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Kusal Perera and Asela Gunaratne’s 198-run sixth-wicket stand remained unbroken and revived Sri Lanka A’s innings on the third day of the first unofficial Test against Pakistan A

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2015
ScorecardFile Photo – Kusal Perera continued his good form with the bat in the longer format too•AFPKusal Perera’s outstanding limited-overs form continued into the four-dayers against Pakistan A, as he hit an unbeaten 119 from 140 balls to help rescue the hosts on a curtailed third day in Colombo. Sri Lanka had been 115 for 5 after Pakistan A hit 401, but Perera combined with Asela Gunaratne to put on an 198-run partnership that remained unbroken at stumps.Perera had had a mediocre domestic season, but has now revived his game ahead of a busy home season for the national side. His century in Colombo is his third triple-figure score in four innings, across formats. The other innings had brought him 87. He struck 16 fours and two sixes as he batted alongside the more sedate Gunaratne, who hit 64 not out from 138 balls. Sri Lanka A are now 88 runs short of Pakistan A’s score, but with only one day to play, a result seems unlikely.Mir Hamza and Zia-ul-Haq had dismissed the overnight pair of Kithuruwan Vithanage and Ashan Priyanjan between them, in the early overs of the day.

Four months after the death of Phillip Hughes, a homespun idea conceived by the Ireland allrounder John Mooney and his father-in-law has become the first instance of additional protection for the back of the head and neck in an international match

Daniel Brettig27-Feb-2015Four months after the death of Phillip Hughes, a homespun idea conceived by the Ireland allrounder John Mooney and his father-in-law has become the first instance of additional protection for the back of the head and neck in an international match.Mooney had intended to wear his invention, which is effectively an adjustable rear grille, in his side’s opening World Cup match against West Indies, but an unrelated helmet problem delayed its unveiling until a narrow victory over UAE at the Gabba. Mooney only made two from six balls, but in his 14 minutes at the crease the innovation turned plenty of heads both in Brisbane and around the world.The question of additional protection for the area Hughes was struck on had been on Mooney’s mind for a while before, due to another incident involving his cousin in a club match earlier last year. But the horrible footage emanating from the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG in November made him decide he could wait no longer.”I played in a club game last year where my cousin got hit in a similar area. So the thought had been in my mind beforehand, but when I saw Phil getting hit I was adamant I was going to do something,” Mooney told ESPNcricinfo. “I bat quite low down in the Irish team and I bat at the death where I have to take on the short ball pretty much every time and get hit on the head quite a lot.”So it is an area that worries me and as a cricketer and a father as well, it’s a dangerous sport, and as soon as that happens [you think about it]. My father in law is an architect and he’s quite good working with his hands. So we got talking and with a few coat hangers one evening we designed the guard. Then we got a local bloke who works with steel to make us up a couple of prototypes and basically that’s where it came from.”It was late November when Phil got hit and it took us about a month to get a working product made that fitted the helmet perfectly and was comfortable to wear while training. We had a tour to Dubai in January where I first started using it, and from the first day I put it on there was no impingement on any shot I played, and I haven’t taken it off my helmet since.”Mooney is calling it the “gorget”, a seldom-heard term for a critical part of medieval suits of armour that protected the neck and throat of its wearer. “It’s exactly the same as the grille of the helmet, you don’t notice it much,” he said. “It might add a bit of weight but not much at all. You could pick up two helmets, one without and one with and it wouldn’t make any difference to the feel really.”It doesn’t really impinge at all. We had to try to come up with something that protects the back and sides of the neck but something that meant you had a free range of movement. It is a design you can adjust, you can adjust how far up your neck or the helmet that you’d like it, so some people might have different shaped necks and shoulders.”It can be put on pretty much any helmet that’s on the market at the minute and it can be fully adjustable to your needs and it will work for people of most sizes. The most important thing is that it doesn’t make the target much bigger, it’s not something clunky where if the ball hits it it will fly for four leg byes or anything like that.”Attitudes to helmets had perhaps become a little too lackadaisical in recent times, and comfort or budget had often been more critical factors than the strictest adherence to safety. Mooney agreed that the typically conservative, even superstitious mindset of many cricketers had been shaken by the fate that befell Hughes, meaning many would be more open to the concept of additional protection.”Cricketers are very conservative about what they wear and sometimes borderline superstitious as well, but when it comes to safety I think every cricketer will look to something like this or similar to improve the safety of the game,” he said. “With the innovation of new shots being played, scoops and all this kind of stuff, you need this kind of protection, because injuries are happening as we speak and they’ll continue to.”Players are aware bowlers are bowling faster and they’re going to have to protect themselves adequately. I hope the players can start to look at it and take it on board for the extra protection around the neck area. I’d love to talk though it with a couple of the Australian guys because it is something quite close to them from the unfortunate thing that happened to Phil. Our assistant coach Matthew Mott who has worked with the Australian cricket team, he loved it and thinks it would be a great idea as well.”For now Mooney is the only man able to wear the gorget as it has not yet been fully tested or certified for use. But the process by which such certification will arrive is in motion, and he is hopefully it will be ready in time for the 2015 English season – he is also looking for investors or equipment manufacturers to aid its development.”It’s going to take between three and six months, ideally I’d like to have it out by the start of the English season. It’s something that can’t be rushed, it just has to be done the right way,” Mooney said. “I’m doing it all by myself, it could be rushed through quicker if I had a company on board who were quicker at getting through that process, but as of yet I’m still trying to find an investor to take it on and work with me on that.”It’s had to take a bit of back seat because I’m concentrating on my cricket and it’s hard to juggle the two at once at a World Cup. My wife is working to set up a website and a Facebook page and stuff like that for it. But because it is a piece of protective equipment we can’t get it into the shops until it is certified.”Several other versions of neck protection are emerging on the market, including by the major global helmet supplier Masuri.

