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Batting coach praises Angelo Mathews’ effort after dismal Sri Lanka display in first Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Jan-2021On the first day of the first Test, Sri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower was at a loss as to how to explain his team’s cavalier approach and catastrophic collapse. After a much better start this time around, Flower was pleased at the grit his batsmen showed, albeit on a flat surface.Angelo Mathews led Sri Lanka’s batting effort with his unbeaten 107 off 228 balls. He batted in long partnerships with Dinesh Chandimal, who made 52 and Lahiru Thirimanne, who hit 43. Sri Lanka went to stumps at 229 for 4.”A much better day than last time, and that’s down to the batsmen just applying themselves much more,” Flower said. “Today it was a flat wicket. It didn’t turn much. There was a bit of bounce for the seamers. So the guys just had to bat, apply themselves, and wait for the loose ball. Jimmy Anderson bowled really well as he always does, but the spinners didn’t get a lot of help from the wicket.”Angelo Mathews showed his experience again and got another really good hundred. He’s showed what a good player he was. Hopefully we can put on another 100-150 tomorrow and put England under pressure.”Related

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Flower was critical of three of Sri Lanka’s four dismissals, however, including that of Thirimanne, who edged Anderson to the keeper soon after lunch.”We still gave them three wickets,” he said. “I thought Thirimanne could have left his ball. That said, I thought he played very well.”Sri Lanka also maintained a run rate of only 2.63, with Anderson bowling ten maidens in his 19 overs, and the remaining bowlers conributing eight maidens collectively.”At stages we were a bit slow. We lost some wickets at crucial stages. But also given how we’d played in the first innings of the first Test, the guys probably thought we needed to dig in a bit more and put a larger price on their wickets. You can’t be too critical. And you’ve got to give credit to the English bowlers, especially Anderson.”On Kusal Perera’s dismissal, Flower was critical but not severe. Perera was out in Anderson’s third over, attempting to thump him over mid-on, but managing only to send a catch to first slip. It was the first ball in which Anderson came around the wicket to him.”That wasn’t a good shot at all, and I’m sure he’ll be the first to admit that,” Flower said. “He does have a bit of a licence to play the way he does. That’s why we’ve selected him. But you’ve got to give respect to a bowler like Anderson. You’ve got to have a bit of a look. He wasn’t in control of that by any means. That’s not a technical thing. That’s just a mental thing for Kusal. He showed in the second innings of the first Test what he can do when he applies himself.”

Victoria had South Australia two-down early in reply before Henry Hunt’s debut half-century avoided any further loss before stumps

