It would mean we have one hell of a player."Bywater, who let in six goals on his single appearance for Rochdale in an Auto Windscreen Shield match against Carlisle in January, is on YTS forms and cannot sign a professional contract until his 17th birthday, in June.. If 10 years under Mike Gatting has taught Ramprakash anything, it is how to play spin, and once set, he twice swept McGarrell to the fence before lofting Nagamoottoo for four over mid-on.The pitch, flat as a pancake when the match began on Saturday, has become dusty and pitted. But as Mark Butcher had proved in the last Test in Trinidad, lack of time spent in the middle is not necessarily a handicap, and Ramprakash was soon timing the ball as he would for Middlesex in July.One of the keys to playing on a turning pitch is to pick both length and shot quickly Another is to sweep anything off the line of the stumps. Which of course they did, until Ramprakash stemmed the flow, albeit with some help from Adam Hollioake and Robert Croft.Apart from helping England, who were 60 for 4 at lunch, to correct an unpromising situation, Ramprakash's innings was as much a test of character, as anything else. There are worse things lurking in this South American jungle than the cratered pitch that England are playing this match on, but few handled it as well as Ramprakash. Arriving at the crease for his first knock in five months, the Middlesex captain - following a nervous start where he could quite easily have been run out getting off the mark - batted with great authority for more than four hours, an innings that allowed England to go into the final day's play, nursing a narrow lead of 16 runs. It may not have been Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh posing the problems, but on a turning pitch, the left-arm spin of Neil McGarrell and leggies of Mohindra Nagamoottoo, if not as physically intimidating, were just as likely to take wickets. Arsenal have only won 27 per cent of their away games in the Premiership this term, but woeful Palace have failed to win any of their 12 home games and - beaten in their last five league matches on the bounce - are well worth opposing at present.Finally, Wimbledon, who beat hapless Aston Villa 2-1 at home on Saturday, can put paid to Wolverhampton Wanders on their own turf.Team C H L TLiverpool 4-6 8-11 8-11 4-5Draw 12-5 9-4 11-5 2-1Everton 7-2 10-3 7-2 7-2C - Coral, H - William Hill, L - Ladbrokes, T - Tote.

But if Mark Ramprakash, ignored until this match, had earmarked next week for a jungle trip to the interior, an unbeaten 68 is sure to have seen it cancelled in favour of more pressing goings on at the Bourda where the Fourth Test takes place in four days' time. THE TEST series may be level, but the competition for places in England's Test team continues unabated as one man's stumbling block becomes another's platform. Anfield is not the fortress of old but Liverpool- available at 4-5 with the Tote - still have a 64 per cent strike rate at home this season and Everton, 16th in the Premiership and with a dismal 14 per cent strike rate away from home this term, look easier opposition than most. On Wednesday, Manchester United, whose 2-0 win at Aston Villa last week took their away strike rate in the Premiership this term to 46 per cent, ought to beat Barnsley, whose win rate at home this term is only 33 per cent, in their FA Cup fifth round replay at the Oakwell ground, while Blackburn, who have a 61 per cent strike rate at Ewood Park this campaign, should beat FA Cup ante post selection West Ham, whose away strike rate is only 33 per cent.Arsenal, who beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Highbury on Saturday, should repeat the dose at Selhurst Park. Always in command after their opening goal in the third minute, Slough owed their complete dominance to an unselfish display of controlled aggression from Mandy Nicholls and poor finishing from the Doncaster attack.. LIVERPOOL, whose defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed by the First Division side Middlesbrough in the Coca Cola Cup at the Riverside Stadium last week, can gain compensation by beating Everton in their Merseyside derby at Anfield tonight. Everton won the Goodison Park Premiership encounter but Liverpool look poised for revenge. By Bill Colwill BOBBY CRUTCHLEY took his season's League haul to 35 as Cannock ran out comprehensive 7-1 winners against Hounslow at Chiswick yesterday, before hobbling off in the 46th minute having aggravated an ankle injury he sustained last weekend. With England physio Mohinder Surdar and the England coach Barry Dancer watching, the unlucky Crutchley was withdrawn from the England squad which departs this morning for Malaysia for the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament.

Jason Lee, who was a late replacement for Rob Thompson at the Olympics, has received another late call to replace Crutchley.In the match of the day at Canterbury the home side beat Southgate 3- 2 after losing a two-goal lead to maintain their challenge to Cannock. Two first-half goals by Dave Hacker gave the home side a good start before Bill Waugh and Adrian Simons brought the scores level. Canterbury's winner came from Paul Wicken after 47 minutes.St Albans, after a torrid weekend, lost their final game 10-3 to Slavia Prague in the European Indoor A Division Championship in Hamburg which means that Reading, this year's English champions, will next year be relegated to the B Division.Slough, with two goals each from Sue MacDonald, Ali Burd and Lucy Cope, beat Doncaster 7-0 to claim their sixth National League title in nine years with three games remaining. They said they had absolute confidence in me, and that inspired me We said to each other: `This is it, this is our big chance We can't let this go now'. When I went to the block again I was ready to give it 110 per cent."I have never known pressure like it.