After Madrid took the honours for a third straight year in Kiev, we look back at the best performers over the course of a gripping competition

AFPAlisson | RomaThe Brazilian was ever-present in Roma's thrilling run to the Champions League semi-finals, establishing himself as one of Europe's elite goalkeepers in the process. His inspirational performances led former Roma coach Roberto Negrisolo to compare him to both Dino Zoff and Lionel Messi, and also led to links with Liverpool.AdvertisementGetty ImagesDani Alves | Paris Saint-GermainWhile PSG might have fallen short once again in the Champions League, their veteran right-back gave his all in every single game. Alves chipped in with two goals from defence and generally caused havoc down the flank, although his talents were not enough to avoid last-16 defeat to Real Madrid.Getty ImagesNicolas Otamendi | Manchester CityOnly the dazzling Mohamed Salah found the key this season to dismantle Manchester City's defence, led by a rock-solid Otamendi. That quarter-final reverse was a rare blemish on what was a near-perfect season for the Argentine, who marshalled Pep Guardiola's backline throughout their record-breaking campaign.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyMats Hummels | Bayern MunichHummels proved why Bayern were so keen to repatriate their former youth-team star with a stellar season after completing a move back from Borussia Dortmund.

Luis Suarez has been cleared to take in a reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, with Gremio confirming the striker’s imminent departure.

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Veteran frontman has impressed in BrazilSet to be released from his contractFree to join ex-Barca team-mates in FloridaWHAT HAPPENED?

The veteran frontman will be bidding farewell to Brazilian football at the end of the calendar year, with an early termination of his contract being agreed. Suarez will then be free to head to the United States and link up with former Barcelona team-mates Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at MLS side Inter Miami.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RENATO SAID ABOUT SUAREZ

