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Once again this year, despite having the opposition under the cosh, Sri Lanka’s attack allowed a position of strength to slip away from them

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle06-Aug-2014SL may request Hotspot and Snicko

Marvin Atapattu said that Sri Lanka may consider asking their board to have Hotspot and Snicko available for use in order to improve the quality of DRS decisions.
Sri Lanka have not made good use of referrals in their home series this year, failing to overturn several not-out calls against South Africa last month, before declining to review a plumb lbw shout off Younis Khan, when the batsman was on 21 on Wednesday. Younis used DRS superbly, surviving the umpire’s raised finger twice, to go on to 133 not out by stumps.
“We were coming from a series in England where they had all the tools, but here we’re missing at least a couple,” Atapattu said. “At the start of the South Africa series it was a bit tough for us to digest that. Some of the things we saw in England, you don’t see here.
“Now that we have experienced having DRS with all the tools, we might take it into consideration [to request SLC uses those tools]. In England, there was clear evidence in decisions coming out of that third umpire’s box.”
The absence of Hotspot was most keenly felt at the SSC against South Africa, when Mahela Jayawardene was given out, despite the fact the ball did not appear to touch glove or bat. Replays, however, did not present enough evidence to conclusively rule him not out, so the third umpire upheld the original decision.
“In times to come I’m sure that the authorities will do certain things to make sure that the decision stays right. We were in a situation like this in the last Test we played against South Africa. That’s the way it goes”

Stranded on a far-off island where one day’s routine was hardly different from the next, Daniel Defoe’s put a cross in the ground and began to make a daily notch, hoping to wrap his mind around the passage of time.Weeks wound by without change. Months melded into one another. When Crusoe was rescued, he learned that even with his wooden cross, he had not managed to accurately count the days he had spent cut off from civilisation.On another island, also teeming with palm trees, but with fewer vindictive cannibals, the Sri Lanka attack had another day that seemed just like so many others they have recently endured. Younis Khan was their quick-footed tormentor this time, as he has been on many other occasions. By biding his time, and choosing his moments wisely, he moved to within 60 runs of scoring an unprecedented 2000 Test runs against Sri Lanka.Patience is the Sri Lanka unit’s style, though really, they have arrived at that method by process of elimination. There were hopes Ajantha Mendis would become the sharp end of the attack following Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement. Once opponents unraveled his secrets, what once appeared to be magic now seems like common trickery.Attacking quicks like Dilhara Fernando did not prove effective enough to be retained. Even aggressive spinners like Suraj Randiv were tried for a while and then cut off, at least for now. The men that remained were those that were willing to run in and tirelessly repeat the same, well-rehearsed routine, just like castaways stuck in a Groundhog Day of toilsome survival.In the past two series, Sri Lanka had long outings in the field in every match they have played. Bowling first at Lord’s they had three down for 74, then four for 120, but ended up conceding 575 for 9. At Headingley, England were five down in 26.2 overs in the second innings, but it would take 90.3 more overs for Sri Lanka to eke out those final five wickets, on a turning fifth-day pitch.At the SSC, South Africa defied the hosts for 134.5 overs in the first innings, then 111 in the next. Rangana Herath has now completed 517 overs since December 31 of last year. Wednesday must have felt like a day-long déjà vu.When South Africa had finished on 255 for 5 on another first day at Galle less than a month ago, bowling coach Chaminda Vaas had been upbeat about his attack’s returns. Acting head coach Marvan Atapattu reasoned there was little more Sri Lanka could have done against Pakistan as well.”The match situation has a lot to do with the wicket,” Atapattu said. “It settled down, and that’s the way it is in Galle. We played two fast bowlers and it doesn’t do much after the first session. Slowing the run rate, and making it tough to score is what we can do when you get a wicket like this. If you can do that you can expect a poor shot, so that’s our hope.”It is easy to sympathise with Atapattu and Sri Lanka, given the personnel available, but even on such tracks, opposition bowlers have found the means to be truly penetrative. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel shared 16 wickets on a dry pitch to win that game for South Africa. Those two are nothing less than the best new-ball pair on the planet, but they did help illustrate how the X-factor can transcend conditions and transform a series.Sri Lanka’s wins this year have highlighted Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal’s value, but beyond those two and Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka might do well to find bowlers who are a little more pizzazz and a little less working-class.Test-quality pace bowlers are thin on the ground, especially when at least one of the two premier quicks has found a way to be unfit in every match since the fast men’s demolition of Bangladesh in Dhaka, in January.But there are options for Sri Lanka in the spin department. Twenty-one-year-old Tharindu Kaushal takes bagfuls with big-turning offspin almost every time he plays, and though he has been in two Test squads, the selectors are worried he does not yet have the control to squeeze opponents opposite Herath.The time for a shake-up is approaching, however. In Muralitharan, and in Herath for a time, Sri Lanka had men that were at once workhorse and spearhead. But those are not roles that anyone but the supremely gifted can hold for long. Herath bowled two excellent balls to claim his wickets on day one, but if he is to have the workload that he has been saddled with this year, Sri Lanka cannot also expect him to be fresh enough to be a major wicket-taking threat as well.South Africa had six fewer runs and had lost one more wicket than Pakistan at the end of their first day in Galle. In the end, they batted for most of the second day, hit 455 for 9, and seized control of that Test.Sri Lanka require wickets while the ball is still new, and while there is still a little help from the pitch. Else, another long day when minutes drag and hours stretch may await them.

