New Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor admits the team will "rely" on Millie Bright's leadership and experience in a post-Emma Hayes era.
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Captain leads the way with bat as England continue T20 World Cup fine-tuning
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2019
Heather Knight swings one down the ground•Malaysia Cricket Association
Pakistan pushed England close but could not prevent defeat and a 3-0 whitewash in the T20I series in Kuala Lumpur. Javeria Khan top-scored in the match with 57, but England kept a grip on the scoring rate to close out the game.England, who rested Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt for the final game, produced an all-round effort with bat and ball. Captain Heather Knight made 43 from 31 balls and the rest of the top five all chipped in with solid contributions, before Anya Shrusbole, Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone shared five wickets to disrupt Pakistan’s chase.The tour also allowed England’s new head coach, Lisa Keightley, who is due to take up the role in January, to have a first look at the players after she joined up with the team following the conclusion of the Women’s Big Bash League.”I think it’s been a good tour for us,” Knight said. “We asked batters to get big runs and that’s happened across both the ODI and the IT20 series.”I think we’ve found some new players, as well. Sarah Glenn has really put her hand up and that’s great for us, it adds to the competition for places and makes us stronger as a group.”I’ve been proud of how we’ve maintained our high standards, especially in the field – which is something we’ve been working hard on.”It’s been great to spend time with Lisa and get chatting to her about how she sees the plans moving forward. We’re looking forward to the new year and the challenge of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.”After Danni Wyatt had lashed 25 off 15 to get England going, the main plank of the innings was provided by an 81-run partnership between Knight and Amy Jones. Knight hit three sixes in her innings, and while both fell in consecutive overs, Fran Wilson and Tammy Beaumont added another fifty stand in the closing overs.Pakistan lost both openers inside the Powerplay, and were struggling at just past the halfway way point when Bismah Maroof was stumped off Glenn to leave them 68 for 3. Javeria’s measured innings kept them in the hunt but despite Sidra Nawaz cracking 19 off 7 balls at the end, Pakistan had left themselves too much to do.
Liverpool are interested in completing the signing of an "exceptional" player who has broken Reds hearts in the past, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
Jurgen Klopp has assembled one of the strongest attacking units on show at Anfield in many years, with five brilliant options to choose from in the final third. Mohamed Salah is the undisputed star man, but Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo are top-quality players in their own right, too.
There is the worry that Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, however, with the 31-year-old out of contract at Anfield in the summer of 2025, and therefore having to make a key decision regarding his future later this year. He will either need to sign an extension or move on to pastures new, most likely a Saudi Pro League club.
Should that happen, it is essential that the Reds and FSG act fast and replace the Egyptian superstar with a fantastic player, trying to fill the void left by one of the best players in world football over the past five or six years. While not necessarily a tailor-made immediate successor for Salah, it looks as though Liverpool are eyeing up one highly-rated young attacking ace.
According to an update from Anfield Watch, Liverpool are interested in signing Leeds United youngster Crysencio Summerville, seeing him as an exciting prospect.
"Liverpool are considering a move for highly-rated Crysencio Summerville during the upcoming summer transfer window, Anfield Watch can reveal.
"The 22-year-old Dutch winger has been turning heads with his impressive performances for Leeds in Championship this season, leading to a slew of interest from clubs in the Premier League, with Jurgen Klopp's side among the former Feyenoord star's admirers."
As mentioned, Summerville, who shares the same agent as Curtis Jones, may not yet be close to Salah's level, in terms of being a world-class player who any team on the planet would want on their side, but he is someone with a high ceiling who Liverpool know a lot about. That's because he scored the winning goal in Leeds' 2-1 win at Anfield last season, in what remains the Reds' only Premier League home defeat in front of fans since April 2017.
|
Crysencio Summerville's Championship stats this season |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
23 |
|
Starts |
21 |
|
Goals |
12 |
|
Assists |
6 |
|
Key passes per game |
3.0 |
|
Dribbles per game |
2.6 |
The Dutchman has plenty of admirers, one of whom is former Reds striker Michael Owen, who has said of him in the past:
"This is such a good goal. Look at that for a touch [Summerville’s first]. The ball is behind him. He takes one lovely touch with the outside of his foot, then another one to keep him away from the defender and finishes it brilliantly. This is a really hard chance. He’s behind the defender in many ways when he gets the ball. I mean how he does that is really, really exceptional."
