With three weeks of the window left to go, Manchester United certainly aren’t finished in the transfer market just yet.

Having allegedly already agreed a fee, it’s a case of when rather than if the Red Devils get their deal over the line for Barcelona winger Pedro, as they seek to replace now-PSG star Angel Di Maria.

But the two biggest gaps in United’s squad – centre-back and centre-forward – are yet to be addressed and with every passing day it’s becoming increasingly unlikely they will.

Louis van Gaal wants the perfect centre-back; a ball-playing extraordinaire with world-class ability and the experience and leadership to orchestrate a predominantly youthful backline; but following snubs from Sergio Ramos and Mats Hummels, there simply aren’t any defenders who fit that strict criteria left on the market.

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Likewise, the pool of attainable strikers befitting the standards at Old Trafford is only getting smaller and despite the sale of Robin van Persie to Fenerbahce, reports linking Man United with the world’s best – Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema or Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski, for example – haven’t exactly been forthcoming in recent weeks, as van Gaal continues to hype the netting prowess of the attacking options already at his disposal.

Without such additions, United’s Premier League title chances take a monumental hit. So to retain any hope of claiming the English crown this year, incredible, astronomical and career-defining campaigns are needed from two England internationals – Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney.

Smalling is a strong athlete and a very difficult defender to play against. His lanky, awkward and bony frame, and the manner he uses it to disrupt the flow of attackers, reminds me of Arsenal icon Martin Keown. The 25 year-old’s form is on an upward curve, following some brilliant performances against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City at the end of last season, and on Saturday he succeeded where many Premier League defences failed during the 2014/15 campaign in keeping Tottenham’s Harry Kane quiet.

But it’s not always been glowing reports for the former Fulham youngster and there are abundant limits to his game, particularly his quality on the ball and positional intelligence off it – which is why he found himself alongside the technically adept and tactically shrewd Daley Blind against Tottenham last weekend.

Whether we’re now seeing the real Smalling – the one that Sir Alex Ferguson once held under siege in the Craven Cottage car park until he agreed to sign for United – or whether he’s simply caught in a zeitgeist of good form, will come to light between now and May. On top of that, United need a leader at the back; not only through example but the ability to organise those around him; and becoming that figure will be integral to United’s title chances.

Likewise, despite Rooney’s almost unquantifiable all-round contribution to the United cause, we haven’t seen a truly world-class campaign from him since 2011/12, when the Red Devils skipper bagged 27 goals in the Premier League and 34 in all competitions. He’s spent a significant chunk of the intermittent period in midfield – at one point last season being deployed deeper than Marouane Fellaini and Ander  Herrera – and although there’s no question of his overall ability, it remains to be seen whether Rooney can turn those predatory instincts off and on at will.

And there’s a warning from history for van Gaal; those 27 goals proved insufficient as City instead claimed their first Premier League coronation that season, and the division’s summit has only become even more competitive since, with Arsenal awakening from their decade of dormancy towards the end of last season and Chelsea revitalised by the return of Jose Mourinho.

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Although firepower isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for a United side who recorded the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League last season, the Red Devils’ goals for tally was the biggest difference between themselves and the rest of the top four; scoring nine less than Arsenal, eleven less than Chelsea and 21 less than City. Similarly, no side has claimed the English title without their top scorer netting in excess of 20 goals since 2009 – so recent history suggests Rooney will have to breach that barrier for only the third time in his career this season.

Although a twenty-goal campaign certainly isn’t beyond Rooney, it’s not guaranteed either. Likewise, Smalling must grow rather than wilt under the pressure of becoming LVG’s most consistent selection at the heart of defence. Should they rise to the challenge, United will have a better chance of winning the title than most will give them credit for come the close of the transfer window. But to actually claim it, the Red Devils will need unforgettable campaigns from both.

