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A couple of days after winning India a game with an unbeaten fifty at No. 6, Suresh Raina has said he wants to bat higher up the order in ODIs so that he can score hundreds and make a case for a Test comeback

Abhishek Purohit in Colombo30-Jul-2012A couple of days after winning India a game with an unbeaten fifty at No. 6, Suresh Raina has said he wants to bat higher up the order in ODIs so that he can score hundreds and make a case for a Test comeback. Raina, who has played 15 Tests, was ignored for India’s home series against West Indies and the tour of Australia after averaging 13.12 in four Tests in England in mid-2011.”I would love to [move up the order],” Raina said. “If I get to bat up the order I can play more overs and score more hundreds. I have scored only three [ODI] hundreds in my career. I need to play longer innings and score more runs [so that] I can come back into the Test team. Wherever I get a chance to bat, at No. 4, 5 or 6, I have to bat anywhere.”Raina started with a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2010 but has been criticized for failing to tackle the short ball in the format. He said he had been working on the weakness and pointed out that of his eight Test dismissals in England, four had been to the offspinner Graeme Swann.”I have been discussing my batting with Duncan Fletcher (the coach). In Twenty20 and 50 overs you have to play your shots. I am now looking to duck the [short] ball. At the same time I need to score runs, [so I need to] tap the ball and take singles. It’s all mental. If you are playing Test cricket, you have to duck the ball. In England I did not do well. I got out once to the short ball and four-five times to Swann. Still, I have done well in Test cricket. I need to do well in two more [ODI] games and then I can be available for the No. 6 or No. 7 slot [in Tests].”Raina, who has developed a reputation as a fine finisher in limited-overs cricket, credited his “tough days” at the sports hostel in Lucknow for his calm approach under pressure in big games. “[The hostel] didn’t have good facilities. But we would get good inputs and we would practise from that. And we learnt that whatever chances we got, we would remain tough. If we got to bat in pressure situations, we would make sure that we finished the job. I have learnt a lot about middle-order batting from Yuvraj [Singh] and [MS] Dhoni. Dhoni and I have been successful as a pair while chasing.”

Kumar Sangakkara entered the Rose Bowl Test as a visibly reluctant captain, but by the close of the fourth day’s play, he had emerged as Sri Lanka’s only realistic hope of escaping the match with a draw

Andrew Miller at the Rose Bowl19-Jun-2011Kumar Sangakkara entered the Rose Bowl Test as a visibly reluctant captain, but by the close of the fourth day’s play, he had tapped back into his leadership qualities to emerge as Sri Lanka’s only realistic hope of escaping the match with a draw. By the close he was 44 not out from 111 balls, already his best score of the series, and as coach Stuart Law cast one optimistic eye to the heavens, he admitted that anything less than a century would probably spell curtains for his team.”There is a forecast that suggests there will be some weather about tomorrow,” said Law. “It’s a shame, as it’s hampered the tour and robbed the viewing public of some quality cricket. But while it’s in the air we’ve still got to bat well and with Sanga at the crease we’re a very good chance of saving this Test. We need some runs from the middle and late order, but Sanga really is the one to watch tomorrow.”Sangakkara’s record in England – which currently stands at 445 runs in nine Tests at 27.81 – is a curious anomaly, a blot on a career record that is already guaranteed to be recalled among the greats. At the age of 33, there is no guarantee he will be back for a fourth tour of England, but by the close he was doing his best to finish this series on a personal high, as he wore the blows of England’s confident attack and responded with some counter-thrusts of his own, not least a whistling cover-drive to draw the sting of Stuart Broad’s most probing spell of the series.His looseness outside off stump had a been a notable frailty in his first five innings of the series, and one stabbed cut in James Anderson’s final spell bounced inches short of gully. Nevertheless, from the moment he got off the mark with a classy first-ball whip off the pads, Sangakkara looked primed for the tussle that awaited him, as he swayed out of the way of a vicious lifter from Chris Tremlett, and took another ball from Broad on the body rather than let his gloves get in the way.”Sanga rarely doesn’t have the bit between his teeth to be honest,” said Law. “If anything he comes out of his comfort zone here and tries too hard to put it right. He scores runs for fun in places like Australia and he’s done well in South Africa too, so it’s not that he can’t play outside the subcontinent. But it’s just taken him a while to realise his game and what he needs to do. I think tonight he batted with extreme purpose and looked every bit the world-class player he is.”Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, they still shipped three prime wickets, including Mahela Jayawardene for another single-figure score. The debutant Larihu Thirimanne knuckled down with great resolve to grind out a doughty 38, while Tharanga Paranavitana once again showcased his durability, even if he was unable to turn his crease occupation into runs in an hour-long stay for 10. When asked if he was happy with the application shown by his team, Law was disarmingly honest. “Not really,” he said. “You’d always like more.Kumar Sangakkara’s unbeaten 44 helped Sri Lanka retain hopes of drawing the third Test•AFP

