Jason Holder has urged his inexperienced West Indies side to “make a mark” during the ODI series against England.While West Indies’ recent results have not been hugely encouraging – their last ODI action saw them fail to qualify for the final of a tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe – Holder believes his squad contains some richly talented cricketers that require only more experience of international cricket before results start to improve.”The more cricket we play together, the better we’ll become,” Holder said on the eve of the first ODI in Antigua. “We had some new faces come out at the end of last year, in our series in Zimbabwe. I thought we had a pretty decent series but one of the major factors that hurt us was inexperience.”We’ve a very inexperienced side. It’s a relatively young team. But we’re looking to make a mark on the international circuit.”The key thing, Holder says, is to look forward. So there can be no dwelling on the success of the World T20 or the fact that many of the region’s best-known players have been deemed ineligible due to the WICB selection criteria.”The World T20 has gone,” Holder said. “We’ve celebrated that. It was a wonderful achievement a while back now. So it’s important for us to move on. Not to dwell on it – not forget it – but to move on and understand we need to improve our position in the ODI rankings and Test cricket. We need to qualify for the World Cup, that that is our goal.”This feels like a clean slate. We’ve quite a few changes in our administrative part and we have to get accustomed to the new coach, director of cricket and CEO. But it’s important for us to just deal with cricket. That’s the only thing we can control.”It’s a new year. We just came off our domestic competition. Everybody is raring to go. I’m happy with the side I have right now.”While West Indies may adopt a slightly old-school approach to ODI cricket – Kraigg Brathwaite will be expected to provide the anchor role in batting though the 50-overs, with others attacking around him – Holder feels his team also offers aggressive, exciting players who could become well-known over the next few years.”Shai Hope came off a very good tour in Zimbabwe and followed up starting the year well in our domestic competition,” Holder said. “We’ve got young exciting cricketers like Rovman Powell and Jason Mohammed. From the fast-bowling point, there’s Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph. So we’ve an inexperienced side but we’re looking to make a mark on the international circuit.”They’re ranked higher than us. We’ve got some way to go in terms of catching up in the rankings. We just want to tick off our process boxes in terms of what we set out to achieve as a group. Our main thing is to be a lot more consistent than we have been in the past and I think once we do that we can be moving in the right direction.”

Gareth Bale's career may have ended with a slight whimper, but there's no doubt that he is one of the best British players of all time, and arguably Britain's greatest export, writing himself into the Real Madrid history books.

So often when there was a big moment for Los Blancos, there was Bale at the forefront, whether it be El Clasico solo goals or stunning overhead strikes to seal more Champions League glory.

The Welshman squared off against some of the best defenders that football has to offer, yet, more times than not, he excelled. Who can forget his dominating display against Inter Milan and Maicon back in 2010? That's the moment we knew Tottenham Hotspur had the next best thing.

The former Spurs winger ended his career by winning the MLS Cup with LAFC, in which he scored a last-minute equaliser to take the game to extra time and penalties, where his side secured the silverware.

That doesn't mean Bale was without his struggles on the pitch, however, with one surprise name proving to be his toughest right-back.

Who was the toughest right-back Gareth Bale played against?

Speaking to The Times, Bale revealed a surprising pick for the right-back he found it most difficult to play against, saying: "The hardest right-back I played against was Micah Richards. I was a bit quicker but he was an athlete, so strong and holding. I’d knock it round him but he just [leans across and] goes ‘no!’”

Maybe Richards was right about bursting onto the scene, after all, even pocketing a future Galactico on his way. It will certainly be an ego-boosting moment for the 35-year-old Sky Sports pundit when he hears Bale's answer.

The former Manchester City right-back previously recalled his encounters with Bale, saying on Sky Sports, via TalkSport: "Many moons ago now, at Southampton, he was playing left-back and I was playing right-back. Let’s say I got the better of him. I ate him for lunch.

"So then, forward a few seasons, he goes to Spurs and subconsciously I’m thinking ‘it’s only Gareth Bale. I can deal with him. I had him at Southampton’.

