da wazamba： O Corinthians vai em busca da primeira vitória na Copa Sul-Americana, nesta quinta-feira (6), às 21h30, no Estádio Nacional do Peru, em Lima, contra o Sport Huancayo, pela terceira rodada do grupo E da competição continental.
O Timão, que perdeu para o Peñarol, em Itaquera, na última semana, estreou empatando sem gols contra o River Plate (PAR), lanterna do campeonato paraguaio, em Assunção.
No entanto, os rojos vem de dois reveses na fase de grupo, ainda que tenha vencido duas vezes, o UTC, também do Peru, na fase prévia da Libertadores.
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da leao： >> Confira a tabela da Sul-Americana e simule os próximos jogos
SPORT HUANCAYO X CORINTHIANS
Local: Estádio Nacional do Peru, Lima (PER) Data e horário: 6 de maio de 2021, às 21h30 (horário de Braília Árbitro: Jhon Ospina (Colômbia) Assistentes: Wilmar Navarro e David Fuentes (Colômbia) Onde acompanhar: Conmebol TV, tempo real do L! e em áudio na parceria LANCE!/Voz do Esporte
SPORT HUANCAYO
Pinto; Carmona, Balta, Valoyes e Benites; Barreto, Valverde, Luluya, Rojas e Velásquez; Liliu. Técnico: Wilmar Valencia
Desfalques: –
Pendurados: –
CORINTHIANS
Cássio; João Victor, Gil e Raul Gustavo; Fagner, Gabriel, Ramiro, Luan, Gustavo Mosquito (Otero) e Lucas Pitón (Fábio Santos); Cauê. Técnico: Vagner Mancini.
Desfalques:Cantillo (lesão no posterior da coxa esquerda); Xavier (entorse no tornozelo esquerdo); Danilo Avelar e Gustavo Mantuan (cirurgia no joelho); Guilherme Biro e Ruan Oliveira (em transição física).
Kate Cross heard the crack and felt the pain in her leg, but it’s where her mind went racing to next that was hardest to take. Suddenly, lying on the Sydney Showground Stadium turf, she saw the 2021 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and she wasn’t there.Cross, the England seamer, suffered a severe sprain and multiple torn ligaments in her right ankle when she landed on the boundary rope attempting a catch during the warm-up for her side’s final T20 World Cup group match, against West Indies in March.”My first thought was, ‘I’ve snapped my leg in two here’. I thought my shin was facing the wrong way and my foot was off on all sorts of angles so I then got myself into a big panic about it and I think made the whole situation worse because then I was screaming, ” Cross tells ESPNcricinfo.ALSO READ: England women could return to training in weeks“They gave me the green whistle [pain relief inhaler] in Oz, which is quite a big deal, and everyone saw the pictures and thought, ‘God she must have snapped her shin bone or something,’ but I think they gave me that to try and help me breathe because I think I got into a bit of a panic attack about what was going on.”My brain immediately went to the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand and I thought, ‘That’s it, i’m not going to play in this, it’s going to be that bad an injury.’ When I was laying on the floor, that’s where I got to, in the space of probably 20 seconds. Obviously I’m really lucky that it’s nothing as serious as that.”It will likely be another five to six months before her ankle is completely pain free, plenty of time before England are scheduled to begin their 50-over world title defence in New Zealand in February. But it is telling just how much Cross wants it that her first thought upon suffering the injury was that it might all be taken away – again.Kate Cross receives treatment after injuring her leg during the warm up ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match between England and West Indies•Getty Images
Cross missed England’s victorious 2017 World Cup campaign amid a two-year absence from the international scene, during which time she grappled with anxiety and depression.”Seeing the girls win the trophy in 2017 and missing out on that squad and having to sit in the crowd whilst the girls played in front of 25,000 people and lifted a World Cup on home soil, that was heartbreaking for me but at the same time it was one of the best days that I’ve been involved in cricket,” Cross says.”I remember thinking on that day, ‘Right, 2021, that’s going to be my year and I’m going to push really hard to get into that squad.’ I think that’s why when I had the injury my first thought went to the World Cup. It certainly showed me how important that World Cup is for me.”Cross enjoyed a fruitful 2019, forming a key part of England’s one-day attack alongside Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole in away series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and a home summer against West Indies and Australia. While she was part of the T20 World Cup squad in Australia, she did not play a match in the tournament.”In terms of confidence, last summer gave me such a boost because I realised that I could be part of that team and help them win,” Cross says. “So hopefully that 2021 World Cup would be something that I could really thrive in.”Cross admits that the Covid-19 crisis has changed her outlook somewhat so that a return to any form of cricket in a safe environment would be welcome. There is no guarantee the World Cup will go ahead in light of the pandemic, and while Cross has let go some of the anxiety she felt over cricket’s uncertain near future, she admits the current lockdown has been tough.But there have been upsides, including the help of friends like former England team-mate Alex Hartley, temporarily moving back in with her parents and being able to find a focus in her ankle rehab.”Honestly, some of my worst days that I’ve had in probably two years have happened in the last eight weeks, particularly around when I wasn’t seeing any progress with my ankle and I was getting really fed up with that,” Cross says. “This is where Hartley was really good for me because I had a day where I think I stayed in bed pretty much all day and I must have watched, I think it was 10 episodes of on Netflix back-to-back.”I just said to her, ‘I’ve written today off, I’ve had a shocker.’ She said, ‘Look, you would probably have this day if we weren’t in lockdown, it’s fine to have these days, just don’t let those days become a habit, don’t then have the same day the following day, make sure you get up and go for a walk or whatever.'”So I’ve found that when I’ve had a bad day, then the next day I’ve been a bit more motivated because I’ve not wanted to fall into the trap of getting into those bad habits.”Cross spoke openly about her mental health struggles after returning to the England side in a one-dayer against New Zealand in July 2018. And, as difficult as it can be to revisit the topic at times, she is glad she put it out there.”I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to talk about it because I knew as soon as I’d done it, there was no taking it back,” she says. “I’m a talker anyway but I just thought, if I’ve got the ability to do something as powerful as helping one person get through a bad week or stop them from doing something silly, whatever it could have been, then I couldn’t believe that I didn’t want to do that interview.”It’s made me almost feel like it was worth going through what I went through because it’s just normal, everyone goes through it and everyone I speak to has said as soon as they started talking about what they were going through, things started changing. It just goes to show the power of talking.”
da blaze casino： O treinador do sub-20 do São Paulo, Alex estreou com vitória por 4 a 2 na última sexta-feira, em amistoso disputado contra a equipe do Ska Brasil, que tem como presidente o ex-jogador Edmilson.
ATUAÇÕES: Pablo marca e São Paulo bate o Palmeiras em bela atuação coletiva
A partida, disputada em Cotia, foi elogiada pelo novo treinador do time de base do Tricolor, que está na sua primeira experiência dirigindo uma equipe de futebol.
CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021
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da betsul： – Depois de um longo período, a meninada pôde fazer um jogo. Enfrentamos o FC Ska Brasil, projeto comandado pelo Edmilson, após uma semana de treinos. Privilégio ver os meninos em desenvolvimento e poder praticar minhas ideias aqui no São Paulo – escreveu Alex nas redes sociais.
Depois de um longo período a meninada pôde fazer um jg. Enfrentamos a @fcskabrasil . projeto comandado pelo @edmilsonoficial . Após 1 semana de treinos. Privilégio ver os meninos em desenvolvimento e poder praticar minhas idéias aqui no @SaoPauloFC #criasdecotia#sub20⚽️ pic.twitter.com/ppW5f9ils4
— Alex de Souza (@Alex10) April 16, 2021
Alex e o sub-20 do São Paulo seguem em treinamento no CT de Cotia esperando as competições começarem, já que não há um calendário definido. A primeira competição será o Brasileirão da categoria, com estreia prevista para junho deste ano.
