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Having lost just one wicket during the final session of day one of their Pura Cup clash against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval, Western Australia will head into the second day comfortably placed at a score of 4/273.Star batsman Justin Langer said the match, played by two full-strength teams, was a good practice for Australian players gearing up to face an international season agianst the West Indies and Zimbabwe. And, for much of the day, it looked it – with Western Australia being made to work hard for its runs and the visitors finding it difficult to take wickets.After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Warriors scored at a solid rate, but lacked the extra edge to lead them to the three-hundred mark by the end of play. They will be hoping for a big score from Damien Martyn when play resumes tomorrow – the Australian Test hopeful having finished the day on 56.Martyn, who toiled for 186 minutes to post his 50 off 161 balls, struck six boundaries for the day. He will resume tomorrow with Tom Moody by his side, the captain on 47 off 97 deliveries.The pair were joined with the team on 4/190, when Simon Katich fell lbw to Peter McIntyre. Katich, one of Australia’s most exciting young batsmen, played a slow innings today – finishing on 25 from 60 balls, with two fours.Earlier in the day, the crowd of 900 was entertained by a breezy 60 from Langer, but not before he had endured an early scare.After scoring three ducks from three innings so far this season, Langer nearly departed for another today, when a Gillespie yorker went straight through him. “It was an absolute beauty,” he said of the ball that almost sent the speedster on his way to a hat-trick. “Most times when you get out in batting, it’s batsman error, but had I have got cleaned up that first ball, I’d definitely say that I could’ve done too much about it, it was a great ball,” he said.But the 29-year-old was glad the ball didn’t crash into the stumps after missing his edge. “Yeah it was good to get off the mark. You’re always a bit nervous when you come off a couple of ducks, but you know, for me, it was a bad week at the office really. Most people have a week at the officebut mine becomes public that’s all. I wasn’t too worried about it, I know I’ve been batting well. When you play every week of the year, you’ve got to have one bad one in 12 months, so I’d like to just put that behind me and get on and have a good season now.”In the first session of the day, Western Australia had fallen just shy of the one hundred mark, going to lunch at 1/99. The Redbacks then swung the momentum their way, with Jason Gillespie and Paul Wilson picking up the wickets of Langer (60) and Mike Hussey (48).Fittingly, Jason Gillespie, the hardest-working of the Redbacks today, was involved in each of the first three dismissals – snaring Campbell and Langer’s wickets and assisting Wilson with a regulation catch to end Hussey’s marathon innings.Looking sharp and dangerous, he was the pick of the South Australian attack today, finishing with a miserly 52 runs off his 26 overs, including ten maidens. Wilson was the next best, with one wicket, five maidens and 49 runs off his 20 overs. Blewett, with 24 runs from his three overs, and Young,with 62 from 21, were the most expensive. McIntyre also had a disappointing day (his only consolation Katich’s wicket in the last session) and was hit for 70 runs off 23 overs.

One of the best players in the world over the last year has certainly been former Leeds United winger Raphinha.

Over the last couple of seasons in a Barcelona shirt, the Brazilian has 69 goals and assists for the La Liga giants, forming a largely unstoppable wing pairing with Lamine Yamal.

That sort of form earned the Blaugrana winger fifth place in the Ballon d’Or rankings, which is arguably lower than he deserved given the sheer weight of goals and assists he registered.

Incredibly, he was not included in Fifa’s The Best team of 2025, despite such a stellar year.

Whilst Raphinha is dominating world football, Leeds fans will no doubt look back fondly on his time at Elland Road.

Raphinha’s best moments for Leeds

It is hard to pinpoint the Brazilian winger’s single best moment during his time in West Yorkshire. Raphinha donned that famous White shirt 67 times over the course of two seasons, bagging 17 goals and assisting a further 12.

It is surely not too far-fetched to say his biggest contribution came in the 2021/22 campaign, in what turned out to be his final game for the club.

In a season where the Whites were threatened with relegation, Raphinha scored his 11th goal of the season, a penalty, to help them beat Brentford and survive in the Premier League.

There were other moments which stood out, too. The former Sporting CP star loved a goal against Everton, bagging three times in four appearances against the Toffees. That included this stellar strike in 2021.

Described as an “absurd” player by former teammate Crysencio Summerville, it was certainly deserved that the Brazilian donned the number ten shirt at Elland Road.

The numbers he put up and the level of performance certainly warranted such recognition.

Raphinha was sensational for Leeds, and they might finally have a player more exciting than him coming through the ranks.