Renato Gaucho has told reporters when asked about bidding farewell to Suarez – who has hit 26 goals through 51 appearances for Gremio: “Are we going to miss him? Certainly, without a doubt, he is very loved by everyone. I had the pleasure of working with a great professional, one of the best in the world, fourth highest scorer in the world. This void will remain for the next year, because it's not easy to find someone of his talent and ability. When you find someone else, it's unfeasible to bring him in financially. Unfortunately, as I said before, it was very difficult for him to stay. Everyone wanted it, but only he could reverse this decision. Unfortunately, he will leave and there will be this vacuum in Gremio's attack. Then it's up to the board and president to try and find another striker. It was a great pleasure, not only for me but for the whole club. A guy who always gave himself, an exemplary professional.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Renato added on the impact that Suarez has made during his time in Brazil, with the 36-year-old still boasting boundless energy and a desire to win at all costs: “It's a great sadness for everyone. He arrived at the beginning of the year, he has helped us a lot, the fans were enchanted with him. He is an extraordinary professional on and off the field. He arrived quietly, he was letting go, playing, accepting the games. I often wanted to take him out of training or a game, but he wanted to continue. He wants to play every game and it doesn't hurt."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SUAREZ?

Suarez will take in his final home game as a Gremio player on Sunday, against Vasco da Gama. His last outing will be away at Fluminense on December 7, with a path then being cleared for him to take in a short break before potentially joining up with Messi and Inter Miami for pre-season training ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign.

Chelsea star Sam Kerr wished fiancee Kristie Mewis on her birthday on social media as the couple jetted off to Paris.

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Sam Kerr wished fiancee Kristie Mewis on her birthCouple celebrating Mewis' birthday in ParisKerr ruptured her ACL in JanuaryWHAT HAPPENED?

United States women's national team and West Ham star Mewis turned 33 on Sunday as she is celebrating her special day with fiancee Kerr in Paris. The Chelsea forward took to social media to share a heartfelt birthday wish for her partner.

Sam Kerr InstagramAdvertisementWHAT SAM KERR SAID

Taking to Instagram, Kerr shared a series of photos with a beautiful caption that read, "Happy birthday to my love. No one keeps me more entertained than you & always happy birthday to Mac!"

Getty/ Sam Kerr InstagramTHE GOSSIP

The couple's romance rumours first ignited during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the confirmation of their relationship came shortly after when the Blues striker posted a heartfelt photo of them kissing on Instagram. Since then, the couple has openly shared their love on social media. They got engaged in September 2023.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

The Australia international ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a Chelsea training camp in Morocco in January which ruled her out of action for the remainder of the season. Mewis, on the other hand, was omitted from the USWNT roster for the ongoing 2024 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria10-Apr-2013Match factsThursday, April 11, 2013
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Wake-up alarm: Kolkata Knight Riders’ batsmen are yet to fire in the tournament•BCCIBig PictureIt’s the start of the second week of the tournament and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ engine is yet to fire properly. They are now in Bangalore, facing the Royal Challengers, who despite their Super Over loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad have already started to rev up their machinery with last night’s win in the rematch.Knight Riders have a strong and vibrant bowling attack. Brett Lee has been generating pace, Rajat Bhatia has been difficult to go after and Sunil Narine is back at being mysterious after a comparatively not-so-productive time in international cricket. But it is their batting which has appeared off colour, with only Eoin Morgan managing a half-century. Manvinder Bisla, the hero of the final last year, has been consumed twice by his own aggression, while Jacques Kallis, Manoj Tiwary and Yusuf Pathan are yet to show any intent. Gautam Gambhir has had starts, but as he often reiterates, the team needs to fire collectively.However, they have received a boost ahead of this game. Brendon McCullum, who kicked off the IPL in 2008 with a blazing 158 (still the highest score in IPL cricket), is available for selection.* The New Zealand captain had to postpone his trip, having to wait to recover completely from the hamstring injury he picked during the home series against England last month. He joined the Knight Riders camp on Wednesday.Royal Challengers Bangalore’s batting has an intimidating aura around it. It has also been bolstered with the addition of AB de Villiers and their bowling attack, despite the seesawing fortunes of Vinay Kumar, has shown incisiveness. However, their bottom half of the batting order appears thin, at least on paper, and will be tested if their top falters against Narine and Co.Players to watchAB de Villiers is one of those rare batsmen currently around in international cricket who is as dangerous in Tests as he is in Twenty20s. He can play the most soothing of shots and then follow it up with the most outrageous one. Give him the gloves and he transforms to a more than capable wicketkeeper. Add to that his value as an athletic fielder. He joined the team on Tuesday morning and played a match later that evening. On Thursday, he will be fresh.Eoin Morgan is a player made for the shorter format. He is quick on his feet against the spinners and can hit the ball long. He showed his value on a pacy Jaipur pitch with a well-paced half-century – only his second in 14 matches for the franchise – that kept Knight Riders in the match, and in Bangalore, he is his team’s only man in form.Stats and trivia Knight Riders lead the head-to-head 6-5 in 11 matches between these two teams Yusuf Pathan’s strike rate in 44 matches for Knight Riders is 124.68. In 43 matches for Rajasthan Royals, his strike rate was 161. He is yet to score a half-century for Knight Riders. Knights Riders have the highest team score of 222 in Bangalore, from the opening match of IPL 2008. Royal Challengers’ highest score on this ground came in 2011, when they scored 205 against Kings XI Punjab. Quotes”We should have chased down the score. As champions, you cannot afford to do that. We were not smart at all.”
“We can’t say we are not able to win matches if Gayle fails.”
*03.30GMT, April 11: The preview has been updated with the Brendon McCullum news

Azhar Mahmood broke the hearts of a 15,000 crowd at The Oval with a stunning all-round performance that helped steer Kent to a crucial 15-run Friends Life t20 South Group win

14-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Azhar Mahmood helped set up a match-winning total with a 40-ball 60•Getty ImagesFormer Surrey star Azhar Mahmood broke the hearts of a 15,000 crowd at The Oval with a stunning all-round performance that helped steer Kent to a crucial 15-run Friends Life t20 South Group win.Mahmood top-scored by cracking 60 out of the Spitfires’ total of 181 for 9, ran out home skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown to stifle Surrey’s reply then, with 20 needed from his final over of the game, ran out Zafar Ansari with another direct hit to win the game with four balls to spare and help his side leapfrog Surrey into the qualification places.Surrey’s pursuit started badly when Steven Davies clipped a poor, leg-stump ball from Charl Langeveldt into the hands of Joe Denly at deep square, but at the other end Jason Roy was taking no prisoners. He deposited a six into the pavilion then hooked and cut to the ropes offLangeveldt before surviving a run-out scare with a full-length dive that defeated a direct hit by Sam Northeast.Roy and Hamilton-Brown sprinted to a 50 partnership in 27 balls as Kent’s attempt to take pace off the ball initially came unstuck until Roy, three balls after celebrating a 31-ball 50, holed out to long off against Darren Stevens. Hamilton-Brown departed for 29 after risking a single to mid-off to be run out by Mahmood’s shy, then Stevens struck again having Zander de Bruyn caught atlong-off for 7 from a toe-ended drive.Mahmood then held a comfortable catch at short fine-leg to dismiss countryman Yasir Arafat from a mis-timed hook, after which Tom Maynard (36) picked out Denly at long-on to give Langeveldt flattering figures of 3 for 37 as Surrey ran out of steam.Kent, having elected to bat first, banked 13 from the first over of the night bowled by their former allrounder Yasir Arafat, who was unlucky to see Key dropped at slip from his fourth delivery as Gareth Batty parried a sharp, one-handed chance to his left for four to third man. Key failed to capitalise, however, and was run out by Roy’s direct hit from backward point as he dawdled for a single.Roy was in the thick of the action again, taking a stunning mid-air catch at wide long-on five overs later to account for Denly, yet 16 came off the over once Mahmood clubbed a six and two fours.Maynard at deep midwicket intercepted a chip destined for Stuart Meaker to run out Martin van Jaarsveld at the striker’s end, bringing in Stevens, who quickly deposited two sixes into the OCS Stand against left-arm spinner Ansari. Mahmood cut fiercely for four against Yasir Arafat to move past 50 for the third time in this season’s competition from 30 balls, then Stevens upper-cutfor six over backward point two balls later.Stevens clattered two more sixes off Batty in the 15th over but, in aiming for a third, holed out to Zander de Bruyn at deep mid-wicket to depart for 43 from 19 balls and end a scintillating fourth-wicket stand of 67 in 33 balls. Moments later Mahmood miscued to mid-off against Dirk Nannes to perish for 60 from 40 deliveries and Northeast quickly followed, skying a catch to Davies offDernbach.In a frantic bid for late runs the Spitfires suffered further run-outs when Jones and James Tredwell attempted suicidal singles – the six run-outs in the match representing a record for Twenty20 cricket – but they still posted the top t20 score at The Oval this summer.

The three-match 50-overs series between Afghanistan and the Pakistan A side will begin on May 25 in Faisalabad, the PCB has announced

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2011The three-match 50-overs series between Afghanistan and the Pakistan A side will begin on May 25 in Faisalabad, the PCB has announced. The second and third games, on May 27 and 29, will take place in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad – which was in the news recently with regards to Osama bin Laden’s killing.Afghanistan will be the first international side to tour Pakistan since the Lahore attacks on Sri Lanka’s cricketers and support staff in March 2009. They will also take part in a domestic competition in Peshawar. Later, the Pakistan A side will travel to Afghanistan for a return series, and will play the inaugural match in Nangarhar.

Legspinner Rahul Sharma, who received his maiden call-up to the India squad on Thursday, has said he wants to perform on-field, rather than make big promises

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2011Legspinner Rahul Sharma, who received his maiden international call-up on Thursday, has said he wants to perform on the field, rather than make big promises. Sharma, along with uncapped Karnataka medium-pacer S Aravind, was named in the 15-man squad for the first two ODIs of the five-match series against England that begins on October 14.”My aim is to capitalise on the opportunity given to me. I don’t want to make big statements,” Sharma told . “I have fulfilled my first dream of getting the national call-up. Now, my next goal is to don the India cap and do well for the country. [Being a legspinner] I am not thinking about taking Anil Kumble’s place in the team.”His performance for Pune Warriors in IPL 2011 – he claimed 16 wickets and had a miserly economy rate of 5.46 – despite health issues [he has Bell’s Palsy, which effects his vision] put him in the national spotlight. However, he said, he did not expect to break into the national side so early. “I didn’t expect it [the call-up] to come. It was unbelievable when Parthiv Patel disclosed the news to me.”Sharma said he was disappointed to miss out on working with Harbhajan Singh, who has been India’s first choice spinner for a while but was left out from the squad following a run of poor form. “It is an irony that I walk into the team as Bhajji [Harbhajan] goes out,” he said. “I wanted to play with him and bowl in tandem with him.”Left-arm fast bowler Aravind, the other new face in the squad, said he had expected to make the national team only next season. “I wasn’t expecting the call this year, especially after I missed the Emerging Players Tournament [in Australia in August] due to injury,” Aravind said. “After I recovered, I was hoping to do well this [domestic] season and was looking forward to a call next year.”I am really looking forward to the challenge. I have been really working hard on my bowling ever since I recovered from the injury. I think I am a better bowler than what I was a couple of years back. I hope to get a match and give my best.”Aravind is currently playing in the Champions League T20 with Royal Challengers Bangalore. He had a strong 2010-11 domestic season, leading the attack for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Aravind said he would look to state-mate Vinay Kumar, who is also in the ODI squad, to calm any nerves. “In the Karnataka Ranji side, Vinay plays the role of a mentor to me and [Abhimanyu] Mithun. I’ll be getting guidance from him even in the Indian team, and that will help ease the pressure.”

