Perth Scorchers not only failed to break their opening-game hoodoo in the Big Bash League, losing to Adelaide Strikers, but to add to their woes, Nathan Coulter-Nile suffered a nasty dislocation on his shoulder. Coulter-Nile slipped after a misfire at backward point, and fell awkwardly on his right shoulder. He was substituted off the ground in the 12th over, and did not reappear.It is a bitter pill for Coulter-Nile to swallow after surprisingly emerging into Test calculations ahead of the West Indies series. Coulter-Nile was in the frame to make his Test debut on Boxing Day, but now those dreams are in serious jeopardy. Victoria pacer Scott Boland – who was on standby for the first Test – is most likely to replace Coulter-Nile in the squad, if necessary.Coulter-Nile had enjoyed a fine all-round performance starting with a blistering cameo of 18 off 8 balls, including two towering sixes to help the Scorchers reach a competitive total of 6 for 151. He then performed with the ball to snare the wicket of Strikers opener Craig Simmons and was boasting figures of 3-0-18-1 before injury struck.After the match, the Scorchers captain Adam Voges said Coulter-Nile would have scans on Tuesday. “His shoulder is back in place, fingers crossed,” he said.The dislocation is the latest injury in a horror-run for Coulter-Nile, who has suffered numerous knocks this year. He picked up a calf strain during Australia’s limited-overs tour of England in September, and suffered a left shoulder injury after landing awkwardly in a training mishap during the Matador BBQ One-Day Cup in October.Having endured his own string of injury problems over the years, Scorchers allrounder Mitchell Marsh was sympathetic of his team-mate’s plight. “Nathan has had a tough time of it with injuries. We just want him back,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo.While his Test team-mates Voges and brother Shaun performed solidly, Mitchell had a poor game, making just one run and going wicketless. He failed to make contact with a flighted Adil Rashid delivery after lazily charging the pitch and was bowled off just the second delivery he faced. Mitchell’s dismissal stifled the Scorchers’ momentum, and they were unable to recover fully.Mitchell said he was disappointed with his performance, but believed he was in good shape ahead of his Boxing Day Test debut. “It was disappointing to miss a full toss, it was unfortunate but it happens,” he said. “I feel really good right now and I’m looking forward to Melbourne after missing last year’s Test due to injury. The MCG Test is a special week.”Mitchell said he hoped to play the Boxing Day Test with his brother Shaun, who dazzled early in the Scorchers’ innings with a 35-ball 47. Shaun is in a battle with Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns to retain his Test spot.”[Shaun’s] in very good form, and has been for the last 12 months,” Mitchell said. “That decision is above my pay grade but hopefully he gets picked. It would be extra special to play with Shaun during Boxing Day and enjoy the occasion with family.”After losing their opening game for the fifth straight year, Mitchell was at a loss for the Scorchers’ perennial slow starts to the BBL campaign.”I can’t put my finger on it because it is very important to start these tournaments well. Maybe we tried too hard,” he said. “For the team we had, we didn’t put enough runs on the board. It was a beautiful wicket, 180 would have been a good total.”

Group B

After bowling Assam, who had been 132 for 6 overnight, for 193, Delhi‘s batsmen piled on the runs in Vadodara. Three of their top five made fifties – captain Unmukt Chand scored 55, Nitish Rana was unbeaten on 72 and Rishabh Pant, who played the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, was not out on 84 off 83 balls. Pant’s innings included seven fours and five sixes.The batsmen’s efforts made the second day’s play near perfect for Delhi. It had begun with Pradeep Sangwan ripping through the tail to finish with 3 for 47 – Assam’s Tarjinder Singh was left stranded with 61 runs to his name – and it ended with Delhi ahead by 48 runs with seven wickets remaining.A maiden first-class century from 19-year old Kaushal Singh helped Jharkhand secure an 83-run lead over Maharashtra in Delhi.Coming in at 108 for 5 in the 35th over, Kaushal batted through to stumps on the second day and helped his team overcome a top-order wobble. And it wasn’t like he was plodding along either. His 121 runs came off only 178 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes and that aggression meant the seventh and eighth-wicket partnerships with Shahbaz Nadeem and captain Varun Aaron contributed upwards of 50 runs each.Maharashtra, despite having only 210 on the board, would have felt hopeful considering Shrikant Mundhe began the day with two wickets in the space of four overs. But they couldn’t finish well.Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah fell two runs shy of a career-best score as his team racked up a total of 430 against Rajasthan in Vizianagaram.Shah began the day on an unbeaten 120 and was the eighth wicket to fall for 193, an innings that lasted over six hours and included 36 fours. His strike-rate was an impressive 84.64. He added 110 runs with Chirag Jani for the sixth wicket which pushed the score over 300. Marshalled by Shah, the tail made some handy contributions as well to put Saurashtra in a position of strength.Rajasthan bowled them out with just enough time for them to bat again – 1.4 overs – which they got through unscathed.Half-centuries from Faiz Fazal and Ganesh Satish pushed Vidarbha into the lead against Odisha in Visakhapatnam. Fazal made an unbeaten 76. Satish was on 74 when he was caught behind with five overs left for stumps, a minor positive for Odisha, who had begun the day on 134 for 6 only to be bowled out for 150.Vidarbha were dominant from the very first ball they bowled on Friday – it bowled Odisha’s Biplab Samantaray for 53. Srikanth Wagh, who produced the wicket, finished with 3 for 13. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare then cleaned up the tail and finished with 3 for 19.Vidharba’s innings suffered a setback when opener Sanjay Ramaswamy was bowled for 13 by seamer Deepak Behera but Fazal and Satish negated Odisha’s bowling and added 158 for the second wicket. They have a 32-run lead and eight more wickets to work on building it further.

