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Ricky Ponting led Tasmania to a what appeared a decisive lead after Luke Butterworth razed Western Australia’s first innings for 97 on day two

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2013
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Ricky Ponting led Tasmania to a what appeared a decisive lead after Luke Butterworth razed Western Australia’s first innings for 97 on day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA ground.Resuming at 6 for 54, the Warriors could make nothing of Butterworth, who now has 35 wickets at 17.02 in the Shield this season. They had a chance of restricting the visitors when the Tigers quickly slipped to 2 for 10, but Ponting forged the biggest stand of the match with Alex Doolan to stretch the lead.Ponting’s innings was aggressive, featuring two sixes, as the ball continued to zip around for the WA bowlers. Ryan Duffield enjoyed most success with his left-arm swing.Steady contributions down the order frustrated WA’s efforts to start a rush of wickets, and Jason Krejza will hope to add to his side’s advantage when he and the last man Adam Maher resume on day three.

Mahela Jayawardene is looking at the positives of having pulled two games back from the brink as opposed to feeling frustrated at not having finished those games off

Sidharth Monga16-Feb-2012Mahela Jayawardene is looking at the positives of having pulled two games back from the brink as opposed to feeling frustrated at not having finished those games off. Sri Lanka’s three games in the series so far have been weird, in that they lacked flow and continuity. At times they showed remarkable spirit and intelligence, at times they played ordinary cricket that confounds.In Sri Lanka’s first game, their batting was stop-start against India but their bowlers pulled things back, before they were a little slow in the field as India came out from a slippery position. In the second game against Australia, Sri Lanka started superbly, Jayawardene was exceptional as captain, but their batsmen messed up the chase. Angelo Mathews didn’t give up, though, and nearly took them to an exceptional win.In their second meeting with India, the Sri Lanka batsmen floundered. Rickety start, Dinesh Chandimal-led rebuilding, and when the time arrived to push on, more wickets fell. The bowlers were ordinary at the start of the chase, but the fielders pulled them back so well they could smell the win, only for the fielding to break down and leave Sri Lanka with two points from three games.”We take it in a positive way but we realise we did make mistakes,” Jayawardene said. “We were not ruthless enough to finish games off, and that is a disappointment. We need to make sure, when we get into those situations, we finish games off and get that winning habit going. That’s something we’ve spoken about and hopefully we can get that right tomorrow.”Jayawardene said Sri Lanka needed to react better in those crunch situations. “In certain situations we did not react that well. Even with the bat, it’s not just the last 10 overs. We lost two early wickets and we built up. When we were setting up in that Powerplay, we lost two wickets and didn’t take advantage. Missed run-outs in last two overs. Overall we didn’t handle certain situations that well. At the end of the day I thought we came back strongly in a lot of departments to compete with India, so that was a positive, but we need to be ruthless to finish the game off.”He said the problem hadn’t reached a stage where it could be said Sri Lanka had forgotten how to win, but admitted the need for wins was urgent. “We’ve been winning but when you start winning more percentages then [only] you get a good habit going,” Jayawardene said. “We have been winning in between and losing a few games, playing some games really badly so there was the inconsistency. That’s something we’re trying to rectify.”Tomorrow’s game against Australia will be Sri Lanka’s fourth of the tournament. Even if they win, they will have to do much better in the second half of the tournament in order to make the finals. “It’s a crucial game for us, and every game is important,” Jayawardene said. “I can’t predict how many wins we need to get into the finals. What’s in our control is to try and win matches.”It’s a good game – the last one – with points on board, and if we can play the way we did in the last three games, and control certain situations better and make less mistakes, we’ll get those wins under our belt. One, two, three good wins, and we can be on top of the table.”

A round-up of the action from the second day of the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy 2010-11

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2011South Zone have taken a stranglehold of their semi-final against Central Zone at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, after their seamers helped bowl Central out for 178 on the second day. South didn’t enforce the follow-on and were 397 ahead with eight wickets in hand by the end of the day.After the first day had been dominated by South’s batsmen, the first session of the second day saw five wickets fall. Central got South’s last two wickets cheaply, fast bowler Umesh Yadav dismissing overnight double-centurion Manish Pandey for 218 to end the innings. But Central were in trouble by lunch, with each of the three Karnataka seamers in South’s team – Sreenath Aravind, Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun – taking a wicket each, to leave them 61 for 3 at the break. Aravind set the tone, bowling a very tight line and getting Central opener Aakash Chopra for four. Vinay Kumar and Mithun picked it up from there, as Central’s top order struggled.The seamers continued to dominate after the break, with Vinay Kumar testing the batsmen with some short balls. He got Naman Ojha to fend one to forward short leg and Abhinav Mukund held on to a sharp catch. Devendra Bundela never looked comfortable. His first runs were an edge off Mithun that fell short of Manish Pandey at second slip and ran away to the third-man fence. He looked uneasy against Vinay Kumar’s short stuff. Vinay Kumar tried a slower bouncer and it ended up reaching Bundela at under 80kph, but Bundela still almost ducked under it and hooked it for a single to deep square leg as an afterthought. Rajasthan’s Ashok Menaria looked the best of Central’s batsman, and raced to a boundary-filled 79 off 63 balls. But the rest of Central’s batting didn’t support him and they conceded a 265-run first-innings lead.South decided to bat again and both their openers – Mukund and Robin Uthappa – got half-centuries as South reached 132 for 2 at the close of play, with Mukund still batting on 60.

