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Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge blow after learning that one of their top squad members could be ruled out for the rest of the season, according to a medical expert.

Rangers injury news

The Light Blues have Tom Lawrence, Danilo, Nicolas Raskin, Ryan Jack and Scott Wright all out on the sidelines with their own respective problems as it stands, so the club will have to try and continue to pick up positive results without having them at their disposal.

With regards to Kemar Roofe, Philippe Clement’s striker isn’t yet ready to play the full entirety of a game, but having got some minutes under his belt when coming off the bench in recent fixtures, it shouldn’t be too long before he finds himself back at full fitness in the Scottish Premiership.

Back in 2022, Steven Davis sustained a serious knee injury and the central midfielder therefore hasn’t played in almost a year, but while he hasn’t been able to make an impact on the pitch, he’s been more than pulling his weight off it during his absence.

The Northern Irishman was appointed interim manager following the sacking of Michael Beale, so gained some experience leading the team from the dugout, but going back to his playing situation, the 38-year-old is facing an extremely uncertain future.

Davis could miss the rest of the season

Speaking to Ibrox News, Dr. Rajpal Brar claimed that Davis might miss the remainder of the campaign for Rangers, but the positive news is that he isn't expected to require another round of surgery to further rectify his injury.

“Whether he’s able to play again comes down to how his knee responds to rehabilitation but there is a chance he does not this season. He’s taken the step of stepping away as coach to get back to rehabilitation full-time but that doesn’t guarantee the knee will get back to the required level of strength, mobility, neuromuscular control needed along with Davis having the confidence to play again.

"This doesn’t sound like a surgery is needed scenario, but rather whether he can physically get back to the required level scenario and he looks like he’s going to be out for several months.”

Clement has lost a real "leader" in Davis

During his time at Rangers, Davis has posted 97 contributions, 70 assists and 27 goals, from 359 appearances, showing the positive impact he can make in the final third, but he’s also comfortable playing in many other areas of the pitch (Transfermarkt – Davis statistics).

The Ballymena-born talent is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions since the start of his career, with his ability to adapt to his manager’s demands and organisational skills having seen him hailed a “leader” by Josh Bunting.

With Davis having previously twice been named the Player of the Year, Ibrox supporters clearly adore him and it would be a real blow if the veteran was to decide to hang up his boots if he failed to return from this, so here’s hoping that he is able to stage his comeback in the near future instead of ending his career.

Chasing 135, Brisbane Heat could manage only 129 against the variations of Stoinis and Bravo

The Report by Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2019Melbourne Stars set themselves for a push into the BBL semi-finals with a superb bowling display which defended the lowest score successfully protected at the MCG and in turn left Brisbane Heat on the verge of being eliminated.The Heat played a significant hand in their own downfall with some poor shot selection but appeared to be on course at 4 for 111, needing 24 off 20 balls. However, Matt Renshaw was caught behind off the in-form Marcus Stoinis, who produced an outstanding all-round display, as he and Dwayne Bravo closed out the innings with skill.The Stars are now one of three teams on 12 points behind the runaway leaders Hobart Hurricanes and have a good chance of securing a home semi-final. The Heat started the night with five games to play but this defeat means they probably now need to win all four to progress.Stars slideThe Stars had a star-stubbed middle order but they couldn’t make the most of solid base provided the by the opening stand of 63 between Stoinis and Ben Dunk. After Stoinis was trapped lbw by Ben Cutting, Peter Handscomb picked out mid-off and Glenn Maxwell found fine leg. There were only six fours in the innings alongside three sixes as Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mitch Swepson proved hard to score off.Only one way to play?Although the target was modest, it was clear from the first innings that there would need to be some shrewd batting. That, though, is not always what you associate with the Heat who pack their top order with hitters and play the same way regardless. Max Bryant, who has been one of the breakout stars of this tournament, was threatening to make a mockery of conditions as he hit five boundaries in an 18-ball stay which should have given the Heat plenty of breathing space.But when he was caught at deep midwicket, Chris Lynn was lbw playing across the line to Adam Zampa and then Brendon McCullum found long-on when the required rate was still well within the realms of knocking the ball around. Worse followed when Alex Ross slapped a long-hop from Bravo straight to point and the Heat were 4 for 54 in the ninth over.Changing placesIt had been a contrasting 24 hours, or more, for Stoinis and Renshaw with the pair swapping places in Australia’s Test squad. Renshaw’s comeback lasted one squad in which he quickly moved down the pecking order. It was, therefore, to his credit that he produced a skilful and calm innings to put his team’s chase back on track. It was rarely pretty, but he worked the ball around effectively forming a steady partnership with Jimmy Peirson.Victory was there for the taking for the Heat, but Stoinis would have the final say. Trying to ramp a short delivery, Renshaw edged to the wicketkeeper and in Stoinis’ next over Peirson was taken by Maxwell at long-on. Against the variations of Stoinis and Bravo, the lower order could barely connect and only a penultimate ball boundary for Swepson got the margin as close as it was.

