All posts by h716a5.icu

Liverpool have had a difficult season so far and have been making up for lost time in their more recent Premier League fixtures, however, it could be too little too late for the Merseyside giants.

The Reds are six points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four and have squandered all their chances to add another trophy to their illustrious collection since the turn of the year, so it is safe to say it has been a season Jurgen Klopp will be happy to write off when the whistle blows on the final day.

Due to the inconsistencies and poor form shown over the last nine months, it has become increasingly obvious that Liverpool are in dire need of reinforcements in key areas of the pitch, with the club's hierarchy expected to make moves in the summer transfer window.

However, the Anfield faithful will be under no illusions that their American owners will join the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in splashing the cash to fix their problems and will instead continue to work within their strict financial structure searching for unearthed diamonds across Europe and beyond.

Indeed, there is no denying that Liverpool have been super successful in recruiting frivolously since the arrival of Klopp and in more recent times have looked to young players like Stefan Bajcetic to fill the gaps where injuries have plagued the squad, which has paid off a great deal.

Now the club could be set to unearth their next breakthrough star, who could be the second coming of Harvey Elliott if he can prove to the German coach that he is worthy of a regular spot in the first-team squad next season, with Ben Doak flourishing at youth level.

Who is Ben Doak?

The talented teenager joined the Reds from Celtic in the summer of last year and has been polishing his skills in the U21s set-up ever since, earning sporadic opportunities in the first team.

Doak was handed his Premier League debut on Boxing Day 2022 in the victory over Aston Villa, which was quickly followed up with an FA Cup debut just a few weeks later against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Over his 26 appearances in the youth teams, the 17-year-old talent has scored 11 goals and registered eight assists operating either on the right wing or on the right side of midfield, two positions his peer Elliott is prolific in.

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson spoke out about the youngster during a pundit tour on Wednesday evening at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall:

"What do I think of Ben Doak? Oh my goodness! What a player! I have done quite a few of the youth games for LFC TV and every time I have seen him he has been outstanding.

"One of the great things about Ben is that he just loves football. He has got a wonderful attitude. But he is aggressive and for a forward that is a great attribute to have. He has also got unbelievable pace, he can provide assists and he has got goals in him."

"You just look at him and think: ‘Wow!’ He has had such a rapid rise to fame this season. He has played in the first team this season, which is quite astonishing. I just hope he has got a nice feel for it because he is a tremendous talent."

It will be interesting to see whether Doak has done enough over this campaign to stake a claim to be in contention for first-team football on Merseyside next season and whether he will feature in the pre-season tour when the Reds break from Premier League football in the summer.

The future is certainly looking bright for Doak at Liverpool and if he can continue to impress Klopp, there is no reason why he won't follow in the footsteps of both Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic when his opportunity comes around.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches played on June 6, 2016

Mohammad Isam06-Jun-2016Tamim Iqbal blazed to his first century of this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League in Abahani Limited’s nine-wicket win against Cricket Coaching School at the BKSP-3 Ground. Abahani finished the first phase of the league at second position with 14 points while CCS ended with just four points, and were second from bottom. They will now battle for survival in the relegation play-offs.Tamim struck 11 fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 86-ball 105 and shared an unbroken 160-run second-wicket stand with Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who was not out on 53 off 70 balls. Abahani reached their revised target of 168 in 26.1 overs after rain stopped play during the chase, for an hour and 28 minutes. Opening the batting with Tamim was Yusuf Pathan who fell for 8 in the second over.Asked to bat, CCS were earlier bowled out for 205 runs in 50 overs with Rajin Saleh top-scoring with 95 off 135 balls which included five fours and four sixes. After being reduced to 46 for 3, Rajin shared a fourth-wicket stand of 123 runs with Mohammad Saifuddin, who plodded to 50 off 102 balls. But lack of substantial partnerships thereafter, and regular wickets bowled them out. Shakib Al Hasan took 3 for 35 while Taskin Ahmed, Abul Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain picked up two wickets each.Prime Bank Cricket Club climbed to sixth place after they comfortably beat Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club by seven wickets in Fatullah. The loss did not affect Doleshwar’s position as they remained at the top.Opting to bowl, Prime Bank’s spinners didn’t allow Doleshwar’s batsmen to settle down for long partnerships and bowled them out for 188 in 47.4 overs. Raqibul Hasan top-scored with 44 and added 50 for the second wicket with Imtiaz Hossain, who fell for 32. They were 109 for 5 at one stage before Rony Talukdar’s 36-ball 33 helped them past 150, but it was a below-par performance overall. Left-arm spinner Monir Hossain and medium-pacer Mohammad Azim picked up three wickets each. Rubel Hossain and offspinner Shuvagata Hom took two wickets each.In reply, Prime Bank were set a revised target of 165 in 36 overs. They reached that score with 27 balls to spare, despite losing early wickets. Openers Mehedi Maruf and Shanaj Ahmed, and No. 4 Nurul Hasan fell cheaply as they slipped to 51 for 3 before Unmukt Chand and Sabbir Rahman struck unbeaten fifties to add the remaining 114 runs in their fourth-wicket stand. Left-arm spinner Rahatul Ferdous took two wickets.Heavy rain in Mirpur pushed the match between Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Kalabagan Cricket Academy to reserve day, Tuesday, after 14.2 overs. KKC had opted to bowl and reduced KCA to 35 for 4 before rain interrupted play.

