All posts by h716a5.icu

Mithali Raj struck an unbeaten 51 to lead India to 128, a score they comfortably defended thanks to legspinner Priyanka Roy and seamer Soniya Dabir who shared 5 for 27 in seven stifling overs

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2011
ScorecardMithali Raj struck an unbeaten 51 to lead India to 128, a score they comfortably defended thanks to legspinner Priyanka Roy and seamer Soniya Dabir who shared 5 for 27 in seven stifling overs.India were powered to a strong start by openers Poonam Raut and Amita Sharma who added 21 in 2.4 overs. Thereafter Mithali took control of the situation, pacing the innings perfectly in Harmanpreet Kaur’s company. The pair added 43 to take India to 85 for 3 in 13.2 overs, and the lower order landed enough blows to sustain the momentum to the end, despite Shemaine Campbelle’s spell of 3 for 20. Reema Malhotra finished the innings in style, reverse-sweeping and lapping the last two deliveries for boundaries.West Indies’ chase began disastrously when Juliana Nero was run out without a run on the board. Deandra Dottin attacked from one end, but India kept striking at the other to cripple the chase. Stacy-Ann King and Shanel Daley tried to revive things with a 40-run stand after the score had limped to 46 for 5, but could not break free, and wickets again began to tumble from the 15th over. Pearl Etienne launched a six towards the end, but barring that, India guarded the boundaries well, and sealed the Twenty20 series to go with their 3-2 ODI triumph.

Nottinghamshire captain David Hussey led from the front with a perfectly judged unbeaten innings of 47 off 35 balls they beat Durham by four wickets

25-Jun-2010
ScorecardDavid Hussey and Graeme White celebrate after their match-winning stand•Getty ImagesNottinghamshire captain David Hussey led from the front with a perfectly judged unbeaten innings of 47 off 35 balls as the Friends Provident t20 North Group leaders beat Durham by four wickets with three balls remaining.Needing 56 off the last five overs and with 18 balls left, Hussey combined with tail-ender Graeme White (26 not out) to fashion an unlikely victory and continue the Outlaws’ march towards the quarter-finals.Opposing skipper Phil Mustard top-scored with 35 as Durham totalled 155 for 9 on a pitch offering turn for the spinners, with Samit Patel taking 2 for 15 from his four overs. Matt Wood hit a brisk 36 before becoming one of two victims for offspinner Gareth Breese as Nottinghamshire slipped to 75 for 5.But White then hit Liam Plunkett for a six and a four in the 18th over, Hussey launched Steve Harmison for a straight six in the 19th and finished the match with a boundary off Albie Morkel.Durham’s powerful opening partnership had got the visitors off to a flying start, with Mustard smashing six fours as the Dynamos raced to 50 off their first five overs before hitting a rising delivery from Darren Pattinson to cover. Ian Blackwell was bowled by Dirk Nannes and the arrival of left-arm spinner Patel put the brakes on the Durham innings, with four wickets falling in consecutive overs, two to Patel and two to medium-pacer Steven Mullaney.Seventeen runs came off the 19th over bowled by Ryan Sidebottom, and while Morkel was caught at cover in the final over from Nannes, a Ben Harmison six boosted the Durham total past 150.Nottinghamshire openers Alex Hales and Ali Brown were both back in the pavilion inside the first three overs but Wood got the Outlaws’ innings going with a brace of sixes and four fours as he added 54 in six overs for the third wicket with Patel.Breese removed both batsmen and when Morkel saw Chris Read pull to midwicket in the 15th over, Durham looked safe. The return of Plunkett proved a costly error as the former England seamer went for 16, including two wides, before Hussey stepped up to complete the comeback.

