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Following just three seasons in the Premier League, Leeds United have been thrust back into the second tier amid what was a dismal 2022/23 campaign, with it already proving a difficult start to life back in the Championship for Daniel Farke's side.

Such woes are a far cry from the success that the Yorkshire giants endured in the early 2000s, with David O'Leary notably guiding the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2001, following a respectable third-place league finish the year prior.

While that glittering period was brought crashing to a halt by the club's subsequent financial setbacks – resulting in their drop out of the top tier – it remains a time that is fondly remembered by Whites supporters, particular for the stellar crop of talent that graced Elland Road at the time, including the likes of Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell.

That O'Leary era also saw the rise of an exciting gem from the academy in the form of Alan Smith, with Farke likely hoping he can unearth another diamond from the youth set-up in the near future…

How good was Alan Smith for Leeds?

Despite having somewhat burned his bridges with the club after joining rivals Manchester United in the summer of 2004, the now-retired ace had thrived after rising up the ranks at Leeds prior to that, notably scoring on his first-team debut away at Anfield in 1998.

The then-teenager would ultimately go on to play a vital role under O'Leary over the next few years despite his relative youth, with the versatile attacker – who could feature through the middle, on the flanks or in midfield – scoring 54 goals in 224 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Aside from his devastating attacking threat and positional flexibility, what also initially endeared Smith to the Leeds crowd was his work-man-like nature and energetic, all-action style, having notably been lauded for those traits by O'Leary following the quarter-final clash with Deportivo La Coruna in 2001:

"Alan Smith was without a doubt the man of the match. He was incredible. He trod every bit of grass, he was unbelievable. I hope people realise he's still only 20 years old and give him chance to learn and grow. We are very lucky to have him at Leeds United because he loves playing for the club. He's a winner."

Finding such talents in the youth ranks is not a common occurrence, although current boss Farke could well be able to find a suitable heir to the 42-year-old, in the form of exciting forward, Sean McGurk.

Who is Sean McGurk?

The 20-year-old attacker – who can operate out wide or in a number ten berth – has caught the eye in Yorkshire ever since joining from Wigan Athletic back in the summer of 2021, scoring nine times and registering five assists in 44 games at U21 level thus far.

A player with a "big personality to go with his ability" – according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth – the young Englishman has enjoyed a particularly impressive start to the new campaign, scoring three goals and providing one assist from just four Premier League 2 outings.

As Smyth also stated, there is a "lot to like" about the emerging sensation, with the player himself speaking about his "exciting" attributes upon his arrival at the club just over two years ago:

"People describe me as a player who is quite exciting, I like to create goals and score goals and I think that is the strongest part of my game."

The forward's goalscoring threat was also evident during his prior stint with the Latics as he netted three times in just five games for the club's U18 side, notably scoring a late winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford – a strong way to endear himself to his current side.

Although a chance at first-team level has yet to emerge for the former Wigan man, Farke would be wise to put his faith in the creative gem as the season progresses, particularly after losing the likes of Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison this summer.

As was evident with the case of Smith, it can be incredibly rewarding seeing an academy talent blossom into a star in the senior set-up, with McGurk seemingly having the tools to be able to follow in the footsteps of the former England international.

Big Picture

Rinse, repeat. As in Melbourne, so it was in Brisbane: Australia batted first, found themselves well placed after an Aaron Finch hundred, failed to kick on sufficiently, then watched as England overhauled their target with wickets and overs to spare. After almost single-handedly confounding England during the Test series, now it is Steven Smith’s turn to be frustrated.In truth, things look pretty grim. Australia’s canaries are deep in the coalmine and seemingly struggling for air. They have lost nine of their last 10 completed ODIs and face being beaten by England on home soil for the first time in a decade; 2-0 down with three to play does not leave much room for error and they are set to throw everything at England with their first-choice pace attack.While Finch has been a model of consistency at the top of the order, his team-mates have been unable to carry on the good work. With Smith and Travis Head both apparently out of touch, too much has been asked of Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, while the decision to bring back Cameron White as a specialist No. 7 also backfired. Chris Lynn’s injury has deprived Australia of a middle-order hitter but the discarded Glenn Maxwell must be looking on with eyebrows raised.For England, the contrast with the Ashes is stark. Imbued with a sense of freedom and certainty in their roles, the limited-overs personnel continue to thrive under Eoin Morgan – whose only (slight) concern is a personal lack of runs. The bowlers were even sharper in executing Morgan’s plans at the Gabba and Chris Woakes then demonstrated England’s depth with the bat to stave off a mini-wobble. The ultra-aggressive approach will come unstuck from time to time but they look in serene form.Joe Root guided the chase as wickets fell•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LLLWL
England WWWWW