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Gloucestershire Gladiators v Somerset SabresThe floodlit West Country National League showdown at Bristol ended in frustration and disappointment for both teams and a 6,000 crowd.An exciting finish looked in prospect when Somerset posted a useful 223 all out off exactly 45 overs after winning the toss.But before Gloucestershire could start their reply the steady drizzle turned into heavier rain and the skies closed in. With the outfield saturated, umpires Barry Dudleston and Trevor Jesty abandoned the match at just after 9pm.The two points for each side were enough to take Somerset to the top of the First Division on run-rate, with Worcestershire and Gloucestershire also locked on 26 points.But both teams wanted victory to boost their title hopes and Worcestershire now have a game in hand in which to regain top spot.Somerset were marginal favourites when the rain came, although an even bigger score looked likely when Marcus Trescothick and Mark Lathwell put on 80 effortless runs in 16 overs for the first wicket.Lathwell was finally trapped lbw by Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne for 37, having shown glimpses of top form.Ian Blackwell’s promotion in the order backfired when he was caught behind off the next ball. But Trescothick displayed the new-found confidence of his England success with a flowing half-century.The powerful left-hander was proving difficult to contain when his wicket was sacrificed in one of three run-outs, which restricted the Somerset total.Calling for a second run to Jeremy Snape running in from the mid-wicket boundary, Trescothick was sent back by skipper Jamie Cox and beaten by a throw to the bowler’s end.When Cox himself was also run-out for 26, attempting a quick leg-bye off Tim Hancock, which was rightly rejected by Peter Bowler, Somerset were 134-4 and had surrendered the initiative.Wickets fell steadily as Alleyne defied a back problem to take 3-36 from his nine overs and it took a patient and sensible innings of 47 from Keith Parsons to ensure a testing target.After a slow start, Parsons blossomed and was aided by an unusually loose finalover from Mike Smith, who was clearly having difficulty in gripping the ball as the drizzle increased.Two no-ball beamers slipped from his grasp, one of which was dispatched for four by Parsons, who then lifted a lower full-toss over mid-wicket for the only six of the innings.He was out to the last ball, caught by Hancock on the square-leg boundary. But by then the over was worth 19 and Somerset had a total they felt confident of defending.Gloucestershire’s fielding was below its normal high standard and two chances went begging, both to the normally safe hands of Martyn Ball, including one off his own bowling.But the pitch was true and easy-paced, indicating that a close contest might have been in prospect had the weather not intervened.

Roger Twose, New Zealand’s transplanted Englishman, will be a little sorryto see the back of Zimbabwe after his adopted country’s 64 run win in thequarter-finals of the ICC KnockOut at the Nairobi Gymkhana Club on Monday.In four one-day innings played against Zimbabwe over the past few weeks,Twose has moved progressively through 70 not out in Harare, 64 and 63 inBulawayo to his 85 in Nairobi. It was an innings that won him theman-of-the-match award and set up New Zealand’s 265 for seven, a total whichproved just too much for Zimbabwe who were bowled out for 201 in 42.2 overs.Afterwards New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming became the second captain insidethree days to suggest that a score of around 300 might be par for thisground with its close boundaries, perfect batting strip and slick outfield.Australia’s Steve Waugh made the claim on Saturday and Fleming echoed hisviews.”We thought 260-odd might not be enough,” said Fleming. “With the size ofthe ground and the boundary, 280-300’s a score that’s going to placepressure.”Interestingly, though, Sri Lanka’s 287 for six against the West Indies hasbeen the highest total posted in six matches in the tournament and is theonly score to go above the 260s.Whatever Fleming’s concerns, though, the target set for Zimbabwe was enough.Despite a second-wicket stand of 64 between Alistair Campbell, who timed theball beautifully for his 47 before he was given out leg before to ChrisHarris – much to his evident disgust – Zimbabwe lost wickets too regularlyto mount an effective chase.New Zealand – Adam Parore, mainly – had taken 19 off Henry Olonga’s lastover of the innings, and Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak picked out two mainreasons for defeat.”I think one thing was the last over,” he said. “I think we should havecontained them to about 250 and we lost wickets consistently.”While Carlisle was there, Zimbabwe just about kept themselves in the match,but his dismissal for 67 at 168 for six put New Zealand in the box seat.Fleming, however, was still not confident of victory.”Captaining the side, I thought it was close all the way through,” he said.”It only takes a cameo of five overs of clean hitting and Heath Streak’sshown he can do it. From that point of view it was always game on until itwas over.”In a tournament that has suited batsmen, off spinner Paul Wiseman picked upthe first four wicket haul. Apart from dismissing Carlisle, he also claimedthe key wickets of the Flower brothers and ended things off when MlulekiNkala tried to hit him all the way to the coast.New Zealand’s reward is a meeting with Pakistan on Wednesday in a repeat oflast year’s World Cup semi-final. On that occasion Pakistan swept NewZealand aside, and Fleming picked Moin Khan’s team as the slickest outfit tohave gone on show so far.We shall see whether New Zealand have learned from last year’s mistakes.