Arsenal are one of many clubs who already seem embroiled in a few transfer sagas, with their season seemingly all but over.

Declan Rice is one star who they continue to be linked with, but they will wage war with Chelsea and Manchester United for his signature.

Despite West Ham United boss David Moyes suggesting he would cost a British transfer record to secure, this is somehow not the biggest transfer story set to involve an English midfielder this summer.

That accolade will undoubtedly go to Jude Bellingham, who seems poised to break Liverpool and Manchester City hearts by choosing a move to Real Madrid.

Although the Gunners were seemingly never in the race for Borussia Dortmund's shining star, despite tentative links, no club in Europe would not turn down the creative powerhouse who has 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions from central midfield this season.

However, sporting director Edu Gaspar could be set to secure an alternative anyway in Gabri Veiga, who is reportedly very keen on playing under Mikel Arteta and boasts a far cheaper €40m (£35m) release clause.

That was the words of journalist Manu Sainz, who claimed: "If Arsenal gets into the bidding for Veiga, then they will most likely get him, because he enjoys the football Arsenal play and he would like to work with Arteta."

Who is Gabri Veiga?

As an energetic and attacking asset residing in the engine room, this Spain U21 star has perhaps gone under the radar given the sheer quantity of other hot European prospects on the market.

So far this season, the 20-year-old has scored nine times and assisted a further four for an average Celta Vigo side. This has led to him being ranked in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and total shots per 90 when compared to other midfielders in Europe, and is actually ahead of Bellingham in that regard.

Where the England international truly excels is in his progression of the ball, as he ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90.

Veiga is not quite as prolific, but sitting in the top 6% for both of these attributes is more than impressive.

Not everyone is blind to the insane talent that has been brewing in Spain however, as analyst Jack Fawcett claimed:

"For just 20 years old, Veiga might be one of the most naturally evasive players that I’ve ever seen. His receiving of the ball under pressure and composure to beat a press is a joy to watch."

With a talent that surpasses his youth and the ability to score from midfield, Arteta could secure an insane alternative to Bellingham for a fraction of the price.

Liverpool youngster Calvin Ramsay won't be rushed back from injury and will definitely miss the rest of the season, according to an update from reliable journalist David Lynch.

How has Ramsay fared at Liverpool?

The 19-year-old joined the Reds from Aberdeen last summer, arriving as a highly-rated right-back prospect who was hailed as "elite" by Dons chairman Dave Cormack back in 2021. Sadly, his first season at Anfield has been horribly injury-plagued, limiting him to just two appearances in all competitions, and not a single minute of action in the Premier League.

Ramsay hasn't featured at all since way back in November, with a back issue and then a knee injury causing him major problems and keeping him sidelined for many months. It has been a cruel way for the Scot to begin his Liverpool career, with so much expected of him when he arrived, and glimpses of his potential shown during his fleeting appearances.

The hope is that the teenager is slowly on the mend and closing in on a return, however, and a key update has emerged regarding his current situation.

When will Ramsay return from injury?

According to Lynch for Football Insider, Liverpool are "taking a cautious approach" with Ramsay, who won't play between now and the end of the season. That being said, he is "expected to be fully fit for a pre-season period in which he will hope to show Klopp that he is worthy of operating as the first-choice back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back".

It is noted that he will face competition and could lose the role to fellow youngster Conor Bradley however, who is also considered a potential long-term understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

It is only right that Liverpool handle Ramsay with care, ensuring his injuries don't affect him too badly so early in his career, perhaps due partly to them rushing him back. The hope is that a full pre-season will aid him hugely moving forward, and that these current issues are no more than the growing pains that someone like Steven Gerrard also suffered from in his younger days.

