Cricket Australia has banned Andre Russell’s black bat from the Big Bash League, having previously approved its use during the Sydney Thunder’s first match of the tournament.Russell used the black bat on Tuesday as the Thunder lost to the Sydney Sixers. Cricket Australia said at the time that players could use a coloured bat subject to CA approval – provided it was either black or the same colour as the team’s uniform – and that Russell’s bat had been approved ahead of the BBL.However, CA has now withdrawn its approval after discovering that the bat left visible marks on the ball.”The match officials provided feedback to Cricket Australia that the bat used by Andre left black marks on the match ball,” Anthony Everard, the head of the BBL, said. “As a result, we have decided to withdraw our approval for Andre to use the bat that was used last night as the colour solution used by the manufacturer was discolouring the ball.”Should Andre, or any other BBL or WBBL player for that matter, wish to use a bat with a different colouring solution to the one used last night that doesn’t result in the discolouration of the match ball, they will be permitted to do so subject to Cricket Australia being satisfied that the bat won’t compromise the integrity of the game, which we believe discolouring the match ball does.”Chris Gayle had used a gold coloured bat in last year’s BBL, produced by the same bat manufacturers, Spartan.A MCC spokesman confirmed that the relevant Law is 6.6(d) which states: “The surface of the blade may be treated with non-solid materials to improve resistance to moisture penetration and/or mask natural blemishes in the appearance of the wood. Save for the purpose of giving a homogeneous appearance by masking natural blemishes, such treatment must not materially alter the colour of the blade.”Cricket Australia are empowered to introduce playing regulations to overwrite this, although they seem merely to have given approval in an individual circumstance, now withdrawn. The ECB banned Ashar Zaidi from using a bat adorned in rudimentary fashion with spray paint in the NatWest Blast last season because it flouted their own regulations which disallow colouring below the top nine inches of the blade.Ashar Zaidi’s version of the black bat was also outlawed by the ECB•Getty Images

South Africa’s bowling coach believes Keshav Maharaj’s economical bowling makes him the ideal foil to a pace attack that could also include Wayne Parnell

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg09-Jan-2017

South Africa may resist the temptation to play an all-pace attack on what is certain to be a spicy Wanderers surface in the third Test against Sri Lanka, which starts from Thursday. Substantial rain in the lead-up to the match resulted in the pitch being prepared under a tent during the weekend, but with skies set to clear a little over the next two days, South Africa will weigh up their options carefully as they go in search of a whitewash.”We need to wait until the last minute,” Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach said. “The groundsman says there is a lot of grass on the wicket but the weather could change and at the last minute he could take the grass off. But we’re not scared of going in with a spinner.”Both Test captain Faf du Plessis and coach Russell Domingo have long been in favour of including a spinner in the team, especially if that spinner can hold one end for long periods of time to allow the quicks to rotate from the other. In Dane Piedt, South Africa were not quite sure they had that – and they have since sent him back to the franchise system to tighten up – but in Keshav Maharaj, they are more convinced they do. “Keshav is economical, he does hold up an end,” Langeveldt said. “When we were playing well in Australia, we were holding up both ends and it gave KG (Kagiso Rabada) the freedom to attack the stumps more.”On Rabada’s home ground, he is likely to be given even more of a license to attack, especially now that he has found the rhythm that was lacking in the first Test, which makes Maharaj’s chance of playing higher. “This wicket actually suits KG a bit more with the extra bounce. He loves bowling in Johannesburg – in a first-class game he got 13 wickets here,” Langeveldt remembered.Wayne Parnell has had two solid seasons in the franchise system, working on consistency in terms of game time and bowling•AFP