Canada 239 for 4 (Patel 75) lead USA 166 by 73 runs
ScorecardCanada ended the first day of their two-day game against USA in Toronto in a commanding position, scoring 273 for 4 in reply to the visitors’ 166 all out. The first innings of both sides was limited to 45 over by arrangement, and so when play resumes USA will be starting their second innings.USA won the toss and stuck the Canadians in, but their bowlers failed to make much impression. Hiral Patel and Khushroo Wadia put on 71 for the first wicket, and then Patel and Rustam Bhatti 67 for the second. Patel was in particularly good form, smacking 75 off 85 deliveries before his innings was ended by a run-out. There was little respite for the USA, however, as Bhatti and Nitish Kumar added 71 for the third wicket.USA lost early wickets and the innings never regained anything like enough momentum. At 24 for 4 they seemed in deep trouble, but Jignesh Desai and Anand Tummala stopped the rot in a fifth-wicket stand of 61 but they were always off the pace and were eventually bowled out with 15 balls of their 45 over remaining.

Talk has already begun of how difficult it will be for Sri Lanka to fill the Kumar Sangakkara-shaped hole in their side, but for now there is a Test series on the line, and a successful farewell to be delivered.Angelo Mathews said the match would be sentimental. Sri Lanka, though, have usually been adept at channeling their emotions, rather than becoming mired in them. Muttiah Muralitharan had a victory in his final Test. Mahela Jayawardene was no different. Sri Lanka’s XI is light on experience, but following the stirring victory in Galle, belief will have risen that Sangakkara can be seen off the same way.If there is one thing Mathews can be relied on, it is keeping both feet on the ground. In Galle, Sri Lanka careened haphazardly to victory, and Mathews has not forgotten that they could have wound up at the bottom of a cliff. The hosts lost five wickets for less than 100 in both innings, and were guilty of dropping three catches, missing another, and failing to collect what seemed an easy run-out. The bowlers emerged with credit, but Tharindu Kaushal will want to cut out his loose deliveries, and the quicks will want to be more penetrative, particularly in the first innings.”We can improve a lot when it comes to all three departments,” Mathews said. “India had us by our throats for two-and-a-half days and the courage and the character the boys showed was unbelievable – to come back within three sessions to win the game. Now we have already shoved that under the carpet and it’s history. We’ve got two more games to go, we’ve got to play very good cricket to beat India.”Sri Lanka will likely leave their batting order untouched, but their attack has changed almost every match in the last few months, and it will be no different in this game. True to form, Nuwan Pradeep delivered some excellent spells in Galle, then promptly parked himself under an injury cloud. A hamstring niggle will likely keep him out of this match, Mathews said.In the wings is Dushamantha Chameera – Sri Lanka’s stick-thin fast-bowling hope. There were worries he would struggle to find his place in the top attack given his limited first-class experience, but these were unfounded. He has almost immediately begun following in the footsteps of the senior Sri Lanka quicks. Following an encouraging debut against Pakistan, he got himself ruled out through injury, for the following six weeks. The side strain has now adequately healed.”Unfortunately Chameera got injured when he played his first game against Pakistan,” Mathews said. “But he is back, and has got a lot of pace. He bowls 145-plus consistently. He is very exciting, and I’m extremely happy to have him back fit.”There was hope that Sangakkara would push his batting average towards 60 in his last four Tests, but having crossed fifty only once in his six most recent innings, Sangakkara’s numbers have headed south in the staggered last gasp of his career. His fans will want a Bradman-equalling double-ton, though the P Sara is one of the tougher batting pitches in the world.”From what I can see he just wants to score a hundred tomorrow,” Mathews said. “He’s worked extremely hard and is so determined to do that and we truly wish and hope he does that.”The best farewell we can give him is to win his last Test. I don’t think he expects anything else from us. We are trying our best to do that.”

