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At one end Shivnarine Chanderpaul has ground out runs anonymously for years while starboy strokeplayers have everyone gasping at their pyrotechnic displays at the other end © Getty Images

That’s all you can ask for – a lot of fight, even if it might eventually prove to be all in vain.Many fans wouldn’t have bothered to be up early yesterday just to see the West Indies fold meekly on the way to yet another massive defeat. You can’t blame them. Even some English journalists and broadcasters covering the match had checked out early from their hotels on the fourth morning, fully expecting the tourists to live up to their recent reputation as a side prone to gutless capitulations.Just the thought of these goodly gentlemen, and even the odd lady, hastily re-booking into hotels and cancelling plans for golf or other diversions today is satisfaction in itself. But there was more than enough out in the middle at Old Trafford to again keep that limp flame flickering just a little bit more in the expectation that some of these same players may actually have what it takes to help develop a new culture of discipline, dedication and commitment in West Indies cricket.After playing most of his international career in the considerable shadow of Brian Lara, most of us almost take Shivnarine Chanderpaul for granted. He is always there thereabouts, nothing spectacular, nothing flamboyant (except for the out-of-the blue explosion, like that 69-ball hundred against the Aussies at Bourda in 2003), grinding out runs almost anonymously while the starboy strokeplayers have everyone gasping at their pyrotechnic displays at the other end.But the incomparable Trinidadian batting maestro is no longer part of the landscape, bringing sharply into focus just how significant the other long-serving left-hander is in the West Indian middle-order. His knock of 74 was the topscore in a commendable overall effort of 437 in the first innings of the drawn first Test at Lord’s. Ruled out of the second Test debacle at Headingley with an inflamed knee, the former captain returned for this encounter and again led the way with an even 50 first up, although he could not halt the distressingly swift decline of the first innings late on the second day.Yesterday, though, he was in his element, soldiering on for four-and-a-half hours while accumulating runs as quietly and efficiently as ever. Ever mindful that, with two days to go, occupation of the crease was more of a priority than racing after an improbable target of 455, Chanderpaul batted as he usually does, as if nothing else matters but the next delivery. He resumes this morning 19 runs short of another Test hundred, but it would be surprising if he is not thinking well beyond that milestone to the 154 runs required to make history, especially if his team-mates can continue to give such impressively solid support.And that is something, probably even more than the trademark Chanderpaul vigil, which defined yesterday’s play in Manchester. In the same way that bowlers need the support of fielders to hold the catches, even the greatest batsman in the world can’t make much of an impact if wickets are tumbling at the other end.Such a clatter would have been expected when Chris Gayle fell early. However since then, every partnership has contributed more than 50 runs with successive pairings urging each other along to maintain the fight against an English side that looked genuinely surprised at having to cope with such prolonged resistance. They have come to expect an attractive cameo here and there from their talented yet indisciplined opponents. But 42 from Devon Smith (adding 53 with Runako Morton), a battling 54 by Morton (putting on 73 with Chanderpaul), Dwayne Bravo mixing caution with unbridled aggression in reaching 49, (dominating an 88-run stand with the senior man), and last, but certainly not least, Denesh Ramdin (26 not out) keeping the fires of resistance burning right to the close in putting on 52 with Chanderpaul.Few could have expected such a consistent effort, and while there is no guarantee that the trend can continue on the final day, those who are yet to come (surely Darren Sammy needs no further motivation after his remarkable bowling success on Saturday) must be inspired to carry the fight if or when their turn at the crease arrives.

Chanderpaul and Ramdin will have to successfully navigate their way through Monty Panesar and the England seamers if they have to have any hope of victory © Getty Images

On a pitch offering considerable assistance for specialist spinner Monty Panesar and still firm enough to keep the seamers interested, the West Indian batting performance yesterday becomes all the more praiseworthy and cannot be idly dismissed as the result of English complacency.In the context of a side set a near-impossible task and battling through an entire day under considerable pressure, this was the best the West Indies have done since the final day of the New Year’s Test at Cape Town in 2004, when a blistering debut hundred by Dwayne Smith pulled the visitors to within 100 runs of a monumental target of 441, before skipper Lara decided that the eighth-wicket pair should shut up shop to ensure a draw instead of risking defeat by continuing the chase.This time however, there will be no stalemate, unless inclement weather intervenes. Maybe all of the optimism will come to nothing in less than an hour this morning. Nevertheless, the fact that the West Indies are still in with a chance at the start of the last day, when most were expecting England to have clinched the series already, again gives us reason to believe that somewhere among this much-maligned group are a few of the building blocks required for the reconstruction of West Indies cricket.

