Will Sri Lanka’s depleted attack have the bowling nous to fire in batting-friendly conditions?

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2019

Big PictureBefore the series began, you suspected these were well-matched sides. Both have been blown away in Australia this year. They live in the same neighbourhood on the Test rankings: Sri Lanka sitting sixth, Pakistan at eighth. Both have captains appointed this year, new coaches, and a reputation for failing to develop the blinding talents that enter the team. The Rawalpindi Test – what little of it was played at least – was further indication that there is not much to separate them. Sri Lanka had tough conditions to bat in, but fought their way to a competitive total. Pakistan had good batting conditions, and made ample use of them on the final day.Where Pakistan can perhaps impose themselves in Karachi is on the bowling front. They have the quicker attack overall, and if the Karachi track turns out to be stereotypically flat, that could amount to a substantial advantage. Yasir Shah may be suffering a crisis of confidence – his average up at over 120 from three overseas Tests this year – but if there is one side he has excelled against through his career, it is Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s attack, meanwhile has been doubly depleted. They had fielded an inexperienced pace attack in Rawalpindi, with Suranga Lakmal unavailable for the tour and the selectors unwilling to pick Nuwan Pradeep due to his frequent injuries. With Kasun Rajitha now out of the Karachi Test, an even less experienced bowler is set to slot in. Where in their last two series – in South Africa and Sri Lanka – the attack had bowler-friendly tracks to work with, they may have to work harder for their wickets in Karachi. A major test awaits, not only of the attack itself, but of Dimuth Karunaratne’s ability to marshal it.The visitors, though, have at least won Tests this year. Pakistan last won in November 2018, before losing five consecutive Tests, to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. It seems unlikely that Sri Lanka will blow Pakistan away in Karachi, but they will at least hope they can scrape together a flawed performance that lurches them haphazardly to victory, which has been their blueprint for victory under Karunaratne.Form guidePakistan DLLLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka DLWWWIn the spotlightSome of the buzz before Rawalpindi was how Fawad Alam had finally forced himself into a Test squad after years of domestic achievement, but it was Abid Ali whose long wait for a Test spot coalesced into a vindication of his selection. Abid appeared confident for the majority of his innings, a brief short-ball barrage by Lahiru Kumara the only passage of play in which he appeared even slightly uncomfortable. He’s clearly in excellent touch now, and another good outing in Karachi will help keep Imam-ul-Haq (a contender for the opening spot) at bay.Dilruwan Perera’s year has been almost as bad as Yasir Shah’s. In four Tests – in Australia, Sri Lanka, and in Rawalpindi – he has only five wickets and averages 89.40 in 2019. What has been especially disappointing about his performance is that in the first year without Rangana Herath, Dilruwan was expected to lead the spin attack. Instead, he has been outperformed even by the likes of Dhananjaya de Silva. The only man in the attack with more than 20 Tests to his name, he needs wickets in Karachi to retain his position as Sri Lanka’s senior spinner.Team newsUsman Shinwari is out of the Test with typhoid. Yasir Shah is likely to enter the XI.Pakistan (possible): 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali (capt) , 4 Babar Azam, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Mohammad Abbas, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Shaheen AfridiSri Lanka may field two spinners, with left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya likeliest to come into the XI in place of Kasun Rajitha.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Oshada Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraPitch and conditionsUnless the Sri Lanka team lives up to its reputation of taking their island’s rains with them wherever they travel, there should be more cricket in Karachi than the 167 overs seen in Rawalpindi. Clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20s are forecast for the duration of the match.The surface in Karachi is reputed to be a batting fantasy, but it is difficult to predict now, with Tests not having been played here for 10 years.Stats and trivia Yasir Shah has 40 Test wickets from five Tests against Sri Lanka. His average of 21.65 is his best against any opposition. Sri Lanka haven’t lost a bilateral Test series in Pakistan since 1991. They have won two series here since, in 1995 and 2000. If Pakistan lose this Test, this will be the first calendar year in which they have gone winless since 1991 (a year in which they only played two Tests). Dilruwan Perera averages 51.35 away from home, but his average against Pakistan in the UAE was slightly better, sitting at 29.15 after three Tests.

