All posts by h716a5.icu

Pakistan’s failings with the bat in Melbourne have prompted the teammanagement to send out an SOS for Younis Khan

Osman Samiuddin at the MCG28-Dec-2009Pakistan’s failings with the bat in Melbourne have prompted the teammanagement to send out an SOS for Younis Khan. The former captain, who haskept a low profile since he abruptly relinquished the leadership inNovember, is believed to be keen to respond and may even arrive in timefor the second Test in Sydney, due to begin on January 3.Pakistan were dismissed for 258 on an unusually docile MCG track, and onlyUmar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq batted with any authority against adisciplined and bustling Australian pace attack. That continued a run ofpoor performances in Younis’s absence on the New Zealand tour, wherePakistan relied heavily on Umar as they drew a three-Test series 1-1.But the team management has been keen on getting Younis over since before theMelbourne Test began. After the opening day at the MCG, they called upIqbal Qasim, Pakistan’s chief selector, and said they needed Younis. Sincethen it is believed there may have even been direct contact betweenMohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan captain, and Younis.”They have been very keen on getting Younis over and they called up IqbalQasim after the first day to make the request,” a board official toldCricinfo. “A request needs to be made in writing and the selectioncommittee will discuss and weigh up the pros and cons before the decisionis made.”Younis gave up the post after losing an ODI series to New Zealand in AbuDhabi, claiming that he had “lost command over his players.” It came aftermonths of reported unhappiness within the team over his leadership. Hewent underground immediately after, only to resurface suddenly whileattending a PCB coaching course in Lahore and then turning out,unimpressively, in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final for Habib Bank.Subsequently there emerged a possibility that he may arrive in time for theODI series, but the frailty of Pakistan’s batting has apparently sped upthe process.Younis’ poor form – also a factor in his decision – remains a concern,however, and the selectors are keen for him to play at least one game ofthe local Pentangular tournament, which is due to begin on January 1,before he comes to Australia. Since making a triple-hundred on a lifelesstrack in Karachi in February, he has scored 131 runs in four Tests. His ODI form has also been wobbly.But his experience and track record at No.3 – a particularlytroublesome spot for Pakistan in recent Tests where they have tried fourdifferent batsmen in four Tests – is thought to be crucial in Australia.Not only was he Pakistan’s leading scorer in the last Test series here, heenjoyed a successful stint with South Australia last season.”Younis has been contacted and there is a chance that Yousuf has alsocontacted him directly,” said the official. “He has said that he is fitand ready to go, but will stand by whatever process the selectors put inplace for his return.”That process would appear to depend on how Pakistan ultimately fare inMelbourne. A loss could mean that there is a “70-80%” chance of Younismaking it in time for Sydney. If they somehow escape with a draw he couldarrive in time for the final Test in Hobart, having played at least onePentangular match in the interim. The call-up would also entail a currentmember of the squad returning to Pakistan, and it could possibly be one of thefast bowlers.A final decision could also be taken as early as tomorrow, depending onthe situation of the Test.

Liverpool comfortably beat Everton 4-1 on Wednesday night in what was the host’s heaviest defeat at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby for 39 years.

Rafa Benitez’s side failed to control the attacking force of Liverpool from the very start, with both Jordan Henderson and Mo Salah scoring within the first 19 minutes of the game.

Everton did get back in the game at one point, with Demarai Gray trying to salvage the scoreline making it 2-1 in the 38th minute, but it wasn’t to be for the Toffees, with both Salah and Diogo Jota scoring in the second half to kill the game.

The clash was full of aggressive play and physicality from both sides, as a result the Merseyside rivals collected seven yellow cards and committed 24 fouls combined, which was one of the most expected attributes of the encounter.

Something that maybe wasn’t expected, was the amount of goals Liverpool were able to put past their enemy, something that hasn’t been seen at Goodison Park in a derby for nearly four decades, this result is relatively unheard of in this fixtures with most clashes recently being closer calls between the pair.

Benitez will be feeling deflated this evening after a performance that lacked confidence and discipline throughout. His side endured their fourth defeat in five, and Everton fans were even seen leaving the stadium after Salah’s 19-minute goal, which will be tough to take for the manager and the club.