James Tredwell faces a tougher financial climate at Canterbury than his predecessor but shares Rob Key’s ambition on the international stage

Tim Wigmore19-Nov-2012James Tredwell inherits the Kent captaincy in a very different situation to Rob Key seven years ago. That is not a reflection of Key’s success in the job but rather of the changing financial climate.Kent embody the truth that county cricket has shown itself not to be immune from recession-era problems. Last season’s dire weather hit all counties but Kent were particularly unfortunate, losing nearly the entire Tunbridge Wells festival to rain. Losses at the festival could have cost the county £50,000, although financial results have yet to be announced.But Jamie Clifford, Kent chief executive, is adamant that, contrary to some reports, the financial statement for 2012 is “certainly not going to be the worst in the club’s history”. He says financial restructuring means that, “Other than the weather issues we’re very much on course.”Clifford also credits the response to an appeal to members and supporters to “come and help make a difference” in the second half of the season which Kent issued after the Tunbridge Wells washout.Nevertheless, there is no getting away from reality. “In a wet summer our gate receipts are way down on what we would expect,” Clifford said. “It’s been a bit of a setback really but I imagine most counties will be saying the same.”As well as the weather, last season’s reduction in T20 matches is another common factor that will help to explain if, as widely expected, county financial reports show a marked deterioration from 2011.Clifford says five home T20 games per county, as opposed to eight, caused “a big hole in gate receipts” but he declares himself “very pleased with the whole set-up” for 2014, when each county will play 14 T20 matches, something that will help make up the shortfall after what Clifford euphemistically describes as a “knocked-off-course type year” in 2012.As with many other counties, Kent are undergoing an age of limitations. At the start of Key’s reign in 2006 he says he “had the resources” to focus on making Kent a formidable limited-overs side, notably through signing belligerent hitters Justin Kemp and Azhar Mahmood, the county’s recruitment policy is now governed much more by value for money.Canny recruitment policy underpinned the encouraging performance of last season, when Kent narrowly missed out on Championship promotion and the CB40 semi-finals. Experienced players with points to prove, like Mark Davies and West Indian Brendan Nash, combined well with academy players including Matt Coles and Sam Northeast. Perhaps indicative of the era of county restraint, Mahmood left midseason – he could earn more playing in the Sri Lankan Premier League. He will not return to Kent in 2013.The financial resources may differ but Tredwell shares the same anticipation of national selection that Key enjoyed when he became captain. As Key was in 2006, Tredwell is on the periphery of the England set-up. He took six wickets in his solitary Test, against Bangladesh at Dhaka in March 2010, and bowled with impressive control and nous in ODIs against Australia and South Africa last season.But Tredwell was left out of England’s squad for the current tour of India. As well as the records of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, Tredwell’s omission reflected England’s belief that, in his words, “If you’re going to play two spinners, perhaps you do want people that turn it in opposite directions.” With fellow offspinner Swann the first choice slow bowler in all three formats of the game, Tredwell needs to convince the England selectors that he can be a useful addition – rather than merely a stand-in – to Swann.Tredwell is adamant he is not too similar to play alongside Swann. “I tend to bowl fractionally slower and change my pace a little bit more than him. I think I get the ball up in the air a bit more in terms of flight, whereas he’s a much bigger spinner of the ball. We’ve got our own ways of getting people out. I tend to entice batsmen to hit me a bit more than him, and that in itself is a very different style.”But if he is to have the opportunity, Tredwell will have to prevent the captaincy from affecting his game. While Key was a consistent scorer in all three forms of the game as captain, he never matched his feats in the two seasons before he was appointed, during which he averaged 70.00 and 59.84 in first-class cricket. For all Key’s talent, 10 runs in England’s World T20 defeat to the Netherlands have been the sum of his England contributions since he became Kent captain in 2006. Tredwell will hope the challenges of captaincy, made greater by Kent’s financial difficulties, do not have a similar affect upon his own England prospects.