“It was a massive, massive mistake. He destroyed me. If it wasn’t for Joe Hart in that game, I remember it, first game of the season at White Hart Lane. Pace, power and fitness.

“I always thought as a defender ‘hit them hard early doors and they won’t come back’. He kept coming back and coming back and coming back."

What club is Bale in 2023?

As of right now, we're sure Bale is enjoying life without any club having now retired, and no doubt is indulging in a game of golf or two, but that doesn't mean we won't see the Welshman in a football role in the future.

We've seen a number of former players step into coaching and management, from Steven Gerrard to Wayne Rooney. Perhaps Bale will follow in the footsteps of others to step into the technical area – although, it does seem more likely that he'll end up on the golf course for the foreseeable future.

Whatever he ends up doing next though, Bale may want to avoid the difficulty of his first-ever encounter with Richards. Instead, he will hope to find a Loris Karius-like counterpart in his next career step within the coming years, and his next step.

Wherever Lionel Messi goes, fans follow, watching on in awe as one of football’s undisputed kings takes to the crown once more. And this is no truer the case than at his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys.Unlike elsewhere, there’s a sense of pride from the Argentine club as well as usual admiration for arguably the best player to ever grace a football pitch.The pride comes from the fact that the Messi we see today started at Old Boys. They helped shape a player who has made many fall in love with the game. Without the club, who knows where we’d be?Given the chance to return to the club in a legends’ match, the icon received a fitting homecoming.

What’s the latest on Lionel Messi?

Leaving Paris Saint-Germain after a mixed spell, Messi completed a move to MLS side Inter Miami this summer, where he will hope to transform the club into one of the best teams in the United States.

The move signals the end of the Argentine’s time in Europe, and perhaps the beginning of the end of an illustrious career.

Having finally won the World Cup with Argentina last year, ending the constant international heartbreak, it’s fair to say that he has earned a move to MLS, even if he does still undoubtedly possess the quality to play at the very top.

At PSG last season, the Ballon d’Or winner was involved in 41 goals, if there was ever any doubt over just how much he is going to terrorise defences in MLS.

It will certainly be an interesting move to keep an eye on, given Inter Miami’s recent struggles – losing seven games in a row. If anyone can turn them into a top club, it is Messi, however, combined with former teammate Sergio Busquets, who completed his switch from Barcelona this summer to reunite with the incredible forward.

Lionel Messi receives hero’s welcome

Fans packed out the Newell’s Old Boys stadium to welcome their legend, as you can see in the video below:

It feels fitting that the former Barcelona man returned home one last time before heading to MLS and Inter Miami in what may be his final club in a legendary career.

In the game – which saw Argentina up against Newell’s Old Boys to celebrate the retirement of former international team-mate Maxi Rodriguez, Messi scored a stunning first-half hat-trick.

The likes of Angel Di Maria, Ariel Ortega and Gabriel Batistuta were all involved and the match ended 7-5 to Newell’s Old Boys.

Afterwards, Messi told ESPN Argentina (via Daily Star): “It had been a long time since I had spent a birthday in Rosario, with my family and my friends.

“As I said at the time: it was our turn to be world champions, but behind us were millions of impressive players who did many great things with the National Team, beyond the fact that they did not raise a cup.

“Although what we did is something special and unique, the dream of every footballer… you’re thinking about what’s to come, more than what you did.

“When it’s my turn to leave football, I’m going to remember and enjoy everything I’ve achieved much more.”

Liverpool are now ready to battle Newcastle United for the signature of Marc Guehi, but Crystal Palace are set to hold out for bids in excess of £60m if they are to sanction an exit for the defender, according to a report from Football Insider.

Is Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace?

With Guehi currently contracted until the summer of 2026, Palace are under no pressure to sell him this summer, but there is growing interest in his signature, with a number of top Premier League clubs now said to be eyeing moves.

Tottenham Hotspur have previously been linked with a move for the Englishman, with north London rivals Arsenal also being named as potential suitors, as Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his backline.

Newcastle and Liverpool have been competing for several of the same targets this summer, with the Reds ultimately beating the Magpies to the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai, while they are also competing for Sporting CP youngster Goncalo Inacio.