‘X-factor’ quick could hardly have done more in training to show he’s ready to return from injury as Jofra Archer remains in doubt
George Dobell in Port Elizabeth13-Jan-2020Mark Wood would appear to have given himself an excellent chance of playing in the third Test with a blistering bowling performance in the nets on Monday.Wood, who has not played a match since the World Cup final on July 14, bowled with outstanding pace as he attempted to prove his fitness for selection. Required to demonstrate that he could back up Sunday’s equally impressive display for a second successive day, Wood bowled a long, hostile spell without any obvious difficulty. He could hardly have done more to convince the England team management of his readiness to return.His performance came in contrast to that of Jofra Archer. Also required to bowl at full speed as he recovers from an elbow injury, Archer looked considerably slower than Wood in the nets. As a result, Archer looks unlikely to be considered ready for selection in the third Test starting on Thursday.ALSO READ: Harris backs Maharaj to rise to the occasion if Port Elizabeth spinsAhead of the session, it appeared England may opt for Chris Woakes to replace James Anderson in the side. For while the team management are understandably keen to include a bowler of Wood or Archer’s pace, they are even more keen not to recall them too quickly and risk further lay-offs. They seem particularly cautious over the recall of Wood, who has not played a first-class game since February, when he bowled England to victory over West Indies in St Lucia.Woakes remains very much in contention. A final decision will not be made until Wednesday, or perhaps even Thursday morning. The squad are not due to train on Tuesday – they have been given a rest day – and will have a light session ahead of the Test on Wednesday at which it will be clear if Wood has suffered any reaction to his recent exertions. Archer now looks the least likely of the three to play.With the Port Elizabeth pitch expected to be fairly slow and dry, England are keen to include a point-of-difference bowler within their line-up. And as Wood showed in St Lucia – or at various times during the World Cup, when he delivered the fastest ball of the tournament – he can generate the sort of pace that can unlock even international quality batting line-ups on decent batting surfaces. Woakes, for all his all-round qualities, cannot necessarily do the same thing.Selecting a man with no recent match action is not ideal. The England management had attempted to find some sort of competitive game for Wood to play over the last week or two, but nothing appropriate was available. Certainly unleashing Wood in Monday’s form on club batsmen may have proved unwise.”I’ve got no qualms he could come in this week and be successful because of what he’s done in the past and what he can draw upon,” Paul Collingwood, one of England’s assistance coaches, said. “He’s got the skills to go out there and make an impact.”Here at Port Elizabeth it’s generally a slower pitch so sometimes having that kind of X-factor bowler would be great. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 mph and try to nip it around. You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.”Ideally we would have loved Woody to go out and get some competitive games in. We had a look around but it’s not as easy as it sounds. So we’ve tried to replicate the amount of hours on his feet with running and walking. All you can do is get the overs under their belt and make sure they can come back for second and third spells and get the miles in the legs.”England also received encouraging news in a swift return from sickness for Joe Root. The England captain missed training on Sunday due to illness, but took a full part on Monday. The team management insist his absence on Sunday was mainly precautionary with a view to preventing further contamination.While a first look at the pitch on Monday may have seduced England into thinking they could field an all-seam attack, they seem intent of retaining Dom Bess, who made a favourable impression in Cape Town. The last Test on the ground, in January, lasted three days with Sri Lankan off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva claiming five wickets in the match.”If you look at the data, spin tends to play a bit more of a part here than the other grounds,” Collingwood said. “But we’ll gauge it. There’s no point looking today. These pitches change so quickly over 24 hours. We’ll have a good look on Wednesday and see which combination is best to take 20 wickets.”On the evidence of the last two days, it’s hard to leave Wood out of that combination.
The Australia captain’s words follow the allrounder’s match-winning display for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Thunder
Daniel Brettig09-Jan-2020Glenn Maxwell picked a typically opportune time to rattle the Melbourne Stars to a Big Bash League victory at the MCG, leaving his erstwhile Melbourne Renegades rival and now the Australia ODI captain Aaron Finch to explain why the allrounder wasn’t joining him on the plane to India.After a World Cup campaign that fell short of expectations, and a battle with mental-health issues that forced an extended break from the game in the first half of the season, Maxwell is a T20 concern only for the time being, meaning he is with the Stars for the duration of the BBL and will next play for Australia in their next bracket of T20Is ahead of the World Cup on home soil later this year.However, the fact that the next 50-overs World Cup is to be held in India in 2023, a part of the world that Maxwell knows intimately through his many IPL and international campaigns, means that Finch, the national coach Justin Langer and his senior assistant Andrew McDonald will be looking again in the 31-year-old’s direction before the time comes to name the Cup squad.”People look at [that innings] and they see the results and see all the sixes and all the big