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Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman, expressed his disappointment at being ignored by the national selectors despite doing very well in domestic cricket and is considering a permanent move to UK.

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010

Lou Vincent, the New Zealand batsman, expressed his disappointment at being ignored by the national selectors despite his success with Auckland in the domestic Twenty20 competition and thinks he still has it in him to play for his country.Mark Greatbatch, the New Zealand coach, said Vincent was not considered for the upcoming ODI series against Australia because he did not commit to New Zealand cricket. Vincent, however, denied Greatbatch’s contention and said he had attempted to clear the air with the coach.”I made it perfectly clear to Greatbatch. I want to play for New Zealand. I want to be considered for the Twenty20 World Cup. That’s my niche, that’s my specialty. I’ve definitely proved to the world and to the New Zealand selectors I’ve still got what it takes,” Vincent was quoted as saying in .Vincent last played for New Zealand in December 2007 before he was dropped from the side. After suffering from a bout of depression that threatened to end his career early, Vincent gave up his New Zealand contract to play in the Indian Cricket League. After moving on from the ICL, Vincent had been living in the UK before heading back to New Zealand in the hope of returning to the top flight.With the selectors continuing to ignore him, Vincent is considering taking up club cricket in the UK. Though his chief interest lies in playing for New Zealand, Vincent is aware that he could qualify for England in less than two years.”I came back to New Zealand to prove that I wanted to play cricket again and to tell the selectors that I want to play for New Zealand again. And I guess the ball is in their court. And yeah, if all else fails I might play against the Black Caps at the next Twenty20 World Cup for England,” Vincent said.

MatériaMais Notícias

A bola vai voltar a rolar pela Copa Sul-Americana na noite desta quarta-feira, emAVellaneda, na Argentina. O Independiente, conhecido como Rei de Copas, recebe o Flamengo, a partir das 21h45 (de Brasília), no primeiro jogo da decisão do torneio, no Estádio Libertadores de América. O palco do duelo estará lotado.

O Flamengo ainda busca o título inédito, enquanto o Independiente quer o bicampeonato. Os argentinos chegaram à final após eliminarem o Libertad (PAR), enquanto o Rubro-Negro superou o Junior Barranquilla (COL).

O técnico Reinaldo Rueda costuma definir o time no dia das partidas e fez mistério na escalação. Há dúvidas na defesa e no ataque.

Confira mais informações sobre o jogo:

Data/Horário: 6/12/2017, às 21h45 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Libertadores de América,Avellaneda, Argentina
Onde assistir: Globo, Fox Sports, SporTV e tempo real do LANCE!
Árbitro: Mario Diaz de Vivar (PAR)
Auxiliares: Milciades Salvidar (PAR) e Dario Gaona (PAR)

Provável escalação do Independiente (Técnico:Ariel Holan)

Campaña, Bustos, Franco, Tagliafico e Silva; Domingo, Rodríguez, Meza, S. Miño (Benítez) e Barco; Gigliotti.

Provável escalação do Flamengo (Técnico: Reinaldo Rueda)

RelacionadasFlamengoTorcida do Flamengo esgota ingressos para jogo de volta da final da ‘Sula’Flamengo06/12/2017FlamengoConselho do Flamengo arquiva processo contra Kleber Leite por dívida dos anos 1990Flamengo06/12/2017FlamengoPunição de Guerrero é estendida por mais tempo, diz federação do PeruFlamengo05/12/2017

Desfalques: Guerrero, Berrío e Diego Alves
Pendurado: Paquetá

Palpites: cerca de 70% dos jornalistas consultados no LANCE! confiam numa vitória do Independiente neste primeiro jogo da final. Outros 20% confiam numa vitória do Flamengo. Somente 10% acreditam no empate.

A number of Liverpool supporters are in positive spirits after the Reds were linked with an exciting move for Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka.

Jurgen Klopp has had a quiet time of things in the transfer market of late, with Ibrahima Konate the only signing made by the club last summer.

That doesn’t mean a number of players haven’t been linked with moves to Liverpool, however, as the Reds look to remain a huge force with Klopp at the helm.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

According to The Transfer Window Podcast [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are open to the idea of bringing Arsenal forward Saka to the club, and the Gunners talent was pictured sharing a chat with Klopp on Thursday evening.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Britain, scoring 18 goals and registering 25 assists for the north London outfit already.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-17/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans keen on Saka signing

These Liverpool fans have reacted positively to the claim on Twitter.

