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JOHANNESBURG – The West Indies’ serious World Cup intentions were made plain last night when they maintained the same XI they used in the triumphant opener against second favourites South Africa for today’s match in Centurion against the weekend club cricketers of Canada, the bottom seed among the 14 teams.The recall of Pedro Collins, the left-arm swing and seam bowler who missed the last two matches with a back injury, is the only change from the team in last Tuesday’s abandoned match against Bangladesh from which they had to share the four points.Nixon McLean filled Collins’ place in the loss to New Zealand and Corey Collymore got the preference against Bangladesh but didn’t bowl a ball before rain ended proceedings.It means that the two youngest members of the team, batsman Marlon Samuels, 21, and fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, 20, are yet to get a match – and are unlikely to get one barring injury."We’re not in a position where we can say we have qualified for the Super Sixes," coach Roger Harper said by way of a straight-forward explanation. "We’re still fighting to qualify."And he indicated that there would be no shifting of the order in which four left-handers – Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul – fill the first four places."If we happened to have four right-handers at the top we might not have seen it as a problem," he said."While I appreciate it’s a benefit to have a left and right combination that makes it more difficult for the bowlers, you have to look at the batsmen you have as well."The implication was that the system has worked so far with right-handers Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ricardo Powell, down at Nos. 6 and 7, contributing important runs.Following the artificially shared points against Bangladesh, the West Indies must win their three remaining preliminary group matches – against Canada, Sri Lanka in Cape Town next Friday and Kenya in Kimberey, March 4 – to clinch their place in their Super Sixes.The table is so tight that every match is critical for every team.Sri Lanka are the only ones with a 100 per cent record and 12 points from three matches. Only defeat in all of their remaining three, against Kenya, the West Indies and South Africa, can deny them their spot among the final three.New Zealand, who forfeited their points to Kenya because they refused to go to Nairobi for the scheduled match, have eight points from four matches with only Canada and Bangladesh left.With the New Zealand donation and a win over Canada, Kenya have eight points from three matches but still have Sri Lanka and the West Indies, along with Bangladesh.South Africa, virtually out of contention following losses to the West Indies and New Zealand, were handed a reprieve by the West Indies’ misfortune with the weather against Bangladesh.They took their first step towards the next round with their comprehensive ten wickets victory over Bangladesh in Blomfontein yesterday but must still beat both Canada, a foregone conclusion but for the intervention of the elements, and Sri Lanka, an altogether more difficult task, to be sure.The weather remained true to the forecast throughout yesterday – hot and sunny – and more of the same is predicted for today. But the West Indies won’t be satisfied until victory and four points are safely in the book.

