New Zzealand batsman Ross Taylor, centre, chats with coach Mike Hesson, right, and physio Tommy Simsek after a fitness test. Stu Forster / Getty Images
New Zzealand batsman Ross Taylor, centre, chats with coach Mike Hesson, right, and physio Tommy Simsek after a fitness test. Stu Forster / Getty Images
New Zzealand batsman Ross Taylor, centre, chats with coach Mike Hesson, right, and physio Tommy Simsek after a fitness test. Stu Forster / Getty Images
New Zzealand batsman Ross Taylor, centre, chats with coach Mike Hesson, right, and physio Tommy Simsek after a fitness test. Stu Forster / Getty Images

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor fit for first Test against England


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New Zealand received a boost on Wednesday, on the eve of the first Test against England at Auckland's Eden Park, with confirmation senior batsman Ross Taylor is fit to play.

Taylor, who has a Test average of 48.04, had been battling a groin injury and a stomach bug but captain Kane Williamson said he had completed a full training session without problem.

"He's good to go so that's great news for us," Williamson said. "Roscoe has played beautifully every time he's walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence.

"It's reflected in how much success he's had this year. It's important for us as a team that he's there."

The clash will be the ninth day-night Test and the first to be played in New Zealand. Williamson described it as a "slightly unique and an exciting opportunity", but did not want to over-think the possible pitfalls of heading into the unknown.

"There is probably a danger of over complicating some of the finer parts of the pink-ball game," he said, pointing to variable characteristics at different stages of the ball, times of day and in different climates. "There's definitely some unknowns. There's a lot of talk about the evening session and the condition of the ball in that time.

"There's heaps of different stats but there's still unknowns. The sample size of pink-ball cricket is fairly small but it's important that you adapt as a change of conditions may happen coming into different stages of the day."

New Zealand are likely to make two changes from their last Test, against the West Indies.

Williamson said Todd Astle would replace Mitchell Santner as the spinner in the side and BJ Watling would return as wicketkeeper. Watling has recovered from the hip injury which sidelined him from the West Indies' Tests in December.

New Zealand have played one day-night Test when they lost the inaugural match under lights against Australia in 2015.

England have played twice with the pink ball, winning at home against the West Indies last August and losing to Australia at Adelaide Oval in early December.

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Read more

Five things to know about day-night Tests ahead of Auckland game

Comment: Cutting Tests to four days step in the wrong direction

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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

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Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

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Sunday's results:

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  • Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
  • Oman v Hong Kong, no result

Tuesday fixtures:

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Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series

1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane

2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth

4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

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1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

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  • 150 tonnes to landfill
  • 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

 

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Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Number of employees: seven

Sector: e-learning

Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019

Investors: Friends and family 

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While you're here
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
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When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston

August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's

August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley

September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford

September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval

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Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

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Satya Nadella

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Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe

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Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo

 

 

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UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
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Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh

UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith

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Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
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Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

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