The general consensus at Tottenham Hotspur heading into the last few weeks of Ange Postecoglou's first campaign at the helm speaks of promise and positivity, though there is uncertainty surrounding the prospect of Champions League qualification.

With Spurs sitting the previous Premier League match week out after their fixture with Manchester City was rescheduled given their opponents' participation in the FA Cup semi-finals, Aston Villa seized the initiative and won against Bournemouth to extend their lead in the top four to six points – Tottenham, however, hold two games in hand.

With the fixtures drawing to a close and Tottenham preparing to face the three teams fighting for the Premier League title, it's going to be an interesting battle for a place in Europe's elite club competition.

Not least because Destiny Udogie has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, having been so influential in his first season in England…

Why Destiny Udogie's injury is a massive blow

Spurs signed Udogie from Udinese for about £15m back in 2022 but loaned him straight back to the Italian club for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign, where he honed his craft and earned acclaim before linking up with Postecoglou's squad last summer.

As the north London outfit purred into life at the start of the campaign, Udogie quickly established himself as the unwavering starter at left-back, with journalist Hunter Godson even hailing his "sickeningly good" displays and proclaiming that he "gets into nearly every team in the world already."

He's barely stepped onto the major stage but he's already performing with seamless style in the English top flight, completing 28 matches this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 2.4 tackles and clearances, six ball recoveries and 5.4 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

As per FBref, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 15% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for interceptions per 90.

With such noteworthy technical ability and a melange of qualities across both defensive and attacking points, Udogie is one of the finest in the division and it's no wonder that no Tottenham teammate boasts a market valuation above his – according to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, the Italian is worth £69m, level with Dejan Kulusevski.

This is all of an illustration of why the £75k-per-week starlet is so important, and why his season-ending injury could be detrimental to the synergy and energy of Postecoglou's Champions League-chasing side.

This isn't the first time Udogie has fallen to the sideline this term, with his replacement last time, Ben Davies, possibly not the answer given his lack of mobility and progression.

Ben Davies' season in numbers

Davies has been something of a stalwart for Tottenham, chalking up 329 fixtures for the club, but he has been a utility option this season – albeit performing admirably in central defence throughout Spurs' injury crisis in November and December.

However, he last started in his natural wide position when Spurs lost to Wolves in February, and having completed an average of 0.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, he may not offer the robustness to keep the poise and potency that Postecoglou's set-up demands.

Micky van de Ven could also be an option out wide, as the analyst above states, but the Dutch defender's not accustomed to a full-back role and, while he is incredibly fast and athletic, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, fans have witnessed the issues that can arise when he is not in the starting line-up at centre-back.

While it would be something of a bold call, Postecoglou could opt down the less-trodden path and promote Charlie Sayers to the senior squad, with the academy phenom possessing all the tools to forge a name for himself in Udoige's place.

How Charlie Sayers could perform for Postecoglou

Tottenham insider John Wenham remarked that Sayers is "probably the best academy defender at the club", and having played a key role in Wayne Burnett's table-topping side's progress in the Premier League 2 this season, featuring 11 times, it's clear to see why.

Superhotspur's scouting profile of the 19-year-old highlights notable strengths in ball-playing and pace, with the kind of top-level athleticism needed to fill boots such as Udogie's.

Charlie Sayers: Stats by Level

Club

Apps

Goals

Assists

Tottenham U21

26

1

1

Tottenham U18

13

2

0

Southend United

6

0

0

Tottenham YL

1

0

2

Stats via Transfermarkt

In the EFL Trophy this term, as per Sofascore, the young talent showcased the core qualities that have established him as one of Tottenham's most coveted prospects, averaging 1.3 key passes, two tackles and 7.3 ball recoveries per match across three fixtures, also completing 85% of his passes.

His rate of recovery is particularly eye-catching, speaking of his energy and eagerness to close down space and maintain high output – Udogie performs masterfully in this regard, whereas Davies, while a veteran, is averaging only 2.9 recoveries per match in the Premier League this season.

With an eye for goal too, there's no reason why Sayers can't develop into a rounded player to serve as Udogie's foil when regrettable scenarios such as his present conundrum surface.

Supporters need only hark back to the slump earlier in the campaign to serve as a poignant reminder of how this Postecoglou team can slump when knocked off balance.

