It was Sri Lanka’s first ODI series win against New Zealand since 2012

Madushka Balasuriya17-Nov-2024Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 73 trumped Mark Chapman’s 76, as Sri Lanka secured a narrow three-wicket win in the second ODI in Pallekele, and with it seal the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead. It was their first ODI series win against New Zealand since 2012.Having been set a subpar target of 210 in a rain-truncated 47-over game, Sri Lanka were made to work hard on a sluggish surface as New Zealand’s array of spin options kept chipping away. But a string of mini-partnerships was enough to see the hosts through, culminating in an unbeaten eighth wicket stand of 47 off 59 – the best of the innings – between Kusal and Maheesh Theekshana.Michael Bracewell was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, picking up figures of 4 for 36 in 10 overs. He was one of two bowlers allocated for 10 overs in the innings, alongside Mitchell Santner who ended with miserly figures of 1 for 33, but Sri Lanka smartly recognised their threat and targeted the rest of the attack to sneak home.Earlier a brilliant exhibition of catching had seen New Zealand bowled out for 209, a total that was heavily supplemented by Chapman’s 76 off 81 and Mitchell Hay’s 49 off 62 – they were two of just four New Zealand batters to make it to double digits.Before his heroics with the bat, Theekshana had done his part with the ball grabbing 3 for 31. Jeffrey Vandersay also picked up three, while the tireless Asitha Fernando finished with two scalps.But on a surface where nearly every spinner proved threatening to some degree, it was always going to take a special batting effort to separate the two sides. And Kusal provided that in spades.Having come into bat at the fall of the first wicket inside the fifth over, it wasn’t long before Kusal decided on a more conservative approach. The first ball he faced spun sharply past his forward defence, and then an attempt at his escape shot – the slog sweep – saw a top edge that looped safely over the keeper.Kusal Mendis reached fifty off 84 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesA couple of overs later Kusal was under the microscope once more, after a tight lbw shout went in his favour – a decision that was only upheld on review courtesy of an umpire’s call on impact. These nervy moments meant that Kusal wouldn’t get his first boundary until the 26th delivery he faced. In fact, in total across his innings he would score just the six boundaries; instead, this was an innings marked more by his grit, with 46 singles and two doubles – 67% of his runs – an abnormally high percentage of non-boundary runs for a Kusal Mendis innings.That he did so while struggling with cramps, or quite possibly a groin strain, for most of his innings speaks volumes towards his effort on the night.But this was not a match Mendis could have won on his own. Aside from five-run stand with Kamindu Mendis, Kusal put together meaningful contributions with each of his other partners – 18, 19, 28, 39, 31 and 47 – with each pushing Sri Lanka a little further towards the finish line.One of the most important came with Janith Liyanage, as the pair came together in the 22nd over with Sri Lanka precariously poised on 93 for 5, and Kusal already being impacted by cramps. With New Zealand seeking further breakthroughs, and the pair of Glenn Phillips and Ish Sodhi bowling well in tandem, Liyanage proved the ideal partner to keep rotating the strike and the spin threat at bay.This helped stabilise the innings, but when Liyanage fell, gloving a bouncer from Nathan Smith through to the keeper, Sri Lanka were still 78 off their target.Dunith Wellalage then played his part to perfection, crashing three consecutive boundaries off Smith to shift the momentum decisively. But even so, New Zealand knew they were just one wicket away from entering the Sri Lankan tail. So when Wellalage miscued one to mid-on with still 47 left to get, Sri Lankan minds might have wandered to that second T20I defeat.But Theekshana, who had been unable to see it through in that game, showed far more metal the second time, striking three boundaries in total including a critical six over deep backward point, to help see the game through.Michael Bracewell finished with 4 for 36•AFP/Getty ImagesSuch a nerve-wracking finish was hard to imagine at the halfway point however, after Sri Lanka had done extremely well on either side of two first-innings rain stoppages to strangle the New Zealand innings.The catching was undoubtedly the highlight, where despite dropping some tough chances, Sri Lanka held on to even tougher ones. Avishka Fernando was at the forefront of this excellence, completing two nearly identical grabs, diving forward in the deep to scoop the ball centimetres off the ground, to dismiss both Phillips and and Chapman.And he was not done yet, taking another stellar catch on the run and slide to remove Bracewell. Pathum Nissanka too threw his name in the hat for catch of the match, with a stunning sprint from long-off towards mid-off, culminating in a full-length dive to hold on to a skier from Santner.Sri Lanka’s ground fielding too was on point – even with the caveat of a few sloppy boundary giveaways – with the infielders in particular smothering the visiting batters, and competing for every run. This was highlighted by an astonishing 157 dot balls being played out across the course of the innings – one that had already been shortened to 47 overs due to rain.New Zealand’s best period of the innings came after they had stumbled to 98 for 4 in the 24th over. Here Chapman and Hay put in the time to rebuild the innings, but such was the strangle being exerted by the spinners during the early part of this stand, they scored just 13 runs in the first 41 deliveries faced. But by the end of it, though, the partnership had soared to 75 off 78, as both batters eventually began to take some risks.Sixty-two runs were scored between the 30th and 36th over, as New Zealand might have been eyeing up a total in the region of 250. However on a spinner’s deck, it was Asitha who had the most decisive say, returning for a double-wicket strike to see the backs of Chapman and Bracewell.From that point on, it was a trudge for the visitors as Hay sought to battle it out with the tail. He was the last batter to fall, one short of a maiden ODI fifty.

