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Persevered with for so long for his potential rather than his form, Thisara Perera has started to turn his game around. This, at least, is what Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera believed, after Thisara struck 49 off 30 balls to assist Sri Lanka’s recovery after they had careened to 36 for 5.Thisara’s innings was to be of little consequence – South Africa ended up sauntering to a five-wicket victory. But it was another solid contribution from a player who, in the past, has been a source of great frustration. For years selectors kept picking him because the idea of a seam-bowling, big-hitting allrounder was too much to resist, but his performances since 2014 had largely been mediocre. This year, though, he has seemingly rediscovered the form that had made him such an exciting prospect in the early years of this decade. Having averaged an abysmal 14.50 – at a strike rate of not much more than 100 – between January 2015 and December 2017, Thisara has now averaged 45.75 with a strike rate of 156, in five innings in 2018.”In the last six months he’s improved a lot as a batsman,” Samaraweera said. “I gave a lot of space to him, and he’s getting there. The good thing is, after his dismissal he showed a lot of disappointment in the dressing room, because this was one of the best opportunities for him to get an ODI hundred.”

Felt more like a Pretoria or Wanderers wicket: Shamsi

South Africa’s left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi took 4 for 33 to wipe out the Sri Lanka innings, after South Africa’s quicks had wreaked havoc on the top order. His thoughts on:
The bowling performance
“I managed to get the guys that made runs. But the fast bowlers made our job a lot easier. Any team that is five down early for 30-odd on the board – that makes things easier. Credit to the Sri Lankans for almost getting to 200 runs after a start like that.”
The pitch
“I felt it was a little bit of a South African type wicket. There wasn’t much spin, especially because we bowled first. We bowl a lot on pitches like this at home, so it was okay to adjust. Felt more like a Pretoria or Wanderers wicket.”

A performing Thisara has always been an alluring proposition, but now, with Angelo Mathews seemingly unable to bowl due to injury concerns and a World Cup in England in less than a year, Sri Lanka’s desperation for a seam-bowling allrounder has rarely been so acute. What is heartening for Sri Lanka is that Thisara’s bowling turnaround is also impressive. Having taken 29 wickets at an average of 48.24 in the three years from 2015 till the end of 2017, Perera has claimed his wickets at an average of 17.63 this year.”We had a lot of discussions, and we emphasised to Thisara how important he is to the 2019 World Cup,” Samaraweera said. “I think you have to give a lot of credit to bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake also. He changed Thisara’s bowling approach. He was very slow to the crease before Rumesh came, and in the last seven months, we can see how much faster he is to the stumps. We had strong discussions, and sometimes disagreements. But Thisara is heading in the right direction at the moment.”That Thisara had had to come to the crease as early as the ninth over in this match, was down partly to Sri Lanka’s inability to withstand Kagiso Rabada’s new-ball spell. Rabada’s first five overs brought him three wickets for 22 runs, while Lungi Ngidi struck once at the other end, and Upul Tharanga was run out.”We talked about what South Africa’s strengths were, and their strength is in the first eight to ten overs – we have to get through that period,” Samaraweera said. “After that, they have a very inexperienced bowling attack. Unfortunately, they got five wickets. We were thinking a score of 275-280 would be good, because we have three spinners to defend that. But when you are 30-odd for five, it’s very hard to win games from there. We recovered well, but the match was decided in the first ten overs because of our very poor batting.”

Following his 200 runs in the first Test against England, the India captain has pushed past Steven Smith to become the No. 1 ranked batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2018Virat Kohli’s 22nd Test century and his 200-run tally in the Edgbaston Test has vaulted him to the top of the ICC Test rankings for batsmen. He has dethroned Steven Smith, the former Australia captain, and is the first Indian to be No. 1 since Sachin Tendulkar in June 2011.Kohli joins a select club, comprising Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsakar, Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir – the only other India batsmen to have reached the top spot in the Test rankings. He currently has 934 rating points, the most by any India batsman ever, and 14th on the all-time list. Donald Bradman, who reached 961 points in 1948, leads the list. Kohli is also ranked No. 1 in ODIs at present.At Edgbaston, Kohli’s remarkable efforts helped keep India in the Test despite top-order collapses in both innings. His first-innings 149 helped minimise the damage after India slipped to 100 for 5 and then 182 for 8 in response to England’s 287. Kohli was the last man out, having got through a stern examination from James Anderson before opening up, leaving India with only a 13-run deficit. In the second innings, chasing 194, India’s top order failed once again. Kohli was unbeaten on 43 overnight, and completed a half-century the next morning. However, he was lbw to Ben Stokes for 51, and India were eventually defeated by 31 runs. Kohli had tallied 200 runs in the match overall, while India’s four other top-order batsmen – M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane – mustered just 99 runs between them.For a second straight overseas tour, Kohli has single-handedly carried India’s batting line-up. So far in 2018, he has tallied 486 runs at 60.75. The other top-order batsmen – the four who played in the Edgbaston Test and Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, who were part of the series against South Africa at the start of the year – have scored 809 runs between them at 21.86.

