All posts by h79snht.top

تمكن منتخب أوروجواي من الحصول على المركز الثالث في بطولة كوبا أمريكا 2024، بعد الفوز بركلات الترجيح على المنتخب الكندي.

مباراة ممتعة ومثيرة في الـ90 دقيقة، ذهبت لركلات الترجيح قبل أن تبتسم في النهاية لرفقاء سواريز الذي أعاد السيليستي مرة أخرى.

سجل رودريجو بينتانكور الهدف الأول لمنتخب أوروجواي بعد ركنية نفذها فالفيردي لم يبعدها دفاع كندا بطريقة جيدة لتجد بينتانكور ويضعها بسهولة في مرمى كلاير.

طالع أيضًا.. موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأرجنتين وكولومبيا اليوم في نهائي كوبا أمريكا 2024

في الدقيقة 17، ماكسيمليانو أراوخو كاد أن يسجل الهدف الثاني لمنتخب أوروجواي ولكن تسديدته وجدت تصدي رائع من الحارس داين سانت كلير.

في الدقيقة 22، تمكن منتخب كندا من معادلة النتيجة عن طريق اسماعيل كونيه، بعد ركنية مهدها بومبيتو بالرأس لتجد كونيه الذي يضعها بطريقة رائعة في شباك الحارس روشيت بخلفية مزدوجة وظهره للمرمى.

الرد السريع يأتي من باليستري ولكن الحكم يلغي الهدف بداعي التسلل في البداية على ماكسيمليان أراوخو، في الدقيقة 24.

كاد داروين نونيز أن يسجل هدف التقدم لأوروجواي مجددًا ولكن تسديدته اعتلت المرمى في الدقيقة 36.

في الدقيقة 44، أنقذ نانديز مرمى أوروجواي، بعد تسديدة أوسوريو تصدى لها روشيت، ولكنه تابعها قبل أن ينقذها ناثان من على الخط.

في الشوط الثاني، خرج أوجارتي وداروين نونيز ودخل لويس سواريز وأراسكيتا.

مرت الربع ساعة الأولى بعنف شديد من الجانبين، مما أدى لمناوشات بين اللاعبين بسبب التدخلات العنيفة.

بعد ذلك دخل ألفونسو ديفيز نجم المنتخب الكندي، رغم الإصابة التي كان يعاني منها.

كاد سواريز أن يسجل وكذلك برايان رودريجيز، ولكن دفاعات منتخب كندا كانت بالمرصاد لتسديدات نجوم أوروجواي.

في الدقيقة 80، تمكن جوناثان ديفيد من تسجيل هدف التدقم لـ كندا، بعد تسديدة اسماعيل كونيه تصدى لها روشيت ووجدت جوناثان الذي وضعها في شباك أوروجواي.

بعد الهدف أهدر منتخب أوروجواي فرصتين عن طريق فالفيردي وسواريز، ولكن النجم الأوروجوياني أبى ألا تنتهي المباراة بخسارة فريقه.

سواريز تمكن من تحويل تمريرة خوسيه ماريا خيمينيز في الدقيقة 92، ليسجل هدف التعادل القاتل لمنتخب أوروجواي.

ذهبت المباراة لركلات الترجيح، وأهدر اسماعيل كونيه ركلته، ليصبح الضغط أكبر على كندا بعد أن سجل سواريز آخر ركلات أوروجواي.

كان الدور على نجم الفريق ألفونسو ديفيز، وسدد على طريقة بانينكا ولكن العارضة منعت الكرة من المرور، ليفوز منتخب أوروجواي بركلات الترجيح.

بهذه النتيجة يتوّج منتخب أوروجواي بالميدالية البرونزية لبطولة كوبا أمريكا، محتلًا المركز الثالث على حساب كندا.

مغامرة كندا توقفت عند نصف النهائي بالخسارة من الأرجنتين، ولم يتمكنوا من تحقيق الميدالية البرونزية، والذي كان سيعتبر انجازًا لكرة القدم الكندية مع المدرب جيسي مارش. أهداف وركلات ترجيح مباراة أوروجواي وكندا في كوبا أمريكا

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de empatar fora de casa com a Ponte Preta, por 1 a 1, o Brasil de Pelotas volta suas atenções para o confronto diante do Oeste no próximo sábado, 16h30, na Arena Barueri. Mesmo diante do lanterna da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, o volante Sousa, de 26 anos, alertou para a importância de entrar em campo sem menosprezar o adversário.