hitting, but the way he approached it last night was very clinical,” Finch said of Maxwell. “The way that he gave himself a bit of a chance early and then dominated late. Once he’s in, you can’t bowl to him anywhere. He’s got an answer to everything.”It’s never closed, but when you’re picking a side there has to be a spot there. It just comes down to being in the right place at the right time and having the right match-up. You can only pick so many top-three batters. Guys that have been a part of the squad, Shaun Marsh for example, was disappointed as well after playing some great cricket for the last couple of years, but anyone who misses out is disappointed.”For the time being, the selectors have chosen to take a closer look instead at this summer’s breakout Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne, who with his energy, part-time spin bowling and strong footwork against spin looks a useful addition to the white-ball squad, if not quite so explosive as Maxwell can be. Finch said Labuschagne’s burgeoning friendship with Steven Smith should ensure that by the time the team sets up for the first ODI against India he will be well and truly across the team’s plans.”We know that he’s not going to be overawed by the occasion,” Finch said. “He’s come back into Test cricket after missing out at the start of the Ashes and he’s been unbelievable, so hopefully he can continue that. The form that he showed in the one-day games was outstanding domestically.”He’s averaging up around 40 there batting at three, batting at four for Queensland on what’s been traditionally a little bit tougher batting conditions over the last couple of years in domestic cricket. Playing on some slower wickets that spin quite a bit, to be able to come in and do that role really well for Queensland is obviously what’s got him a place in the side, as well as his current form. I don’t see why it wouldn’t translate.”Marnus Labuschagne bowls in the nets•Getty ImagesAustralia’s tour of India for three ODIs in the middle of January will see the BBL take centre-stage, while the players and broadcasters alike get used to being elsewhere during what is usually peak cricket time in the school holidays. Fox Sports has already made its displeasure known at the scheduling of a BBL match directly opposite one of Australia’s matches in India, and for Finch the scenario is not one he has previously contemplated.”It’s something we didn’t expect to come up even a few months ago,” he said. “But obviously there was a few games’ shortfall with India in the last couple of years, so it doesn’t make a difference to us to be honest, if you’re playing one-day cricket anywhere it’s exciting. Would’ve been nice to play a few more internationals at home during this period but it’s just not possible.”Instead, Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will be turning out in India, and Finch said that for the bowlers there will be the opportunity to reconnect with white-ball cricket after five Tests, while the batsmen need to make the most of their starts in conditions that ease markedly once the first 20 or so balls have been negotiated.”It’s a place where once you get in – it can be a really tough place to start your innings, the ball can swing early, can spin early. So once you get in it can be a beautiful place to bat, the outfields are obviously rapid, so you make the most of that. Any top-order player, once you get to 20 or 30, you really want to go on and cash in. That’ll be the task for our top four.”[The pace bowlers] were all keen to get on this tour and play as much as they could and keep developing their skills. Especially someone like Josh, who’s been out of the side for quite a while now through injury and workload management at different times. I think the fact they’re all so keen to get over there and do well is really exciting.”
da betsson： Glasgow Rangers transfer business in January stretched to three loan signings – albeit one has an obligation to buy clause – and it is clear that Philippe Clement is aiming for the summer window in order to spend money on new arrivals.
da bet vitoria： His budget may well be determined by how many players the 49-year-old coach can move on, and with six players out of contract at the end of the season, a large portion of the wage budget could be cleared.
Unfortunately, this is how the club have to operate in this day in age, and it means the Light Blues have missed out on more than their fair share of transfer targets.
Over the previous few years, Rangers could have signed Ivan Toney, Joey Veerman and Luis Palma if they had been a bit less stringent on the purse strings and all three have enjoyed success elsewhere, notably Toney.
This hasn’t just been happening since the club retained their top flight status, however, as managers such as the late Walter Smith and Dick Advocaat have also missed out on the odd superstar, which could have bolstered the Ibrox side significantly.
Back at the turn of the century, it was the Dutchman who was keen on signing a promising compatriot, yet he lost out to Manchester United…
Rangers came close to signing Rudd van Nistelrooy
Following their second successive title win during the 1999/00 campaign, Advocaat looked at strengthening his side so they could progress in Europe, something they had not done under the Dutchman’s reign thus far.
The Gers were keen on bringing Ruud van Nistelrooy to Glasgow that summer, yet Advocaat admitted later that the club had failed with a £15m bid to lure him from PSV Eindhoven, where he had emerged as one of the finest young strikers on the continent.
"We could have brought van Nistelrooy into Ibrox so I called his agent because he comes from the same town in Holland where I was brought up,” said Advocaat. "But he told me that there`s no way Ruud will come to Scotland.”
The striker instead chose to sign for Manchester United in a deal worth around £19m in the summer of 2001, although injury had prevented him from joining the year before.