Mitchell Marsh was waiting to bat when a voice behind the players’ viewing area piped up. “I was waiting to bat and some bloke yelled out in the crowd,” Marsh said. “He just said ‘well done, you’ve gone for $1 million [INR 4.8 crore] in the [IPL] auction’, and I was just sort of ‘yeah, whatever mate.'”Events in India on Saturday afternoon were undoubtedly significant for Marsh and his bank balance, but in years to come he is more likely to remember what happened next. Marsh walked to the middle with Australia’s chase and Chappell-Hadlee chances in serious jeopardy, but the iron-willed innings he conjured in the company of John Hastings allowed Steven Smith’s team to ease to a series-leveling win.Marsh is still a developing member of the Australia side, something that may be underlined by his possible omission from the squad for the World Twenty20 to take place in India before the IPL. Nevertheless, there were signs of a prospective leader in how he controlled things in Wellington, vitally setting down the ground rules for a match-clinching stand with Hastings.”It was just a great partnership with Johnny Hastings,” Marsh said. “We were in a bit of strife there, not sure how many we needed when he came out, 80 or so, and the way he batted and the way we batted together was extremely satisfying. We came here to get back into the series and we’ve done that now. So that’ll give us great momentum going into Monday [series decider in Hamilton].”We kept on saying we knew we were ahead of the run rate so we had plenty of time, and I just told Duke [Hastings] to give himself a bit of extra time to get in, watch the ball extremely hard and if it’s in his area smack it, because that’s when he bats his best. We kept it pretty simple and just tried to take it as deep into the innings as we could, because we knew we had plenty of time and overs left.”This summer Marsh has arguably evolved more as a bowler than a batsman, due at least in part to opportunity. A fully functioning top order left him short of meaningful innings during the home Tests, and it was not until he made a first international hundred in an ODI loss to India at the SCG that he was able to make a decent mark. This innings, guiding Australia home, was further progress and evidence of his increasing mental toughness.”During the Test match series I didn’t get a lot of opportunity because the top five were making a hell of a lot of runs and I just kept working hard,” he said. “I wanted to take the opportunity when I got it. When you’re under pressure for runs, certainly at this level, you think about a lot of things.”When you haven’t spent a lot of time in the middle things just don’t come naturally and you don’t think as clearly as you do when you’re in form. That’s been the biggest thing for me to work on, just worry about watching the ball and the rest will take care of itself. The last few weeks with my batting has given me great confidence to keep going now.”That toughness extended to blocking out the news of his IPL auction price until the match had been successfully finished off. For Marsh, at least, the prospect of winning a match for Australia still takes precedence over glad tidings from the game’s financial crucible.”I just tried to block it out because it was pretty amazing, and then Shaun [Marsh] came and sat next to me with a little grin and gave me a little nudge so then I found out,” Marsh said. “Really happy I was able to block that out and focus on the game today, because playing for your country is the most important thing to me, so while that’s great I’m really rapt we’re back in the series now.”