Davies is not the answer at left-back, not with Spurs fighting for a place in the Champions League next season.

Related Ange could unleash Spurs star in brand new role to ease Udogie injury

Postecoglou has three different left-back options to choose from.

Posts ByTom Lever Apr 22, 2024

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has dropped a promising update regarding Everton's points deduction appeal, at a time when any positivity feels welcome.

Everton dogged by points deductions

The Blues have had so many hurdles to overcome this season, making life so hard for Sean Dyche and his players, with everything seemingly going wrong at the same time. Everton find themselves in a tough situation on the money front, and they have seen a number of points deductions handed to them, only making their Premier League relegation battle harder.

Back in November, the Merseysiders were hit with a huge 10-point penalty, immediately leading to huge doubts surrounding their top-flight status moving forward, but that tally has since been reduced to six.

Earlier this month, however, Everton then saw a further two points taken away "after they breached the allowed losses threshold of £105million by £16.6million in the three-year period up until the 2022-23 season". They are appealing the decision, however, with the hope the amount will be lessened before the end of the season.

For now, the Blues have to simply focus on staying up, not allowing the situation to act as a distraction, at the same time hoping that the takeover of the club goes through moving forward. That doesn't appear to be getting any closer, though, with 777 Partners still struggling to get a deal over the line.

Journalist drops promising Everton update

Football Insider's O'Rourke has heard from Goodison Park that Everton are hopeful they'll reclaim one point after appealing their latest deduction in a promising update. The report states that "the latest date the Premier League must reveal the verdict was 25 May, but they confirmed that the Merseysiders’ appeal will be heard before the last game of the season – 19 May."

For once, this is some good news for the Blues, even though one point may not exactly be an earth-shattering difference to their current tally. That being said, one point could end up proving key in the relegation fight, so it should be welcomed if it comes their way.

It is a boost that a decision will also be made before the end of the season, however, waiting for it until after the campaign comes to an end would've been a ludicrous situation, leaving not only Everton in limbo but also fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, who have suffered deductions of their own.

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ByJoe Nuttall Apr 20, 2024

This season has felt like one bad nightmare at Goodison Park, and it is now a case of getting through it and hoping that more positive times are on the horizon after that.

If Dyche's men can stay in the Premier League beyond this season, overcome their financial issues and see new owners come in sooner rather than later, it could pave the way for far happier times ahead, especially with a move Bramley Moore Dock on the horizon next year.

Leeds United will be worrying that a promotion collapse is now well underway, after going the last three Championship games without a win with the performance and result against Blackburn Rovers last time out a real concern.

The Whites would end up losing 1-0 to John Eustace's Riversiders courtesy of a late Sammie Szmodics strike, the second tier's top scorer showing the wasteful Leeds attackers where the back of the net is in the narrow defeat.

Daniel Farke will be riddled with even more doubt now over who he should start in the attacking positions going forward as the games become more tense to make the goals flow again, with Crysencio Summerville's set-in-stone position in the first-team up for grabs even after his dismal showing against Blackburn.

Crysencio Summerville's performance in numbers

Summerville has failed to score in his stuttering side's last three second-tier contests now, drawing yet another blank frustratingly against Eustace's visitors.

Failing to hit a single on-target effort at Aynsley Pears' goal in the 1-0 defeat, the usually electric Dutch winger also found all ten of his crosses go astray on a poor day at the office for the 22-year-old.

Unable to complete one successful dribble in the narrow loss as well, on top of squandering possession a staggering 28 times, the 5 foot 9 attacker could find his spot filled by somebody else versus Middlesbrough up next after such an off-performance.

This would be a very bold selection call by Farke, with Summerville having started every league game since being left out against Ipswich Town last August, but the German boss showed he can make rash switches by starting Wilfried Gnonto ahead of Daniel James in the 1-0 loss.

Gnonto will feel he's done enough to secure another starting spot for the upcoming trip to Boro, but Joel Piroe will be anxious that he will return to the substitutes bench again after putting in an anonymous display against Blackburn.

Joel Piroe's performance vs Blackburn in numbers

In another tweak from the XI that stumbled to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland, Piroe was preferred as the lone striker ahead of Patrick Bamford for the visit of Eustace's men.