In the spotlight

Finch, David Warner and Smith represents a world-class top three, but Australia’s middle order is looking pretty muddled 18 months out from a World Cup defence. Since the last tournament, their two most productive batsmen at Nos. 4-7 have been George Bailey and Matthew Wade: both of whom appear to be men of the past. Head’s one ODI hundred, meanwhile, came at opener. This much is certain: Australia need a higher output from their engine room.Having seemingly put the trials of the Ashes behind him, Joe Root has once again demonstrated why he is such a highly rated multi-format player (even if his run without a century on tour continues). Innings of 91 not out and 46 not out have calmly steered England in two successful chases, while figures of 2 for 31 with the ball in Brisbane were a reminder that Morgan has a pretty handy sixth bowling option even without Ben Stokes in the side. He will be playing his 100th ODI in Sydney and even with a duck his average will remain over 50 so he will become just the sixth player to have 100 matches and a 50+ average in ODIs.

Teams news

Australia look set to throw everything at England in an attempt to keep the series alive, reuniting the big three fast bowlers for the first time since the Sydney Test. Josh Hazlewood was due to play in Brisbane but was hit by the illness running through the Australia camp, while Pat Cummins was rested. Legspinner Adam Zampa will have to come back into the mix as well, logically as a swap for the failed recall of Cameron White. Tim Paine is set to return in place of Alex Carey, although the debutant keeper was a rare bright spot in Brisbane..Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Travis Head, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodThere is no need for England to change unless injuries spring up. That’s tough on the squad players, but victory in Sydney would open up the chance to try a few different things with the series wrapped up. Conditions in Sydney could see the spin trio come to the fore again..England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Alex Hales, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

The last four ODIs on this ground have seen scores in excess of 300. There was turn on offer during the Test, but over the course of a 100-over day it should remain good for batting. The forecast is for a warm, sunny day.

Stats and trivia

• Eoin Morgan needs 14 runs to overtake Paul Collingwood as England’s second-highest run-scorer.
• Travis Head is 54 runs short of 1000 in one-day internationals.
• Chris Woakes is three wickets away from the 100 mark.

Quotes

“It was frustrating… we got ourselves into a reasonable position with 11 overs to go and everything fell to pieces again. Getting to 270 isn’t good enough against a quality batting line-up like England.”
Steven Smith on Australia’s below-par effort at the Gabba“That’s quite smart captaincy from him, to be able to juggle things round and make sure he had plenty of options at the death was crucial.”

Sydney Sixers said the allrounder had taken personal leave, and there was no date set for his return

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2017Sydney Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques has taken a break from the ongoing Big Bash League, with no date set for his return.The seam-bowling allrounder played the first two matches of the season for Sixers before missing the third because of illness. “The Sydney Sixers advise that Moises Henriques will be taking some personal leave from the BBL,” a statement from the team said. “He will return when he feels ready to continue in the tournament. Out of respect for Moises’ privacy, the club will not make any further comment.”Henriques’ absence is a major blow to the Sixers, who have lost all their three matches so far. He is their most experienced player, with 1235 runs and 23 wickets in 55 matches.Allrounder Johan Botha, who had led the Sixers in place of Henriques on Thursday against Adelaide Strikers at the SCG, might continue to stand-in as captain.

Salman Butt’s unbeaten 85 carried Lahore Whites into the final four on a day that saw Peshawar and Rawalpindi eliminated

