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ScorecardCraig Kieswetter has been the batsman of the tournament•Getty Images

Edgbaston may be the most popular venue for Twenty20 finals day but when Warwickshire host the occasion for a fifth time next month they will again do so without their own team after Somerset beat them for a second time in 10 days to book their own place in the quarter-finals.The margin was closer — 10 runs as opposed to 10 wickets at Taunton — but that was of little consolation to Warwickshire and in particular to Darren Maddy, in his last match in the competition that has made his name, whose 67 not out was a brave effort in vain.For a while the home crowd could see Maddy, all of 39-years, earning himself another chance to hog the spotlight as he notched his 15th half-century in the format and took his career aggregate past 2,500 runs. Aided by Laurie Evans, who batted despite dislocating a finger in the field earlier in the evening, Maddy kept what had always looked a tall target just about in reach.After an expensive final over from Steve Kirby had cost 18 runs, 52 were needed from the final five overs, which clearly would have been achievable had the fourth-wicket pair been able to maintain that momentum. The requirement came down to 22 off the final 12 balls.But if Warwickshire had a man for the occasion in Maddy, then Somerset had a couple in Alfonso Thomas and Yasir Arafat, both in the all-time top five Twenty20 bowlers.Warwickshire needed boundaries but neither man conceded one in his final over, Arafat effectively ending the contest with two dot-ball yorkers from his first two deliveries. Evans completed his half-century when he took a single from the next ball but Warwickshire’s hopes were dashed. It was Arafat who brought about their downfall at Taunton on July 21, finishing with a staggering analysis of 3-0-5-4 as Warwickshire were dismissed for 73.Somerset – finalists for the last four years and runners-up in three of those – thus ensured that Craig Kieswetter remained man of the match after 76 provided the bedrock of their 175 for 5. If Maddy – twice a T20 Cup winner with Leicestershire – has been the man of the age in T20 then Kieswetter has been the star of this season. He hit four sixes and four fours in his 53-ball innings, passing fifty for the fourth time in this year’s competition and becoming the first man to pass 400 runs in total, overtaking Michael Carberry as the top scorer so far.Warwickshire had restricted Somerset to 36 from the Powerplay overs but Kieswetter had strong support first from Peter Trego and then Nick Compton, both of whom in their contrasting styles hit 32 off 23 balls, in setting up a challenging total after home captain Varun Chopra had opted to chase on winning the toss.For once, there was the odd question asked about Chopra’s decision-making. He has been an efficient stand-in for the injured Jim Troughton but it seemed odd that he should limit his leading T20 wicket-taker, Ateeq Javid, to one over at the start of the innings, while he somehow managed to get only three overs from his best bowler on the night, Boyd Rankin.It all went awry when Kieswetter launched a 24-run barrage against Maddy’s bowling in the 17th over, including consecutive sixes and two fours. Chopra could not have seen that coming – Maddy’s first two overs had gone for only 13 and would have contained a wicket had Evans not dropped Compton at deep midwicket – but in bringing Chris Woakes back on at the City End for the 18th he left himself with only one more from Rankin.It was an excellent over, too, which only compounded the error, Rankin bowling full and straight to dismiss Kieswetter and James Hildreth with consecutive balls before thumping Craig Meschede on the pad with the hat-trick delivery, although it was clearly missing leg stump. The last two balls conceded only a single each. Woakes, by contrast, went for 13 in his last over.

