All posts by h716a5.icu

Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, is happy his team will get to play in all three countries hosting the World Cup over the next few months, calling the line-up of matches the “ideal preparation” for the showpiece tournament

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla09-Aug-2010Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, is happy his team will get to play in all three countries hosting the World Cup over the next few months, calling the line-up of matches the “ideal preparation” for the showpiece tournament. New Zealand haven’t played in the subcontinent since a short tri-series in Sri Lanka last year, but have a full series against India and five one-dayers against Bangladesh before the World Cup.”Coming from New Zealand, the pitches are going to play differently but the conditions that we have here and in India and in Bangladesh will be similar to what we are going to experience in the World Cup,” Taylor said at a press conference to unveil the tri-series trophy. “So this experience is going to be valuable for the team and for the youngsters leading in to the selection for the World Cup.”He was also not too concerned about the absent senior players since it will give New Zealand’s bench strength a thorough test. “It’s good, it gives some other players an opportunity and some youngsters the chance to play in the subcontinent as well,” he said. “If we can have a squad of 20-odd to pick from and push each other, I think it will augur well for the upcoming months and for the World Cup.”Taylor had plenty of praise for two of the newcomers, batsman Kane Williamson and 30-year-old Wellington fast bowler Andy McKay. Williamson had a terrific domestic season in 2008-09, with a country-high 621 runs at 77.62 in the one-day competition, which has already led to a central contract. “Kane has been a player that has been earmarked to play for New Zealand for a long time,” Taylor said. “He’s only just turned 20, he’s an exciting raw talent and he is a pretty level-headed guy. He will be making his debut tomorrow, hopefully he will make the most if it. I am excited for him.”McKay has already made his debut earlier this year and was rated by regular New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori as someone whose pace was “on a par with Shane Bond”. A strong start to his international career was quickly followed by a stress fracture which ruled him out for three months. “Andy McKay is our fastest bowler in the squad and after losing Shane Bond through retirement,” Taylor said, “he is going to become a big part of our side and our make-up.”The depleted New Zealand outfit is viewed as the weakest of three teams in the tournament, but Taylor hoped his side’s preparation for the competition would help them perform. “We have come here to win, we won our warm-up games and probably have got an edge over them (India and Sri Lanka) in playing the competition,” he said. “We know it’s going to be tough but we are looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully, we can put some performances on the board.”

A round-up of the second round of games from the Women’s European Championship in Ireland

Cricinfo staff11-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Ireland had a major scare before getting home by three wickets against Netherlands in Stirling. Facing a Dutch total of just 125, they collapsed to 85 for 7 before an eighth-wicket partnership of 37 between Isobel Joyce and Louise McCarthy saw them home to victory in the 40th over.The damp, cloudy, conditions at the start meant the Irish had no hesitation in asking Netherlands to bat first. The Dutch went off at a fast pace but in doing so lost both openers, Violet Wattenberg and Carlijn De Groot. A third wicket soon followed with the score on 38. Three wickets then fell in the sixties to leave the Dutch innings tottering at 66 for 6, as McCarthy claimed two victims in a spell of five overs in which she conceded just six runs.However, the seventh-wicket partnership of Denise Hannema and Esther Lanser added 31 before another pair of wickets fell in quick succession. It was left to the last wicket pair of Marloes Braat and Mandy Kornet to bat out the remaining overs to enable their side to post a final total of 125.Given that Ireland had chased down 161 against Scotland on Monday, it didn’t appear that this would be a target that might test the Irish batting line-up. But once again an opener was run out, Laura Delany beaten by Helmien Rambaldo’s throw. She was soon followed back by Eimear Richardson and Jill Whelan as Ireland faltered at 29 for 3.However, Emma Beamish and Melissa Scott-Hayward steadied the innings and took the score to 74 before another wicket fell. But, when Scott-Hayward was caught by Esther Lanser a mini-collapse took place as Kim Garth went for a duck and then Emma Beamish (18) was caught by Rambaldo. With the score at 76 for 6 the Dutch were back in the game. When Heather Whelan was run out nine runs later, they appeared to be favourites to win.The experience of Isobel Joyce was to prove to be the difference between the two sides as she, with excellent support from McCarthy, kept out the good deliveries and took advantage of anything loose. The two kept their composure to steer their side home – the winning runs coming from two wide deliveries. Indeed, the Dutch bowlers gave away 26 wides, which was undoubtedly a major factor in their inability to defend their own total.Joyce’s 36 had seen the Irish home to a victory that sealed their progress to the next stage of the World Cup qualification process and leaves the Dutch needing to defeat Scotland.

Scorecard
ECB Development XI bounced back from their defeat against Netherlands on Monday with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Scotland. Chasing a meagre target of 116, they cruised home in just under 20 overs as Kathryn Doherty and Fran Wilson put together a rapid, unbeaten, partnership of 114.After winning the toss, Jo Cook put Scotland in to bat favouring her bowlers on a damp wicket in dull and cool conditions. They struck immediately as Scottish opener Lynne Dickson was run out before she had faced a single delivery. Another run out soon ensued when Kari Anderson failed to beat a throw from Isabelle Westbury. The next nine overs produced just nine runs until Leigh Kasperek was caught off Alice MacLeod to reduce Scotland to 28 for 3.The next partnership was to prove to be the most successful of the innings as Kathryn White and Catherine Smaill put on 41. White fell lbw for 23 to become the first of three victims for Kathryn Doherty, and after her dismissal wickets continued to tumble as Scotland ended up on just 115 in the 48th over. Doherty finished with 3 for 15 while Alice MacLeod bowled her ten over quota conceding just 19 runs.The ECB innings began in identical fashion to the Scottish one as MacLeod was run out by Leigh Kasperek without having taken strike. But that was to be Scotland’s only success as Kathryn Doherty and Fran Wilson took complete control. Wilson completed her second successive half century in 54 balls while Doherty was on 49 when the winning runs were hit.”I found the wicket had dried out quite a bit when I got out there which made batting conditions slightly easier for us,” said Doherty. “Fran and I built a strong partnership by punishing the bad balls and running well together. I really enjoyed it out there””Today was a great opportunity for us to get back on track and perform to our potential,” added Wilson. “It was satisfying to have a positive contribution to the team’s win.”The ECB Development XI will meet Ireland tomorrow in a match which will decide the destination of the European Championship title, while Scotland will meet Netherlands to determine who takes the second World Cup Qualifying place.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have urged the club to sign Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, after news emerged linking him with a move to the Irons.

David Moyes’ options at centre-back were depleted by the season-ending injury sustained by Angelo Ogbonna, as the defender suffered a cruciate ligament rupture at the start of November.

When Kurt Zouma suffered a hamstring injury in early December, the Hammers were left with just two senior centre-backs available for selection – Craig Dawson and Issa Diop.

Although Zouma has now returned, it is clear the Irons need to seek reinforcements in that position.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-copy/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

West Ham fans react to the Caleta-Car news

Sky Sports have claimed that West Ham want to sign Caleta-Car on a loan deal with an option to buy, although Marseille only want to let the defender leave on a permanent deal worth £17million.

Independent Hammers site West Ham News & Views shared the news on Twitter. This sparked a number of Irons fans to reply in the comments, with many urging the club to go through with the deal.

It is perhaps no surprise fans are excited, as the Croatia international is noted for his ability to break lines with his passing and his excellent recovery pace.

Here’s what they had to say, as one supporter called a potential £17m deal a ‘bargain’…

“MAKE IT HAPPEN, I’LL BE KNEE-SLIDING ACROSS MY CARPET”

Credit: @whudex6

“£17m is a bargain for him”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“We are on the brink of a masterstroke. If you want fans on side then just get the deal done. Pass it on Dave x”

Credit: @_WestHamReport

“Should get the deal done tbh if true”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“I’d rather spend £2 Mil more & get Caleta-Car than £15 Mil Nat Phillips”

Credit: @RugbyLad86

“That’s nothing in today’s market. Get it done.”