That does not necessarily mean Rabada will take the new ball. Langeveldt indicated he is more in favour of Wayne Parnell opening the bowling with Vernon Philander, as he has done for his franchise, Cape Cobras. “I would tend to go with the left-armer. He brings something different, gets a bit of shape back into the right-hander and does swing the ball up front,” Langeveldt sad.Langeveldt’s comments also suggest rookie inclusion Duanne Olivier will have to wait for his first cap because Parnell, who was in the squad for the first two Tests but did not play, could get the nod ahead of him in a three-pronged pace pack.Since last playing a Test almost three years ago in March 2014, Parnell has worked specifically on consistency, both in game time and bowling terms. Before that, Parnell played sporadically on the domestic circuit because he was often a non-playing member of the South African touring party and he had a reputation for being wayward with the ball. After two solid seasons in the franchise system, in which Parnell has also made changes to his action, Langeveldt is excited to see what he can do. “It’s going to be a challenge to see what Wayne has to offer. Can we get him to be more consistent in his lengths? Test cricket is all about getting the ball in the right area,” Langeveldt said.Morne Morkel is stil nursing a back injury but will play a List A match later this month to determine his availability for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Even if Parnell slots straight in and Olivier returns to the Knights with only a training session or two to show for his maiden call-up, Langeveldt has provided an assurance that Olivier will come up for consideration again soon, especially as South Africa rebuild from Kyle Abbott’s Kolpak-induced exit. “It’s an exciting time. We’ve had it in previous years where guys have left to play Kolpak cricket and it’s going to be a challenge. But we have to look at what our next line of players is. There are a few young and upcoming bowlers in the A side, but international cricket is a big step for them. We have to invest in them in the next couple of months.”The leap a player has to make from the first-class set-up to the international stage is considerable and that may be why South Africa want Olivier around the camp for a little longer before they unleash him. “There’s a huge difference. We saw that when Dale and Vernon were injured and we played against England. We saw the shortcomings and saw the difference in length,” Langeveldt said, referring to last summer when South Africa tried everyone from Chris Morris to Hardus Viljoen, without success, to fill in for their spearheads. “In first-class cricket if you bowl full and straight and fast you will get wickets. Once a guy gets to the international [level], it’s a whole new ball game.”Du Plessis has also spoken of the importance of experience in a Test attack. That brings into question how desperate South Africa are to have Morne Morkel back. Morkel is still nursing a back injury sustained at the CPL. “Morne Morkel is always going to be in the pecking order. He’s probably next in line when he’s not injured. He brings a whole different dimension to our attack when he’s around,” Langeveldt said.Morkel trained with the squad at Newlands last week and will play a List A match for provincial side Northerns on January 22 to determine his availability for the third T20 against Sri Lanka and the ODIs that follow. Should Morkel be declared fully fit, Langeveldt believes he is “probably going to be in our one-day set-up”, and will likely also come into consideration for the Tests against New Zealand and England later this year.

Tottenham Hotspur are a side who have been mentioned in the expected pursuit to sign James Ward-Prowse this summer following Southampton's relegation.

How much is Ward-Prowse worth?

It was a season to forget for both Spurs and the Saints with both hugely underwhelming their fanbases, however, Southampton's will provide bigger consequences.

The Saints ended the campaign rock bottom of the Premier League table and, therefore, will play second-tier football next season and likely lose some of their star players.

Although Spurs will have to go into the new campaign without any European football to look forward to, it will provide Ange Postecoglou with an opportunity to instil his philosophy at the club.

And it will be intriguing to see what changes he brings over the coming months in the transfer window as he will likely be keen to stamp his influence on the starting XI.

One player who is expected to bring in big money for the south coast side is the Englishman, Ward-Prowse, with reports (via SportBible) suggesting the Saints will be looking for a bid in the region of £52m for his services.

Whether or not a team will be willing to part with that sum of money for him is another question, though.

However, it is apparent he will have a lot of potential suitors as insider Alex Crook explained when speaking about the 28-year-old on TalkSPORT:

"Newcastle have got him on their list, as I understand it. I don't believe he's at the top of that list. And again, Southampton I think are asking for quite a substantial fee.

"Tottenham have been mentioned as well and you could see him improving their midfield. Wolves would like to sign him, as I understand it, but they think he might go to a club higher up the food chain."

How much does Ward-Prowse earn?

The £100k-per-week England international has played a huge role in Southampton's side for a number of years now having started every single game in the Premier League this season (via Transfermarkt).

And during his time on the south coast, Ward-Prowse has established himself as one of the league's most fierce free-kick takers.

But it is not just free-kicks in which he scores with the 28-year-old chipping in a total of nine goals in the Premier League alone this season (via Transfermarkt).

Upon his arrival at Celtic, Postecoglou made some major changes in the Bhoys' midfield with the additions of Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley.

So it will be interesting to see if he also looks to do similar at Spurs when he has the chance to assess his options of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp.

However, if the Saints are holding out for in excess of £50m this summer, then perhaps this is a deal which Spurs may have to forget about considering they are reportedly in talks to sign the £60m-rated James Maddison.

But this is a player who has been hailed as a "machine" by some in the media despite the struggles Southampton endured over the course of the 2022/23 campaign.