Alex Malcolm at Junction Oval11-Oct-2019Victoria’s top three batsmen posted centuries as they piled up a huge first innings score to take complete command on day two against South Australia at the Junction Oval.Nic Maddinson reached his maiden first-class double-century and Will Pucovski posted his fourth Sheffield Shield century as Victoria made the highest score by any Shield team since 2015 before declaring in the middle session. It was also just the 12th time in Shield history that the top three batsmen made centuries in the same innings after Marcus Harris posted 116 on day one.South Australia debutant Henry Hunt and skipper Travis Head had to weather an unrelenting Victorian attack in the afternoon after Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann both fell cheaply. Hunt reached his maiden Shield half-century and remained unbeaten on 62 to avoid further damage before stumps.Maddinson, who began day two on 195, had to wait until the sixth over of the day to find the fifth run needed for his maiden first-class double-century. He cruised to 224 and Victoria reached 1 for 413 before Maddinson finally fell edging an attempted cut off Kane Richardson.Peter Handscomb came in and made a brisk 30 before skying one straight up trying to hit Tom Andrews against the spin over long-on.Pucovski went about his business calmly and despite getting bogged in the nineties, and nearly running out Aaron Finch for a duck, he eventually sneaked to his fourth century in just 20 Shield innings.”It was a good test early,” Pucovski said after the day’s play. “Obviously, I was quite slow at the start so to sort of mentally get through that and not get frustrated and stick to my process and obviously come out with a positive outcome, in the end, was a big positive.”Starting [on that pitch] is quite tough. It’s quite slow and it’s hard to score freely if you bowl in the right spots and get it reversing a bit. It’s just a patience thing.”Finch then cut loose after lunch as Victoria pressed for a declaration. He smashed six fours and four sixes to reach 57 in just 44 balls before falling caught and bowled to Andrews. But he suffered back spasms during his innings and was unable to field for the remainder of the day as a precaution.Pucovski ran himself out for 123 taking on Weatherald at mid-off. But Glenn Maxwell picked up from where Finch left off clubbing four fours and two sixes in a 30-ball 43 to allow Victoria to declare 30 minutes before tea on 6 for 616. It was the first time any Shield side had passed 600 since February 2017 and the highest score since Western Australia made 633 against South Australia in 2015.The Redbacks’ response started disastrously. After spending 150 overs in the field, Weatherald nicked the first ball of the innings from James Pattinson to Maxwell in the gully. The visitors should have been 2 for 0, but Handscomb dropped Jake Lehmann at second slip off Pattinson in the third over. The Victorian quick bowled two hostile spells down breeze either side of tea.Lehmann battled to 8 off 40 balls before he was caught behind off the inside edge attempting to drive Chris Tremain. Hunt batted beautifully and looked unflustered against the high-quality attack. His defence was sound and his hands soft as he batted comfortably through the last two-and-a-half hours of the day.Head was fortunate that a leading-edge ballooned safely over Scott Boland’s head before he had scored. He had to curb his free-flowing instincts as Victoria stacked his preferred scoring region square on the off-side. But he reached stumps unbeaten on 27 from 80 balls.

With Alexander Isak pushing for a move away from Tyneside, Newcastle United are faced with the difficult task of replacing one of the Premier League’s most technically gifted forwards.

The Swede’s blend of elegance, close control, and clinical finishing has made him a central figure in Eddie Howe’s system. Now, with Liverpool preparing a formal bid, Newcastle are already planning for life without their star striker.

In searching for a successor, Newcastle are looking for someone who shares Isak’s key qualities and possesses the potential to develop into one of the league’s leading strikers.

The forward they’ve identified ticks those boxes…

Latest on Newcastle's search to replace Isak

The bombshell news broke on Thursday that the Magpies’ main man is intent on leaving the club, having thus far failed to commit to a new deal at St James’ Park.

With that in mind, Newcastle are preparing to present their long-term project to Benjamin Šeško, the 21-year-old Slovenian striker currently at RB Leipzig, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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After monitoring his progress since his RB Salzburg days, and previously attempting to sign him in 2022, the club are once again pushing to secure his signature.

With Leipzig finishing seventh in the Bundesliga and tumbling out of the Champions League early, the timing aligns perfectly.

His contract runs until 2029, but a £60m bid, down from the £85m figure previously quoted, could now be enough to secure his services.

Why Šeško is the perfect Isak replacement

With Isak’s departure appearing increasingly likely, Šeško is seen as the ideal successor. Standing at 194cm, he matches Isak’s physical presence but adds an impressive mix of speed, agility, and strength.

Despite operating in a Leipzig side that underperformed last season, his displays in the Bundesliga only strengthened his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting young centre-forwards.

Owing to his blend of pace and a towering frame, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him the “new Erling Haaland” – though Šeško’s style is notably more measured and refined.

While his overall numbers may fall short of Isak’s, they paint the picture of a striker not just keeping pace with the Premier League star, but exceeding expectations in less favourable circumstances.

The comparisons between the two are striking.

As per Transfermarkt, Šeško scored 21 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season, including 13 in the Bundesliga. Though he registered fewer total goal involvements than Isak (18 vs. 29), his efficiency in front of goal was impressive.

He scored 11 non-penalty goals from 8.4 expected, a sharp overperformance that suggests a striker with strong finishing instincts.

That ability to convert is reflected in his other shooting metrics.