Liverpool dominated possession holding 70% of the ball overall, with seven shots on target compared to Everton’s two, the statistics are an accurate reflection of the overwhelming control Liverpool maintained throughout the game.

Although Salah took the spotlight with two magnificent goals, there was one unsung hero for Liverpool that cannot go under the radar.

Andy Robertson was absolutely crucial to the way the match opened up and the way it finished too, assisting Henderson’s 9th-minute opener and Jota’s 79th-minute killer strike, to seal a fantastic win for the Reds.

The £58.5m-rated left-back looked confident in his position, both going forward and defensively, getting stuck in at every opportunity. As per SofaScore, Robertson completed five tackles and three key passes, further adding to his impressive involvement in every aspect of the game whether that was creating goal-scoring opportunities or taking on defensive challenges.

Robertson has been criticised for a dip in form recently, with some calling for Konstantinos Tsimikas to start ahead of the Scottish defender in defence.

He will surely have silenced any critic last night, as he pulled the strings in build-up play, displayed complete selflessness and commitment to the team and read the game perfectly as he navigated from deep to assist two of the four goals, proving exactly why he is Klopp’s first choice.

In other news: Klopp could unearth next club star with Stefan Bajcetic

A round-up from the 12th round of the Logan Cup

Cricinfo staff06-Feb-2010Assured batting from the trio of Keith Dabengwa, Bonaparte Mujuru and Dion Ebrahim, in addition to Chris Mpofu’s match-haul of seven wickets, were the highlights in Matabeleland Tuskers’ seven-wicket win over Mashonaland Eagles at Bulawayo. Asked to bat first by the Eagles, the Tuskers’ top order set up a strong platform to dominate the match. Mujuru and Ebrahim contributed 70s before Dabengwa took centre-stage. His score of 136 included 13 fours and three sixes, and in the company of Charles Coventry, guided his side to an imposing 425 for 8 declared.Despite Prince Masvaure’s 94, the Eagles’ reply was always behind the eight-ball, as a concerted allround effort from the Tuskers’ attack pegged them back. John Nyumbu picked up three wickets, while Mpofu and Ebrahim scalped two apiece to ensure that the Eagles fell just short of avoiding the follow-on. They fared marginally better in the second dig, reaching an even 300 thanks to Ryan Butterworth’s 102, but would be disappointed with the way they collapsed from the strength of 192 for 2. Mpofu was in the thick of action, striking body blows on either side of a promising third-wicket stand between Butterworth and Forster Mutizwa. Mujuru and Ebrahim struck their second fifties of the game to ensure that the victory target of 140 was achieved in the 33rd over.Sean Ervine marked his comeback to the Zimbabwe domestic scene with a grand display that yielded 364 runs as Southern Rocks managed to hold on for a draw against Mid West Rhinos at Masvingo Sports Club, a middle-order wobble late on the fourth day notwithstanding. The Rhinos had their backs against the wall from the outset, as Blessing Mahwire and Tanyaradzwa Munyaradzi reduced them to 56 for 5. Malcolm Waller then put his head down to score a hundred and take his side from dire straits to respectability. A final score of 267 still looked under-par and required a lion-hearted performance from the bowlers. That was exactly what the Rhinos’ attack provided, reducing the Rocks to shambles at 13 for 4. Enter Sean Ervine.In the company of his brother Craig, Sean counterattacked in majestic style. Craig matched Sean shot for shot in the stand of 178 before falling 19 short of a century. There was to be no letting up from Sean though, as he brought up three-figures and then doubled his score in a batting display of rare dominance. After 22 fours and 3 sixes in 274 balls where he had given his side a lead in excess of 100, he was finally run out, the last wicket to fall. The Rhinos had a tough task on hand, and responded in fitting fashion as Innocent Chikunya and Brendan Taylor added 235 for the second wicket to take their side out of the red. Chikunya was the more sedate partner, striking 75 before falling to Tafadzwa Kamungozi, but Taylor was in a zone of his own. Striking at a rate better than a run-a-ball, he carted the bowlers to all corners, his four sixes and 24 fours standing testimony to the havoc he wreaked. He brought up the second 200 of the match, before falling to the man who had scored the first one. The Rhinos declared at 443 for 5, setting a sporting target of 337 for the Rocks.Early wickets fell again – two on this occasion – leaving Sean to do the repair-work for the second time in the match. And he responded in earnest yet again. Steve Marillier helped him add 131 for the third wicket and raise visions of a stunning chase. The Rocks were then set back by the losses of Marillier and Craig in quick succession, but Sean kept them in the hunt with another audacious display. Tendai Chisoro supported him, as he blasted 17 fours and a six to bring up his second three-figure score for the match. Graeme Cremer sparked a late collapse where three wickets fell for nine runs, prompting Sean to adopt a safety-first approach. His dismissal in the dying stages, for 160, put paid to hopes of a result in what had been a game of fluctuating fortunes.

Newcastle United set out in search of their first win of the Premier League campaign as they host Burnley at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies and the Clarets face off in a gigantic match at the bottom of the table, with the two clubs separated by three points as it stands.

A win for Eddie Howe’s team will put them level on points with Sean Dyche’s side and on par with Norwich, who travel to Tottenham on Sunday.

Not good enough

One change the ex-Bournemouth boss must make for this clash is to brutally axe Javier Manquillo from the starting XI after his dire performance against the Canaries on Tuesday.

The £40k-per-week lightweight is simply not good enough and should be dropped from the team. Howe cannot afford to carry any passengers in what could be a physical battle against Burnley – with both teams fighting for their lives – and Manquillo may be exactly that.

He struggled badly against Norwich and the nature of his display was extremely worrying. As per SofaScore, he only won one duel (out of four) in 90 minutes on the pitch as he made one interception and failed to make a single block or tackle against Dean Smith’s side.

The Spaniard also completed just 60% of his passes and lost possession of the ball 20 times. This goes along with his 0% success rate in long ball attempts and dribbles, highlighting just how disappointing he was at right-back in the game.

In eight Premier League games this season, he has been dribbled past once and only created 0.3 chances per match for the Toon. He has a long pass accuracy of 15% and a cross accuracy of 40%, which shows how much he has struggled on the ball going forward from defence.

These statistics suggest that the ex-Liverpool dud has, quite simply, not been good enough and it could now be time for him to be axed from the side to give Jacob Murphy a chance to shine at right-back ahead of him.

The former Norwich man has, as per SofaScore, averaged 0.5 key passes per game and a long pass accuracy of 31%, whilst winning 57% of his duels in his 11 appearances (five starts). He could now be offered the opportunity to start this massive game at right-back, with Howe needing to axe Manquillo from the team.

AND in other news, PIF must seal dream NUFC move for “exceptional” 114-goal magician who Howe would love…

A round-up of the fourth round of games from the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 tournament in Zimbabwe

John Ward15-Feb-2010Mashonaland Eagles inflicted the first defeat of the tournament on the Namibia Vipers, by five wickets, in a final-over thriller at the Harare Sports Club. Their main hero was the former national player, Doug Marillier, whose superb 74 blazed the trail that led to victory.Vipers began unimpressive after Eagles won the toss and fielded. Raymond van Schoor was dropped from a hard chance to slip off the first ball of the match, and in the second over Gerhard Rudolph (1) drove a simple catch into the covers. By the seventh over they were 24 for 3, looking a fraction of the team that overwhelmed Rocks in their first match.Here, however, the improvement began. Norbert Manyande, the former Zimbabwean, joined Dwaine Pretorius and the pair rescued the side through good running and judicious big hitting. Manyande reached his 50 off 39 balls and next ball holed out at long-on. Pretorius quickly followed, caught in the deep for 34, but Tobie Verwey clubbed a couple of boundaries to carry the total to 142 for six.Eagles also made an indifferent start, losing two wickets for 22 before Greg Lamb joined the opener Doug Marillier. They combined well to lift the score to 60 for 2 after 10 overs, before Lamb skied a catch to depart for 19. Marillier upped the rate with a mixture of orthodox and unconventional strokes. On 41 he swept a six over square leg, and reached his 50 with another effortless six over long leg. The 100 came up in the 15th over, not yet quite up with the required rate, but with wickets in hand.With Eagles looking comfortable Elton Chigumbura was run out in a terrible mix-up for 15, and then Marillier quickly followed, trapped in front by Tony Palladino for a magnificent 74 (60 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes). It set up a tense finish with 15 needed from the final 12 balls. Forster Mutizwa and Regis Chakabva ran superbly to leave five required off the final over. The first ball was a full toss and Mutizwa pulled it superbly for four, and followed it with a single the next ball to take his team home.Meanwhile, in a sterling contest that brought 379 runs, Mountaineers held on by the skin of their teeth to beat Southern Rocks by a single run. Their heroes were Hamilton Masakadza, who scored 102, and Tatenda Taibu, while Rocks produced superb batting from Chamu Chibhabha and Steve Tikolo.Mountaineers banked on getting the best from a tiring track by batting first after winning the toss. After Bernard Mlambo was yorked attempting a wild swish at Blessing Mahwire for 6, it was one-way traffic as Masakadza and Taibu massacred the hapless Rocks bowling.They were on the charge immediately, Masakadza unfurling two crisp strikes for six over long-on and long leg. The 50 came up after six overs and the 100 in 13 – after which they decided to step up the pace. Masakadza gave a hard chance to long-on when he had 80, but in the final over he reached 100 with a straight six and an edged four in successive balls from Anthony Ireland. Masakadza ended with 102 off only 56 balls, including six fours and six sixes. Taibu had done his part, with his unbeaten 71 containing five fours and a six and the second-wicket partnership adding 179.With Rocks facing an imposing total the Mountaineers’ bowlers were a little too confident and Chamu Chibhabha at least was going down, if he must, with all guns blazing. 39 runs came off the first three overs, mostly to Chibhabha, but with seven wides also helping total. The 50 came up in the sixth over for one wicket, making victory still a theoretical possibility. Chibhabha enjoyed a narrow escape, a hard chance on the leg boundary on 48, but reached 50 off 35 balls. Steve Tikolo joined in with some fine strokes, and the 100 came up in the 12th over.With 48 needed off the last five overs, an incredible Rocks victory seemed very possible. But Prosper Utseya struck the vital blow by bowling Chibhabha for 70. This proved the turning point, arresting the momentum at a crucial time. Tikolo was still there and by the last over 15 was needed to win. Tikolo cut the first ball for four, but was then run out in another mix-up. Nine was needed off the last two balls and new man Ian Harvey could only manage only a single off the penultimate ball. In a final act of defiance Alester Maregwede hit the last ball for six but it was not quite enough.

An update has emerged on Tottenham defender Joe Rodon, regarding interest from Newcastle United…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Welsh international is one of the players the Magpies are looking at ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims the central defender is one of a number of targets the club are considering as they look to improve the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Lascelles 2.0

Eddie Howe could solve a key issue at St. James’ Park and land the next Jamaal Lascelles by securing a deal to sign Rodon from Spurs in January.

The Magpies brought Lascelles to the club at the age of 20 from Nottingham Forest and he has since gone on to captain the side and make 199 appearances in all competitions to date. In Rodon, they could find their next long-term centre-back option.

At the age of 24, he is still incredibly young for a centre-back and could still have many more years ahead of him to give. This means that he would not be a short-term solution and, instead, could grow over the course of a number of seasons and potentially fill up a spot in the starting XI year after year – just as Lascelles has since his arrival at St. James’ Park.

Ex-Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink heaped praise on the £17m-rated centre-back last season, claiming that ‘nothing fazes him’. He told Sky Sports, via Wales Online:

“He looks like a proper Spurs player, a centre-half, nothing fazes him, he put his head in when needed. You have to be comfortable on the ball because you want to control the game.

“I like that he gets up straight away and gets on with it because that tells me he is hard enough.”

Earlier this year, journalist Ian Mitchelmore dubbed him as “flawless” and a “special player” after an impressive showing for his country.

These quotes highlight the £24k-per-week beast’s quality and the potential he has to be an excellent signing for the Magpies. He could solve a key issue for the club as their defence has been abysmal this season, with one clean sheet and an average of two goals conceded per game in the Premier League.

Last season, Rodon played 12 top-flight games for Spurs and won an outstanding 73% of his duels overall as he managed 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows his strong defensive qualities and adds further depth to the comments from Mitchelmore and Hasselbaink’s comments on his talent.

Therefore, he could potentially come in and help to solve Howe’s defensive issues on Tyneside, whilst also being Lascelles 2.0 with his young age allowing him to be at the club in the long-term if he is successful enough on the pitch.