This was a switch that didn't work out whatsoever for Leeds however, with the ex-Swansea City striker unable to really kick into gear against a resilient Blackburn defence and bag a decisive goal.

Piroe would fall victim to the same fate as Summerville by failing to fire a single on-target effort at the Riversiders net from his 90 minutes on the Elland Road turf, alongside seeing 11 of his 34 passes go astray in a below-par display from the struggling Whites number seven.

It wasn't a surprise, therefore, to see LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross hand out a scathing 3/10 rating to Piroe in the direct aftermath of the demoralising defeat – Cross stating that the 24-year-old attacker 'brought nothing' when it came to troubling the Blackburn back four.

Minutes played

90

Touches

43

Accurate passes

23/34

Shots on target

0

Duels won

3/7

Possession lost

13x

Scanning the table above, Bamford could well find a way back into his manager's starting lineup again ahead of Piroe after the 6 foot 1 striker's dire performance against Blackburn.

Farke will hope whatever XI he fields for the trip to the Riverside Stadium next can be the lineup that picks up a much-needed win, making the promotion-chasers confident again instead of being uncertain over whether or not they're cut out to be in the Premier League next season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Tottenham are already plotting their summer business, and are reportedly ready to make a return to the Serie A for another signing.

Lilywhites enjoying Serie A success

It is safe to say that Tottenham are getting value for money from their Serie A scout team is in recent seasons. The north Londoners have spent plenty of their recent transfer budgets in Italy's top flight, signing a player from Italy in all but one transfer window since 2021.

It has seen them reap plenty of reward too, with all of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski mainstays in Ange Postecoglou's starting XI.

Tottenham's Serie A signings since 2021

Player

Cost

Arrived from

Year

Dejan Kulusevski

£25m

Juventus

2022

Rodrigo Bentacur

£18m

Juventus

2022

Ivan Perisic

Free

Inter

2022

Pierluigi Gollini

Loan

Atalanta

2021

Cristian Romero

£45m

Atalanta

2021

Destiny Udogie

£18m

Udinese

2023

Guglielmo Vicario

£16m

Empoli

2023

Radu Dragusin

£25m

Genoa

2024

Of the permanent deals completed, only Ivan Perisic has left the club and the others remain key parts of the squad. Those additions have helped the Lilywhites enjoy their best Premier League season in a long time, with Ange Postecoglou's side playing an exciting style of football and for the most part getting the results to go with it.

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ByBen Browning Apr 2, 2024

Being held to a 1-1 draw with West Ham on Tuesday was a blow, but they remain just two points behind Aston Villa and fourth spot remains very much a realistic target in the final nine games of the season. That won't be enough for Postecoglou though. Speaking earlier this week, he outlined his plans for next season.

To help him achieve that, Spurs could turn back to their favourite hunting ground.

Spurs tracking rising Serie A star

Now, Tottenham are reportedly one of several clubs eyeing up Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who has shot to prominence under Thiago Motta this season. The Italian has been tipped to be a part of Italy's EURO 2024 squad, and has been a key component of a Bologna side that are chasing second place in Serie A in the final stretch of the campaign.

Now, Sport Witness relay that Spurs are 'ready to shop' in the Serie A once more this summer and that they have identified Calafiori as a target after his ‘extraordinary performances’ for the northern Italian outfit.

The 21-year-old centre back is a left-footed player that can play on either side of central defence, and could provide some much needed cover for Micky van de Ven, who has injured his hamstring twice this season as a result of his all too regular gametime.

Calafiori has started 21 times for Bologna this season, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets in that time. He could be another cut price sensation in the form of Destiny Udogie, with the report adding that he could be available for just 20m euros (£17.1m) this summer, less than his valuation on Transfermarkt, while his reported £16,000 per week wages are unlikely to be a problem for the Lilywhites.