The series opener at the Rose Bowl was heading for a tight finish at the halfway point of England’s chase, as their innings threatened to mirror Australia’s stop-start effort

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale22-Jun-2010 by 4 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEoin Morgan starred with his third one-day international century•Getty ImagesIt took England until the seventh and final ODI to beat Australia last year; nine months later, Eoin Morgan produced his best one-day international innings to ensure they would start the series on a high. Morgan’s unbeaten 103 was the standout performance of the match, more authoritative than Michael Clarke’s anchoring role for Australia, and it was enough to separate two sides that otherwise mirrored each other.Before this game, Morgan had passed 80 on five occasions in ODIs, but those efforts had come against Bangladesh, Canada, Scotland or Netherlands. Triple figures against Australia is another thing entirely. He drove England home with four overs to spare, by which time the only real point of interest was whether he had enough runs to play with to reach his hundred.He did it with the final stroke of the match, a lovely straight drive for four that brought a victory and a century. It was a wonderful innings from Morgan, who could do no wrong. He struck 16 boundaries and they came all around the ground, with drives, cuts, pulls, reverse sweeps, glances – all perfectly placed. No other batsman throughout the day found similar touch.At the halfway point of Australia’s innings they were 112 for 4; after 25 overs of England’s chase the score was 115 for 4. All of Australia’s specialists reached double figures, as did their England counterparts, but only one man from each side turned his start into a half-century. For Australia, that was a sedate but admirable 87 from Clarke; for England, it was a powerful, matchwinning hundred from Morgan.He proved a handful for Australia’s attack, which always threatened to be the weak link in their line-up. Doug Bollinger had played 21 previous ODIs, Ryan Harris had figured in 13, and the 19-year-old Josh Hazlewood was on debut. None had played international cricket in England, and only Harris was sharp from the start. Bollinger found no swing and bowled too straight, and Hazlewood began nervously. Somehow, with a couple of wickets from Shane Watson, England were temporarily kept in check.Harris gave them an early breakthrough when he angled one across Andrew Strauss, who edged behind, before Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood fell trying to dominate Watson. Hazlewood, Australia’s youngest ODI debutant, snared his first victim when he nipped one back to bowl the impressive Craig Kieswetter (38) with the first ball after the drinks break.Then came Morgan. He had some help from Luke Wright, whose 36 included a wonderful lofted six over long-on against Watson, but Morgan was the key. He kept the run-rate under control and made sure England would take a 1-0 lead to Cardiff.It was a result that didn’t surprise some England observers, who felt Australia’s side lacked experience. That was a bit of a myth; even leaving Ponting out of the count, Australia’s remaining 10 players had a combined 670 games behind them, compared to 696 from England’s full team.But Australia’s veterans were all in the batting department, so on a good surface they were disappointed to post 267 for 7. The problem was a steady stream of wickets, two each to James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Wright, and one to Michael Yardy. Other than a brief early fling from Watson, Australia never dominated England’s attack.Unlikely though it was, Wright was an important figure with the ball. Just as Australia’s muscular blond allrounder Watson collected two handy wickets in England’s top order, his doppelganger Wright did the same for the hosts. Tim Paine played on to Wright and Ricky Ponting couldn’t lift his pull over the man at fine leg, before Cameron White was also surprised by Wright’s pace and was struck by a sharp bouncer.It was left to Clarke to ensure Australia batted out their overs, and having made two ducks in the warm-up games it was to his credit that he achieved that goal. He put away boundaries at times – a straight drive here or a punch through cover there – but struggled to lift his rate in the dying overs, when Australia were hoping to push closer to 300.Notably, Clarke struck seven boundaries to Morgan’s 16. Not that the loss was Clarke’s fault; he just needed support. Morgan didn’t need much backup from anyone.

An update has emerged regarding Rangers’ efforts to add a new signing to their ranks at Ibrox during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are in advanced discussions over a deal for New York City midfielder James Sands.

The report claims that Rangers are poised to land the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the current campaign, before then re-signing him on another season-long loan.

Masterstroke

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could land a masterstroke by securing this deal to sign Sands on an initial 18-month loan. Financially, it appears to be a fantastic deal for Rangers, as they are able to enjoy his talents for a season-and-a-half before deciding whether or not he is a good fit in the long run.

This means that they will not be out of pocket significantly if Sands is unable to make an impact in Glasgow. If it doesn’t work out, the club can send him back to New York and cut short his loan, instead of potentially losing out on a transfer fee and struggling to find a buyer to take him off their hands. This is why the deal could be a masterstroke from a financial point of view.