Ramsay looks like a player of such top quality and with such a high ceiling – he registered nine assists in 39 appearances for Aberdeen and has been hailed as "absolutely exceptional" by Jurgen Klopp – and he still has so much time on his side that he should be moved along at his own pace, eventually providing genuine depth at right-back.

Adil Rashid believes he is becoming a mentally stronger bowler after a year back in the England white-ball sides and continues to pick the brains of Shane Warne over the art of legspin

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2016Adil Rashid believes he is becoming a mentally stronger bowler after a year back in England’s limited-overs sides and continues to pick the brains of Shane Warne over the art of legspin.Rashid has made an impressive start to the one-day series against Sri Lanka, conceding 70 runs from 20 overs in the opening two matches, to continue the positive impression he has created since being recalled at the beginning of last summer. He has played all of England’s white-ball matches since his return to the side.Against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, he has twice bowled his 10 overs straight through, keeping the batsmen on a leash during the middle stage of the innings, and on Friday was rewarded with the wickets of Angelo Mathews and Seekkuge Prasanna.In the modern one-day game, Rashid knows there will be times when batsmen will get hold of him – as has happened on a few occasions since his return – but is learning how to handle the pressure on the international stage.”I’ve just got to look to keep improving day by day and game by game,” he said. “I feel I’m getting better mentally and with my skills. But you can always have a bad day, a bad game or a bad series. So you have to be strong mentally.”It’s been a good 12 months for me, especially in the white-ball stuff. Every series that has gone by I’ve looked to improve. I’ve got experience as well and got more confident. I’ve looked to adapt to different conditions and teams, too. I’ve looked to study individual players, studying the strengths and weaknesses of individual players I’ve got a lot better that way.”As well as studying the players he has come up against, he has again been tapping into the vast knowledge of Warne after the pair briefly worked together during England’s series against Pakistan in the UAE last year. Warne was in Dubai on a promotional trip and attended net sessions in Sharjah where he worked with both Rashid and Pakistan’s Yasir Shah. Their paths crossed again this summer.”We had a general talk about legspin,” Rashid said. “He gave me tips and stuff. It was good to see him and good of him to give me a few tips. It was about the basics. Keeping it simple, bowling the same ball, ball after ball after ball and letting natural variation to take over from the hand and the pitch. It was about a positive mindset and keeping it simply, not really a technical thing.”While the one-day and T20 game has been good to Rashid in an England shirt, he had a tougher introduction to the Test game against Pakistan in the UAE – eight wickets in three matches at 69.50. He did show some of his mental toughness when he bounced back from a record-breakingly expensive wicketless debut innings to take 5 for 64 in Abu Dhabi and almost conjure a final-day England victory.England return to Asia later this year for Test series against Bangladesh and India with Rashid expected to be part of the touring squads. He said his Test ambitions remained “quite strong” but was not thinking too far ahead. “That’s a long way away. At the moment, I’m just trying to concentrate on the ODIs and the T20 game; whatever is in front of me. Hopefully that will take care of itself down the line.”

Fifties to Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews were the sparks in a Sri Lanka score of 248 for 9, but gloom ultimately defined the day, after rain washed out play four overs into the reply