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O Corinthians anunciou na manhã desta quarta-feira a saída de Osmar Loss, que ocupava o cargo decoordenador técnico das categorias de base do Timão. Ele havia retornado ao Parque São Jorge em março deste ano, depois de deixar o clube em 2018. Seu destino deve ser o Internacional, onde será auxiliar técnico de Abel Braga, que retornou para o Colorado nesta semana.

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Loss iniciou sua carreira no Inter e também fará o caminho de volta para sua origem. No Alvinegro ele passou pelas categorias de base entre 2013 e 2015, como técnico do sub-20, depois foi promovido ao auxiliar técnico da equipe principal em 2017, até ser efetivado como treinador após a saída de Fábio Carille, em 2018, até que deixou o Corinthians no fim do ano para buscar outros objetivos. Em 2019, ele treinou o Guarani e o Vitória.

Confira a nota oficial divulgada pelo Timão nesta quarta-feira:

“O Sport Club Corinthians Paulista agradece Osmar Loss por todos os serviços prestados ao clube ao longo de suas três passagens e deseja sucesso no prosseguimento de sua carreira.

Em março deste ano, voltou ao clube como coordenador técnico das categorias de base, cargo que ocupou até esta quarta-feira (11)”.

continua após a publicidade

This season, Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening combination has been fluid. While Sunil Narine opened their batting in three of their first four games, the team opted for Robin Uthappa to open alongside Chris Lynn against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The flexibility, Lynn feels, allows Knight Riders’ top three the best chance to combat whatever type of bowling the opposition may throw at them.Narine has scored his runs at a strike rate of 194.59 this season, but his weakness against fast, short-pitched bowling was perhaps a reason behind Uthappa slotting in as opener against Sunrisers’ new-ball combination of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake.”Obviously one’s left-handed, one’s right-handed. Sunny is obviously very aggressive whereas Robbie is very technical and likes to build his innings so they are two different types of players,” Lynn told following Knight Riders’ loss to Sunrisers on Saturday. “But for us, it’s about communicating about who’s bowling, whether it’ll be a fast bowler or a spin bowler, and making sure our communication and match-ups against those bowlers is spot on.”If we do lose a wicket, it’s about consolidating and batting with the guy at the other end, making sure you’re taking down your strengths, rather than trying to bat against your weakness.”On a personal note, Lynn has had an underwhelming start to IPL 2018. After four games, Lynn has scored 107 runs at a strike-rate of 122.98, well below his career T20 figure of 147.27. Having played no cricket for over a month thanks to a dislocated shoulder, Lynn said returning to competitive cricket and using a shoulder brace while batting have been “challenging”. But he backs himself to score big runs as the season progresses.”Yeah, it’s been challenging,” Lynn said. “Having not played for six weeks, getting back into the groove has taken me a couple of games. So it was nice to get some runs the other night [49 against Sunrisers] and I’m primed to keep churning out the runs now.”Obviously, getting used to batting with the shoulder brace, feeling comfortable with it, is very important. But I think I’ve found a way, and hopefully good things are just around the corner.”

Leeds United continued their mixed start to life back in the Championship with a 0-0 draw away to Hull City on Wednesday night, with the Whites having now won just two of their opening seven league games to leave them two points outside the playoffs.

The Yorkshire giants' hopes of securing a second successive victory were no doubt hampered, however, by the loss of summer signing Joe Rodon to a red card on the hour mark, although the 25-year-old wasn't the only Welshman to have been culpable as Daniel Farke's men failed to clinch a much-needed three points – with Daniel James also failing to impress from the flanks.

How did Dan James perform against Hull City?