Darren Sammy has played a major role in the return of top-flight cricket to Pakistan, and the country has decided to express its gratitude in style, by extending an honorary citizenship to the former West Indies captain. Arif Alvi, the Pakistan president, has signed off on the same, and Sammy will also receive the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country’s top civilian award, on March 23 in Islamabad.The idea of the honorary citizenship was initiated by Javed Afridi, the owner of Peshawar Zalmi, the team Sammy has represented since the start of the PSL in 2016. The PCB followed up on it with the federal government in light of Sammy’s “invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan”.St Lucian Sammy, 36, has been Zalmi’s premier marquee player from the beginning of the PSL. Ahead of the second edition, Shahid Afridi, who led the team in the first season, stepped down and handed the reins to Sammy, and he has led them since – they won the title in 2017 and were the losing finalists in 2018 and 2019.More than that, though, it’s Sammy’s support to the Pakistan cause that has endeared him to people in the country. He was the first to agree to tour Pakistan when the PCB wanted to bring the PSL final to the country.Then, when an ICC World XI was lined up tour Pakistan for three T20Is in September 2017, Sammy – a part of that squad – spoke to the other tourists as part of a security briefing.At the time, he had said, “I did brief them quickly about my experience in Lahore for the PSL final. We’ve had the best security team, who have also briefed them. Like I said before, it’s important. I get to play in front of my fans in St Lucia and around the world and we see how passionate they are, and to get an opportunity after so long, they are all happy to be part of that process.”First thing I said to guys after the PSL final – apart from all the security and the protocol – once I stepped on the field, it felt like playing in St Lucia. That is my honest experience – the crowd were just hungry for cricket, to see their icons and role models play in the game. That is what it felt like. That is what I briefed the players when the coach [Andy Flower] asked me about my experience.”

يلتقي منتخب إنجلترا مع أيرلندا مساء اليوم الأحد ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وتأتي مباراة إنجلترا وأيرلندا ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة للمجموعة الثانية بالمستوى الثاني في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وتتصدر إنجلترا المجموعة بـ12 نقطة بعد فوزها على اليونان بثلاثية في الجولة الماضية.

وتأتي اليونان في المركز الثاني وتملك 12 نقطة أيضًا، حيث تتخلف بفارق الأهداف عن إنجلترا.

أما أيرلندا تأتي في المركز الثالث برصيد 6 نقاط، وفنلندا تتذيل المجموعة بلا نقاط.

اقرأ أيضًا | الإصابة العاشرة.. ضربة جديدة لـ إنجلترا قبل مواجهة أيرلندا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية موعد مباراة إنجلترا وأيرلندا اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السابعة مساء اليوم الأحد، بتوقيت مصر، الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة إنجلترا وأيرلندا

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD1. معلق مباراة إنجلترا وأيرلندا

يعلق على المباراة، حسن العيدروس.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا.

There's no doubting the fact that Gary O'Neil has enjoyed an excellent first season at Wolverhampton Wanderers, taking the Midlands club from relegation battlers to potential top-half finishers in the Premier League. It's the type of success which may see the former Bournemouth boss rewarded with a busy summer transfer window.

Wolves transfer news

Wolves' biggest concern right now away from the excitement of potential incomings should be the future of Pedro Neto. After the winger's incredible campaign, in which he has scored three times and assisted a further 11 goals, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are already beginning to circle over a deal that could be worth as much as £60m this summer.

Wolves are, of course, already familiar with the feeling of bidding farewell to star players, having waved goodbye to Ruben Neves last season and players of Diogo Jota's calibre to Liverpool in the past. Now, it looks as though Neto will follow suit.

Those in the Midlands will at least get a preview of life without the Portugal international, with O'Neil confirming that he is likely to miss the remainder of the season through injury.

If Neto does leave, however, then Wolves will have an increased budget to turn their attention towards incomings, which could include an upgrade on Jose Sa. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, O'Neil and Wolves now want to sign Brazil international "Bento" Matheus Krepski, who starred as his country defeated England at Wembley 1-0, courtesy of wonderkid Endrick's first ever goal for Brazil.

Wolves may have a "dominant" Toti partner just waiting to be unleashed

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By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 28, 2024

Worth £15m at Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense, Wolves face a fight if they pursue a deal to sign Bento this summer, with Chelsea and Nottingham Forest also interested in a deal. For such a low price, there's no doubt that it's one Wolves should be going after in the coming months.

"Fantastic" Bento can succeed Jose Sa

Jose Sa, now 31-years-old, has struggled at times this season with his three errors leading to goal highlighting that struggle for all to see in the Midlands. And those errors show that the Portuguese shot-stopper is slowly edging past his prime, leaving Wolves with a decision to make this summer, which is where Bento should come in. Football writer Zach Lowy will certainly be keeping an eye on the shot-stopper this summer, having sung his praises on X this season.