“But I’m really impressed with Lahiru,” he added. “He’s gutsed it out, and he played well. As a young kid making his debut in circumstances he’s very foreign to, I’m very proud of the way he played today. It’s just unfortunate he got out at the wrong time. Obviously you always want your batsmen to score hundreds every time they go out. That’s never going to happen, but we do need a bit more.”Prior to the game, Sangakkara’s captaincy concerns had hinted at a degree of unrest within the team. The impending return of the player-turned-politician, Sanath Jayasuriya, at the age of 41 is the issue that will confront them as soon as this match is over and attention switches to the one-day leg of the tour. But as Law was at pains to point out, whatever external pressures may currently exist, the players themselves are just pressing on as best they can.”The dressing room is very happy,” he said. “The boys always walk in with a smile on their face. Whatever else happens in the next few weeks, we have no control over it. We have to go out there and play some cricket.”They deal with these kind of issues day in, day out,” he added. “It’s never nice but the boys are happy, they get on with their cricket. They know they’ve got a job, they love playing for their country. They do it for a lot of people back home, they are very proud of that and they want to keep that intact.”It hasn’t gone well for us [so far], but that’s not to do with anything in the dressing-room. It’s because England have been very, very good. We probably haven’t stepped up to the mark a few times, but we have at certain times.”As for Law himself, his own future as coach is still up in the air, with a full-time successor to Trevor Bayliss still to be appointed. “I have spoken to the right people so hopefully it will be resolved very soon,” he said. In the immediate future, Sri Lanka will hope the same can be said of Sangakkara’s record in England.

Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive, has criticised the ‘frenetic’ schedule in this season’s Friend Provident t20

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive, has criticised the ‘frenetic’ schedule in this season’s Friend Provident t20 and has called for a reduced Twenty20 competition to be fit into a four-week window next year.When it was launched in 2003 Twenty20 cricket proved a major hit with the public but this year’s extended competition, which lasts 151 games, has come under fire from administrators as crowd numbers have fallen and Sheldon is the latest to express his disquiet.”We have evidence that the number of matches in this year’s competition has not increased interest,” he said. “We are strongly in favour of creating an enhanced competition, in a concentrated period of three to four weeks, involving both England and overseas players.”It was not just the diminishing crowds that concerned Sheldon, he also feels that with each side playing so many games the schedule has become cramped and prevents players from preparing fully for their matches.”The competition has been very frenetic with players dashing around the country in very very short order,” he added. “At one stage, we played a four-day match against Derbyshire and then had to start an FPt20 match back at The Oval less than 24 hours later. The time for preparation has really been foreshortened.”We are looking for a shorter, punchier competition. The quality needs to be stronger and the quantity fewer.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O duelo entre Náutico e Remo encerra oprimeiro turno do Grupo A da Série C. Na zona de rebaixamento, os dois times possuem apenas sete pontos e por isso, o confronto deste sábado é tão importante para as equipes. Dependendo do resultado, o sonho do acesso à Série B se mantém. A partida está marcada para às 16h, na Arena de Pernambuco.

