Liverpool set to close deal for Ramsay

Liverpool kept their title hopes alive with a victory over Aston Villa last night and are on for two more trophies with the FA Cup and Champions League finals secured, however, that hasn’t stopped the club from working to strengthen their team ahead of next season.

What’s the latest?

Journalist Graeme Bailey has reported (via 90min) that sources close to the club have revealed that the Merseyside club are close to securing a deal for Calvin Ramsay.

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According to the report, Leeds United, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace are all interested in the young Aberdeen defender but 90min are told that Liverpool are leading the race in securing his signature.

This would be the club’s second signing of the summer after the Daily Mail reported that the signing of Fabio Carvalho has been ‘wrapped up’ and an announcement is imminent.

Klopp will be buzzing

There is no doubt that Liverpool have been lucky with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fitness and injury record over his career so far with only a few slight knocks to the right-back, but with the opportunity to sign a worthy back-up in Ramsay, Jurgen Klopp will surely be buzzing.

Currently, Neco Williams is the only player for position replacement for the Liverpudlian defender but he is reportedly looking likely to complete a permanent move to recently promoted Premier League side Fulham this summer, so again the signing of the 19-year-old would make perfect sense for the club.

According to SofaScore, Ramsay has been solid in his position for Aberdeen over the last 24 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, winning the majority of his duels (51%), making 1.3 clearances as well as 0.8 interceptions and tackles on average per game, scoring one goal and contributing four assists so far.

The 19-year-old has also been the recipient of high praise with the Aberdeen chairman Dave McCormack labelling the youngster in “the elite upper bracket” of players of his kind in an interview.

Ultimately, as we have seen with Luis Diaz and Carvalho this season when it comes to signings Liverpool know how to get what they want and attract players to join the successful Merseyside outfit.

Therefore, we expect that Ramsay will be no different if the club are genuinely interested in making the signing this summer.

AND in other news: FA Cup final blow: Liverpool rocked by “massive problem” that’ll leave Klopp gutted

Pete O’Rourke: Spurs could want Dybala

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke (via GiveMeSport), Tottenham will be interested in signing Paulo Dybala in the summer if he becomes available.

The Lowdown: Dybala’s failed Spurs move

The Juventus attacker was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham in 2019, with the deal ultimately falling through due to an issue with the player’s image rights, according to a report by The Independent.

Everything was seemingly on track; Spurs were pursuing the forward and Juventus were more than happy to sell him. Even the Argentine wanted the move. Daniel Levy secured the transfer with the Serie A side, agreeing on a £59m fee. However, the 28-year-old’s wage demands far exceeded the £200k-per-week paid to the club’s top earner Harry Kane.

Despite overcoming this barrier, the failure of the transfer came down to image rights. Spurs would have had to reach a financial agreement with the company who owned Dybala’s license, since image rights are not legally recognised by the Premier League. This caused a headache for both clubs and, as a result, they were unable to sort everything out before the transfer deadline.

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The Latest: O’Rourke claims Spurs will be interested in Dybala

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that Tottenham will be interested in signing Dybala in the summer if the opportunity presents itself.

He was quoted saying: “I think Dybala, long-term target under Pochettino, I’m sure he will definitely be on the list in the summer but I think lots of clubs in Europe will be interested in the playmaker this summer on a free transfer, potentially.”

The Argentina international is out of contract in the summer, so it is expected that a whole host of clubs will be queueing up to secure his signature.

The Verdict: Would be a brilliant signing

Lionel Messi once hailed his Argentina team-mate’s praises, proclaiming that he “is a great player and he has a bright future ahead of him”. With the Juventus star’s creativity and attacking threat, having scored 111 goals in 278 appearances for the Turin club, it is easy to see why Tottenham are interested in him.

With a current market valuation of £45m, Spurs will be getting an incredible deal if they manage to sign Dybala on a free transfer in the summer. However, with such a talented player available for nothing, winning the race for the player’s signature could prove to be a very difficult task for Fabio Paratici and co, especially if they don’t have Champions League football to offer him.

In other news: This Tottenham player has made an admission about his future

Rangers: GvB dealt Sam Johnstone blow

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to Ibrox this summer.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to Johnstone have revealed that the shot-stopper wants to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on the expiration of his West Bromwich Albion contract at the end of the current campaign.