There may now be another battle for the signature of Guehi, according to a report from Football Insider, which details that Liverpool are now ready to fight it out with their Premier League rivals.

However, they have been made aware that the 6-foot defender will not come cheap, as Palace are set to ask for bids in excess of £60m, if they are to sanction an exit for one of their prized assets.

Spurs and Arsenal are also still in the frame, but there is a belief that Palace's asking price could make the difficult very difficult to orchestrate, even for the Premier League's elite clubs.

After dazzling for the second season on the spin at Selhurst Park, the Eagles are unwilling to let their academy graduate leave for less than they think he is worth.

Is Marc Guehi signing for Liverpool?

If Palace are unwilling to lower their asking price, it seems unlikely that FSG sanction a move for the 22-year-old, given that the owners are not exactly known for overspending on players.

Liverpool's net owner funding in the last five years comes in at second-lowest in the division, at negative £37m.

However, if the Eagles lower their asking price later in the transfer window, the up-and-coming centre-back could be a fantastic addition to Klopp's squad.

Hailed as an "exceptional talent" by members of the media, the former Swansea City now has four caps for England, having impressed at club level, averaging a 6.94 Sofascore match rating last season, a higher figure than Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate.

Former manager Patrick Vieira has also heaped praise on the England international. saying: “He’s an ambitious player who wants the best for himself and wants to represent his country. He’s been working well, really hard.

“When you look at his performances for us in the year-and-a-half I’ve been here, it’s been really consistent and good.He just has to keep working like that and he will get a time to play in a World Cup and get a chance to represent his country."

Guehi is not yet the finished article, but he has proven himself at Premier League level, and has the potential to become a top player.

Yuvraj Singh has said that his return to India’s limited-overs sides has helped him express himself more “freely”, after he struck a match-winning 62 off 27 for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening game of IPL 2017 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.”I enjoyed my batting tonight. My batting has been up and down over the couple of years, but I am feeling really good at the moment,” Yuvraj told . “The comeback into the Indian team has really helped me. I am more free in my mind and I am not worrying anymore about making a comeback. I am just going to play according to the situation and express myself.”Yuvraj was recalled to India’s ODI and T20I sides for the home series against England in January, having previously played for the side in the 2016 World T20. Picked on his form in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, he went on to score 210 runs in the three-match ODI series, including a 127-ball 150 in the second ODI in Cuttack. He scored his fastest IPL fifty on Wednesday, reaching the landmark in 23 balls.Sunrisers captain David Warner said Yuvraj was given the No. 4 slot so that he could get his eye in before getting in the big hits.”Look, it’s superb to see him play the way he did. That’s the Yuvi I used to watch on TV,” Warner said. “Superb stroke-play, hitting it clean, and, you know what, he backed himself. And that’s the way we want him to keep playing. He’s batting at [No.] 4 for a reason and that’s to get himself in and play that way. If he can do that another five or six times for us this year, we are going to go a long way to the finals.”Yuvraj said the game-changing moment was Ben Cutting’s darting throw from fine-leg to run out a set Kedar Jadhav at a crucial stage in Royal Challengers’ chase of 208. Shane Watson, standing in as captain of Royal Challengers, also agreed that Jadhav’s run-out turned the game in Sunrisers’ favour, ending a promising 56-run partnership for the third wicket. Watson also pointed to the side’s sloppy fielding, particularly a dropped catch when Yuvraj was on 26, as a factor in their loss.Yuvraj Singh’s 27-ball 62 was his fastest fifty in ten seasons of IPL•BCCI

“That run-out of Kedar was the turning point, really,” Watson said. “We were neck and neck with Sunrisers and then we lost a couple of wickets especially through the middle period. He is batting beautifully at the moment, so Ben Cutting’s amazing piece of work changed the game. Especially with someone like Yuvi, if he is able to get some momentum, with the dropped catches, he hits the ball so sweet. If you drop someone of his caliber, he can hurt you like he did tonight.”There’s no doubt that <Yuzi [Yuzvendra Chahal] bowled beautifully. More than anything, Sunrisers took the game on in certain parts. A little bit of sloppy fielding, some good batting [from Sunrisers] and some not great execution at times meant they could get away. Unfortunately I didn’t execute what I wanted to do against Ashish Nehra’s left-arm pace. We certainly didn’t click as a bowling unit, and that comes down partly to me. I take full blame for that. Still a big learning curve for me to know how to take to them [bowlers], what fields to set and we will certainly be a lot better from what happened tonight.”

Newcastle United are in a great position of power after exceeding expectations and qualifying for the Champions League last season, and could now target Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic.

What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Newcastle?

Following a report from Foot Mercato, fresh rumours surrounding Newcastle's interest in Vlahovic have risen to the fore, with the Serbian striker who is valued at around €80m (£69m) by his Italian outfit, being tracked by the north east side.

Signing from Fiorentina for €70m (£60m) in January 2022, the 23-year-old has not quite found his feet in Turin and could now be shipped on after financial difficulties and a ten-point deduction – confining the Old Lady to the Europa Conference League – could result in his sale.

However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed through his Caught Offside column that there is "nothing concrete" in the rumours, though this could change as the transfer window rages on.

News of interest in another Serie A star comes amid the potential addition of Sandro Tonali, who looks set to arrive at St James' Park in a deal worth £68.5m.

How good is Dusan Vlahovic?

A natural sharpshooter, Vlahovic burst onto the scene with La Viola and plundered 49 goals and eight assists from just 108 outings as he found his feet on the major stage.

Last season, however, he has not been at his fluid best and has scored just 14 times from 42 appearances across all competitions, including just ten strikes in Serie A, with journalist Emmet Gates saying he is "a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat".

His striking ability is without question, despite being culpable for somewhat languishing at the Allianz Stadium, and among a thriving, cohesive crop at St. James' Park he could finally unleash the full scale of his skill set, potentially serving as Newcastle's next Aleksandar Mitrovic, another bullish forward from Serbia.

Now starring for Fulham, incredibly scoring 43 times from 44 Championship displays in 2021/22 before scoring 15 times from just 24 Premier League appearances in 2022/23, and while he formerly wore his stripes on Tyneside, he only managed to score 17 goals from 72 matches.

This will not emit much poignancy now, with Eddie Howe's outfit fit and firing at full throttle, but Vlahovic could take the baton and pick up where his compatriot left off, blending with the likes of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson to wreak havoc on defences in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Despite enduring a tough time of late, Vlahovic still managed to complete an average Sofascore rating of 6.94 in the Italian top-flight, averaging 2.5 shots per game and indeed scoring ten times despite only starting on 22 occasions.

And given that he has plundered 13 goals from just 21 outings with Serbia, there's every chance that he will harness his qualities as a first-rate finisher with a move to Newcastle.

There is more than just goals to compare the two, however, with their physicality a notable plus point of their games.

Indeed, reporter Siavoush Fallahi dubbed the Juve star a "beast" and "like an animal in a cage" with his ability to hold the ball up and win aerial battles eye-catching. Mitrovic, on the other hand, has "scary" physicality. Clearly, they are more alike than first meets the eye.

To say that Harry Maguire's £80m move to Manchester United hasn't worked out would be an understatement. The defender was signed with the intention of replicating Virgil van Dijk's impact at Liverpool, but he's done anything but, and arguably the opposite.

Handed the captain's armband in 2020, the former Leicester defender has since lost his place at Old Trafford, with Erik ten Hag often preferring a centre-back partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

The 6 foot 4 England international particularly struggled in the 2021/22 season, making mistake after mistake as United endured a campaign to forget, finishing outside the Premier League's top four, and as low as sixth.

His struggles have culminated in reports suggesting that a move away could be on the cards this summer, but United may be forced into a significant loss on Maguire's initial record-breaking fee, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Jones told Football FanCast: “He’s, at the very least, a £30m defender. If you were to really argue his case, you might be able to say he’s a £50m defender, given the fact that he’s got over 50 England caps to his name, and captain of Man United, he’s been established in that England set-up.”

How much is Harry Maguire worth right now?