According to data from FBref, Šeško averaged 2.5 shots per 90, compared to Isak’s 3.1, and put 43.9% of them on target, a touch higher than Isak’s 43.2%. Though he operates with slightly lower volume, the Slovenian is equally efficient, a valuable trait for a forward potentially operating in a Newcastle team that created fewer clear chances than some of their top-six rivals last season.

Šeško’s pace also adds a key dimension. At Salzburg, he was clocked at 36.11 km/h — one of the fastest top-level strikers in Europe.

In terms of buildup and link play, he’s still developing.

The same data showed that he averaged 15.7 completed passes per 90 with a 67.6% completion rate, lower than Isak’s 17 passes at 75.3%. But he’s competent at holding the ball up and offers glimpses of becoming a more rounded playmaker, something reflected in his 1.74 progressive passes per 90 and 1.93 shot-creating actions.

Perhaps most importantly, he appears ready to take the next step. Though he hasn’t agitated for a move, reports in Germany suggest Šeško views a switch to the Premier League as a logical progression.

Arsenal had previously shown strong interest, preferring him to Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres due to his age. However, they stepped back, paving the way for Newcastle to step in and pitch themselves as the perfect platform.

There’s also a stylistic harmony between Šeško and Howe’s approach. Like Isak, he offers vertical threat and mobility, capable of drifting into wide channels to stretch defences and creating space for others.

His pressing numbers are low (just 0.11 tackles in the attacking third per 90, compared to Isak’s 0.23), but his energy and willingness to learn could suit the high-intensity demands at St James’ Park.

With Chelsea target Xavi Simons already edging toward the Leipzig exit and interest in Loïs Openda growing, it feels like the Bundesliga club are bracing for change.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are ready to capitalise — seeing Šeško not just as a replacement for Isak, but a long-term centrepiece for their next phase.

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ByCharlie Smith Oct 5, 2025

After the kicking comes the clicking.Such a stark turnaround after 11 straight losses – the most recent: a complete shellacking by the West Indies – to defeat the World Cup hosts and favourites shouldn’t surprise anyone who follows Pakistan, of course. But in the end it was a confidence-boosting session among the players after the West Indies loss that triggered the reversal of fortune.”You can lose but when you start feeling it and realising that you played badly, we all had that realisation that we didn’t play well then,” said Mohammad Hafeez. “It’s not on especially to perform like that at a World Cup.””So we had that realisation. Everyone took responsibility. We all sat down, gave each other confidence. Somebody came to me and gave me that confidence, I went to somebody else and gave them that confidence. We made each other remember the good performances we’ve all put in. We had this desire to pick up a good, big win here and move on with that. We have been playing well as a team, but we weren’t able to close out and win games.”Today, every player expressed themselves, as a batsman, as a bowler, we all went on the field and did everything we could. We didn’t hold back. It’s a good sign that we have that winning feeling back in the dressing room. That will give us more confidence and hopefully we can maintain that.”Perhaps too much was made of that losing streak; the side that succumbed to Australia was essentially a second string team and they were competitive in two of the ODIs they played against England prior to the tournament. The inclusion of Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Hafeez and Shadab Khan has given the bowling line up, in particular, a very different look. But on top of that, Hasan Ali credited the belief instilled by coach Mickey Arthur for Pakistan’s about face.”After the first match we sat and we talked about our weaknesses and we talked about plans and execution and all these things,” said Hasan. “But one thing is very important, which is our coach is always backing us, so I think that moment was turning us because everybody is very confident and the guys want to win.”We were very disappointed we lost 11 games in a row but you know one thing is very important, we believe in ourselves and we know we needed just a little bit of a kick and then we will click. So I think we’ve got the kick and we are very happy.”It’s not often you come across fast bowlers who dabble in rhyming couplets, but Hasan may have nailed what many have tried to explain about Pakistan’s famous fluctuations.They just needed the right kick to click.

