID YOU KNOW?

The cameraman in question was almost knocked off his feet by Ronaldo’s wayward strike, but steadied himself in time before tumbling onto the running track on which he was working. Ronaldo delivered the image that everyone was after in the 78th minute when he added to earlier efforts from Sadio Mane and Talisca.

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ronaldo has now scored 13 goals in just 12 games for Al-Nassr this season. He has netted plenty of spectacular free-kicks down the years, but his strike rate from dead-ball situations is surprisingly poor for a player of his record-breaking ability.

Nottingham Forest have reignited a target from the January window, if reports are to be believed as we head into the madness of the summer transfer period.

Steve Cooper will hope to strengthen his side during the break ahead of another busy Premier League season, in the hope to push on from near survivors to an established club in the top-division once more.

The latest talent linked with a move to the City Ground is a familiar face to England, and one that could form a strong partnership in the Welshman’s plans.

What’s the latest on Romain Saiss to Nottingham Forest?

As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah Spor this week, Forest are interested in Besiktas defender Romain Saiss.

The report claims that the Premier League outfit are getting closer to reaching the club’s €4m (£3.4m) price tag of the centre-back, with the Moroccan having his ‘mind set’ on a return to England.

Forest were in contact with the Turkish side in January over the availability of the 33-year-old, according to reports.

What could Romain Saiss offer to Nottingham Forest?

Having been lauded as “incredible” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers commander could bring talent as well as a host of experience to Forest’s back line.

The 33-year-old titan made 206 total appearances for Wolves, gaining a heap of Premier League experience and impressing during his stay in England.

Last season, the Morocco star was monstrous at Molineux before making the move to the Super Lig where the colossus has continued to show his worth in central defence.

Despite finding his form towards the end of the season in Istanbul, the Morocco captain is reportedly eyeing a move back to the comforts of the Premier League, where he could prove to be a powerful introduction at the City Ground.

Predominantly lining his central defenders in a back three, Cooper could bolster his defensive ranks by securing the signature of Saiss, who could form a fearsome partnership alongside the talents of Joe Worrall.

The 26-year-old made 21 starts this campaign for the Tricky Trees and could cement himself as one of Cooper’s untouchable defenders in accommodating the arrival of Saiss.

When comparing the duo via FBref, the numbers suggest that due to their opposing strengths in playing at centre-back, the pair could form a strong in-play bond that could higher the level of performance in defence.

The Englishman comes out on top in terms of typical defensive attributes such as tackling and duel winning, averaging 2.14 tackles per 90 to the 33-year-old’s 1.33 in the Premier League last season, as well as winning 61% of his total duels this campaign to Saiss’ 57%, with an average of 3.8 won per game.

However, the experienced defender could provide Worrall with a composed outlet to induce progressive play in the back line, as hinted by his 4.56 progressive passes per 90 to the Nottingham-born gem’s 2.71, via FBref, meaning he could provide a fresh approach at the back.

Having a ball-playing defender is essential in the Premier League, with a lot praised by teams playing out from the back to build wave after wave of attack.

Cooper could, therefore, add another dimension to his defence by placing an colossal individual as savvy on the ball as Saiss to play alongside Worrall.

The England international scored twice in the final quarter of the game in Barcelona to earn the visitors the unlikeliest of 2-1 victories

Jude Bellingham just can't stop scoring. The quality of the opposition, the enormity of the occasion, it makes no difference to the England international, who netted twice as a struggling Real Madrid came from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1 over Barcelona on Saturday afternoon.

Barcelona had dominated for two thirds of the Liga clash at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys and looked set to claim victory in the first Clasico of the season thanks to Ilkay Gundogan's first goal for the Catalan club.

However, Xavi's side were ultimately punished for their profligacy, with the hosts wasting one chance after another to kill the game before Bellingham levelled with a stunning 30-yard strike and then won the game for Madrid with a close-range finish in the dying seconds.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Madrid players on show in Barcelona…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10):

  Nothing he could have done about the Gundogan goal, having been let down by those in front of him, but he kept his side in the game with a great save from Ronald Araujo. A pivotal moment in hindsight.

  Dani Carvajal (8/10):

  One of the few Madrid players to perform anywhere close to their usual level, with the right-back serving as a decent attacking outlet, as underlined by his role in the winner, while also making a crucial last-ditch challenge on Joao Felix, who was in on goal after nutmegging Rudiger.

  Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

  Made plenty of important clearances for the visitors, though he was also embarrassed by Joao Felix.

  David Alaba (5/10):

  Got the nod ahead of Nacho to partner Rudiger and did not justify Ancelotti's faith him, with his weak tackle allowing Gundogan to break the deadlock early on.

  Ferland Mendy (4/10):

  Rested during the week but you wouldn't have known. Contributed absolutely nothing before being replaced just after the break.