The former Manchester United man – who was once part of Hull's academy set-up – was unable to build upon his late cameo appearance in the 3-0 win over Millwall last time out, having teed up Georginio Rutter for his second assist of the season at The Den.

There was to be no such notable contribution this time around, however, as the "headless" speedster – as previously described by pundit Darren Bent – was rather ineffective in his right-wing berth, having been restricted to just 27 touches in total on the night.

The 45-cap international also made just 12 passes in total as a marker of his inability to get on the ball and pose a threat to the hosts' back line, with that tally lower than what both Ryan Allsop and Illan Meslier achieved in either goal, the pair having racked up 43 and 36 passes, respectively.

While James was eventually withdrawn following his compatriot Rodon's dismissal, his woes prior to that were further laid bare by the fact that he won just 50% of his ground duels and was dribbled past on three occasions, hardly helping out Luke Ayling behind him in that right channel.

Such a limp showing from the £50k-per-week menace ensured it was a 'night that made him look like a better option to make an impact off the bench' – as per Leeds Live's Beren Cross – with his 'end product' having been 'lacking', in the words of Yorkshire Evening Post journalist, Graham Smyth.

How has Dan James performed this season?

Prior to yesterday's stalemate, it had proven a relatively promising start to the campaign for the £25m man, with James having made his presence felt after returning from his loan spell at Fulham last term, where he scored three goals in just 23 appearances for the west London side.

Now back at Elland Road, the one-time Shrewsbury Town loanee was particularly impressive in the draw with West Bromwich Albion last month, with Cross writing that it was 'one of his best games for Leeds in a very long time', as he got off the mark with a late assist.

An injury setback subsequently ruled him out for the meetings with Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday, while the diminutive talent only returned off the bench at the weekend, with it having been an unhappy recall to the starting XI against the Tigers.

With Farke blessed with attacking alternatives such as Jaidon Anthony and Crysencio Summerville – the latter man having been described by Cross as 'by far the best attacking outlet on the night' – it would be wise to consider ditching James from the side moving forward, after he simply failed to take his chance.

There is no denying that the winger's "raw pace" is an asset, yet he doesn't appear to have the "knowledge or the know-how" – according to former Leeds man Ian Harte – hence why Farke should look for another solution in those wide berths.

Worcestershire have signed Australian Travis Head as an overseas player across all formats.He will be available for the majority of the season, apart from when Australia tour for the limited-overs matches in June and the tail-end of the County Championship campaign in September. The club expects to announce a fill-in player for those periods in the near future.Head hopes to use the experience in English conditions to further his claims for a Test spot having made his name in one-day and T20 cricket. He recently captained Adelaide Strikers to the Big Bash title and also made 96 in Australia’s lone victory in the one-day series against England.In first-class cricket he has 3729 runs at an average of 35.17 including six centuries and will also provide a spin-bowling option for Worcestershire, especially in the white-ball formats.Tim Curtis, the Worcestershire vice-chairman, said: “He has just captained Adelaide Strikers to the Big Bash title after playing a big part with the bat in the final and semi-final and played that fine innings against England in a recent ODI.”But he is ambitious to play Test cricket and Cricket Australia have encouraged him and other young players to play cricket this summer.”He is hungry to do well and play all types of cricket and he also spoke to Mo [Moeen Ali] in Australia and he gave him positive vibes about coming to Worcestershire.”In addition to his batting, Travis is keen to develop his spin bowling and certainly in white ball cricket he is used in that role by the Strikers.”Fellow South Australian, Chadd Sayers, has also stated his keenness to pursue a county deal to develop his game ahead of the 2019 Ashes having revealed he is hoping to sign with Sussex.

Tottenham Hotspur are now considering a move for Al-Ittihad winger Jota, who could potentially be brought in as an alternative to one of their other targets, according to a report.

Are Tottenham signing a winger?

Tottenham are firmly in the hunt for a new winger, as we enter the final week of the summer transfer window, and they could stand a good chance of winning the race for Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson, who has now told friends he is keen on the move.

However, the Wales international is not Spurs' only target in wide areas, as it has now been reported they have submitted a bid worth €45m (£38.6m) for FC Porto's Pepe, which was knocked back, with the Portuguese side holding out for a fee of €75m (£64.3m).

Given that the Lilywhites are some way off matching Porto's valuation of the 26-year-old, they may choose to pursue the cheaper option of their two targets, and 90min report they are now leading the race for Johnson, who is valued at £50m by Forest.