This is sure to come as a huge blow to Rangers, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst is looking at a replacement for Allan McGregor – who himself looks increasingly likely to be leaving Ibrox this summer.

The Light Blues have shown interest in the England international who has kept 15 clean sheets in 36 Championship matches so far this season as West Brom has struggled.

With the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Southampton all linked with the highly-rated stopper in recent weeks, it’s clear to see why missing out on Johnstone could send Rangers into panic mode.

A potential replacement for McGregor?

Allan McGregor has so often been the saviour for Rangers over the years, producing big moments and penalty saves exactly when the side needs them, but this campaign has looked like a step too far.

There have been far too many mistakes as the Ibrox side has slipped behind in the title race, and the keeper has cost the club a fair few points since January.

As such, signing Johnstone on a pre-contract would be an excellent move. With three caps for England and still just 29 years of age, Giovanni van Bronckhorst could do no wrong in making a move for the shot-stopper.

Indeed, with the ‘keeper having been omitted from West Brom’s previous two matchday squads due to his contract running down, Rangers are in as good of a position as any to offer him terms.

With a market value of £7.2m, any side that secures the services of the 29-year-old could also make a solid profit in the future if they decide to sell him on, making this move an absolute no-brainer.

AND in other News: Wilson could land new £13m talent as Rangers plot bid for £180k-rated sensation

State of Pakistan cricket impels sports committee head to resign

The head of a Pakistan parliamentary committee on sports has resigned in frustration over the state of affairs in Pakistan cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2010The head of a Pakistan parliamentary committee on sports has resigned in frustration over the state of affairs in Pakistan cricket. Iqbal Muhammad Ali, who was chief of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, was critical of the government for not taking adequate steps to arrest the current decline.”The state of cricket affairs is before everyone, it is in poor shape and yet nothing is being done to change the tide,” Ali told reporters in Karachi. “I am resigning because the government has not bothered to implement any of the recommendations by this committee for improvement and betterment of sports in the country.”The committee’s previous chairman was Jamshed Dasti, who had repeatedly called for the sacking of the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in the aftermath of the 2009 attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, and even suggested that Younis Khan and his team-mates had deliberately underperformed in the Champions Trophy the same year. He was eventually asked to step down by the Supreme Court of Pakistan when it was discovered that the Masters degree he held was, in fact, fake.

Spinners help Pakistan crush Australia

Pakistan began their warm-up for the ICC World Twenty20 with a comprehensive win over Australia in Dubai, where their spinners flummoxed Australia’s long batting line-up

The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Raza Hasan picked up two wickets on debut•AFPPakistan began their warm-up for the ICC World Twenty20 with a comprehensive win over Australia in Dubai, where their spinners flummoxed Australia’s long batting line-up. Not since the second T20 international ever played had Australia scored as few in an innings as the 89 for which they were dismissed in this match, and although Pakistan lost three wickets in the chase they were never in danger of losing. They cruised to the target with 31 balls to spare.Statistics don’t always mean much in T20 but the story of this match could be summed up with a few numbers. It was the first time since another loss to Pakistan in Dubai in May 2009 that Australia failed to hit a six in a T20 innings. They struck only three fours in the 19.3 overs they faced; Pakistan had that many within four overs. The only time Australia scored fewer in a completed T20 innings was 79 against England in Southampton in 2005, back when the IPL was not even a glimmer in Lalit Modi’s eye. Never before had a team beaten Australia with so many balls to spare.But the figures don’t tell how Pakistan managed such a one-sided result. Sohail Tanvir finished with 3 for 13 but it was the work of the spinners, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and the debutant Raza Hasan that kept Australia from posting a competitive score. They picked up two wickets each and the regular breakthroughs and large boundaries starved the Australians.Again they found Ajmal difficult to pick, while Hasan’s clever variations showed that he can be a force at international level, while Hafeez was typically tidy. Pakistan also held their catches, which they had not always done during the ODIs, and only three Australians reached double figures, making it irrelevant that they had entered the game with eight batsmen.David Warner top scored with 22 from 25 balls, an innings that at the time looked scratchy but was solid when compared with the rest of the performances. Warner was the third man to fall when he pushed a catch back to the bowler Hafeez, after the innings had started shakily when Shane Watson was trapped in front by Umar Gul for 8.Smart stats

Pakistan beat Australia with 31 balls to spare. This is the highest number of balls remaining in a T20 defeat for Australia.