Still only 22, Summerville has starred in the Championship this season, shining out wide, and he could be seen as a good squad player to begin with at Liverpool, before becoming more of a key man over time.
Sheffield Wednesday look to be nearing towards their first signing of the January transfer window already, with the expected arrival of James Beadle on loan from Brighton now almost a certainty to join the Owls according to reports.
Yet, even with a potential new starting goalkeeper added to the ranks, Danny Rohl won't stop there and could well look to his native Germany for some left-field January additions to further bolster his team.
When speaking to the Sheffield Star and outlining his approach for the transfer window, the former Bayern Munich assistant coach stated that he could well flex his past connections:
"You are always looking and talking to some people. It's not just our former clubs, it's also about the Bundesliga, the second division."
EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer
As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024
With that in mind, here are three potential signings Rohl and Wednesday could sanction this month to give the South Yorkshire club a brand-new Bavarian feel…
1 Leon Dajaku
The first of three potential transfer targets with this in mind is former Sunderland attacker Leon Dajaku, the versatile German forward adept at playing down the wings or as a second striker which could be useful for Rohl.
Dajaku didn't set the world alight with the Black Cats – contributing towards eight goals from 37 appearances in League One with the sleeping giant at the time – but the current Hajduk Split man could well be up for a return to English football if the Wednesday boss tempts him.
Rohl and Dajaku were together at Bayern for two years between 2019 and 2021, the six-time Germany U19 international even winning himself a first-team start for the Bundesliga giants in this patch of his career.
Scoring three goals and notching up a further two assists for Split this season, it could well be an astute buy for the Owls this month to add Dajaku to their attacking positions.
2 Fiete Arp
Hyped up to be destined for the big-time when breaking through at Bayern, Fiete Arp's career hasn't quite gone to plan after outlandish suggestions that he would eventually take the world by storm as a world-class striker.
The German boy wonder did score a ridiculous 37 goals from 45 appearances playing for Hamburg at U17 level back in 2017, the Bundesliga giants swooping in to sign Arp off the back of his unbelievable goal record at youth level.
Arp never managed to replicate that blistering knack of putting away goals for fun when joining Bayern, with Rohl there every step of the way bearing witness to Arp's progression as coach.
With the now Wednesday boss one for putting his arm around the likes of Bailey Cadamarteri at Hillsborough currently, helping the teenage sensation perform well even with heaps of pressure on his shoulders, the Owls boss could look to do the same with the 24-year-old German attacker even with Arp now matured.
The 6 foot 1 centre-forward has found his prolific streak again in the 2.Bundesliga this season with Holstein Kiel however, scoring five times from ten starts. Could he be a gem under Rohl in the Championship?
3 Remy Vita
The final signing Rohl could make putting his Bundesliga links to good use is Remy Vita, the French defender formerly on the Bayern books. Interestingly, he has even played in South Yorkshire during his career to date.
Vita was on loan at Barnsley during their dreadful 2021/22 relegation campaign down to League One from the Bayern II side, barely sparking into life with the Tykes but showing his pedigree in bursts.
In a rare win over QPR that same season, the diminutive wing-back stood out – winning six of his ten ground duels at Oakwell on the way to the hosts winning 1-0 over the Hoops.
Predominantly playing as a left-back throughout his career, this would be another smart addition to the Owls squad this January with a lack of available options already at the club able to play in that spot with Rohl having to rely on Akin Famewo – who is usually a centre-back – to fill in there on occasion.
Rohl would have to get over the hurdle of landing Vita from his current club Fortuna Sittard, but with Vita familiar to how the German boss operates after spending time at the Allianz Arena together, this could be a move that has legs this month.