North Zone have the advantage in their match against West Zone at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. West trail by 284 runs with five wickets in hand at the end of the second day, but it could have been worse for them. After North had amassed 460 in the first innings, West slumped to 63 for 4 before a 107-run partnership between Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer and Saurashtra’s Ravindra Jadeja gave their score some respectability. Legspinner Amit Mishra dismissed Jaffer four overs before stumps, leaving West staring at a stiff task.North started the day on 315 for 5 and their lower order added some useful runs to take them to a strong total. Overnight batsman Uday Kaul took his score from 55 to 89 and then seamer Sumit Narwal scored 59 off 53 balls, as West struggled to wipe out the tail. Narwal then did the job with the ball, taking three early wickets to leave West in all sorts of trouble.

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka believes their chances of returning to Test cricket in 18 months are “very realistic”

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka believes their chances of returning to Test cricket in 18 months are “very realistic”. His confidence stems from the appointment of a new coaching team – Alan Butcher was announced as Zimbabwe’s new coach over the weekend, and will be supported by assistant Stephen Mangongo along with former international players Heath Streak and Grant Flower.The country lost several leading players in an exodus following Heath Streak’s removal from the captaincy in 2004 and the situation became worse in 2006 when the Zimbabwe board suspended the weakened national team from Tests.”We endorsed them [the new coaching setup] unanimously,” Chingoka told . “They have the full support of the board. If you talk to experts like Dave Houghton and Alan Butcher they will tell you it’s very realistic, and I fully agree with them.”We just need to play a lot of games against ‘A’ sides from the leading Test nations. When we get back to Tests, we would want to start with lower sides like Bangladesh and then work ourselves upwards. The management is working on a program to take us to where we want.”Chingoka said cricket in Zimbabwe was making progress following a period of deterioration that mirrored the economic and political problems in the country. “It’s healthy and long may it continue,” Chingoka said. “The game is bigger than all of us. Everyone is just concentrating on cricket.”Zimbabwe announced in 2006 that they were temporarily withdrawing from Tests, having last played India at home in September 2005. Only a few players from the exodus, including Steak and left-arm spinner Ray Price, made comebacks. The country continues to play ODIs and Twenty20s but languishes at the bottom of the world rankings.However, the domestic structure has been overhauled and restructured competitions like the Logan Cup have convinced former internationals like Sean Ervine to return home from England. The country’s first Twenty20 competition – the Stanbic Bank 20 Series – was also played recently and featured former Australia allrounder Ian Harvey and England’s Chris Silverwood as player-coaches.Zimbabwe are scheduled to play one Twenty20 international and five ODIs on their tour of West Indies starting on Sunday.

Barcelona are reportedly furious with the Spain national team, including head coach Luis de la Fuente, after seeing Gavi pick up a serious injury.

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Teenager midfielder has suffered ligament damageMay have to sit out the rest of the seasonLa Liga giants not happy with selection callsWHAT HAPPENED?

The 19-year-old midfielder limped out of a Euro 2024 qualification clash with Georgia in tears after suffering supposed knee ligament damage. The talented teenager is likely to sit out the rest of the 2023-24 campaign once an ACL problem is confirmed.

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That setback represents a serious blow for the player, his club side and national team. Defending La Liga champions Barca will be hit particularly hard as they are set to be without a key part of Xavi’s first-team plans. claims those at Camp Nou are less than impressed at seeing that situation play out.

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The Blaugrana feel unnecessary risks were taken on Gavi’s fitness in a match that had nothing riding on it – with Spain having already qualified for next summer’s European Championship. The talented youngster was one of just two players to retain their starting berths from a meeting with Cyprus last week.

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is also reporting that Barca hold De La Fuente responsible for Gavi’s injury. There was always the chance that fatigue could take its toll in a competitive game, with Barcelona looking for answers as to why common sense did not prevail – with difficult questions now being asked of the RFEF. The manager, though, has rejected their 'complaints', saying: "I understand Barca's complaints, but, if it wasn't Gavi, it could have happened to someone else. This can happen in a La Liga match, in training or in any situation. Sometimes we don't realise the risk that each moment entails when you put on your boots. It was an accident, a misfortune, but Gavi was perfectly ready to play."

PSG have become famous for their Champions League collapses, and everything seems to be pointing the wrong way entering this year's last 16.

A similar scene unfolds every year.

