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The €70 million signing from Fiorentina hasn't scored in Serie A since February and there is now talk that he could be sold this summer…

Dusan Vlahovic has always had the utmost respect for Erling Haaland. He's long studied the movement of a No.9 he calls "a goal machine".

However, Vlahovic has never viewed Haaland solely as a role model, he also sees the Norwegian as a peer, firmly believing that there is little to choose between the pair in terms of talent and technique.

Right now, though, the Manchester City ace is operating in an entirely different stratosphere to the Serbian striker.

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On Tuesday, Haaland set a new record for most goals in a season across all competitions for a Premier League player (45) – and we've not even reached the middle of April.

Vlahovic, meanwhile, is by no means certain to start for Juventus in their Europa League quarter-final clash with Sporting CP for two reasons.

Firstly, he has a minor ankle injury. Secondly, and far more importantly, he is enduring the worst drought of his Serie A career, having failed to score in his last eight games – seven of which he started.

His rotten run of form has, unsurprisingly, become a major talking point in Turin, and beyond.

Getty Images'A foreign body in this Juventus'

Indeed, Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso couldn't resist sticking the boot into his former forward while speaking recently at an economics event in Florence.

“We paid €15 million combined for Arthur Cabral and Luka Jovic and they have already scored 20 goals in the three competitions we play in," Commisso boasted in his speech.

"Vlahovic, on the other hand, has scored 10 goals in Turin, two of which were penalties. He has exactly half [the number of goals] of our two forwards. And amidst all of this, we earned €70m.

"The Cabral-Jovic deal was excellent for us, unlike the Juventus deal for Vlahovic."

It's difficult to disagree, as the gap has only grown since Commisso took to the stage. Cabral and Jovic are now up to 24 goals between them, while Vlahovic has only added one in the interim – another penalty, which is indicative of his struggle to integrate himself into Massimiliano Allegri's team.

Some three months after his arrival in Turin, Fabio Licari wrote in the , "The best No.9 in the league is still a foreign body in this Juve."

The situation hasn't improved over the past year either; if anything, Vlahovic looks more isolated, and more out of place, than ever before. And some pundits are not in the least bit surprised.

AdvertisementGetty'Juventus will not change with Allegri'

Antonio Cassano may have a lot of crazy opinions but, to his credit, he did say just days after Vlahovic's move from Fiorentina to Juve had been confirmed that the attacker had got his choice of club "sensationally wrong".

"Juventus will not change with Allegri, neither next year nor in 10 years," the former Italy international warned on .

It was a valid point because even last season there were legitimate concerns over whether Vlahovic was really suited to his new coach's style of play.

He had flourished at Fiorentina playing under Beppe Iachini, Cesare Pandelli and Vincenzo Italiano – three coaches with admittedly different styles, but far more expansive footballing philosophies than the painfully pragmatic Allegri.

The hope was that Juve might adopt a more attacking approach this season. When Vlahovic arrived in Turin, the team was sitting seventh in the table and Allegri adopted, successfully, a win-at-all-costs mentality to secure a Champions League berth.

This year was meant to be different, particularly for Vlahovic, but Allegri has once again prioritised points over pretty play, and one can understand why, to a degree at least.

Firstly, Juve have been hindered by injuries, particularly to the likes of Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa, two players who would have undoubtedly made a world of difference to Juve's offensive output if fully fit.

Secondly, the 15-point penalty deduction the club received has forced Allegri's hand somewhat.

He needs to get Juve as high up the table as possible and, at a club where 'winning is the only thing that counts', it doesn't really matter how.

Ugly wins have once again become the order of the day at Juve.

Getty'There was criticism for Cristiano when he arrived'

That is, of course, little consolation to Vlahovic, who has cut an increasingly frustrated figure on the field. Off it, meanwhile, he has deleted his Instagram account – and not for the first time.

Vlahovic has taken a break from social media on at least two previous occasions when he was copping a lot of flak for his performances.