The triangular tournament involving hosts Zimbabwe and tourists India and West Indies starts on Saturday, and it is as unpredictable a tournament as one is likely to find. Three unpredictable teams are taking part, and each one has its morale-sapping burdens to carry and overcome.Zimbabwe, fresh from their series-levelling Test victory over India, have been rocked by the news that their star batsman and wicket-keeper Andy Flower has withdrawn from the side, not only for the tournament but also for the series against West Indies. He injured a thumb during the Second Test and his hand will be in plaster for some time. These will be the first international matches that Flower will have missed since he made his debut in the World Cup of 1991/92. It is the end of a proud record.His withdrawal is likely to affect the morale of the other players who have always looked to him as the backbone of the team. However, some might just take the opportunity to rise to the occasion and lift their game to take responsibility for the loss of their world-class player.India have had to endure much harsh criticism for failing to win the series against Zimbabwe, as indeed they should have done. Their disappointment will be bitter, and they too will need to drag themselves up by their bootstraps and revive their damaged morale.For West Indies, their burden, apart from the retirement of Courtney Walsh, is the administrative upheaval that resulted in manager Ricky Skerritt being sacked and then reinstated, not to mention the recent resignation of the leading members of their Board of Control back home. This will surely have some effect on the players as it will affect their futures. Their coach at least will be under some pressure. They also have the disadvantage of having to adjust to local conditions in quick time.West Indies, according to Skerritt, consider themselves the underdogs for the tournament, and on paper that is probably correct. Zimbabwe and India both showed in their Test series that they have very good pace attacks, accurate and penetrative. For the first time now, the West Indies will have to play without a single one of their great pacemen of the last 20 years and more. Walsh is no longer around to hold their attack together, and the young and comparatively inexperienced pacemen will need to take on the extra responsibility to atone for his retirement.The West Indies’ wild card, though, is of course Brian Lara. Like captain Carl Hooper, he visited Zimbabwe during the eighties as a member – captain actually – of a Young West Indian team, so he knows what to expect, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Lara has yet fully to overcome the problems of not long ago being considered the world’s greatest batsman, with all-time Test and first-class records to his credit, and also of being the star player in a fading team. But it is hard to believe he will leave Zimbabwe without making his mark in a big way in at least one match, if not the whole tournament.India’s star is Sachin Tendulkar, who has been able to handle his fame more readily than Lara and will be eager to atone for his comparative `failure’ in the recent Test series. Zimbabwe, deprived of Andy Flower, now have to face the opposition without a world-class batsman in their ranks.Extra responsibility therefore falls on Zimbabwe’s bowlers to ensure that the opposition totals are kept within bounds. If Heath Streak’s knee starts to trouble him after a long season, they will have serious problems, but at least they have perhaps more back-up pace bowlers than ever before. Seamers of the quality of Bryan Strang and Pommie Mbangwa have been omitted; Eddo Brandes, according to many reports bowling consistently better than he has ever done, is not considered, and there are several other young pace bowlers who can step into the breach, even with Henry Olonga and Brighton Watambwa injured. But Streak, as the backbone of the attack and a vital batsman, especially in the one-day game, is irreplaceable.India have a powerful batting line-up that, apart from Shiv Sunder Das, has not yet done itself justice on pitches with more bounce than those to which they are accustomed. Sourav Ganguly has an outstanding one-day record and may well find his elusive form in this tournament, while VVS Laxman, if he exercises a little more judgement, could be devastating. Rahul Dravid will add stability.West Indies must be worried about their batsmen, most of whom have yet to come to terms with the Zimbabwean conditions. They have not performed well in their two warm-up matches, and gave the impression that they were rather too casual and failing to apply themselves seriously enough. That attitude will obviously spell failure unless they can make serious adjustments in quick time. But there is too much latent talent there to write them off.If forced into a corner, my prediction would be India against Zimbabwe in the final, with India winning. But in a tournament as unpredictable as this, that is mere guesswork. Much depends on Zimbabwe’s ability to live without Andy Flower, the success of the Indian batting and the inspiration of Lara. West Indian cricket will turn the corner sometime, and it might just be now.

Manchester United and INEOS are now reportedly holding internal discussions about the possibility of signing a Premier League star in the January transfer window.

INEOS holding talks about signing Premier League star

It’s an open secret that Man United are chasing a midfield reinforcement in the January transfer window after Ruben Amorim was hit with one injury too many in recent weeks.

As things stand, Amorim is without Bruno Fernandes following his ill-timed injury and has the untrusted Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo to call on alongside the ageing Casemiro. On the hunt for Champions League qualification, to say those options are far from ideal would be an understatement.

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So, INEOS have got to work. Ahead of the winter window, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co. have reportedly set their sights on Ruben Neves, Adam Wharton and several others.

Neves has been a name particularly mentioned as of late, as he looks to complete a move back to the Premier League. Find a way past his Saudi salary and there’s no doubt that he could emerge as an excellent solution to Man United’s problems.

There’s also doubts about Mainoo’s future. The Carrington graduate has struggled for game-time since the arrival of Amorim and after his brother was spotted wearing a “free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt at Old Trafford, a number of exit rumours have emerged.

Reports have suggested that the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have set their sights on Mainoo, although it remains to be seen whether Amorim decides to block his exit.

If he does leave then James Garner may become a serious option. According to the Daily Mail, INEOS are now holding conversations about signing Garner from Everton next month.

Man Utd could land bargain deal for Garner

Among all the rumours that INEOS could splash the cash next year, Garner represents a bargain deal. The Everton star is entering the final six months of his current contract in Merseyside and could yet leave the club as a free agent.

This means that the Toffees are likely to only have one final chance to cash in on their midfielder in January, potentially allowing United to offer a cut-price deal to their own benefit.

The obstacle for United is that Everton are still trying to convince the Carrington graduate to sign a new deal at the club and manager David Moyes hasn’t kept his admiration for Garner a secret.

Subscribe for insider transfer coverage and analysis Our newsletter offers in-depth, sourced coverage of Manchester United and Premier League transfer activity — from INEOS targets to midfield scouting. Features expert analysis and clear context to better understand transfer options. Subscribe Subscribe for insider transfer coverage and analysis Our newsletter offers in-depth, sourced coverage of Manchester United and Premier League transfer activity — from INEOS targets to midfield scouting. Features expert analysis and clear context to better understand transfer options.

