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Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Leeds United chief Victor Orta wasn’t ‘all in on Jesse Marsch’, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Marsch’s first win

It was third time lucky for Marsch in his search for a first win as manager following defeats to Leicester City and Aston Villa.

Young forward Joe Gelhardt was the hero in stoppage time in a 2-1 victory against Norwich, with the Whites now looking to pull away from the bottom three with another positive result at Molineux.

Games with Wolves, Southampton and Watford could go a long way in the club’s push to avoid the drop, but Jones has suggested Orta had a few others in mind to replace Marcelo Bielsa instead of Marsch.

The Latest: Jones’ claim

Talking to GiveMeSport, Jones had this to say regarding the director of football:

“Orta I know had a couple of people in mind for this job and he wasn’t all in on Jesse Marsch, but he is a supporter of his. He does hope it works out.”

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The Verdict: Interesting…

Reports prior to Bielsa’s sacking name-checked Ernesto Valverde and Carlos Corberan as possible candidates alongside Marsch. However, what is interesting is that Jones believes Orta ‘wasn’t all in’ when it comes to the American.

Phil Hay suggested that Orta had been tracking Marsch for around two years and believed his style of play would help when it came to replacing Bielsa.

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It will prove to be a solid call by the board if the Whites stay up with Marsch in charge, but if they suffer relegation, Orta and co will be the first to be questioned, and perhaps we could even see a quick switch to someone like Corberan as a result.

In other news: Adam Pope: Leeds and Marsch may now be handed transfer embargo this summer as news emerges. 

England Lions 271 for 7 (Carberry 103, Chavan 3-38) beat Mumbai XI 268 for 8 (Tare 78, Richardson 3-36)
Scorecard

	A relaxed Andrew Flintoff loosens up ahead of the match © Getty Images

A hundred from Michael Carberry helped England Lions to a three-wicket win over a Mumbai XI at the Brabourne Stadium. The match was one of three hastily arranged following England’s exit from the Duleep Trophy.While Carberry took the plaudits, the headlines were made by Andrew Flintoff, who returned to action after a five-month lay-off with ankle problems. He did little aside from taking a catch at second slip, but the fact he was back will put a spring in the step of England supporters.”It was good to see Fred back playing again,” David Parsons, the manager of the side, said. “It was unfortunate that when he went in we had a run-chase on and he didn’t get many runs. But judging by the look on his face when he went out to bat, he was just happy to be out there again, and he came through without any problems.”Carberry made 103 – his second hundred of the tour – and received good support from James Hildreth and Adil Rashid As the Lions chased down a stiff target of 269. The game went to the last over and it took a six from Liam Plunkett off the penultimate ball to see England home.

The players trained at Sabina Park on Tuesday, but the latest developments have shaken them © Getty Images

A reluctant Pakistan team has been ordered to complete their World Cup commitment by Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman.The players had earlier wanted to pull out of their last engagement against Zimbabwe at Sabina Park on Wednesday following revelations Bob Woolmer, their coach, might have been murdered. However, a forfeit would have plunged the World Cup into further chaos as it would have tied Zimbabwe and Ireland on points.The match is inconsequential for Pakistan, who have been knocked out of the tournament, but hugely significant for Zimbabwe and Ireland, whose progress depends on it. Ireland have their noses ahead at the moment, with superior points and net run-rate, but Zimbabwe would have drawn level if Pakistan did not play and could have squeezed ahead if Ireland suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of West Indies on Friday.Pervez Mir, the Pakistan media manager, had earlier told reporters the Pakistan team management would be speaking to the ICC about pulling out since many of the players were not in the right mental frame to play.However, he later confirmed the match would go ahead following discussions between the team management and Ashraf, who has resigned from his position, but has not yet been relieved by Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan president, who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB. The team will be coached by Mushtaq Ahmed, the current bowling coach.”The confirmation followed a meeting between the Pakistan team management and officials from the local police, the ICC and Cricket World Cup on Tuesday evening,” an ICC spokesman said. “The Pakistan management indicated they were comfortable with the arrangements surrounding the team and that the match would take place.”

Goolam Bodi’s fourth first-class hundred helped put the Titans in a dominant position against the Warriors on the second day at Benoni. He stood a lonesome figure for much of his team’s innings; only Justin Kemp (39) and Albie Morkel helped forge significant partnerships. However, the Titans already hold a 161-run lead which, going into into the third day, could help determine the outcome of this match.A hundred from Derrin Bassage and 65 from Alan Dawson gave Cape Cobras the upper hand on day two of their match against the Eagles. Bassage, who started the day on 75, was bowled by Ryan McLaren for exactly 100, but the rest of the middle-order failed to offer any substantial innings, with only HD Ackerman reaching 30 before Dawson came to the crease. Dawson pulled a hamstring while bowling yesterday, and required the use of a runner (JP Duminy); he hardly needed him, though, as his innings of 65 contained 12 fours to lead the Cape Cobras to 324. In reply, the Eagles lost Ryan Bailey for seven, and trail by 108 runs.The Lions squandered the strong position they held yesterday on the second day against the Dolphins at Johannesburg. Vaughn van Jaarsveld’s fine knock ended on 125 and he was the first to fall with the score on 209 for 5; they then collapsed to 269 all out, with Andrew Tweedie picking up 4 for 74. In reply, the Dolphins ended the day within touching distance of the Lions’ total, thanks to Imraan Khan (56) and Hashim Amla who fell one short of his 11th first-class hundred. The Dolphins trail by 31 going into day three.

Scorecard

Inzamam-ul-Haq’s amaxing knock was not enough for Pakistan © AFP

One of the most abused clichés in sport is the one about the game, ratherthan a team or individual, being the winner. For those on the losing side,especially after a contest decided by the length of a fingernail, such aglib phrase is no more than a slap in the face, another reminder of fallingagonisingly short. But sometimes, maybe once every decade or so, sport hasthe ability to transcend itself and render the result immaterial. So it waswith this one-day international at Karachi.Years from now, those present will still marvel at the vivid memories, whilethose who watch archival footage will stare in awe at the splendour of thesporting theatre on offer. For India, the victory erased bitter memoriesthat went back almost two decades, but ultimately the result mattered littlewhen compared to the atmosphere that enveloped the ground as the afternoonslid into night.It had been seven years since an Indian team played in Pakistan, and therehad been no full tour since 1989. With Karachi being denied a Test match,the opening one-day match carried additional resonance, and there was asecurity phalanx in place by the time the two captains walked out to toss.Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss to thunderous applause, and then befuddledeveryone by sending India in. The expected Sachin Tendulkar-Shoaib Akhtarsideshow didn¹t disappoint, but after the master had played some gloriousshots, it was Shoaib who wheeled away in celebration. By then though, withVirender Sehwag blazing away in all directions the run-rate had reachedastronomic proportions.By the time Sehwag was outfoxed by a slow yorker from Rana Naved-ul-Hasan ­tarred, feathered and hung out to dry by some scintillating shotmaking ­India were rattling along at ten an over, with the fielding restrictionsstill in place. Though Pakistan hauled it back in the second half of theinnings, a majestic 99 from Rahul Dravid gave India the impetus to reach349, leaving Pakistan to make 20 more than any team had ever done to win amatch batting second. And while the batting had been dazzling, it wasovershadowed by the effervescence and sense of fairness of a capacity crowdthat accorded a surprised Dravid a standing ovation.Pakistan¹s run chase, for the most part, seemed to consist of chasingshadows. The openers barely made a dent, and even though both Inzamam andYousuf Youhana batted with refreshing positivity and class, the requiredrun-rate refused to climb below eight. Youhana¹s was a coruscating hand, ajoyful amalgam of drives, cuts, languid flicks and outrageous hoicks thatappeared to give Inzamam heartburn. After he departed for a brilliant 73,the stage was all Inzamam¹s.He had eased into the cricketing consciousness with imperious shotmaking ina World Cup semi-final 12 years earlier, and faced with near-impossibleodds, he delved into his treasure chest of experience to unveil an inningsof intelligence and beauty. Paced to perfection, it had both bludgeon andcaress and strokes timed so magnificently that the fielders were made tolook clumsy and second-rate. With Younis Khan providing inventive support atthe other end, the 350-run oasis suddenly appeared to be more than achimera.It was Murali Kartik, playing only because both Harbhajan Singh and AnilKumble were out injured, who gave Ganguly respite, coaxing the faintest ofnicks from Inzamam¹s bat after he had stomped to 122 from just 104 balls.Suddenly, the equation ­ 72 from 47 balls ­ didn¹t seem as easily solvable.Younis and Abdul Razzaq though wouldn¹t entertain negative thoughts,thumping some fine boundaries as the target was whittled down. But Kartikthen bowled Younis, and Zaheer Khan pegged back Razzaq¹s off stump to leavethe burden to Moin Khan, an impudent and aggressive shotmaker in his heyday,and Shoaib Malik.With only 10 needed from eight balls came another defining moment in a matchthat was full of them. Malik¹s mighty heave had both Hemang Badani andMohammad Kaif running for it, and it required stunning concentration andspectacular agility from Kaif to prevent a sickening collision and hold onto a catch that gave the Indians fresh spring in weary stride.Nine were needed when Ganguly tossed the ball to Ashish Nehra, the mostinfuriatingly inconsistent element of India¹s pace attack. But Naved wasnervous, and Moin not quite the batsmen he was, as Nehra managed five ballsfor just three runs. After close to eight hours of compelling action, it hadcome to this ­ a six off the last ball.Up on the players¹ balcony, Javed Miandad played out the stroke which woulddo it, desperately wishing to transmit the thought and action to Moin.Almost 18 years earlier, Miandad had picked up a legside full-toss fromChetan Sharma and slammed it over midwicket to stab a gaping hole in India¹scricket psyche, and he must have watched in amazement as Nehra came up witha waist-high offering.Moin, though, was no Miandad, and this full toss hastened on to his batbefore he could complete the cleaving motion that would send the ball intoorbit. As the ball looped up to Zaheer at midwicket, there were yells oftriumph from the Indian fielders. After a moment of stunned resignation, thecrowd responded with a chorus that no Indian present there will ever forget.In a rivalry characterised by mindless posturing and hatred on both sides,it was an epochal moment, that once-in-a-lifetime occasion when a tiredcliché about triumph and defeat being irrelevant made perfect sense.

James Anderson: staying on © Getty Images

James Anderson will defintely miss the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle – but he will remain on the tour after the management team decided to take a chance on his fitness, even though he is only rated 50/50 to be fit for the second Test at Kandy. Anderson sprained his ankle last week while playing squash.Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, is confident that Anderson will definitely be fit for the third Test in Colombo. He said: “Jimmy has made good progress over the last day or so. We felt it was right to retain him as he has acclimatised, rather than bring someone else in.”James Kirtley, who ironically was Anderson’s opponent in that fateful squash match, will stay on with the squad. He was originally retained after the one-day series as cover for Anderson.

Matabeleland lost their first match in the Logan Cup to Mashonaland by eight wickets in a match where the result was probably decided on the first day with the loss of the toss. A gruelling first day took its toll on the young side and they never really recovered from there on.For most players it was probably the first time they had spent the whole day in the field and it certainly showed. However the main problem dogging the side is the current selection policies undertaken by the three selectors, none of whom have any playing experience at this level, and team selection is somewhat wayward, with the final teamprobably not as strong as it could be.13 players were named, with Hitz being omitted and Mukadam, whose father is a selector, being named as twelfth man. Here is a player, playing league cricket, who clearly is not good enough to make his provincial debut at this stage, being named as twelfth man ahead of Hitz who was desperately unlucky not to have played last season but who had made his debut the previous season with reasonable success. Hitz was later included in the side at the expense of Mukondiwa, a decision that reverted back to Hitz again being omitted and left out of the squad. This in some ways had an effect on the team, as it was only announced on the morning of the match, with Hitz expecting to play.For this weekend the team shows three changes. Out go Matthew Townshend, Jason Hitz and Munir Mukadam, with Keith Dabengwa and Clement Mahachi returning to the squad after injury. Probably the most important and totally unrealistic change is the dropping of Ryan King as captain and replacing him with the 40-year-old Colin Williams. One finds it hard to understand this move which certainly does not encourage youngsters and in particular a young and promising captain. Should Williams fail again as a player, are Matabeleland strong enough to play a captain who hardly warrants a place?The other surprise is leaving out an Academy player who admittedly did not perform well, but neither did the two players who played and are now replacing him. Are the selectors keen on blooding new players at the expense of experience and in so doing weakening the team? The current policies for selection will do little to help a side that has been hit with the loss of some key players so early in the competition.With the weather hot again and the wicket likely to play the same,Matabeleland could be in for another long period in the field.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has accepted Vijay Malalasekera and Anura Tennekoon as Sri Lanka’s representatives for its annual general meeting which will be held at Lord’s later this month.The air of uncertainty that hung over the country’s representatives to the ICC was cleared at the ruling body’s cricket committee meeting held in London recently, when ICC chief executive David Richards met Sidath Wettimuny, who represented Sri Lanka from the Interim Cricket Board.The acceptance by ICC of Malalasekera, who heads the Interim Cricket Board, and Tennekoon, the chief executive officer, was conveyed to Wettimuny by Richards.The ICC will write to the Interim Cricket Board soon endorsing their decision.The fears that Sri Lanka may lose its ICC Test status as claimed by certain factions opposed to the Interim Cricket Board were also allayed at the London meeting.