The Brazil international impressed at Wembley, keeping a clean sheet against an England side with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden gunning for goal. Given that his price tag sits at just £15m too, Wolves would be wise to make their move ahead of both Chelsea and Midlands rivals Forest.

For Sri Lanka, on a flat, dry surface that offered little assistance to their trio of seamers, it was the dependable Suranga Lakmal who fared the best

The Report by Madushka Balasuriya27-Jan-2020

Sean Williams produced a consummate captain’s knock, scoring his second Test century, and Zimbabwe, with cameos from Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza, seized control of proceedings on the first day of the second Harare Test. While Williams’ dismissal in the final hour of play gave a slightly more balanced look to proceedings, the hosts still ended the day on 352 for 6 with Regis Chakabva and debutant Tinotenda Mutombodzi at the crease, their partnership unbeaten on 28.For Sri Lanka, on a flat, dry surface that offered little assistance to their trio of seamers, it was the dependable Suranga Lakmal that was nevertheless the catalyst for their most incisive period of play, as he ended the day with two wickets. Dhananjaya de Silva too picked up a pair.Williams was aided for a majority of his stay by Raza, the pair coming together with Zimbabwe in a spot of bother at 133 for 4. Lakmal’s probing lines and ability to seam the ball both ways caused them a few problems early on, but once they weathered that storm they found runs easier to come by. Both Williams and Raza utilised the sweep to good effect, while they were also unafraid to use their feet to smother spin and play down the ground.It helped that early on in their partnership – which would eventually yield 159 runs – Lasith Embuldeniya was forced off the field, having copped a blow on his bowling hand attempting to take a difficult chance offered up by Raza. Embuldeniya would later return to bowl, seemingly without much discomfort.During this period, it was Williams who was by far the more aggressive of the two, regularly using his feat against the spinners, with the nature of the pitch such that anything full was there to be driven. Williams lofted Embuldeniya down the ground for six more than once in this manner.Raza for his part was more selective. Though an entertaining period of play did see him attempt a series of pulls off Lahiru Kumara to varying degrees of success, culminating in one being creamed for six over the midwicket boundary.It was Kumara, however, that got the last laugh, as one pull too many saw Raza find an onrushing Angelo Mathews in the deep, who completed a good diving catch.Williams though would continue to hold firm putting on 32 more runs with Chakabva, before a tired attempt at a slog sweep against Dhananjaya saw his stumps rattled, bringing a disappointing end to what had been an outstanding innings.Brendan Taylor sweeps one fine•Associated Press

Earlier, Brendan Taylor’s run-a-ball 62 had resurrected Zimbabwe’s innings after they had crawled to 50 for 2 at the end of the 20th over, in danger of squandering the best of the batting conditions. Off just his sixth delivery Taylor signalled his intent, coming down the track to Embuldeniya, and lofting him for six over long-off.On a pitch that had shown some bite and turn, most of the Zimbabwean batters had for the most part done well to prevent Sri Lanka’s spinners from settling. It was first Craig Ervine, then Taylor, and eventually Williams who took it upon themselves to play the role of aggressor, either coming down the track, sweeping or cutting.It didn’t help Sri Lanka’s cause that the pitch seemed to slow quite a bit as the day wore on with the seamers gradually losing their potency. It raised the question as to whether the think tank had missed a trick in choosing to bring in an extra seamer in Vishwa Fernando, as opposed to the spin of Lakshan Sandakan.It also looked to be a concerted plan from Zimbabwe to target Sri Lanka’s spinners – and Embuldeniya in particular – as Ervine, in his brief cameo had also launched the young left-arm spinner down the ground for six and a four.Ervine had looked in good touch, but was dismissed after failing to read a slider from Dhananjaya that caught the inside edge of his bat on the way to short leg.Prince Masvaure had nicked a wide one from Kumara through to the keeper, to give Sri Lanka their first breakthrough of the day.Despite the fall of wickets, Taylor would proceed to sweep and reverse sweep frequently as Zimbabwe continued their counter-attack. This tactic, though, may well have been his downfall had the umpire not failed to spot Taylor gloving a reverse sweep to the keeper when he was on 7. With DRS not available for this series, Zimbabwe’s most experienced player survived.Taylor fell shortly after the lunch interval, when Lakmal was causing all sorts of trouble. Unerring in his examination of the area outside off stump, Lakmal would tail a fuller delivery in towards leg stump, catching Taylor flush on the pads.Kevin Kasuza, meanwhile, had looked uncertain throughout his innings, which ended with an ill-advised leave off Lakmal as the ball to jagged back in from outside off and hit the top of off stump.At that point Sri Lanka’s bowlers would’ve been looking to scythe through Zimbabwe’s middle order, but Williams and Raza had other ideas.