Forest are aware that increase in the 22-year-old is increasing, and a £50m move would be a huge boost to their Financial Fair Play calculations, although they are still reluctant to sell him.

Working under Ange Postecoglou is the most appealing option to the Welshman at this stage, but the manager could choose to pursue a player he already knows very well, with Jota, who he worked with at Celtic, now emerging as an option.

Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad shelled out a club-record fee to sign the winger this summer, but they have already put him up for sale, and Tottenham have now been alerted to his availability.

The 24-year-old played under Postecoglou last season, helping Celtic win the Scottish Premiership title with ease, and he could now be set to reunite with the Australian, should Spurs be able to agree on a suitable fee.

Not only are the Lilywhites keen on a new winger, but 90min also make it clear they are keen on bolstering the spine of the team with another central midfielder and centre-back.

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

How good is Jota?

It is clear to see why Al-Ittihad were willing to pay £25m for the Portuguese attacker, as he was an extremely influential player for Celtic last season, weighing in with 11 goals and 10 assists in 29 Scottish Premiership appearances.

Guardian columnist Dominik Diamond named the 5 foot 9 forward among the Hoops' best players, when discussing who should be named Player of the Year, describing him as "ludicrously skillful", and Portugal boss Roberto Martinez believes he's getting better and better, saying:

"What I would say is that his evolution has been very impressive. I would say that the last four months especially he is growing into a very mature role at his club. He's always involved in the big moments, and that's important."

Having already worked under Postecoglou, praising the Spurs boss for never losing belief in his philosophy during his time at Celtic Park, Jota could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, and his availability means it may well be a relatively easy move to facilitate.

Liverpool recently completed the surprise signing of Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo for a fee of £16.2m from Stuttgart as Jurgen Klopp continued his midfield rebuild.

Having missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both joined Chelsea, the German will need to move swiftly to land another one or two players before the end of the transfer window.

Endo may not be a marquee name, yet his experience could be vital – and Klopp also appears to be edging closer to signing another target…

Who could Liverpool sign next?

With Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all departing Anfield, the Reds find themselves a bit short in the middle of the pitch.

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace star Cheick Doucoure is still on Klopp’s list despite the arrival of Endo earlier this week.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

The Eagles are set to ask for a fee believed to be around £70m for one of their prized assets, and should Liverpool submit an offer in this region, it’s highly likely they will secure his signature.

The £60k-per-week Palace gem has just one season of Premier League football behind him, yet Klopp clearly sees enough to launch a move to lure him to the north-west.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

Although a mass midfield exodus was perhaps expected with a few players out of contract, to see Henderson depart after 12 years with the club was a major surprise.

The Englishman played a key role during their success between 2018 and 2022, captaining the side to a Premier League title, Champions League crown and a handful of other trophies as the Reds emerged out of the shadows that had plagued them for years.

The 33-year-old made nearly 500 appearances for the Anfield outfit, and although he started just 23 league matches last season, Klopp could still have counted on his experience for the 2023/24 campaign.

A move for Doucoure could certainly alleviate the blow of losing the 77-cap England international, especially with his wonderful debut season in England.

The 23-year-old even won the Player of the Year Award for his 2022/23 performances and there is no doubt he could be an ideal heir to Henderson.

Read more on Cheick Doucoure HERE…

The Mali international not only made more tackles per game than Henderson (2.3 v 0.9) last term, but also made more interceptions (1.6 v 0.6) and won possession more often (0.7 v 0.4) per game than the former Liverpool star in the league.

This suggests he could be much better at winning the ball back in the heart of the midfield, while his defensive abilities would allow others to thrive in a more advanced role.

Indeed, he ranked in the top 6% when compared to positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90 (1.73), while he even showcased his ability to take on defenders by ranking in the top 5% for his take-ons per 90 success rate (71.4%, as per FBref).

Lauded by former boss Patrick Vieira for being “the complete holding midfielder”, it’s evident that Doucoure belongs at a more esteemed club, and Klopp should be tying up a deal as quickly as possible.

Tottenham Hotspur are "set to move for another centre-back signing" and Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba is the "top target", according to reports.

Who will Spurs sign?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy have already sealed a fair few major signings this summer, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, youngster Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz joining the club.

The new Premier League season is looming, and after Spurs' last pre-season friendly against Barcelona tonight, attention now turns to Brentford away on Sunday.