A retooled PSG side gears up for a Champions League run. Players are added. A manager is hired. New formations are established, adapted and perfected against the mediocrity of Ligue 1. And then, PSG are eliminated, usually in heartbreaking fashion.

This Champions League plight is more than a curse at this point. By now, it's a routine, a familiar cycle that always comes to the same inevitable end.

And it all seems geared to go wrong once again.

This is probably the best, most complete PSG squad in years. They have a more pragmatic manager who has, at times, drawn the best out of a star-filled squad.

But as PSG prepare to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 knockout tie on Tuesday, the warning signs are adding up. From injuries and fatigue to arguments and poor fortune, here's why it could all go wrong again…

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  Mbappe's Injury

  Even though Mbappe made a surprise return to training on Monday morning, his fitness should still be a massive concern for PSG. The star winger injured his hamstring on February 1, with an expected recovery time of three weeks. That he is back within 11 days is good news for manager Christophe Galtier, but also brings concern that he's been rushed.

  And what kind of role will Mbappe play? It certainly seems hasty to let him start, but Galtier insisted that Mbappe isn't in the squad just to fill out numbers. A second-half introduction seems likely, but will it be worth risking their star player with a second leg coming up? And with Ligue 1 far from locked up, Galtier has a choice on his hands. An aggravation of his star player's current injury would be an absolute nightmare.

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  Campos' Rant

  There is allegedly trouble in the PSG camp. Sporting director Luis Campos watched the squad he assembled suffer an embarrassing loss against Monaco on Saturday, and reportedly tried to intervene. According to , Neymar, Marquinhos and Campos got into a spat following the defeat, with Campos criticising the team for a lack of effort.

  Campos typically doesn't have much influence over such matters, and the fact that the sporting director is trying to meddle in day-to-day affairs with players is an alarm bell for greater dysfunction.

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  Neymar's Antics

  What to do about Neymar? At his best, the Brazilian is unplayable, and one of the best footballers on the planet. On bad days, he's a liability. This is not to say that PSG should bench Neymar, nor that he is no longer one of the world's best. And he always seems to perform in the big games.

  But personal issues seem to be impacting the team's performance at the moment. He and Mbappe have dealt with well-documented tension between them, while Neymar also reportedly had a go at Vitinha and Hugo Ekitike during the loss to Monaco on the weekend.

  "It happened, a little discussion, we didn't agree," the Brazilian said in a press conference about the Monaco incident. "It happens to us every day, but I love them all, it's like with my girlfriend. Football is not just love, not just friendship. There is respect but it happens to have discussions. We are not used to losing, when there are defeats, of course it disturbs us. It is part of the process to improve."

  Added head coach Galtier: "When there is frustration, it has to come out. I have been leading this way for years. You have to listen to them but they also have to listen to me. There is frustration that breeds anger. We talked, I listened to them, I hope they listened to me too."

  There are two sides to every story, and Neymar has tried to paint himself as a player simply raising the level of those around him with a competitive streak. But this isn't his first internal clash. He might need to pick his battles better.

  At an unstable moment for the club, stars are supposed to be leaders and maintain calm. Another drama is the opposite of what PSG wanted entering the Bayern Munich showdown.

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  Ziyech's transfer failure

  Hakim Ziyech was never going to be the saviour of PSG's season. The winger is a fine player with a sumptuous left foot, and a hero of the Moroccan national team. But he is not the answer to all of PSG's problems.

  Still, he seemed primed to be an important piece. The drop off from PSG's usual front three to Carlos Soler and Hugo Ekitike is massive. Ziyech, at the very least, should have softened the fall. But a transfer from Chelsea fell through at the last minute, with the London club failing to sort the correct paperwork before the deadline.

  It left PSG without a clear option off the bench, someone who could have perhaps given Messi or Neymar a rest in the weeks leading up to the Bayern tie – or even start the contest until Mbappe is ready to enter the game.

The winter window is now closed, with the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City among those to have spent big bolstering their ranks

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  20Sandro Wagner: Hoffenheim to Bayern Munich, £10.7m

  A Munich native and former Allianz Arena academy graduate is back where it all began at the age of 30, with the towering frontman having offered enough at Bundesliga rivals to convince the reigning champions of his worth.

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  19Francis Coquelin: Arsenal to Valencia, £12m

  A rollercoaster ride in England saw the Frenchman go from bit-part squad player to the answer to a holding midfield conundrum and back again, with a move to Spain secured after starting to slip down the pecking order once more.

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  18Jurgen Locadia: PSV to Brighton, £14m

  The Seagulls always knew that stepping up to the Premier League would require them to roll the dice in the transfer market, and a new club record fee has been shelled out to land a promising forward who must hit the ground running.

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  17Badou Ndiaye: Galatasaray to Stoke City £14m

  The Potters can rarely be accused of lacking battling qualities, but Paul Lambert has moved to further enhance those qualities by acquiring a Senegal international midfielder who could be among those gracing a World Cup stage this summer.