Darren Gough was at his best in the heat of an Ashes confrontation, and he was often central to the rare occasions England managed to overcome Australia during the 1990s, but he is not about to write off the current generation, ahead of the first of this year’s back-to-back series.Australia’s 16-man squad was met with reactions ranging from ridicule to dismissiveness in some quarters. Even down under there is more trepidation about the forthcoming series than since the late 1980s. But Gough, who took 74 wickets in 17 Ashes Tests, believes the strength of their fast bowling resources gives them a chance in England.”I’m not going to be as critical as some people are,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Their bowling attack is very strong and the fast bowlers are superbly talented. What’s interesting to me is that most of them are coming over with the A team to have a little roll and I think that’s very important. Last time they bowled too short so they’ll be able to learn the length to bowl.”There has been little doubt of late that Australia are building a formidable pace unit – although keeping players like James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Ryan Harris fit for extended periods is proving a challenge, while Pat Cummins continues to lurch from injury to injury. But without support from the top order, they are often going to be in the position of trying to keep the side in matches.Gough suspects that some of the batsmen on the trip will not be given much more of an opportunity to show they can handle Test cricket, but added that the decision to bolster the squad with the experience of Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin could prove a shrewd move.”These guys have an opportunity,” he said. “They had a poor series in India, got beaten by South Africa, and are now coming to England with a lot of them fighting for a spot in the Ashes back home. If they can get runs on the board, England will have a heck of a fight on their hands.””They’ve realised you can’t pick players who aren’t ready. Against bowlers like Anderson, Broad, Finn and Swann you need some experience. Rogers has been a fantastic player for many years and Haddin still deserves to be Australia’s No. 1.”The key to Australia’s run-scoring potential is the captain, Michael Clarke, who has enjoyed a phenomenal run of form over the last six months. Beyond his batting, however, Gough sees an intriguing match-up between him and Alastair Cook as captains. Trent Bridge will be Cook’s first Ashes match as a captain, while Clarke first lead Australia in the Sydney Test in 2011.”Clarke’s from the Shane Warne mould of captaincy. He likes to adventurous, sometimes a little controversial, he’s a very attacking captain which will be vital. The head-to-head with Alastair Cook, who is a different style of captain, will be fascinating. I think Clarke has handled things well so far, especially India with some of the trouble they had – I thought he came out as someone with a strong personality.”ESPNcricinfo have teamed up with Last Man Stands to offer one of our lucky readers the chance to play a celebrity LMS match at Lord’s nursery ground on Friday May 24. One team will be captained by Darren Gough, the other team by Ian Harvey. To be in with a chance of winning this unique opportunity, register a team to play Last Man Stands before May 17 and enter promotional code CRICINFO at www.lastmanstands.com

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Moisés estreou em 2019 atuando como gosta, mais recuado. Já usado muitas vezes na armação, o camisa 10fez dupla com Felipe Melo na vitória do Palmeiras por 2 a 0 sobre o São Caetano.Satisfeito com seu rendimento, ele explicou os motivos pelos quais prefere ser volante, e não meia.

– É claro que não tenho problema nenhum em jogar como meia também, uma função em que me coloco à disposição e, quando jogo, aceito as críticas por jogar nela. Mas a minha principal qualidade, em que posso mais contribuir para o time, é como volante. Tanto como primeiro quanto como segundo volante, porque leio o jogo de frente, consigo distribuir, controlar o jogo, participar mais. É o que mais gosto de fazer – pontuou.

De acordo com o mapa de calor do jogo de domingo, Moisés teve mais ações entre a região central e o campo de defesa do Verdão. Mesmo mais distante do gol adversário e com menos posse de bola, ele foi quem mais criou chances de finalizações no time (duas) e iniciou o lance do gol de Borja, com um belo lançamento.

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– Contra o São Caetano, fui feliz, fiz um bom jogo, por ser a minha primeira partida. Consegui contribuir com uma assistência. Fico bem feliz de ter participado dessa forma – acrescentou.

Além de jogadores como Gustavo Scarpa e Lucas Lima, que já estavam no elenco e são meias, o Palmeiras ainda conta para 2019 com o retorno de Raphael Veiga, e os reforços Ricardo Goulart, que fez sucesso com Felipão no Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN), e Zé Rafael. Ou seja, a concorrência é intensa.

Já entre os volantes, há o risco de Bruno Henrique sair, pois o Tianjin Teda (CHN) se mostra disposto a pagar sua multa rescisória – o Palmeiras ainda não foi comunicado. Caso a sondagem se torne oficial, Moisés é um dos jogadores com características mais próximas às do camisa 19, quanto à capacidade de marcar e construir o jogo de trás.

– Não vejo tanta diferença na pegada do Moisés e do Bruno. Para mim, são características um pouco diferentes, mas são dois jogadores que podem jogar nesta posição. O Moisés ainda pode ser usado como um 5 (primeiro volante), se a gente quiser compor um meio-campo que saia bastante. São opções que vamos ter durante o ano e situações que podem ser criadas – falou Scolari.