Australia’s total of 89 is their second-lowest in Twenty20 internationals. Their lowest total of 79 came against England in Southampton in 2005 (min seven wickets lost in innings)

Pakistan have the most wins in Twenty20 internationals (34). South Africa are second with 29 wins.

The win was Pakistan’s fifth against Australia in Twenty20 internationals. South Africa and Sri Lanka are second with four wins each.

The number of fours hit in Australia’s innings (3) is the second-lowest for a completed team innings in Twenty20 internationals. The lowest is two fours hit by South Africa against West Indies in Port Elizabeth in 2007 (major Test teams only).

Promoted to No.3, Michael Hussey chipped a catch to cover when he failed to pick Tanvir’s slower ball. Warner and George Bailey provided a slight recovery with a 33-run stand before Warner went, and that was followed soon after by Hasan’s first international wicket, which came when David Hussey failed to clear the man at long on.Bailey fell for 14 when he top edged a sweep off Hafeez and was caught at deep backward square leg, and it was up to Cameron White and Matthew Wade to attempt a recovery. But Pakistan’s spinners were too good for White and Wade, Ajmal’s variations especially deceptive, although it was Hasan who broke the partnership when Wade holed out to deep midwicket for 6 from 13 balls.Glenn Maxwell, who came in at No.8, was caught at deep square leg off Ajmal for 4 and next ball White failed to read Ajmal and was bowled for 15 off 22 balls. Xavier Doherty survived the hat trick ball but that was about all the Australians had to celebrate, as Tanvir finished off the tail to end up with 3 for 13.Australia’s bowlers had nothing to defend and their cause was hopeless from the start. Hafeez and Imran Nazir, playing his first international for two and a half years, gave Pakistan a solid start with their 30-run opening stand. They both found the boundary and Nazir showed a willingness to take on the Australian bowlers, despite the small chase.Hafeez (17) fell to a slower ball from Pat Cummins when he chipped a catch to midwicket and the Australians claimed a second when Ben Hilfenhaus bowled Nasir Jamshed for 10 with a good inswinger. Nazir eventually fell for 22 when he pushed a Watson full toss to cover, but Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik saw Pakistan home. Akmal struck the only six of the match and finished unbeaten on 31 from 24 balls. He hit more boundaries on his own than the Australians did for their entire innings.It was a clinical performance from Pakistan, but Australia did little to suggest their ninth place in the ICC T20 rankings is anything but accurate. Of course in T20 anything can happen on any day; Australia just need to make sure happens for them before this series is out. Because one day like this in the World T20 could be enough to send them home early.

Ladda, Badrinath lead India Green to easy win

India Green’s bowlers, led by Punjab legspinner Sarabjit Ladda, set up a comfortable six-wicket victory against India Red in Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
India Green’s bowlers, led by Punjab legspinner Sarabjit Ladda, set up a comfortable six-wicket victory against India Red in Indore. After the bowlers had dismissed India Red for 185, S Badrinath led the chase with a fluent half-century as his team won with 13 overs to spare.Ladda and Rajasthan fast bowler Pankaj Singh had shared seven wickets between them as India Red collapsed from 106 for 2 to 185 all out. They were earlier off to a poor start after electing to bat when Manish Pandey was trapped leg before by Dhawal Kulkarni in the third over. Parthiv Patel was looking solid at the other end as he drove and cut the seamers for boundaries. However, Pankaj struck a big blow when he had Virat Kohli caught behind for 7.Then followed the best partnership of the innings between Patel and Dinesh Karthik. The duo added 57 in 9.2 overs before Karthik was run out going for a sharp single off Ladda. That was the opening India Green needed, and Ladda barged into it, picking up the next four wickets to finish with career-best figures. He had Saurabh Tiwary caught at point, and then lured Yusuf Pathan, Monish Mishra and Parthiv into holing out down the ground. With Parthiv falling for a well-made 86 off 100 deliveries, India Red had slumped to 162 for 7, having lost four wickets for 56 runs in 14.2 overs. Pankaj – who made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year in Harare – returned to clean up the tail to finish with 3 for 36.India Green were off to a quick start before Vinay Kumar removed the openers, having Naman Ojha caught at short point by Kohli and then trapping S Anirudha in front. Meanwhile, Badrinath was displaying his repertoire of strokes at the other end, taking Ashok Dinda for three boundaries in an over. He pulled a short ball outside off behind square, drove the next one back of a length through the covers, and finished with a pleasing on-drive to a full delivery.Rohit Sharma joined Badrinath for an 87-run stand, the highest of the match. He matched Badrinath in stroke-making, unfurling the cut, the pull, the drive and the flick with languid ease. He had moved to 48 before he was bowled by a slower one from Dinda, missing the line as it went through the gap between bat and pad. Dinda got Badrinath leg before in his next over for 67, but it was too little, too late for India Red, as India Green got the bonus point for their easy victory.