Norwich City return to Championship action this afternoon as they host struggling Preston North End at Carrow Road looking for their fourth win in five matches.

Their opponents come into the game off the back of three straight defeats and David Wagner's side have the chance to add further misery to Ryan Lowe and his men.

The Canaries have averaged 39% possession or less in each of their last three league matches, which yielded two wins and a defeat, and could seek more control in order to put in a convincing performance.

To do this, Wagner could make some changes to the starting XI that featured in their most recent win against Bristol City away from home last Sunday.

With this in mind, here is the possible Norwich line-up that could be selected to take on Preston on home soil today…

1 Angus Gunn

Starting off between the sticks, Angus Gunn should retain his position in the side after a strong performance on his return against the Robins.

The Scotland international made two crucial saves during the first half to keep his team in the match and earn himself a Sofascore rating of 7.7.

2 Jack Stacey

At right-back, Jack Stacey could make his 18th start of the Championship campaign since his move from Premier League side Bournemouth on a free transfer, ahead of the inexperienced Kellen Fisher.

Appearances

19

Four

Sofascore rating

6.93

6.75

Duel success rate

52%

58%

Key passes per game

1.1

0.8

Tackles per game

2.2

1.3

3 Shane Duffy

Shane Duffy could keep his place at the heart of the defence after a commanding performance at the back against Bristol City on Sunday.

The Republic of Ireland international won seven of his nine duels throughout the 90 minutes, which included six of his seven aerial contests, and made six clearances.

4 Kenny McLean

Kenny McLean started in an unfamiliar centre-back position last weekend but it was one that he adapted to with ease as the Scotland international produced an impressive display.

He was brought in to replace Danny Batth in order to provide a left-footed balance and quality ball-playing out from the back, which eventually paid dividends in stoppage time with his assist for Adam Idah's winner.

5 Dimitrios Giannoulis

The Greek international should start at left-back ahead of Sam McCallum after shaking off an injury scare against Bristol City on Sunday.

Dimitrios Giannoulis hobbled off after a rough challenge during the second half last time out and Wagner has since confirmed that the full-back will be available for selection against Preston.

6 Marcelino Nunez

McLean's new role at centre-back and Adam Forshaw's continued absence has provided central midfielder Marcelino Nunez with a big opportunity to nail down his place in the team.

The Chile international has only started four Championship matches so far this season and a strong performance against Preston could allow Wagner to trust him more moving forward.

7 Gabriel Sara

Possibly the easiest decision Wagner has to make is the selection of Gabriel Sara in midfield next to Nunez as the Brazilian magician has been in fantastic form this season.

He has racked up five goals, eight assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 19 league starts for the Canaries throughout the 2023/24 campaign to date.

8 Christian Fassnacht

The first change that could be made to the XI is Christian Fassnacht coming back into the starting XI in place of Onel Hernandez, who started on the left on Sunday.

Norwich's summer signing could return and start on the right, which would then allow Jonathan Rowe to move over to the left, after a disappointing run of form from Hernandez.

The Cuba international has gone seven games without a goal or an assist and his last strike at Carrow Road came against Manchester United in a 3-1 defeat in October 2019.

Fassnacht has scored three goals in 11 league starts this season, including one in his last three starts, and could, therefore, provide a greater threat on the flank.

9 Borja Sainz

The second change that could be made to the XI is Spanish forward Borja Sainz coming in for Liam Gibbs as part of the dynamic front two in Wagner's system.

Interestingly, the summer signing came off the bench against Bristol City in that position and it could get the best out of his knack for finding the back of the net.