"There was criticism for Cristiano Ronaldo when he arrived," Allegri pointed out on the eve of the Sporting game. "Dusan will find the goal again, he is 22 years old and has also improved technically.

"Throughout your career. there are moments when things go less well for you. You must remain serene… Dusan has very specific characteristics and it's not like he's any less strong now than when he arrived."

The numbers would suggest otherwise, though.

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Getty'Vlahovic just needs to stay calm'

In his final 18 months at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, he scored 41 times in just 65 games in all competitions, averaging a goal every 126.7 minutes.

At Juve, that figure has fallen to 199.8. He's now converting just half of the big chances coming his way – down from 65 per cent at Fiorentina. His overall shot conversion and shooting accuracy have also fallen.

"Vlahovic just needs to stay calm," Allegri argued during an interview with . "Every now and then, he uses up too much energy, so he has to just take it easy.

"Once he is able to learn that game management, he will be less hasty when the ball arrives and more clinical in finishing.

"Let's not forget he’s only been at Juventus for a year, he is doing well and has everything it takes to improve."

Certainly, his potential remains obvious, but one wonders if he will realise it under Allegri.

A pair of teenagers and a trio of New York Red Bulls headline Goal's selections as the best values, based on salary, in Major League Soccer

Salaries in Major League Soccer continue to rise, and have seen a considerable spike since the infusion of targeted allocation money in the past two seasons. That has led to a near doubling of the number of million-dollar salaries in the league, and a sizable jump in the number of players making more than $500,000.

That doesn't mean there still aren't some super-sized bargains to be had. Players signed via homegrown player deals and those who enter the league via the MLS draft continue to give MLS teams a steady stream of bargains, several of which make up the squad chosen by Goal to be part of the MLS Bargain XI, the best values in the league.

Here is the 2018 MLS Bargain XI, with salaries based on guaranteed compensation as released by the MLS players union last week .

Greg BartramGK Alex Bono, Toronto FC, $102,200The 24-year-old goalkeeper is in the midst of his second full season as Toronto FC's starter and is continuing to show improvement, building on his MLS Cup-winning 2017 season. His exploits in TFC's CONCACAF Champions League run turned heads, and he has also broken into the U.S. national team picture. Still playing on his rookie contract, Bono should be securing a new contract soon, assuming he doesn't head to Europe via transfer.AdvertisementRB Julian Gressel, Atlanta United, $111,250A midfielder who has thrived this season since being moved into a right wing-back role, Gressel has carried over the success from his MLS Rookie of the Year award-winning 2017 into the 2018 season. He has been one of the key reasons Tata Martino has seen his team enjoy such success playing in a 3-5-2 formation. The 24-year-old German-born standout should be drawing attention from scouts and will have a strong case for a new contract this winter.Mark J. RebilasCB Tim Parker, New York Red Bulls, $115,935How is Parker so underpaid? He's still playing on his original rookie contract, which expires at the end of this season. He is in line for a big payday this winter, either in Europe or in a new MLS deal. The Vancouver Whitecaps traded him rather than making him one of the league's highest-paid defenders. Since joining the Red Bulls, Parker has been outstanding and has helped his new team forge the best defense in club history.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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CB Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls $73,125A repeat selection on the MLS Bargain XI, Long has followed up his breakout 2017 season with a strong start to 2018. His skill on the ball, coupled with an improving defensive skill set, make him one of the league's most underrated defenders. It shouldn't be long before the 25-year-old central defender secures a new contract with the Red Bulls.

The winners and losers of the replica shirt shakedown

It’s finally here. Seventy-five days after the Premier League drew to a close, the teams are back and ready to do it all again. While the league took a break – and the summer was rightly dominated by the Lionesses – those teams have been drip-feeding their kits for the upcoming season. Or at least most of them have. Due to supply chain issues, some teams have taken it right to the wire, while other clubs – we’re looking at you Chelsea and Leicester – still haven’t launched their away kits for the season.

As the Premier League begins its 30th year, we’ve pulled together this year’s league table based entirely on each club’s home and away kits.