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2017Salman Butt continued to shake off a wretched Quaid-e-Azam trophy campaign. His second unbeaten half-century in three games helped Lahore Whites trounce Peshawar by 27 runs. Butt’s 58-ball 85 took his side to the top of the standings.His fellow opener Kamran Akmal also joined in to make a 40-ball 52 as the Whites notched up 163. In response, the struggling Peshawar – who now have one win in six matches – could not find a single batsman to score over 25. That meant the chase never really took off. Lahore’s bowlers picked them off at ease with Umaid Asif starring with four for 26 to break the back of the Peshawar chase. Ehsan Adil and Asif Ali took two wickets apiece as Peshawar were cleaned up for 136, with their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals officially extinguished.A century stand between Umar Amin and Zain Abbas wasn’t enough for Rawalpindi as they lost to Faisalabad, thereby falling out of contention for the last four. Amin and Abbas scored 67 and 62 respectively, with Sohail Tanvir adding a quickfire 32 off 16 as Rawalpindi surged to 193. It was, surprisingly, the international stars in Faisalabad’s bowling attack who were the most expensive, with Faheem Ashraf, Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah conceding a whopping 115 runs in their combined 11 overs.But Faisalabad gave the daunting chase a right go, thanks largely to a 43-ball 87 from Sohaib Maqsood, even as the top order fell cheaply around him. By the time he was dismissed, he had contributed 87 to Faisalabad’s score of 108, but 86 were still required off a mere seven overss, the balance firmly in favour of the hosts. But sensational hitting from Khurram Manzoor – who finished with an unbeaten 52 off 25 – and Ashraf helped Faisalabad sneak home with a ball to spare and strengthen their hold on a semi-final position.

Leeds United have reportedly suffered a huge blow in their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Flynn Downes this summer, as they look to build a squad capable of promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

So far this summer, Daniel Farke has welcomed four reinforcements at Elland Road.

What's the latest on Flynn Downes to Leeds United?

As per Football Insider, Leeds were among the clubs interested in making a move for Downes this summer, but now face the prospect of losing out on the midfielder, with Southampton in pole position.

This comes with West Ham in ongoing deal to sign Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse. Football Insider reports that a fresh twist in the deal could see Downes head in the opposite direction.

Leeds, of course, are unable to offer the Hammers such a deal, leaving them unlikely to land the former Swansea City man this summer.

The Yorkshire club won't be the only side to miss out, however, with Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace also among the clubs interested in securing the 24-year-old's signature.

Losing out on Downes to a potential promotion rival in the form of Southampton will be a particular blow for Leeds, who need all the help they can get if they are to earn back their top flight status in the coming year.

How good is Flynn Downes?

Of course, with a deal yet to be agreed between West Ham and Southampton, those at Elland Road could still swoop in. Signing Downes would represent solid business from a Leeds perspective, too.

This is a player with plenty of Championship experience due to his time at Swansea, whilst also possessing the quality to play in the Premier League, as proved by his move to West Ham last summer.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

At his best, the Englishman can outperform the current options under Farke, as shown by the numbers. According to FBref, whilst at Swansea in the Championship, Downes made more progressive carries per 90 than current Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu managed last season, while also producing more goals and assists per 90, painting the picture of a midfielder who contributes at both ends.

It's the type of statistics that have earned the midfielder some significant praise in the past, including from former Swansea manager Russell Martin, who said, via the official club website: "Flynn was incredible, it’s difficult to single people out, but he does the dirty work perfectly well.

“He enables other people to do their roles brilliantly, he knows exactly what his role in the team is.

“Kyle Naughton and the guys at the back appreciate him a lot, I know I would have if I had him playing in front of me. He has an excellent willingness to learn, his attitude, his attention to detail and how quickly he learns is outstanding.

“He’s playing in a completely different role to what he used to play at his previous club, as most of the guys are. His desire to win and athleticism, with his increasing and improving technical ability, shows how much he wants to work.

“That’s the point of playing him in this way, it’s the best way to improve players, it really is.”

Aston Villa remain interested in making a move for Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres this summer, according to a new transfer update.

How old is Ferran Torres?

The Spaniard, who is still only 23 years of age, made the move to join Barca from Manchester City last summer, following an underwhelming spell in the Premier League. While he showed glimpses of his quality in a City shirt, he was still young and maturing at the time, with Pep Guardiola willing to sanction a move away.

At his current club, Torres has again struggled a little to be an absolute key man, only starting 14 La Liga games out of a possible 38 last season. Four goals and two assists came his way, but while he would have hoped to enjoy a little more influence, he still ended the campaign as a league champion.

It remains to be seen what the attacker's future holds at Barca, with competition for places extremely strong, and a move away from the Camp Nou hasn't been ruled out. In fact, Villa have been linked with snapping him up during the current transfer window, as they look for another marquee signing to join the likes of Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans at the club.