Sainz, who scored against Fulham in the League Cup earlier this season, scored nine goals in 32 Super Lig starts for Giresunspor last term.

Gibbs, on the other hand, has managed one goal and zero assists in 43 Championship games for Norwich since the start of last season, which does not suggest that he is likely to have a telling impact on the match in a forward position.

10 Jonathan Rowe

Another simple selection for Wagner is to start Rowe out wide. The England U21 international is a constant threat to defenders with his direct running and pace, which has been backed up with seven goals and one assist in the league.

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness claims Mohamed Salah has "had his head turned" and will follow manager Jurgen Klopp out of the club this summer.

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Salah clashes with Klopp at West HamGerman leaving Liverpool this summerSouness backs Egyptian to follow suitWHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool icons Klopp and Salah got into something of a spat during their 2-2 draw with West Ham last weekend. While Klopp said the matter had been resolved after the match, the Egyptian said if he spoke there would be "fire". Now, former Reds star Souness believes the 31-year-old will end his seven-year stay at Anfield at the end of the season and possibly move to Saudi Arabia – where Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT GRAEME SOUNESS SAID

Souness also claimed that Salah may have already agreed a Ronaldo-esque deal with Liverpool well ahead of time, as he said on talkSPORT: "There's every chance that he's done a deal with Liverpool at the end of last season – the summer last year. 'Oh there's interest from Saudi Arabia' – but he's given them an extra year. It's like [Cristiano] Ronaldo at Manchester United, he gave them another year and then went off to Real Madrid [in 2009]. I think there's every possibility that is the case. Given Salah is [almost] 32 now, I think he's been marvellous for Liverpool, but I think he's had his head turned. He's going back to a Muslim country, his mother tongue, so at his age and everything else, I think there's every chance that will happen."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With Klopp stepping down as manager at the end of the season, keeping their best players going forward will be key in Liverpool's bid to be successful. Therefore, losing Salah – who has scored 210 goals in 346 appearances – could be tough to take. The former Roma man is out of contract in 2025 and it remains to be seen if he will sign a new deal.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Salah's Liverpool side, who saw their dreams of winning the quadruple crash and burn with Europa League and FA Cup exits in recent weeks, will try and keep their faint Premier League title hopes alive when they host Tottenham on Sunday.

Hollywood actor Gerard Butler was in attendance as he watched Chelsea's rampant victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.

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Butler records message for Chelsea fansScottish actor watched the Blues' 5-0 victoryChelsea leapfrog Man Utd temporarilyWHAT HAPPENED?

Butler picked a good game to visit west London as he witnessed the Blues score five unanswered goals past the Hammers and climb to seventh in the table. Prior to the game he recorded a brief message that was posted on the club's Instagram page. Butler described his excitement to be at the game and spoke of his 'joy' at watching the Blues.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT BUTLER SAID

Speaking to the Chelsea faithful, Butler said: "Hey Chelsea fans, Gerry Butler here. You might not be Chelsea fans, but if not, maybe you should be Chelsea fans! Here at Stamford Bridge for the West Ham game, I'm super excited and it's going to get a lot busier than this. You can feel it already – it is a joy to be here! Take care."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Gerard Butler grew up in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow, and is a huge Celtic fan. The actor has explained in the past that he has often woken up at the crack of dawn in Los Angeles in order to watch his beloved Bhoys.

Competition is open to girls between the ages of 7 and 11 in England and Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2019Ahead of a significant international summer for the England women’s team – including a home Ashes series – ECB is teaming up with the nine first-class counties hosting international women’s cricket this year to launch the #HeathersPride competition on International Women’s Day.Women’s and girls’ cricket in England and Wales continues to grow and to celebrate that, this competition, fronted by England captain Heather Knight, will give 11 girls across the country a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join her and the England players for a training session ahead of the Ashes.The competition is open to girls between the ages of 7 and 11 across the country. To find the 11 winners, the nine first-class counties in question will each select one worthy winner from their county who explains to them why she deserves the chance to be a member of #HeathersPride.The remaining two winners will be selected from across England and Wales by Knight herself, as ‘Captain’s Picks’.