Gabriel Agbonlahor says he’s ‘never seen’ a defensive midfielder as slow as Everton’s Allan. 

The lowdown

Everton lost 5-0 at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, leaving them just a point above the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand on Burnley.

Allan saw out the full 90 in North London, as he’s done in all five of Frank Lampard’s Premier League games so far.

He was a regular under predecessor Rafael Benitez too, with 21 starts from a possible 25 in the top flight this season.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor said that Lampard is far from blessed with options in central midfield.

He believes Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek struggled against Tottenham Hotspur, while £70,000-per-week Brazilian Allan looked like he had virtually no running power.

“It’s a bit strange that Dele Alli hasn’t started a game yet,” he said.

“Even when he came on it didn’t look like he had anything to offer. It’s a bit of a worry.

“Frank Lampard will look at Van De Beek as well, after that performance you can see why Man United didn’t play him much. He was very poor, playing sidewards whenever he got the ball and not playing forwards.

“There are a lot of problems at Everton. Allan as well. He hasn’t got any legs, he couldn’t catch my kids if they were running. I’ve never seen a defensive midfielder so slow.”

The verdict

Allan was actually Everton’s strongest performer in the defeat on Monday, if you go by SofaScore ratings.

That may not be saying much – he only scored 6.8 out of 10 – but he did win five out of eight ground duels and register a passing accuracy of 87% (including four out of five long balls).

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From that point of view, he’s a slightly curious target for Agbonlahor.

Having said that, he is dribbled past more often than any other Everton player (2.8 times per 90 minutes) and makes the third most fouls (1.2) and maybe that suggests players are able to occasionally power past him, leading him to cynically bring them down.

In other news, read this journalist’s fresh investment claim. 

	Aravinda de Silva wants to improve the pitches prepared for junior cricket © Getty Images

Newly-appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) cricket committee Aravinda de Silva said that one of his prime concerns was to restructure school cricket.”We have to develop our coaching sector. Like medical science, the coaching system keeps changing with new methods and we’ve got to keep pace with it. We have school cricket coaches but only some of them are knowledgeable,” said de Silva. “What is important is that you need more specialised coaches at the lower level than at the top level. You don’t need much coaching once you reach the top if you have received proper coaching at the start.”De Silva was appointed to the post last week by the SLC interim committee headed by Arjuna Ranatunga. The rest of the cricket committee comprises past Sri Lankan cricketers Sidath Wettimuny, Hashan Tillakaratne, Ranjan Madugalle, Guy de Alwis, Michael Tissera, Roshan Mahanama and Graeme Labrooy.Another important aspect de Silva said that he wants to improve is the pitches prepared for junior cricket. “The pitches prepared for school matches don’t give the batsmen much confidence to play shots.”De Silva, who is consultant coach to the Sri Lanka Under-19s side preparing for next month’s junior World Cup in Malaysia, stated that while he did not see any dearth of talent in the squad, half the side was prone to injuries due to lack of proper conditioning, training and fitness levels.”I cannot perform miracles within such a short time. But the boys are keen to learn. Their basics are good and I don’t want to make any drastic changes and complicate things at this stage. The problem with the batsmen is that they think of too many things (rather) than go out there and hit the ball,” De Silva said. “If we are to prepare properly for a World Cup we must start concentrating on our present Under-17s squad and prepare them for the next junior World Cup in two years.”De Silva said that SLC interim committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga had been very supportive of U-19 cricket and had come to witness the matches played by Sri Lanka in the on-going U-19s tri-nation series against Pakistan and England. “Arjuna is keen to improve the standard of junior cricket,” said de Silva, who played most of his cricket for Sri Lanka as deputy to Ranatunga.