كشفت تقارير صحفية في غانا عن صراع بين الأهلي والزمالك وناديين مصريين آخرين من أجل التعاقد مع أحد مواهب نادي دريمز بعد تألقه في كأس الكونفدرالية.

والتقى الزمالك ودريمز في نصف نهائي الكونفدرالية خلال الأسبوعين الماضيين ونجح الفارس الأبيض في تخطي تلك العقبة بالفوز 3-0 ذهابًا وإيابًا والتأهل للنهائي لمواجهة نهضة بركان.

وخلال مباراتي الزمالك، تألق المهاجم الشاب عبد العزيز عيسى والبالغ من العمر 18 عامًا فقط، وجذب الأنظار إليه من عملاقي الدوري المصري.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب دريمز يتوقع فوز الزمالك بالكونفدرالية ويؤكد: الأبيض فاوض لاعب الفريق

وأفاد موقع “Ghana Soccer Net” أن الأهلي، الزمالك، بيراميدز والمصري يسعون جميعها لضم مهاجم دريمز الذي سجل 4 أهداف وصنع هدفين آخرين في 12 مباراة.

وزعم التقرير أن هناك بالفعل مفاوضات قد بدأت من الرباعي مع اللاعب لجس نبضه للانتقال إلى صفوفهم في المستقبل ولكن الزمالك يتقدم السباق.

ولكن الأهلي، بيراميدز والمصري لن يتنازلوا عن ضم اللاعب بسهولة وبالتالي، فالصفقة لن تكون سهلة الحسم بالنسبة لنادي الزمالك واللاعب الذي يتعين عليه اتخاذ قرار مهم.

Liverpool remain in negotiations with Southampton for midfielder Romeo Lavia, but to the indignation of the Anfield support, progress is moving at a snail's pace with the 2023/24 Premier League campaign just one week away.

Who are Liverpool signing this summer?

The summer transfer market started so brightly for the Reds, with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £35m deal before Dominik Szoboszlai was captured from RB Leipzig for £60m.

But progress was hampered when Saudi interest led to the departures of industrious midfield duo Fabinho and – captain – Jordan Henderson.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Jurgen Klopp's side have since seen two bids for Lavia rejected, the second offer, £41m, still some way below Saints' £50m demand for the precocious engine room machine.

What is Romeo Lavia's style of play?

Lavia has been superb since joining Southampton from Manchester City one year ago in a deal potentially rising to £14m, and his performances on the south coast suggest that he boasts every ounce of quality requisite for success at the very highest level.

The 19-year-old would be a long-term project and the successor to Fabinho's role as the midfield anchor at Anfield, though given his Premier League displays over the past year there will be confidence at Liverpool that he could hit the ground running.

As per Sofascore, he recorded an average rating of 6.80 in the English top-flight, despite the tumult at St. Mary's Stadium and the discordant and disjointed harmony of Southampton's squad, resulting in a 20th-placed finish.

If Klopp succeeds in his pursuit, the £38k-per-week ace will be able to slot seamlessly into the Liverpool centre; the words of The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell corroborate the argument, as he said: in terms of technical quality and tactical understanding, he's more than ready to go right into that Liverpool midfield."

It is his innate ease and presence in the No. 6 role that will consequently allow teammates around him to flourish, with his ranking among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks per 90, as per FBref, illustrating his tenacity and determination to stifle opposition transitions.

Szoboszlai would certainly benefit from Lavia's arrival at Anfield, with the 32-cap Hungary captain's creative capabilities requiring steel-clad framework behind him to ensure he can effectively contribute to the offensive efforts.

And the £120k-per-week maestro could aid Lavia in his work too, ranking among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for blocks and the top 13% for clearances per 90.

Szoboszlai recorded an exemplary average rating of 7.42 in the German Bundesliga last season after scoring six goals and supplying eight assists from 28 starting appearances, creating 2.3 key passes per game, averaging 1.5 tackles per match and completing 83% of his passes.

Lavia is the "absolute monster" – as called by journalist Benjy Nurick – that Szoboszlai needs to thrive in the Premier League, while he can also utilise his own dynamism and defensive application to ensure that the workload is not too great for the teenage talent; it could be a partnership for the ages on Merseyside and Liverpool must ensure that they get this one over the line.