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Flamengo e Atlético-GO emfim chegaram em acordo sobre o futuro de Thiago. Nesta sexta-feira, o goleiro foi anunciado como novo reforço do Dragão para a temporada de 2019. O arqueiro não teria espaço com Abel Braga, já que tem Diego Alves, César e Gabriel Batista, e ainda contou com a volta de Muralha.

Thiago chamou atenção dos times especialmente na reta final. O goleiro atuou em 19 partidas ao longo da temporada, quando Diego Alves estava machucado e Alex Muralha vivia má fase. O prata da casa foi titular inclusive no jogo de ida da decisão da Copa do Brasil, contra o Cruzeiro.

Não foi o único goleiro que o Atlético-GO contratou. Em dezembro, o Dragão anunciou mais um reforço para a temporada 2019. Trata-se do goleiro de Mauricio Kozlinski de 27 anos.

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OFICIAL! O goleiro Thiago, que vem do @Flamengo, é mais um reforço do Dragão para o ano de 2019! Seja bem-vindo à nação rubro-negra! #RespeiteAsCores #VamosDragão pic.twitter.com/pdqYVCKInI

— Atlético Goianiense (@ACGOficial) 4 de janeiro de 2019

Charlotte Edwards’ Vipers fall short of reaching Charlotte Edwards Cup final

ECB Reporters' Network05-Sep-2021Northern Diamonds gained revenge for their 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final defeat by beating Southern Vipers to reach the Charlotte Edwards Cup final. England international Lauren Winfield-Hill’s 65 laid the foundation for a competitive total of 135 before veteran seamer Jenny Gunn’s 4 for 26 capped a magnificent all-round bowling display.Vipers, who were without key batters Danni Wyatt, Maia Bouchier and Charlie Dean due to international call-ups, fell 18 runs short – leaving them unable to win the trophy bearing their head coach’s name. Diamonds will next face South East Stars in the final at the Ageas Bowl.After Diamonds had won the toss, opening batter Leah Dobson and mid-off Ella McCaughan engaged in an early battle. McCaughan first spilt a catch before running out Dobson an over later. Bess Heath had her middle stump knocked back by Lauren Bell, as Diamonds recorded their lowest Powerplay score of the tournament – 30 for 2 -but Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage provided the backbone of a competitive total with a 59-run stand.Runs never came by the bucketload on a hybrid pitch but they ticked along at six an over – with both batters’ strike rates teetering around 100. Armitage fell for a season-high 25 when she chipped to mid-off, before Sterre Kalis was bowled attempting a ramp.Winfield-Hill reached a 41-ball half-century with a ramped four and exploded with a six and a four before Georgia Adams bounced back to bowl her. Veteran Gunn led a late flurry of runs with two sixes, and although Linsey Smith departed in the last over, Diamonds reached a strong score.In response, Vipers lost both openers in the Powerplay, with McCaughan stumped after hitting the ball into her foot and failing to get back and Adams clothing a pull to short midwicket. Paige Scholfield hammered Alex MacDonald down the ground but was undone by a perfect leg cutter next ball and Georgia Elwiss top-edged to deep midwicket.A spell of 43 barren balls without a boundary meant running between the wickets needed to be exemplary, something Emily Windsor led. Windsor had been dropped on 3 but made the most of her life with an energetic 32 – although her team-mates were largely unable to assist with the run-scoring as the required rate skyrocketed.Tara Norris holed out to wide long-on before Gunn had Alice Monaghan lbw and Bell bowled in successive balls; Windsor was then caught and bowled by Smith and Ella Chander was run out. Carla Rudd whacked the last delivery straight to deep midwicket as Vipers were bowled out for 117.