“This would be the best thing that could happen for him going from a pretender club to a real club with ambition”

Credit: @Tronicssystem

“Cool!”

Credit: @RedMan4Lyfe

“Absolutely, yes”

Credit: @lucyinussr

“I would take him. Realistically I doubt we would sign him”

Credit: @agentdixon

“Get him and he’ll thrive under Klopp and co”

Credit: @AdeAllmark

“I think Jurgen would get the best out of him and he would be playing in a more attack-minded team”

Credit: @LeeDavi1010

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to a Reds transfer update. Read more here.

تحدثت هناء حمزة نائب رئيس اتحاد كرة الطائرة، عن أزمة نجلتها مريم مصطفى لاعبة الأهلي المنتقلة إلى نادي الزمالك في الفترة الحالية.

وكانت أزمة تصاعدت بين هناء حمزة نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة الطائرة والنادي الأهلي، بعد أن وجهت اتهامات بتزوير عقد ابنتها مريم مصطفى لاعبة فريق الطائرة بالنادي.

طالع | هناء حمزة: الأهلي زور عقد ابنتي.. ودائمًا لا يفوز إلا بالظُلم أو البلطجة

وقالت هناء حمزة خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “الماتش” على قناة “صدى البلد”: “ما سمعته في النادي أن هناء حمزة (ليس لها ضهر) في النادي، وهذا الكلام بعد أن فكر نجلي في الترشح بقائمة محمود طاهر”.

وأضافت: “كان يتم تفضيل لاعبة على نجلتي رغم إنها ليبرو منتخب مصر، المدرب كان يزيد في التعامل معها بشكل سيء، ومرة من المرات قال إنه سيجمدها”.

وتابعت: “حمدي المدير الفني كان يقول للبعض إن هذا التعامل مع نجلتي بأوامر من الإدارة، وأنا قلت للخطيب هذا الكلام ولم أجد أي رد فعل، ولم يتم التحقيق مع المدرب بعد أن اشتكيت 4 أو 5 مرات”.

وواصلت: “انا لم أفتعل مشكلة مع مجلس الإدارة، أنا دائمًا رد فعل، أنا لم أهاجمهم من قبل، حاليًا هذا رد فعلي على ما يحدث مع ابنتي في النادي”.

وأكملت: “لا أعرف إذا كان الأهلي أعطاني صوته أثناء ترشحي على مقعد نائب رئيس اتحاد كرة الطائرة”.

وأردفت: “قمنا بعمل محضر إثبات حالة في قسم الشرطة إننا لم نطلع على هذه البنود، وإن التوقيع كان على ورق فارغ من أي بنود، وقلنا في المحضر إننا أبلغنا الأهلي أننا لا نرغب في التجديد”.

وأوضحت: “الشؤون القانونية في الاتحاد المصري للكرة الطائرة أكدت أن اللاعبة لم تتقاض مستحقاتها، وأصدرت توصيات في حق نجلتي، وعندما تم التحقيق مع العامري فاروق أكد أن نجلتي لم تحصل على مستحقاتها، وقال (مستحقاتها في خزينة النادي)”.

وتابعت: “اتحاد الطائرة قرر منذ فترة إصدار عقود جديدة للحفاظ على حقوق اللاعبين، وكل هذا كان قبل مشكلة نجلتي، وبعد ذلك الأهلي طلب الاطلاع على العقود القديمة لأنه كان خائف لأن لديه مشاكل كثيرة مع لاعبين أخرين”.

وواصلت: “إسلام الشاطر لاعب الأهلي السابق والإعلامي بقناة النادي، قال معلومات كثيرة خطأ، هو قال إني أخذت إخلاء طرف من الأهلي وهذا لم يحدث، ولم نقل ذلك في النيابة، أنا سأترك الأمر أمام النيابة، وأمتلك مفاجآت كثيرة جدًا ستحزن أشخاص كثيرين، لكن لن أقولها الآن”.

طالع | مريم مصطفى: أتعذب في الأهلي منذ 3 سنوات.. ووقعت لـ الزمالك من أجل الراحة النفسية

واستكملت: “هناك واقعة حدثت قبل ذلك مع جدو لاعب الأهلي السابق، جلس جلسة مبدئية مع الزمالك ووقع، ثم الأمور لم تتم وبعد ذلك دخل النادي في تحقيقات، نفس الأمر حدث مع نجلتي، وسيكون هناك خبير سيثبت إذا كان توقيع نجلتي قبل البنود المكتوبة أم لا”.