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– Nossa equipe vem evoluindo na competição e alçando bons resultados. Quem pensa que será um jogo fácil diante do Oeste, pelo fato deles estarem na zona de rebaixamento está enganado. Será um jogo duríssimo e temos que manter a concentração para buscarmos a vitória fora de casa – disse o jogador da equipe gaúcha.

Revelado nas categorias de base do Campinense-PB, o volante já defendeu as cores do Almirante Barroso-SC e está no Brasil de Pelotas desde a temporada de 2018, onde já disputou 59 jogos e marcou 3 gols.

Michael Holding believes Hardik Pandya is not effective as a batsman and lacks control and consistency with the ball

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Aug-2018Hardik Pandya is not yet ready to take the allrounder’s spot in India’s Test team, according to former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding, because he is not effective as a batsman and lacks control and consistency with the ball.”The [Indian] attack has not been the right balance,” Holding told ESPNcricinfo. “Apparently they are playing Hardik Pandya as an allrounder to help out with the bowling. When he bowls he isn’t as effective as he should be. If he was a good batsman, if he was getting runs – 60s, 70s, not even regular hundreds – at the number at which he bats and then he bowls and gets two or three wickets, happy, hallelujah. Happy with that. But he is not getting the amount of runs that can then allow him to get a wicket or two in the Test match. That doesn’t work.”Pandya made his Test debut last July in Sri Lanka, scoring a fifty in Galle and followed it with his maiden Test century in Pallekelle in his third Test. He has played nine Tests so far and, barring the home series against Sri Lanka for which he was rested late last year, he has been the only constant in the Test XI along with captain Virat Kohli.In his fledgling Test career, Pandya has had more success with bat than ball – 458 runs at an average of 32.71 with a century and three half-centuries, and 10 wickets at an average of 39.30 and a strike rate of 71.50. Overseas, Kohli has used Pandya largely to give the frontline bowlers relief. The Lord’s Test was Pandya’s most hectic in terms of bowling workload in a single innings – he bowled 17.1 overs and performed the role of the third seamer, assisting the new-ball pair of Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.That Pandya had to bowl more was a consequence of Kohli’s decision to field two spinners in wet and overcast conditions. Pandya took three wickets, having gone wicketless in the first Test at Edgbaston. Incidentally, he is the second highest run-scorer for India – after Kohli – this series. But the fact that R Ashwin is five runs behind Pandya, who has scored 90 in the two Tests, only illustrates how horrific the series has been for India’s batsmen.Before the Lord’s Test, Pandya had gone wicketless for four Tests, starting from the second match in South Africa in January. While appraising Pandya’s bowling, Holding said he did not have many skills.BCCI

“I don’t think he does a lot with the ball. That is number one,” Holding said. “He is not consistent. He does not have the control that puts batsmen under pressure constantly. He will bowl a couple of good deliveries, yes, but you need to have the control to put batsmen under pressure consistently. And he doesn’t have that. If you are going to be a frontline bowler anywhere in the world, if you are going to be someone that your captain can rely on, that can throw you the ball and expect you to get wickets and expect you to have control, he is not really the man in my opinion.”Holding said India were shooting themselves in the foot by playing Pandya as the third seamer because he does not have the “firepower” to help them take 20 wickets.When asked to describe his role after the third day’s play at Lord’s, Pandya did not want to classify himself as a batting or a bowling allrounder. “If I’m batting I think as a batsman and if I’m bowling I think as a bowler.” Pandya had said. “I don’t have any one particular role.”Holding said India were trying to make Pandya perform the roles of two players, which he was not yet equipped to do. “Not if I have someone else who is fit,” Holding said, when asked if Pandya should play at Trent Bridge. “If there is no one else, sure you have to play him. If there is someone else that is a specialist batsman or specialist bowler I will certainly prefer that. There must be someone that can bat better if they want a batsman, there must be someone who can bowl better if they want a bowler. But it seems as if they are trying to fill two spots with one person. He (Pandya) is not there yet.”Despite his scathing assessment of Pandya, Holding said he is young and has time to develop as an allrounder.”I am not going to tell anyone that you won’t be there because he is a young man. But he is not there yet. I heard a mention, when I was working in South Africa: ‘he is the next Kapil Dev’. I ain’t going to tell anybody he’s not going to be the next Kapil Dev, but he is nowhere near there yet. And they need to find someone who can contribute a lot more to this team right now.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a notícia de que as renovação de Diego Alves com o Flamengo entrou em um compasso de lentidão, a torcida do Flamengo, nas redes sociais, começou a “pedir” a contratação de Gatito Fernández, do Botafogo.

O fato não chegou bem aos ouvidos de Vinícius Assumpção, futuro vice-presidente do Botafogo – eleito na chapa de Durcesio Mello, que assumirá no dia 1º de janeiro de 2021. Por meio do Twitter, o dirigente afirmou que teve uma conversa com o paraguaio e que ele está com a cabeça no clube de General Severiano.

– Sempre na semana do jogo contra eles (Flamengo) tentam tumultuar o ambiente interno. Não caiam nesta! Estive ontem com o Gatito e está focado na sua recuperação, na volta e no Botafogo. Vamos juntos! – escreveu.

Gatito tem uma lesão no joelho e não entra em campo pelo Botafogo desde o empate sem gols com o Vasco pelo jogo de ida da quarta fase da Copa do Brasil, no dia 23 de setembro.

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Arsenal's season is going well, but the perfectionist in Mikel Arteta has suggested that the Spanish manager will continue to tinker away at his side as he targets success in the Premier League and Champions League.

Now with a foothold around the forefront of the game, the Gunners are expected to compete for the league title and, having returned to Europe's elite club competition will be hoping to dig deep into the tournament.

This is all well and good, but Arteta will hope to cement a position of power for many, many years, and to do so, there are indeed a few moves that might need to be made.

Arsenal transfer news – Marc Guehi

According to The Sun, the Emirates Stadium club are hoping to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi in 2024 as Arteta looks to upgrade the backline, though any deal will not occur until the end of the campaign.

Indeed, the Eagles are simply intransigent in their stance, and will not permit the Englishman's sale at the term's midpoint, though this is something that the Arsenal manager is believed to be okay with, though whether they meet the valuation in excess of £50m is another question.

Manchester City are also hot on Guehi's heels, with Manchester United keen and Chelsea eager to reclaim his signature after selling him to Palace for £18m in 2021.

Marc Guehi's style of play

Swiftly asserting himself as one of the Premier League's most impressive rising centre-halfs, Guehi, aged 23, has now made 93 appearances for the Selhurst Park side, scoring five goals.

The £50k-per-week machine ranks among the top 15% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, and he has been described as an "absolute tank" by goalkeeper and former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik.

Given the player's characteristics, he would be an apt fit for an Arsenal backline that is expected to effectively contribute to attacking moves, progressing the play, while also standing firm and imperious in its defensive duties.

Marc Guehi's Style of play

Likes to dribble

Likes to play long through balls

Plays the ball off the ground often

Information via WhoScored.

He is developing into a remarkable defender, with the seven-cap Englishman completing 90% of his passes, averaging 5.1 ball recoveries and 4.6 clearances per game and winning a staggering 70% of his ground duels across nine outings in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.

Rice repeat in north London

With Manchester City also reported to be among the suitors for the England international, Arteta would do well to secure his signature against such a formidable force.

But it's not exactly like the Gunners haven't had their share of transfer success against the Etihad Stadium side of late, with Declan Rice joining in a £105m transfer in July after rife speculation surrounding his future, ultimately joining Arsenal despite the Sky Blues' vested attention.

The England international was the lynchpin in the middle for West Ham United since making his professional debut with the club and saw his rise align with the club's, culminating in triumph in the Europa Conference League final in June, Rice's final match for the Irons.

Guehi could now emulate his compatriot next year and join the fold at Arsenal, remaining in the capital to earn his place in an exciting project that tantalises richer fortunes than the club has seen in an age, strengthening an impressive English spine for a side chasing gilt-edged success both domestically and in Europe.

أكد مصدر داخل المنظمة المصرية لمكافحة المنشطات أن المنظمة بصدد اتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية ضد مسئول سابق بالمنظمة، بسبب ظهوره عبر وسائل الإعلام وإثارة حالة من الجدل واللغط لدى الرأي العام بشأن قضايا تخص المنظمة.

وأشار المصدر لـ”بطولات” إلى أن المسئول السابق تم فصله بسبب اتهامات وجهت إليه بالفساد، ومن بينها استغلاله لمنصبه أثناء وجوده في المنظمة وتعيين نجله في منصب رفيع داخل المنظمة المصرية لمكافحة المنشطات، وغيرها من وقائع الفساد المثبتة بالأدلة والمستندات. 