It shows that Rangers were eyeing up a move for a player who would turn into a world-class centre-forward, but instead, they spent £12m on bringing Tore Andre Flo to Glasgow from Chelsea in November 2000.
Former Rangers striker Tore Andre Flo.
What might have been for the Light Blues if they had managed to convince Van Nistelrooy that Ibrox was the place to be 24 years ago? Instead, he shone in the Premier League for the Red Devils before joining Real Madrid.
Ruud van Nistelrooy would thrive for Man United
Sir Alex Ferguson had led the Old Trafford side to three league titles in a row and the signing of Van Nistelrooy in 2001 looked like it was the final piece of the jigsaw as he sought to become the first manager to win four straight titles in England.
Arsenal won the double that season, however, but the Dutchman’s goals ensured they would win the Premier League during the 2002/03 campaign and the former PSV striker ended up scoring 80 goals during his first two seasons in Manchester, a staggering total.
Patrick Vieira scuffles with Ruud van Nistelrooy during the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal in September 2003.
He led United to the FA Cup in 2004 having plundered another 30 goals for the side, but this would be the final campaign that the supporters would see him at his very best, as injuries began to take their toll on the forward.
His final two campaigns at United saw Van Nistelrooy score 16 and 24 goals respectively, but only the League Cup was won before he departed to join Real Madrid at the end of the season.
At his peak, the Dutchman was one of the most lethal centre-forwards in the world and former teammate Rio Ferdinand lauded him, saying: “Van Nistelrooy was the most devastating finisher I have ever played with. We could win a game by three or four goals but, if he hadn’t scored, he would sulk.”
Ruud Van Nistelrooy's career statistics
Games
Goals
Man United
219
150
Real Madrid
96
64
PSV Eindhoven
90
77
Hamburg
44
17
Heerenveen
39
16
Malaga
32
5
Den Bosch
4
2
Via Transfermarkt
High praise indeed and the player won two La Liga titles at Madrid, before ending his career at Malaga in 2012.
Imagine the success Rangers could have had if the former Man United striker signed for them instead?
Rangers struggled without Ruud van Nistelrooy
Having missed out on his compatriot, Advocaat oversaw a woeful campaign in which the Gers finished a distant second behind Celtic, who looked rejuvenated under new manager Martin O’Neil, securing the domestic treble in his first season in charge.
While a cup double was secured under Alex McLeish – Advocaat’s successor – the Light Blues once again struggled in the league.
There is no doubt they would have certainly challenged Celtic a lot more closely had they been able to call upon the goals of Van Nistelrooy on a regular basis, as Flo simply was not worth the £12m Rangers shelled out on him.
During his time at the club, the former Chelsea forward scored 36 goals in 79 matches for the Glasgow side, and while his awkward nature in the opposition box was certainly successful, he failed to really hit it off with the supporters.
Van Nistelrooy, on the other hand, went on to showcase his talents in arguably the best league in Europe, while also shining in the Champions League and missing out on him must go down as a massive what if moment for the Gers.
This is all conjecture, of course. He may have arrived in Scotland and failed to settle. At a time when money was seemingly no object, the Ibrox side made their fair share of wrong moves and failing to sign the Dutchman was certainly one of them.
While Clement won't be able to sign players in a similar class to him, he will be hoping that the board back him significantly and that he signs the players who not only can improve the team, but will also generate the team plenty of profit in the long run.