Plays of the day from Bangladesh’s must-win Group B clash with Netherlands

Sidharth Monga in Chittagong14-Mar-2011The run-out
Bowlers’ deflection onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end seemed to be the favourite mode of run-out today. In the 15th over of the Netherlands innings, when Eric Szwarczynski pushed Abdur Razzak back down the ground, the bowler got a finger on it, only to find that Tom Cooper, the non-striker was already home. In the 23rd over, though, when Cooper returned Szwarczynski the favour, the latter could not make it back.The amend
Mushfiqur Rahim dropped Cooper’s sitter off Rubel Hossain, and considering the free-flowing start Cooper made to his innings, it seemed it might cost Bangladesh as much as the Eoin Morgan reprieve did the other day. Today, though, Mushfiqur got a second chance when Cooper was short by a mile, but Shakib threw a wild return from point. He was down on his knees and around the good-length area on the pitch when he collected the throw, but from there he flicked it on to catch Cooper short.The appeal
In the 46th over, Razzak got so immersed in appealing for an lbw that Ryan ten Doeschate stole a leg-bye by the time the appeal finished. When Razzak finished the appeal, he looked up to find the ball at his feet. To make a point, he even implored Shakib into going for a review, only to find the ball kissing the outside of the leg stump.The misfortune
Shafiul Islam kept moving the ball consistently in his first spell, mixed in the yorkers, and the bouncers of both varieties. Still he couldn’t get a wicket: he often missed the edge; when he hit the pad, it would be too high. The first spell made for impressive reading, 6-3-7-0, but the wickets column remained blank. When he came back at the death, Shafiul would have thought he had finally got his wicket when ten Doeschate hit him straight to deep square leg. Razzak, however, dropped it. Some things are not meant to be.The indecision
When ten Doeschate was dropped in the above-mentioned instance, he was batting with the No. 11, and that being the first ball of the over, he wanted to retain the strike. So he called Adeel Raja back when he was about to touch down at the other end. The strike was successfully retained. ten Doeschate drove the next ball towards extra cover, and instinctively set off to run, expecting the ball to get through the inner ring. Then he saw the ball stopped at the edge of the circle, and realised all he could manage was a single, and decided to call Raja back. Then he realised it was too late. Then he thought maybe it wasn’t. Finally they decided to go back to their original ends, but it was too late even despite the slow throw.