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The veteran manager told reporters earlier this season: “He’s been fantastic since I came in. I didn’t realise probably how good he was. He’s been so good.

“He’s played great in midfield and he’s played full-back for me as well. I’ve said a couple of times recently he’s probably getting closer to getting talked about for England because of his performances.

“By the way, England have got so many good players to select from, so for anyone to select a team [is difficult]. I’ve been listening to discussions all week about (Phil) Foden and (Jude) Bellingham, etc., but all I’m saying is Jimmy is one of the group of young English midfield players who maybe in the future has a chance of getting a call-up.”

	Darren Bravo has been drafted into T&T’s squad in place of his older brother, Dwayne © ICC

Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo, two West Indies Under-19 players, have been drafted into Trinidad and Tobago’s squad for their Carib Beer Series sixth-round match against the Combined Campuses and Colleges in Barbados this weekend.The young pair replace another Bravo, senior international Dwayne, who is ruled out with a back injury, and the out-of-form Jason Mohammed. Both Barath and Bravo were part of the West Indies U-19 side that placed ninth in the recently-concluded junior World Cup.Kelvin Williams, the former T&T allrounder, has been appointed coach in place of David Williams. David, the former T&T and West Indies wicketkeeper, has been requested by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to join the West Indies team’s coaching staff. Williams was recently named as an assistant coach to John Dyson, the former Australian player who took over as West Indies coach last year.T&T beat Windward Islands by three wickets to stat alive in the tournament and are third in the standings with 31 points, behind Jamaica on 46 and Barbados 42.Leewards Islands have made three changes to their squad to face Guyana in St Thomas. Adam Sanford, the former West Indies fast bowler, opener Javier Liburd and teenage wicketkeeper Jamal Hamilton make way for uncapped fast bowler Brent Defreitas, experienced left-hander Shane Jeffers, back from injury, and West Indies U-19 wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.Sanford has been struggling to take wickets consistently and Liburd has been favoured for a batsman who would have been a certainty had he been fit.In other news, young lespinner Davendra Bishoo has been ruled out of Guyana’s game this weekend because of visa trouble. After taking seven wickets on debut for Guyana against CCC last weekend, Bishoo was expected to play a crucial role against the Leeward Islands; however, he was denied a United States visa which is required to enter St Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and his place in the team has been taken by 20-year-old Gajanand Singh.Bishoo, 22, was the only member of the touring squad denied a visa by the USEmbassy in Guyana. Chetram Singh, president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), said that Bishoo was denied a visa because of discrepancies on visa application form. “I believe the letter from the St Thomas government went a long way in enabling the players to get their visa. Bishoo’s Visa was not granted due to discrepancies on his application form,” Singh said, adding that he intends to pursue this concern at the WICB level.

Paul Nixon has hit two unbeaten innings in the World Cup © Getty Images

England wicketkeeper Paul Nixon has said that Michael Vaughan will be fit to lead the team in their vital World Cup match against Kenya on Saturday. Vaughan tripped in a pot-hole on Tuesday and required treatment on his right knee, but concerns over another injury were quickly allayed.And Nixon, who was one of the six players fined after their late night before the Canada match, said: “Michael had a little trip on a sprinkler but he’s fine, he’s 100 percent.” Vaughan has twice looked in decent form with scores of 26 and 45 against New Zealand and Canada before throwing his wicket away on both occasions.Nixon, who has also been in strong batting form early in the tournament, is keen to put the issues of the past week behind him and move forward. “I think anything like this brings guys together,” he said. “There’s a lot of honesty and openness in the dressing room and that’s important going forward.”He also gave his version of events on that Friday night in St Lucia. “Obviously I’ve apologised to Duncan Fletcher for being out too late after a game and we’ve moved on as a team and Duncan’s accepted that. I had a reasonably quiet night but stayed out too long in the public domain. I’ve learnt my lesson, held my hands up, apologised and we’ll take it from there.”Cricket is a game that can kick you in the backside at any stage if you don’t stay focused and it’s important we stay focused and move forward from what’s happened. We’ve got to take every game as a huge event and try to win this World Cup.”England are now involved in a shoot-out with Kenya, who they play on Saturday, for the second qualifying spot alongside New Zealand that would see them into the second phase, Super Eight stage. Nixon said England could take heart from the way in which the Black Caps thrashed Kenya by 148 runs on Tuesday. “Every game is a tricky game. New Zealand and ourselves are very closely matched and we’ll be doing our homework.”