Manchester United are believed to still be in the running for the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder, Leon Goretzka, with the experienced asset potentially set to be up for grabs this summer amid his uncertain future under Thomas Tuchel.

What is the latest on Goretzka to Man United?

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter, Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils – as well as fellow Premier League side, West Ham United – remain in the race for the 28-year-old's signature, with the German international having fallen down the pecking order at the Allianz Arena of late.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "ManUtd never lost their focus on Leon #Goretzka! Understand the 28 y/o is still on the list of the club. #MUFC. Goretzka wanted to stay 100 % – but the last ten days have clearly shown that he won’t be a starter under Tuchel for now. Tuchel is planning with Kimmich/Laimer and wants a new „holding six“ on top. Difficult situation.

"ManUtd & Goretzka, situation to watch! Still a dream target for West Ham."

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

This comes amid a prior report which claimed that the former Schalke man has been deemed 'expendable' by the Bundesliga side, with Tuchel and co potentially willing to cash in if they are to receive a bid of around €50m (£43m).

How good is Leon Goretzka?

With the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek all potentially set to be on their way this summer, it is easy to see why Erik ten Hag is looking to strengthen his midfield ranks even further over the coming weeks, despite having already wrapped up a deal for England international, Mason Mount.

Having been handed the famed number seven shirt by United upon his arrival from Chelsea, Mount appears set to play a key role for the Old Trafford outfit next season, with Ten Hag highlighting the "dynamism" that the 24-year-old can bring to the side in his midfield berth.

On the face of it, it would appear that the one-time Derby County loanee is likely to form a midfield triumvirate including Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, with that latter pair taking up more defensive and advanced starting berths, respectively.

However, throwing Goretzka into the mix could well be something of a blow to Mount's hopes of nailing down that final slot in the centre of the park, with the Bayern man having been hailed as "one of the best box-to-box players in Europe" by former boss Julian Nagelsmann, due to his "incredible goal threat" and ability to "bomb forward".

While United's new man has typically been deployed in a number ten berth or on the flanks in recent years for both club and country, Goretzka, by contrast, is a perhaps more orthodox option as a number eight, having lined up alongside Joshua Kimmich over the past few seasons in a midfield pivot.

Ther £297k-per-week gem's quality in that role is shown by the fact that ranks in the top 4% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for assists and in the top 13% for non-penalty goals, while Mount, by contrast, ranks in just the top 18% and the top 26%, respectively for those two metrics.

Lauded as a "beast" by Apple's Cristian Nyari, the 6 foot 2 Goretzka could also perhaps offer more defensively as he ranks in the top 21% for interceptions and in the top 9% for aerial duels won, with that again far ahead of Mount's return over the last 365 days (bottom 10% and the bottom 29%, respectively).

While not to suggest that the latter man should already be cast aside, it could be the case that the Englishman's long-term future at the Theatre of Dreams may lie in a more attacking role in the forward line, with Goretzka a perhaps more suitable fit to partner Casemiro next season, due to his all-round strengths.

An update has emerged on Leeds United's efforts to bolster their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Whites have made an enquiry over Everton central defender Mason Holgate as they pursue a deal to sign him during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Sheffield United and Southampton have also made contact with Sean Dyche's side in order to gauge how much it would take for the Toffees to sanction a move.

It states that the manager has told the former West Bromwich Albion loanee that he is free to leave but his £72k-per-week wages could limit his options unless the Premier League team are willing to continue paying a percentage of it.

Where can Mason Holgate play?

The 26-year-old enforcer is an extremely versatile defender who has proven himself capable of playing in any position across the back four, as well as in a defensive midfield role.

His flexibility to be deployed in either a full-back spot or in the heart of the defence would make him a useful player for head coach Daniel Farke, who could then forget about the possible departure of Max Wober.

Despite having only been signed in January for £10m from Red Bull Salzburg, it has been reported that the Austria international is set to complete a move to German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.

The 25-year-old ace, like Holgate, is a versatile player who has played at left-back, centre-back, or in a no.6 position, although both players predominantly play at the heart of the backline.

Therefore, Farke could forget about the blow of losing, if the move goes through as reported, Wober by bringing in another gem who can cover across multiple positions to alleviate any injury or suspension issues when needed.