It is a rumour that still isn't going away, as the Villans look to continue what has already been a hugely exciting summer in the transfer market.

Could Aston Villa sign Ferran Torres?

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Villa are still pushing to sign Torres before the window comes to an end, but are admittedly finding it hard to match Barca's asking price for him.

Much could also depend on what happens with Ousmane Dembele at the La Liga champions, with the report explaining that him staying put would then allow Barca to sell some of their other attacking players.

Villa are reportedly willing to improve their offer for Torres, however, once again highlighting their level of ambition this summer, so they aren't going to give up without a fight.

By the sounds of it, a transfer does look unlikely, as things stand, but it is great to see such ambition on show at Villa Park, as they look to kick on after a brilliant 2022/23 season.

Granted, Torres hasn't exactly set the world alight at either City or Barca, but he remains a young player with so much potential, having been hailed as "world-class" by Xavi as recently as last year. To receive such praise from a true legend of the game says so much about his quality.

The former Valencia man has already scored 15 goals in 35 caps for Spain, too, showing what a force he has been on the international stage, and he could be an absolute superstar for Villa, coming in as a high-profile arrival and potentially thriving as the main man in attack, rather than simply being a cog in the machine.

If Torres came in, the Villans could genuinely start thinking about a top-six finish in 2023/24, if they aren't already, in what is an exciting time at the club. Former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has even called a possible move for Torres a "statement" signing.

Jake Ball has been ruled out of the Lord’s Test against South Africa with a knee strain

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2017Jake Ball will not be available for England’s first Test against South Africa due to a knee strain. He has also been ruled out of Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday, head coach Peter Moores has confirmed.The seamer felt pain in his knee when bowling during the second innings of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship game against Kent on Tuesday. He went for a scan on Wednesday to assess the damage and was unable to take to the field when the third day of the day-night match resumed after a rain delay.Ball is set to miss the next two weeks of action, which puts him out of contention for the start of the Investec Test series against South Africa, which begins on 6 July at Lord’s. England are already set to be without Chris Woakes and have worries over the fitness of Stuart Broad, Ball’s Notts team-mate, after he suffered a recurrence of his heel problem last week.Nottinghamshire hope Broad will be able to play in the Royal London Cup final, having sat out the pink-ball match at Trent Bridge.”Jake is naturally very, very disappointed to miss out on the final, having previously been made available to play by the ECB, particularly after missing out on selection when Notts beat Glamorgan at Lord’s in 2013,” Moores said. “He’s given his all in this competition when he’s been available to us, and we’ll miss him for what will be a really tough game against Surrey.”Jake is a very strong character and I’m sure he’ll bounce back from this. I know he’ll be wanting us to beat Surrey as much as anybody.”

An update has emerged on Celtic attacking midfielder Jota and his immediate future at Paradise ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Jota's future at Celtic?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Hoops forward is set to move to Saudi Arabia to sign for Al Ittihad to link up with Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.

The reporter tweeted: "Al Ittihad are closing in on deal to sign Celtic star Jota! Agreement is being discussed between all parties and it’s now very close. Still not signed. Jota, keen on the transfer — waiting to discuss final contract details."

The Daily Record has added that the transfer could be for a fee in the region of £25m. However, the Scottish giants will not see all of that figure added to their budget as Benfica are due 30% of the profit on the £6.5m they received for the exciting gem last summer, which would be roughly £5.5m.

Who could replace Jota at Celtic?

It could be incredibly difficult to find a player who is able to replace the consistent stream of goals and assists that Jota provided for the club, but Brendan Rodgers could dip into the summer transfer window to snap up another winger.

One player with the potential to be a dream replacement for the Portuguese dynamo is LAFC forward Kwadwo Opoku, who is a reported €4.8m (£4.1m) transfer target for the Hoops.

The 21-year-old has struggled for form in 2023, with a record of two goals and two assists in 17 MLS appearances. However, his performances last year suggest that the quality is there for him to thrive at Celtic as a scorer and creator of goals.

Opoku scored eight goals and created 11 'big chances' in 20 MLS starts in 2022, which works out as a vital attacking contribution every 1.05 starts on average. Whereas, Rodgers' other left-wing option, Daizen Maeda, scored eight goals and made six 'big chances' in 25 league starts for the Glasgow giants last term.