When addressing Dwayne Bravo from here on out, you must do so as “Mr. Champion”, after the West Indies allrounder led his Maratha Arabians franchise to the Abu Dhabi T10 title on Sunday night. Asked why the Arabians were able to succeed where other franchises fail and back up their early pace setting by sealing victory in the final, Bravo said it was “because most teams don’t have the champion”.Bravo, who recently hinted at an international comeback, took Maratha to their first T10 trophy courtesy of a comfortable eight-wicket win over Deccan Gladiators that was just reward for the team that has dominated since losing the opening match of the tournament to reigning champions Northern Warriors 10 days ago.This was their sixth win from their seven subsequent matches, with the rain the only thing to get the better of them in that time. And in leading the only franchise to survive all three editions of the tournament, Bravo said it was time to put a formal title to his “Champion” moniker.”Officially my name changed from ‘Master Champion’ to ‘Mr Champion’, so now you have to address me as ‘Mr Champion’, okay?” Bravo said before hailing the experience of his squad for maintaining their form throughout.ALSO READ: ‘My will to win is very strong’ – Pollard“When all of us put our thinking caps on and we come together to come up with a game plan, we stick with it. I’m the captain, yes, but it’s not all my way, all my decisions. I have experienced guys who have a lot of knowledge and I lean on these guys for information and advice.”I think that’s the main reason we were so successful throughout this tournament. We lose the first game but it was a way of us learning how to play this game. It’s a pattern and I think we are the only team in the tournament to play with that pattern.”One of those players Bravo has been able to rely on has been Chris Lynn and “Lynnsanity” has firmly taken hold of the Abu Dhabi T10 with the Australian in inspired form en route to taking Player of the Tournament honours. Lynn, who topped the league’s run-scoring charts with 371 runs from eight innings and finished with the most runs in a single T10 season, was the driving force behind Maratha’s dominance.His stunning sequence included four knocks over 50, including the two highest scores in the league’s history. Both of those – 91 not out against Team Abu Dhabi and 89 versus Delhi Bulls – were greater than Maratha’s 88-run target in the final and while Chadwick Walton’s superb 51 not out stole the show, Lynn has been the form player this year.”Most credit I must give to [Lynn] for the way he played and he showed he is still one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world,” Bravo said. “The way he dominated single-handedly throughout the tournament, he put a lot of fear in the opposition and he took the leadership role as the senior batsman in our team and he led from the front.”Lynn, who put this form up there with his 2016-17 Big Bash League performances that also secured Player of the Tournament honours, added: “I think the biggest thing for us was our communication. Right from day one [Maratha Arabians coach] Andy Flower and Dwayne set the standard that communication would be key, especially in a tournament that’s so short, with players we haven’t played with, we gelled really nicely and we executed to a tee out in the middle.”By virtue of topping Group A and Group B respectively, it was the first time Deccan and Maratha had met. Having been put into bat first, Mohammad Shahzad got Deccan immediately up and running with four from Mitchell McCleneghan’s first ball – the fourth time Shahzad has hit the opening ball for a boundary in nine innings, a run that includes three sixes – but captain Shane Watson was back in the hutch just four balls later.It started Deccan’s slide to just 87 for 7 from their 10 overs, the third-lowest total and fewest runs of any team batting first this year. It was a disappointing end to the tournament for Watson but his solitary run did take the 38-year-old’s tally to 237, a record only bettered by the frankly ridiculous return of countryman Lynn.While Watson missed out with the bat in the final, he had an otherwise fine tournament, hitting two unbeaten half-centuries and a highest score of 75 not out. It shows he is more than keeping up with cricket’s most frantic format and while the fire still burns, Watson the player has no plans to hang up his boots just yet.”I just absolutely still love playing,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the final. “I love playing [T10] because it’s a great skill-development format for my Twenty20 batting. I love being able to continue to refine what I’m doing technically [and] mentally, with being around these amazing team environments, meeting new people.”I’m not sure how long I’m going to continue to play for but while I’m still loving it and feel I still can play at my best, I don’t know how long it’ll last for.”
Mohamed Salah’s head has been turned by a potential move away from Liverpool this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.
The Lowdown: The Salah soap opera
The future of the Reds’ Egyptian superstar has dominated the off-field headlines in recent months, with no new deal at Anfield agreed as of yet. Salah’s current Liverpool contract expires at the end of next season, and with an extension not signed, there is a fear that he might move on this summer before he could leave for free next year.
Over the last few weeks, various reports have wavered between him being likely to stay and set to leave Merseyside.
In the latest twist, a worrying update has now emerged regarding the 29-year-old’s next move.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-30/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]
The Latest: Worrying Salah update emerges
According to The Telegraph, Salah could possibly be ‘tempted to move on for a new challenge’ at the end of the season.
A switch to one of Spain’s top clubs or Paris Saint-Germain is mooted in the report, in an update which will cause some concern from a Liverpool perspective.