Will Fidel Edwards be fit for the final Test at Jamaica? © Getty Images

In what has been a largely bland series, with phases of brilliance thrown in, one particular rivalry has hardly simmered. This might be India taking on West Indies but the two Australian coaches have had their axes to grind. Both have had turbulent times while in charge, both have earned reputations as hard taskmasters, both have created enemies through their approach, and, at the moment, both have plenty on their plate.Bennett King must be in an awkward situation. Throughout the series, Brian Lara has walked into press conferences and criticised the selectors for some of their choices, going to the extent of saying that they weren’t “singing from the same hymn sheet”. King, for his part, is the fourth selector on the panel and possesses the vital casting vote. It can’t be easy. Lara seems to want fast bowlers and has hinted at the likes of Tino Best and Jermaine Lawson. The selectors seem to think differently.It has come down to a crucial selection quandary. West Indies retained their 13 from the previous Test but decided to wait on confirming the final number. “We’ve got 13 and have got some more deliberations tonight,” said King, who with his vital casting vote, may ultimately matter most. “Whether that means someone would be added or subtracted would be known only on the morning. But we have got some thoughts going on. I think that we need a way when the ball gets older and the wicket gets flatter. We need to have something up your sleeve then, someone who is very, very quick, or a world-class spinner who can put pressure on the opposition. That’s probably the area we are looking at tonight.”World-class spinners exist in the Caribbean, just that they are usually found in the rollicking night clubs and rotating, not a cricket ball, but their hips. “Very, very quick” is equally paradoxical. The choice is probably between Lawson, Daren Powell – both Jamaicans – and Best. Also, maybe they’re waiting on Fidel Edwards’s fitness. It’s all very, very hazy and things will become clear around 24 hours before the match.For Greg Chappell, the past few weeks have been a tough ride. First he watched the one-day side, that same side that had galloped to victory after victory, disintegrate. Then he watched as India squandered chance after chance to close out the first two Tests. The last two Test series have been mini-disasters – lost in Pakistan and drew with a second-string England at home. A draw here would give a feeling of stagnation, a loss would be quite calamitous. Chappell continues to reiterate that it’s a young side – he says it so often that you feel happy that a set of men can forever be young – but results may turn out to be the ultimate judge.”I have said many times before that winning and losing is not the most important thing,” he said after the team’s practice session at Melbourne Cricket Club. “It’s something that keeps the wolves at bay but the important thing is that we keep improving with each game. And I think we have. We have had some positives that have come out of this series. Some of the young bowlers have had some terrific experience and that will stand them in good stead for the future, whatever that might be – whether the future is this game or the following games after that.”Some of our batting has been really solid. VVS Laxman getting a hundred in the last Test match was important, [Mohammad] Kaif has got his first Test hundred behind him, Veeru [Sehwag] has been in good form, the captain continues to make runs, [Wasim] Jaffer has had a really good series. They are the positives; they are the things that I prefer to focus on. Because if we keep doing those things well, we are going to become a good Test match team. And that is what we are aiming for.”It was a routine practice session for both teams – India at Melbourne CC and West Indies at Kensington. The main highlight was probably Munaf Patel unleashing a fierce bouncer and smacking Sreesanth behind his left ear. “He got a bit of a shake-up,” said Chappell, “got hit on the helmet this morning which spoilt his day a little bit. But he will be OK. John [Gloster] said that there doesn’t appear to be any other problems, just a lump on his head and a bit of a bruised ego perhaps. But other than that, he’s fine.” Munaf usually enjoys hitting batsmen – growing up in Ikhar, he sent several of his friends to hospital – but this one might have been a bit too tricky to enjoy.

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Stephen Fleming’s masterful display rescued New Zealand from an unpleasant situation© Getty Images

Stephen Fleming scored a chanceless 129 off 176 balls on the first day New Zealand’s match against the BCB XI, their only warm-up ahead of next Tuesday’s first Test. New Zealanders finished on 285 for 6 after rain and bad light had permitted only 66 overs.Fleming and Hamish Marshall had put on 119 for the fourth wicket, after the Shahadat Hossain and Alamgir Kabir exploited the morning’s humid conditions to reduce the New Zealanders to 86 for four. After a consolidating Fleming and Marshall unfurled an elegant range of shots to accelerate either side of lunch.Kabir dismissed Marshall for 51, which did not slow Fleming’s scoring, but rain, which came an hour after the resumption, did. Fleming retired out during the break to allow his other batsman time in the middle. He had been particularly severe on Nadif Chowdhury, a left-arm spinner lofting him for two straight sixes.Before fading light brought an early finish, Shahadat Hossain Rajib made one delivery to bounce off a length to have Jacob Oram caught behind.The Bangladesh selectors – Faruque Ahmed, Athar ali Khan, Golam Nowsher and Dav Whatmore -were in attendance and will wait until the final day of this match before announcing the squad for the first Test at Dhaka.