ScorecardThe name Compton has a long history with Lord’s and today it was back up in lights as Nick Compton, Denis’s grandson, struck his maiden Championship century to haul Middlesex out of trouble on the third day against Kent. He arrived after three early wickets during the morning session and, after initially playing second fiddle to Jamie Dalrymple, pushed Middlesex towards their eventual lead of 353.Last week Compton notched his first first-class century but, without trying to take anything away from Oxford UCCE, the bowling attack would not have been as testing as that on offer at Lord’s. His previous best in the Championship had been 40, on debut, against Worcestershire in 2004 and conditions weren’t easy when he arrived. The ball was still swinging considerably, but he quickly began to rotate the strike with Dalrymple, the senior partner, who steadied the Middlesex innings after it had slumped to 45 for 4.When Dalrymple departed, falling across the crease against the impressive Robbie Joseph, Compton took the innings under his young wings. Boundaries were limited but he sprinted hard between the wickets and when he connected with a big shot, he did so in style. A handsome straight drive into the pavilion loosened the shackles and he immediately appeared calmer at the crease.Understandably the tension mounted as three figures approached and he nearly edged Simon Cook twice while on 96. However, in the next over, from Min Patel, he danced out of his crease and smashed the ball over mid-off and into the Warner Stand to break through the 100-mark off 184 balls. A jig of delight followed as his team-mates and the crowd rose for a standing ovation. The giant electronic scorecard – a feature that certainly wasn’t around in the days of his grandfather, when he scored the last of his Lord’s hundreds on August 28, 1957 – flashed up the figures and he led the players off at tea.The significance of this innings goes beyond just the personal and historical factors as it put Middlesex in an increasingly strong position. The top order stuttered as they attempted to build on their 25-run first-innings lead with Kent’s seamers, especially Joseph and Amjad Khan, maintaining the pressureAlready one down overnight, following the late loss of Ed Smith yesterday evening, Middlesex quickly lost their other opener, Ben Hutton, when he miscued a pull for the second time in the match. There was useful movement for the pacemen as the sun struggled to pierce the morning could cover, but Owais Shah middled a couple of sumptuous cover-drives and was more compact than his rather skittish affair in the first innings. However, he could build on the promising start as he was beaten for pace by Khan – a slight lack of bounce – to be pinned in front, leaving Middlesex 45 for 3.The score hadn’t moved when Kent struck another major blow by removing Ed Joyce. Fresh from his 130 on Wednesday, Joyce was left needing to produce another sizeable innings but drove loosely at Joesph and Martin van Jaarsveld continued his excellent catching form with a sharp take at second slip.However, Dalrymple showed the composure and correctness that gained him A team recognition in the winter. He was quick onto anything off line, particularly through the offside, and brought up his fifty from 64 balls. His innings, though, was quickly overshadowed by Compton who, with valuable support from the busy Craig Wright, pushed the lead over 300.A determined start by David Fulton and Robert Key has left Kent needed 311 more runs and set up a fascinating final day, in what has been a superb advertisement for hard-fought county cricket. Today, though, was all about one of the most famous names in cricket making a 21st century appearance in the middle of the most famous ground in the world.

Scorecard
Kenya progressed to the next stage of the Intercontinental Cup after claiming enough bonus points on the final day at Windhoek to edge out Namibia. Five second innings wickets for Kenya gave them an extra 2.5 points, the eventual margin between them and Namibia.Kenya declared on 282 for 9 in their second innings, setting Namibia a notional target of 248. However, they managed to grab five wickets in the closing stages of the match, and following their productive second knock, that was enough to see them through.The Kenyan’s second innings was built around a solid 72 from Martin Suji, to follow up a half-century from Kennedy Otieno. Those contributions allowed Kenya to recover from the early loss of Steve Tikolo, who was dismissed without adding to his overnight score.Suji received impressive support from Peter Ongondo, who contributed 26 to a ninth-wicket stand of 62. All the Namibia attack chipped in, with Deon Kotze, the captain, taking 2 for 46.There was just enough time remaining for Kenya to take five wickets, taking their bonus point total for the game to 17, against Namibia’s 15.