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  Midfielder

  Federico Valverde (5/10):

  Brought his usual level of energy to the game but nowhere near as effective or influential as he can be.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

  Solid in possession while he also made a couple of key interceptions at a time when Madrid were in danger of being over-run.

  Toni Kroos (5/10):

  Won the ball back several times and used it well, but struggled with Barca's dynamism in the middle of the park, as typified by the way in which Gavi picked his pocket midway through the first half.

  Jude Bellingham (9/10):

  Only 20 but he's already proven himself a big-game player. Wasn't in the game at all until he thumped home a sensational equaliser from distance and then ghosted into the box to win the game for his side in injury time. World-class. It's that simple.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (3/10):

  The hope was that the goal against Braga might spark the Brazilian into life. It didn't. A dreadful display.

  Vinicius Junior (4/10):

  The picture of frustration during the first half, with Vinicius once again struggling to get anything out of Araujo. Second half wasn't much better, truth be told, but he kept running at Barca right until the end.

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  Subs & Manager

  Joselu (5/10):

  Replaced Rodrygo up front for the final half hour but didn't make much of an impact.

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  Part of a double-substitution with Joselu, coming on in place of Kroos, and played a pivotal role in Madrid picking up a point that looked unlikely when he entered the fray, with his passing and penetration.

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Took over at left-back from Mendy six minutes into the second half and proved an immediate upgrade, particularly with his forays down the left flank.

  Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

  The Bellingham goal may have come out of nowhere but the coach's changes were undeniably key to Madrid's final-quarter improvement. Though one could suggest that was evidence that Ancelotti got his starting line-up all wrong…

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said that revamping the team’s middle-order batting is a key area of focus in the squad’s preparation for ICC World Cricket League Division Three, which begins May 23 in Uganda

Peter Della Penna23-Mar-20171:25

‘Very confident we’ll get through Division Three’ – Dassanayake

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said that revamping the team’s middle-order batting is a key area of focus in the squad’s preparation for ICC World Cricket League Division Three, which begins May 23 in Uganda. Dassanayake indicated that several former first-class players who came into the team’s recent four-day camp in Houston, Texas – Ibrahim Khaleel, Camilus Alexander and Roy Silva – have strong chances of filling those roles.”We need to get the middle-order batting right,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo. “We struggled in Division Four and that cannot go on. Batting 50 overs, it’s a different art.”These players are used to playing T20 cricket a lot and struggle sometimes to spend time in the longer version. There are lots of good new faces in the last four days and I’m pretty sure a few of these new players will cover those spots.”We’re confident how we are going to go about in Division Three. Some of the gaps that I had to fill, I think it’s kind of a clear thing we’re going to get some good players to cover those spots. We had three experienced players here – Camilus Alexander, Roy Silva and Ibrahim Khaleel. All three of them are top-class players who have played a lot of cricket. Still we haven’t decided anything but I think that experience, we need it to build our middle order.”One other player who stood out during the camp in Texas was Nosthush Kenjige. The left-arm spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the camp with eight in three trial matches. Among his victims were USA captain Steven Taylor twice, Khaleel, Silva, and USA batsmen Nicholas Standford and Akeem Dodson, who was recently taken by Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League draft.Kenjige, 26, was born in Alabama but his family moved to India in his youth. He played most of his developmental cricket in the Karnataka system but returned to the USA in 2015, settling in New York. He was ineligible to play for USA at WCL Division Four last year, despite being an American citizen, due to additional residency criteria the ICC mandates for WCL tournaments. Kenjige has since fulfilled the criteria.In preparation for Division Three, Kenjige travelled to South Africa earlier this year to spend a month training with the Knights first-class franchise and playing club cricket on the weekends. During his time there he was able to work with coach Nicky Boje to sharpen his skills and Dassanayake says he is expecting the spinner to play a significant role for USA going forward.”When I speak about Nosh, I’m very happy about him because he’s one of the guys who has really put work under him in the last three months,” Dassanayake said. “He was one of the guys who followed the fitness programme really well and he has been tremendous improvement in fitness in the last three months, so that has helped him get his fielding right. Skill-wise, he has been going around the world and playing cricket and I see a lot of improvement in his bowling as well.”Overall if I had to analyse the whole team and where the USA team wants to go, I’m looking to build the cricketing culture, a good unit playing together knowing their roles and working hard to improve every day and I would say Nosh is one of the guys who is going to help that system. He’s a different character, really committed to the team and his game. It was very impressive what he has done in the last four days and I think there is so much room for him to improve as well. I’m 100% sure the way he’s going forward and looking at his work ethic, he’s going to be a big asset in the future.”Another squad camp is planned to be held in Houston from April 6 to 9 with the squad trimmed from the 45 players who attended the most recent camp down to 18 before the final 14 are selected to tour South Africa and Uganda in May.Dassanayake said he will focus considerable time on improving the team’s fitness, which was one area that some members of the squad fell behind in during the camp.”Mainly, from Division Four, I was looking to build up the middle order and also the fielding and fitness,” Dassananyake said. “The fitness part, actually the whole group was working for the last three months and I saw lots of improvements with everybody. Fielding, unfortunately some of these players don’t have that opportunity to field on faster outfields on quality grounds, but all the top players have got the idea of the level we are thinking of playing.”There are lots of improvements and also a lot of weak areas. We have two and a half months to work on those things to get ready for Division Three.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Wellington