رسميًا – مكافحة المنشطات تُقرر رفع الإيقاف عن رمضان صبحي

وأضاف: “هذا المسئول تسبب في تكبد المنظمة المصرية غرامات مالية بسبب سوء إدارته، ودفعت المنظمة غرامات مالية وقعت عليها أثناء فترة إدارته في 20218 و2020، وغيرها من الوفائع المثبتة”.

وأوضح أن المسئول السابق بالمنظمة تعمد الحديث عن وقائع غير صحيحة تمس قضية اللاعب رمضان صبحي لإثارة الرأي العام، واستمراره في محاولاته لإثارة الفتنة بالتلميحات التي تمس طبيعة عمل المنظمة، وهو ما حذرت منه المنظمة المصرية في وقت سابق. 

وشدد على أن إدارة المنظمة المصرية لمكافحة المنشطات بصدد اتخاذ إجراءات خلال الساعات المقبلة لمواجهة تجاوزات المسئول السابق.

وناشد المصدر وسائل الإعلام المختلفة بعدم التعامل مع المسئول السابق منعًا لإثارة الفتنة بسبب تصريحاته المغلوطة والمبنية على جهل بما تم استحداثه من لوائح وقوانين.

MatériaMais Notícias

Como tem sido praxe nos últimos anos, o Corinthians foi ao mercado e trouxe muitos reforços para 2020. Acontece que a grande maioria não correspondeu às expectativas, teve problemas no meio do caminho ou não recebeu chances. Isso, porém, não é o caso de Fábio Santos, até aqui incontestável desde que acertou a sua volta ao clube. Com menos de dois meses desde a sua apresentação, ele já desponta como a melhor contratação da temporada.

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TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

Multicampeão com o Timão em sua primeira passagem, Fábio é um jogador que está em casa e não precisou passar por um período de adaptação ou de conhecimento do que é atuar em uma agremiação gigante com uma torcida de massa. Essa foi uma das características que fez com que a diretoria fosse buscar o lateral no Atlético-MG, onde era reserva de Guilherme Arana.

– Eu estava muito bem no Atlético-MG, quatro anos e meio de clube, contrato se encerrava no fim do ano, não vinha jogando tanto, estava na reserva, mas o trabalho estava caminhando super bacana, ainda mais com o novo treinador, Jorge Sampaoli, estrutura nova de trabalho, querendo conhecer, mas tem certos convites que são impossíveis de você dizer não, Corinthians para mim é um deles, por tudo o que eu vivi por aqui, pelos amigos que eu tenho – disse o jogador em entrevista ao “Aqui com Benja”, do Fox Sports.

Essa identificação com o clube também foi fator determinante para a sua chegada e seu início bem sucedido com seis jogos, todos eles como titular, jogando os 90 minutos. Suas únicas ausências foram nos duelos pela Copa do Brasil, contra o América-MG, pois já havia disputado a competição pelo Galo, e no confronto contra o próprio Galo, por conta de cláusula contratual.

-Quando eu saí daqui em 2015, foi muito difícil, era um momento que eu não gostaria de ter saído realmente, as coisas aconteceram para que se desenrolasse dessa maneira e em nenhum momento eu me via fora do Corinthians, porque eu me sentia bem aqui, aconteceu de eu sair, rodei, mas em nenhum momento eu deixei de acompanhar, de torcer, de agradecer tudo aquilo que o Corinthians fez profissionalmente para mim – afirmou o defensor.

Como se não tivesse nunca deixado de vestir a camisa alvinegra, Fábio entrou na equipe de Vagner Mancini e não saiu mais, ajudando a estabilizar o sistema defensivo, com erros mínimos e eficiência máxima. Além disso, já marcou dois gols em cobranças de pênalti, função que passou a ser de sua responsabilidade. Mas havia outra missão: a de liderar o vestiário.

– Esse momento pedia essa ajuda muito mais fora de campo do que dentro de campo e graças a Deus logo que eu cheguei consegui conciliar as duas coisas e poder ajudar tanto dentro quanto fora de campo, mas é impossível dizer não para o Corinthians, pelo amor de Deus – relatou o lateral.