Holgate, who was once hailed as a "leader" by the Liverpool ECHO's Sam Carroll, is also a player with the potential to be an excellent signing for Leeds due to his quality.

The English brute has endured a couple of disappointing top-flight seasons with Everton, as he has failed to average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.65, but his form prior to that was impressive.

During the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 across 28 Premier League games, and that came after a superb rating of 7.01 over 27 matches throughout the previous season, in which he demonstrated his dominant defending with a ground duel success rate of 69%.

The latter score would have left him top of the Whites team during the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be an outstanding performer for the club.

Wober, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84 in 16 league outings for Leeds last term, which placed him third within the squad of players with at least one start and won 51% of his battles on the ground.

Therefore, Holgate could replace the Austrian titan both in terms of quality and versatility if Farke can use his coaching skills to get the Everton man back to his best, which could be aided by a drop down to the Championship to play a lower standard of football.

The BCCI has nominated MS Dhoni for the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award, PTI has reported.”Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nominated by the BCCI for the Padma Bhushan award,” said BCCI’s acting president CK Khanna. “It was a unanimous decision by the members. He has been one of the greatest names in contemporary cricket and the most appropriate choice of the Indian cricket board.”Dhoni could become the 11th cricketer to receive the award, after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Chandu Borde, Lala Amarnath, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, Raja Bhalindra Singh and Maharajah of Vizianagram (Vizzy).Dhoni has been one of India’s most successful captains, having led them to victory in the 2007 World T20, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He has 10,949 runs from 380 matches in ODIs and T20Is, and 4876 runs from 90 Test matches. He also became the first wicketkeeper to affect 100 ODI stumpings, during the series against Sri Lanka this month.

Du Plessis, captain of South Africa’s Test and T20 teams, was also named as AB de Villiers’ successor in ODIs

Firdose Moonda11-Sep-20171:34

Du Plessis, South Africa’s new all-format captain

Faf du Plessis will captain South Africa in all formats after being confirmed as AB de Villiers’ successor in ODIs. Du Plessis has been in charge of the T20 team since February 2013 and the Test squad since August last year. Du Plessis is likely to take the ODI team to the 2019 World Cup.Du Plessis’ first assignment as South Africa’s captain in all formats will be a home series against Bangladesh later this month, which consists of two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s. He is also the marquee player for the Stellenbosch franchise in the T20 Global League which will run from November 3 to December 16. He will then lead South Africa against India, who are due to visit for a full tour including four Tests, and four Tests against Australia. Du Plessis will not have an away series until at least July 2018, when South Africa are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka.Du Plessis’ heavy workload may be lightened with the assurance that he will have de Villiers back in the Test team. De Villiers confirmed his availability for South Africa across all three formats after a lengthy period of uncertainty over his commitment. De Villiers has not played Test cricket for South Africa since January last year and former players including former captain Graeme Smith confirmed de Villiers was contemplating Test retirement before being convinced to play on.De Villiers has missed series’ against New Zealand (home and away), Australia (away), Sri Lanka (home) and England (away). Although South Africa performed well initially, winning all eight trophies on offer in the 2016-17 summer, they returned from a long tour of England without a series win, but with a myriad problems in their Test batting line-up. De Villiers’ return should help sort out that problem.Faf du Plessis will also have AB de Villiers’ presence in all formats•Associated Press

Du Plessis has long been lauded as the best leader of his peers, and the players in both the T20 and Test squads have bought into his philosophy. “He has established himself as one of the best leaders in world cricket and this was reflected in his appointment as the captain for the World XI currently engaged in the T20 Series against Pakistan,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO said.All that remains is for du Plessis to establish a rapport with the new coach Ottis Gibson, who will arrive in the country in a week’s time. Gibson takes over from Russell Domingo, and will remain in charge until the 2019 World Cup. Du Plessis has not worked with Gibson before, but at the end of the England series, said he had spoken to some members of the England team to get some insight into his coaching style.South Africa have not had one captain across formats since 2010, when Smith, who had led in all formats since 2003, gave up the T20 captaincy. Then, Johan Botha took over for a brief period before de Villiers was made limited-overs captain in 2011. De Villiers handed over the T20 reins to du Plessis two years later. He had hoped to succeed Smith as Test captain but lost out to Hashim Amla.De Villiers eventually led South Africa in Tests when Amla stepped down in January 2016. De Villiers only captained in a temporary role before injury saw du Plessis take charge of the Test team. Du Plessis had captained in ODIs before, nine times between 2013 and 2016, when de Villiers was either injured or unavailable.