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:36

By the Numbers – 50 wickets in 10 years

Fifties to Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews were the sparks in a Sri Lanka score of 248 for 9, but gloom ultimately defined the day, after rain washed out play four overs into the reply. The back end of Sri Lanka’s innings had been played in drizzle, which persisted through the lunch break and for some time afterwards. Although the weather relented to allow the teams to resume play, it returned at about 4pm and play was called off by 5.30pm. England had lost Alex Hales, for a golden duck, and were 16 for 1.As at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, Sri Lanka batted first on a pitch that provided bowlers with only modest assistance. And in Bristol, just like in the first two games, partnerships were severed by canny quicks whenever the visitors threatened to assume control of the match. In the ten overs following the 35th, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 40 runs, and squandered the base their half-centurions had provided.England’s bowlers were disciplined, rather than dominant, but they were supported athletically in the field. More than one Sri Lanka batsman was provoked to frustration. Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes claimed three scalps apiece, the former more effective with the new ball, the latter quite good with the old.The early wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka weighted down Sri Lanka’s start, as England bowled four overs for eight runs inside the Powerplay. This was to the particular frustration of Kusal Perera, whose more ambitious strokes failed to pierce a lively England infield. Mendis kept the score moving at one end, as he creamed the ball square on the off side and maintained a strike rate of almost a run a ball, but overall progress was nevertheless laboured. In the ninth over, when Perera aimed an expansive hoick over the leg side off Plunkett, only to send the ball high and into the wicketkeeper’s gloves, Sri Lanka were scoring at less than four an over. The score at the Powerplay’s end was 34 for 2.So began the rebuild, while England’s bowlers pulled back their lengths slightly on what was turning out to be a slower-than-expected surface. Mendis batted as he has through the tour, eyes glinting and wrists whipping quickly as soon as a poor ball was glimpsed. He bludgeoned two Chris Jordan short balls for four and six at the end of the 18th over. The four just cleared a climbing mid-on. The six sailed comfortably over the deep midwicket rope. Next over, Mendis completed a second ODI fifty with the 78th run of the innings, but then his panache forged his downfall. Attempting to repeat his pulled six against a taller, faster Plunkett, Mendis managed only to put the ball in the palms of deep square leg.Chandimal, who had massaged the ball around the infield while Mendis was in, assumed a more positive outlook as he and Mathews manoeuvred Sri Lanka away from 88 for 3. Mathews ventured a low, straight six off Plunkett in the 26th over, but Adil Rashid’s legspin was the more frequent victim of the pair’s belligerence. Rashid’s seventh over went for seven, and his next for 10, before Morgan took him out of the attack. The seamers returned the pair to a more measured approach, though they did continue to score smartly enough, relative to the situation: their 80-run stand was the heftiest in Sri Lanka’s innings, and came off 87 balls.Having set themselves up at a reasonable 165 for 3 after 35 overs, the following ten overs were a period of significant decline. Chandimal, then Seekkuge Prasanna, were out in consecutive overs, both caught aiming swipes across the line. Mathews moved to his second half-century in three games in the company of Upul Tharanga, but top-edged a leg-side heave off Jordan to depart for 56 off 67 in the 44th over. Though the match situation was well-poised for Dasun Shanaka to showcase his hitting range, yet he attempted a non-existent single to short third man, and found himself run out cheaply again, by a sharp Joe Root. On this occasion, though, a case could be made that Shanaka’s bat was actually back inside the crease when the bail was out of its groove.Tharanga then made the best of having to bat with the tail. The four he struck through midwicket at the beginning of the 46th over would be the last of the innings. He cobbled together a 33-ball 40, while Woakes in particular bowled expertly to his field, at the death. He took out the top of Tharanga’s middle stump with his final ball, before Sri Lanka’s last-wicket pair swung optimistically through the final over.

Leeds United have one of the toughest run-ins of those fighting for Premier League safety, and thus their future in the division hangs worryingly in the balance.

After strong showings from Nottingham Forest and Everton last Monday, some frightening daylight has opened up between them and those who currently occupy places in the relegation zone. Sam Allardyce will know that he must get a result out of Newcastle United, West Ham United or Tottenham Hotspur to achieve what he was brought into Elland Road to do.

Should he fail, it would have catastrophic repercussions for a club that had invested heavily following the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha last summer. It feels like a lifetime ago that those two stars were shining for this club.

The main issue with the purchases made off their back was that the bulk of it was entrusted to Jesse Marsch, who had admittedly saved them from the drop last season, but hardly in a convincing fashion.

It quickly became clear that the American was not fit for purpose, yet chairman Andrea Radrizzani remained faithful until the position became truly untenable. This left Javi Gracia with a huge mess to clean up, which coincidentally has only been exacerbated for Allardyce.

One benefit that relegation might bring is that most of the former RB Salzburg coach's signings would likely leave, with the worst of the lot, Brenden Aaronson, sure to be ushered out the door at the first opportunity by the club's hierarchy.

How has Brenden Aaronson played this season?

Having joined in a £25m move that made him one of the most expensive signings in their history, big things were expected from the creative midfielder who was clearly a product of Marsch's favouritism.

The 22-year-old had posted four goals and five assists in just 26 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga, and although it was not outstanding, there was belief that, at the very least, the forward might be able to spearhead the pressing system of his compatriot.

However, it quickly became clear that the £45k-per-week dud was far from the required level, despite garnering a consistent place in the starting XI.

Aaronson would start their opening 19 league matches but scored just once and assisted twice. Having since made another 14 appearances, he has added just one more goal contribution, bringing his total tally for the campaign up to a miserable four in 33 outings.