Some of the best moments from our win in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup was seeing young girls imitate us on the sidelinesHEATHER KNIGHT

Entries will be made via social media (using #HeathersPride) or via email. Those applying through their counties should see their respective county websites for further details. If you do not have a connection with one of the nine venues hosting international women’s cricket this summer, you can apply to be a Captain’s Pick by emailing [email protected] with subject #HeathersPride.Entries for the competition will close on May 1.Speaking about the competition, Knight said: “International Women’s Day is a great moment to reflect on the progress of women’s and girls’ cricket. We’ve made so much progress over the last few years and we want to keep moving forward. At the very top, we’re pushing towards more depth and having more professional players, while it’s amazing that more and more girls are playing the game through initiatives like All Stars.Nat Sciver celebrates the World Cup win at Lord’s with her team-mates•Getty Images”Chance to Shine also celebrated introducing cricket to its two-millionth girl this week. It’s exciting to think of how many girls are now choosing cricket. Some of the best moments from our win in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup was seeing young girls imitate us on the sidelines and hopefully many more will be inspired by this competition to become part of #HeathersPride. I can’t wait to see all the winners in the summer!”Clare Connor, who was appointed managing director of women’s cricket at ECB, in January 2019, added, “Our strategy for 2020-24 is all about inspiring future generations and this is a great initiative from Heather and the counties to really bring that to life by giving 11 lucky girls the chance to train with their heroes for the day.”Whilst International Women’s Day is an appropriate day to celebrate the progress made so far it’s also important to recognise the challenges we still face in our ultimate ambition of making cricket a gender balanced sport. The Inspiring Generations strategy outlines an ambition to invest £50m into women’s and girls’ cricket over the four-year period and this level of investment will help us continue to both increase the number of women and girls playing recreationally, as well as grow the profile of the elite women’s game.”Heather’s and the team’s victory at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup created a huge opportunity for us and now we must take that to the next level through this strategy. As all of that exciting work takes shape, I’m looking forward to seeing the training session with the 11 winners of Heather’s Pride and the England women’s team this summer.”This week has also seen the independent national cricket charity, Chance to Shine, celebrate the two-millionth girl signing up to play cricket as part of its development programme: nine-year-old Keira from Staffordshire. The charity used this opportunity to announce new funding for a secondary school’s girls’ programme, which will aim to reach over 14,000 girls across the country teaching them key leadership skills through the game of cricket.To enter the #HeathersPride competition please email [email protected] or visit the website of your respective County. The nine venues hosting international women’s cricket this summer and taking part in the competition are:*Derbyshire *Essex *Gloucestershire *Kent *Leicestershire *Northamptonshire *Somerset *Sussex *Worcestershire

Chelsea are enduring a second consecutive season of footballing misery this year; the hope that came along with a new manager in Mauricio Pochettino and a relatively impressive pre-season faded quickly at the start of the campaign and, with 17 Premier League games done, the Blues find themselves closer to 20th than 1st.

Their midweek win over Newcastle United to set up a League Cup semi-final in the new year was a welcomed distraction from their league form. Still, the club must re-enter the transfer market in January if they want to challenge for fifth place in the new year.

The west London side have struggled for goals this year, so one of the latest names touted with a move to Stamford Bridge should excite fans, as his high energy and creativity have seen him compared to Arsenal's Martin Odegaard: Nicolo Barella.

Pochettino can sign his own Kyle Walker at Chelsea in £13m-rated "beast"

The 28-year-old could replace Ben Chilwell at left-back.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 19, 2023 Chelsea transfer news – Nicolo Barella

According to a report from Spain (via TEAMtalk), Chelsea are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Inter Milan's star midfielder.

The report reveals that the Blues – along with the other sides – are closely monitoring the player's contract negotiations with the Serie A giants and are ready to pounce with an ambitious January bid should Barella appear unhappy with what he is offered.

The report also reveals that the current Serie A leaders value their "little warrior", as described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, at between £70-£80m, which is a price that Chelsea have proven they are willing to deal at in recent windows.

So far this season, the 26-year-old has scored one goal and provided three assists in 15 league starts while maintaining a passing accuracy of 86.2%, winning one Man-of-the-Match award and averaging a match rating of 6.88, per WhoScored.

Chelsea could sign their own Martin Odegaard in Nicolo Barella

There were few better midfielders in the Premier League last season than Arsenal's Odegaard – 15 goals and seven assists in the league proves as much – and while he has taken a little longer to get into the swing of this season, he is once again looking a class above most others in his position.