On the outside looking in: Simon Katich in the nets© Getty Images

Looking for a definition of bitter-sweet? Try Simon Katich.Katich, proclaimed the unluckiest man in the world by Ricky Ponting when he lost his Test place to Andrew Symonds, has been trying to enjoy Australia’s Test series triumph over Sri Lanka. “It is so good to see the boys having success and win,” he said. “But you have that feeling that you haven’t contributed if you haven’t physically been out there.”Unlike players who are dropped at home, Katich cannot disappear off the radar.Where he’d like to be at the beach or finding consolation among friends and family, instead he has to watch Australia winning without him. “It has been hard because I have been at the cricket all the time,” he explained. “But it has still been a big thrill being here for the first time when we have actually won.”Katich has a Test average of 60 and was dropped despite scoring a match-saving century in his last Test against India at the SCG. He realises Symonds was picked purely for the conditions here, given his offspin bowling and batting prowess against spin. But that doesn’t make it any easier for a player who was in hot touch throughout the summer.”I felt this tour would be a big one for me,” Katich continued. “The summer was great but I was planning to kick on and make that spot my own but that is the way it has gone and I cannot do much about it. I felt pretty disappointed because I knew I had made improvements to my game and felt I was in the best form of my career and I planned to play in the Test series. That’s what made it so disappointing and frustrating.”The instant you find out you have been dropped is probably the worst feeling you can imagine as a cricketer, particularly when you know you are playing well … that’s when it’s hardest to take.”But he’s also had plenty of support from an Australian side full of players who have been dropped and have fought their way back into the side. “I have seen it happen to a few of the guys. They have done their time. I got a nice letter from Matthew Hayden explaining to hang in there. He has been through it himself a few years ago. Punter [Ponting] had a chat as well before the first Test.”The guys have been really good about it. They make you feel a part of it all but when you are not playing you don’t feel as if you are contributing because you are not out there.”Katich said a hand injury, caused when a ball hit him on the end of his left ring finger, has affected his wrist-spin bowling which hasn’t helped his selection cause. “I have been trying with my bowling but I have not been bowling as much as I would have liked because of my hand.”While the Symonds experiment hasn’t been a grand success, the likelihood of another spinners’ paradise for the final Test of the series at the Sinhalese Sports Club starting on Wednesday means Australia will most likely keep the same team which won the first two matches. At this stage Katich hasn’t heard otherwise, but as he admitted: “I have kept a pretty low profile.”

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya has warned his side against complacency as they prepare to take on international minnows Bangladesh on Friday.Bangladesh lost to Canada in their tournament opener and go into the Pool B clash with a diabolical losing run that stretches back 27 matches.Sri Lanka are overwhelming favourites but Jayasuriya is taking nothing for granted, urging on his players to be ruthless and clinical.”We have to play serious cricket like the other day against New Zealand. We are not taking any side lightly. We are going 100 per cent flat out to do well,” said Jayasuriya.”All the games are important in this tournament. Whatever the opposition, we have to take all of them seriously. Any team can bounce back at any time and we must be wary of it. The Canadians did well that day to beat Bangladesh,” said Jayasuriya.”You can’t underestimate Bangladesh…or any team for that matter. In the last World Cup they surprised Pakistan,” he said.”Tomorrow’s game as well as those against Canada and Kenya are important because we need those points for the next round,” he said.Jayasuriya said the win against New Zealand had changed the entire outlook of the team.”It has improved the confidence of our boys and they are looking forward to every game.The confidence is good and what we want is for our boys to continue playing good cricket like they did against New Zealand,” said Jayasuriya.He admitted that this sort of attitude was missing in Australia and that they had started to gain the confidence back only during the latter stages of the tour.He said he was quite confident the other batsmen in the side would start to score runs.”They know they have to get runs and they are experienced enough to play according to the situations. I am confident they will do it when they get the opportunity,” said Jayasuriya.Coach Dav Whatmore said the team is now reaping the rewards of having toured South Africa and Australia recently.”I’d love to be in a position where we haven’t gone through tough times. But the sad fact is that teams from the subcontinent need a bit of time to adjust to South African and Australian conditions. We have gone through that period of frustration and I felt that towards the end of the Australian tour there was some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Whatmore.”That first match was very important and we came out victors. We can’t do any more than win this first game. The boys are quite buoyed with their position at the moment. Lots of people looked at the first match and said it could have gone either way. More thought that New Zealand could win,” he said.”We have a 100 percent record against Bangladesh and we want to keep it that way. But in order to do that you cannot relax. Any team can jump up and beat you if you let your guard down.Bangladesh coach Mohsin Kamal cast aside his team’s shock defeat at the hands of Canada on Tuesday, saying that ‘cricket is a funny game’.”We batted poorly and we didn’t play according to the situations. Every match has an importance and we will go and play positive and not repeat the same mistakes as we did in the previous game,” said Kamal.He said that Bangladesh were capable of chasing bigger totals like when they scored over 250 in 45 overs in a practice match against the Dolphins.”You never know about our players. If someone plays according to the situation and gets going, there is always a chance of an upset. If we have a very good day, I think all the hard work we’ve done can make that day in your favour. That’s what you have to play for,” said Kamal, a former Pakistan fast bowler.