Pundit Jon Newsome even took to BBC Radio Leeds to vest his frustrations with the flop after one abysmal showing against the Toffees, as he claimed:

“I feel he’s very lightweight. There were a couple of occasions when the ball was there to be won and he actually jumped out of the way. That, for me, is really disappointing,”

This move must to be chalked down as a monumental Marsch failure; one of many from his short reign. Whilst his exit is to be expected should they go down, the worry then becomes finding someone who might pay anything near what they initially unloaded to sign him.

Aaronson's abhorrent year in Yorkshire has proven he is barely worth half of that fee, so it could mean suffering a huge loss just to get him off the books. A small sacrifice for Radrizzani to pay to end this miserable chapter in the club's history, and a small silver lining should relegation become a reality.

Umesh Yadav said bowling maidens has been a central part of their plans for the tour, given the predominance of slow pitches in the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-20161:47

Shami and I have excellent chemistry – Umesh

Of the 103.2 overs India have bowled to West Indies so far in the Antigua Test, 34 have been maidens. Umesh Yadav, who took four wickets in the first innings to help India enforce the follow-on, said bowling maidens has been a central part of their plans for the tour, given the predominance of slow pitches in the Caribbean.”When we came to the ground and saw the wicket, we realised we won’t get wickets where the ball will seam or swing,” Umesh said, at the end of the third day’s play. “We knew the conditions would be pretty hard, especially because it was going to be hot as well.”The main thing we planned was to bowl as many maidens as possible, and not give easy boundaries. Whether it’s the coach [Anil Kumble] or Virat [Kohli, the captain], the whole team sits and discusses the same thing, that it won’t be easy to take 20 wickets, and so it becomes very important to plan. And it can’t end there. If it’s said in the meeting that we have to bowl maidens, then we have to bowl maidens, because we know we won’t take 20 wickets otherwise.”India’s bowlers, according to Umesh, made a conscious effort to not relax after their batsmen had piled up 566 in the first innings. “We don’t look at it like we have 566,” he said. “We look at it like we have only made 350, and the earlier we bowl them out, the better it is for us in the second innings. Our effort was that, if we got them out by the end of today, we would have two more days to bowl them out again.”India went into the Test with three genuine fast bowlers, and five frontline bowlers in all, and Umesh praised the chemistry among them.”We always give that kind of confidence to each other, always we are pushing [each other],” he said. “Whenever things are a little difficult, we need to push our friend or team-mate a little bit, and lift them. When we see, for example, that [Mohammed] Shami is bowling very well but he’s not getting wickets, my job is, I go to him and say, “Shami, you’re bowling very well, keep going.” Because I know that if someone is bowling well from one end, then it helps the person at the second end, so if we don’t plan and bowl as a combination, it becomes difficult for us. Main thing is, you push each other and complement each other, and recognise that, “yeah, it’s not my day today [to take wickets], it’s your day”.Shami, playing his first Test in over a year-and-a-half after returning from a long-term knee injury, also took four wickets in West Indies’ first innings. Umesh said the team never doubted whether Shami would come back successfully.”There was no doubt about it, because he’s a natural bowler. We never thought he’ll struggle. If he struggled, it was only until he had recovered from his injury. No one has to tell him, bowl here, bowl like this. He’s a smart bowler, he’s got everything – outswing, inswing, bouncers.”

Liverpool have placed a noticeable emphasis on bolstering the ranks with promising youth prospects over the past several years, and could enrich their midfield with a move for Rennes midfielder Andy Diouf, who has recently been linked with a transfer to Anfield after impressing on loan with Basel this season.

What's the latest on Andy Diouf to Liverpool?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is enamoured by the 20-year-old's performances this year, with the club now 'moving in a decisive way' to secure his signature.

The report also states that Italian Serie A side Bologna are also eyeing the French midfielder, and may well have been in attendance for Basel's away leg against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

It is believed that Diouf's Swiss loan outfit hold the option to make his move permanent this summer, though whether this will happen remains to be seen.

Should Liverpool sign Andy Diouf?

There is set to be a score of changes on Merseyside after a largely dismal campaign that has left Klopp's men outside the top four and requiring a collapse at the final hurdle by either Newcastle or Manchester United to secure a place in next year's Champions League.

While signing Diouf, who is at the maiden stage of his career at the top level, may not be an instant answer to the woes, his arrival could go a long way towards ensuring Liverpool remain at the forefront of domestic and European football over the next decade or so.