Completing their seventh signing of the summer, Everton have reportedly reached an agreement to welcome an impressive young talent for David Moyes.

Grealish credits Moyes after Everton move

At the end of their USA tour, Moyes called on Everton to get their summer business going and since then, they have duly obliged. The Toffees have taken their transfer window up a level or two with the addition of Jack Grealish on loan and Kiernan Deswbury-Hall in a permanent deal. Both players will undoubtedly sharpen what was a fairly blunt frontline last season alongside fellow arrival Thierno Barry.

Moyes played a particularly pivotal part in convincing Grealish to arrive. The Manchester City midfielder has endured a frustrating period in the last couple of years which swung the door open for Everton to make their move this summer. Whilst the Englishman didn’t have a place at the Etihad, he has been welcomed as a star man at the Hill Dickinson.

It’s now set to be a frantic couple of weeks as Everton aim to conclude their summer business and the Premier League action returns. Up first for Moyes’ side is newly-promoted Leeds United, but they may just have one more arrival on the way before Monday’s clash.

Everton set to sign Reuben Gokah

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton’s deal to sign Reuben Gokah is now “done” and the Toffees are set to welcome the 16-year-old defender, who is full of potential. In The Friedkin Group’s latest coup, Gokah will initially take his place in Everton’s youth side before eventually working his way into the first-team like so many have done with great success in the past.

Although Gokah won’t make an immediate impact, he could turn into an impressive coup if he realises his excellent potential in years to come. There is certainly a pathway into the first-team for players of his ability too.

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It wasn’t so long ago that Jarrad Branthwaite was stepping into the starting side for the first time and now he is considered one of the most important players in Moyes’ side. The idea is for several players, including Gokah, to follow in his footsteps.

As they aim to spend big once again this summer, Manchester United could yet add to their summer funds after a Champions League club opened talks to sign one of their want-away forwards.

Man Utd agree blockbuster Sesko deal

After missing out on European football and finishing as low as 15th, Manchester United were expected to struggle in the transfer market this summer. May believed that the United name, alone, would struggle to attract players and a record low in the Premier League was thought to be a drop too far for players of a certain calibre to even consider.

As it turns out, however, that assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. The Theatre of Dreams remains exactly that for a number of players rather than the nightmare it has become for certain stars and Ruben Amorim’s side have welcomed some much-needed improvements as a result.

First through the door was Matheus Cunha before Bryan Mbeumo soon followed to take the Red Devils’ spending to around the £120m-mark and now their most impressive arrival yet is reportedly on his way.

Newcastle United had the Champions League advantage and, at this stage, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that they have the more attractive project. What they don’t have, however, is the Manchester United name; the history of Old Trafford and a reputation as one of the most successful clubs in world football which made Benjamin Sesko’s decision for him.

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The RB Leipzig forward’s arrival is likely to take United’s spending to around £180m, which could yet see the Red Devils turn to the transfer market to sell several unwanted stars this month.

Benfica open talks to sign Antony

One of the players likely to leave this month is Antony, but whilst it seemed as though a return to Real Betis was on the cards, another side have now entered the fray. According to CNN Portugal, as relayed by Sport Witness, Benfica have now opened talks to sign Antony in an unexpected hijack ahead of Betis before the window slams shut at the start of next month.

INEOS have been ‘messed around’ by Betis this summer, meaning they are delighted more clubs are now entering a potential bidding war.

The Brazilian enjoyed a revived spell on loan at the La Liga club last season, but they have so far been unable to agree a second spell. Leaving the door ajar for other suitors to come swooping in, Benfica are now reportedly negotiating a loan deal which will see them buy a percentage of the winger. United, unsurprisingly, would prefer such an offer.

Dubbed a “special case” by Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini, Antony will be desperate to seal a move away from Manchester United this summer. Whether he’s willing to take a pay-cut from his reported £200,000-a-week (£10m-a-year) salary to do so may well be another question, however.

There’s a fine line between maximum preparation and cluelessness, and Pakistan are trying to make sure they tread the right side of it. With less than 24 hours to go before the second Test, Pakistan have not yet named a final XI, wanting to glean as much information as possible about what the Newlands surface will do. However, the later, they leave it, the harder it is to make the case the visitors have a side they will be comfortable with heading into the game.The captain Shan Masood admitted balancing the team was “tricky”. “We’d like to have one final look at the pitch,” he said. “Looks a bit different, less grass cover. South Africa have had the luxury of having a training session earlier than us. We’d like to take our time and see what the best possible XI is.”The Newlands surface is under scrutiny following what happened in the previous Test played here. In the first Test for new groundsman Braam Mong, India beat South Africa in a game which lasted barely 100 overs. Fast bowlers dominated the game, with uneven bounce between bat and ball, with no spin bowled; the pitch was given an “unsatisfactory” rating.Related

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With this being the same groundsman’s second Test, interest in the nature of this strip is high on both sides, with Temba Bavuma half-joking he was told he “wasn’t allowed to talk about the pitch”. Over the last couple of days, the strip that will see the Test played has had a significant amount of grass removed from it, with heavy rollers going over the surface multiple times.Either way, South Africa have named their side, with spinner Keshav Maharaj coming in. But it’s a bit more complex for Pakistan. Masood pointed out one of South Africa’s strengths was their seam bowling allrounders and deep batting line-up, saying it went right down to “Rabada at 10″, following his heroics in the fourth innings in Centurion.If Pakistan are to play a specialist spinner, it will invariably come at the expense of a seam bowler. That leaves them with just three seamers, which Masood appeared reluctant to commit to.”South Africa still have four seamers playing,” Masood said. “They have the luxury of quite a lot of allrounders in the squad. Mulder, Jansen, Bosch, so they can afford to make those decisions. For us, it’ll be slightly trickier. We still feel pace will have a large role to play in these conditions. There was a pattern that was successful for us where [Salman] Agha bowled really well in Australia and take that forward with us. We’ll have to see and probably make a decision in the evening.Further complicating matters, Aamer Jamal, who played the least significant role among the quicks in Centurion for Pakistan, is their only allrounder, with Masood effectively confirming his place in the XI.”Aamer links the team together. He’s a very important player in the Test team going forward. That No. 8 position where you can bat as a very decent batter and bowl like a proper fast bowler. Unfortunately, the situation of the match was such apart from his first spell at Centurion he didn’t really get a go. He was brought on at a time where we just took a gamble to have something different, maybe hit the wicket and force Rabada or Jansen to do something else. That was the reason behind that. But we hope he’ll bowl more on this surface.”It means whichever way Pakistan go, there will be compromises one way or another. But Masood said Pakistan had been taking heart from the way they competed against the side that are “No. 1″ in Test cricket. But with Pakistan letting slip a number of dominant positions over the last nine Tests, seven of which Pakistan lost, he understands belief in a side or a system can fall apart if results to prop it up aren’t forthcoming.”You want to compete against the best, and win against the best,” he said. “It’s heartening to compete, but we have to be ruthless, and we have to cross that line somewhere. There’s a lot of potential in that side, and if we’re not crossing the line, we’re not doing our talent and ability justice. That only comes from a place of care, and yes we all make mistakes and sometimes don’t cross this line, but I really believe this side has the ability, and people have seen there is a lot more to this side than the results suggest.”Moments after Pakistan finished training, the pitch was, unconventionally, given another heavy dose of watering under a hot sun. After that, the groundstaff threw a white sheet over the strip, and the two surrounding it. The secrets of this Newlands pitch remain concealed overnight, although, even when it stood exposed, few – especially in the Pakistan camp – seemed to really know what to expect from it.