Chris Gayle’s ODI swansong starts as West Indies bat first in Barbados

George Dobell in Barbados20-Feb-2019

West Indies remain hopeful Kemar Roach will be available for their World Cup campaign despite him being forced out of the ODI series against England.Roach, who carried a heavy workload in the Test series victory over England, reported back pain in the last few days. He was subsequentlysent for a scan that showed a stress reaction in the back. Cricket West Indies (CWI) are adamant it is not a stress fracture.Roach was man of the series in the Test victory over England. He bowled more overs (96.5) than any of his colleagues, however, and with Keemo Paul suffering an injury in St Lucia, he may have been asked to deliver more overs than was ideal in that final game.With 80 ODIs behind him, Roach is one of the more experienced seamers in West Indies’ likely World Cup squad and his loss would be significant. West Indies currently have no plans to call-up a replacement into the ODI squad, though it remains likely that Andre Russell will be added to it before the series ends.If Roach is to play any part in the World Cup campaign, it is likely he will have to play some part in West Indies’ tour of Ireland in early May which sees them play in a tri-series also involving Bangladesh. He is currently scheduled to travel on the tour in the hope he can prove his match fitness during it. West Indies also have three unofficial warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.There could be an unusual look to that West Indies squad. CWI are happy for any of their players involved in the IPL to take a full part in the tournament, so the Ireland tour may provide opportunities for fringe players, including those who have impressed on an A tour to Kenya that is likely to precede it.

Diogo Dalot was disappointe by Manchester United's defensive errors in their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Dalot pointed out Man Utd's defensive woesConceded too many shots on goalHeld Bournemouth to a 2-2 drawWHAT HAPPENED?

United rode on Bruno Fernandes' brace to hold Bournemouth to a 2-2 draw at Vitality Stadium in a Premier League clash on Saturday. The club's defence came under scrutiny after they conceded twice in the first half and allowed the opposition to take 12 shots on goal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the game, right-back Diogo Dalot admitted to the mistakes committed by the Red Devils' backline as he advised his colleagues to be more compact and reduce the gap between the midfield and the defence which has been a massive concern for the team this season.

WHAT DIOGO DALOT SAID

Speaking to after the game about conceding too many shots, the Portugal international said: "It's been one of our concerns, maybe [we need to] try to be more compact as a team – don't try to make the gap between defenders and midfield too big. Sometimes it is, and they counter on the counter-attack. It's something we have to improve because it's been nowhere near good enough for the level of this club.

"We've been showing belief through the season, coming back from down moments. Too many this season. We have to control more and have the game under control, we lose it too many times. That's the aim for the next couple of games."

When asked about individual committed by the players, Dalot added: "It's been happening in the last couple of games, we don't look to who has done it but we know it can happen at this level because they are clinical enough to score if we make mistakes. It's something we have to look for and try not to do.

"It's part of life to make mistakes. It's about reacting well the next game and the next few minutes to try to do better. That's what we have to overcome. We have to take responsibility but try not to do it for the next games and that's the challenge."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Erik ten Hag's side will aim to get back to winning ways on April 21 as they take on Championship side Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final.

The pair played key roles in Oman to help USA march into WCL Division Two

Peter Della Penna21-Nov-2018The Barbados-contracted pair of Aaron Jones and Hayden Walsh has come in for special praise from USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake for their roles in helping the side earn promotion to WCL Division Two. The allround abilities of Walsh combined with the batting of Jones played a pivotal role in USA ending WCL Division Three on Monday with a 4-1 record, good enough to be promoted along with undefeated tournament champion Oman.”I can’t tell how happy I am about those two guys,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo after USA finished runners-up at WCL Division Three in Oman. “They’re great players, they know how to behave inside a team and they fit straight into our culture. So I think that those two guys are the best thing that could happen to USA Cricket moving forward actually.”Jones and Walsh finished first and third for the team in scoring on tour with 200 runs and 167 runs respectively, regularly rescuing USA from perilous positions. Their best tag-team effort came against Denmark when they came together at 87 for 5 and produced a 131-run stand, a USA record for the sixth wicket.Jones came into the squad as an injury replacement for Sunny Sohal during the Super50 Cup, while Walsh hadn’t yet made his debut coming into WCL Division Three. Dassanayake revealed Walsh was initially picked as a legspinner, but a century during an intrasquad trial match at a USA training camp in North Carolina on the eve of the tournament convinced Dassanayake of his batting abilities.”When we looked at him the first time, we all thought he was a good legspinner but we were not sure about his batting, even though he came and said that he can bat,” he said. “But we had a few training sessions in Barbados and match scenarios basically playing a 50-over game on a full field using local players. Every scenario we played, he was scoring runs.”Dassanayake also hit back at criticism leveled at team management before the tournament for picking the pair in USA’s 14-man squad for Oman despite their non-participation in this year’s USA Cricket Combines. The caretaker administration run by the ICC Americas had communicated to stakeholders that anyone wishing to compete for a spot in USA’s Division Three squad had to attend a combine trial.That meant former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall, who had made his USA debut in January, was axed after he skipped the last two days of the New York trial to play club cricket instead.New Zealand-based US passport holder David Wakefield also paid his own plane tickets to Florida to be evaluated, something that was not mandated of Jones nor Walsh. This was a source of unhappiness amongst players who attended the combines and felt it equated to double-standards.”Even though critics was there to criticise certain things about our performance and selections, we as a group had that confidence from the beginning which way we are moving and the players were confident and these results were not a surprise for our group,” Dassanayake said. “I’m not happy that we didn’t become number one but it’s part of the game. Oman played better cricket on that day against us but I still believe that USA is a better team and we are looking forward to move forward.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected during the top of the seventh inning during the New York Yankees 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night. Chisholm struck out looking on a full count and vehemently disagreed with the call.

As the announcers quickly noted, the pitch was not in the strike zone and seemed like a make-up call. Indeed, Chisholm did appear to be avoid what looked like strike three on the 2-2 pitch when Mason Montgomery painted the outside corner and home plate umpire John Bacon called it a ball. Not that it mattered to the Yankees infielder who was only focused on the call that went against him.

Mohit Sharma is also being released, while T Natarajan is being retained by Delhi Capitals

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025

Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to release their overseas opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma. After a lot of deliberation, the owners has decided to retain T Natarajan, a capped India pacer and yorker specialist who was signed for INR 10.75 crore at last year’s mega auction.Signed in 2024 for his base price of INR 2 crore, du Plessis, 41, had underwhelming returns in IPL 2025, hitting 202 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 123.92. These numbers were in stark contrast to his impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), for whom he made 438 runs in 15 innings at 161.62 as they rose from the bottom to the playoffs the previous season.Mohit too was below par, picking two wickets in eight games while going at 10.28.Fraser Mc-Gurk, however, will be the most high-profile release, considering hat the franchise had labelled him a player for the future when they signed him in 2024. His intent-laden batting that yielded 222 runs off just 81 deliveries were the highlight for DC during the fag end of their campaign that season.He was subsequently bought back via the right-to-match card ahead of IPL 2025, where he returned five single-digit scores in six matches. His overall tally of 55 runs included a best of 38 before he was benched.Having returned home when the IPL season was paused owing to cross-border tensions with Pakistan, Fraser-McGurk opted to stay back when the season resumed, with the franchise signing Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as a temporary replacement. At the time, the IPL had stated temporary replacements would not be retained, which means Mustafizur, too, will need to go to the auction.Fraser-McGurk’s recent form has been poor across formats. He had a highest of 36 in three List A games against India A, and has managed scores of 34, 27 and 4 in the three list A games for South Australia since. Post the IPL, Fraser-McGurk also had a lukewarm Major League Cricket stint with San Francisco Unicorns.