ScorecardJim Troughton was unbeaten on 74•Getty Images

A glance at the scorecard might suggest that Warwickshire enjoyed a pretty good opening day against Surrey. Up to a point that was true, too: they have claimed three batting bonus points and have the power to add more on day two.But Warwickshire will also know that, from the platform they had established, they failed to take full advantage. They will know that, having won first use of a fine batting track, they might have squandered a chance to bat Surrey out of this game and that, despite all their admirable cricket so far this season, they could have made further progress towards their first championship title since 2004.At one stage here they were well placed on 130 without loss. Then they lost four wickets in the afternoon session before a fifth-wicket stand of 98 put them back on track only for Surrey to capture two more wickets before the close. It left Warwickshire with their noses in front, but it could have been far more.To increase Warwickshire’s frustration, they will know that several of their batsmen played more than a small part in their dismissals. Varun Chopra, who has the class to press for a position in the Test side in due course, compiled a typically elegant 60 before, partly through a lack of foot movement, played on as he reached to drive. For a man who had just been left out of the Lions squad, it was a frustrating dismissal. William Porterfield, who has scored only two championship centuries in his career and none in division one, then helped a legside longhop into the hands of the keeper. Ian Westwood and Darren Maddy both played fell playing across straight deliveries, before Richard Johnson’s admirable innings ended when he drove uppishly and Rikki Clarke was well held at point after thick-edging an attempted drive. Had Jim Troughton been held at short-leg on 23, a sharp chance to Rory Burns off the deserving Stuart Meaker, Warwickshire would have been 197 for five.Perhaps Chris Jordan deserves some credit. The 23-year-old fast bowling all-rounder, out of contract at the Oval and wanted at Hove, made the breakthrough in an expensive post-lunch spell of six overs for 45 runs. He forced Chopra on the back foot with a barrage of short balls and, while many of them were pulled to the boundary with disdainful ease and 14 more runs were donated from no-balls, perhaps his pace was responsible for Chopra’s reluctance to come forward to the full ball that dismissed him.But Meaker was, by some distance, the best of Surrey’s bowlers. Both openers were fortunate to survive leg before appeal in his first spell – he had Westwood on his hands and knees after digging out an inswinging yorker at one stage – and his pace and swing rendered him a tough proposition throughout the day.The Surrey attack was profligate, though. Their contribution of 43 extras – 22 of them no-balls – tells its own story. The bowlers were largely responsible for the large tally of no-balls, too, while Jordan’s surfeit of long-hops cannot have done his hopes of a new contract offer at the Oval much good.Having survived the opening spell, Chopra and Westwood batted well. While Chopra was the more pleasing, leaning into some delightful drives, cutting neatly and pulling with grace, Westwood also chipped the spin of Gareth Batty over mid on for a couple of boundaries and looked increasingly comfortable.He enjoyed one major let-off. On 10, Westwood clipped Murali Kartik’s first delivery straight to Burns at short-leg only to see the fielder, over eager to celebrate the catch, drop the ball in his excitement. The umpires conferred but agreed that Burns had not had the ball under his control.Warwickshire were grateful for the contribution of Troughton and Johnson. The latter, recalled from his loan spell at Derbyshire due to a thigh injury to Tim Ambrose, looked a well organised player in moving to the brink of his maiden championship 50 with a pulled six and six pleasing fours. Troughton, meanwhile, who registered only his second championship century since the start of 2010 in the previous game, appeared notably more solid than he had at the start of the season.There were some notable absentees. Chris Tremlett missed the game – and may not play again this season – after undergoing a scan to ascertain whether he required surgery on his right knee. Having managed just one game since his return from back surgery, such a reverse would represent a crushing blow.Chris Adams was also absent. Surrey’s director of cricket has, somewhat controversially, opted to take a quick holiday. While some will criticise his timing – there are, after all, many months out of season in which to take a holiday – it is worth remembering that Adams, like many of his team, has been through a great deal in recent weeks and that the bulk of his coaching work is done pre-season. Still, the timing seems slightly unusual. Ian Salisbury, who is first team coach, and Alec Stewart deputised.Warwickshire, meanwhile, rested Chris Wright and brought in Boyd Rankin for his first game of the season following a ‘stress reaction’ in his foot.

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O clima no Vitória é leve. Após a chegada de Paulo César Carpegiani, o Leão subiu de rendimento e voltou a respirar no Brasileirão. se antes a equipe era forte candidata ao rebaixamento, agora tudo mudou e o elenco já sonha com vaga na Sul-Americana.

Autor do gol contra o Vasco, o atacante Erik fez questão de exaltar o novo treinador. Segundo o jogador, Carpegiani cobra bastante a parte tática.