England’s bowlers and Mohammad Kaif reaped the rewards of keeping it tight

On the Ball by S Rajesh03-Mar-2006When play began on the third day, with Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid well-entrenched at the crease and many stars to follow, few would have thought that India might at one stage be in danger of following on. That they were in such a position was largely due to outstanding efforts by Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.As the graphic below shows, both had impeccable control over the lengths they bowled. On a slow track, it was imperative to pitch the ball up to the bat, and cut the short deliveries to a minimum. Both Hoggard and Panesar managed that superbly. When they did err – and it wasn’t often – it was on the fuller side.Not only was Hoggard’s length spot on, his line was exceptional too – out of 180 deliveries, 170 pitched around middle-and-off or further off side. To make it even worse for the batsmen, he moved the ball both ways – 58 deliveries came back into the batsmen, while 40 moved away. It was the perfect combination of accuracy and seam and swing, and the Indians had no answer.They still managed to end the day in a comfortable position, thanks to Mohammad Kaif and Anil Kumble. Struggling to cement his place in the side, Kaif was understandably watchful for much of his innings – after 104 balls he had scored just 20, before he found a higher gear. His strokes chart indicates he played the percentages well – he eschewed the horizontal-bat shots and was well on his way to a century before Panesar produced a peach to sour the day.

Peshawar Zalmi were the side with the weakest death bowling, Islamabad United the team with the most fearsome power hitting. United were the imperious chasers, while just last week, Zalmi failed to defend 240 against already-eliminated Quetta Gladiators. The data, as Shadab Khan almost didactically likes to point out United operate by, all pointed to a United win, especially when fifties from Alex Hales and Sohaib Maqsood put their side 56 runs away with six overs and nine wickets to go. But, in defence of 183, Zalmi’s bowlers produced a monumental comeback, a masterclass of yorker bowling from Salman Irshad and Aamer Jamal battering down United’s defences. As the yellow storm surged, United were left high and dry, in the end falling comfortably short of the target by 13 runs.United had opted to chase, flying in the face of the partiality Gaddafi Stadium has shown this season to the side batting first; all six matches until tonight had been won by the defenders. But Shadab’s decision looked to be paying dividends when Hales and Maqsood struck up a magnificent second wicket partnership, accumulating 115 runs in 77 balls. Maqsood’s targeting of Azmatullah Omarzai was the catalyst after he smashed two fours and a six in the fourth over, and Alex Hales tore Wahab Riaz apart in the over that followed, plundering 18 of it. By the end of the powerplay, they had put together 67, and were on track.Zalmi continued to appear toothless as the field spread out, and the game looked set to be one of those clinics United put on every now and then. The stand was chanceless, and even Mujeeb ur Rehman found himself copping punishment by his final over as Babar Azam looked to be running out of cards to play.In fact, he, and Zalmi, had been holding out their best for last. Jamal bowled a toe-crushing yorker to burst through Maqsood’s defences. Yorker bowling suddenly became contagious, with Salman Irshad repeating the feat to see off Azam Khan cheaply, before Jamal saved his best for last, a peach that Hales had no answer to.While the toes were being threatened, Islamabad also lost their heads. A run borne of muddled thinking brought about Faheem’s run-out at the non-striker’s end and, all of a sudden, the runscoring trickled to a halt. It didn’t help that Colin Munro chose this moment to have his worst PSL game in ages, unable to find timing on anything before he fell for a limp nine-ball four.United were done by now, needing 24 off the final over. Against such quality, the very notion they might get close was fanciful, with Jamal duly closing out with United 13 runs away.The wheels for the Zalmi win, as Shadab pointed out post-match, had been set in motion in the first ten overs of the game, when Babar and Saim Ayub took the attack to United’s bowlers. The first nine balls saw six boundaries scored as Babar and Saim split them, and the 50 was brought up inside four overs. Shadab lamented the lack of intensity from his side, but with Ayub in sizzling form and Babar toying with the field, it was difficult to see what United could do. When Muhammad Waseem removed Saim, Haseebullah duly took his place, as Babar brought up a 28-ball 50 at the other end.Crucially, he didn’t slow down after the first six overs, and with Mohammad Haris at the other end, there was no respite for United. By 13 overs, Zalmi had soared to 137 before United’s bowlers finally turned things their way. Shadab was expensive, but changed momentum by trapping Babar in front, before Haris’ departure dragged Zalmi back. The final five overs saw just three boundaries scored as United established control, and a Zalmi side who had been on track for over 200 limped to 183.It didn’t look like it might be enough, and all the data suggested it wouldn’t be once Hales and Maqsood sunk their teeth into the chase. But Jamal, and Zalmi found something special in the moments that mattered, conjuring up a stirring finish to rip up all scripts and spreadsheets.