India have the character to bounce back – Dhoni

MS Dhoni, India’s under-fire captain, has said this is the time for the team to show character

Sidharth Monga12-Dec-2012MS Dhoni, India’s under-fire captain, has said this is the time for the team to show character. India are 2-1 down against England and could lose their first Test series at home since 2004 if they don’t win the Nagpur Test. In all they have now lost 10 of their 11 Tests against England and Australia, and almost every player in the side has had his place questioned in recent times.”Not only as a captain, but as an individual too you rarely get these situations,” Dhoni said. “Against South Africa [in 2008], we were in a similar situation, when we were down in the series, going into Kanpur. I won’t say this is a very good situation to be in, but you get to know the character of a team or a person only in tough times. In a way it’s a good situation to be in where we have nowhere to go. We have to do well in this game.”Dhoni said the team has been in good spirits despite the reverses over the last few weeks. “The spirit is really good,” he said. “We have maintained that really well. In tough times the only people who will support you are team members, and the support staff. We have kept it really close, and the good thing is we are enjoying our cricket, which at times you don’t tend to do when you go through a rough patch. When it comes to the dressing-room atmosphere, it’s looking great.”Dhoni said his team is used to being under such pressure. “If you are part of Indian cricket, everything is under the microscope, and everybody has an opinion about cricket,” he said. “Everybody asks the questions we also ask, but nobody comes with a solution, which is the brilliant part. That’s how it goes in India. Cricket is a sport followed in a big way. Everybody has an opinion about everything that goes on.”People who have covered cricket for a long time, once you wait for the result you have plenty more questions you can ask – ‘Why that guy was not picked’, ‘why this guy was not given the new ball.’ It’s not like soccer where players play from a specific area. The midfielder plays from there, you alter it very rarely. Cricket is a sport where you can ask a lot of questions. That’s a big part of our life. We are under the microscope throughout.”Asked if many cricketing futures relied on the coming game, Dhoni said there was no need to be that dramatic. “That’s getting very critical,” Dhoni said. “A series or two or a rough patch…everybody was talking of this phase in Indian cricket where the big cricketers will move on and the pressure will come on young players. Everybody was expecting a rough patch.”Of course we have struggled in the last two Test matches. If you ask big questions depending on two Test matches, it may come in the future too when we lose two Test matches that youngsters should go out and somebody else should come in. You have to be consistent. You have to keep faith in the players. People who have done a lot for Indian cricket over the years, just on the basis of one series or two Test matches or half a season, it will be difficult if you are asking questions.”Dhoni defended two of his batsmen under-fire from the critics. About Sachin Tendulkar, he said: “He is the best man to have in the side in a game like this. The experience he has, the kind of performances he has given under pressure over the years is something we all look up to. When it comes to Sachin, the best thing to do is to not speculate. He has proved everybody wrong throughout his career. There is nothing really to speculate. Let him enjoy his cricket. That’s important.”Gautam Gambhir got Dhoni’s vote of confidence too. “About Gautam, the best thing I like about him is he is an aggressive character,” Dhoni said. “I always talk about it. I have played with him a lot. If you see the last few games, he has batted really well, he has taken time. There is a lot of improvement in his batting. I feel whenever he is aggressive – by aggressive I don’t mean stepping out and hitting the ball, it’s more about positively defending a ball, because that can be an aggressive mindset. He has been batting well in the last few games. It’s an ideal setup, this is a big game, he is a big-game player. He can transform starts into a big innings.”About the pressure on himself, Dhoni said he can handle these situations well. “That’s one thing I have done really good,” he said. “Whether it was the 2007 World Cup or when it was the 2011 World Cup, when people appreciate me, I don’t go to seventh heaven and go outside my way. When people criticise me, it’s the same.”In India we have extreme opinions. We praise someone very highly, and in a few games we start pulling the same individual down. I always say it’s important to be in the middle path. That’s how you will enjoy the sport. I have been quite good at maintaining that. Whether you win a game or lose it, the basics remain the same. It hasn’t been difficult not watching TV or reading newspapers. I have not been doing it for quite some time now.”