We independently choose all products featured on our site. We may earn a commission when you purchase something through the links provided.Leicester FC / GOAL20Leicester

Home: 6/10

Leicester’s home shirt references some from its past – including a collar taken from the ‘70s and the “dynamic fox” aesthetic of the ‘80s – all of which contribute to a clean and classic kit. While  the stripped back “dynamic fox” design is a nod to the team of Gary Lineker and Alan Smith, it’s also slightly on the safe side.

Away: 0/10
That kit you see there is the Foxes third kit, and while we have no problem with it, it's crucially not the away kit. The club had delays for the home shirt and it seems something similar has happened with the away, as there isn't even a leak knocking about. We could have left a silhouette there, but that looked weird. Rock bottom for you, Leicester.

Total: N/A

Shop the entire Leicester 2022-23 collection hereAdvertisementSouthampton FC / GOAL19Southampton

Home: 3/10
Southampton’s 2022-23 home shirt is inspired by one of its previous classics worn by Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball and others which has been inverted for the upcoming season. The issue is that it doesn’t work anywhere near as well. Most people would see Southampton as wearing mostly red – they even went all red as recently as 2013-14 – but this is very much a white kit with red details.

Away: 2/10
The wave pattern of Southampton’s away shirt is a reference to the sea, as well as the city’s docks and maritime location. It’s all just too much, though. The design is distracting and the gold detailing does nothing to help the overall finish.

Total: 5/20

Shop the entire Southampton 2022-23 collection here

Newcastle FC / GOAL18Newcastle

Home: 6/10

Newcastle’s last home shirt was bad – everyone knew it. This season features a huge improvement as the club goes back to basics. The black and white stripes are perfectly sized and distributed, and the simple trim around the sleeves and collar gives an added detail to a classic kit.

Away: 1/10

Honestly, the less said about it, the better.

Total: 7/20

Shop the entire Newcastle 2022-23 collection here

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Everton FC / GOAL17Everton

Home: 4/10
As shirts go, it’s pretty dull. It’s Everton’s classic blue and white, almost exactly as it always is. The few details – a measly two Hummel chevrons per arm and a heat-embossed tower pattern – do little to set this shirt apart from the competition. The “Stake” sponsor logo doesn’t do it any favours, either.

Away: 3/10
Everton’s bright pink away colours return for the first time since 2019-20, and once again it’s a missed opportunity for the Toffees. The shirt’s stand-out feature – apart from the garish colour – is a geometric pattern that runs across the front. Yes, the away shirt is bad, but at least it’s nowhere near as bad as the goalkeeper’s away shirt.

Total: 7/20

Shop the entire Everton 2022-23 collection here

Oman completed their second upset win in as many days with a convincing 40-run win against Afghanistan on the back of a strong bowling performance