Celtic have reportedly made a bid to sign IF Elfsborg defender Gustaf Lagerbielke this summer.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops got off to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, with Brendan Rodgers marking the start of his second tenure in charge with a 4-2 win over Ross County.

In the transfer market, the club have been productive, with six new signings brought to Parkhead, the most expensive being centre-back Maik Nawrocki from Legia Warszawa at a cost of €5m.

However, another new defender may well be required before the deadline, with Carl Starfelt possibly on the way out. The Sweden international was left on the bench on the weekend, with Rodgers saying prior to the opening-day Parkhead win that the club could soon lose the player’s services.

"Carl is in a position where he may be leaving the club.

"He has been fantastic and really respectful, but he is in a position where we may lose him. This is a chance for Maik (Nawrocki) to build a partnership with Cam (Carter-Vickers)."

As a result, it appears as if Lagerbielke could be the man who is seen as Starfelt’s replacement, with a move by Celtic chiefs seemingly made.

Sport Expressan journalist Anel Avdic took to Twitter to share an update on Monday evening regarding Celtic and Lagerbielke. He claimed an offer which is close to £3m has been submitted by the Hoops for the defender in what would be a record sale for Elfsborg, with the two clubs in intensive talks.

“Celtic has made a record bid for IF Elfsborg's Gustaf Lagerbielke – the bid is around SEK 40 million.

“The parties are in intensive talks and Elfsborg are evaluating a sale – which could be a record deal for the club.”

Who is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Lagerbielke is an out-and-out centre-back who has plied the entirety of his career so far in his native country. The Sweden international, valued at a career-high €1.2m by Transfermarkt, spent time with AIK as a youngster before joining Sollentuna FK and Vasteras SK.

He joined Elfsborg back in 2021 but has made just 26 senior appearances for the club after spending a period of time out on loan Degerfors. In total, Lagerbielke has made 63 appearances as a centre-back throughout his career, seven as a right-back and one as a left-back, scoring on seven occasions when turning out in his favoured role.

The 6ft 4 defender is under contract until the end of 2025 and has been described as a player who is capable of playing with both feet and is blessed with a passing ability, something which is said to be important when it comes to turning out under Rodgers.

Alongside new signing Nawrocki, Rodgers also has Cameron Carter-Vickers, Yuki Kobayashi, Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh on the books, so Lagerbielke could come in as the sixth central defensive option for the manager, and by the looks of things, a move could be one to keep an eye on over the coming days after an offer was submitted.

However, the Cricket West Indies president was personally quite satisfied by security arrangements in Lahore for the final match of the World XI series

Umar Farooq16-Sep-2017Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron said it was a “challenge” to convince the West Indies players that it was safe to visit Pakistan. Cameron was on a two-day trip to the country to watch the final T20I of the World XI series, an event which the PCB hopes will convince other nations to send their teams for international tours.”I have enjoyed my two days in Pakistan,” Cameron said in a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. “As Najam [Sethi, the PCB chairman] said, we’ve been talking about this for some time and have our own challenges back in the West Indies. We’re only 5 million people, and as you heard there was recently a hurricane passing through our islands as well. But my challenge is to convince the players that it’s safe enough. It’s our duty to help as well. I felt that if I came over here to show that it’s safe enough that would go some way in convincing the players. InshAllah [God-willing] in November, we’ll be here.”This is the second time PCB has approached West Indies to tour, after they refused to travel to Pakistan in March upon receiving security advice from the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA). In the report then, FICA warned that the risk level in Pakistan remained “at an extremely elevated state” and that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed”. It had also discouraged players strongly from travelling to Lahore for the Pakistan Super League final.But things have improved since, as ICC’s chief executive officer David Richardson noted at a press conference on Wednesday. The security arrangements were overseen by international security consultants. The ICC bore the cost of the security advisors and have agreed terms to assist the PCB for every series they host in Pakistan from hereon in.But Cameron also explained that the matter may not necessarily be in his hands, with the board not having the final say over whether its players tour a particular nation. “We’ve had the security team here for the final of the PSL and they’ve seen these matches as well,” he said, when asked if FICA could be convinced. “Here, Pakistan’s board makes decisions [regarding where to tour]. My board’s a little bit different, with the WIPA [West Indies Players Association] also having a big say. We have to respect their decision.”We want to ensure that when the players come over, everyone actually wants to come and enjoy the experience, and we don’t want to be seen to be forcing anyone. We’ve had Darren Sammy here and Samuel Badree and they’ve loved it. Sammy’s on his second trip and I think that will also convince the players that it is safe to come.Cameron also gave the security arrangements in Pakistan a personal vote of confidence. “From what I believe I’m very convinced. The hospitality has been great, and the security has been first-class, and from where I stand right now, everything looks good.”