O técnico do Náutico,Márcio Goiano, poderá contar com o atacante Ortigoza, recuperado de uma gripe.Na lateral esquerda, a expectativa é que o treinador improvise o volante Josa na vaga de Tiago Costa. Outra mudança será a entrada Jobson no meio-campo no lugar de Luiz Henrique, suspenso pelo terceiro cartão amarelo.

Dessa forma, o Timbu deve ir a campo com: Bruno; Thiago Ennes, Camutanga, Camacho e Josa; Jonathan, Jobson, Dudu e Lelê; Robinho e Ortigoza.

Arthur Oliveira, técnico do Remo, ainda não terá o volanteVacaria, recém-contratado, à disposição.O lateral Esquerdinha, recuperado de lesão, e o meia Everton, retornando de suspensão, voltam ao time titular do Leão. Por conta da entrada de Everton,Dedeco deve ser escalado como cabeça de área.O volante Fernandes também pode reforçar a equipe, já que está recuperado de lesão.

O provável Leão Azul é composto por: Vinícius; Nininho, Mimica, Moisés e Esquerdinha; Leandro Brasília, Dedeco, Rodriguinho, Rafael Bastos e Everton; Eliandro.

أكد عامر حسين رئيس لجنة المسابقات أن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، أجل مباريات الأهلي أمام القطن الكاميروني وصن داونز الجنوب إفريقي.

ويلعب الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، رفقة صن داونز والقطن الكاميروني والهلال السوداني.

طالع أيضًا | رئيس الاتحاد يزف بشرى سارة لجماهير الأهلي.. ويعلق على علاقته بـ مرتضى منصور

وقال حسين في تصريحات لفضائية “الحياة”: “كاف أرسل لنا أمس الاثنين بشكل رسمي تأجيل مباراتي الأهلي والقطن الكاميروني ليوم 3 أو 4 من شهر مارس المقبل و17 أو 18 من نفس الشهر، ومباراة صن داونز ليوم 10 أو 11 مارس، وبالتالي سيتدث تعديلات في جدول الدوري وتأجيل مباريات للأهلي”.

وتابع: “سيكون هناك ضغطًا في مباريات خلال الفترة المقبلة، ستخوض 4 أندية مصرية مباريات إفريقية في شهر فبراير المقبل بخلاف كأس العالم للأندية، حيث سيتوجه الأهلي إلى المغرب قبل البطولة بـ 4 أو 5 أيام، وآخر لقاء سيخوضه يوم 24 يناير أمام البنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري”.

وكشف: “إذا صعد الأهلي إلى نهائي كأس مصر سيتم تأجيله، من المفترض أن موعده يوم 3 فبراير المقبل، إذا لم يصعد الأهلي إلى النهائي سيقام في موعده”.

وأشار: “الأندية المشاركة في بطولتي إفريقيا لديها فرصة في يناير لتدعيم فرقها، لكي لا يشتكون من ضغط المباريات في الفترة المقبلة، كاف ترك شهر يناير وضغط المباريات في شهري فبراير ومارس المقبلين”.

وأكمل عامر حسين: “انتهاء الدوري في موعده يوم 30 يونيو المقبل حتى بمشاركة الأهلي في مونديال الأندية، وتعديلات الجدول أمر متوقف على مدى وصول الأندية في بطولات إفريقيا”.

وعن مسألة مشاركة الأهلي في السوبر المصري المقبل إذا خسر من سموحة في قبل نهائي الكأس ووجوده في المركز الثالث بترتيب الدوري الموسم الماضي، قال: “السوبر المصري يقام بين بطل الدوري والكأس، هذه لوائح”.