The Verdict: Expect him to stay
Any rumour regarding Salah leaving is one to prompt worry, but given his status as one of the Reds’ greatest players of all time, it still feels likely that he will stay and sign a new deal.
Quite why any Liverpool player would want to leave in these times makes little sense, especially with Jurgen Klopp’s new deal keeping him at Anfield until 2026, and the Egyptian King should see it as the only place to play his football.
Granted, Salah will only sign if he feels truly wanted, but his career would risk going downhill if he leaves arguably Europe’s best and most exciting team right now when at the peak of his powers.
In other news, one Liverpool player has now been backed to stay at the club this summer. Find out who it is here.
The pace bowler is set to play for New South Wales over the coming weeks after the South Africa tour was called off
Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2021Pat Cummins is as curious as everyone else in Australian cricket about whether he can be the first significant fast-bowler captain in the system for nearly 30 years, and has indicated his eagerness to lead New South Wales if granted the opportunity over the coming weeks now he’s available after the postponement of the South Africa Test tour.Not since Geoff Lawson was a successful and hugely influential captain of NSW in the early 1990s – bowing out after a narrow defeat in the 1992 Sheffield Shield final – has an outright paceman gained the opportunity, and fast-bowling captains of Australia are rarer still.However, amid the current leadership vacuum in Australian cricket, with the Test captain Tim Paine and white-ball captain Aaron Finch both far closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, steadily more conversations are turning towards gaining leadership experience for the likes of Cummins, Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne. While Peter Nevill is ensconced as NSW skipper, state selection and Board discussions have already turned towards finding ways for Cummins to have the chance to lead.”Absolutely – at the moment I haven’t got too much experience at all, just a couple of warm-up games in England and other than that it’s Under-16s cricket when I last captained. So for sure it’s something that’s going to be more on the radar,” Cummins told ESPNcricinfo. “Even to increase my experience as vice-captain if I ever need to step in or help out Painey or Finchy, I think it is something I’d like to have a crack at to find out either way, whether I enjoy it, whether I’m no good at it or whether I find it manageable.”Related
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Reflecting on how his own routines would need to change as a fast-bowler captain, Cummins said that a tendency to move a gear or two down on the mental focus scale when not bowling would need to be altered, with experience the only way to determine whether this would be a “small step or a big step” for him.”I think that would be the big one, at times, just the nature of not having to totally switch on, you take the opportunity to switch off,” Cummins said. “That’d probably be the biggest change, but whether that’s a dealbreaker or not, I’d have to try it first I think. Naturally you try to stay pretty involved in a game, so always thinking about the game in the background. Just taking that extra step to be a decision-maker, it might be a small step or a big step, but keen to give it a crack and see how it goes.Captain-in-waiting? Pat Cummins will be a central figure in discussions over Australia’s future•Getty Images
“Just because someone is captain doesn’t mean they’re not allowed to lean on other resources, and something about my teams, whether it’s NSW or the Aussie team, there are lots of experienced guys there who’ve played a lot of cricket. Of course you’ve got specialised coaches in the sheds who you spend a lot of time with, so you’re certainly not out there by yourself, like all leaders you’ve got to delegate at certain times, give certain people certain roles. I’m sure you could find a way if you have to.”Lawson spoke recently about how he felt that Cummins was more than capable of making the jump to leadership. “He’s an intelligent guy, he’s got a business degree during his injuries, he’s had the discipline to study and use his brain not his body,” Lawson told the this week. “He’s the vice-captain, if they make you the vice-captain surely that means if the captain is unavailable he’s the new captain. I’m not sure why they’d bring someone else in.”People have done it before, just not very often Australia. If you’re going to do it, Cummins is the guy. He ticks the boxes except the fact he hasn’t captained other cricket teams. They don’t have a chance in today’s environment. I have no doubt Cummo would make a super captain.”The decision not to go to South Africa has opened up a vast array of domestic cricket options for players previously set to spend a month in a Test match bubble, and Cummins did not hide his happiness at the opportunity to play with the Blues. “We’ve got to work through that, over the next 24 hours or so we’ll get a final schedule and work it out,” he said. “The intention is of course to play for NSW. I’m not sure I’ll play every game, but we’ll map out a bit of a plan, and still not sure whether that’s Shield or one-dayers, probably a combination of both.”It looks like being a long time before Pat Cummins bowls in Test cricket again•Getty Images