Former fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe will head Sri Lanka’s new national selection committee, which picks both men’s and women’s senior squads. Also in the committee are former cricketers Vinothen John, Indika de Saram, Rasanjali de Alwis (nee Silva), and Tharanga Paranavitana.While the committee headed by Upul Tharanga is now defunct, there is some continuity for this fresh committee, with Paranavitana and de Saram also having served under Tharanga. Wickramasinghe has been chief selector before – between 2021 and 2023 – with Sri Lanka men’s poor performance in the 2023 World Cup prompting his removal. He was also part of a selection committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya – now head coach – between 2013 and 2015.The change in selectors was announced by Sri Lanka’s sports ministry. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva said the board had been involved in the process. Sri Lanka’s Sports Law dictates that such appointments go through the sports ministry.”Sri Lanka Cricket sends a list of about ten names to the ministry, and they have chosen from that,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “There is no term as such. The appointment is until further notice.”De Silva also said that the Tharanga-led committee had simply come to the end of its term. Internally, there had been no push towards extending their term until the end of the men’s T20 World Cup in February and March. In fact, it had been a little over three weeks ago that Tharanga suggested captain Charith Asalanka may be replaced in the coming weeks. That decision now passes to the new committee, whose first major assignment will be to select the World Cup squad.All five members of this new committee have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Both Paranavitana and de Saram played domestic cricket into this decade. John is the oldest selector among them, having played his last match for Sri Lanka in 1987.

Wolves are reportedly eyeing up moves for Matheus Luiz Nunes and Joao Palhinha, amid doubts surrounding the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

The Lowdown: Influential pair could leave

Many Wanderers players have impressed throughout what has been a positive season, with Neves and Moutinho undoubtedly two of the key figures.

The Portuguese duo have been superb in the middle of the park, often dovetailing beautifully and starting 53 Premier League matches between them.

It could be that both move on this summer however with Neves linked with an exit and Moutinho’s contract ticking down, which would of course leave a gaping void in Wolves’ midfield.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: Ornstein makes key claim

According to The Athletic‘s ever-reliable David Ornstein, Sporting CP duo Nunes and Palhinha are being looked at as possible replacements to Neves and Moutinho, with the pair valued at £50.4million combined by Transfermarkt.

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Key summer at Molineux

Losing both Neves and Moutinho would be a bitter pill to swallow for Wolves, but sadly, it does feel increasingly as though that could be the case.

Bruno Lage would then face the unenviable task of plugging the gap this summer, with those brought in simply having to provide a similarly positive influence for the manager’s success to continue.

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Nunes and Palhinha could be those figures, with the pair both still young 23 and 26, respectively, and their Portuguese roots meaning they could fit in seamlessly at Molineux.

Palhinha has shone in a No.6 role for Sporting this season, averaging an 86.5% pass completion rate, while Nunes is more attack-minded, averaging 3.3 dribbles per game in the Champions League.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly ‘planning for life’ without one player. Find out who it is here.

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko seems certain to be staying in the Bundesliga despite reported interest from several Premier League clubs.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, plus AC Milan in Italy, have all been mentioned as potential suitors for the Bosnia hot-shot.

Dzeko’s 22 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last season made him one of the hottest properties in European football.

However, after no club activated the 40million euros release fee in his contract before the deadline of May 31, Wolfsburg sporting director Dieter Hoeness now expects the striker to remain at the Volkswagen Arena.

“The conditions have not been met,” said Hoeness in a statement. “We are very pleased that the period of uncertainty is over. He is a player of huge quality who would have been very difficult for us to replace.”

New manager Steve McClaren made it his number one priority to retain Dzeko after being confirmed in the Wolfsburg hot-seat last week.

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Veteran defender Sol Campbell has travelled to Glasgow to hold talks with Celtic boss Neil Lennon about a possible move to the club.

The 35-year-old ended last season with Arsenal but now looks set to continue his career in Scotland.

The former England international spent five years with Arsenal in his first spell with the Gunners following his controversial transfer from Tottenham before moving to Portsmouth.

After a brief and disastrous spell at Notts County, Campbell returned to Arsenal in January for a second spell on a short-term deal.

Meanwhile, the Bhoys also hope to snap up the South Korean full-back Cha Du-Ri. The 29-year-old is currently with German side Freiburg but has just 12 months of his contract left.

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Cha, who won his 50th cap for South Korea in Saturday's World Cup last-16 defeat to Uruguay, joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and has also played for Eintracht Frankfurt and Mainz.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

From a fan perspective this year’s tournament has been marked by one thing so far, the Vuvuzela. Many of the crowds’ chants and even the England band were drowned out by the oversized horns. But how do you show support for your country back home? The answer is to send them a Big Cheer, and you might just win a Sony Ericsson mobile phone as a result!