Should batsmen walk when they know they’re out? This World Cup has thrown up several incidents that have reignited the debate around walking, an issue that gained prominence in the 2003 World Cup semi-final between Australia and Sri Lanka where Adam Gilchrist walked back to the pavilion after an appeal for a catch against him had met with no response from the umpire.Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, and Gilchrist’s former team-mate, was in a similar situation against Pakistan on Saturday, where a caught-behind appeal against him had been turned down. Unlike Gilchrist, he stayed his ground. The decision was reviewed by Pakistan and he was adjudged out, but all along he knew he had nicked the ball.”There were no doubts about the nick, I knew I hit it, but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That’s the way I’ve always played the game,” Ponting said.The New Zealand-Sri Lanka game in Mumbai involved a controversial decision when what appeared to be clean, and a brilliantly taken, one-handed catch by Nathan McCullum off Mahela Jayawardene was ruled not out by the third umpire Amish Saheba as replays were possibly inconclusive. Jayawardene, once the catch was claimed, stayed his ground and ultimately got the decision in his favour.”If I felt it was a clean catch, I would have walked,” Jayawardene said. “It was a 50-50 thing and it was fair it went to the TV umpire.”However, “it depends upon the person,” Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain for that game, said. “You look at Jacques Kallis. He asks the fielders if they caught it cleanly and he trusts the words of the fielders. You put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the end of the day you just hope the technology is right and if the technology is not right, well then don’t use it.”In India’s game against West Indies in Chennai, Sachin Tendulkar, a century away from completing 100 international tons, walked when he inside-edged Ravi Rampaul to the wicketkeeper as Steve Davis, the umpire, shook his head. Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, was effusive in praising Tendulkar’s decision to walk. “It shows the measure of the man,” Sammy said. “He is a true gentleman. After 17,000 runs, he could walk. That was brilliant on the part of Sachin.””It’s nice to see people walking but that doesn’t happen now I guess,” Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, said. He added that despite the availability of technology, batsmen could still take a chance with the replays. “There is a system in place now so that you can’t get away with it. I mean people still take chances and why not? Jayawardene took a chance and it went the other way.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Foram apenas cinco jogos, todos por fases eliminatórias de Campeonato Paulista e Copa do Brasil, com três derrotas e duas vitórias. Mas as estatísticas apontam uma cara do São Paulo que o técnico Diego Aguirre está montando: um time com atitude para tentar desarmar e finalizar.

De acordo com os números do Footstats, o Tricolor do treinador uruguaio finalizou mais do que o adversário em quatro partidas. E também em apenas um dos compromissos o rival realizou um número maior de desarmes, indicando uma tendência da equipe.

A única vez que o São Paulo de Aguirre finalizou menos do que o oponente foi na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Corinthians, em Itaquera, pela semifinal do Campeonato Paulista. Esse apontamento deixa clara, contudo, a postura tricolor nos minutos finais daquele clássico, permanecendo no campo de defesa para proteger o goleiro Sidão e a vantagem adquirida com a vitória por 1 a 0 na ida, no Morumbi – o clube acabou eliminado nos pênaltis.

O São Paulo do substituto de Dorival Júnior só não teve, ao menos, o dobro das finalizações do adversário quando perdeu de Corinthians (7 a 17) e São Caetano (10 contra 8). No jogo de volta das quartas de final do Paulista, contra o São Caetano, no Morumbi, o time venceu por 2 a 0 finalizando mais do que o triplo de vezes do rival (19 contra 6) – veja abaixo os números de cada jogo da equipe com o recém-contratado técnico.

Desarmar muito também tende a ser uma característica com Aguirre. O único compromisso com desempenho inferior no quesito foi exatamente na estreia do técnico, perdendo por 1 a 0 para o São Caetano, no ABC, mas com curtíssima diferença (16 contra 17). Nas duas últimas partidas, com derrotas fora de casa para Corinthians e Atlético-PR, o Tricolor teve mais do que o dobro de desarmes – 32 contra 13 e 16 contra 7, respectivamente.

Na análise separada de outros critérios, o São Paulo de Aguirre não teve maior posse de bola do que os adversários em duas partidas, exatamente as duas diante do Corinthians, pelas semifinais do Paulista.:43% na vitória por 1 a 0, no Morumbi, e 33% na derrota por 1 a 0, em Itaquera.