IPL’s breakout star produces another fast-paced innings after Rocky Flintoff top-scores for England
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Jun-2025India U19 178 for 4 (Suryavanshi 48, Kundu 45*) beat England U19 174 (Flintoff 56, Mohammed 42) by six wicketsIndia’s 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 48 from just 19 balls as India’s Under-19 side made short work of beating England in the first of five Youth ODIs at Hove.Suryavanshi, who became the youngest-ever century maker in men’s T20 when he hit 101 off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL earlier this year, made a startling debut to competitive cricket in England, putting on 71 in 7.3 overs with his captain, Ayush Mhatre as England were overwhelmed, losing by six wickets with 26 overs to spare.The young India side have made a memorable start to their tour of England. Three days earlier they had won another 50-over game, against a Young Lions Invitational XI at Loughborough, by 231 runs.Here, Suryavanshi was the star attraction, bludgeoning five sixes and three fours. Jack Home’s first over cost 21 runs as the left-hander top-edged his pull shot for six before driving over mid-on and pulling to cow corner for other sixes. But when slow left-armer Ralphie Albert came on Suryavanshi immediately skied to point.It was a different game after that, with India losing three more wickets before crossing the line, keeper Abhigyan Kundu leading the way with an unbeaten 45.England had been bowled out for a disappointing 174 in 42.2 overs, with only Rocky Flintoff (56) and Isaac Mohammed (42) reaching the 20 mark.There was a constant cloud cover and a green tinge to the pitch but it was India’s spinners, Mohamed Enaan and Kanishk Chouhan, who caused most problems, sharing five wickets and proving the most economical of the bowlers.England, who had chosen to bat, had started so positively, with Ben Dawkins and Isaac putting on an aggressive 39 for the fist wicket. The left-handed Isaac, one of two debutants in the team, along with French, was particularly exciting, pulling Henil Patel over square-leg for the first of his four sixes – there were also three fours in his 28-ball innings.The 17-year-old is related to England’s Moeen Ali and Worcestershire’s assistant head coach Kadeer Ali. He signed a three-year contract for Worcestershire from the Warwickshire Academy earlier this month.England lost their first wicket in the eighth over when Dawkins edged to first slip. But Isaac responded by striking Yudhajit Guha for successive sixes to bring up the 50 in the ninth over. Isaac then pulled Enaan over square-leg and out of the ground for another six. But three balls later he was caught at backward square-leg going for another big hit.Flintoff, the youngest player to score a century for the side, again looked in fine form. But his efforts were compromised by the constant fall of wickets at the other end. Ben Mayes looked in good touch when he drove through mid-on for four, but he was caught behind next ball to make it 80 for three and then captain Tom Rew was caught behind third ball.Flintoff, unsure whether to stick or twist, waited for some decent company but it didn’t arrive. Joe Moores and Albert fell cheaply to the off-spin of Chouhan and then Home was run out for five to make it 129 for seven. Flintoff was finally forced to hit out, and there were three sixes and three fours in his 90-ball innings before he was last out, going for another heave.
Shivers went down Chris Lynn’s spine when he heard the news that his close friend Glenn Maxwell would be taking time away from the game for his mental health.Lynn, who only became aware of the development when he left the field at the end of the Cricket Australia XI match against Pakistan at Bankstown Oval, spoke of his shock and added that the entire country would be behind Maxwell.”It sends shivers down my spine when you hear something like this, Glenn’s a close mate of mine,” he said after the match. “When one man goes the whole team feels it; but I think the whole of Australia feels it. What he’s got to realise is that, as men, we don’t speak up enough about it, so I’m really proud that he’s really come out and assessed that cricket isn’t for him right now.”He has to realise there are 25 million people from Australia behind him and that’s the main thing. Whatever we can do, whether it’s more or less, we’ll be there. I wish him all the best, if he needs me I’ll be there. I feel for the bloke and just hope he can bounce back because over the last week, we’ve seen how good he is. Cricket will have a big dent with him sat on the sidelines, but I don’t want him to rush at all.”As Justin Langer did when speaking in Melbourne, Lynn talked about the pressures faced by professional cricketers and that what is on public display may only be a fraction of what is going on for a player.”A lot of people think it’s a gravy train, play for Australia and get to travel the world but there’s a lot of hard work beneath the water that people don’t see and the mental toughness that a lot of cricketers have to show is next level,” Lynn said. “It’s a good thing for cricket he has spoken up, there are organisations who can help out. I’ve no doubt his friends and family will be most important right now.”We are seeing a number of people taking a break from the game, but as I said it’s not all gravy, it’s a big iceberg and sometime we only see the tip of it.”