AND in other news, “We understand”: Craig Hope drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Daniel Vettori has experienced a strong sense of déjà vu over the past five days

Brydon Coverdale at the Basin Reserve23-Mar-2010Daniel Vettori has experienced a strong sense of déjà vu over the past five days. A first-innings team failure, an admirable but futile second-innings fight and a heavy reliance on the lower-order batting have been recurring features of New Zealand’s Test play over the past few years. But despite being bundled out for 157 and being made to follow-on, Vettori is not convinced bolstering the batting for the second Test in Hamilton would make any difference.”I think it needs a run-scoring extra batsman,” Vettori said when asked if the team needed another specialist. “It’s all well and good to pick someone. Most of our runs came from Brendon [McCullum] and myself, so if we brought another batsman in it would just push us down. Whether that is the right answer or not, I’m not sure.”He has a point. Apart from the 83 from Tim McIntosh in the second innings, there weren’t many contributions of note from the top five in the ten-wicket defeat. Peter Ingram will be under pressure to hold his place after making 5 and 1, BJ Watling’s second-day golden duck was followed by an unconvincing 33, and Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill made middling contributions without really having an impact.New Zealand will choose their squad for the second Test on Wednesday and it is unclear if the balance of the side will be altered. Batting at No. 6, Vettori made 46 and 77 while McCullum scored 24 and 104, but it is first-innings runs that New Zealand need to find.However, a strong bowling line-up is just as important for a team that took only five wickets for the match. “We obviously need to lift a lot, particularly our first-innings efforts,” Vettori said. “We fought hard in that second innings but we need to show more penetration with the ball in that first innings and then stand up a bit more with the bat.”It’s been a trait of ours, particularly at the Basin, to get bowled out cheaply in the first innings and then fight pretty hard in the second. We can’t afford to do that. We can’t afford to be on the back foot at any stage against Australia in Hamilton.”The challenge is replicating the effort that New Zealand displayed on the weather-affected fourth day, when they lost only one wicket and pushed themselves into a strong position to save the match. The same fight could not be repeated on the fifth morning and they lost their last four wickets for 19 runs, allowing Australia a comfortable chase of 106.”The fourth day was obviously our best day of the Test match,” Vettori said. “It’s something that we need to replicate over the whole five days to give ourselves a chance against Australia. Unfortunately we weren’t able to build that pressure for long enough. After what we did yesterday it was a little bit disappointing to front up today and lose quick wickets. We wanted to bat for a long period of time but that’s the nature of the game.”The key wicket was that of McCullum, who began the day on 94 and required only three balls to bring up his fifth Test century. In the fourth over McCullum edged to slip and was disappointed not to go on and bat New Zealand into a better position.”I was pleased with how I was able to adjust my game from the way I played in the first innings and to try and give us an opportunity to put a partnership on with Dan and then Daryl [Tuffey] as well,” McCullum said. “Against a very good team it rates as my best Test century. But when you lose a game it doesn’t quite have the same feeling.”

An exciting behind-the-scenes claim has emerged about Tottenham Hotspur’s appointment of Antonio Conte this week…

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of their likely return to action this week, heading to Leicester City in the Premier League on Thursday evening, The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke discussed the club’s likely target under the Italian.

“It’s definitely true to say that the priorities and focus of the club has switched a bit in the last month or so since they got Conte. Back when Nuno was in charge, the targets for the season, I think, were ‘well, of course, we’d like to get into the Champions League, but that’s gonna be difficult, maybe we’ll have to pursue the cups or success in the [Europa] Conference League or whatever else, maybe we can get fifth or sixth, if we’re lucky,” he told the latest edition of The View From The Lane podcast.

“One of the motivations for appointing Conte in the first place was realising that while [Manchester] City and Liverpool, and maybe to a slightly lesser extent, Chelsea are going to run away, it’s kind of a big gap after that. And fourth is for anyone to fight for. And I think there’s a feeling at the club that they can get fourth.”

Lofty ambitions

So, Spurs are effectively targeting a place back inside the top four and that is a real possibility, given they occupy the seventh spot and are just three points behind rivals West Ham, who are in fourth place. And they have two games in hand.

The north London outfit has faltered in recent times, having been known as a side punching above their weight regularly. After all, Mauricio Pochettino secured three straight top-three finishes and made a Champions League final. And during that time, he went 18 months without signing a single player.