Making just eight starts last season, Maguire's valuation has never been lower. According to Transfermarkt, the 30-year-old is currently worth just €20m (£17.06m), which is £62.94m less than the fee that United paid for his arrival back in the summer of 2019.

It's no real surprise that his valuation has collapsed, however, given just how mistake-prone he has become over the years. During his time at Old Trafford, he has made seven errors leading to goal, with his performance against Brentford at the start of last season particularly concerning.

If you could point out just where Maguire's United career really looked on its way to ending, it was the 4-0 loss against the Bees, who scored four goals in the space of 35 first-half minutes to run riot against the Red Devils.

The result came just one week after Ten Hag's side lost to Brighton & Hove Albion, and saw the club captain lose his place. United went onto defeat Liverpool 2-1 in their next game without Maguire.

Speaking on the defender, Simon Jordan criticised Maguire, saying on talkSPORT: “I’m not worried about people like Maguire being fit. Personally I think he’s a bit of a liability.

“He’s a colossus of a player but turns like an ocean liner. A quick forward is going to run him!”

What happens next with the centre-back remains to be seen, but it looks as though a starting place at United is a long way off from ever happening again. The Red Devils had the third best defensive record in the league without him, and will only continue to improve.

Those at the club may well be forced to simply cut their losses this summer, and move on from what, quite frankly, has been a horrible transfer mistake.

The BCCI said “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Mar-2017Virat Kohli is undergoing treatment after suffering a strain in his right shoulder on the opening day of the Ranchi Test and is expected to continue playing the Test, the BCCI has said. The board also stated that “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.Kohli suffered the injury in the 40th over of the day, when he chased a drive from Peter Handscomb off Ravindra Jadeja. Sprinting from mid-on towards the long-on boundary, Kohli dived to pull the ball back before it reached the rope, tumbled, and landed on his right shoulder as he did so.He went off the field immediately, and did not return for the rest of the day, with Ajinkya Rahane standing in as captain. Kohli watched the rest of the day’s play from the dressing room with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.Given that the injury is an external one, India have been told that Kohli can bat at any position he chooses to.The ICC’s playing conditions state that if a player is absent from the field for longer than eight minutes, the player, “shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side has lost five wickets.”However, the clause does not apply if the player has suffered “an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).”Soon after the day’s play ended, India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said Kohli had suffered a shock on the shoulder after landing badly and he was rested as a precautionary measure.”Virat Kohli’s injury, the exact status of it will be known by tomorrow morning,” Sridhar had said at the time. “He’s going to undergo some scans later today and we’ll know the exact status of it tomorrow morning and what happened today is that we took a precaution to make sure he doesn’t aggravate that injury.”And as far as the technique of the dive is concerned I think it was quite an intense chase to the boundary line and in his intent to save that one run he stopped the ball and landed on his right shoulder when he rolled over. Impact was quite heavy because of the momentum he was carrying and so there was a shock on his right shoulder. That is the current status.”

Two sides who have endured miserable runs over the last five months meet in a bid to regain lost form and confidence

The Preview by Danyal Rasool25-Mar-2017Match factsMarch 26, 2017
Start time 1230 local (1630 GMT)The upcoming tour of West Indies will be Sarfraz Ahmed’s first as captain of both limited-overs sides•Getty Images