The Sri Lankan cricket board confirmed today that Dambulla would host three triangular matches with India and NewZealand in July, despite the ongoing controversy over the ownership of the 36-acre plot of land on which the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium was constructed.Last week the Interim Committee announced that they were trying to switch the Dambulla games to Kandy or Galle. The decision to change venues, however, ran into trouble when ground authorities in Kandy revealed that they couldn’t prepare the pitches in time and the normal team hotel in Galle, the Lighthouse, did not have enough rooms to cater for three teams.Ultimately, though, the decision to stay in Dambulla was forced upon the cricket authorities by vehement protests from the Chief Buddhist Priest of the Asgiriya Chapter, and, more importantly, the Chief Minister of North Central Province, who wrote directly to the Sports Minister yesterday and is believed to have taken up the matter personally with Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the Sri Lankan President.The Chief Minister warned the Sports Minister, Kaksmann Kiriella, of potentially severe political repercussions if the match was not played in Dambulla. He claimed to have an obligation to his constituents to bring international cricket to the province.The Interim Committee was contacted yesterday by Dr. Ramunujan, Sports Ministry Secretary, and was informed that the matches had to played in Dambulla. No reason was given for the directive.Nevertheless, the controversy over legal ownership of the venue rumbles on. According to probe committee appointed by the Sports Minister they could find no evidence to confirm that the Sri Lankan cricket had acquired legal ownership of the 36-acre plot of land from the Asgiriya Chapter.

Celtic have had plenty of consistent goalscorers in their ranks over the past few years, such as Leigh Griffiths, Kris Commons and Odsonne Edouard among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could have had another figure in their ranks who may have gone on to become a significant scorer for them but didn’t end up making the move to Celtic Park.

According to an article from Planet Football, back in the 2001 summer transfer window when the Hoops signed winger Momo Sylla from St Johnstone, the Guinean was asked by his former Le Mans team-mate Didier Drogba about a potential move to Celtic the following summer.

Unfortunately for Celtic, Sylla apparently told the striker that he wouldn’t have any chance of making it into the team and should forget about trying to join them.

With a total of 686 club appearances under his belt, the Ivory Coast international ended his career in 2018 with 300 goals to his name and four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League title under his belt among other trophies and individual awards.

Labelled a “remarkable” player by his former Blues boss Jose Mourinho – who knows a good footballer when he sees one having managed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard and Karim Benzema among many others – Drogba could have been a revelation for Celtic had Sylla not put him off a potential move to Glasgow early in the Ivorian’s lengthy and very successful career.

Whether the Parkhead hierarchy had any knowledge at the time over Drogba’s interest in a potential move to the club is unclear, but it’s safe to say that had they known of it, then they should have moved heaven and earth to get the striker in a Hoops shirt.

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Looking back, there could now be some Celtic fans displeased with what Sylla had to say to the young Drogba about his chances of breaking into the first team at the time, with the club potentially now having nightmares over the situation.