The 25 first-class umpires, increasingly concerned for their own safety in an era of ever-powerful batsmen, modern bats and the kind of explosive hitting on view at Twenty20 finals day, are examining forms of protection including to the head, the heart and the back of the neck, that could be introduced in one day and championship matches next season.At their end of season meeting next month, the umpires will discuss research carried out at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where a form of non-foam material – markedly different from the kind of chest protection Colin Cowdrey used when facing Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson 40 years ago – to cover the heart is being tested in secret. Visors and a form of head protection less cumbersome than batting helmets are also being developed.A number of umpires have offered to trial equipment before next season. They have voiced their concerns to Chris Kelly, the ECB’ s umpires manager, and last March met George Fox, a specialist in sports protection. “Umpires are in a precarious position. Being struck on the shins and thighs is not going to end their careers but the sternum, the heart, the kidneys and the back of the head are vulnerable places. But we do not want a superman syndrome and overheat them or produce head gear that will make them look ridiculous,” Fox said.”Additional protection would need to fit within the umpire’s conformity and not be distracting to the batsman. The head moves more quickly out of the line than the body and there is a real risk of the ball deflecting off the stumps, but because of the question of insurance, equipment would be an umpire’s personal choice. Any sensible solution would be well received by them and would not necessarily need an ECB stamp of approval,” he said.Fox, who is liasing with Dr Craig Ranson of the sports injury research group at Cardiff Metropolitan University, emphasised that extra protection has become uppermost in umpires’ minds following the death of Phillip Hughes, the Australia batsman who was struck by a ball on the back of his head last November.”The focus is on non-foam technologies as maintaining unexaggerated body temperature is critical when standing in high emperatures,” Fox said. It is intended the first designs will be completed in late 2015 with trials going ahead in time for the 2016 season.The umpires feel vulnerable when standing at square leg as well as facing the striker. Rob Bailey, a former England batsman who has had a long-serving umpiring career at county and international level, said that they were worried about their unprotected hearts and ribs. “A lot of people are in danger. Bats are massive now and are only going to become more powerful and the ball is pinging off them. Fortunately no-one has been badly hit.”I have been struck once this season. Umpires are pretty mobile now but the ball followed me at square leg in a televised match and luckily hit the battery pack strapped on my back. Some umpires are wearing boxes now and chest pads in the future are a consideration.”Graham Lloyd believes that the heart is the “vital organ” to protect. Russell Evans said that his main concern was the drive that deflected off the stumps towards his body. “I would not want to wear a helmet for a full day’s play and my worry is that this will turn into a health and safety requirement,” he said.Evans, who monitors the development of equipment through his own company, B3 Cricket, believes that bats are as technologically advanced as they can be. “The only way that the ball will be hit harder is if batsmen become stronger,” he said. The Laws of Cricket, controlled by MCC, state that the maximum width and length of bats are 4.25in/10.8cm and 38in/96.5cm respectively at their widest/longest points.At least two companies are thought to be working on a form of light chest protection that can be worn under an umpire’s white coat, so experiments in Cardiff are being conducted in secret and the nature of the non-foam material is not being disclosed. An ECB spokesman said: “Nothing has been decided yet for next season.”

ScorecardFile photo: Rahil Shah ended with match figures of 9 for 81•Sivaraman Kitta

With the ball ripping and spitting from a length on a Chennai minefield, any target in the fourth innings was going to be a difficult task. Baroda’s left-arm spinner Bharghav Bhatt’s match haul of 10 wickets had helped his team edge ahead at stumps on the second day, but it was Rahil Shah’s nine wickets which tipped a see-sawing thriller Tamil Nadu’s way. Seconds after the No.11 Sagar Mangalorkar was snaffled by Rahil, the spinner was mobbed by his team-mates in a raucous celebration.