Hailed as "incredible" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Diouf has been at the centre of a mammoth season this year, playing 54 matches across all competitions and scoring three goals in Basel's UEFA Conference League campaign, including the first-leg equaliser against La Viola in the semis.

As per FBref, the rising star ranks among the top 5% of midfielders playing at a similar level of competition over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, as well as the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 15% for progressive passes per 90.

Essentially, what this suggests is Diouf possesses something of an intrinsic ability to effectively surge into dangerous areas and inflict damage on opposition defences with transitional, driving runs into the final third if not from his direct threat.

Should Liverpool complete the signing of the 6 foot 2 "gem", as he was described by journalist Antonio Mango, it could jeopardise the Merseyside career of in-form phenom Curtis Jones, who has been heralded as the "complete #8".

The 22-year-old ranks among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, and with two young stars vying for Klopp's attention, it could indeed spell danger for Jones' newfound hope of cementing a starting berth in Liverpool's system with regularity.

Despite losing the Test series to South Africa 0-1, New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was pleased that his young side had gained valuable experience on the tour

Firdose Moonda31-Aug-2016Mike Hesson’s eyes managed to not widen too much when he was reminded of New Zealand’s next two Test assignments. In three weeks’ time, they will take on the No.2 team in the world, India, in their own backyard and before the year is out, they will host the current No.1 side, Pakistan.”It sounds quite daunting, doesn’t it?” he said with a smile.At the same time, it is exactly what New Zealand need as they look to climb the Test rankings and establish themselves as a side that is better than the bottom half of the table. They want to compete with strong teams, especially away from home, where Hesson believes they can develop their skills most. They are not too disappointed, therefore, with the 0-1 Test series loss to South Africa.”Every country is challenged to try and win away from home but a big part (of getting better) is getting experiences into players,” Hesson said. “For the guys that will be a big part of our future, the experiences will be invaluable. We can’t replicate that at home.”In Centurion, New Zealand were faced with a surface that assisted seamers and had to bat on it facing some of the best in the world. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada challenged them with swing and seam movement, pace and bounce. Hesson admitted some of his players’ technical deficiencies were “exposed”, but believed they will benefit from the experience. “In first-class cricket, they don’t come across on a wicket like that and they don’t face bowlers like that. That’s important for us,” Hesson said.The batsman who got the most out of the Centurion Test was Henry Nicholls. After an underwhelming start to his Test career against Australia and struggles in Zimbabwe, Nicholls scored a career-best 76 in the second innings to suggest he could be a longer-term prospect for a New Zealand line-up that needs some beefing up after Brendon McCullum’s retirement. “Henry is a man of very good character. Starting his Test career against Australia was a tough challenge and he is still learning his trade,” Hesson said. “The experience he got here, against this quality of opposition, shows he has got a nice future for us.”Kane Williamson was the only other New Zealand batsman to score a half-century in the series and, with the added responsibility of leadership, can also regard the tour as a success. Hesson was pleased with the start Williamson had as captain. “Kane has done an excellent job. He involves a lot of senior players. It’s a very inclusive style of leadership and it’s one that will help the group grow,” Hesson said. “I am looking forward to seeing how he grows.”The other big positive for New Zealand was the form of Neil Wagner. In 2016, Wagner has taken 27 wickets in five Tests at 18.66 and has made the third seamer’s role his own. “In the last six months since the Test against Australia at the Hagley Oval, he has gone from strength to strength and has established himself as the third seamer,” Hesson said. “He keeps running in and picks up top-order wickets – it’s critical for us.”In Centurion, Wagner was pitted him against his former countrymen on his former home ground. The off-field chatter was dominated by pronunciation of Wagner’s surname and banter over his history with the South African players. Hesson felt Wagner handled the extra needle well. “He is a combative character. That’s a big part of who he is but he plays the game in good spirits. No quarter given and no quarter asked for.”A skill Wagner was not able to demonstrate in South Africa was reverse swing. The Durban Test did not go the distance and the pristine Centurion outfield did not allow the ball to scuff up enough, but this is something he will need to do India. Hesson has identified “reverse swing and spin” as the two major challenges and may be slightly disappointed that neither discipline was developed on this tour.While New Zealand played two spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, in Zimbabwe, there was only space for Santner in South Africa and Mark Craig went completely unused. As a trio, much more will be expected from them on New Zealand’s next assignment “Our spinners have developed really nicely. We have got a talented spin attack; a young spin attack,” Hesson said. “They showed at the World T20 that they can adapt.”