In terms of what happens on the pitch, his performances in the MLS are extremely promising. His former coach Patrick Vieira previously hailed him after he handed the youngster a first-team debut at the age of 16, saying: “We wanted to give him an experience because he’s been doing really well in the academy.

“We wanted to see him to see how he would cope with the intensity and the level of tactical, mental and physical demand. I’ve been really impressed with him – he’s really calm, composed and good on the ball. He’s really smart as a footballer.

“I think we have a special talent in our football club.”

The 21-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 in MLS last year, having averaged a score of 7.01 in 2020 and 6.88 the year before. This shows that he has been consistently delivering good performances across three campaigns despite his young age, suggesting that he has the potential to come in at Rangers and become a solid performer for the Light Blues if he is able to adapt to Scottish football.

Sands is also hugely versatile and could help plug the gap left by the departure of Nathan Patterson to Everton today. He is capable of playing at right-back, centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, which could make him a valuable asset for Van Bronckhorst to use in a variety of ways on the pitch.

Along with the financial aspect of the deal, this is why a loan move for the 21-year-old could be a masterstroke from the Rangers coach. It is now down to him and Ross Wilson to ensure that they can get it over the line so that the American can come in and start playing straight after the winter break.

AND in other news, Rangers can brutally axe £5.6k-p/w dud if Van Bronckhorst signs beast who’s a “nightmare to mark”…

Newcastle United moved 12 points clear of the bottom three in the Premier League with a dramatic win against Leicester on Sunday.

Bruno Guimaraes’ last-minute winner sealed the three points for the Toon as his double turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win for Eddie Howe.

They are now all but safe from relegation as they have given themselves a huge gap to the bottom three with six games left to play.

This means that Howe can begin to plot what he wants to do in the transfer market this summer in order to push on in 2022/23 to compete higher up in the table instead of battling against the drop.

One player who has recently been touted with the Magpies is RC Lens central midfielder Seko Fofana as PIF look to bolster the club’s options in the middle of the park.

Imagine him & Wilson

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign the Ivorian because he can form a dream partnership with Callum Wilson in black and white next term.

Fofana, who is reportedly valued at £25m, has shown off his attacking quality in Ligue 1 this season and the prospect of him and Wilson linking up with each other through the middle of the pitch is an exciting one.

Journalist Said Amdaa recently lauded the gem. He Tweeted: “Seko Fofana. Unplayable in midfield with monster activity. Recoverer/scorer. Very reliable, the captain did not miss any match with Lens. His absence from the CAN with the (Ivory Coast) cost him 1st place for this title of best AFRICAN player in L1.”

In Ligue 1, he has scored seven goals and created 1.1 chances per match for Lens, whilst also completing 1.9 dribbles per game. This shows that he has the ability to break forward from midfield to make things happen in the final third and

Wilson, meanwhile, is Newcastle’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with six goals to his name in just 14 appearances. This is after he managed 12 goals and five assists in 23 starts in 2020/21 for the Toon, showing that he can be a deadly option at this level.

Now, imagine Fofana playing as a number eight or as a 10 behind Wilson up front with both of the breaking forward on the counter-attack to punish teams next season. They have both proven that they are dangerous in the final third and teams will surely be worried about facing the Magpies if they have that level of firepower in their XI.

AND in other news, NUFC could finally axe shocking £80k-p/w flop with “insane” £40m “star in the making”…