Credit: @WestHam_SW

In other news: Fans gutted by ExWHUemployee’s Brereton Diaz update

Cricinfo previews the first one-day International between England and Pakistan at Chester-le-Street

The Preview by Liam Brickhill09-Sep-2010Match factsSeptember 10, 2010, Chester-le-Street
Start time 10.15am (9.15am GMT)Pakistan will be hoping that Mohammad Irfan’s introduction to the squad will bring smiles to the players’ faces in the first game of the one-day series•Getty ImagesBig pictureIt’s September, but with five one-day internationals still to be played the end of the English summer continues to appear some distance off. This is not the finale that anyone had planned with Pakistan exhibiting the malaise and confusion it was feared they would when the spot-fixing allegations that have rocked cricket’s very foundations were first brought to light.Appearing distracted and mentally unprepared, they were easily swept away by England in the short Twenty20 series in Cardiff and the autumnal end of what has been densely-packed summer is threatening to turn into a one-sided farce. A Pakistan team that includes the likes of Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar can never be totally written off, however, and England will still, surely, be wary of a backlash.But the scent of scandal hanging over the team will not dissipate any time soon, and though captain Afridi has suggested that just one victory would do wonders for the team’s morale it’s difficult to see how they could turn things round and regain their focus sufficiently to take this series the full distance.England probably wouldn’t mind a stiffer challenge to prepare them for a winter in Australia and, despite the notable run of their success, they still have questions to be answered and flaws to be ironed out. It is England’s batsmen, rather than the bowlers, that appear a touch unsettled, and there will be another shake-up as the squad switches to one-day mode and and Andrew Strauss returns to the helm.With dwindling crowds also a concern as the summer draws in, interested parties from across the spectrum want nothing more than a competitive and absorbing contest. Whether that will be the case remains to be seen.Form guide (last five completed matches)England WLWLL
Pakistan WLLLLWatch out for…In the course of the two Twenty20s in Cardiff, Michael Yardy appeared to come of age as an international cricketer. The effectiveness of his bowling in limited-overs cricket has not been in doubt since his recall, but his batting – which he insists is his stronger suit – is also becoming increasingly reliable. He was at the crease with Eoin Morgan when victory was secured in both games, and is well on his way to becoming a genuine international allrounder.For a player who has not yet been selected for the national side gigantic left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan has already built up quite a following, aided by the spread of videos of his bowling online on sites such as Youtube. Although his exact height has not yet been verified, he is undoubtedly very tall indeed and the awkward bounce he will generate – allied to the left-arm trajectory – could prove challenging for an England line-up that is not quite firing on all cylinders.Team newsEngland’s squad has, for obvious reasons, been by far the more settled during Pakistan’s visit but Kevin Pietersen’s absence, and Steve Davies’ introduction, has mixed things up a bit. Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott also return to the side for the one-dayers and with Ravi Bopara likely to keep his place it may be Luke Wright who is edged out for the time being.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Michael Yardy, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonThere is always a measure of uncertainty in picking Pakistan’s squad but apart from the introduction of Irfan, who was called up in the midst of a glut of injuries that added to their woes in an already turbulent summer, there probably won’t be too many changes. Asad Shafiq is likely to remain a reserve batsman, and while Fawad Alam froze under pressure in the Twenty20s, he showed in Pakistan’s warm-up against Somerset that, given time at the crease, he can be an effective limited-overs batsman and will probably be retained. Given his greater experience at the top of the order, Mohammad Hafeez could also be preferred to Shahzaib Hasan.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Mohammad Yousuf, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shahid Afridi (capt), 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Mohammad Irfan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar.Pitch and conditionsExpect the bowlers to dominate in helpful conditions in Durham. The last match to be played at Chester-le-Street was a low-scoring CB 40 match in which both spinners and seamers picked up wickets. Overcast conditions could also help the ball to swing but, thankfully, rain is unlikely.Stats and TriviaThe vastly experienced Mohammad Yousuf is Pakistan’s second-highest runscorer in ODIs behind Inzamam ul-Haq with 9458 runs. He is also second to another great – Saeed Anwar – in the list of Pakistan’s one-day century makers with 15 in 275 games to Anwar’s 20.Graeme Swann passed 50 wickets in the summer – across all formats – during the Cardiff Twenty20s and now has 52 international scalps at a combined average of 16.46 this seasonQuotes”Despite whatever allegations have been out there, I still maintain that cricket generally is a very clean sport and that two teams are playing to beat the other 100%. If I can allay fears, I think there is no chance in my mind that these games coming up will not be played in that spirit.”
“Unless he’s dropped, he will play. If I’m told, ‘Don’t play X, Y, Z,’ they won’t play. If I’m not told, I’ll select the best team. But I’ve not been told anything. Let’s wait.”
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According to Hampshire Live, Southampton are still in dialogue with Chelsea over the future of Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: Broja crucial for Saints

Since his summer arrival at Saint Mary’s Stadium, Broja has continued to impress both Southampton and Chelsea fans, scoring a top flight goal every 175 minutes this season, a fantastic rate for a player who had rarely stepped foot on a Premier League pitch before 2021.