If they had avoided a five-point deduction for a slow overrate at Trent Bridge, Northants would have pipped Notts for promotion. As it was their final victory had a bittersweet taste

Press Association28-Sep-20172:24

Championship round-up: Somerset stay up, but despair for Middlesex

Northamptonshire’s ninth victory of the season, completed with some ease in benign batting conditions at Grace Road, had a bitter-sweet element for the men from Wantage Road.Events at Hove, where Nottinghamshire needed only to draw with Sussex to confirm they would take the second promotion place from Division Two, meant that Northamptonshire finish the season third – and it will be little consolation that no team has made more of its’ collective ability.Northants were left to particularly rue the five-point deduction suffered after defeat at Trent Bridge in late August for a slow over-rate. It was a tough time for Northants in the field as they suffered several injuries, including that of the captain Wakely, with Rory Kleinveldt taking over, and to bowl in stifling conditions on the hottest spell of the season.Without that penalty, however, Northants would have finished level on points with Notts – and ahead of them on wins.As for Leicestershire, they were consigned to a winless season.Northants head coach David Ripley said: “We’ve really played well through the back end of the season, in some adversity, including in this game with losing Rory Kleinveldt.”It is frustrating that nine wins isn’t enough, especially with the points deducted in Nottingham – we deserved the deduction, but the circumstances were extraordinary.”The bowlers did a remarkable job, Richard Gleeson at the end of the season has been outstanding, Ben Sanderson has been Mr Consistency, and Rory Kleinveldt has taken 50 wickets – winning games is about taking 20 wickets, and more often than not we’ve done that.”We’ve got some good players, and they’ve all contributed, but of there’s an area we’re looking to improve it’s in the batting and turning good scores into big, match-winning scores. We’re talking to Luke Procter – we need to recruit someone who can challenge our batters for a spot, and him coming in would do that.”Alex Wakely’s Northants side came so close•Getty Images

Perhaps in sympathy, the conditions were very much in favour of the visitors, as has been the case throughout this game. Batting has been at its most difficult in the first hour or so of the morning, when the ball has swung and seamed, so the fact a saturated outfield outfield prevented play starting until 12.40pm was ideal for Northants, who began the day needing another 180 to win with ten second innings wickets in hand.By the time play began, a bright sun had taken any menace out of the atmosphere and indeed the pitch. Northants did lose Rob Newton, the opener pushing lazily at a wide delivery from left-arm seamer Dieter Klein to edge a catch behind, but Procter and Wakely added 121 for the second wicket in good time and – an early possible run-out of Wakely aside – without real alarm before Wakely top-edged a pull and was well caught by Sam Evans at deep backward square.Two more wickets fell after the break, Richard Levi palpably leg before swishing across the line at Callum Parkinson – the young left-armer very much one of Leicestershire’s few positives this season – and Procter, with a hundred very much on the cards, also leg before to a Raine delivery that kept a little low.Procter, on loan from Lancashire, had a fine match at the top of the order, dismissed only once in making 176 runs.