Essa característica de liderança, moldada por toda a sua experiência no futebol em grandes clubes dentro e fora do país, foi determinante para que o Corinthians fizesse essa contratação de ótimo custo-benefício, como é considerada dentro do clube. Com salário relativamente baixo e a garantia de que entregaria performance nas “missões” que recebeu, a contratação foi mera formalidade entre as partes, como contou o próprio Fábio Santos.

-Quando o Duílio falou “Fábio, precisamos de você aqui, momento não está fácil, o que você acha?” e eu falei “você está falando sério?”, ele disse que sim e eu falei “estou dentro, amanhã falo com o (Alexandre) Mattos, com o Sampaoli, e já pode ligar para o meu empresário, ele já me conhece, ele já sabe o que é, só me colocar aí dentro e o resto a gente vê depois”. Foi tudo muito simples, acertamos a minha volta, era o que eu queria escutar, o convite veio e foi tudo muito simples de resolver tanto no Atlético-MG quanto no Corinthians.

Fábio foi o antepenúltimo dos 13 reforços do Timão para essa temporada, sem contar números e estatísticas, mas apenas custo-benefício e “encaixe”, não há comparação com os demais jogadores trazidos para o elenco em 2020.

Sidcley e Yony González, por exemplo, nem fazem mais parte do grupo, mas não convenceram enquanto foram. Cantillo e Jô tiveram ótimos inícios, mas por problemas físicos e de Covid-19 acabaram não tendo consistência nas atuações. Luan, a mais cara de todas, ainda não conseguiu ser aquilo que pode. Otero e Cazares estão em fase de altos e baixos. Matheus Davó e Éderson chegaram para compor elenco e com perspectivas de futuro. Já Jemerson ainda não estreou e Jonathan Cafú teve pouco tempo para ser avaliado.

continua após a publicidade

Newcastle United have been dealt a potential major blow after one of their players was withdrawn from training on international duty, according to fresh reports.

Newcastle United's injury nightmare…

As we all know by now, Newcastle United have an enormous injury list and face the prospect of missing some of their key players for a considerable period of time, which is bound to have an impact on Eddie Howe's team selection and potential results. The unavailable players for the Magpies include Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak, Miguel Almiron, Javier Manquillo, Matt Targett, Sven Botman, Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Dan Burn, with a report on Wednesday revealing Wilson and Botman are facing significant time out.

Sandro Tonali is suspended from footballing activity due to breaching betting rules and will be unavailable until next year, while Bruno Guimaraes served a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards in their 2-0 defeat away to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Down to the bare bones, youngsters Lewis Miley and Ben Parkinson were both called upon during the Premier League clash, which produced a major flashpoint at the end of the game, as Kieran Trippier shared a passionate exchange with a travelling supporter and appeared to respond to their protestations with the question "how many injuries have we got?" after both parties were seen in heated debate.

Nevertheless, the England international played down events in an interview with Sky Sports, stating: "The fans are emotional, they have travelled a long way. I had a chat with one of them, saying we are giving everything and there's no need to panic. We got beat and we apologise for that result, but the lads are giving everything."

Now, it looks as if things could be about to go from bad to worse for Newcastle United after one of their players was withdrawn from full-contact training on international duty.

Fabian Schar injury update

According to a report from Switzerland cited via Sport Witness, Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar has been withdrawn from Switzerland's crucial EURO 2024 tie against Israel due to 'muscular problems' and he will instead participate in individualised training in his hotel room with a personal trainer.

Fabian Schar in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

17

Goals

1

Assists

0

Full training is now an option that is off the table for the 31-year-old, who is believed to earn in the region of £40,000 per week at St James' Park, for now, as he recovers from his muscle issue. Switzerland will book their ticket to Germany next summer if they manage to see off Alon Hazan's Israel side.

Performing admirably in 2023/24, Schar has averaged around 3.4 clearances and 1.4 tackles per match in the Premier League this campaign for Newcastle United (Schar statistics – WhoScored).

Despite his impressive form, Schar could now be set to join a lengthy list of absences for Magpies boss Howe to contend with, as he aims to improve on their current showing in the English top-flight that has landed the Toon in seventh position with 20 points from their opening 12 matches.

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، هانز فليك، عن قائمة اللاعبين المسافرين إلى جولة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية استعدادًا للموسم الجديد 2024/2025.