This shows that the LAFC star was able to provide consistent quality from a wide position, as Jota has in Scotland over the last two years.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the former Benfica prospect scored 11 goals and created 13 'big chances' in 26 Scottish Premiership starts for Celtic, which works out as a goal or huge opportunity conjured every 1.08 starts on average.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Opoku, whose performances in 2022 were lauded as "magnificent" by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, to be a Jota-esque figure on the wing for Rodgers.

The talented LAFC youngster has the ability to be a threat as a goalscorer and creator like the £25m-rated ace, which is why Rodgers could unearth the dream Jota replacement by signing the MLS gem and helping him to rediscover his best form from last year.

ScorecardDuckett scored a double-hundred in Lions colours last summer, but found his trial by spin to be a tougher proposition•Getty Images

If Ben Duckett was looking for an immediate pick-me-up on the England Lions tour of Sri Lanka after his disheartening time in India, he discovered that life can sometimes be less accommodating than that. The teething problems against high-quality spin that abruptly stilled his Test career were again in evidence as Sri Lanka A strolled the first of five one-day matches.Sri Lanka’s 47-run win on a DLS calculation came in mildly farcical circumstances when play was suspended for bad light with England nine-down and still 60 short with five overs remaining. Vikum Sanjaya bowled a bouncer at the Lions’ last man, Josh Poysden, the light meters came out and that was that. It was a predictably unsatisfying end after no overs had been removed when the match had started half-an-hour late after overnight rain.Whether Duckett breaks into the Champions Trophy squad this summer will not entirely depend on his fate over the next 10 days or so – England in June does not bear too much relation to the challenges on subcontinent pitches and he has too much natural talent to be subdued for long – but England will want to see evidence on this tour that he has suffered no lasting effects from his exposure against Ashwin and co.Instead, first up was an uncomfortable reminder of his India issues. This time the off-break bowler was Danushka Gunathilaka, who might not have Ashwin’s reputation – indeed, he has five international wickets in 21 appearances – but who unpicked the Northants’ left-hander efficiently enough. Duckett was 17 when he advanced down the line of leg stump to strike Gunathilaka over the off side only to be stumped by a distance.England have given him every chance to get into one-day mode, omitting him from the four-day leg of the tour as if to stress that they want his rehabilitation to come with a strong one-day bias. They want the Lions players to feel the scrutiny, despite the tiny crowds, and even after one game he will know what they mean.It was Duckett’s prodigious form for the Lions last summer, backed by heavy run-making for Northants, which catapulted him into England reckoning. Four innings brought 448 runs at an average of 224, including an unbeaten 220 against Sri Lanka A in Canterbury. Not that Sri Lanka were likely to suffer any ill effects from those memories with only Thisara Perera, a veteran in A-team terms at 27, surviving from that XI.The presence not just of Thisara Perera, but Kusal Perera too, amplified the difference in experience between the two sides. Sri Lanka had 10 players with international experience, the Perera twosome accounting for more than half of their 400-plus caps. The Lions could point only to a handful of caps for Duckett and the captain, Keaton Jennings, all of them won in recent months.Jennings habitually got out when set in the two four-day matches, so his adept 64 from 70 balls to underpin England’s pursuit of 290 in 48 overs represented an improvement. A top-edged sweep against the round-arm offspin of Shehan Jayasuriya caused his downfall, the first of four Lions wickets to fall for 15 runs in 28 balls and, at 133 for 7, effectively sealed their fate.Sri Lanka’s winning margin was trimmed thanks to a defiant eighth-wicket stand of 73 in 11 overs between Liam Livingstone, who was on the back of two hundreds in a match in Pallekele, and Craig Overton, who had done little else than sit and watch them. Overton’s first match of the tour was an impressive one: an unbeaten 60 from 45 balls – his first List A half-century – plus two top-order wickets in Sri Lanka A’s 278 for 7, an innings ended 11 balls early because of rain. As a youngster, he was a batsman who bowled and to be carded at No 9 here is something that should cause him to aspire to better things.With Sri Lanka A fielding seven left-handers in the top eight, the Lions were grateful not just for Overton’s lead with the ball but also for Livingstone’s sound stint of offspin, only 28 conceded in a spell that allowed little width and, after he dismissed Sandun Weerakkody in his final over, caught at the wicket, rounded off with two legspinners to the incoming right-hander.But the Lions’ seam attack lacked variety, James Fuller had an off-day and Poysden dropped his legspinners repeatedly short and suffered as a consequence. Half-centuries from the openers Kusal Perera and Gunathilaka in an opening stand of 123, plus a hard-hitting unbeaten 56 off 35 balls from Thisara Perera, gave Sri Lanka A dominance they never relinqushed.Outplayed in England last summer, they are a different proposition here. Duckett is not alone in recognising that.