وأتمت: “نحن نترك الأمر للنيابة، نحن منذ 5 أشهر يتم سبنا ولجان ضدنا، وسلمونا لـ علاء صادق يسبنا، من في الأهلي على اتصال مع علاء صادق، كل ما يكتب من اللجان الإلكترونية التابعة للمركز الإعلامي للأهلي قبل أن يتم نشره علاء صادق يقوله أولًا”.

واختتمت: “مستحقات نجلتي لم تحصل عليها، وقالوا لنا إن من ضمن الأوراق التي وقعت عليها إنها خاصة بالحصول على مستحقاتها”.

When it rains, it pours.

Leeds United have suffered yet another injury blow this week…

What’s the latest?

As relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if young striker Sam Greenwood is the latest name to have picked up an issue following the Yorkshiremen’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in the FA Cup at the weekend.

“This is beyond ridiculous,” the ever-reliable journalist said in response to a screenshot of the 19-year-old starlet confirming an injury to social media.

Another cruel blow

This is just another in a long string of problems for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Regularly throughout the season, he has had to endure the loss of key players and backup options, seemingly every week there is a new concern and that will surely leave him furious as he cannot get any sort of consistency going on the pitch.

What makes this Greenwood blow even worse is the fact that Patrick Bamford’s recovery has been dealt a setback, whilst alternatives in Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Joe Gelhardt are also on the treatment table, leaving him light on strikers heading into another clash with the Irons.

The two sides will go head to head once again on Sunday but this time in the Premier League, where the Whites will need to keep ticking over, having gone eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Their chances of righting the result in the cup are seriously hampered by not having a single striker available.

Elsewhere, Bielsa was also missing skipper Liam Cooper and key cog Kalvin Phillips in the defeat, whilst against Arsenal last month, the Argentinian head coach was missing as many as 11 players – something that could repeat itself this weekend.

Indeed, just as Hay outlines, it is getting rather “ridiculous” at Thorp Arch, where there are surely more injured first-team players than ones available. You have to feel sorry for the manager.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: Leeds lightweight who lost 86% duels badly let Bielsa down…

Injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir and Shoaib Akhtar have not been included in the 30-man squad

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2010

Except for the omission of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, there were no major surprises in Pakistan’s preliminary 30-man squad for the defence of their World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean in two months’ time. Injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, who has not played any cricket since November, was also overlooked.Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Shoaib had been overlooked because he had hardly played any cricket in the past ten months. Though Shoaib has only taken part in a couple of List A matches since the series against Australia in UAE last May, he had said last week that he was still confident of making an international comeback. He will lead Islamabad Leopards in the upcoming RBS Twenty20 Cup.Butt said Tanvir would undergo knee surgery in Australia. “The doctors are not sure when he will regain the fitness,” he told .Another fast bowler who was missing from the probables was Mohammad Talha, who had been part of the squad for the two Twenty20s against England last weekend.The PCB also announced a list of 30 probables for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 which will run parallel to the men’s tournament in the West Indies.Men’s squad: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hassan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Naveed Yasin, Hasan Raza, Kamran Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider.Women’s squad: Sana Mir, Bismah Maroof, Nain Abidi, Sajjida Shah, Javeria Khan, Almas Akram, Nida Dar, Zeba Manzoor, Kainat Imtiaz, Faryal Awan, Armaan Khan, Sumaiya Siddiqi, Urooj Mumtaz, Nazia Sadiq, Sabeen Abdul Samad, Masooma Junaid, Qanita Jalil, Sadia Yousuf, Sania Khan, Marina Iqbal, Sana Gulzar, Ayesha Qazi, Sukhan Faiz, Rabia Batool, Saima Jamil, Batool Fatima, Asmavia Iqbal, Rabia Shah, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz.

MatériaMais Notícias

O presidente Eurico Miranda sofreu nova derrota na Justiça em ação envolvendo a urna 7 no fim da tarde desta quarta-feira. O mandatário, postulante à presidência na chapa “Reconstruindo o Vasco”, tinha entrado na última terça-feira com mandado de segurança para impedir perícia simples que vinha sendo realizada por ordem da juíza Maria Cecília Pinto Gonçalves, da 52ª Vara Cívil do Tribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro. O recurso foi julgado pela desembargadora Márcia Ferreira Alvarenga, da 17ª Câmara Cívil do Rio, que não viu irregularidades e manteve a perícia da forma atual.