“Ele cobra bastante, principalmente na parte tática, é onde cobra mais. Esse foi o primeiro jogo que ele gostou. Eu até falei: “Pô, esse cara nunca gosta do jogo. ” Foi a primeira vez que ele chegou e disse que gostou de nossa partida”,afirmou na coletiva.

Fora do confronto no próximo domingo, quando o rival é o Ceará, Erik acredita que o elenco pode surpreender e derrotar um adversário que vem em franco crescimento nas últimas rodadas do Brasileirão.

“Vai ser um jogo difícil lá contra o Ceará. Não vou poder jogar, estou suspenso. Nosso time é bom, quem for entrar tenho certeza que vai dar conta do recado. É manter a pegada, jogar fora de casa do mesmo jeito que joga em casa, e trazer os três pontos”.

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Após 24 rodadas, o Vitória é o 12º colocado na tabela, com 29 pontos, cinco a mais que o Sport, primeiro time da zona do rebaixamento.

أكد لوكا مودريتش، لاعب فريق ريال مدريد، صعوبة مواجهة ليفربول غدًا في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في معقل الفريق الإنجليزي.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات ذهاب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، وذلك على ملعب “الأنفيلد”.

وظهر مودريتش في مؤتمر صحفي، حيث قال في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبوريتفو” الإسبانية: “تنتظرنا مباراة مهمة جدًا وصعبة للغاية، أمام خصم جيد جدًا في ملعب تاريخي مع جماهير هائلة وضغط شديد”.

وأضاف: “علينا أن نلعب بشكل جيد لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تساعدنا في مباراة الإياب، علينا أن نكون سويًا على أعلى مستوى ونساعد بعضنا، نشاهد مقاطع فيديو للفرق الأخرى ولكن في هذه الأنواع من المباريات أنت تعرف بالفعل اللاعبين وتعرف ما يمكن توقعه، أنا دائمًا أستعد بنفس الطريقة قبل تلك النوعية من اللقاءات”.

وسُئل الكرواتي عن موقفه من تجديد عقده مع ريال مدريد، حيث ستنتهي صفقته الحالية نهاية هذا الموسم، ورد قائلًا: “أنا أتحسن بعد كأس العالم، منذ عودتي وأنا بدأت اللعب بدلًا من التدريبات، تأثرت بالمونديال قليلًا ولكنني أعود إلى مستواي”.

وأردف: “أشعر أنني في حالة جيدة وآمل أن أستمر على هذا الشكل حتى نهاية الموسم، لا أستطع أن أقول أي شيء عن التجديد لأنني لم أتحدث إلى النادي، أنا هاديء للغاية، أنا دائما أكرر نفس الشيء، أريد أن أبقى هنا”.

وأكد: “أشعر أنني بحالة جيدة وأريد البقاء في مدريد، يجب أن أتحدث وأعرف ما يفكر فيه النادي، أريد أن أستحق الاستمرار، لا أن يُمنح لي، لم يمنحني أحد شيئًا، أود الاستمرار عن جدارة، لا شيء يمكن أن يغير علاقتي أو أفكاري مع النادي، مدريد هو نادي حياتي ولا أحد يستطيع كسر ذلك أو تغييره”.

وأوضح: “سأفعل كل ما بوسعي لأستحق البقاء هنا، لطالما كانت لدي علاقة جيدة مع النادي، لا داعِ للاندفاع، نحن في منتصف الموسم، الوقت طويل جدًا وهناك العديد من التحديات المقبلة، أنا أركز على الموسم لتقديم أداء جيد والعودة إلى مستواي، ثم سنرى ما سيحدث”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. نونيز يمنح ليفربول دفعة إيجابية قبل مواجهة ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

واستكمل: “أنا هنا منذ 11 عامًا وأعلم أن المطلوب هو أقصى الأداء، قيلت أشياء كثيرة في الخارج، هذا طبيعي لأنه أفضل ناد في العالم، لقد لعبت أنا وتوني كروس معًا قبل كأس العالم وبشكل جيد والآن يبدو أننا لا نستطيع فعل ذلك، لقد فزنا كثيرًا، لا يزعجني ذلك، لقد اعتدت على ذلك، علينا أن نقدم أداءً جيدًا”.