وتبدأ المرحلة الثانية من معسكر برشلونة في أمريكا وسيخوض خلالها الفريق 3 مباريات ودية أمام مانشستر سيتي، ريال مدريد وميلان قبل العودة إلى المدينة الكتالونية.

وشهدت قائمة برشلونة عدم وجود لامين يامال أو بيدري لأن الأول حصل على إجازة صيفية والثاني مصاب خلال مشاركتهما في يورو 2024، بجانب رونالد أراوخو لإجرائه عملية جراحية وغيابه 4 أشهر في أوتار الركبة.

بينما تواجد رافينها، إلكاي جوندوجان، جول كوندي ضمن القائمة ولكن سينضمون للبعثة في أمريكا مباشرة دون السفر معهم من برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موندو: منبوذ برشلونة قد يعوض رحيل لو نورماند عن ريال سوسيداد

𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐎̀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐀 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MOuq9iObSb — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) July 28, 2024

قائمة برشلونة لمعسكر أمريكا

حراسة المرمى: مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، إينياكي بينيا، أندير أسترالاجا، دييجو كوشين.

الدفاع: أليخاندرو بالدي، إينيجو مارتينيز، أندرياس كريستنسن، جول كوندي، جوليان أراوخو، كليموه لينجليه، هيكتور فورت، ميكا فاي، نوح درويش، أليكس فالي، جيرارد مارتن، أندرياس كوينكا، سيرجي دومينيجيز، أليكسيس أولميدو.

الوسط: أوريول روميو، إلكاي جوندوجان، بابلو توري، مارك كاسادو، أوناي هيرنانديز، مارك بيرنال، جولي فيرنانديز، كويم جونينت.

الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، رافينها، فيتور روكي، باو فيكتور، توني فيرنانديز.

Ngidi tipped his hat to Dale Steyn, who didn’t play the opening ODI but is in the squad and seems to be embracing the mentor role envisioned by the coach

Liam Brickhill30-Sep-2018

A balance between bat and ball is generally held to be the defining trait of a good cricket pitch. But sometimes difficult conditions can make for thoroughly absorbing cricket, as was the case when Zimbabwe made a fist of their defence of a paltry 117 in the opening ODI of their series against South Africa. Both teams were surprised by the bounce on offer, and for Man of the Match Lungi Ngidi bowling on a pitch with some venom in it was “a lot of fun”.”The wicket was a different one,” Ngidi said. “It was a lot of fun bowling out there today. It was a bit uneven. But as we saw how Heinrich Klaasen batted, if it’s a good ball let it go, and then put away the bad ones. It was a challenge for everyone. Driving was difficult, depending on the length. If you pitched it too full, it was really easy to hit, but if you did hit that good length it was really difficult to drive.”Ngidi, who is South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year with 21 scalps, provided the first breakthrough in the morning when he had Solomon Mire caught in the slips for a three-ball duck – the first of five Zimbabwe batsmen to fall behind the wicket. Looking to get the most out of the pitch, Ngidi’s variations of seam, cut and pace brought him two more wickets, including that of eventual top-scorer Elton Chigumbura to end Zimbabwe’s innings. Ngidi tipped his hat to Dale Steyn, who didn’t play the opening ODI but is in the squad and seems to be embracing the mentor role envisioned by coach Ottis Gibson, for some helpful advice about which variations to use.”Dale is very helpful,” he said. “He’s our most experienced bowler. And he also gave me a few tips when we were out there: maybe try a few cross-seam balls, maybe the odd slower one. It really does help having Dale in the system, and in the team. There are all sorts of ideas to bounce off him.”Zimbabwe, meanwhile, were left ruing what might have been, had they been able to squeeze a few more runs out of their top order. Captain Hamilton Masakadza reckoned that 180 might have been a defendable score for his own bowlers, and Zimbabwe’s medium-pace was arguably even better suited to the conditions than South Africa’s quicker options.”We just didn’t put enough runs on the board,” Masakadza said. “The wicket played a little differently to what we expected, but even after having adjusted we still didn’t bat for long enough. We needed at least another 50 or 60 to really make a game of it. One-eighty to 200 would have been really competitive.”[The pitch] was sometimes slow, and sometimes bounced a little more than expected. A lot of guys got hit on the shoulder of the bat and on the gloves. But having said that, we still should have been able to adjust. As international cricketers, you come across things like that and you should be able to adjust and make use of the conditions you get.”But the guys showed a bit of character trying to defend 118. We bowled well up front and guys really came out firing.”