– Recurso do Eurico Miranda foi negado. Processo da urna 7 segue normal com isso – afirmou o advogado João Basílio, representante de Fernando Horta – o autor da ação na Justiça -, em conversa por telefone com o LANCE!.

A juíza em primeira instância determinou perícia simplificada com urgência e com laudo pericial sendo apresentado até a próxima segunda-feira. Em nota via site oficial na última terça, o Vasco informava que “reivindica, por meio de mandado de segurança, que a perícia técnica não seja simplificada, mas completa, que analise ampla e detalhadamente a questão, sem os atropelos em série até aqui perpetrados. Afinal, como bem demonstrado no mandado de segurança, urgência não é atropelo, especialmente quando a urgência foi criada pela parte contrária, que a invoca valendo-se da própria torpeza”.

Vale lembrar que a perícia foi determinada com urgência por conta do prazo curto para conclusão do período eleitoral do Vasco – 15 de janeiro de 2018. Foi nomeado o perito judicial contábil Luiz Alberto de Azevedo Leite para realização de prova técnica simplificada – o que já está em fase final. Ele vem analisando também o caderno de votação da urna 7 – 475 sócios foram os que compareceram em São Januário. Com o recurso de Eurico Miranda negado, após o laudo simples ser entregue, a juíza Maria Cecília Pinto Gonçalves deve ouvir as partes e divulgar a decisão final em primeira instância até o próximo dia 19, última data antes do recesso judiciário.

Vale lembrar também que com a polêmica urna 7 contabilizada, Eurico Miranda na chapa “Reconstruindo o Vasco” venceu a eleição. Sem a urna 7, a vitória ficou com Julio Brant via chapa “Sempre Vasco Livre”. O próximo presidente comandará o Vasco no triênio 2018-2020. No mês passado, o LANCE! publicou uma reportagem exclusiva com dois sócios que votaram na urna 7 e apontaram fraudes, detalhando o esquema de aliciamento – confira clicando aqui.

RelacionadasVascoPré-temporada do Vasco em 2018 não será em São Januário; saiba motivosVasco06/12/2017Fora de CampoNenê participa de programa da TV francesa e dança ‘Despacito’Fora de Campo06/12/2017Futebol NacionalSerá que vêm? Veja brasileiros que podem reforçar seu time em 2018Futebol Nacional06/12/2017

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s January transfer plans for Nathaniel Phillips…

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, the Liverpool defender is a player the Magpies are aware of and considering as they look to strengthen their squad in the coming weeks.

The report claims that Tottenham’s Joe Rodon and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos are also targets, with the latter said to be keen on a move to St James’ Park.

Clark upgrade

Eddie Howe could land a big upgrade on Ciaran Clark by securing a deal to sign Phillips this month, and it is one that has been a long time coming for the Toon.

Newcastle 4-3 Norwich September 2016, Newcastle 1-1 Norwich November 2021 – what do these two fixtures have in common aside from the opposition? The answer… both games started with Clark playing in the heart of the defence, with the defender being shown a red card in the most recent match.

It is also worth mentioning that Karl Darlow, Matt Ritchie, Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett, Dwight Gayle and Jonjo Shelvey all started the aforementioned game in 2016 and remain at St James’ Park to this day, whilst Isaac Hayden was also on the bench. Meanwhile, Norwich’s third-choice goalkeeper Michael McGovern is the only survivor from their line-up.

Football moves quickly, and Clark is simply not good enough for where Newcastle want to be. He has started 12 games this season out of 20 and averaged a horrific SofaScore rating of 6.27, highlighting how poorly he has performed and why Howe needs an upgrade in that position.

On the other hand, Phillips was sublime for Liverpool in the Premier League last season, with Jurgen Klopp hailing him as “incredible” and a “monster” for his impressive displays. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.19 across 17 appearances, winning 61% of his duels and making 4.8 clearances per match.

This shows that the 24-year-old has the quality to deliver consistently brilliant performances in the top flight, proving his worth in one of the best teams in the country. Therefore, he could be a big upgrade on Clark, who has struggled badly and looks out of his depth at this level.