A round-up of the first day of the first round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2010L Balaji’s 12th first-class four-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl Assam out for 184 on the opening day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Assam began cautiously after TN chose to field on a pitch that had plenty of carry, and the openers had seen off 13.3 overs, adding 24 before debutant seamer Sunil Sam made the first breakthrough. Dheeraj Jadhav, Assam’s top-scorer last season, slashed and edged to the wicketkeeper. Sridharan Sriram, the left-hand batsman who hails from TN, could not make an impact against his old team-mates, and became Balaji’s first victim when he cut to gully. Parvez Aziz played offspinner R Ashwin with confidence and had moved to 36 with six boundaries. He also fought through a stream of bouncers before offering S Badrinath a catch off Balaji’s bowling. Badrinath had to dive low and to his left at second slip to take the chance. When star import Amol Muzumdar departed for a duck, nicking Balaji behind, TN sensed an opportunity to shoot Assam out for a low score. The spinners Aushik Srinivas and R Ashwin nipped three wickets between them, while a couple of run-outs added to Assam’s woes as they stumbled to a score under 200. TN’s openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha then batted with determination to take their side to 21 without loss by the close.Wasim Jaffer purred along to his 40th first-class century, while Rohit Sharma missed his ninth by seven runs as Mumbai launched their title defence by scoring 340 for 7 on the opening day at the Bandra Kurla Complex against Saurashtra. On a day that would have left both sides reasonably satisfied, there were several important individual performances that stood out. Dropping himself to No. 3 in the absence of the injured middle-order bulwark Ajinkya Rahane, Jaffer carried on his penchant for plundering domestic hundreds, after Jayesh Odedra’s double-strike. At the other end, with the selectors’ eye on his fitness and temperament, Rohit launched himself into the Saurashtra attack with typical elegance. His 93 came off 86 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, leading Mumbai to 252 for 2 and in sight of a towering score. Then came the third most significant performance of the day, from another India hopeful. Ravindra Jadeja has had his place in the Indian questioned by all and sundry, and he responded with an incisive spell with the game threatening to run away. He dismissed Sharma, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar, leading Saurashtra’s resurgence in the evening session and left them with an opportunity to finish Mumbai’s innings early on the second day.For more on this match, click here.Opener Arindam Das’ seventh first-class century was the highlight of the opening day at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Bengal posted a dominant 313 for 2 against a Delhi attack that struggled for incisiveness. Ten months after the abandonment of an ODI due to an underprepared pitch, the Kotla track was at its benign best as Das settled down for a big innings, in Shreevats Goswami’s company. The pair raised 133 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a taste of what was to come before Goswami fell for 68, the first of Mithun Manhas’ two wickets. Abhishek Chowdhury was more cautious, but it did not affect Bengal’s speed of scoring as Das shifted gears upwards. Manoj Tiwary who came in at Chowdhury’s exit kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 47 off 80 balls. At the other end, Das, kicked on after reaching his ton and finished the day unbeaten on 150. His knock included 19 fours, and he looked good for more when stumps were drawn.For more on this match, click here.Yuvraj Singh managed a half-century but, like the rest of his top-order mates, was guilty of throwing away a start, as Uttar Pradesh held Punjab to 279 for 6 on the opening day at the Bhamashah Stadium in Meerut. Sarul Kanwar began in aggressive fashion after Punjab chose to bat, striking eight fours in his run-a-ball 42. However, after an opening stand worth 56, Praveen Kumar removed Kanwar and Ravi Inder Singh off successive overs, exposing Punjab’s middle order. Uday Kaul rebuilt in Yuvraj’s company, the pair raising 61 for the third wicket before a mini-collapse reduced Punjab to 143 for 5. Karan Goel rose to the occasion, and along with Vishwas Bhalla, lifted his side to respectability with a 72-run alliance. Piyush Chawla prised out Bhalla, but Harmeet Singh counterattacked with four fours and a six in his 29, taking Punjab to stumps along with Goel, who was unbeaten on 56.Gujarat’s top order gave a good account of themselves without managing to dominate the Railways attack, leaving both sides on par at stumps on an attritional opening day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Every Gujarat batsman got a start in a score of 234 for 4, but only one managed to reach fifty, while most bowlers gained respect without making enough entries in the wickets column. Jay Desai and Priyank Kirit Panchal ground out an opening stand of 58 in 28 overs before exiting on the same score. Niraj Patel and Parthiv Patel showed more urgency in a stand of 74, but both failed to kick on, as Gujarat found themselves unable to reap the rewards of solidity. That partnership, however, eased the pressure on the remaining batsmen. Bhavik Thaker, coming in at No. 5, did better than the top four, ensuring he crossed his half-century and remained unbeaten at stumps. His innings included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Faiz Fazal. Debutant Pratharesh Parmar held up the other end with an undefeated 28 and the pair will want to push ahead on the second day. Parthiv praised his batsmen for their effort. “The wicket was green and two-paced,” he told the . “So, it was a challenge to play the first 30 overs and we did it.”Opening bowler Basanth Mohanty completed his sixth first-class five-wicket haul as Orissa bullied Baroda, reducing them to 99 for 9 on a curtailed day at the Barabati Stadium. After overnight rains delayed the start by half an hour, Orissa captain Shiv Sundar Das had no hesitation in bowling after winning the toss in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Baroda’s batsmen, star players Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu included, had no answers against Basanth in an innings where only three batsmen managed to enter double-figures. Things could have been far worse for Baroda if not for Rakesh Solanki’s unbeaten 44. Debasis Mohanty, Alok Chandra Sahoo and Dhiraj Singh complemented Basanth’s efforts with a wicket apiece as Baroda derailed in shocking fashion.Himachal Pradesh’s bowlers contained Haryana on the opening day, as the visitors crawled to 204 for 4 in Dharmasala. After choosing to field, the hosts started well, with seamer Jitendra Mehta removing Nitin Saini for five, but wickets were hard to come by after that. Rahul Dewan held vigil for 40 watchful overs, his 46 pushing the score to 88, before he perished against Ashok Thakur. Manav Sharma and Hemang Badani carried on in the same vein, their partnership of 74 spanning nearly 30 overs before Manav fell four short of his half-century. Badani brought up his 37th first-class fifty, and the first for Haryana, but more importantly, ensured he was unbeaten till the end.