In association with Sony Ericsson, here at FootballFanCast.com we’re giving you the opportunity to win a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone. All you have to do is come up with a chant to get behind England and show them or any other nation your support. You can say whatever you like to inspire your team and your cheer will be entered into the Big Cheer competition exclusively on FootballFanCast.com, where we will pick the best cheer and the winner will receive the Xperia X10 mobile.

How To Enter:

Entering is simple. All you have to do is login to your Twitter account and update your status with your Big Cheer. You can say anything you like, as long as your tweet starts with @footballfancast and ends with the #bigcheer hash tag. For example your tweet could be:

“@footballfancast Come on England, the trophy is yours for the taking! #bigcheer”

Don’t worry if you don’t have a Twitter account, as you can still enter by writing your Big Cheer in the comments box below. The cheers are printed on confetti, released in a giant glass tube and delivered to the teams at www.bigcheer.com. You don’t just have to make your tweet an England cheer either, as the 2010/11 Premier League fixtures have now been released and you can get behind your team right now!

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So what are you waiting for? Head to http://twitter.com/ and make your cheer count!

Manchester United will be going into the new Premier League campaign off the back of largely disappointing 2009 /2010 season. Last season threw up many nearly moments for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men and, after falling short in the major domestic and European competitions, United only had the Carling Cup to show for their efforts.

It’s widely recognised that if United want to regain their status as the biggest and best club in the world then Ferguson will have to dip into this season’s transfer market.

With the inevitable retirement of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville; question marks hanging above Owen Hargreaves’ fitness and a lack of back-up for an aging Edwin van der Sar, United need a major reconstruction.

The World Cup in South Africa has acted as a shop window over the summer and various players have caught the eyes of Europe’s top clubs.

A player that has certainly caught my eye is Dutch shot stopper Maarten Stekelenburg who was ever present at the world cup during Holland’s impressive run to the final.

Stekelenburg, who plays in Holland with Ajax, has put in some great performances this summer most-notably in the final against Spain.

This, along with his young age of only 27 makes him a realistic target for Ferguson this term. Reports have indicated that Stekelenburg would invite a move to Old Trafford and if the price is right then we could see a new understudy for van der Sar next season.

After watching Manchester United last season it’s become worrying how much pressure is put on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney. Without Rooney on the pitch the team seems to run out of ideas without any real cutting edge in front of goal.

Ferguson has recently renewed his interest in Italian bad boy Mario Balotelli despite him having yet another season riddled with disciplinary problems. Balotelli has been declared ‘priceless’ by Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca. However, it’s understood that the Nerazzuri could let the troubled 19-year-old leave if a bid of around £30million is tabled.

More bizarrely, the media has even thrown former United player Diego Forlan into the mix following his Golden Ball performance at the World Cup. However, I think Ferguson will be wiser than to buy a 31-year-old who’s already proven that he can’t hack life in the Premier League.

In addition to these players come the usual suspects. Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, despite not travelling with the troubled France squad, has cropped up as another familiar name on Fergusons wish list. The problem is, Real Madrid are likely to over-price the under-performing super star which would lead Ferguson to look elsewhere.

Written By Jordan William Ormrod

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Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer

Not much to talk about Old Trafford this week with the only news coming out of the football club is that David Gill has once again reiterated that there is money available to spend should Sir Alex choose to spend it. Fergie has also given his backing towards the Glazers once again, which isn’t likely to sit well with certain sections of the United faithful.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of Man United blogs which has included…Fergie unearths the new Ole Solskjaer; United star failed by lack of personal touch and should Sir Alex look to cash in on starlet?

Plus we have taken a look at the best Man United stories on the Web this week.

Has Sir Alex finally unearthed the new Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?

Has Sir Alex got a touch of the Arsene’s with policy?

United’s small signing is ‘bigger’ than you think

Hiring and firing at Old Trafford

United’s pre-season given added edge by Fergie’s comments

Man United star failed by the lack of personal touch

Would it be a Clever move by Fergie to cash in on Tom?

Fergie choosing to stick and not twist with Berbatov

Has Match of the Day had its day?

Premier League’s lesser lights set to benefit from new rules

Caption Competition: United duo trade blows

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Best of Web

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Chichonomics – United Rant

Be sure to be prudent: FC Barcelona’s amazing disappearing profits – The Andersred Blog

STATS: Which Teams Spend The Most? – RoM

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So what’s the story with Rodrigo Possebon? – The Busby Way

Ferguson misses point as he hits out at fans and lauds Glazers – United Rant

(Video) Sir Alex’s interview with CNN – The Busby Way

With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery