Sadeera Samarawickrama’s expert 93 trumped Towhid Hridoy’s gritty 82 to see Sri Lanka through to a 21-run win in Colombo, and with it, a winning start to their Super Four campaign. The result now leaves Bangladesh struggling with two defeats in as many games in this round, even as Sri Lanka racked up their 13th straight ODI win.Set a target of 258 to win, Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim would put on a 72-run stand for the fifth wicket, but on a tough track at the Premadasa Stadium, the pressure built by Sri Lanka’s bowlers would eventually tell as Bangladesh fell just short of the finish.While Samarawickrama’s innings will rightly collect all the plaudits, this was just as much a win propped up by Sri Lanka’s ever more impressive bowling unit. By now, their injury travails are well documented; but with each passing game, there seems to be someone that steps up to take up the mantle.Here it was Dasun Shanaka, the captain himself, bowling nine overs for just the second time in his career – he is yet to bowl a full allotment of ten in ODIs – as he stepped up to end with figures of 3 for 28. Shanaka’s first strike broke a threatening opening stand of 55 between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, as he got Mehidy caught at short midwicket. His third would be to end Hridoy’s stand with Mushfiqur.Why Shanaka was even needed to bowl so many overs was down to Sri Lanka’s usual early-overs weapon Maheesh Theekshana having copped a blow on his right thumb while batting, and thus taken out of the attack after an eight-run opening over. Theekshana, as it would turn out, would return towards the death overs to grab the crucial wicket of Hridoy, as well as Shamim Hossain and Taskin Ahmed – all lbw – to finish with three wickets, though 69 runs given away off nine overs was uncharacteristically high.Dasun Shanaka stepped up with figures of 3 for 28•Getty Images

Matheesha Pathirana picked up three as well, including the crucial wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, while two searing yorkers were enough to clean up the tail that briefly threatened to wag.This, though, was a game that could not have been won if not for Samarawickrama. It was that quintessential knock where one batter simply seemed to be playing on a different surface altogether than his team-mates. It was an innings of precision and purpose; but Samarawickrama has toiled in the domestic circuit for several years to earn his chance, and after this outing, his place in the ODI side should be all but locked in.Having come into bat in the 24th over, Samarawickrama played the game state to perfection, knocking the ball around initially while dealing almost exclusively in singles. In fact, up until the 40th over, he had just two fours to his name. By the time he was dismissed off the final ball of the innings, that number reached eight, alongside two sixes to go with it. In the process, Sri Lanka racked up 81 runs in the final ten overs in what would turn out to be a match-winning total of 257.Not that it was obvious to anyone at the halfway mark – except Samarawickrama. After his innings, he proclaimed that it was an above-par score, the confidence in his tone suggesting an unwavering trust in his own appraisal of the surface, which in itself adds more merit to his knock.Prior to Samarawickrama’s intervention, this was a game that had threatened to go the way so many other Sri Lanka batting performances had – with a fizzle at the death. A 34-run opening stand followed by a 74-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka had laid a solid enough platform by taking Sri Lanka to 103 for 1 by the end of the 22nd over.Maheesh Theekshana was expensive, but also got three wickets•Associated Press

But between overs 22 and 40, Sri Lanka scored just 74 runs, as wickets fell at regular intervals. While Kusal got a second successive fifty, he again failed to convert it into a big score, with his fifty-to-hundred ratio reading 23:2.During this period, Bangladesh varied their bowling options well, frequently pairing pace with spin. This meant that while the spinners kept one end quiet, the Sri Lanka batters were forced to take on the seamers at the other end. This would end in a lopsided scorecard where each of the three Bangladesh pace bowlers went for over six runs an over, but picked up eight wickets between them. The three spinners, by contrast, went wicketless, but none cost more than five an over.Bangladesh’s innings followed a similar script, with Hridoy and Mushfiqur’s stand taking the chase deep. In the end, though, Samarawickrama’s innings would prove the difference. After 39 overs, the score for both sides was 173 for 5. By the 40th over, Bangladesh needed 81 to win, the exact amount Sri Lanka had taken off their final ten.But an innings wouldn’t be special if it was easily replicated. Mushfiqur fell trying to hit out, while Hridoy ran out of batters before falling prey to Theekshana. A couple of lusty blows by the tail threatened a late twist, but by then, Sri Lanka had done enough.

Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago will be the seven venues in the Caribbean that will co-host the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup in addition to three cities in the USA shortlisted by ICC earlier this week.The biennial tournament, which will be played between June 4-30, and being co-hosted by West Indies and the USA will see 20 teams playing a total of 55 matches across the 10 venues. In addition to three cities in the US – Dallas, Florida and New York – seven countries in the Caribbean would be hosting the World Cup, which ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a media release, on Friday, makes it the “biggest” T20 World Cup “ever.”While the media release did not list which of the venues would host the knockout matches, ESPNcricinfo has learned that Guyana, Barbados and T&T were primed to stage the Super Eights and final. It is also learned that the Brian Lara stadium (Tarouba, Trinidad) was the frontrunner to host the final along with Kensington Oval in Barbados. At this stage, the three venues in the USA would only host the group-phase matches.

How were the venues chosen?

The final list of venues in the Caribbean was determined by the ICC in coordination with Cricket West Indies based on the bids from local governments. This May, the CWI sought bids to host the 2024 World Cup, which it advertised as the “Carnival of Cricket.” Johnny Grave, CWI’s CEO, had pointed out then that the T20 World Cup would help the local governments in the Caribbean along with CWI and ICC to “unlock new commercial and economic growth opportunities.”It is understood that all the popular cricketing destinations across the Caribbean bid, barring three countries: Jamaica, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis. Consequently, these three venues will not host any World Cup matches.It is understood that of the 55 matches, about 39 or 40 would be played in the Caribbean and the remaining 15 or 16 will take place at the three venues in the USA.The 2024 event will be the third time a men’s World Cup will be held in the West Indies, and the first in 14 years. The Caribbean previously hosted the 2007 ODI World Cup and the 2010 World T20. On Friday, Grave said the CWI was encouraged by the “overwhelming responses and enthusiasm” of several countries “for hosting what will be the most significant sporting event held in our region for a generation.”The 2024 T20 World Cup will be the first of eight men’s global events in the ICC’s next commercial cycle from 2024-31, which was finalised in 2021. The format will also be different to the last two editions, where the first round was followed by Super 12s.This time around, the 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 8s. The Super 8 teams will be split into two groups of four apiece, with the top two in each group reaching the semi-finals.

Netherlands also start the tournament having seen minimal action, with only 37.2 overs possible in their game against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2023India will head into the World Cup without having played a single ball of warm-ups, with their practice match against Netherlands washed out in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Their first warm-up match, against England in Guwahati on September 30, was also called off without a ball bowled, though the weather did allow the toss to take place.Netherlands will also begin the World Cup proper having seen minimal warm-up action. Their game against Australia in Thiruvananthapuram was heavily rain-affected, with no result possible after Netherlands had bowled 23 overs and batted for 14.2 overs.Related

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Right-hand batting heavy India strong favourites yet again

India travelled the length and breadth of the country for their warm-ups. After finishing their three-match ODI series against Australia in Rajkot in Gujarat, India’s westermost state, they travelled to Guwahati in the northeast and then to Thiruvananthapuram near the southern tip of the peninsula. Having covered over 6000km over those two journeys, India will now undertake the short journey to Chennai where they face Australia in their tournament-opener on October 8.Netherlands will start their campaign in Hyderabad, where they meet Pakistan on October 6.Hosts India start the World Cup as favourites, going into the tournament with a squad that covers most bases – though a right-hander-heavy top order and the No. 8 position remain concerns. They made one late change to their original squad, replacing the injured Axar Patel with R Ashwin, giving themselves an offspin option in the process.Netherlands made the 10-team World Cup on the basis of a spectacular display at the Qualifier in Zimbabwe, where they finished in the top two after stunning West Indies via the Super Over in a high-scoring thriller, and then chasing down 278 inside 44 overs to pip Scotland on net run rate.

Premier League coverage is set for a dramatic shift in 2025-26, as broadcasters will gain unprecedented access to players and dressing rooms. Substituted stars will now be interviewed pitch-side during live games, with cameras joining goal celebrations and briefly entering locker rooms in a move inspired by American sports broadcasting.

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Substituted players to give live touchline interviews during matchesCameras allowed on pitch for goal celebrations in new seasonChanging room access granted under tight restrictions for broadcastersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Premier League has confirmed a series of broadcast innovations that will debut in the 2025-26 season, as per The Telegraph, marking a significant evolution in how matches are televised. Among the key changes is the introduction of touchline interviews with substituted players, a first in the league’s history. These interviews will occur after players have cooled down, allowing broadcasters to capture immediate post-performance reactions while live action continues in the background. This comes as part of the league's new domestic TV rights deal, which includes a record £6.7 billion agreement with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

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Other confirmed elements include camera operators entering the pitch briefly during goal celebrations to provide close-up footage and restricted access to changing rooms, though never during tactical talks or halftime team addresses. These changes reflect the Premier League's increasing emphasis on entertainment value in a saturated global sports market. Broadcasters, particularly Sky and TNT, are demanding more immersive access to justify the soaring costs of TV rights, and the league is responding by adopting US-style innovations long seen in the NFL and NBA.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sky Sports previously trialled touchline interviews with Marcus Tavernier during a Bournemouth match last season. Now, these interviews will become regular after a cooling-off period post-substitution. Cameras will enter the pitch momentarily for goal celebrations, but only momentarily, and while cameras will be present in the dressing room, it will never be done during managerial talks.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Fans can expect a more immersive experience, but rollout will vary by club and match. The Premier League will monitor feedback from clubs, players, and supporters. Expect gradual expansion of features as cooperation grows, and possible resistance from elite clubs concerned about distractions. But one thing’s clear: TV coverage is entering a bold new era.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras deu mais um importante passo para conquistar o Brasileirão-2022 após vencer o Atlético-MG, por 1 a 0, na última quarta-feira. Caso o Verdão levante mesmo a taça, ele consolidará seu domínio na competição desde que o clube se reestruturou, em 2015. Nesse período, o Alviverde tem feito bonito no campeonato.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCBF divulga áudio do VAR de Atlético-MG x Palmeiras quase 48 horas após a partida: ‘Acidental’Palmeiras30/09/2022PalmeirasPalmeiras abre pré-venda de ingressos para duelo com o Coritiba pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras30/09/2022PalmeirasPiquerez reforça espírito competitivo do Palmeiras no Brasileirão: ‘Estamos na luta pelo título’Palmeiras30/09/2022

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Esse recorte de 2015 é estabelecido por conta da mudança pela qual o Palmeiras passou tanto no aspecto estrutural quanto financeiro. Depois de um ano em que quase caiu novamente (2014), o clube, por meio de Paulo Nobre, que já vinha comandando uma nova política administrativa, conseguiu sanear as dívidas e receber receitas novas, como o patrocínio da Crefisa e a bilheteria do Allianz Parque, que foram responsáveis pelo alto investimento no time profissional.

De lá para cá, o Verdão já venceu duas edições do Brasileirão: 2016 e 2018. Agora, em 2022, o clube caminha para a sua terceira conquista no período. Se o fizer, será aquele que mais conquistou a competição nesses últimos oito anos superando Corinthians (2015 e 2017) e Flamengo (2019 e 2020), cada um com duas taças também. O Atlético-MG (2021) teve apenas um título brasileiro desde 2015.

Além disso, o Palmeiras está entre os que mais edições de Brasileirão lideraram no período (pelo menos uma rodada como líder). Foram cinco: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 e 2022. Corinthians, Atlético-MG e São Paulo também lideraram cinco edições do campeonato desde 2015.

Se por enquanto está empatado com rivais nos quesitos acima citados, o Verdão leva vantagem em relação aos concorrentes quando o critério é o número de rodadas na liderança nesse período. Com 20 rodadas como primeiro lugar em 2022, o Alviverde esteve na ponta da tabela em 74 rodadas nessas últimas oito edições, o que equivale a 25,2% das 294 rodadas disputadas de 2015 para cá.

Ou seja, nesses últimos anos, a cada quatro rodadas disputadas, o Palmeiras foi primeiro colocado em uma. E esse número pode aumentar ainda mais caso o clube leve o título deste ano, chegando a 84 no total. Número bem à frente dos rivais: Corinthians (65), Atlético-MG (42), Flamengo (38), Internacional (21) e São Paulo (19).

Dessa forma, pode-se dizer que o Verdão é o clube que mais dominou o Brasileirão desde 2015, podendo consolidar esse status com mais uma taça do campeonato em 2022 e mostrando que todo aquele trabalho na primeira metade da última década foi altamente positivo e coloco de vez o Alviverde no mais alto posto de competitividade do futebol brasileiro, de onde não deveria ter saído.

Mais títulos do Brasileirão desde 2015:

Corinthians – 2 (2015 e 2017)
Palmeiras – 2 (2016 e 2018)
Flamengo – 2 (2019 e 2020)
Atlético-MG – 1 (2021)

Mais edições de Brasileirão lideradas desde 2015:

Palmeiras – 5 (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 e 2022)
Corinthians – 5 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 e 2022)
​Atlético-MG – 5 (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 e 2021)
São Paulo – 5 (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 e 2022)

Mais rodadas lideradas no Brasileirão desde 2015:

Palmeiras – 74 rodadas
Corinthians – 65 rodadas
Atlético-MG – 42 rodadas
​Flamengo – 38 rodadas
​Internacional – 21 rodadas
São Paulo – 19 rodadas

Former Ireland international tamed Hayley Matthews after being surplus to Australia’s white-ball requirements for much of the year

Alex Malcolm14-Oct-2023

Kim Garth still can’t quite believe she is getting picked to play cricket for Australia, but she had better get used to it. Because after earning Player-of-the-Match and Player-of the-Series honours against West Indies she is now going to be very hard to leave out.Garth, 27, was not selected in any of Australia’s limited-overs internationals during the multi-format Ashes and did not play in the first two T20Is against West Indies when Hayley Matthews was running roughshod over Australia’s bowlers. But her inclusion for the third match of the T20I series, with Australia under enormous pressure, and the subsequent ODI series proved a decisive move.She took 2 for 24 in the T20I series decider and followed that up with figures of 3 for 8, 1 for 20 and 2 for 14 in the ODI series including dismissing Matthews for just 20 and 23, bowled and lbw respectively. No Australia bowler, no bowler in world cricket this year, has managed to contain Matthews, and yet it was Australia’s newest fast bowler, a former Ireland international, who was able to do it.Related

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“I’m very pleased,” Garth said. “I think if you look at the results figures-wise, it probably suggests that I bowled best at the start of the series. But I actually don’t feel that in terms of how I feel. I felt like I’ve improved throughout the series. In that first game I was probably bowling a little bit wider of the stumps and I felt as the series progressed, I got into a bit of rhythm and probably bowled my best today.”Garth still doesn’t feel like she belongs in the Australian team. Having made the brave decision to give away her Ireland career in 2019 and try and qualify for Australia, after playing 37 ODIs and 51 T20Is for the country of her birth, she is still pinching herself that she has actually earned a place in the side.But given the way she has bowled in this series, and performed in general every time she has played for Australia since her first appearance for her adopted country in December last year, it is hard to fathom how she has played so little.She played three T20Is on her first tour for Australia against India last year and bowled more dot balls across those three games than any of her team-mates. She also had a better economy rate for the series than all of Australia’s seam bowlers except for Ellyse Perry. However, she did not play a single game in Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph in South Africa and was not selected in any of the T20s or ODIs in the Ashes, but she did play in the Test match, where she was one of Australia’s most economical bowlers.After spending a lot of time running the drinks and watching from the sidelines, this performance against Matthews and West Indies will likely prove to herself and to Australia’s selectors that she deserves a permanent place in all three forms.”It’s definitely done a lot [for my confidence], I think,” Garth said. “Since coming into the Australian team, it’s been absolutely incredible, but as a result of that, I actually haven’t played as much cricket as I suppose I have done over the past few years.”Cricket is a funny game. It plays games with your head. So the more time you spend sitting on the sidelines thinking about it, the more you kind of talk yourself into things or out of things.”Every time I pull on the Australian shirt, it’s very exciting to be able to go out there and perform and hopefully justify my spot was really pleasing.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية موعد إعلان نادي برشلونة لكرة القدم، تعاقده مع لاعب فريق مانشستر يونايتد، ماركوس راشفورد، بشكل رسمي، بعدما تأخرت تلك الصفقة.

كان برشلونة قد نجح في التوصل إلى اتفاق مع مانشستر يونايتد فيما يخص الحصول على خدمات ماركوس راشفورد.

وسينضم ماركوس راشفورد إلى بطل الدوري الإسباني، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي، بمقتضى صفقة إعارة.

ووصل راشفورد إلى إسبانيا، مساء يوم الأحد الماضي، تمهيدًا لخضوعه للفحص الطبي قبل توقيعه الرسمي على صفقة انتقاله إلى برشلونة.

وظهر اللاعب الإنجليزي، أمس، وهو يخضع لعملية التصوير بالفيديو في المدينة الرياضية للنادي، كجزء من عملية تقديمه المرتقبة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موندو ديبورتيفو: خلال زيارة وفد الأهلي.. محمود الخطيب يطرح عرضًا على رئيس برشلونة

ورغم تأكيد الصحفي الشهير فابريزيو رومانو أن راشفورد وقع عقد انتقاله إلى برشلونة، أمس، إلا أن الصفقة لم يتم الإعلان عنها بعد.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فإن إعلان برشلونة عن صفقة ماركوس راشفورد سيكوم يوم الأربعاء، 23 يوليو.

وأوضحت أنه من المتوقع أن يوقع راشفورد عقده رسميًا رفقة رئيس رشلونة خوان لابورتا، عصر الأربعاء، وسيتم تقديمه لاحقًا في متجر سبوتيفاي في كامب نو حوالي السابعة مساءً بتوقيت إسبانيا.

في حين ذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية أن برشلونة قرر تأجيل مسألة الإعلان عن صفقة راشفورد، حيث لم تتم تلك الخطوة أمس، كون مانشستر يونايتد في حالة انشغال بالسفر إلى الولايات المتحدة لخوض معسكر تحضيري.

ورغب الناديان، برشلونة ومانشستر يونايتد، في الإعلان سويًا عن صفقة راشفورد، وهو ما جعل الأمر يؤجل إلى الأربعاء. وشددت على أنه رغم ذلك، تواجد راشفورد في مدينة خوان جامبر الرياضية وشارك في بعض التدريبات والتقى زملائه الجدد في الفريق.

Newell's Old Boys have unveiled a new Lionel Messi stand, with the Argentina superstar following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona.

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• Lionel Messi stand unveiled
• Newell's Old Boys honour superstar
• Receives Maradona treatment

• GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi was initially a member of the Newell's Old Boys academy before leaving to join Barcelona aged 13, and the Argentine club have moved to honour their boyhood star after his 38th birthday by naming a new stand after him at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Lionel Messi stand is the club's latest tribute to a legend of Argentinian football, with the stadium named after the club's former player and coach Bielsa, and another stand bearing the name "Pelusa", the nickname of Diego Maradona.

• WHAT NEWELL'S OLD BOYS SAID

  Newell's Old Boys posted a video on social media showing the new stand, with the caption: "The Colossus adds a new chapter. For the first time, two football legends share the same home: ours."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Newell's Old Boys still hope to persuade Messi to finish his professional career at the club, with club president Ignacio Astore claiming recently that he knows how much the World Cup-winning skipper "wants to come". A potential return may depend on whether Messi decides to renew his current contract at Inter Miami, which is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.

Sri Lanka mascot and superfan Percy Abeysekara, affectionately known as Uncle Percy, has died aged 87.Percy had been a fixture at Sri Lankan cricket matches for more than five decades, but gained global prominence during the 1996 World Cup, particularly when he was seen parading the Sri Lanka flag around the ground at Lahore, following Sri Lanka’s victory in the final.Renowned for his rhyming English-language chants, and witty exchanges with players – both Sri Lanka cricketers and foreigners – Percy was beloved in Sri Lankan grounds in particular, but was frequently seen wherever Sri Lanka toured, particularly during Test matches. He was among the first generation of travelling superfans.Percy Abeysekara, A.K.A Uncle Percy, with his giant Sri Lankan flag in tow•AFP/Getty Images

He enjoyed the admiration of many top cricketers over the decades, In the 1980s, Martin Crowe awarded one of his Man of the Match trophies to Percy, for his passion for the game. And then as recently as the Asia Cup this year, Rohit Sharma had visited Percy in his home, as he battled the illness that would eventually claim his life.