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan15-Mar-2017Match FactsMarch 16-20 2017
Start time 11.00am local (2200GMT)1:09

Moonda: Matt Henry might get into the XI

Big PictureAs you were, then. Sort of. Four days of cut-and-thrust set things up for a fascinating fifth day in Dunedin. Then it rained. It’s done that quite a lot in New Zealand this summer. The good news, however, is after a wet and windy build-up the forecast for the five days in Wellington (and you always need to say this with fingers crossed) is shaping up nicely.If the first Test had gone the distance, South Africa had their noses in front going into the final day with New Zealand a batsman and a bowler down. But they were never allowed to dominate, even when their batsmen were building partnerships, due to a combination of a sluggish pitch and accurate bowling.However tight the opening skirmishes on paper South Africa now have a significant advantage with New Zealand having lost both Ross Taylor and Trent Boult. While Tim Southee can help sustain the bowling department, this match will be a test of New Zealand’s batting depth. A No. 4-5 axis of Neil Broom and Henry Nicholls looks flimsy and leaves even more on the shoulders of Kane Williamson who is now ranked No. 2 after his superb 130 in Dunedin.Half of South Africa’s attack also bring with them good memories – and valuable knowledge of the Basin’s characteristics – from the 2012 Test. Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel claimed six-wicket hauls – Morkel’s 6 for 23 remain his career-best – and both will have their sights set on that inexperienced New Zealand top order. That Test five years ago was a draw, though, with Williamson standing in South Africa’s way. It is likely he will need to do the same again.Form guideNew Zealand DWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa DWWWLTim Southee will help cover for Trent Boult’s absence, but Ross Taylor’s presence will be harder to replace•Getty Images

In the spotlightAt least to replace Boult, New Zealand have Southee. For the batting it’s a little different. Neil Broom has some big boots to fill, boots that have scored 6030 Test runs. New Zealand have backed his domestic experience – 136 matches of it spread across 14 years – and Broom’s debut will cap a remarkable summer which included quitting his deal with Derbyshire after a surprise recall. His scores in the one-day series of 2,2 and 0 were noted by Faf du Plessis – “we were quite successful in getting rid of him so hopefully that will continue,” he said in Dunedin – but at least Broom has seen enough ups and downs to keep his emotions level. He’ll need that composure this week.Quinton de Kock can expect to face Jeetan Patel as soon as he walks in (presuming New Zealand now don’t leave him out having brought him back) probably regardless of the state of the innings or age of the ball. Four times in four innings Patel has nabbed him and this presents a little challenge for de Kock who has been South Africa’s trump card at No. 7 in recent times, either staging a counter-attacking recovery or hurting tired attacks. This duel has become an enjoyable little subplot of the tour, and perhaps an unexpected one.Team newsNew Zealand did not confirm their final XI with a decision to be made over the balance of the attack. It would be a surprise if they did not return to a single frontline spinner and that leaves Mitchell Santner vulnerable. Colin de Grandhomme’s batting could mean he edges out Matt Henry.New Zealand (probable) 1 Tom Latham, 2 Jeet Raval, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Neil Broom, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 James Neesham, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Colin de Grandhomme, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Jeetan PatelSouth Africa are likely to remain unchanged, although du Plessis did leave the door ajar for an extra pace bowler at the expense of a batsman. That would mean dropping JP Duminy, probably for Wayne Parnell.South Africa (probable) 1 Stephen Cook, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Kagiso RabadaPitch and conditionsMike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, has admitted he doesn’t want green seamers in this series. The strip was pretty green on Wednesday, but that can often be misleading at this ground. However, what the 22 yards does end up like is a little uncertain. Hagen Faith, the groundsman, has had a fraught build-up with 70mm of rain falling in Wellington the days before Test. The forecast for the five days is promising with currently just a chance of showers on Saturday.Stats and trivia Kane Williamson needs 63 runs for 5000 and also one century to equal Martin Crowe’s record of 17 South Africa have won four of their six Tests at the Basin Reserve – two coming since readmission although 2012 was a draw The previous Test on this ground, against Bangladesh, saw New Zealand overhaul the biggest first-innings score to secure victory – 595 for 8 dec.Quotes”With the weather they have had over the last week, it hasn’t been ideal. There might be a little bit to offer with the surface early on but it tends to be a good cricket wicket.”
“It sounds good. If you have that confidence where you’ve come to a ground in a different country and you’ve done well it sounds very good, but we know it doesn’t mean anything. We’ve got to see what the wicket produces because it has been a bit different this time around.”