With this in mind, it should be incredibly encouraging to see that the Norwegian maestro makes it as one of the ten most similar players in Europe's top five leagues to Barella, according to FBref, as it indicates the kind of impact the Italian could have in English football.

Position

Player

Club

1.

Bernado Silva

Manchester City

2.

Branco van den Boomen

Ajax

3.

Pascal Groß

Brighton & Hove Albion

4.

Piotr Zieliński

Napoli

5.

Romano Schmid

Werder Bremen

6.

Lee Kang-in

Paris Saint-Germain

7.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

Comparison Via FBref

Furthermore, while he stacks up well with the Gunners' captain, he outclasses the Blues' midfielders. His ability to play in both central and attacking midfield roles would make him the perfect player to add to Pochettino's core.

When comparing the former Cagliari star's underlying numbers to those of Conor Gallagher – the man he'd likely replace – it becomes clear just how much better he really is.

Stats (per 90)

Barella

Gallagher

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.23

0.20

Progressive Carries

2.28

1.97

Progressive Passes

10.0

6.19

Shot-Creating Actions

3.88

3.53

Goal-Creating Actions

0.66

0.47

Tackles Won

0.88

1.77

Fouls Committed

0.81

2.45

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

The "exceptional player", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, comes out on top in almost every critical metric. He creates more chances, scores more goals and fouls the opposition far less often than the competition.

The only area in which Gallagher has him beat is in successful tackles, although this could be more related to team instructions than pure talent.

At the end of the day, Chelsea need some attacking reinforcements, and Barella, who Jacek Kulig dubbed as "one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world", would be the perfect signing.

A Spanish second-tier club has expressed their ambition to stage a friendly against Lionel Messi & Inter Miami.

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Messi might return to SpainReal Zaragoza want to host the ArgentineTheir dream is not entirely unfoundedWHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored one of the sensational goals of his career at the Estadio La Romareda against Real Zaragoza in the 2009-10 season while he was with Barcelona. Since that iconic goal, much has changed for both Messi and Zaragoza – Los Manos are no longer a Spanish top-flight outfit whereas the Argentine finds himself in an entirely new continent plying his trade across the Atlantic for Inter Miami.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Nonetheless, there is an air of optimism in the Spanish province of Aragon that they could lure Messi to grace the Romareda once again in the near future. Their lofty ambition is not entirely far-fetched as Inter Miami’s American co-owner Jorge Mas holds 51 per cent of the shares in Zarazoga.

WHAT RAUL SANLLEHI SAID

Zaragoza’s director general Raul Sanllehi told "He scored one of his most beautiful goals in our stadium. We want to bring him back and play again here.”

In 2023, Zaragoza played Millonarios in a pre-season friendly, they want to host the Herons in a similar match in the northeast of Spain.

“They know this and understand the benefits. Jorge Mas wants to bring Inter Miami to Zaragoza. One of Messi’s best goals was in the Romareda," he added.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Zaragoza has a storied history of competing alongside giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona for honours in Spain and Europe. However, the club's fortunes took a downturn in 2013 when they were relegated from La Liga and have since struggled to reclaim their place in the top tier. But Mas is keeping no stone unturned to revive the lost glory of the club and has already invested a fortune to settle the debts of the club which were "ten times" the income.

Aston Villa have had a better season than many could have possibly expected and are sitting merely three points off the top of the Premier League heading into the new year.

However, while head coach Unai Emery will be delighted with his players' performances this season, the Spanish coach may still feel as though one or two areas could be strengthened in January, with the window set to open in just a few days.

Aston Villa could sign "explosive" £20m gem who is better than Diaby

This £20m gem could be the perfect player to make up for Emery’s Diaby mistake.

ByAdam Scully Dec 28, 2023

One player in particular could be Emery's saving grace this winter and would improve Villa's backline immensely, although the signing will certainly come at a price.

Aston Villa transfer news – Nahuel Molina

As per reports in Spain back in October, Aston Villa had emerged as the front-runners to sign Atletico Madrid fullback Nahuel Molina in January. Furthermore, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealed in November that the 25-year-old was set to sign a new contract with Los Colchoneros, although this has yet to be made official by either party.

The Argentine defender moved to the Spanish capital from Serie A club Udinese at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign for a reported £17.3m fee. Since then, Molina has helped guide Atletico to a third-place finish last season and even picked himself up a World Cup winner's medal midway through the term with Argentina in Qatar.