India need 135 runs, England need six wickets on the final day

Valkerie Baynes13-Jul-20251:41

Manjrekar: Dream spell from Washington Sundar

Stumps Washington Sundar’s prize wicket-taking set India up for a 135-run pursuit on the final day of the third Test at Lord’s, but in a twist to an enthralling fourth day in which 14 wickets fell, they only have six wickets in hand.Brydon Carse removed Karun Nair and Shubman Gill cheaply for impressive figures of 2 for 11 from four overs and Ben Stokes bowled nightwatcher Akash Deep with the last ball of the day as three wickets fell in the last half-hour of play.Related

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Washington’s 4 for 22 included the key names of Joe Root, Jamie Smith and Stokes before he claimed the last England wicket to fall, Shoaib Bashir, as the hosts took a lead of 192. After scores were level on first innings, that meant India needed to chase down 193 for a 2-1 lead in the series.Jofra Archer broke through in the second over of India’s pursuit when Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted to pull a shorter, wider ball and sent a top edge into the air above wicketkeeper Smith.But it wasn’t until 30 minutes before stumps that England were able to make inroads again, Nair flummoxed by Carse’s nip-backer and offering no shot as the ball struck the inside of his back knee. Gill, on 6, failed to overturn his lbw dismissal after he was hit on the knee roll by one in line with middle stump.When Akash Deep entered still needing to don his arm guard and gloves, Root revved up the crowd to protest at any time wasting, which had been Gill’s bugbear in a heated exchange with Zak Crawley at the end of day three.1:20

Manjrekar: Lord’s Test 70-30 in England’s favour

The issue went from prickly to farcical to downright funny when Carse rapped Akash Deep’s pads. He survived England’s review on umpire’s call with impact on the top of leg stump and India sent the physio out to apply some strapping to the batter’s leg, chewing up more time.England managed to squeeze in another over, though, and Stokes struck with the fourth ball, flattening Akash Deep’s off stump.India’s bowlers started the day with great intent. Jasprit Bumrah caused Crawley all sorts of discomfort without being rewarded and Mohammed Siraj produced a miserly seven-over opening spell yielding two wickets.1:28

Washington: One of my best days with the ball

Ben Duckett was the first to go pulling to Bumrah at mid-on amid an impassioned send-off from Siraj that ensured the tensions of the previous evening remained high.Siraj then pinned Ollie Pope lbw, although it took an India review to confirm his dismissal for just 4 off 17 balls. Pope’s average in the second innings languishes at a mere 19.64 now.Nitish Kumar Reddy relieved Bumrah midway through the morning session and removed Crawley for the second time in the match, this time a loose drive outside off stump gathered by Jaiswal at gully.1:48

Manjrekar: Gill looked tentative

Harry Brook mounted a counterattack, ramping Akash Deep for back-to-back fours before launching him down the ground for six but it was short-lived. He fell for a 19-ball 23 when, attempting to sweep a full, straight one, Akash Deep flattened his middle stump in the perfect riposte.Enter Washington as India turned to spin after lunch and he rattled Root’s middle stump with one that slid under the attempted sweep and ended his fifth-wicket stand with Stokes at 67. Root’s 40 became England’s highest of the innings and his dismissal ended a run of four scores of fifty or above at Lord’s (including three centuries on the trot).Four overs later, Washington bowled Smith for just 8 with an excellent quicker ball that didn’t turn in the slightest but skidded past the outside edge and onto off stump.2:16

Trescothick: It’s going to be an amazing final day

At that point, England were 164 for 6 and they were subsequently becalmed as Stokes and Chris Woakes looked to avoid further damage.But Stokes added just six more runs after tea before Washington struck again, beating the slog sweep and clattering middle stump to send him on his way for 33.Bumrah was finally rewarded with the wickets of Carse and Woakes, the former to a stunning, pinpoint-accurate yorker on leg stump and the latter to one that expertly clipped the leg-side bail.Bashir’s was the 12th bowled dismissal by India for the match when Washington beat his defences to close out the innings, completing an England collapse in which they lost their last four wickets for 11 runs, and their last six for 38. Washington’s 4 for 22 is the best by an India spinner at Lord’s since 1974.