MatériaMais Notícias

O goleiro Weverton não escondeu sua expectativa por assumir o posto de titular da Seleção Brasileira pela primeira vez na Copa América. Em entrevista coletiva nesta terça-feira, o jogador de 33 anos destacou que a disputa acirrada com Alisson e Ederson aumenta sua missão de ir bem diante da Colômbia, em duelo nesta quarta-feira, no Nilton Santos, às 21h.

> Veja a classificação e os próximos jogos da Copa América

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– A gente sabe realmente o quanto é concorrida a posição de goleiro, e sempre foi em todo o histórico da seleção brasileira. É procurar fazer o melhor, agarrar a oportunidade, fazer um grande jogo, manter o nível que todos estão tendo, aproveitar a oportunidade e se firmar, que esse é o objetivo – declarou.

Weverton se mostrou otimista com o voto de confiança dado pelo técnico Tite.

– Se hoje ele tem me dado esta oportunidade é porque confia em mim, confia que eu possa desempenhar meu melhor papel. Sou feliz por isso. É o meu momento de fazer um grande jogo para merecer outras oportunidades e a gente vencer, que é o grande objetivo amanhã (quarta-feira) – declarou.

O goleiro também falou sobre os desafios que a equipe canarinha irá enfrentar contra a Colômbia, no Nilton Santos.

– Eu acho que o Tite é detalhista, vai ser um jogo duro. São jogadores de alto nível, que atuam na Europa que teremos pela frente. Por isto, temos de manter um bom nível de atuação para buscarmos mais uma vitória. – afirmou.

O jogador de 33 anos também falou sobre o convívio maior com a Seleção. E despistou se considera que tem grandes chances de estar na Copa de 2022.

– Esse tem sido um período longo, importante para nós jogadores, e também acredito que para a comissão também poder observar com mais atenção e mais tempo todos os jogadores. Normalmente, as datas Fifa têm dez dias, é tudo mais corrido. Hoje eles conseguem observar mais e fazer mais treinamentos. Mas também sabemos que até a Copa ainda tem muito tempo, toda uma temporada e muita coisa pode acontecer. Nesse período não vai se cravar nada, mas pode dar um passo. Ainda tem toda uma temporada e aí você tem que fazer grandes jogos pelo teu clube, merecer estar na Seleção e ter uma oportunidade na Copa – destacou.

Weverton também se sentiu honrado por sua lembrança na lista dos jogadores que buscarão o bicampeonato olímpico em Tóquio.

– Isso sempre foi muito tranquilo, sempre vi meu nome sendo falado para jogar outra Olimpíada. Foi uma decisão que foi tomada com tranquilidade por todos e respeitada. Eu, como atleta, defender a Seleção é sempre motivo de orgulho, mas a gente precisa entender o lado do clube, as necessidades do clube- declarou, ressaltando que não há problemas em ficar de fora de Tóquio-2020 para não desfalcar o Palmeiras:

– Estou tranquilo e feliz com qualquer decisão que tenha sido tomada. Estou feliz de estar aqui, ter uma oportunidade, de estar na Seleção. Quando voltar para o Palmeiras, vou voltar feliz por retornar e estar junto com meus companheiros de novo. Vou torcer para o Brasil conquistar mais um ouro, ainda mais tendo o Santos, que é um amigo – completou.

A Seleção Brasileira realiza um treino nesta terça-feira às 15h30, na Granja Comary. Após a atividade, será a vez do técnico Tite conceder entrevista coletiva. À noite, a delegação parte para o Rio de Janeiro, onde tem previsão de chegada às 22h.