As for the now gaping hole in Cummins’ Test schedule, where if Australia do not make a fortuitous appearance in the World Test Championship final they will play no more long-form games between now and December, he said while it was still a bit to get his head around, he had no doubt the South Africa scenario was too risky.”It’s strange isn’t it, maybe an Afghanistan Test next, but that’s still November or December, so you’re talking 10 or 11 months way, so it’s crazy,” Cummins said. “At the start of this summer before the first Test I thought ‘I haven’t played a Test in 10 months, this is probably as fresh as I’ll ever be going into a Test series, and now we’ve got another 10-month break.”It’s the way it is unfortunately, especially for the guys who only play Tests as their main format for Australia, it’s a long layoff. Hopefully we can get a World Cup and a few other tournaments in, but it is certainly strange. We’ve just come off a great series versus India and we won’t get another chance for another nine or 10 months to have another crack at it.”For a lot of people it didn’t seem right that if worst came to worst you had to leave some players behind over there with no certain way of getting home or things like that. They were all considerations. Us players, along with CA, were absolutely comfortable with going to South Africa if it was able to happen and all those kinds of questions were able to be answered. But unfortunately it’s the middle of a pandemic and too much risk to head over there.”
Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin has now directly held talks over an Ibrox deal for a “fearless” forward, according to a report.
Rangers vying to sign forward to boost title push
Barry Ferguson believes the Gers will be real Scottish Premiership title contenders next season, although they may still have to make a number of additions to the squad if they are to close the gap on Celtic.
When the former manager was asked who he thinks will win the league, he said: “I have to go with Rangers. At some stage, it has got to change. Russell coming in as the new manager. Got a certain type of way that he wants to play.
“I still think he is going to add another three or four players. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I think one or two of them will certainly be the experienced ones. We keep looking back at the one he brought in, Rothwell, who I think is going to be a brilliant signing. You can tell that he is a proper football player.”
Rangers: "Fearless" gem wants to move to Ibrox with Gers in negotiations
The Gers have been handed a major boost.
ByTom Cunningham Jul 28, 2025
With Vaclav Cerny not returning to Ibrox, it may be particularly important for Martin to bring in a new forward, and the manager is now directly involved in the Light Blues’ pursuit of a Premier League forward.
According to a report from The Boot Room, the Rangers boss has now personally held talks with Tottenham Hotspur over Mikey Moore, in order to convince them to let the 17-year-old move to Ibrox this summer.
Moore has attracted widespread interest from the Championship, but the Scottish Premiership is now looking like his most likely destination, with a loan move to the Gers very much on the cards.
The youngster is said to be open to a move to the 55-time Scottish champions, and Tottenham have liked what they have heard from Rangers, meaning a move is looking increasingly likely.
"Fearless" Moore could kick on at Ibrox
The £5k-a-week forward is yet to establish himself as a first-team regular at Spurs, given his age, but there are plenty of signs that he could be capable of making a real impact at Ibrox.
Tottenham’s James Maddison has singled the starlet out for high praise in the past, saying: “[He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability.”
Not only that, but the young forward has been prolific at youth level, amassing 32 goal contributions in 24 games for Spurs U18s, which led to former manager Ange Postecoglou giving him a run in the first team.
As such, Moore may now be ready to be a consistent starter at Rangers, so it is exciting news they are in the driving seat for his signature.
“My captains expect me to take wickets. I tried my best all through my career. I hope all the young bowlers do this as well.”
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2019The ball is curling late. It had come down straight for nearly 80% of the pitch. But then, suddenly, as if by magic, it started swinging in. The batsman is in trouble. He tries to block it but ends up losing so much of his balance that he basically falls face first onto the pitch. Tamim Iqbal is down. His stumps are shattered. And Lasith Malinga runs up to his team-mates with one of his hands up and a smirk on his face. It wasn’t a smile. It was a smirk. As if he was showing the opposition, his team-mates, his fans and even his critics that he still had it. He still had the most devastating yorker in world cricket.But that is now history. Malinga’s ODI career is over. And he finished it in style too, with a wicket off his final ball. Now he wants the younger generation to take over. The 35-year old doesn’t just want them to be good bowlers. He wants them to be strike bowlers. And above all else, he wants them to be match-winners.