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2015
ScorecardFile photo- Jatinder Singh top-scored for Oman on the second consecutive day with a 48-ball 40•ICCOman completed their second upset win in as many days with a convincing 40-run win against Afghanistan on the back of a strong bowling performance. Oman are currently placed second in Group B after three straight wins, behind Afghanistan who have played an extra game.Oman lost Zeeshan Maqsood of the second ball after being put in to bat, but Zeeshan Ahmed and Jatinder Singh, who hit an unbeaten 65 in Oman’s six-wicket win against Netherlands, consolidated with a 49-run stand. Oman’s batsmen continued to form steady partnerships before Jatinder was bowled by Mohammad Nabi for 40 in the 17th over. However, 35 runs were scored of the last four overs as Oman finished with a competitive 144 for 7. Nabi was Afghanistan’s best bowler and picked up figures of 3 for 28.The Afghanistan openers, Mohammad Shahzad and Javed Ahmadi, started slowly before Shahzad was dismissed for 28. Afghanistan were on course at 61 for 1 in the 10th over but Mehran Khan and Maqsood tore into the middle-order with four-wicket hauls. Wickets fell in clumps and the required run-rate kept climbing to make the chase exponentially harder. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 104 by the 18th over.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to break away from the bottom half of the table when they clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu29-Apr-2016Match factsSaturday, April 30, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big pictureChris Jordan was an analyst for when Royal Challengers Bangalore played Sunrisers Hyderabad in their season opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Three weeks later, Jordan is set to fly to India, and is touted as one of the solutions to the team’s bowling woes after being signed as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Starc.Chris Gayle, meanwhile, has re-joined the squad after his paternity leave, and is expected to regain his berth in the XI. That could leave the team management with a selection headache.With AB de Villiers and Shane Watson certainties, barring injuries, the overseas slots that could be up for grabs are the ones held by Kane Richardson and Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African chinaman bowler. If they decide to play Shamsi, who has impressed in his two outings, Royal Challengers will have to depend on their Indian pacers. That will mean the onus will once again be on the batsmen to do the running.Virat Kohli averages 110 and strikes at 141 in T20s this year. De Villiers has crunched 269 runs in five matches this season, including three half-centuries, at an average and strike rate of 53.80 and 170.25. Yet Royal Challengers are towards the bottom of the table largely because of their bowling.Shamsi has caught the eye with his skiddy googly as well as the bus-driver jig, but Richardson, Varun Aaron, Iqbal Abdulla, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Stuart Binny, S Aravind, Adam Milne, David Wiese have all leaked over nine runs an over.Sunrisers are coming off a batting collapse against Rising Pune Supergiants. The middle order is Sunrisers’ Achilles heel, and it was exposed on the night David Warner endured his first single-digit score of the tournament. The average for Sunrisers’ Nos. 3 to 5 this season is 12.50 – the lowest among all teams. Their bowling, though, looks healthy, especially after the return of Ashish Nehra from a groin injury.Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad LWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore LWLLWIn the spotlightNot only does Mustafizur Rahman snap his wrists for the slower cutter, he also does so for his stock ball. In fact, he rolled his wrists over the yorker that cut in and floored Andre Russell as well as his middle stump. “The Fizz” should make for a mouth-watering duel against Royal Challengers’ blockbuster top three, provided Warner does not hold him back.Chris Gayle has not moved to double figures since his 47-ball ton against England in the World Twenty20 last month. With Jordan all set to join the squad and Shane Watson and Shamsi strangling the opposition, there is pressure on Gayle to fire immediately.Team newsSunrisers may consider leaving out left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma for legspinner Karn Sharma.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan 3, Eoin Morgan, 4 Aditya Tare, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Moises Henriques, 7 Naman Ojha (wk), 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Karn Sharma/Bipul Sharma, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ashish NehraGayle’s return could mean a forced break for Richardson. They may also bring in Varun Aaron and Harshal Patel for Kedhar Jadhav and Yuzvendra Chahal.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Shane Watson, 6 Sarfaraz Khan 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Iqbal Abdulla, 9 Harshal Patel/Yuzvendra Chahal 10 Tabraiz Shamsi 11 Varun AaronPitch and conditionsThe Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has offered help to the quicks and grip for cutters and slower balls. Saturday is expected to be a hot day, with a maximum of 43 degrees Celsius.Stats and trivia Mustafizur Rahman has the second-best economy rate (6.18) this season among those who have bowled at least 15 overs David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have made 464 runs of Sunrisers’ 870

Essex suffered a second defeat in the space of 24 hours as they went down by 44 runs in their T20 Blast match against Surrey at Chelmsford.

ECB/PA16-May-2015
ScorecardSteven Davies made his second fifty in two days•Getty ImagesEssex suffered a second defeat in the space of 24 hours as they went down by 44 runs in their T20 Blast match against Surrey at Chelmsford.After the visitors posted 205 for 5, Essex, who lost to Hampshire on Friday, never seriously threatened to deny Surrey their first success in the competition.After losing Jason Roy in the opening over, Surrey seized the initiative with a series of punishing strokes from Steven Davies and Kumar Sangakkara. They put on 80 from only seven overs, with 27 coming from a seven-ball over sent down by left-arm seamer Reece Topley.Insights

Chelmsford is traditionally a high-scoring ground and although they cannot afford to be chasing 200-plus every week it was Essex’s batting that was the most concerning aspect of their defeat. The scoreboard put pressure on their top order but to be two wickets down within three overs of their run-chase for the second successive match was concerning. Indeed, Essex’s first two matches have been opener Nick Browne’s first, while Daniel Lawrence, replacing the injured Jesse Ryder, was playing his first T20 match against Surrey. The return of Ryder, along with Mark Pettini and Tom Westley, cannot come soon enough.

It included two successive sixes from Sangakkara who went on to clear the ropes for a third time before he was to provide Topley with his only success. Sangakkara’s 38 arrived from 21 balls but even he was upstaged by Davies who completed a half-century from just 23 deliveries before he was out for 53 two balls later.Davies was caught at long-on by Graham Napier and although the tempo slackened following the departure of the second-wicket pair, Surrey still breezed along in excess of six an over. Gary Wilson contributed 41 from 34 deliveries with the help of five fours and a six while Zafar Ansari collected an unbeaten 31 from 21 balls.Essex’s hopes of laying a solid foundation disappeared in the second over of their innings when paceman Matt Dunn struck twice. First he persuaded Nick Browne to put up a simple catch to James Burke in the covers before breaching the defence of 17-year-old Dan Lawrence.Greg Smith and Kishen Velani did their best to retrieve the situation with a partnership of 70 but they were never able to get near the required rate.It took them 10 overs to gather those runs before the arrival of Tom Curran saw both dismissed in the same over. First he bowled Velani for 22, before rattling the stumps of Smith to end an innings that brought him 44 form 35 balls.With Graham Napier and James Foster going cheaply, Essex’s last hopes rested squarely on the shoulders of Ryan ten Doeschate. Briefly the Dutchman threatened to keep his side on course for what would have been an astonishing triumph as he plundered his runs in rapid fashion. The fireworks were ended by Burke who had ten Doeschate caught by Gareth Batty and, with his departure, Surrey were left breathing a huge sigh of relief and able to coast to a comfortable triumph.Curran wrapped up the innings by getting rid of Shaun Tait and Topley in the final over to finish with 4 for 35.

Billy Godleman is standing in as captain of Derbyshire, winning cricket matches, scoring runs and enjoying life again