Leeds’ best talent since Raphinha

In the past couple of years, Leeds have had some exciting footballers who have been either bought or produced via the academy.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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Raphinha, of course, is one who was brought into the club, but the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Archie Gray are academy graduates.

Well, the academy has yet again produced another exciting talent. Harry Gray, the younger brother of Archie, is a “special” prospect according to football scout Ben Mattinson, and is on the cusp of the first team at his boyhood club.

Gray is a striker by trade and has been on fire this season.

In 13 appearances across all competitions for the Whites’ academy this term, he’s bagged ten goals, showing just how clinical he can be in front of goal.

Gray record per competition 2025/26

Competition

Games

Goals/assists

Premier League 2

6

5G, 1A

EFL Trophy

2

2G, 1A

Premier League Int. Cup U21

2

0

National League Cup

2

3G

FA Youh Cup

1

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

Perhaps the highlight of his season so far was a hat-trick against Scunthorpe United in the National League Cup.

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The 17-year-old showed excellent instinct in the box for his first strike, before bagging twice from outside of the box, including a sensational free-kick, to take home the match ball and secure a 3-1 win for Leeds.

His talent has already been recognised by manager Daniel Farke. The German gave him a debut last season in the Championship, and included him in the matchday squad in the Carabao Cup and once in the Premier League.

There is a case to be made that Gray is the best attacking talent since Raphinha was at Elland Road. He is clearly an excellent player, proven by the fact that he’s already made his first-team bow and is a real goal machine.

Yet, Leeds haven’t had an attacker who has exploded in the Premier League like the Brazilian since he departed. It is a long season and Gray might get the chance to do that this time around, or, failing that, get his chance in 2026/27 if they stay up.

He is certainly a brilliant talent and could be the most exciting attacker since their former number ten left the club.

Related Leeds star is fast becoming their best bargain since Pablo Hernandez

Leeds have now stumbled across their best bargain since Pablo Hernandez in this exceptional performer at Elland Road.

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	Chris Gayle will miss the deciding Test in Durban, further exposing an already shaky batting line-up © Getty Images

It might have escaped your attention, but several thousand miles away from the controversies in Australia, another Test match is about to get underway: the deciding third match between South Africa and West Indies in Durban.Prior to this series, few gave West Indies much hope of upsetting South Africa at home, and yet they approach the third Test level-pegging at 1-1. They caught South Africa snoozing in the first at Port Elizabeth, with an allround batting performance (inevitably dominated by Shivnarine Chanderpaul), and in spite of a number of injuries, they clawed at South Africa’s coat-tails doggedly for much of the second in Cape Town.The injuries have taken their toll, though, and West Indies’ chances of claiming their first series win over South Africa since 1992 are looking desperate. Chris Gayle, whose laid back leadership style clearly suits this young side, broke his left thumb in Cape Town and will miss out, exposing an already shaky batting lineup. And there is enough doubt over Fidel Edwards (hamstring) to suggest that even if he does make the final XI, he won’t be firing on all cylinders.Neither, it seems, will Dale Steyn whose hamstring injury has limited his preparations for Thursday. “He’ll probably only bowl (in the nets) at about 70 percent,” Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach said yesterday. “He is making some nice improvement, but we’ll probably only have final clarity on the morning of [the Test]. (sic)”Should Steyn miss out, the decision South Africa take on his replacement could have a bearing on the future of their bowling attack. Shaun Pollock is tipped to return, but hot on his heels is Monde Zondeki, almost a decade his junior, who has been in blistering form this season.The most encouraging aspect of South Africa’s seven-wicket win in Cape Town was the return to form of Graeme Smith, who elbowed his way into rhythm with a pugnacious 85. The question of who opens with Smith continues to divide opinion though, and with Neil McKenzie ruled out with a calf muscle tear, Herschelle Gibbs (who was dropped in place of McKenzie in Cape Town) gets a recall.On the eve of the match, all eyes are on the Kingsmead pitch. With heavy rain over the past few days, the groundsmen are behind schedule and it could be another slow, low surface – which is not ideal for a series which deserves a competitive finale.TeamsSouth Africa (probable) Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Shaun Pollock, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini,West Indies (probable) Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Rawl Lewis, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell

Out of action: Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson © Getty Images

Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson have been ruled out of the Twenty20 International against England tonight at the SCG due to illness and injury. Lee is suffering from a chest infection while Johnson, who partnered Andrew Symonds in hitting balls from a driving range in a public relations exercise on Monday, has a stomach strain.Shane Harwood, the Victoria bowler, and James Hopes, the allrounder who has played nine ODIs and two Twenty20 games, have been called into the squad. Alex Kountouris, the team physiotherapist, said Lee’s illness had developed over the past 24 hours.”He will be assessed by a doctor later today,” Kountouris said. “Mitchell has a minor abdominal strain which occurred late yesterday and as a precautionary measure we have decided it best for him not to play.” Both players will be monitored over the next couple of days in the lead-up to the first game of the tri-series against England at the MCG on Friday.Australia (from) Adam Gilchrist (wk), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Cameron White, Brad Hogg, James Hopes, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Bracken, Shane Harwood.England (from) Michael Vaughan (capt), Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Ed Joyce, Jamie Dalrymple, Paul Nixon, Chris Read, Liam Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood, Jon Lewis, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.

Andre Nel: not the most retiring of appealers, either © Getty Images

The dispute between South Africa and Australia surrounding Shane Warne’s vociferous appealing promises to continue, with Andre Nel suggesting the South Africans are to match their opponents with their own enthusiastic questioning of the umpires.”If they can get away with it, why can’t we try and get away with it too,” Nel told reporters at Sydney airport. “Maybe we can try and put pressure on umpires, inexperienced umpires, which they do very, very well. Maybe we can learn from them to do that better.”Despite the South African’s protestations about Warne’s aggressive appealing in this week’s second Test at Melbourne, he wasn’t reported by the umpires. Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said Warne was a master at pressuring the umpires but Chris Broad, the match referee, rejected suggestions that he should face disciplinary action for his robust appealing, particularly to rookie Test umpire Asad Rauf of Pakistan.”I think they are very, very clever about the way they do things with umpires,” Nel added. “They put a lot of pressure on the umpires and sometimes it counts in their favour. Maybe we can learn something from them in a certain way by doing this. But sometimes they go a bit overboard and it gets a bit annoying, but that’s the way they do it and it’s working for them.”Meanwhile, newly-arrived Johan Botha was shielded from the media at the airport. Off-spinner Botha, 23, who has yet to play a Test, joined the team last Thursday and could partner established spinner Nicky Boje in the third Test on the spin-friendly Sydney pitch. Nel described Botha as ‘a surprise package,’ but South African officials didn’t want to subject Botha to undue media pressure.Nel added that he was looking forward to opening the fast bowling attack alongside Pollock.”It’s always nice to get the chance with the new ball and to bowl with Polly,” he said. “If I can fill the boots Makhaya has filled the last few years, I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

The fast bowler Charl Langeveldt will miss the next three one-dayers between South Africa and England owing to a fractured left hand. Langeveldt, 30, injured his non-bowling hand during the third Test at Cape Town.”Langeveldt has left the squad and gone home,” Gerald de Kock, South Africa’s media manager, told Reuters. “He will undergo a scan, and the hope is that he will be able to play in the last three games.”The next match is at Bloemfontein on Wednesday, but Langeveldt will not return until at least the fifth match, at East London on February 9.

ScorecardAfter they were put in, Easterns soon crumbled to 68 for 5 before Pierre de Bruyn (18) and Godfrey Toyana (40) restored some hope and helped them to 197 for eight after 45 overs. In a tight bowling display from all the Boland bowlers, Wallace Albertyn stood out and was the main wicket taker with 3 for 24.Boland were well on the way to a victory, but some slow batting from Albertyn, and the big wicket of Con de Lange (57 off 69 balls) falling with 13 runs required off the last 12 balls, cost them dearly as they went down by four runs.Earlier in the innings, Chad Baxter had set Boland for what looked like a win with 51 off 67 balls, while Andrew Hall took the Easterns bowling honours with 3 for 31.

Despite a defiant knock of 120 by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, Lahore Whites were unable to prevent Peshawar scoring a five-wicket victory in the Quaid Trophy Grade-I match at LCCA Ground Wednesday.Set to score 97 in 15 mandatory overs, Peshawar reached their target with one over to spare and thereby gained maximum 12 points in a match that only started on day two after the furore over the pitch.Earlier, Lahore Whites resumed their second innings at 44 for one and were bowled out for 265 in 75.5 overs. The overnight pair of Kamran Akmal and Adnan Usman extended their second wicket stand to 87. After Adnan’s departure Rao Usman (54) joined hands with Kamran in a third wicket partnership that produced 106 runs in 119 minutes. But with the departure of Rao Usman, the middle-order caved in without a fight as the last five wickets fell for the addition of 39 runs.However, Kamran played outstandingly to slam 22 fours during his 137-ball innings in 220 minutes.For Peshawar, Test discards Fazle Akbar and Arshad Khan claimed three wickets each for 74 and 70 runs, respectively.

Aided by a fine unbeaten 100 by Manish Kumar, Bihar ended their firstinnings at 240 on the opening day of the East Zone Cooch Behar Trophy(Under-19) Tournament against Assam at the NFRSA Stadium in Maligaonon Friday.Opting to bat, Bihar made a slow start with openers Ratan Kumar (20)and Sandeep Vig (39) putting on 35 runs in 19.2 overs. Ratan was thefirst to be dismissed when he gave a catch to Rabin Das off SBhattacharjee. Then Fardeen Khan (21) joined Sandeep to take the scoreon to 61 when Fardeen was bowled by Chandan Ruat in the 30th over.Amir Hashmi (15) was the next to be dismissed in the 36th over when hewas run out.Manish Kumar and Sandeep boosted Bihar’s hopes by adding 51 runs forthe fourth wicket in 20.2 overs. After Sandeep was bowled by ChandanRaut, Tej Pratap joined Manish to take the score to 160 when Rabin Dasheld a catch off Chandan Raut to dismiss Tej Pratap for ten.Thereafter Manish kept losing partners even as he kept scoring runs.Chandan Das, with figures of 5 for 49, ran through the Bihar lowerorder to leave Manish stranded at 100. During a 223 minute stay at thecrease, Manish faced 163 balls while finding the boundary ropes 7times.Earlier the match started with Assam protesting against some of theBihar players who they charged were overage. They had even sent a faxin this regard to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Assam,who themselves were affected with the problem of overaged players,announced a fresh eleven the previous night after conducting medicaltests.

When Tottenham Hotspur splashed £28m on the signing of Sergio Reguilon back in September 2020, the Premier League side would have been well aware that the 25-year-old left-back may not be at the club for the length of his five-year £68k-per-week contract.

Indeed, with Real Madrid possessing a £43m buy-back clause for the Spain international – something the LaLiga side are reportedly planning to activate this summer – the defender could already be moving onto pastures new after just two seasons in north London.

As a result, Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are reported to already be planning for life after Reguilon, with Genoa’s Andrea Cambiaso having recently been added to the 52-year-old manager’s list of potential targets to replace the £25.2m-rated Spaniard – according to Italian media outlet Alfredo Pedulla (via The Mirror).

And, considering how impressive the 22-year-old has been in Italy so far this season, it is not difficult to see why Spurs would be keen on landing the full-back ahead of 2022/23.

“He is a Paolo Maldini”

Indeed, over his 25 Serie A appearances in the current campaign, the ambidextrous left-back has been one of the few shining lights in a disappointing campaign for relegation-threatened Genoa, with the £4.5m-rated dynamo scoring one goal from an xG of 0.7 and registering four assists from an xA of 1.8, as well as making a highly impressive total of 330 pressures and 53 blocks over the course of the season.

In comparison, over Reguilon’s 23 Premier League outings this term, the 25-year-old who Jonathan Veal claimed looks “scared” when attacking has scored two goals from an xG of three and has provided three assists from an xA of four, as well as making a total of 275 pressures and 29 blocks in 2021/22.

Furthermore, Cambiaso’s agent, Giovanni Bia, clearly believes that the Italy U21 international has a huge future in the game, having stated of the £4.5k-per-week sensation back in February: “To make it clear, he is a Paolo Maldini.

“He can play on the right or the left as a full-back or in midfield. He is two-footed and has flexibility. I think he should be part of the new [Italy squad]. He has vision and quality – Italy needs players like that. We don’t have great full-backs at the moment. For me, he will be one of the full-backs of the national team for the next ten years.

“The boy is being watched by many teams. We will have to discuss with the club what is best for everyone. His contract is due to expire in 2023.”

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As such, considering that is it being reported the Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta and Napoli target will be available for as little as €12m (£10m) this summer, should Reguilon indeed go on to re-join Real Madrid for £43m, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do all he can to land the Italian prodigy as the Spaniard’s replacement.

Indeed, not only does Cambiaso look to have a much higher ceiling than the 25-year-old, but he would also seem to be a much better fit for Conte’s tactical setup at Spurs.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in THFC prodigy who “runs over every blade”