adidas have unveiled a new signature logo for Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal, co-designed by the 17-year-old forward to represent his roots, creativity and unique playing style.

• Yamal co-designs personal logo
• Feature initials, Rocafonda area code & left foot
• adidas launch video showcasing design process

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  adidas revealed the new logo across social media on Tuesday, releasing a slick video that shows Yamal sketching out ideas before the final mark takes shape. The emblem combines his initials, the number 304 representing the Rocafonda neighbourhood he grew up in, a depiction of his trademark left foot, and the block structures of Barcelona.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At just 17 years old, Yamal has already become one of the most exciting talents in world football, cementing a starting role at Barcelona and breaking records with the Spanish national team. The unveiling of a signature logo is a rare honour for a player so young and underlines his rising global profile both on and off the pitch. It also deepens his ties with adidas, who continue to invest heavily in young superstars.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

  Yamal will continue to star for Barcelona and Spain this season as he looks to retain their La Liga title and prepare for the 2026 World Cup, while adidas are expected to roll out further branded products tied to his new identity.

Both teams are playing their first T20 World Cup, in a match that has plenty of sub-plots to look forward to if the rain stays away in Dallas

Hemant Brar01-Jun-2024

Match detailsUnited States of America vs Canada
Dallas, 7.30pm localBig picture – USA start as favouritesIn a way, it’s fitting that cricket’s oldest international rivalry will kick off its biggest World Cup, comprising 20 teams. Long before Australia and England played the first-ever Test in 1877, USA and Canada locked horns in a three-day game in 1844. In that match in New York, Canada came out on top by 23 runs.One-hundred-and-eighty years later, the same two teams will come face to face in the T20 World Cup 2024 opener in Dallas. Coincidentally, it is the first T20 World Cup for both sides. USA qualified by virtue of being the co-hosts and Canada by winning the Americas Qualifier.Related

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Dallas dreams of cricket

The oldest international contest of them all

Saturday’s game will be the first T20I at the Grand Prairie Stadium. But there is hardly any buzz in Dallas, which means the 7000-seater may not be packed to capacity. Moreover, a thunderstorm could play spoilsport, as it did during the warm-ups for both sides at this very venue.Nevertheless, USA will be the favourites on Saturday. While they have played only seven T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup – all in the last two months – that was enough to show their pedigree. They first beat Canada 4-0 before stunning Bangladesh 2-1, both times playing at home.If the rain stays away, Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand allrounder who now plays for USA, will become the fifth player to represent two teams at the T20 World Cup. Former India Under-19 World Cup winner Harmeet Singh, once touted as the next Bishan Bedi, is also expected to play a key role with bat and ball.In left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana, Canada have got someone who once dismissed Babar Azam in a first-class game in Pakistan. They also have 37-year-old Jeremy Gordon, one of the fastest bowlers in associate cricket.Among other sub-plots, Canada coach Pubudu Dassanayake was previously with USA in the same role, and batting-allrounder Nitish Kumar, who now plays for USA, was with Canada till 2019.Form guideUnited States of America LWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Canada LLLLWIn the spotlight – Corey Anderson and Aaron JohnsonCorey Anderson made his T20I debut for USA in April. He started with scores of 28 and 55, but at the same time, he looked a bit rusty. In five T20Is he has played for USA till now, he has struck at 112.30. Once upon a time, he held the record for the fastest ODI hundred. Can he turn the clock back to those days?Originally from Jamaica, Aaron Johnson is a powerful opening batter who loves playing no-look shots. The 33-year-old made his T20I debut for Canada in 2022. In 16 games so far, he has scored 713 runs at an average of 50.92 and a strike rate of 166.58. He has five fifties, two hundreds and 48 sixes in the format.Aaron Johnson has five fifties and two hundreds in 16 T20I innings•Getty Images