Confira abaixo as estatísticas do Footstats de cada um dos cinco jogos do São Paulo sob o comando de Diego Aguirre (em negrito, os números do Tricolor):

São Caetano 1 x 0 São Paulo
Posse de bola 38% x 62%
Finalizações 8 x 10
Finalizações no gol 4 x 3
Finalizações para fora 4 x 7
Desarmes 17 x 16
Passes certos 239 x 406
Passes errados 34 x 38
Cruzamentos certos 2 x 5
Cruzamentos errados 16 x 24

São Paulo 2 x 0 São Caetano
Posse de bola 60% x 40%
Finalizações 19 x 6
Finalizações no gol 6 x 0
Finalizações para fora 13 x 6
Desarmes 20 x 18
Passes certos 384 x 233
Passes errados 58 x 39
Cruzamentos certos 7 x 0
Cruzamentos errados 24 x 19

São Paulo 1 x 0 Corinthians
Posse de bola 43% x 57%
Finalizações 12 x 5
Finalizações no gol 3 x 2
Finalizações para fora 9 x 3
Desarmes 18 x 15
Passes certos 245 x 546
Passes errados 31 x 39
Cruzamentos certos 5 x 1
Cruzamentos errados 23 x 22

Corinthians (5) 1 x 0 (4) São Paulo
Posse de bola 67% x 33%
Finalizações 17 x 7
Finalizações no gol 2 x 3
Finalizações para fora 15 x 4
Desarmes 13 x 32
Passes certos 594 x 176
Passes errados 43 x 40
Cruzamentos certos 6 x 0
Cruzamentos errados 39 x 10

Atlético-PR 2 x 1 São Paulo
Posse de bola 46% x 54%
Finalizações 8 x 16
Finalizações no gol 3 x 2
Finalizações para fora 5 x 14
Desarmes 7 x 16
Passes certos 452 x 437
Passes errados 35 x 41
Cruzamentos certos 6 x 1
Cruzamentos errados 12 x 18

Liverpool have reportedly agreed on personal terms with Benfica star Darwen Núñez ahead of possibly signing the striker this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to sources online (via Sports Illustrated), his agent Jorge Mendes has been turning down offers from other potential suitors as the player wants to join Liverpool with terms already agreed upon verbally.

The Uruguayan is rated at £36m and after a great season has attracted interest from several top clubs. He currently earns £31k-per-week at Benfica which would rise to £60k-per-week if he joins the Reds.

Klopp will be buzzing

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with the news that Núñez is reportedly one step closer to a move to Anfield. The Reds have much-improved squad depth this season which has been one of the reasons they have reached the latter stages of every competition.

The club are still on for the quadruple, having already lifted the Carabao Cup, and they are now in the final of the FA Cup, the semi-final of the Champions League and the title is going down to the wire.

However, it’s never too early to start planning for the next campaign and Núñez would be the perfect addition. The 22-year old has an outstanding goal scoring record this season with 25 league strikes in 26 appearances

The “special” striker’s form hasn’t been enough to propel Benfica to the league title as they currently sit third in the table with no guarantees of Champions League football next season.

If they don’t qualify for Europe’s premier competition then it makes it even more likely that Núñez will want to depart the club, and with Merseyside seeming like the most likely destination, it shouldn’t be long before we see him in the Premier League.

When you compare him to Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, the three players who usually play through the middle for Liverpool, he has a much better goal per 90-minute average at 1.25.

The player closest to him is Jota on 0.70. Whilst the Premier League is undoubtedly a much tougher division, we don’t think it would take long for him to adapt, and with the number of chances Liverpool create it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get close to those numbers.