In other news: Ange must brutally axe “horrendous” £20k-p/w Celtic liability, he’s “been a disaster”

	Dwayne Bravo’s move to the top of the order was a success on day four as he reached 46 © AFP

John Dyson, the West Indies coach, believes a record-breaking chase of 437 is possible for the hosts as they dream of a 1-0 lead in the series with Sri Lanka. West Indies chopped 96 from the target for the loss of Devon Smith as Dwayne Bravo, the stand-in opener, and Ramnaresh Sarwan combined for a 74-run stand.”We will wait and see what happens [on the final morning] and see how things pan out,” Dyson said. “History says that it is possible to get a total like that and it has been done in the West Indies before so you never put that totally out of the question. I think all teams these days look to win wherever possible and if the opportunity to win comes along then we will look to take it.”Chris Gayle, the captain, dropped to No. 4 so he could employ the attacking instincts of Bravo and the move has been a success so far. “Chris felt that it was a good chance to have a change in this innings,” Dyson said. “He feels that Bravo is a very positive player and also having a left-hand, right-hand opening combination in this innings was something we were thinking about.”Dyson was impressed with the returns of Bravo, who was 46, and Sarwan (34). “They handled the last session very, very well,” he said. The coach said the surface remained a “batsman’s paradise” although the Sri Lankans believe it is tricky for run-scoring.Another strong performance came from the left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, who picked up 3 for 59 before Sri Lanka declared at 240 for 7. “I thought he bowled very, very well for his first Test,” Dyson said. “He came in, maintained a good line, a good length, he didn’t give away very many easy runs at all, and I was really pleased.”I felt sorry for him that he didn’t take a wicket in the first innings, although there was one opportunity missed form his bowling. I was pleased that he has come out there again and bowled pretty well.”

Simon Francis is giving county cricket another crack © Getty Images

Nottinghamshire have signed former England A seamer Simon Francis to bolster a bowling attack which has lost Ryan Sidebottom to England and Andy Harris to injury.Francis, 28, goes straight into Nottinghamshire’s squad for the Friends Provident match against Derbyshire on Monday after impressing during a pre-season trial period with the club.”We only had six seamers on the staff at the start of the season and with Ryan Sidebottom playing for England and AJ Harris injured,” said director of cricket Mick Newell.”We couldn’t operate with just four quick bowlers. Simon is an experienced bowler who has bowled well for us in the second XI this year and will give us cover in an area where we are thin. He can slot straight into the team if necessary and there’s every chance he will play on Monday.”Francis started his career with Hampshire before moving to Somerset in 2002. He toured Malaysia and India with England A in 2003-04 but limited Championship opportunities in 2006 led to his release.”After being released by Somerset I had to make plans for life away from cricket and it made me appreciate how lucky professional cricketers are,” said Francis, who has since worked in sales and marketing. “I didn’t want to get to the age of 33 and wish I had given county cricket one more go and my love for cricket has been reinvigorated in the last four months.”I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity but I’ve got no expectations beyond mucking in with the squad and doing my very best for Nottinghamshire over the rest of the season.”

Warwickshire 208 and 310 beat Durham 359 and 141 (Daggett 6-30) by 18 runs
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Lee Daggett took the last five wickets to bring up a surprise win for Warwickshire – just in time for the football © Getty Images

Lee Daggett was a man with two missions – kill off Durham and make sure the game finished in time for the football. He did both, handing Warwickshire a surprise 18-run victory over Durham at Edgbaston with a six-wicket haul. In just his second first-team match, the 23-year-old Daggett knocked over the last five batsmen with his fast-medium pacers to end with 6 for 30 from 14.4 overs.It’s no surprise that it was Daggett who was the man for the job, being a keen football fan who has attended Bury’s Centre of Excellence in the past, and he also has previous as Durham’s nemesis. Two years ago, as a Durham UCCE player he took 8 for 94 to destroy their first innings. And now, in just his second first-class match for a county, he has destroyed them again – with 15 minutes to go before kick-off.Durham started the day needing just 98 runs with eight wickets in hand. It should have been a formality but once Heath Streak struck to remove Gary Pratt for 21, Warwickshire kept on striking and Durham lost their last seven wickets for 71.James Anyon, another product of the UCCE system (he was at Loughborough), took the next two wickets to fall but after that it was the Daggett show. By now Durham needed just 45 runs with five wickets, but they couldn’t rest on their laurels and folded in the face of some hostile Daggett fire.

Division Two

Neither match in the second division ate into the football either. Somerset had the good grace to fold for 313 against Worcestershire, who wrapped up a convincing ten-wicket win at Taunton. Worcestershire were made to bat again but Phil Jaques and Stephen Moore knocked off the 42 runs they needed in just 19 balls.Surrey wrapped up proceedings against Leicestershire at the Oval in plenty of time. For a full report on the final day of that match click here.