Newcastle United lost to Liverpool at St. James’ Park 3-2, but if ever there was a match which typified the spirit, togetherness and talent of Eddie Howe’s side, this was it.

With Alexander Isak still on strike, looking to join Monday night’s opponents before the looming crescendo to the summer transfer window, Howe was forced to field Anthony Gordon as a makeshift centre-forward once again.

However, in a moment of complete madness, the Three Lions star got himself sent off before half-time after a rash challenge on Virgil van Dijk, with the hosts 1-0 down in spite of a breathtaking and dominant display.

The Magpies rallied, restoring parity from two goals and a man down, but 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha struck an agonising blow at St. James’ Park at the eleventh hour.

But there was so much to like for the home side, and while Isak was absent (again), substitute William Osula proved he has a part to play at number nine this season. Could he be Newcastle’s next Isak? Time will tell.

William Osula shows his quality

In August 2024, Newcastle signed Osula from Sheffield United for a £15m fee. He has always been regarded as a top talent, but Howe and Co view the Frenchman as a work in progress.

Last year, the young attacker only featured 14 times in the Premier League, having not been handed a single start, scoring only once off the bench in a 3-0 win over Ipswich Town.

Had circumstances been different, it’s not unfair to suggest the 22-year-old Dane would have drifted through the clash against the Premier League champions as an unused substitute, but Isak wasn’t there, and Gordon was sent off in the first half, and so Howe threw him into the fray.

His influence was game-changing, scoring a vital second half equaliser.

Osula might come to replace or rival Isak in terms of positional value, but another talisman stepped up on Monday night.

Indeed, Bruno Guimaraes proved once again why he is Newcastle’s defining superstar.

Newcastle's next Isak-esque superstar

Guimaraes has now played 156 times for Newcastle, one of the first to christen this exciting new era and steadfast throughout, hailed by his teammate Dan Burn as being a truly “world-class” player.

His technical quality and iron-willed passion were on full show against Arne Slot’s side, and though it didn’t prove enough on the night, the goalscoring 27-year-old proved himself to be Newcastle’s true talisman as talk around Isak’s future drones on.

Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder remarked in his post-match comments that the Brazil international ‘played his heart out’ against the Reds, and awarded him an 8/10 rating for his tireless efforts.

Isak should take a leaf from his book. Guimaraes is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City have shown a vested interest this year, but the passion he exudes when performing in black and white is a thing to behold.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

1

Assists

0

Touches

49

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

19/26 (73%)

Dribbles

1/6

Tackles

3

Duels won

7/20

Praised by Arsenal-focused content creator Alex Moneypenny as being a “ridiculous footballer”, Guimaraes is bound to play a focal role in the year ahead.

His leadership and quality are sure to drive this football team on and toward greener pastures, building on last year’s trophy-winning campaign and ensuring that it proves a springboard for a sustained period of success.

Isak, who? The Brazilian is Howe’s true superstar.

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