AND inN other news:  Forget Bobby: Liverpool can give Efc nightmares by unleashing their “new Luis Suarez”…

The ICC has reacted strongly to FICA chief Tim May’s comments about players not approaching its Anti Corruption and Security Unit [ACSU] because they have no faith in it. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said he was extremely annoyed by May’s remarks and even called them “irresponsible”. Lorgat said he would have normally preferred not to react but what had fuelled his ire was May’s point that the ICC leaked details to the media in the past of the players who approached its watchdog. That only led to players becoming more insecure, May said.”He said that the players have no confidence in approaching the ACSU. I felt quite strange that Tim May [was] making such comments,” Lorgat told ESPNcricinfo. He said he was trying hard to understand the FICA chief’s reasoning. “He either made that out of ignorance or I hope he is not being irresponsible. Those comments are certainly not justified in my view.”In an interview to BBC World Service on Thursday, May had praised former Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider’s defection to the United Kingdom after receiving threats from unnamed people during the ODI series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates. In London, Haider subsequently revealed to the media the reasons behind his escape. He even had a few suggestions for the ACSU including “tapping” the players’ phones to discourage the bookies.May said Haider had made an unprecedented and brave move. “If what he [Haider] says is true, what he’s done is not cowardly, it has taken a significant amount of courage, because no one has ever done that before,” May said. But May, a former Australian off spinner, said there were not many players like the Pakistani. “Some players have concerns about reporting [corruption]. They fear the confidential nature of them reporting it will be breached,” May said.According to May the players’ biggest concern was they feared the details they shared with the ACSU would be made public without their knowledge. “In the past, players have gone to the anti-corruption unit and somewhere details of their talks with the anti-corruption has reached the media. Whether those leaks have come from the ICC or whatever, it still gives the players the question over whether they can trust the ICC’s anti-corruption unit.”Lorgat was critical of May’s opinion and disagreed. “In fact we have got numerous players who have come forward and told us they were willing to talk,” he said, while stressing that neither the ICC nor the ACSU had ever gone public whenever a player revealed any kind of approach. “We have never done that,” he said.Lorgat also picked up on one of the May’s comments in the BBC interview, in which he stated that FICA had made a couple of suggestions to the ACSU recently which would encourage players to come forth with more information whenever any approach was made. “We have put forward a couple of options to the ICC in a meeting we had with anti-corruption unit in October for a change in the reporting system,” May said, and added that he was still waiting for a positive reply.Lorgat said May had only exposed his own hand here. “That is a classical example that he going to talk to media. The ACSU or ICC did not go to the media. In the past a few players made their own declarations about talking or speaking to the ACSU. We have made never made any disclosure about which player came and spoke to us. We don’t say who has come because we protect their identities.”

Newcastle United have entered pole position to sign Rangers youngster Alex Lowry this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Lowry one to watch

The 18-year-old is one of the most gifted young players at Ibrox currently, enjoying something of a breakthrough season for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions.

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Lowry has four first-team appearances to his name in 2021/22 to date, bagging one goal and assist apiece in the Scottish Cup, not to mention being hailed as a ‘remarkable’ player by Graeme Murty.

The young midfielder’s ability clearly isn’t going unnoticed elsewhere, however, with a new claim suggesting he could possibly move away from Rangers in the near future.

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The Latest: Newcastle keen on move

According to Football Insider, Newcastle have held talks with Lowry over a summer move to the Premier League club, following their big-money takeover last year.

A ‘recruitment source’ has claimed that the Magpies are ‘at the front of the queue’ to snap up the teenager as they enter pole position – with the player himself currently ‘weighing up his options’ as Rangers attempt to stop him leaving.

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It is also claimed that a meeting was held with Lowry’s own agent and Newcastle head of recruitment Steve Nickson in a hotel earlier this month.

The Verdict: Potential big loss

The lure of moving to the Premier League is great for many players around the world but Lowry choosing to leave Rangers this soon could end up being an error.

Newcastle’s newfound wealth means they could bring in various big-name signings this summer, meaning the Gers’ prodigy could struggle hugely for minutes.

Instead, staying at Rangers for at least another year would be healthier for Lowry’s development, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst potentially using him more next season.

It may be that he eventually moves on in the future, but for now, the wisest decision would be to turn down Newcastle’s advances and focus on life at Ibrox.

In other news, one Rangers player’s performance against Celtic has been hailed. Read more here.