One year out from the T20 World Cup at home, Australia seem like they have the building blocks of a strong team
The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Oct-2019Big PictureAn upbeat Sri Lanka went to Australia threatening to continue their outstanding Pakistan form, but like a skyrocket that veers off and flies through the neighbour’s open window, they only managed to wreak the most alarming – though spectacular – type of damage. It is difficult to imagine how the Adelaide match could have gone any worse. Kasun Rajitha’s record 0 for 75 made headlines, but the spinners also went at more than 10 an over, and Lasith Malinga went wicketless. On the batting front, no one made 20. Sri Lanka have had some limp limited-overs performances in the past two years, but this was among the very worst.ALSO READ – Maxwell interview: ‘You can’t play cricket bitter, you stop concentrating’ Australia don’t exactly have the record of an ace T20 side, having won only two of their seven most-recent series, but may have reason to consider themselves one of the best outfits in the world, with the return of David Warner and Steve Smith. Plenty is known about the explosive top three – Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell rounding it out – but there is a cohesive attack there too. On Sunday, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins essentially ended what slim chances Sri Lanka had of chasing down a gargantuan target, by blasting out the top three inside four overs. Sri Lanka could then barely get the Australian spinners off the square, and surrendered a clump of wickets to the wristspinner Adam Zampa, as they often do.One year out from the T20 World Cup at home, Australia seem like they have the building blocks of a strong team at their disposal. When they arrived in Australia, Sri Lanka thought they had building blocks too. They have the galling challenge of winning in Brisbane if they are to avoid not only a series loss, but also talk of the Pakistan series having been a false dawn.ALSO READ – Starc to miss second T20I against Sri LankaForm guideAustralia WWWLW (completed matches, most recent first) Sri Lanka LWWWWIn the spotlightThere seems to be no team Glenn Maxwell enjoys playing more. He walloped 62 at a strike rate of 221 on Sunday, but going by his overall record against Sri Lanka, he might have actually underperformed. In four innings against them, he averages an astounding 140.5 (there are two not outs in there), with a strike rate 225. Particularly on tracks that do not offer drastic turn, Maxwell appears to have a psychological hold over the Sri Lanka attack – their bowlers seemingly incapable of out-manoeuvring or out-thinking him. More than a fifth of Maxwell’s career boundaries have come against Sri Lanka.Glenn Maxwell brought out all the shots•AFPSri Lanka made a litany of mistakes in the first match, but the first might have been to put Australia in to bat on what seemed an excellent batting surface. The decision seems especially strange when you account for Sri Lanka’s four previous T20s, which they had won batting first. Captain Lasith Malinga, who finds himself in the odd position of having to reimpose his leadership after the team did well without him in Pakistan. A victory at the Gabba could ease the pressure on him a little.Team newsMitchell Starc will miss the second T20 to attend his high-jump champion brother’s wedding. Billy Stanlake will likely play in his stead.Australia (possible): 1 David Warne, 2 Aaron Finch (capt.), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Billy StanlakeSri Lanka will likely leave Rajitha out and get Isuru Udana into the XI. They may also consider dropping the out-of-form Kusal Perera for Niroshan Dickwella.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Kusal Mendis, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Oshada Fernando, 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Lasith Malinga (capt.), 11 Nuwan PradeepPitch and conditionsThere is no rain expected, but cloud cover is forecast, which could aid swing with the new ball. Otherwise, expect your standard fast, bouncy Gabba surface.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost seven out of the eight-most recent T20s that Malinga has captained. Their only victory came against New Zealand, when Malinga took four wickets in four balls. Maxwell’s three most-recent T20I scores are 62 off 28, 113* off 55, and 56 off 43. The 113 and 56 had come in February, in India. Sri Lanka have won each of their three previous T20 series in Australia.
On their last tour to SA, they became the first Asian side to win a Test series in the country
Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Dec-2020
Big picture
At face value, do Sri Lanka really have a chance? Let’s look at the facts against them:
They’ve not played international cricket since March.
Most squad members have spent three weeks playing T20 cricket, and are now expected to make the substantial switch into Test mode.
They’ve had no warm-up match due to Covid-19 complications.
They are missing Angelo Mathews – the most experienced member of their batting order.
Sri Lanka batsmen have always struggled at Centurion.
And yet, when they won 2-0 in South Africa last year, Sri Lanka had faced even steeper odds, their fast bowling stocks having been decimated by injury, while a captain had just been sacked, and a coach was fearing for his job (which he would lose, several months later). This time, not only do they feel they have a stronger seam attack, but also have a batting group with more experience, and a coach who knows South African conditions intimately, in Mickey Arthur.South Africa, however, are much more fearsome in the Highveld – where both Tests will be played – than they are on the coasts, particularly against South Asian opponents. They also have players in form. Anrich Nortje was rapid in the T20s against England, as well as in the IPL. This was in T20s, but the man is clearly in good rhythm, and the prospects of him hitting high speeds at Centurion will worry some Sri Lanka batsmen. The likes of Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and Keshav Maharaj are coming off excellent performances in the four-day competition (Markram has 75, 113, 149, 121 in his four most-recent innings), which is leads to another point – they have been playing long-form cricket, where Sri Lanka have not had competitive multi-day matches to play for at least five months.South Africa clearly start as favourites, but as Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne has asserted, a lot depends on how well each team bats after their long Test hiatus. There have been some seriously low team totals in each of the last four matches between these teams. If that is the case again, Sri Lanka will feel they have a chance.Related
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Venue record
These teams have played four times at Centurion, and South Africa have won each of those matches, two of them by an innings. The closest Sri Lanka have ever come, was when they lost by just three wickets, way back in 2002. The most-recent Centurion match between these teams was in 2011 – Sri Lanka losing by an innings and 81.