Tamil Nadu captain Abhinav Mukund on…

The rank turner and the last-gasp finish
“It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat. Even though there was a partnership of 10-13 runs, we knew it would be hard for a new batsman. We always knew it was a matter of just one wicket. We got a lucky strike, hitting the gloves of Dinesh and carrying to Bharath [slip]. Pinal Shah – that was an important wicket. The bowlers kept believing.”
The key moment of the match
“Yusuf Pathan’s wicket was the turning point. His 41 in the first innings gave them momentum and he also started rotating the strike, which was more dangerous on wickets like this. There was a big plan. It was important we learned from the mistakes in the first innings. We put our best fielders there [deep midwicket and long-on]. Instinctively, I thought the batsman would predetermine his shot to mid-wicket. I wanted to prevent that as that was his only option. I removed silly point and it worked.”
Playing his 100th first-class game
“Not a memorable [milestone] for me personally as I got a pair, but an excellent one for the team and I’m happy. I thought we bowled brilliantly and fielded really well”

While Rahil punched the early holes and wrapped up the innings, Malolan Rangarajan and DT Chandrasekar took care of the middle order. Baroda had more than a whiff of a chance when Deepak Hooda and Hardik Pandya took the attack to the hosts in a 33-run partnership, but Tamil Nadu held their nerve to open their Ranji campaign with a victory.Rahil opened the bowling and found success in his second over of the day when he dismissed Hitesh Solanki for 7. Two balls later, he roared again after having Aditya Waghmode caught at slip for nought but it was nipped in the bud, with replays showing that Rahil’s foot was on the line. Waghmode added only six before he was snapped up smartly by Baba Aparajith, who gave the Baroda captain a mini send-off.Malolan followed that strike with the wickets of Kedar Devdhar and Yusuf Pathan, as Baroda were reduced to 50 for 4 in 17.2 overs. There were only about 10 people in the stands at the start of the second session, after the first was washed out by a persistent drizzle, but once Malolan zipped away, the crowd started slowly building up.Tamil Nadu’s captain Abhinav Mukund identified Yusuf’s wicket as the crucial one after the match and also admitted that it was a plan to place a fielder at deep midwicket. Yusuf had slugged two sixes off Malolan in the first innings and had consistently targeted the leg-side gaps. In the second dig, Yusuf swiped at a ball that was not full enough, and holed out to deep midwicket for 5.Deepak Hooda, who had walked in with his side still 72 runs away from the target, began positively with back-to-back fours. The fourth ball he faced was laced inside out over the covers but it was the powerful reverse-sweep over backward point that stood out. He continued to be positive with his score at various points reading: 14 off 4, 24 off 9, and 30 off 14.Hardik Pandya then fed off Hooda’s approach and pinged Chandrasekar for a six down the ground. Chandrasekar, however, held one back in the next over and had Pandya nicking behind for a run-a-ball 17. Four overs later, Chandrasekar, wary of Hooda tripping down the wicket, shortened his length and hoodwinked the batsman.With a close finish looming, Tamil Nadu remained calm, but they also enjoyed some good fortune. Pinal Shah, who was sharp behind the stumps, edged one behind, and the ball ricocheted off Dinesh Karthik’s gloves and settled into the hands of Bharath Shankar. Murtuja Vahora was then given out leg before despite signs of an inside snick.The close-in catchers also showed good composure, as Rahil wiped off the tail with four wickets in two overs, which culminated in a seven-run win.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:01