Molina was Argentina's first-choice right-back in the Middle East last winter and scored a goal in the quarter-finals as the South American side eventually beat the Netherlands on penalties en route to glory. Journalist Josh Bunting described the Atletico defender as "beautiful to watch" during the tournament.

As a result of his superb performances over the past twelve to eighteen months, Molina's market value has soared to £70m, according to the CIES Football Observatory.

Nahuel Molina's stats this season

One area of Aston Villa's team that Emery has tried to mask the deficiencies of over the past few months is at right-back. The manager predominantly deploys Matty Cash on the right side of the back four during games against weaker opposition. However, when tasked with facing stronger opponents, such as Manchester United, Cash drops to the bench.

Emery prefers having a more defensive player in that position against the top teams, hence why Ezri Konsa has been asked to fill in as a right-back multiple times this season already, including during Villa's Boxing Day defeat to Manchester United. Up against Marcus Rashford on his return to the starting lineup, Konsa did quite well, winning 11 of his 15 duels and 67% of his tackles while also making eight ball recoveries.

Then, in theory, Emery will use Cash against teams with less quality than Villa, such as Sheffield United. However, the Poland international has struggled in recent weeks to offer anything on the right flank. In the 1-1 draw to the Blades last week, Cash lost possession of the ball 25 times and was handed a 4/10 match rating by Birmingham World for his errant display.

This season, Molina has been much better offensively and defensively than Cash and looks to be a clear upgrade on the Aston Villa fullback, having outperformed his counterpart across a string of metrics.

Goals

0.13

0.11

Expected Goals

0.06

0.21

Assists

0.2

0.11

Expected Assists

0.12

0.11

Progressive Passes

4.05

4.21

Progressive Passes Received

6.99

5.06

Key Passes

0.92

0.79

Passes To Penalty Area

1.5

0.84

Take-Ons Success Rate %

42.9

28.1

Crosses

3.46

1.76

Ball Recoveries

5.82

4.89

Stats via FBref

Emery doesn't trust Cash to start in big games so signing a new right-back could be of paramount importance for Villa in January. While Molina will be expensive, he'll certainly be worth the money.

Sean Abbott and Harry Conway get among the wickets, but their first-innings rollover has left NSW staring at a target in the region of 400

The Report by Daniel Brettig30-Mar-2019Stumps Victoria battled their way to a commanding lead over a doughty New South Wales bowling attack on day three of the Sheffield Shield final at a chilly and rainswept Junction Oval in Melbourne.No Victorian batsman managed to top Will Pucovski’s 51, which itself included a dropped chance, but the yawning gap created by the destruction of the Blues’ first innings on day two continued to widen all along despite some strong spells from pacers Sean Abbott and Harry Conway and a negative one by the spinner Steve O’Keefe.Resuming after the first of several rain delays at 1 for 48 following the loss of Marcus Harris to Abbott late on the second evening, the Victorians soon lost their captain Travis Dean, judged to have been pinned lbw by an Abbott delivery that seamed back sharply to beat the bat and may just have shaved leg stump.O’Keefe bowled many of his overs with a constricting line outside the leg stump from over the wicket, seldom gaining enough turn to threaten the stumps. But his intent was clearly to support the fast bowlers as they rotated from the Pavilion End.Sean Abbott made early inroads•Getty ImagesNSW needed more wickets in quick succession to give themselves a chance of restricting the Victorian lead, but after Pucovski was dropped in the slips when trying to force a cut shot, wicketkeeper Seb Gotch and he were able to put together a pesky stand that endured well into the afternoon.Pucovski reached his half-century from 86 balls, but after Conway seamed one back to have Gotch lbw for 20, Abbott won another lbw verdict as Pucovski fell across his crease while trying to flick to the leg side.Two more wickets fell in quick succession after another rain delay, Cameron White attempting to sweep O’Keefe from around the wicket and being struck in line with the stumps, before Conway earned another lbw by trapping Matt Short. The 13 lbw decisions for the match so far are already the most in a Shield final.The dismissals opened up the Victorian tail, and Chris Tremain fell to Trent Copeland with the second new ball before bad light brought the close, but with the lead already beyond 350, the visitors have a steep task ahead if they are to overturn the seemingly decisive proceedings of the first innings.