Brad Haddin goes on tour for Australia © Getty

Michael Kasprowicz and Brad Haddin have won spots in the Australian one-day team that will tour Sri Lanka beginning on February 20. Michael Bevan, who missed out on the two finals of the VB Series with a fractured rib, is also fit and returns to the 15-man squad.Trevor Hohns, the chairman of the selection panel, said “Playing in the sub-continent and taking on Sri Lanka presents a real challenge to this group, but we feel that 15 players will give us adequate depth and the necessary firepower to do the job.” He also welcomed Bevan’s return to the squad. “Michael Bevan’s return to the squad following injury is welcomed, and we feel that a back-up wicket-keeper to support Adam Gilchrist is also necessary.Hohns also justified the selections of Kasprowicz and Haddin. “Brad Haddin performed well when called into the squad during the VB Series and this touring experience should help in his overall development as a senior cricketer. In the pace-bowling department, we have included Michael Kasprowicz, who despite not playing during the two VB Series finals, is a proven performer on sub-continental wickets. His performance over a long period of time has been first-rate.”The Test team for the Sri Lankan tour will be selected on February 20.Squad 1 Ricky Ponting (capt), 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Michael Bevan, 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Jason Gillespie, 6 Brad Haddin, 7 Ian Harvey, 8 Matthew Hayden, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Simon Katich, 12 Brett Lee, 13 Damien Martyn, 14 Andrew Symonds, 15 Brad Williams

Former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh is optimistic the regional team can make a big impact at the forthcoming World Cup.Test cricket’s highest wicket-taker feels Carl Hooper’s men will surprise those who have not given West Indies much of a chance.”I expect them to go all the way and I would love to see West Indies in the final,” Walsh told NATIONSPORT yesterday.”Once we get to the final, the better team will come up trumps. We have to play some good cricket and I am backing the boys to make it to the final.”West Indies, champions in 1975 and 1979, have not qualified for a final since 1983.They have been placed in Pool B alongside South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Kenya, Bangladesh and Canada, and some reckon they will have a tough time to emerge among the top three in the group to advance to the Super Six stage.”I like the position they’re in – where nobody is paying them much attention,” Walsh said.”We will go in as the underdogs or outsiders, which is good for the team. They have a nice, balanced squad. If everybody play as well as they played on the last tour and we bowl just a little bit better, I think we have a very good chance.”A veteran of three World Cups, Walsh is in Barbados to play in a match organised by the Variety Club of Barbados to raise funds for the construction of an autism centre.The match was scheduled for Carlton Club last night.The former West Indies pacer, who captured 519 wickets in 132 Tests between 1984 and 2001, said the major challengers to West Indies at the World Cup would be defending champions Australia and hosts South Africa.”If you are playing in South Africa, you cannot write off the home team. Australia and New Zealand are playing good cricket and Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan have a way of turning it on and off.”All the teams are good, but the top three everybody is going to be watching are Australia and South Africa as the top two, and New Zealand, one of the strong contenders,” Walsh said.”Those are the top three everybody is going to be watching, but I personally think West Indies can surprise all of them.”

Australia chalked up an emphatic first win in the Vodafone Challenge series by overpowering Worcestershire on the final day at New Road.The tourists added 124 in 90 minutes before declaring at 360-8 and then dismissed the county for 188 to romp home by 360 runs with more than ten overs to spare.Damien Fleming instigated Worcestershire’s struggle with two wickets in successive overs on either side of lunch. Anurag Singh edged to second slip and Graeme Hick’s unhappy match closed with a first-ball nick to first slip.Philip Weston pulled successive fours off Nathan Bracken before he was lbw to the left-arm paceman for 22 and Glenn McGrath landed the decisive blows on his team-mates from last year when he was Worcestershire’s overseas player.The Aussies’ No 1 fast bowler accounted for Vikram Solanki and Kadeer Ali in his afternoon spell and came back after tea to post a final return of four for 31 in 12.3 overs.McGrath trapped Kabir Ali lbw for 39 after the young all-rounder had hit eight fours in the one notable stand of 66 in 20 overs with top scorer David Leatherdale.Matt Rawnsley went in McGrath’s next over and Leatherdale was ninth out for 72, a quality innings of 11 fours ended by a yorker from Bracken after the Yorkshireman had faced 113 balls.The Australians’ morning workout with the bat included a rousing 41 from 23 balls by Shane Warne, who then held two slip catches and took the wicket of Jamie Pipe, but the man of the match award went to Damien Martyn for his 108 on the first day.