Team newsIn Steven Taylor, Monank Patel and Andries Gous, USA have a solid top order. Ali Khan and Saurabh Netravalkar will lead the pace unit. Harmeet, their main spinner, can also provide late-order hitting.United States of America (probable XI): 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Monank Patel (capt, wk), 3 Andries Gous, 4 Aaron Jones, 5 Nitish Kumar, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Shadley van Schalkwyk, 9 Jasdeep Singh, 10 Ali Khan, 11 Saurabh NetravalkarCanada will rely a lot on their bowlers. Apart from Gordon and Sana, they have Dilon Heyliger in the pace attack. Captain Saad Bin Zafar and Nikhil Dutta know how to keep batters quiet with their spin variations.Canada (probable XI): 1 Aaron Johnson, 2 Navneet Dhaliwal, 3 Rayyan Pathan, 4 Nicholas Kirton, 5 Pargat Singh, 6 Shreyas Movva (wk), 7 Saad Bin Zafar (capt), 8 Nikhil Dutta, 9 Dilon Heyliger, 10 Jeremy Gordon, 11 Kaleem SanaStats that matter Taylor and Patel have six 50-plus stands in the 12 T20I innings in which they have opened together for USA. Their partnership run rate is 9.65. Since the last T20 World Cup in 2022, only two batters have scored 700 or more runs at a 50-plus average and a 150-plus strike rate: India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Canada’s Aaron Johnson. Across all T20s, Johnson has taken Netravalkar for 50 runs in 30 balls while getting out only once. Aaron Jones has smashed Heyliger for 23 runs in 11 balls for one dismissal. But Saad has had the wood over him: two dismissals in 23 balls for just 15 runs. Saad is the only bowler to have registered four maidens in a T20I, a feat he achieved against Panama in 2021 when he finished with figures of 4-4-0-2. So far, only four players have represented two different teams at the T20 World Cup: Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa and Netherlands), Dirk Nannes (Netherlands and Australia), David Wiese (South Africa and Namibia) and Mark Chapman (Hong Kong and New Zealand). Anderson could join them on Saturday. Pitch and conditionsOf the four warm-up games scheduled here, only one saw some action. Batting first in that, Canada posted 183 for 7. In response, Nepal were all out for 120. There is a 40% chance of rain on Saturday, though.Quotes”I will say fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do. We don’t want to regret anything. We want to leave everything out there on the park. And then, obviously, if we come out on top, it’s great. If we don’t come out on top, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. But we don’t want to regret anything.”
“At the national level, we are rivals because we are from the same region. We tend to play against each other a lot. Most of the time it’s in qualifiers where there’s a lot on the line, whether it’s the ODI status or the T20 World Cup qualification. But at the same time, we do play a lot of tournaments and franchise cricket in the North American region. So there’s a lot of friendships between the two countries as well.”

Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday

Tristan Lavalette20-Jan-2024

Legspinners Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce starred on the traditional pace-friendly Optus Stadium surface as Adelaide Strikers ended Perth Scorchers’ historic bid for a hat-trick of BBL titles with an upset victory in the knockout final.Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday, with the winner to meet Sydney Sixers in the final at the SCG.It was a remarkable turnaround for Strikers, who were in big trouble at 48 for 4 before a hard-hitting 56 off 32 balls from Jake Weatherald ignited a comeback.Strikers then superbly defended 155 for 7 with Boyce and Pope combining for seven wickets, including stars Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis, to stun Scorchers.It was a shock exit for Scorchers, who had a late-season fadeout after losing to Sixers in a last-ball defeat that cost them second spot and the double chance.Scorchers and Western Australia had swept all six domestic titles over the last two seasons. But they could not stop red-hot Strikers, who defied the absences of ILT20-bound Chris Lynn, Adam Hose and allrounder Jamie Overton.After being sent in, Strikers’ hopes of setting a big target rested with skipper Matthew Short who was coming off scoring the most-ever runs in a 10-game regular season. He had also blasted Scorchers for a pair of 70s during the season. But it was his namesake D’Arcy Short who came out blazing before falling to a brilliant return catch from left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff.Matthew Short looked in ominous form when he whacked a short delivery from speedster Lance Morris to the boundary. Something special was needed to dismiss Short cheaply and veteran seamer Andrew Tye stepped up with a gem of an inswinging yorker that rattled the stumps.Strikers were seemingly shaken by the dismissal with Thomas Kelly struggling to score in the overs before drinks. In an inspired move, Hardie reverted to left-arm spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly who hadn’t bowled in Scorchers’ last three matches.Connolly justified the faith by dismissing Kelly before Hardie brilliantly ran out Harry Nielsen with a direct throw from mid-on to leave Strikers in ruins at 48 for 4.Jake Weatherald counter-attacked with a quick fifty•Getty Images

Veteran Weatherald has grabbed his opportunities since being a late-season inclusion and dominated after drinks. He used his feet superbly against left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, whose home struggles continued in contrast to his miserly bowling on slower surfaces on the east coast.Weatherald raced to his half-century in 30 balls, but fell shortly after when he failed to execute a reverse scoop against Hardie, who then dismissed James Bazley to put Scorchers well on top.But their death bowling woes against Sixers reared with Strikers smashing 45 runs off the last five overs. Ben Manenti, who in recent seasons has been a thorn to Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, and Henry Thornton effectively threw the bat as Strikers finished with a competitive total.Strikers’ strong attack sensed an opportunity against a revamped Scorchers opening partnership of Sam Fanning and Marcus Harris, who were both late-season signings.Debutant Fanning started with a fearless approach to continually bludgeon through the offside. Fanning, 23, made a duck against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in his only innings in domestic cricket this season. But he had entered with a century in local grade cricket and carried over that form with an assault on the new-ball, where he cracked two sixes off left-arm seamer David Payne in the fourth over.Fanning overshadowed Harris, who played sedately in his first innings since being overlooked for Australia’s Test team. It appeared like a fairytale was unfolding until Fanning holed out in the fifth over after scoring 31 of Scorchers’ first 38 runs.But it triggered a collapse of 4 for 10 capped by Hardie being clean bowled by Pope, who bowled well in tandem with Boyce in the middle overs.The pressure fell on Inglis, who plays aggressively against spin but he succumbed to a rampant Boyce as Scorchers crashed to 70 for 5 in the 12th over.Boyce was pumped up and Strikers were further buoyed when skipper Short took a spectacular diving return catch to dismiss Nick Hobson. Strikers were on fire as Bazley took a tough juggling catch on the boundary to snare Connolly to leave Scorchers’ faithful stunned and quickly heading for the exit.

Only eight Bangladesh players trained on eve of the Sri Lanka game in Delhi, as high air-pollution levels continue

Mohammad Isam05-Nov-2023Only eight Bangladesh players turned up for training in Delhi on Sunday, the eve of their World Cup match against Sri Lanka, while the others decided not to risk exposure to the severe air pollution in the city. Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe said that those who didn’t come were “asthmatic” and did not want to risk training given the poor air quality.Bangladesh had already cancelled one training session on Friday evening, and Sri Lanka did the same on Saturday afternoon. Bangladesh trained with 13 players on Saturday evening before the lower attendance on Sunday afternoon.”Our doctor has kept a close eye on players. Some of the players didn’t turn up for practice because they are asthmatic, so they stayed in indoors,” Hathurusinghe said. “And even for practice, we’re very conscious. We train what we have to train, and they go back into the dressing room. They don’t spend time unless they’re bowling or batting. We have taken some measures to minimise our exposure before the game.”Related

Hathurusinghe: Our batting let us down with 'high expectations'

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Sri Lanka and Bangladesh players impacted by air pollution in Delhi