The eighth-wicket pair blunt West Indies for 48.4 overs on final day after Raza heroics; visitors clinch series 1-0

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo02-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFPZimbabwe’s battling rearguard secured a draw in the second Test at Queens Sports Club, but West Indies still took the series 1-0, their first Test series win under Jason Holder. Sikandar Raza’s 89 and Regis Chakabva’s 71 not out formed the backbone of their effort on the final day. Their obduracy was matched by Graeme Cremer, the captain, who blunted 150 deliveries for his 28 not out when both sides shook hands and settled for a draw at the start of the mandatory overs.Raza, who also scored 80 in the first innings, became the second player in history after Jacques Kallis to pass 80 twice and take five wickets in a Test, was named Man of the Match. Devendra Bishoo, with 13 wickets across two Tests, was named Man of the Series.While the match ended very tamely in the afternoon, West Indies had been probing with both seam and spin for much of the day, with wickets shared around. But neither the old ball nor the new could prise a limpet-like Chakabva from the crease, and he added an unbroken 91 with Cremer to stall West Indies’ push for victory.Chakabva played and missed several deliveries during the day and even ducked into a Holder bouncer that never got above waist height, but his defence held firm when it really mattered and bad balls were met with confident strokes. It had been eight innings – and almost three years – since he last passed fifty in a Test match, and this knock, which stretched on for almost 64 overs, will go some way towards securing his place in the side for their next Test against South Africa.The hosts were also buoyed by Raza’s gritty innings, which stretched for more than five hours and 203 deliveries before he inside edged a Holder inswinger onto his stumps. During a brave, battling knock Raza survived an lbw decision given against him and a withering blow to the knee, cobbling together stands of 98 with PJ Moor, 28 with Malcolm Waller and 38 with Chakabva.Much of his work with Moor came on Wednesday, and the pair had had added just four runs to their partnership when West Indies broke through almost first thing this morning. Holder positioned Shai Hope at gully, having noticed the angled bat that Moor was playing with. The plan worked to perfection, Moor guiding a length delivery straight to the fielder to depart for 42, Zimbabwe 144 for 5.A nervous starter, Waller settled in against the quicks, but the introduction of spin quickly brought another wicket. Coming around the stumps and landing a ball in the rough outside leg, Bishoo ripped one across him and a tame poke presented an easy catch to Jermaine Blackwood at slip.Zimbabwe were 172 for 6 when Waller fell an hour or so before lunch and the new ball was available, but as was the case in Zimbabwe’s first innings West Indies decided not to take it straight away. There was still significant movement and inconsistent bounce for the quicks, and the softening old ball also ensured that neither Raza nor Chakabva could get full value for all their shots.Raza, who had survived a West Indies review in the morning, used a review of his own to reverse an lbw decision against him five overs into his partnership with Chakabva. Roach was by this time getting the old ball to reverse alarmingly, and hooped one past Raza’s hopping glance to strike him on the left knee roll. Roach bellowed an appeal, and Dharmasena gave it out almost immediately, but the review showed the ball missing leg stump. In the same over Roach snaked a waspish delivery in viciously to strike Raza on the inner knee. He was able to continue batting, but hobbled his way through to lunch.At the other end, Chakabva opened his account from his 14th delivery, and swiped a brace of boundaries when Bishoo dropped short. He showed some uncertainty outside off stump against the genuine pace of Gabriel, but did enough to survive and keep stretching out Zimbabwe’s lead.West Indies did finally take the new ball in the over before lunch, and Holder used it to break breach Raza’s defences just after the interval. Playing the wrong line to one that jagged in to him, Raza had his off stump disturbed. A window had opened for West Indies with Zimbabwe tottering at 210 for 7, with the better part of two sessions remaining.But West Indies had used up all their reviews trying to get rid of Raza, and this detail gained crucial importance as the afternoon wore on. First, Cremer gloved a bouncer from Holder onto his shoulder, the chance being pouched by a leaping Dowrich, but the appeal was turned down.Then, ten minutes before tea, Roston Chase zipped one in to Cremer’s pads, but the appeal lacked conviction and umpire Kumar Dharmasena wasn’t convinced. Replays showed three reds on the ball tracker. Moments before the tea interval, Chase once again struck Cremer on the pad, but again it was given not out and West Indies could do nothing about the decision.Cremer made the most of the chances, soaking up well over 100 deliveries, and after tea it soon became apparent that the match was drifting inexorably towards a draw. Kraigg Brathwaite, Blackwood and Kieran Powell took over bowling duties from a tired attack, and with shadows lengthening the captains got together and decided to bring a hard-fought Test to an end.