AVFC linked with Nketiah transfer

Even though Aston Villa have been particularly busy in the January transfer window so far with the likes of Lucas Digne, Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen making moves to the Midlands club in the past few weeks, it appears as though the club still have their eyes on potential targets and areas to improve their squad.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Athletic by Villa journalist Gregg Evans, the Midlands club have had “some conversations” over the possibility of a new striker being brought in this month, with Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah being “considered” for a move to Villa Park.

After joining the club from Chelsea’s youth system back in 2015, Nketiah has worked his way through Arsenal’s youth ranks and even had a loan spell with Leeds United, as well as making 73 senior appearances for the Gunners with 18 goals and one assist under his belt.

With the 22-year-old’s contract at Arsenal set to expire in the summer, Villa’s apparent interest could persuade the north London club to sell Nketiah, who Mikel Arteta has described as “extraordinary” in the past, and get a suitable transfer fee rather than see him leave as a free agent at the end of the season if he doesn’t sign a new deal there before then.

One in, one out

If Villa were to sign the £9m-rated Nketiah this month or even in the summer transfer window, this could give the Midlands club the chance to finally axe their current striker Wesley on a permanent basis.

He joined Brazilian club Internacional on loan earlier this month after spending the first half of the season on loan in Belgium with Club Brugge but could be shipped out permanently in the summer if bumped even further down the pecking order.

Given how he failed to score a goal for Brugge during his time there this season and has only managed to score six times in 26 appearances for Villa across all competitions since his arrival back in June 2019 in a deal worth a reported fee of £22m, selling him could be a great way of getting his £46k-per-week wages of the club’s bill to accommodate a place for Nketiah in their squad for the future.

If Villa and Steven Gerrard think Nketiah would be a good fit in the squad and deliver what they want, then they should definitely make an approach to Arsenal to see what his situation is and whether or not they’d be willing to negotiate a suitable deal for him.

Either way, his entrance would certainly facilitate a permanent move away for one of the club’s unfortunate flops.

In other news: Sky Sports journo drops exciting AVFC transfer update on live TV, fans surely buzzing…

McKenzie guides Hampshire to victory

Neil McKenzie used all his experience gleaned over a long career in international cricket with South Africa to guide Hampshire to a two-wicket win