Nick Gubbins hit an unbeaten half century to steer England Lions to the brink of victory in their warm-up game in Sri Lanka A before they were foiled by a spectacular storm

ECB Reporters Network14-Feb-2017
ScorecardNick Gubbins has been overshadowed of late•Getty Images

Nick Gubbins hit an unbeaten half-century to steer England Lions to the brink of victory in their warm-up game in Sri Lanka A before they were foiled by a spectacular storm.Not that the Sri Lanka President’s XI could be entirely written off. Gubbins was on 52 from 80 balls, and the Lions were on 171 for 6, still needing another 28 to win, when an alarming flash of lightning sent the players scurrying from the field.Thunder had been rumbling around Moratuwa, in the southern suburbs of Colombo, for a while, and within minutes it was raining heavily. But the result was never the priority for the Lions in this game, as they aimed to make the most of their only match practice before the first of the two four-day games against Sri Lanka A starts in Kandy on Friday. In that respect, Gubbins and coach Andy Flower declared it a major success.No comeback joy for LeachGetty Images

Jack Leach got through his first match back since remodelling his action with mixed results.
Leach, whose illegal action was spotted at the national academy in Loughborough, so preventing his consideration as a replacement on England’s Test tour of India, completed the three-day match against a Sri lanka President’s XI in Moratuwa without any major malfunctions.
Success was hard to come by, however. Leach took one late-order wicket in the first innings and then conceded 68 runs without success in 14 overs before a late storm prevented a positive result.

The game was played with pink Kookaburra balls, as the first four-dayer in Kandy will be, before the teams revert to red balls for the second match in Dambulla.”It was good for me to spend some time out there, and if you look through the game I think all of our batsmen and bowlers have got something out of it,” said Gubbins, who had a sterling season for Middlesex in 2016 but whose development has been overshadowed by the Test honours bestowed in recent months on fellow openers Keaton Jennings, who is skippering the Lions, and Haseeb Hameed.Two of Gubbins’ Middlesex team-mates, Ollie Rayner and Tom Helm, impressed with the ball as the Lions worked steadily through the six wickets that remained in the Board President’s XI second innings at the start of the final day.Rayner took the only two wickets of the morning session in a single over, both courtesy of Joe Clarke. Clarke was again wicketkeeping with the Lions taking no chances with Ben Foakes’s back problem, although the Surrey man is still hoping to take the gloves for the first unofficial Test.Clarke took a sharp catch then claimed a tidy stumping, and ended the match with seven victims after being doubtful himself before the match because of a wrist problem.Sam Curran then made an important double breakthrough after lunch, and Helm claimed the wicket a probing spell deserved when Hameed took a good catch running back from midwicket.Hameed then dominated an opening stand of 51 inside 12 overs with Keaton Jennings, making 39 from 45 balls including seven boundaries until he fell lbw to the left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara.Jennings had only contributed seven to that partnership, but the Lions captain accelerated after tea, crunching a six over midwicket and scoring three of his seven fours with the reverse sweep that famously brought him a century on Test debut in Mumbai before Christmas. He retired a single short of 50 to give the other batsmen some time in the middle in a pressure situation – and it was Gubbins who made the most of that opportunity, hitting two sixes and earning praise from Flower for his skill against the spinners.”It’s my first time in the subcontinent – the camp in Dubai before Christmas was the closest I’d been previously,” Gubbins reflected, while in his post-innings ice bath. “So it’s a new experience, and I definitely learned lessons from the first innings, when I got out quite cheaply.”That’s been the aim of the winter: experiencing some new conditions and making myself a better player. I was pleased with the way I batted in the second innings of our game against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, and to come here and put into practice is really pleasing for me.”The Lions leave Colombo for Kandy on Wednesday morning, to face a Sri Lanka A team led by Dhananjaya de Silva, who made an impressive debut in Test cricket against Australia late last year.