West Indies Under-19 held off Kent by 28 runs in a low-scoring contest at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to record their first win of the Regional Super50. Sent in to bat, West Indies Under-19 were bowled out for 155 in 46.3 overs. They then spun out Kent for 127 in just 34 overs, with 16-year old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop taking 4 for 44.Kent were 76 for 2 before Bishop ripped through the middle order. He first dismissed Darren Stevens for 18 in the 18th over, before striking thrice in the 22nd over. Then off the next, Bhaskar Yadram took the first of his three wickets by bowling Matt Coles for a duck, as Kent lost four for three runs to slide from 92 for 3 to 95 for 7.Captain Sam Northeast, who was at the non-striker’s end throughout the mayhem, tried to weather the storm, making 37 before he was ninth man out to Keemo Paul. Yadram then removed tailender Ivan Thomas to end the match with figures of 3 for 6 in five overs, clinching an improbable win.A 59-run second-wicket partnership between Matthew Patrick and Yadram produced the bulk of the runs for West Indies Under-19. Patrick top-scored with 45 off 79 balls while Yadram’s 29 wound up being the third highest total in the match to go along with his three wickets later on in a solid all-round performance.Trinidad & Tobago produced a tremendous fightback to win a thriller by 11 runs over Leeward Islands at Coolidge. Defending 226, they appeared well out of the game after a 115-run opening stand by Leewards captain Kieran Powell and Montcin Hodge. But the wicket of Powell in the 27th over, stumped after being unable to reach a ball dragged wider outside off stump by left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, sparked a slide which resulted in Leewards losing all ten wickets for 100 runs and slump to their first loss of the tournament.Pierre struck in the 31st and 35th overs in identical fashion to remove Nkrumah Bonner and Marlon Samuels, both batsmen skipping down the track to clear mid-on, only to miscue them to Rayad Emrit at long-off. Emrit then struck a crucial blow to remove Hodge for 82, producing an edge behind to Denesh Ramdin on a failed attempt to guide a single to third man. Only two other batsmen made double-digits with 16 extras winding up as the next best contribution outside of the openers.Pierre was named named Man of the Match after finishing with 4 for 40. He induced a leading edge from Jahmar Hamilton for his fourth , and concluded his day with another fine moment at the end of the 46th over, running out Gavin Tonge from long-on with a relay to Ramdin for the ninth wicket with 20 required to win. Shannon Gabriel defeated Jason Campbell’s heave across the line in the 49th over to end the match.Campbell’s efforts with the ball went in vain after he had set up the dramatic second innings, taking 5 for 37 with his left-arm spin in the first innings. Nicholas Alexis made 50 at No. 3 for T&T but Imran Khan’s 45 not out at No. 6 ensured they batted through the 50 overs. Roger Primus fell in the 39th over to make it 151 for 6 and Khan shepherded T&T’s long tail through the final 11 overs before they ended on 226 for 9, which ended up being just enough to secure their third win, putting them just a bonus point behind Leewards for the top spot in Group A.

Steven Gerrard could prove to be an unpopular choice as Leeds United's new manager among supporters, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Gerrard a front-runner for Leeds job?

The 43-year-old had an unsuccessful spell at Aston Villa earlier in the season, eventually being replaced by Unai Emery, who has ultimately showed him up with a much improved run of results.

Since then, Gerrard has been out of management, instead doing some punditry, but he has emerged as one of the favourites to become Leeds' next boss.

The Whites continue to look for the perfect man to come in and turn their fortunes around, with Championship football coming their way in 2023/24, following a bitterly disappointing Premier League campaign that culminated in relegation.

Gerrard is far from guaranteed the Leeds job, but he is certainly in the conversation, and it is an appointment that could split opinion, should it end up coming to fruition.

Is the jury out on Gerrard to Leeds?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor admitted that Gerrard's failed spell at Villa could make him an unpopular choice, even though he sees benefits behind the appointment:

"I do think Gerrard would be a decent fit. I know that might not be popular among some supporters because of what happened at Villa, but I think it's a different kind of job now. It's a project and something to build.

"I know that was the case at Villa, but their squad was so strong that it's not entirely surprising where they ended up finishing, although I know Unai Emery has done a great job.

"When Gerrard went to Rangers, he built, reasonably, from scratch. I think that's the sort of environment he would be walking into at Leeds as well, so I quite like those appointments. I think Ruben Selles would be a good option as well, but I've not seen any kind of links to Leeds."

There is understandable trepidation when it comes to Leeds potentially appointing Gerrard, given the manner in which things petered out at Villa, following a fairly promising start.

He is yet to properly prove himself in the Premier League or the Championship – he did win the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers, in fairness, which was a great achievement – so it would be more risky than someone like Daniel Farke or Scott Parker, both of whom have achieved that goal, both earning promotion from the latter.

That being said, Gerrard is still a young manager who could end up having a bright future in that aspect of football – his legendary status as a player is undisputed, but that doesn't automatically make you a great boss – so bringing him in certainly wouldn't be a disaster.