In the last two seasons, they have finished sixth and seventh, appearing to be on a downward spiral but evidently, the appointment of a former Premier League and FA Cup winner has sparked some sort of ambition behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way.

Fresh off the back of landing Inter Milan their first Scudetto in over a decade, Conte could get Spurs back to their former glories and it certainly seems as if the likes of chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici have that in mind.

As such, they must back him during the upcoming January transfer window, where the 52-year-old head coach will need reinforcements to stand a chance at beating the likes of West Ham, arch-rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester City to that illustrious fourth spot.

Lilywhites fans around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should be hugely encouraged by this latest claim from The Athletic. There aren’t many as reliable when it comes to Spurs and it’s an exciting thing to hear as the club looks to get back on top in the coming months.

AND in other news, Conte could sign an even better Moses at Spurs with “unplayable” £27m-rated “machine”…

Should a Manchester United fan rock up at the Borussia Dortmund training ground and sing Mariah Carey’s hit festive track, ‘All I want for Christmas is You’, there’s only man they’d be singing it in the direction of; Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian’s exit from Dortmund has been teased for several months now and with Ralf Rangnick at the helm, a figure he knows well from his days at Red Bull Salzburg, United’s dreams of signing him could become a reality.

Indeed, it’s thought that the club’s interim boss has even had conversations with Haaland’s father about a potential transfer to Old Trafford in 2022.

The Red Devils may have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, but perhaps the finest present this winter could be Dortmund’s star striker.

He is a colossal figure in the game and is so perfect at every aspect of the game that he feels like he was made in a laboratory.

Haaland has remarkable pace and upper body strength, can head the ball and leap like a salmon, while his finishing ability is simply devastating.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that he was dubbed a “goal-scoring cyborg” by reporter Alex Truica.

Further acclaim has come from one of United’s nemesis down the years in Thierry Henry who described the 21-year-old as “lethal.”

That’s an easy word to label the £135m-rated forward who has found the net with ridiculous regularity in recent years.

Since signing for the Bundesliga club, he has scored 76 times in just 75 outings, with 19 of those strikes coming this term.

On that evidence, staking a case for him improving the United side is an easy one to make.

Nurtured at Salzburg, he already knows the pressing philosophy and thus, he could be absolutely perfect for Rangnick this January as he aims to put his stamp on the Manchester club’s playing style.

For instance, Haaland has recorded 35 successful pressures of the ball in 2021/22, a tally that betters every attacking player at Old Trafford. In terms of forwards in their squad, Mason Greenwood (31) and Jadon Sancho (30) are the best.

With that in mind, not only would the Norway international bring a bigger goal threat to the northwest but he’d also help Rangnick implement his gegenpress.

Therefore, signing him this winter would be the perfect late Christmas present for United supporters around the globe.

AND in other news, Rangnick must seal Man Utd swoop for £81m-rated “weapon” with the “essence of Cruyff”…

New South Wales’ bowlers delivered four wickets to maintain the upper hand after their batsmen posted a massive 9 for 550 declared

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010South Australia 4 for 168 (Harris 54) trail New South Wales 9 for 550 dec (Nevill 105, Khawaja 102, Smith 100, O’Keefe 91, Forrest 78, Cleary 4-82) by 382 runs
ScorecardDaniel Harris scored 54 in South Australia’s innings but they face an uphill task•Getty ImagesNew South Wales’ bowlers delivered four wickets to maintain the upper hand after their batsmen posted a massive 9 for 550 declared at the SCG. Daniel Harris started with 54 in the reply but South Australia were 4 for 104 before an unbeaten stand between Cameron Borgas (30) and Aaron O’Brien (36) took them to 168.Steven Smith completed an even century at the start of the day in an excellent warm-up for the Test tour of New Zealand. Smith brought up his fourth hundred with a pull for four but was caught behind trying to hit Peter George (3 for 132).The wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and Steve O’Keefe kept building in a stand of 132 that took the game further away from South Australia. Nevill’s maiden century ended on 105 when he gave Tim Ludeman his sixth catch of the innings.O’Keefe, who went on to collect 2 for 42, almost made it to three figures but fell to a leading edge on 91. The wicket was Mark Cleary’s fourth and forced the declaration.