Big pictureWest Indies and Pakistan have only played four completed T20 internationals since last year’s World T20, a number they are set to double in this series. The sample might not seem like much to go on, but the scale of their contrasting fortunes – Pakistan haven’t lost any while West Indies have only one win – promises an intriguing narrative.Neither side has played a T20I since Pakistan beat West Indies 3-0 in the UAE last year. Both sides, however, are going through wretched runs of form, combining to win just two of their 17 games since then.What might differentiate the teams is the mood heading into this tour. While reasons for cheer in West Indies cricket are scarce at the moment, Pakistan are in buoyant spirits after a successful Pakistan Super League, the final of which was held at a packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, foreign players and all. There are no less than five players in Pakistan’s squad who directly owe their inclusion to impressive performances in the PSL this season, including Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad. The dampener is the absence of explosive opener Sharjeel Khan, provisionally suspended in the wake of the corruption scandal that engulfed the PSL.West Indies’ squad is an analyst’s nightmare, with teams varying wildly from one series to the next. The team that played their last T20I, for example, included just two players from the side that won them the World T20 less than six months prior to that. However, the management has brought back some T20 stars for this series, with Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree notable returnees. With Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Carlos Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels all in, this appears to be as strong a squad as West Indies could have hoped to assemble.Form guideWest Indies: LLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: WWWWLIn the spotlightCarlos Brathwaite has yet to fire since being named West Indies’ T20I captain in the aftermath of that manic World T20 final against England. The four times he’s batted since, he has made 14, 18, 0 and 8. It could be argued he’s too good a power hitter not to bat higher up the order, but the West Indies side is replete with explosive batsmen, and if he is to make his mark, it may end up being lower down. With the first T20I in his hometown of Barbados, Brathwaite might just get the extra motivation he needs.Carlos Brathwaite is yet to replicate his World T20 heroics•Getty Images

Babar Azam is something of a peculiarity among Pakistan batsmen, in that he has been remarkably consistent. He has scored four hundreds in his last eight ODI games. What he could improve on is converting good T20 starts into big scores, and with him likely to open the batting in the absence of Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan, this is an ideal opportunity.Team newsWest Indies could go into this match with a healthy blend of youth and experience. The WICB announced on the eve of the first match that Andre Fletcher, Jonathan Carter and Veerasammy Permaul had been released from the original 16-man squad for the first two matches. Fletcher’s absence means the in-form Chadwick Walton, who scored a century against the English tourists in a 50-over warm-up match last month, will most likely take over the gloves and open the batting with Evin Lewis.West Indies (probable): 1 Chadwick Walton (wk), 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Jason Mohammed, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Jason Holder, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Jerome TaylorIt remains to be seen how many of the young players, who broke through during the PSL, end up being included. The older returnees – Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad – are expected to slot back in straightaway. With Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees, Wahab Riaz, Usman Khan and Sohail Tanvir all part of the squad, Pakistan’s fast bowling looks ominous.Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Kamran Akmal, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Rumman Raees, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Wahab RiazPitch and conditionsThe Kensington Oval surface has regularly produced high-scoring T20 internationals. All completed CPL games last season produced at least one total above 170. There is a slight chance of rain in the afternoon, although it is not expected to prevent a full contest.Stats and trivia The Kensington Oval is yet to see a score above 200. In the 16 T20 internationals held here, the highest total was Sri Lanka’s 195 for 3 during the World T20 in 2010 Kamran Akmal has not played a T20 international since the World T20 in 2014. His last game was also against West Indies. He was dismissed for 0 as Pakistan lost by 84 runs – their third-heaviest defeat in T20Is.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the third day’s play between Victoria and Western Australia in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2017
Scorecard File photo – Hilton Cartwright registered his third first-class century•Getty Images

Hilton Cartwright scored the third first-class hundred of his career, and his first of this Sheffield Shield season, as Western Australia clung on to hope in their match against Victoria in Alice Springs. Having conceded a hefty first-innings deficit, the Warriors went to stumps on day three at 7 for 238 in their second innings, leading by 62 runs, with D’Arcy Short on 7 and Jason Behrendorff on 4.To have even a slim chance of victory, the Western Australia tail will likely need to push that advantage up towards 150, but Cartwright’s hundred and a half-century from Michael Klinger at least kept them in the game. The Warriors began the day on 0 for 29 and quickly lost Cameron Bancroft, who was lbw to James Pattinson, and then Jon Wells, who was caught behind off Daniel Christian.Cartwright and Klinger put on 139 for the fourth wicket, both grinding their way through the innings, before Cartwright was lbw to Pattinson for 101. Although Cartwright was overlooked for a call-up to the Test squad in India as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, Pattinson could be a chance of being called on after Mitchell Starc was also ruled out due to injury. Pattinson finished the day with 4 for 48.Klinger fell soon after Cartwright for 55 from 172 balls, also lbw to Pattinson, and the loss of Josh Inglis and Ashon Turner late in the day gave Victoria hope of running through the tail.