Morrison: Taylor, Williamson knocks will give NZ confidence

That Kane Williamson scored a century at the WACA was no great shock, for at the Gabba Australia had found him harder to get out than grass stains on their whites. More surprising on day three in Perth was the remarkable form of Ross Taylor, who became the first New Zealander to score a Test double-hundred against Australia, and by stumps had a realistic chance of turning it into a triple-century.Taylor’s class has always been clear, as evidenced by a Test average in the mid-40s. But in Brisbane – indeed, for much of 2015 – he was so scratchy it was easy to forget how good he could be. A new city, a new pitch, a new man. At stumps on day three, Taylor had moved to his highest Test score and was still troubling the Australians. He was also troubling the scorers, running out of space to add to his 235 not out.It was a day of New Zealand domination. After the first six days of this series that might seem like a typo, but it’s not. On Saturday the match was evenly fought, and on Sunday New Zealand gave Australia a taste of their own medicine. And no bowling team likes to spend a full day in the Fremantle Doctor’s office. All Australia could manage were four wickets; New Zealand piled on 370 runs.The key was the 265-run partnership between Taylor and Williamson for the third wicket, which was New Zealand’s highest of all time against Australia for any wicket. Importantly for New Zealand, after Williamson fell for 166 in the middle of the day, Taylor batted on and on and on. He brought up his second Test double-century from his 254th ball, with a cover-drive for four off Mitchell Starc.Taylor celebrated with his trademark of sticking out his tongue, a move that has become less frequent over the past couple of years as the runs have dried up. But this was the Taylor of old. Along the way he became the fifth New Zealander to pass 5000 runs in Tests, and he surpassed his mentor Martin Crowe’s 188 as the highest Test score by a New Zealander against Australia.Most importantly, Taylor and Williamson gave New Zealand a chance in this match, and thus in the series. By stumps New Zealand had reached 6 for 510, trailing by just 49. Mark Craig was at the crease on 7, and if Taylor and the tail could drive New Zealand on to a handy lead on the fourth day, anything could be possible. That in itself is an achievement after conceding 559 in Australia’s first innings.It was a difficult day for Australia, who dropped chances and missed run-out opportunities. In the hour before tea, things fired up significantly when Mitchell Starc used a new ball to send down a searing spell, reaching 160.4kph with his fastest delivery and breaking Brendon McCullum’s bat with another yorker. But he had two catches dropped off his bowling, and was not rewarded for his work.McCullum was put down on 5 when he got a thick edge off Starc that flew to third slip, where Nathan Lyon spilled what he should have taken, and Taylor had a life on 137. He drove at Starc and Mitchell Marsh at gully got his hands to the ball but barely even slowed it down on its way to the third man boundary. By stumps, Taylor had punished Australia to the tune of nearly 100 more runs.For the first two sessions of the day only one wicket fell, that of Williamson, who miscued a pull off Josh Hazlewood and lobbed a catch up to midwicket. In the final session Mitchell Marsh bowled McCullum for 27, Starc finally had his first of the day when BJ Watling drilled a full toss to point for 1, and Doug Bracewell edged behind off Mitchell Johnson for 12.Bracewell had earlier lifted Lyon over the long-on boundary for six, and the fact that it was the first six of New Zealand’s innings – in the 116th over – was an indication of how purely Taylor and Williamson had played earlier. For most of the day Williamson had looked incapable of making an error; he put on a batting masterclass the equal of anything Australia had bowled against in recent years.Williamson was especially impressive whipping the ball off his pads through the leg side and his cover-driving was out of the textbook, keeping the ball along the ground wherever he played. He brought up his century with a cut behind point for four off Johnson from his 158th delivery, and his subdued celebrations were followed by resolute defence next ball, realising his job had only just begun.It was the second hundred in consecutive Tests for Williamson and his fourth this year; by the time he departed he was averaging 105.12 in Test cricket in 2015. Taylor’s recent record could hardly be more different. This was his first century of 2015, and since the end of the home series against West Indies in 2013 he had averaged, before this Test, 31.47.But at the WACA, Taylor looked back to his best. Of his 34 boundaries, 24 came through the off side, his cover-driving and driving straight down the ground a feature of his innings. Like Williamson, Taylor mostly kept the ball on the ground and gave Australia few opportunities. His hundred came from 158 deliveries, and by the close of play he had faced nearly double that amount.Both Taylor and Williamson had to deal with a 17-minute delay during the first session due to a farcical incident in which the groundstaff were unable to move the mechanical sightscreen. The time was added on to the end of the day to compensate. To Taylor, in the bigger picture of this enormous innings, 17 minutes was nothing.