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has said that his decision not to play Twenty20 cricket has given him time to work on his Test and one-day skills, and the results are showing

Daniel Brettig in Sydney06-Jan-2012This day last year, Australia were about to be splintered by England in the fifth Ashes Test, and their stand-in captain Michael Clarke was about to announce his retirement from international Twenty20 matches.Twelve months later, Clarke has led his team to an overwhelming victory against India, and his monumental 329 not out was its centerpiece. The first step Clarke made between then and now was to excuse himself from the game’s shortest format, and it now appears among the wisest decisions he has made.Clarke was never the most natural fit for Twenty20 anyway, but his muddled batting in the Ashes was the best encapsulation of the syndrome that had Australia spreading its diminished resources too thinly across the formats. It was an approach the former coach Tim Nielsen said had made the team “jack of all trades and master of none”.Michael Clarke: “I feel my game is in a better place now than it was 12 months ago, that’s for sure.”•Getty Images”The greatest thing about the Twenty20 competitions is it’s very individual, each individual player has the opportunity to make his own decision, and I think the T20 in Australia has been outstanding,” Clarke said. “For me, I think I made the right decision to stand down from T20 cricket internationally at the time, to be able to focus on my one-day cricket and Test cricket. I really thought I had to improve my game, to try to become the player I want to be, to become the best player I can possibly be.”I think that time, whether it be four or five days to be able to work on Test cricket before we travel and play a Test match [has been helpful]. I don’t know what my results say, my statistics over the last 12 months, but I feel my game is in a better place now than it was 12 months ago, that’s for sure.”Clarke’s batting and captaincy have been given valuable time to breathe by his absence from T20, both internationally and in the domestic Big Bash League. That time allows Clarke, as captain a man with many responsibilities and distractions, the chance to look after his own game.”The reality is as a player you need to perform, if you don’t perform you’re not in the team, and it’s no different whether you’re captain or not … I learned that the hard way when I got dropped,” Clarke said. “My focus my whole career has been winning games of cricket, the teams winning whether I was a player, vice-captain or now captain, so I don’t think that’s changed, my attitude towards that hasn’t changed.”There’s enough time in a day in my opinion to look after your own individual preparation and make sure everyone in the team is fully prepared and ready to go. It takes a lot of help from all the people around me, all the support staff, the coach and the rest of my team. I’m lucky in this team that I have some senior players that help me out a lot, and I have some young players that are really keen to learn and improve.”This whole team in my opinion is heading in the right direction. We have a lot of work to do but we’re heading in the right direction and I’m just enjoying the opportunity to lead so many good young players.”As captain and T20 retiree, Clarke has now compiled 819 runs at 68.25 with four centuries. The tally is swelled greatly by his Sydney effort, but greater responsibility and presence has been evident in innings played on a wide variety of surfaces, from the Galle dustbowl to the Cape Town green top.”[Captaincy has] probably put a bit of extra responsibility on me, but I don’t feel like I’ve changed my game,” Clarke said. “I guess what I’ve worked on over the last 12 months is really trying hard to improve my game, facing our bowlers in the nets with brand new balls to improve my technique, my defence. Facing a lot of spin on unprepared wickets, to improve my play against spin for when we travel to the subcontinent.”So I just think and hope my game is improving. That’s been my goal for a long time now, to become the best player I can be, and I certainly don’t think one innings determines whether your game’s improved or not. I think the last 12 months in every part, getting fit, getting strong, getting my back right and training hard in the nets, that’s a reward for the work I’ve put in.”As for the magnitude of what he achieved in Sydney, Clarke said he may not fully grasp it until he retires. In cricket’s endless 21st century cycle of matches and tours, a moment’s reflection can be hard to come by.”I don’t think it does until you’ve retired to be honest, until your career’s come to an end,” he said. “I got asked the same question about my Test debut, and until this day I don’t think I’ve ever stopped and looked at my debut and thought, ‘how did I play and how special was that’. It’s exciting at the time, don’t get me wrong, but this Test match I’m very proud of the achievement of being able to bat for a long period of time, and the runs took care of themselves I guess.”I don’t think I’ll ever look back on it until my career’s ended. I’m most pleased as to my personal performance, just being able to make runs and contribute in this series. It’s a huge series for this team, the first series I’ve been full-time captain in Australia, in front of my fans and the Australian public, and it is important that I stood up.”