Players to watch
Quinton de Kock will captain South Africa in a Test for the first time, but already, he has said he sees himself only as a caretaker leader. He leads the team in all three formats now, and also keeps wickets in all three. The usual question here: how will captaining over five days impact his batting and his keeping? (His batting has been good of late – his average up at 45.9 since the start of 2019.) And will he lead well? De Kock is generally a cricketer of few words, but this new job may need him to find his voice.Can de Kock juggle with captaincy, batting and keeping?•Getty Images
Kusal Perera played one of the all-time great innings to wrench victory from defeat last year in Durban, but aside from this one blinding knock, there hasn’t been a lot to his Test career. Eighteen Tests in, he has an average of 31.13, which is passable only for an allrounder. And he has batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 8, without appearing in more than eight innings in any one position. Despite his having produced Sri Lanka’s greatest-ever innings from No. 5 on the last tour here, his team now looks set to ask him to open the innings, to cover for the injured Oshada Fernando. If he is to find a more stable place in the XI, Perera desperately needs to settle into a more consistent phase in his career.
Pitch and conditions
South Africa need to balance creating conditions that will suit their seamers, and making sure it’s not impossible for their batsmen to find form. So it will be green, but not too green, and we can expect pace, bounce and swing but not the kind that saw Sri Lanka crushed at the Wanderers in 2017. SuperSport Park is usually a bat- first pitch; if you can get through the first hour or so, it very good for batting on the most of the first three days. De Kock said he expects it to take some turn later on.It’s been raining a fair bit on the Highveld in the build-up and afternoon thunderstorms are forecast from Sunday. Otherwise, it will be warm with temperatures touching 30.
Team news
It’s Oshada’s hamstring injury that will keep him out of the first Test, and him being unavailable means there may be a spot in the batting order for Dasun Shanaka, who not only brings dynamism to the lower middle order, but also can send down a few overs of serviceable seam bowling.Sri Lanka are wondering whether to go in with an out-and-out spinner in Lasith Embuldeniya, or to hedge their bets and go with Wanindu Hasaranga, who adds value with his batting. There is one other serious injury worry too. Suranga Lakmal picked up a hamstring niggle in the approach to the match, and may need to be replaced, perhaps with Kasun Rajitha.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Suranga Lakmal/Kasun Rajitha, 9 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraWith Kagiso Rabada out through a groin injury, right-arm seam bowler Glenton Stuurman may get a debut. But that’s only if he gets over a niggle. An injury doubt also hangs over Lungi Ngidi. Lutho Sipamla and Migael Pretorius would seem to be the next in line to play, if Ngidi or Stuurman (or both) aren’t fit in time.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Quinton de Kock (capt. & wk), 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Anrich Nortje, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Glenton Stuurman, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Stats and trivia
In the two Tests Perera has played since the last South Africa series – of which he was Player of the Series – he has averaged six and has a top score of 23. Perera, however, has been unavailable for several Sri Lanka Tests through injury.
On Sri Lanka’s last tour here, de Kock was South Africa’s best batsman, hitting 80, 55, 86 and 1 in his four innings.
South Africa have only ever lost two of the 25 Tests they’ve played at Centurion – against England in 2000, and Australia in 2014.
Even overall (counting Tests in Sri Lanka as well), Sri Lanka have a poor win-loss record against South Africa, having won only nine and lost 14 of their 29 Tests.
Quotes
“There is a lot of grass on the surface at the moment, and I think the more there is, the easier it will be for us. When you have less of an up-and-down type pitch, you just have to survive that first couple of hours, and you give yourself a chance to put a decent score – something like 300 – on the board.”Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne“I don’t want to think ahead too much. I’m trying to keep it as basic as possible and as simple as possible. It is something we are aware of, the last time they were here, they did beat us, so its definitely something we want to rectify. Hopefully we can do it by being as simple as possible.”