Tim Wigmore at Canterbury09-Jun-2015
ScorecardBilly Godleman, shown here applauded off by Cheteshwar Pujara [file picture]•PA PhotosThere was an understated satisfaction to Billy Godleman as, a little sheepishly, he raised his bat leaving the field. Derbyshire’s captain had engineered a remarkable turnaround in the match. Resolute and undefeated until the end, he had underpinned Derbyshire’s successful chase of 232.Just twelve months ago, Godleman’s very future as a professional cricketer was uncertain. He had not scored a first-class century since 2012. In mid-summer he was marooned in Derbyshire’s second team, a precarious existence for a 25-year-old who was out of contract in the winter.When Godleman was recalled for Derbyshire’s final six Championship games, he returned “100% playing for my career,” as he reflects. “There were times when I was very concerned about what would lie ahead in the future and whether it was actually going to be in the professional game.”No one would have envisaged such struggles when, as an 18-year-old opening batsman, Godleman scored 842 runs at 38.27 in 2007; that remains both his highest first-class aggregate and average in a campaign.”I was reasonably successful straight away from a young age. Then when I started not to do very well I didn’t quite know how to deal with that,” he admits. “I also realised that I wasn’t quite as good as I thought I was when I was 18, 19, 20.”Twice he suffered the pain of being released, by Middlesex in 2009 and again by Essex in 2012. Nine matches for Derbyshire in 2013 brought a miserable average of 17.18. When 2014 began equally badly, Godleman faced “accepting I wasn’t at the level that I thought I was. And then working out a method of dealing with disappointment and looking at every experience as an opportunity to learn something.”Of one thing Godleman was certain: he was not ready to abandon the game. With Derbyshire faring miserably, Graeme Welch sounded Godleman out. “You’ve got our full support, go and show us what you can do,” he was told.And then something seemed to click. At The Kia Oval last September, Godleman finally scored a century – and it was a match-winning one to boot. After his recall, Derbyshire won five of their last games. He earned a new one-year contract. After an encouraging start to the season and an injury to Wayne Madsen, Godleman was even entrusted with the captaincy, quite a turn-up for a man with a somewhat chequered past.It has evidently sat easily with him. Last week Godleman saved Derbyshire from defeat with an unbeaten 64 of 228 balls against Gloucestershire. Here, once again, Godleman’s defence was unbreachable in the fourth innings.Adhesiveness is integral to Godleman’s game. He knew that trying to mimic Chesney Hughes or Tillakaratne Dilshan when they were smiting Kent’s attack would be fool’s gold. Yet, as he showed with a series of rasping cuts and neat pushes through mid-on, he has also expanded his repertoire. Five half centuries at an average of 62.14 so far in 2015 are testament to that.”Previously he used to be a survivor, trying just to get through, and now he’s starting to develop the game to actually influence the play and put the bowler under more pressure and look to be more assertive,” says Neil Burns, who has worked extensively with Godleman.When Essex released Godleman, Burns devised a 60-month programme to turn his game around. “He’s had lots of ups and downs but the great thing about Billy is he’s prepared to look inside himself and do the tough learning.”Here Godleman’s assiduousness was rewarded with Derbyshire’s first victory at Canterbury since 1999; quite the reversal after Kent had cruised to 63-1 in their second innings, a lead of 182, before lunch on day two.Even a bumper crowd of school children on the third day would have done little for Kent’s mood. Darren Stevens was immediately whisked away to Maidstone, to play for the second XI, hoping to find some semblance of form after 16 runs in his last six first-class innings. On the evidence of this game, in which Kent hemorrhaged 20 wickets for just 317 runs, perhaps some of his teammates here should join him.

Suspended Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal will undergo official ICC testing in Chennai on January 24, to assess his remodelled bowling action

Umar Farooq13-Jan-2015Suspended Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal will undergo official ICC testing in Chennai on January 24, to assess his remodelled bowling action. If Ajmal’s action is found to be legal, his ban from bowling in international cricket will be lifted. If he fails the test again, though, the ICC’s Bowling Review Group (BRG) will specify a period during which Ajmal will not be entitled to approach the ICC for reassessment.Ajmal was suspended from bowling in September after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries, and he was not ready with his reworked action in time to make it to Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup – the deadline for submitting squads to the ICC was January 7. But he is important to the side beyond the World Cup, NCA head coach Mohammad Akram said, and so he was not rushed back. This is the second time the PCB has applied to the ICC for a date; earlier the PCB withdrew their request, despite being given the date of December 7, on the advice of the experts working with Ajmal.”We feel he is ready for re-assessment,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo. “We took time and didn’t push hard for his return because the idea was to make sure that he is bowling within the limit. His career though doesn’t end with the World Cup, what important is that he continue to play cricket even after the World Cup as cricket is his bread and butter and he has serviced Pakistan in very difficult time.”If Ajmal passes the test and returns to bowling but is reported again in international cricket before September 2016, he will be banned straightaway for a year.Before he was banned, tests revealed his elbow extension was going up to 42 degrees on average, leading to his suspension. Over the last four months he had been undergoing extensive remedial work on his action with former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. The first phase of the rehabilitation was carried out at the PCB’s National Cricket Academy in Lahore and Ajmal was then sent to the facility of biomechanics laboratory at Loughborough. During his remedial work he went through three unofficial Tests that showed his stock delivery, the offspinner, and faster ball were within the legitimate 15-degree limit, though his doosra was still beyond the limit.

Sri Lanka have played down concerns about Angelo Mathews’ Achilles pain and said that Rangana Herath was likely to be fit for the quarter-final in Sydney on March 18

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hobart11-Mar-2015Sri Lanka have played down concerns about Angelo Mathews’ Achilles pain, and said that Rangana Herath is likely to be fit for the quarter-final in Sydney on March 18.Mathews left the field early on in Scotland’s innings in the match at Hobart, and was not seen again until the presentation. Vice-captain Lahiru Thirimanne said Mathews had not gone for a scan on Wednesday night, but suggested he may do so on Thursday. Mathews had felt the pain during his innings of 51. He did not bowl, for the first time in the tournament.”He’s strapped up at the moment, but hopefully he’ll be okay,” Thirimanne said after the match.The stitches on Herath’s spinning finger are due to be removed on Thursday, and he is expected to resume bowling in the nets on Friday. Sri Lanka have flown in offspinner Tharindu Kaushal as cover for Herath, but a replacement is unlikely to be necessary, Thirimanne said.”I think he has about an 80% chance of playing in the quarter final. I feel he will be fit,” Thirimanne said.Mathews is the sixth Sri Lanka player to fall under an injury cloud in the tournament. Seamer Dhammika Prasad, legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis and batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal have all had to be replaced, after sustaining World Cup-ending injuries, while Herath is the other man to miss matches thanks to the cut on his finger.”We have been in Australia and New Zealand for three months now,” Thirimanne said. “We have to manage our bowlers very carefully, because it’s a very long tour. We have hopefully another three matches left. So we need to have the best combination, and we need to manage our bowlers carefully at training over the next five to six days.”

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group A matches played on December 21, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2014
ScorecardJalaj Saxena struck eight fours and a six during his 120 not out•Sivaraman KittaAn unbeaten half-century from Parvez Rasool led a strong batting effort from Jammu & Kashmir on day one in Vadodara, but a couple of late strikes from left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh (4 for 92) helped Baroda claw their way back into the game.J&K, having been inserted, began brightly as the openers Shubham Khajuria (41) and Adil Reshi (46) put up a 93-run stand. Swapnil dismissed both batsmen in the space of four overs, but Bandeep Singh and Ian Dev Singh kept the score ticking by adding 66 for the third wicket. Baroda fought back with two more quick wickets, this time from pace bowler Sagar Mangalorkar, but once again, J&K counterattacked as Rasool and Hardeep Singh joined hands for a fifth-wicket stand which yielded 64 runs. Rasool remained 65 not out, with 10 fours, but Swapnil removed Hardeep and Obaid Haroon towards the end of the day. J&K were 266 for 6 when stumps were called.
ScorecardA four-for from the Railways medium-pacer Krishnakant Upadhyay left Karnataka rattling at 207 for 7 at stumps in Delhi. Upadhyay first removed Karnataka’s top three batsmen, before striking again towards the end of the day to dismiss their captain Vinay Kumar, as he collected 4 for 75.Most of Karnataka’s top and middle-order batsmen made starts, but nobody apart from Robin Uthappa (40) and Kunal Kapoor (53) chipped in with a useful score. Karnataka will now be hoping that the in-form CM Gautam builds on his overnight score of 31 not out if the team are to compile a competitive total.
ScorecardJalaj Saxena’s ninth first-class hundred guided Madhya Pradesh to a promising position against Tamil Nadu in Chennai. MP, opting to bat, were 250 for 4 at stumps with Saxena still unbeaten on 120. The visitors’ innings was built around a 130-run partnership for the second wicket between Saxena and Harpreet Singh. Harpreet eventually fell for 65, having struck three fours and four sixes, but Saxena carried on, helping the team past 200. He stroked eight fours and a six during his 251-ball knock. Allrounder M Rangarajan picked up two wickets for Tamil Nadu, while Rahil Shah and Aushik Srinivas claimed a scalp each.
ScorecardOnly 50 overs were possible in the clash between Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai in Kanpur, with UP scoring 115 for 1 before stumps were called. UP, having been inserted, lost their opener Mukul Dagar early – bowled by Shardul Thakur – but Tanmay Srivastava and Prashant Gupta engineered a recovery with an unbroken 87-run partnership. Srivastava muscled eight fours during his 49 not out, while Prashant’s unbeaten 41 included six fours.