وأشاد مودريتش بشباب الفريق، حيث قال: “هم يبلون بشكل جيد، لديهم مستقبل عظيم وهذا يعتمد عليهم، هم ليسوا هنا من قبيل الصدفة، ريال مدريد استثمر فيهم لأنهم جيدون للغاية، لا علاقة لهم بتجديد عقدي”.

ودافع مودريتش عن زميله البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور ضد الإساءات العنصرية، حيث قال: “نحن ندعمه يوميًا، أنا ضد أي نوع من الإهانات العنصرية، في الملعب وخارجه، على السلطات أن تتصرف بقوة أكبر، ما يتعين عليه (فينيسيوس) فعله هو التركيز على اللعب، النادي خلفه وكلنا ندعمه ونحن هنا من أجله”.

وفيما يتعلق بمستقبله على صعيد اللعب الدولي مع منتخب كرواتيا، قال لوكا: “كما قلت بعد كأس العالم، خطتي هي الاستمرار دوليًا حتى دوري الأمم الأوروبية، بعد ذلك لم أقرر ما سأفعله، سنرى ما سيحدث، يجب أن أفكر في الأمر بحذر شديد”.

ونفى مودريتش مطالبة ريال مدريد له باعتزال اللعب دوليًا، كشرط لتجديد عقده في سانتياجو برنابيو، حيث قال: “لم يحدث ذلك، هذا ليس أسلوب النادي، لم يؤثر اللعب دوليًا على أدائي مع ريال مدريد، أنتم تتحدثون كثيرًا عن سني، لكني أظهرت أنني أستطيع اللعب مع الفريق والمنتخب، بعد دوري الأمم سأقرر ما سأفعله”.

Australia’s under-fire Test opener Phillip Hughes has withdrawn from the Big Bash League in order to focus on his form in the longer format. Although Hughes is expected to be axed from the side for the Boxing Day Test against India after a disappointing few months, he has not entirely given up on retaining his spot and does not want to be distracted by the BBL over the next two weeks.Hughes had signed for the Sydney Thunder, who begin their Twenty20 campaign on Saturday night against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG. Had Hughes played in that game, he would have needed to rush to Canberra on Sunday to prepare for Monday’s three-day Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI encounter against the Indians.That match is his last chance to impress the selectors ahead of Boxing Day, after he was caught in the cordon by Martin Guptill off Chris Martin in all four innings of the recent Test series as New Zealand exploited his weakness outside off stump. Since Simon Katich was dumped from Australia’s squad mid-year, Hughes has averaged 27.69 in Test cricket.”Following my performances over the last few months, I have decided that, right now, I need to be completely focus on my first-class cricket career,” Hughes said in a statement. “I’m obviously disappointed that I haven’t been able to score the runs in the last few Tests that I know I am capable of and I want to do everything I can to ensure that my game continues to develop.”I talked with Pup [captain Michael Clarke] and [coach] Mickey Arthur about it after the Hobart Test and they both supported my thinking. I then approached John Dyson (Sydney Thunder) and Pat Howard (Cricket Australia) to ensure that they would be comfortable for me to step away from my contract with the Thunder.”Selfishly, it’s the right decision for me but I’m obviously concerned that I have made this decision on the eve of the Thunder’s first game. Everyone has been extremely understanding and I wish the boys all the best for a successful Big Bash season. I’m now focusing on next week’s Chairman’s XI game in Canberra and can’t wait to face the Indian bowlers.”The Thunder will survive. Hughes would have been competing for top-order runs with Chris Gayle and David Warner had he played in the T20 competition, while Usman Khawaja is also part of the Thunder roster. And while Hughes deserves to be commended for his decision to concentrate on his form in the longer format, the move carries plenty of risk for him.Should he fail to impress in the Chairman’s XI match and win a place in the Boxing Day Test, he will have no first-class cricket to fall back on until the beginning of February, a T20 window having been created in the domestic calendar throughout January. That means Hughes would be trying to regain his touch in grade cricket and in the nets.Hughes, 23, has three Test hundreds to his name but his tendency to edge outside off became a fatal flaw during the New Zealand series and he will need to rectify it before he wins another chance in the Test side. Earlier this week it was announced that he would play county cricket with Worcestershire next season, where his technique will be tested.