The £7.2m-rated Liverpool beast could come in and hit the ground running on Tyneside, as he knows how to perform at Premier League level. This means that he could be an instant success and improve Newcastle’s chances of avoiding the drop at the end of the season.

AND in other news, Decision made: Hammond now facing his first Newcastle transfer blunder, fans will be gutted…

حقق فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك الفوز على نظيره سموحة، بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الأربعاء بالدوري.

الزمالك واجه سموحة على أرضية استاد المقاولون العرب ضمن لقاءات الجولة الأولى والافتتاحية للموسم الجديد من المسابقة المحلية.

وسجل هدف الزمالك الأول مدافع سموحة شريف رضا في الدقيقة 79 بالخطأ في مرماه بعد فشله في إبعاد تسديدة من شيكابالا من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

واستطاع سامسون أكينولا المهاجم الجديد للزمالك في الظهور الأول له، من تسجيل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة الأخيرة من عمر المباراة بعدما استغل خطأ من مدافعي سموحة.

وبهذا يفتتح الزمالك بطولة الدوري المصري هذا الموسم بأول ثلاث نقاط له.

طالع | موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري أهداف الزمالك أمام سموحة اليوم في الدوري:

تقاصيل المباراة

انطلاق الشوط الأول بصافرة من الحكم نادر قمر الدولة

د6: شريف رضا مدافع سموحة يتدخل وينقذ فرصة هدف للزمالك بعد انطلاقة سريعة من الجزيري وارساله لعرضية لـ زيزو داخل منطقة الجزاء ومدافع سموحة يخرج الكرة بعيدة.

د15:  مرور ربع ساعة والتعادل السلبي مازال مستمر.

د16: تسديدة من اليا سيلا لاعب سموحة من داخل منطقة الجزاء ولكن أعلي المرمي. فرصة سموحة أمام الزمالك

 د26: توقف المباراة لإصابة الونش بعد تدخل مع اليا سيلا. إصابة الونش في مباراة الزمالك وسموحة:

د29: استئناف المباراة وخروج الونش للعلاج.

توقف المباراة مرة أخري لسقوط محمد عواد حارس الزمالك لإصابته في اليد

تغيير أول للزمالك في الدقيقة 30 | خروج الونش المصاب ودخول حمزة المثلوثي

استئناف المباراة بعد علاج محمد عواد.

د42: أووووووووووووووووووووه، فرصة هدف للزمالك بعد عرضية رائعة من سيد عبد الله نيمار داخل منطقة الجزاء ويسقبلها زكريا الوردي برأسية ولكن كرته تمر خارج الملعب وضربة مرمي لسموحة. فرصة زكريا الوردي:

د44: فرصة خطيرة لسموحة، ارتباك من مدافعي الزمالك مع محمد عواد والكرة تمر إلي مهاجم سموحة ولكن لم يستغلها ويحرز هدف. فرصة سموحة الخطيرة بعد ارتباك محمد عواد مع مدافعي الزمالك:

نهاية الشوط الأول بالتعادل السلبي

الشوط الثاني:

تغيير ثاني للزمالك..  دخول إمام عاشور بدلاً من سيد عبد الله نيمار

انطلاق الشوط الثاني

د56: أوووووووووووووووووووووووه، هدف مؤكد مهدر من سموحة، القائم ينقذ مرمي الزمالك من هدف مؤكد.

 د68: سقوط لـ أحمد سيد زيزو داخل منطقة الجزاء داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد تدخل من أحمد حكم مدافع سموحة ولكن الحكم لم يحتسب شئ.

د71: الحكم نادر قمر الدولة يعود إلي الفار.

د72:  الحكم لم يحتسب شئ بعد العودة للفار. مطالبات بركلة جزاء للزمالك والحكم يعود إلي الفار ولم يحتسب شئ:

التغيير الخامس والأخير في الدقيقة 78 | دخول الصفقة الجديدة البنيني سامسون أكينولا بدلاً من سيف الجزيري.

جووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووول، شريف رضا يسجل هدف الزمالك الأول بالخطأ في مرماه بعد تسديدة من شيكابالا في الدقيقة 79. هدف الزمالك الأول أمام سموحة:

د85: عواد يتألق وينقذ مرمي الزمالك من فرصة هدف بعد تسديدة من أحمد مصطفي من علي حدود منطقة الجزاء. تصدي عواد يحرم سموحة من هدف التعادل:

جووووووووووووووووووووول، سامسون أكينولا يستغل خطأ من مدافعي سموحة ويسجل هدف الزمالك الثاني في الدقيقة 94.

نهاية المباراة بفوز الزمالك علي سموحة بهدفين دون رد.

Hashim Amla clearly needed no time to acclimatise as he made his competitive Nottinghamshire debut

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge15-Apr-2010
ScorecardHashim Amla made an immediate impact for Nottinghamshire with a stylish hundred•Getty Images

Hashim Amla showed himself to be quite at home in English conditions, even in April, when he scored two centuries in three matches for Essex last year, and clearly needed no time to acclimatise as he made his competitive Nottinghamshire debut.Compared with the balmy sunshine that greeted the return of the County Championship last week, the backdrop to the South African’s welcome to Trent Bridge was much more familiar, the sky a uniform grey -at least until the evening – and the temperatures much closer to the seasonal norm, if not a degree or two lower.None of it bothered Amla, who didn’t feel the urge to run, even in the interests of staving off hypothermia, until he had 36 runs on the board, having dealt exclusively in boundaries. Nottinghamshire had left some grass on a slow pitch – prompting Rob Key to put them in when he won the toss – but the 27-year-old right-hander had few uneasy moments.It could hardly have felt less like Nagpur in February, where he scored a double hundred for South Africa in the first Test against India, but by the time the impressive Geraint Jones saw him off with a sharp stumping, with close of play in sight, he had made 129 and Nottinghamshire had their first four batting points of the summer in the bank. The fifth will not be long coming.Amla had good support, especially from Neil Edwards, another new face here, and Chris Read, who needed no introduction, but it was his blend of elegance, strength and timing that ultimately was the fulcrum of a Nottinghamshire score that suggests they will again be contenders for the title.The regret for Nottinghamshire is that his engagement is only a brief one, encompassing just four Championship matches. All but two runs of Amla’s opening 50 came in fours as Kent’s attack toiled. Robbie Joseph, recovering from shoulder surgery, and new signing Dewald Nel were both missing, the latter having picked up a back injury. It was left to Phil Edwards and 19-year-old Matt Coles to fill in as back-up seamers, while Amjad Khan and Azhar Mahmood, whom Key had backed to exploit the conditions, did not hit the right spots often enough.Amla’s stand with Edwards put on 103 in 28 overs for the third wicket, ending when Edwards, trying to work through leg off James Tredwell, was leg-before to the newly-elevated England offspinner. With something to prove after a frustrating couple of seasons at Somerset, Edwards was another who looked comfortable in his new surroundings.The 27-year-old Cornishman, a tall left-hander, described the Trent Bridge track as “a good cricket wicket” compared with batsman-friendly Taunton but looked confident from the outset and with 15 boundaries was shaping for his fourth first-class hundred when Tredwell made his breakthrough.Amla completed his century off 152 balls with 17 fours, by which time Read, the mainstay of Nottinghamshire’s batting with 1203 Championship runs in 2009, had picked up where he left off, smacking two sixes over midwicket in the same Coles over.The captain and wicketkeeper reached 50 off 79 balls, picking up seven fours in addition to the two maximums, and was visibly annoyed not to get beyond 62. Looking for a quick single to mid-on in the first over with the new ball, he was more than halfway down the pitch when Amla decided he was not interested and Key’s throw ran him out with something to spare. That stand, for the sixth wicket, put on 125 runs in 32 overs.Kent enjoyed passing periods of encouragement. Khan removed Shafayat, dropped at third slip on nought in Mahmood’s first over, thanks to a diving catch in front of first slip by Jones, and from the next legitimate ball had Mark Wagh caught at first slip.There was the threat, later, of a middle-order collapse when Samit Patel and Ali Brown both began positively only to be out quickly. Patel tickled Mahmood for a leg-side catch to Jones (in front of England’s chief selector, Geoff Miller, unfortunately), then Brown hooked Khan for his second six only to shuffle into the next ball to be leg before.Darren Stevens, the seventh Kent bowler used, did for Amla with a legside delivery to a seven-two field, which was a novelty. The top-edged hook with which Andre Adams squandered his wicket to the last ball of the day sadly was not.