The 20-year-old has netted five goals in 18 Premier League appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, which makes him Saints’ second top scorer in the league behind James Ward-Prowse.

Hasenhuttl has previously stated that talks are taking place between Martin Semmens and Marina Granovskaia at Chelsea over the Albanian’s future.

According to previous reports from Dan Sheldon of The Athletic, another loan move for Broja is unlikely. Therefore, the loanee will either leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer or he will remain at Stamford Bridge in a bid to fight for his place in Thomas Tuchel’s side.

The Latest: Still in talks with Chelsea

According to Hampshire Live, Southampton are still in talks with Chelsea over the future of Broja, but it remains unlikely that a permanent deal will be completed before the transfer window closes.

Hampshire Live report that talks are only likely to advance once the club have escaped the risk of relegation, as Southampton sit just ten points above the relegation zone.

The Verdict: Unlikely now, possible in the summer

Hasenhuttl will be doing anything he can to ensure that Broja remains a Southampton player beyond the summer. With a lack of attacking threat sometimes an issue following Danny Ings’ departure, it is highly likely that the club will go in for the ‘dangerous’ striker on a permanent deal in the summer.

In the meantime, it seems unlikely that the Saints will be able to bring this possibility forward to the current window. However, Hasenhuttl will be optimistic that he can convince Broja to stay at the club over the remaining months of the season if they can steer well clear of the drop.

In other news: Saints now eyeing electric defender Djed Spence

A round-up of the first week of matches in the MTN40

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2010The Dolphins set the tone for a South African weekend that was dominated by Natal-based sides when they beat the Cobras by 37 runs in Durban. Things started badly for the Dolphins. Loots Bosman, fresh from his trip to the UAE, was out for a duck in the second over. Then, the procession of half centuries began. Cameron Delport (52 off 44 balls), Imraan Khan (53 off 66 balls), Ravi Bopara (80 off 82 balls) and Glen Addicott (70 off 41 balls) helped the Dolphins to a healthy 281 for 6. Bopara shared in a 60-run partnership with Imraan and a 126-run stand with Addicott to earn the Man-of-the-Match award. Monde Zondeki was the most economical bowler for the Cobras, taking 1 for 27 in five overs.In reply the Cobras started strongly. Herschelle Gibbs (40 off 32 balls) and Andrew Puttick (47) put on 69 for the first wicket in 11.3 overs. Gibbs was bowled by Quinton Friend (2-48) and Stiaan van Zyl (20 off 29 balls) joined Puttick at the wicket. Imran Tahir (2-32) was one of the two Dolphins’ substitutes and showed his class as a limited-overs bowler. After he removed van Zyl, the Cobras middle order couldn’t get it together. Justin Kemp scored 37 off 41 balls, but the support he required from Justin Ontong (27 off 25 balls) and Richard Levi (11 off 8 balls) was lacking. The Cobras ended on 244 for 9, handing the Dolphins a respectable win.In Potchefstroom, the Lions beat the Knights by three wickets. The Lions opted to field and had immediate reward. Ethan O’ Reilly (2-33), who Alviro Petersen describes as having “a heart bigger than his body”, plucked two early wickets. Morne van Wyk (0) was bowled with the first ball of the match and Reeza Hendricks was caught behind. Rilee Rossouw rode to the Knights rescue. He scored 102 off 103 balls, with 12 fours and one six, to form the mainstay of the Knights’ innings. Small contributions from Deal Elgar (30 off 39 balls) and Adrian McLaren (29 off 31 balls) helped the visitors to 259 for 8. Paul Harris (2-43) made clear his intention to challenge for a place in the national one-day side with an economical return.The Lions relied on batting contributions all-round to chase down the total. Petersen (49 off 38 balls) and Richard Cameron (52 off 51 balls) rallied to put them in a commanding position after Stephen Cook departed early. Zander de Bruyn (52 off 52 balls) also chipped in with a half-century. Robbie Frylinck (23* off 11 balls) was with Werner Coetsee at the end as the Lions won off the penultimate ball of the match.The Knights will be disappointed with their bowling performance, giving away 20 wides. Dillon du Preez (0-41) will be particularly aggrieved. Despite not bowling a wide, he went for a more than ten runs an over.The Warriors and Titans also contested a thrilling encounter, in which the defending champions beat their northern rivals by four wickets. Makhaya Ntini (1-33) struck early to remove Blake Snijman and Basheer Walters (1-34) had Gulam Bodi out for 5 as the Titans found themselves 22 for 2 in the sixth over.Jacques Rudolph (85 off 95 balls) withstood the storm of wickets and was helped by late bursts from his lower order. Roelof van der Merwe (36* off 32 balls) and David Wiese (39* off 26 balls) propelled the Titans to 212 for 7. None of the Warriors bowlers got more than one wicket.Davy Jacobs led the Warriors reply. His 58 runs came off just 42 balls and laid the foundation for his team. Mario Olivier (2-24) got the Titans back into the game when he removed Jacobs and Arno Jacobs in consecutive overs. Ashwell Prince (45 off 63 balls) and Justin Kreusch (36 off 59 balls) were made to work hard to put the Warriors back in the driving seat. Kelly Smuts (22* off 21 balls) and Lyall Meyer led the Warriors to victory with two balls to spare.Batsman of the week: For the first century of this season’s MTN40 and helping dig his team out of a hole, Rilee Rossouw earns this week’s prize.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to a tweet from the club on injured midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.

The Lowdown: Nakamba’s absence

The player suffered a serious knee injury against Liverpool back in December and hasn’t been seen in a Villa shirt since.

The 28-year-old has had surgery to repair the problem, with the club expecting the holding midfielder to be sidelined for three to four months.

Nakamba missed representing Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations due to his injury and has now been talking to Villa’s media team.

The Latest: Preece reacts to Villa’s tweet on Nakamba

Villa shared a clip of a smiling Nakamba on their official Twitter channel on Thursday afternoon and it elicited a gleeful response from Preece, who labelled it ‘brilliant’.

The journalist quote-tweeted the club’s post, saying: “Tears in my eyes! Brilliant to see Marvelous back smiling and amongst it at Bodymoor. His rehab is going well!”

The Verdict: Villa need him back

Nakamba, who Dean Smith described as ‘very mobile’, is needed back in Steven Gerrard’s squad.

Villa have struggled in recent months, winning just one of their last seven Premier League fixtures, with midfielder Douglas Luiz coming in for criticism from both Preece and Gregg Evans this month.

Hopefully Nakamba will make a return in March after three months out, and judging by the poor start to 2022, it seems as if the club could do with having their November Player of the Month back for the final few months of the season.

In other news: AVFC and Gerrard now likely to move for ‘sensational’ ace with ‘outstanding speed’

Faisal Iqbal, the 28-year-old batsman, has been named captain of the Pakistan A team for the tour of West Indies next month

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2010Faisal Iqbal, the 28-year-old batsman, has been named captain of the Pakistan A team for the tour of West Indies next month. He last played for Pakistan in the infamous Sydney Test against Australia at the start of the year, and leads a side with very little international experience. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Nawaz and opener Khurram Manzoor are the only others in the 15-man squad to have represented Pakistan in more than one match.Pakistan A take on West Indies A in two Twenty20s, three one-day matches and two four-day games in a series that starts on November 3.Squad: Khurram Manzoor, Umair Khan, Abid Ali, Faisal Iqbal (capt), Aamer Sajjad, Naveed Yasin, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Tabish Khan, Mohammad Rameez, Shan Masood

Wednesday night saw Crystal Palace suffer a 1-0 defeat away from home to Eddie Howe’s resurgent Newcastle United side.

The crunch affair between the Eagles and the Magpies was always going to be tight, with a win for either side granting them a ticket to safety in the form of the magic 40-points mark.

Whilst the possession rankings were even in the first half, Howe’s side were in complete control after accumulating a total of ten shots to Palace’s one.

Though the second half was a different story, with Vieira’s side maintaining 78% possession with nine shots to Newcastle’s three.

But this was not enough to test Martin Dubravka between the Newcastle sticks, with Patrick Vieira looking for his side to start games better, having said this in his post-match press conference:

“We responded well in the second half. We entered and wanted to compete and we need to it from the first half an hour, the first minute. We have to compete better. The way we entered the game gave them confidence and belief.”

Vieira’s side were certainly poor early on and although Michael Olise received negative ratings for his efforts, despite being withdrawn after 40 minutes, there was one player had a nightmare on the pitch, with Howe’s side completely sealing him out of the game.

With just five duels won from 14, resulting in a loss of 64% of duels, as well as two off-target shots with 0% shot accuracy – It’s fair to say that Wilfried Zaha “embarrassed” in Wednesday night’s fixture.

The 29-year-old Ivorian lost possession 17 times, and was often not afforded time or space to progress the ball, with just one dribble attempt at 0% success.

But when he was presented with a chance to beat his man, the £130k-per-week player wasted them, before firing off a wayward shot which was the exact scenario in the first half, when Edouard teed up the winger.

It was a game to forget for Zaha, and for Crystal Palace with Vieira surely looking to bounce back after what is now three consecutive losses in all competitions.

In other news: Vieira could terrify Newcastle by unleashing CPFC’s “special” £37k-p/w livewire…

A lacklustre post-lunch performance from West Indies, and rain clouds that once again swooped over Galle in the afternoon, ensured that Sri Lanka held on for a draw in the first Test in Galle

The Bulletin Andrew Fernando in Galle 19-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Mahela Jayawardene marched to his second half-century of the match as Sri Lanka scuppered West Indies’ hope for a win•AFPA lacklustre post-lunch performance from West Indies, and rain clouds that once again swooped over Galle in the afternoon, ensured that Sri Lanka held on for a draw in the first Test in Galle. The visitors were stiff in the field, allowing too many easy runs and despite the fall of two wickets in the afternoon session to go with two from the morning, West Indies failed to make sufficient inroads into the Sri Lankan line-up.The debutant seamer Andre Russell lacked the fire and intensity to cause any concern after lunch as the well-set pair of Tharanga Paranavitana and Mahela Jayawardene negotiated the early overs of the afternoon with relative ease in comparison to the discomfort caused by Kemar Roach in the morning. While Russell maintained a consistent line and length, he lacked the pace and movement to pose a threat, and even the return of Roach could not make an impact.Shane Shillingford too, was handled confidently in the afternoon, despite the offspinner’s dismissal of Paranavitana for 95, midway through the session. Darren Sammy, who had dropped Paranavitana off the same bowler earlier on, held on to this one at slip, after the batsman had looked edgy in the 90s. Mahela, though, who had been tormented by Shillingford through the Test, began to play him with more assurance, twice punching him past point off the back foot, and finding singles and twos in the vacant outfield as Sammy pushed for wickets with men around the bat.Mahela progressed to his second half-century of the match with a straight six off part-timer Brendan Nash, but fell to him two overs later, tamely chipping back to the bowler when he had looked good for a long innings. Thilan Samaraweera struck three fours in his 19 and was looking good in the company of Angelo Mathews before rain intervened once again, forcing the teams off the field and shutting the door on a riveting Test match.It was not always such smooth sailing for Sri Lanka on the final day, though. An electric spell from Roach in the morning had blasted out Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. Roach sizzled through that opening burst, hurling down two hostile maidens to Paranavitana before sending Dilshan’s off stump cartwheeling with a fiery yorker. Sangakkara fell in Roach’s next over, edging outside the off stump, to leave Sri Lanka tottering at 110 for two before Paranavitana and Mahela combined to claw and scrap their way to lunch. The pair survived a tense spell from Shillingford, whose fizzing, biting deliveries did everything but make the crucial breakthrough for the visitors, and took control of the situation after the lunch break.Despite the stalemate, West Indies had positives to take into the second Test following their impressive work in the first innings. Sri Lanka’s second-innings batting and Ajantha Mendis’ spell on the second day was the silver lining in what was otherwise a bleak Test for them. West Indies’ strong show completed the week of the underdog in world cricket as they came away with laudable draws against more fancied opponents, just as New Zealand and Pakistan did against India and South Africa respectively.