Bangladesh cancel training because of air pollution in Delhi

Hathurusinghe said that while selection for the game would not be influenced by the air quality, the team is wary of the long-term effects of playing in such conditions. “We need to practice and still be careful about the long-term effect of these conditions,” he said. “Air quality is affecting both teams. It is not ideal. But we have no choice. We have to play in the conditions that’s in front of us.””The team selection won’t depend on air quality. It will depend on conditions, our strength and opposition.”The Sri Lanka team manager team manager Mahinda Halangoda said they would be guided by the ICC advice.”Definitely we will be looking at the index. But obviously, we will be guided by the ICC and I think they have a medical panel here and, so, they will be giving us instructions,” Halangoda told PTI. “Today when we came, we were told to wear masks. But it depends on what the outside index is, and then we’ll make a call on it. We didn’t make a request to change (the venue). But we were asking the ICC what would happen because when we came here, we saw the Bangladesh team had cancelled (training) and we saw the outside environment.”So, we just asked them what’s the plan. They said they will have a discussion, and then they’ll come back. I think they have installed some equipment here, and they’ve got specialists to check and they are helping them out. They have already informed us that they are planning to go ahead. So, we will do exactly what the ICC tells us to do.”According to the ICC’s guidelines on air quality, as well as a pulmonologist (lung specialist) whom the organisers have been consulting, an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of below 200 is considered safe for play in most cases. A higher AQI could put play in jeopardy but it is only a guideline rather than a hard cut-off.The AQI reading in the vicinity of the ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium, was over 400 on Sunday afternoon, having hit 500 at some points during the day. An air emergency had been declared in Delhi on Thursday, as the AQI rose above 400 in several places across the city, forcing the government to close schools for two days and impose restrictions on construction and vehicle traffic. AQI levels in areas of the city are expected to be in the severe category till Tuesday, November 7.An ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday that the situation was being monitored. “The ICC and our hosts the BCCI take the well-being of all participants seriously and are monitoring the air quality in Delhi,” the spokesperson said. “We are taking expert advice to assess the situation.”BCCI staff have been taking air-quality readings from handheld devices at the ground. They will continue to do so leading into the game to determine whether the air quality is at a safe level for play. The organisers will also undertake mitigation measures such as turning on the sprinklers before play, which is expected to help lower pollution levels in the immediate vicinity of the ground. They will also ask players to remain inside their dressing rooms, where air purifiers will be operational, rather than in the dugout. ESPNcricinfo understands that match officials will treat the air pollution just as they would the weather, in deciding whether conditions are fit for play or not, and taking the players off the field when needed.

Marseille owner Frank McCourt says he wants to keep English forward Mason Greenwood at the club and try to challenge Paris Saint-Germain next year.

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Marseille want to keep GreenwoodFinished second behind PSG in Ligue 1Have already signed Angel GomesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rumours have swirled over Greenwood's future, though the 23-year-old himself made clear his desire to stay at the Stade Velodrome back in May. He scored 22 goals in his first season in southern France and has four years remaining on his contract after signing from Manchester United in 2024.

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Marseille finished second behind PSG in Ligue 1 and secured a return to the Champions League. They will need to strengthen their squad and owner McCourt says the club plan to keep key squad members like Greenwood as well as Adrien Rabiot, Leonardo Balerdi and Amine Gouiri despite interest from elsewhere.

WHAT MARSEILLE'S PRESIDENT SAID

McCourt said to : "It's my wish [to keep them]. Now, I'm neither the sporting director nor the president. My goal is to put Pablo [Longoria], Medhi [Benatia] and their teams in the best conditions to make the best decisions in the short, medium and long term. Regarding the players mentioned, our goal is to keep them and build the team around them."

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There were reports of a squad rift after a poor end to the season saw Marseille fall way behind PSG in the Ligue 1 title race, but McCourt believes some small tweaks here and there can get them closer to the recent treble winners.

He added: "Of course. If we put the right reforms in place, it will help us, and other clubs, to be more competitive."