The north Londoners will have a new-look side from last term as Ange Postecoglou seeks to implement his philosophy and hand-pick players suited to his system.

Defensively, Tottenham were very poor last season, having conceded 63 league goals – which is more than any other side above 15th in the top-flight managed.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Those numbers will prove alarming for Postecoglou, who has a big task on his hands following in the footsteps of serial winner Antonio Conte.

The Australian also admitted to media recently that he wants to see more than one defensive addition this summer and has urged his side to make another signing at the back after completing a deal for van de Ven.

"It's not done yet," said Postecoglou.

"We need bolstering in that central defensive area. We need defenders who can work in an aggressive formation, defend well & behind them. We'll be looking to bring in a couple in that area in the coming days."

After this declaration of intent from Spurs' boss, reporter Pete O'Rourke has shared an update in a column for Football Insider.

The journalist, sharing news on Tottenham's transfer plans for the remainder of this window, relays Spurs are "set to move for another centre-back signing" after both van de Ven and Phillips.

Tapsoba, who has been repeatedly linked throughout the transfer window, is at the centre of their interest with the club, and by extension Levy, identifying him as their "top target" before September 1.

The Burkina Faso international is valued at around £45m by Leverkusen, a figure proving problematic behind-the-scenes, and that is apparently holding up advanced talks.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

Tapsoba was an untouchable member of Xabi Alonso's starting eleven over 2022/2023, playing more league minutes than any other Leverkusen outfielder in the Bundesliga (WhoScored).

The 24-year-old ranked among their best for clearances made per 90 also, backing how truly solid of a presence he can be at the back (WhoScored).

Guardian journalist Ben McAleer, writing a piece for the outlet, has revered Tapsoba for his distribution and believes he would be a sure-fire fit for Postecoglou's system.

McAleer said:

"Postecoglou wants his centre-backs to play the ball out from defence, so Tapsoba would be a fine addition to the squad. He ranked fifth for passes per game (76.3) in the Europa League last season, and returned a solid pass success rate of 87.2%. What’s more, Tapsoba ranked second for forward passes (879) in the Bundesliga last season, looking to set his side on the front foot where possible."

An update has emerged on Liverpool's search for further reinforcements in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Reds are exploring the possibility of a swoop to sign Crystal Palace central midfielder Cheick Doucoure during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Jurgen Klopp could snap the impressive battler, who joined the Eagles from Lens for £21m last year, as a replacement for Fabinho.

Liverpool's Brazil international has been the subject of a £40m offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad Club and The Guardian have claimed that it is 'likely' the former AS Monaco star moves on from Anfield.

The Mersey giants have already made two additions to their midfield ranks this summer, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister both having been signed on permanent deals to bolster the manager's options in that area of the pitch.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

Klopp could secure a masterstroke by selling the ageing Fabinho and replacing him with Doucoure heading into next season as the Palace titan's performances last term suggest that he has the quality to be a big upgrade on the Brazilian.

Liverpool would be signing a player who has already proven themselves in the Premier League, as opposed to someone from a foreign league who may or may not be able to adapt to English football. This could allow him to hit the ground running in August instead of needing a period to adjust to the division.

Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 top-flight matches for Roy Hodgson's side last season, which placed him fourth within their squad.

Fabinho, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 over 36 league matches for the Reds, which was the 13th-highest score in the team.

Defensively, the Mali international came out on top with an impressive 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match, compared to the former Ligue 1 ace's 2.8 per outing. In fact, no Liverpool player – in any position – made more than Doucoure's 1.6 interceptions per game.

This suggests that the Palace enforcer, who was once hailed as a "complete" player by his former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, has the defensive quality to be a destroyer in midfield for Liverpool.

He can constantly disrupt the play by cutting out opposition attacks on a regular basis, which means that the talented ace can protect the back four.

The 23-year-old tank could ease some of the pressure on the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate by winning possession back for the Reds before the ball gets that far. Whereas, Fabinho made interventions less frequently throughout the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which suggests that he is not as effective in such a role.

This is also backed up by the fact that the Brazil international was dribbled past more times per game (1.1) than Doucoure was for Palace (0.7).

Opposition players found it easier to bypass the Liverpool defensive midfielder whilst the Palace powerhouse was able to put his foot in to stop them from going past him.

Therefore, Klopp could land a big upgrade on Fabinho by signing Doucoure before the end of the summer transfer window.