Yorker King #ThankYouMalinga pic.twitter.com/NWGV03Q9V2
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 26, 2019
“My captains expect me to take wickets,” he said during the post-match presentation. “I tried my best all through my career. I hope all the young bowlers do this as well. Because just surviving in cricket, I don’t think anyone can go far. You have to be a match-winner. That’s what I’m looking forward to in the future. These young bowlers have to get match winning performances and people have to tell that’s a match winning bowler. We have a couple of guys, they have the ability, we have to look after them.”Malinga finished with excellent figures of 3 for 38, but just like he wanted, there was plenty of support from the other end. Nuwan Pradeep, one of the country’s best line bowlers, finished with three wickets as well and Lahiru Kumara, making a comeback after not being picked for the World Cup, showed improving control along with his raw pace.The other thing that was on Malinga’s mind was to win. Sri Lanka’s ODI form has been up and down over the last four years and the fast bowler wanted to change it at all costs.”I think whether I’m retiring or not, winning is very important. We are a young team and we are looking forward to win. These days we haven’t had the momentum to get wins.”There are still two ODIs in this series against Bangladesh but Malinga felt it was the right time for him to step aside.”I’ve played the last 15 years for Sri Lanka. Really an honour to play and really happy to play for these people and for all the crowd that’s been behind me. I feel this is the time I have to move on because we have to build for the 2023 World Cup and that’s why I realised, okay, my time is up, I have to go.”
Sri Lanka’s less-heralded players helped ease through the side’s first test in the UK, as they beat Scotland by 35 runs via the DLS method.Opener Avishka Fernando, who had had a poor tour of South Africa earlier this year, produced 74 off 78 balls, while Dimuth Karunaratne, on ODI captaincy debut, made 77 off 88. The pair put on 123 runs for the first wicket. Kusal Mendis also contributed 66 off 56 balls through the middle overs, but it was bowler Nuwan Pradeep who impressed most of all, taking 4 for 34 in the rain-shortened second innings.For Karunaratne, the match was not only a test of his leadership, but also an examination of his batting. Having not played ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, there have been doubts over whether he could score quickly enough in this format. He was dropped twice before eventually being caught at long-on, but in making a half-century, and providing the middle order with a good platform, Karunaratne suggested he was not completely out of place in ODIs.”Playing an international one-dayer after such a long time is not easy,” Karunaratne said afterwards. “I was under pressure early on and was struggling a little bit. But once I got set and thought about how to play – which bowlers I should target – I felt better. Fortunately, I got a couple of chances. But thanks to the runs I got, I got some confidence.”Avishka was excellent as well. We know how capable he is. He can hit hard and rotate the strike as well. We talked to him about what we needed from him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get a hundred, but I think he can get a big hundred in the World Cup.”Sri Lanka made 322 for 8 in their 50 overs, but had seemed set for a score of over 350 at one point, before they experienced a serious middle-overs stutter. Having been 203 for 1 at the end of the 33rd over, Sri Lanka mustered only 19 more runs in the next seven overs, as they lost three quick wickets. While that slowdown was not ideal, it was important that Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne stabilise the innings at that stage, Karunaratne said. Sri Lanka later made 99 runs in the final ten overs.”We planned to bat out 50 overs, so when we were struggling in the 33rd over – we had lost a couple of wickets, in Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera – we were trying to make sure we batted long. Kusal Mendis was playing well, and Lahiru Thirimanne went in and did a good job. When you have wickets in hand, you can go for it at the end. We were struggling through that period, but we rotated the strike, and in the last ten overs we went for our big shots.”Although they had a substantial score to defend, the arrival of rain partway through Scotland’s innings had complicated the task of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who were visibly struggling to grip the ball. Pradeep, though, was able to maintain excellent control, and was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for his returns.”When Scotland were going quite well, I spoke to Nuwan Pradeep and asked him to try a couple of bouncers,” Karunaratne said. “He did that really well and we were able to squeeze them through that middle period. It’s not easy to bowl yorkers, especially with the ball getting wet because of the rain. If you don’t execute it well it will go for a six. But Pradeep knows how he has to bowl, and he went for the straight yorker. I hope he takes that confidence into the World Cup.”