Sri Lanka remained ahead after another attritional day in the third Test in Sharjah, but not to the extent that they needed to be if they are to be confident of squaring the series

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran06-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Tharanga Pranavitana will be the key for Sri Lanka, with the bat, on the final day•AFPSri Lanka remained ahead after another attritional day in the third Test in Sharjah, but not to the extent required if they are to be confident of squaring the series. They are now left hoping for another of the famous Pakistan collapses that gave them the series the last time these two sides faced off.In the morning, a mix of old-school batting and innovation from Misbah-ul-Haq and butter-fingered fielding helped Pakistan frustrate Sri Lanka and cut into the first-innings deficit. After lunch, Sri Lanka needed quick runs to set up a declaration but, as in the rest of this match, the big hits proved elusive and the run-rate remained low. Some late Saeed Ajmal strikes even gave Pakistan an outside chance of winning the Test.On Saturday, Sri Lanka were buoyed by some late blows, and perked up even more after striking twice early today. Chanaka Welegedara removed Abdur Rehman in the first over of the day, getting the batsman to nick to the slip cordon, where Mahela Jayawardene fumbled but the ball landed in Paranavitana’s lap at first slip. Soon after, Umar Gul heaved a length ball to mid-off and Sri Lanka were eyeing an early end to the Pakistan innings.That would have happened if wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva had held on to a regulation take after Misbah edged Rangana Herath early in the day. That was the easiest of the three lives Misbah had – Angelo Mathews flew goalkeeper-style at mid-off but couldn’t latch on, and Tharanga Paranavitana put down a similarly difficult chance at square leg.Misbah made the most of those opportunities. He may have scored at a rate deemed slow even by Test standards, but there were also several moves from him that wouldn’t have been out of place in a limited-overs game: he kept shuffling around in his crease, especially against Herath, there was a reverse-sweep for four and a savage six over long-on.He regularly declined singles to shield No. 10 Ajmal and, though there were some close lbw calls, the pair defied Sri Lanka for 18 precious overs – that didn’t just reduce Sri Lanka’s lead but ate into the time available to force a result. Misbah looked headed for his fourth Test century, but top-edged a slog-sweep off Suraj Randiv to fall for 89.The final pair couldn’t last very long after that, with Welegedara removing Junaid Khan to wrap up the innings and complete his five-for.Sri Lanka’s reply got off to a horrible start as Tillakaratne Dilshan, the man most capable of providing them the early momentum, fell victim to Gul’s knack of striking in the first over. Paranavitana, with only two half-centuries in his previous 15 innings, would have been dismissed by Gul for the fifth time in the series if Asad Shafiq had pouched a chance early on. He wasn’t at ease against the spinners either, surviving several loud calls for lbw.Kumar Sangakkara extended his excellent run in the series, becoming only the third Sri Lanka batsman to make 500 runs in a series, but he too began watchfully. It was only once the slow bowlers came on that he began to open up. Mohammad Hafeez was greeted with a lofted on-drive for four, before Sangakkara crashed sixes in successive overs to boost the dawdling run-rate. He completed a fluent half-century before his second soft dismissal of the match, chopping a short ball to the point fielder.That dismissal prompted a bit more adventure from Paranavitana, who had crawled along to 30 off 111 deliveries, putting pressure on his partners. He slugged Ajmal over midwicket for six and followed that up with a glanced boundary as Sri Lanka had a productive six-over spell, going at nearly a run-a-ball.Just as Sri Lanka seemed to finally be hitting the gear they needed to, Gul trapped Mahela Jayawardene lbw with an incutter. The conventional offbreak then brought Ajmal two wickets in an over – Angelo Mathews and Silva.Paranavitana was unbeaten but has only the debutant Kosala Kulasekara and the tail for support, and Sri Lanka’s lead is still not sufficiently enough to declare. Even if they manage a quick burst of runs on Monday and declare early, the pitch still isn’t venomous enough for a bowling attack to run through a line-up in two-and-a-half sessions, especially one that is missing a specialist quick.