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2010
ScorecardNeil McKenzie continued his fine form as Hampshire secured victory•Getty ImagesNeil McKenzie used all his experience gleaned over a long career in international cricket with South Africa to guide Hampshire to a two-wicket win over Leicestershire in their Clydesdale Bank 40 at the Rose Bowl. As wickets tumbled around him, McKenzie held firm with an unbeaten 51 to help his side get home with 13 balls to spare in a rain-affected match.Leicestershire, choosing to bat first, made 176 for 8 from their allotment of 35 overs, rain having knocked five from their total available. With McKenzie in control, Hampshire reached their target in 32.5 overs, keeping alive their hopes of qualifying for the latter stages of the CB40 competition.Leicestershire struggled to get going with Hampshire captain Dominic Cork taking two wickets before rain came and on the resumption Jacques du Toit and Matt Boyce contrived the best partnership of the innings, 71, for the fourth wicket. Du Toit was caught at mid-wicket for a valiant 45 and Boyce made 37 before he became a victim for Benny Howell, a 21-year-old allrounder making his Hampshire debut.Hampshire’s young side contained eight players who had come through their academy system and one of those, left arm pace bowler Chris Wood, ripped through the middle order, dismissing Wayne White, Tom New and Jigar Naik in rapid succession to finish with figures of three for 39.Leicestershire’s total never looked likely to be enough although Nathan Buck got rid of Jimmy Adams and Howell to leave Hampshire 45 for 3 in the 12th over. But then came two substantial partnerships involving the durable McKenzie, 52 for the fourth wicket with Michael Carberry and 55 for the fifth with Liam Dawson.Nadeem Malik kept alive Leicestershire’s outside hopes of snatching an unlikely win when he had Dawson caught at square leg for 30 and then dismissed Wood next ball to leave Hampshire 153 for 6 at the end of the 29th over.Malik knocked back the off stump of Michael Bates when the scores were level but McKenzie kept calm to see Hampshire complete their fifth win. McKenzie’s unbeaten innings came off 62 balls and including five fours while the persevering Malik took 4 for 40, the best bowling of the match but it was not enough to earn his team victory.Buck also caused Hampshire plenty of problems with a sharp opening spell and concluded with 2 for 16 from seven overs but in the end Leicestershire did not have enough runs to play with.

Test trio show Tasmania's progress

Tim Paine, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ricky Ponting will ensure more than adequate representation for the state, which accounts for only 2% of the nation’s population

Brydon Coverdale11-Jul-2010Australia’s Test against Pakistan at Lord’s this week will be a historic occasion for a number of reasons, not least as the first neutral Test in England since 1912. But when the teams take the field on Tuesday, it will also be a special moment for Australia’s smallest state; for the first time three Tasmanians will be playing together in the Test team.Tim Paine, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ricky Ponting will ensure more than adequate representation for the state, which accounts for only 2% of the nation’s population. It has been a long road to this point, for over the first hundred years of Test cricket, Tasmania produced only three Test representatives: Ken Burn, Charles Eady and Laurie Nash, although others like Sam Morris and Max Walker had been born there before moving to the mainland.Now the state has that many in one team. It’s not surprising that it took so long, for until the late 1970s, Tasmania wasn’t included in the Sheffield Shield. They won the competition for the first time in 2006-07 and have lifted the state one-day trophy three times in the past six years, so it was only a matter of time before their numbers in the Test outfit grew.Tasmania’s Test cricketers

Ken Burn

Charles Eady

Laurie Nash

Roger Woolley

David Boon

Greg Campbell

Ricky Ponting

Shaun Young

Colin Miller

Jason Krejza

Ben Hilfenhaus

(Players who were representing Tasmania at the time of Test selection)

“I think it is a great thing for Tassie cricket,” Paine, who will make his debut on Tuesday, said. “The last few years we have started to win some titles down there and I suppose with more team success there has been more individual success so we are starting to build a good group down there. There were three or four guys playing for Australia A last week so it is good that the Tassie boys are starting to be recognised.”In the 1980s, men like Roger Woolley and Greg Campbell broke into the Test team, but David Boon was the man who really put Tasmania on the world cricket map. At the tail end of his career, he handed over to the Launceston boy, Ponting, and they played three Tests together in 1995-96 before Boon’s international career ended.At that stage, Hilfenhaus was 12 and Paine was 11. They’d grown up with Boon as their state hero and watched as Ponting went on to become one of the game’s undisputed modern champions.”Seeing them do really well, it was a goal to look towards,” Hilfenhaus said. “[Ponting] definitely gives you a bit of belief, doesn’t he? He is one of the greatest players of all time so obviously him being a Tasmanian has been a good thing as well.”For Hilfenhaus, the Lord’s Test will not only be a Tasmanian milestone but a personal achievement as well, the culmination of a long period of recovery from knee tendonitis that has kept him out of action since November. He bowled 13 overs in the tour match in Derby, where he collected 1 for 32, and after the match he said he was learning to push through the pain barrier.”I wouldn’t say there’s no soreness,” Hilfenhaus said. “There’s still a bit of a niggle there, and from the reports from the experts it’s probably going to hang around for another six to twelve months. But it’s at the stage now where it’s very manageable and can cope with the workloads.”

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