Praveen Kumar, the Indian fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Twenty20 due to a side strain

Cricinfo staff06-May-2010Praveen Kumar, the Indian fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Twenty20 due to a side strain. His replacement will be Vidarbha and Delhi Daredevils fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who impressed with his pace during the recent IPL.Yadav, 22, got the call from the Vidarbha Cricket Association earlier in the afternoon and he will leave for the Caribbean on Friday from Mumbai. Yadav, who picked six wickets at 30 in the seven IPL matches, acknowledged the help he got from Eric Simons, the Daredevils’ bowling coach, who is also the Indian team’s bowling consultant.”I am completely surprised. And that, too, for a World Cup, I really find it hard to believe,” Yadav told Cricinfo from the Nagpur airport. “But I have been enjoying my bowling especially in the last year so it is bearing the fruits now.” Yadav was not part of the pool of 30 probables but needs a nod from the tournament’s technical committee, which should be a formality.Praveen had sustained the injury during a practice session at the 3Ws Oval and the Indian team management sent him for an MRI which revealed the injury. He bowled only one over in the victory over South Africa in St Lucia, but his services will be missed in Barbados, where the pitches have plenty of pace and bounce. If India decide to go with three fast bowlers against Australia on Friday, Karnataka seamer Vinay Kumar could make his international debut.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Ajax gem Nicolas Tagliafico…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports journalist Matteo Moretto, both the Magpies and Chelsea are both looking into the possibility of a swoop for the Eredivisie full-back.

The report claims that he will be allowed to leave the Dutch giants in the January transfer window and he could be on his way to England.

Major issue

The left-back position has been a major cause for concern this season and the signing of Tagliafico can solve this problem for Howe, which is why Newcastle must seal a deal for the Argentine international.

Jamal Lewis is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, after finally being given a chance following Steve Bruce’s exit from the club, and no one else has managed to perform well in that area of the pitch.

Javier Manquillo was given the nod against Manchester United earlier this week and produced a woeful performance, although it could be somewhat excused by the fact he is a right-back by trade.

Howe should not be forced into playing a right-footer at left-back and this highlights why this is a position that needs to be addressed in January.

Matt Ritchie has averaged an unimpressive SofaScore rating of 6.66 in the Premier League, showing that he has not been able to perform to a good standard consistently.

Tagliafico, meanwhile, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.17 or higher in each of his four full Eredivise seasons for Ajax. This suggests that the £44k-per-week gem is able to put in excellent displays week-in-week-out, which could make him a reliable option for Howe to call upon at left-back, solving their key problem.

Former Premier League forward Kevin Campbell previously hailed the gem when asked if he would be a good addition to Leeds’ squad. He told Football Insider:

“He is a top-quality player. He’s got lots of experience in the Champions League and on the international stage so I think it would be a smart signing.”

It is now down to Howe to ensure that Newcastle are able to beat Chelsea, or whoever else wants Tagliafico, to his signature in order to bolster his squad in January.

The 29-year-old could then compete alongside Lewis for a spot in the team when the Northern Irishman is back from injury and Manquillo and Ritchie will not be needed to play.

AND in other news, Howe must work his magic with NUFC dud whose value has plummeted £8.1m in 2 years…

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘interested’ in signing Yves Bissouma in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: High praise for Bissouma

Bissouma has previously been lauded as one of the best central midfield players in the Premier League, as Gary Lineker has dubbed him as ‘exceptional’, while Ray Parlour believes that he has ‘got everything’.

Aside from his manager Graham Potter, who has noted how ‘fast and strong’ he is in the middle of the park, Leicester City and FA Cup-winning boss Brendan Rodgers has also spoken highly of his qualities, while Jermaine Jenas believes that he would not look out of place at either Manchester City or Manchester United.

Nonetheless, Bissouma is clearly good enough to play for any team in the top flight, and so if he were to arrive at St. James’ Park, it would prove to be a real coup.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per French football journalist and commentator Fabrice Hawkins, Bissouma is the ‘subject of several offers’, with a £30m offer already being ‘rebuffed’ by the Seagulls.

However, he will not leave the Amex Stadium unless there is an ‘exceptional’ bid put on the table, and while the North East club are ‘interested’ and could match that bid financially, they face competition from both Aston Villa and Arsenal for his signature.

The Verdict: Statement signing

Following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, the Tyneside outfit have already strengthened in defence and in attack.

Midfield may then be next on the list, and signing Bissouma from a team above them in the league would be a real statement of intent.

Now at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Mali, the 25-year-old is currently ranked as the sixth-best centre midfielder in the top flight to have played at least 10 games by WhoScored, and so would certainly be an upgrade on Eddie Howe’s current options.

Nonetheless, to take him off of one of their Premier League rivals, like they did with Wood at Burnley, would put a stern message out to the rest of the division.

In other news, find out which ‘special’ £50m-rated forward is now the ‘priority’ for NUFC here!

Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, said taking early wickets was the key to West Indies’ push for a win against Sri Lanka

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle16-Nov-2010Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, said taking early wickets was the key to West Indies’ push for a win against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle. Nash scored 64 and shared a record fourth-wicket partnership of 167 with triple-century maker Chris Gayle to strengthen West Indies’ position.”We are on top at the moment, 500-plus ahead,” Nash said. “Sri Lanka is used to scoring big runs so we have to be tight. We have a young bowling attack, experience-wise. On this sort of wicket with the batsmen to come, we have to be really on our game and stick to our game plan. Early wickets are the key and the spinners are going to play a big part as their spinners did. There’s not much in it for the seam bowlers.”Nash said that it was a privilege batting with Gayle who went on to make a career-best 333. Gayle became the highest scoring West Indian batsman in the subcontinent and the fourth batsman in history to make two triple-hundreds. “Chris really summed it up quite well. He knew when to attack and when to pull back a little bit,” Nash said. “That was maybe (because of) the way the wicket played, and they bowled very well in patches.”We didn’t have target in mind but I tried to keep him going. The conditions for him were changing. He’s been out there from ball one and I tried to just keep him mentally going and physically tried to hold him up.” Nash said the few targets West Indies had set for themselves they had met but expressed disappointment the way the last five wickets were lost.Spinner Ajantha Mendis captured five wickets for 13 runs off 46 balls to trigger a West Indies collapse. He ended with six wickets for 169. “Mendis bowled very well. We sort of have to look at him and work out a bit of a game plan against him when the wickets breaking up a little bit and a bit drier.”Probably the runs we would have liked a little more but Sri Lanka slowed the game down very well. Tactically they played very well. The amount of overs we batted were right because we wanted to keep the game moving forward and didn’t want it to peter out to be a draw. That’s why we set ourselves how many overs we wanted to bat and we wanted a few more runs admittedly but it was good in a way we batted to all our targets.”