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O adeus de Evanílson abriu uma lacuna no setor ofensivo do Fluminense. Após a oficialização da transferência do atacante para o Porto, o técnico Odair Hellmann viu o caminho até a rede se afunilar diante das opções que existem nas Laranjeiras. Uma “cartada” do comandante já foi testada no Fla-Flu: achar atalhos em um trio de frente.

A aposta na velocidade é outra chave para os tricolores lutarem para reencontrar os caminhos da vitória (são três jogos de jejum).

– Ele (Odair) buscou uma alternativa com Nenê de falso 9, dois caras mais rápidos abertos, Wellington (Silva) e (Fernando) Pacheco. A gente tem buscado alternativas. Tem mais opções – afirmou o volante Yuri.

Ao que tudo indica, a alternativa tem o objetivo de dar fôlego aotricolor. Mesmo veterano, Nenê se destaca pelo vigor e por contribuir para que o Fluminense ganhe maior volume de jogo. Além disto, o meia, que tem 15 gols em 27 jogos, age bem com como um “falso 9”.Ele dá mais liberdade para Fernando Pacheco e Wellington Silva.

O peruano, que marcou três gols em 18 partidas, surge pelas beiradas para surpreender adversários e tem oportunidade de evoluir atuando com Nenê. Pacheco, porém, ainda precisa encontrar a sintonia fina com o meia-atacante.

De volta ao Fluminense a pedido do técnico Odair Hellmann, Wellington Silva ganhou nova oportunidade para se firmar. Só que ele ainda trava uma disputa tão acirrada no setor.

O desafio de encontrar a toque de caixa uma solução no ataque do Tricolor das Laranjeiras se acentuou neste fim de semana: sem Fred, que está infectado com Covid-19, e sem Evanílson, vendido, faltam centroavantes.

– Claro que o Evanílson estava vindo muito bem, estava sendo uma referência na frente, um cara que segurava a bola, brigava. Mas creio que nós temos essa reposição de outra forma, foi o que o Odair tentou buscar nesse jogo contra o Flamengo – afirmou Yuri.
–
Em busca de seu ataque ideal, o Fluminense enfrenta o Corinthians, às 16h.

RelacionadasFluminenseFlu se manifesta sobre não permitir entradas de novas bandeiras e faixas no Maracanã contra o CorinthiansFluminense11/09/2020FlamengoPelo Carioca Sub-20, Fla e Flu jogam na Gávea; Maurício Souza analisa a retomada dos ‘Garotos do Ninho’Flamengo11/09/2020DuelosPalpitômetro: Quais são os favoritos em cada jogo da 10ª rodada? Escolha!Duelos11/09/2020

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is "not particularly keen on signing" the new contract he has been offered at the club as he considers his future with other potential "suitors", claims journalist Alex Crook.

Is Eberechi Eze leaving Crystal Palace?

It has been a bit of a mixed transfer window for Palace so far this summer.

While they have signed the capable Jefferson Lerma from Premier League rivals Bournemouth on a free and look set to secure the signature of the highly-rated and highly sought-after Brazilian youngster Matheus Franca for around £26m, they have also lost their most important player – Wilfried Zaha.

Their talismanic winger and club legend left this summer after his contract expired, and with his goal to play Champions League football before he retires, he joined Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Things could also get worse for the Eagles, with The Guardian reporting that both Manchester City and Chelsea are 'considering' whether or not to make a 'formal bid' for their dynamic French winger Michael Olise.

And to top it all off, and make life even harder for Roy Hodgson next season, the brilliant Eze could soon be set to leave Selhurst Park as he is reportedly not "keen" on signing a new deal that he has been offered, per Alex Crook.

He explained the situation live on TalkSport, which was later posted to their YouTube channel:

"Interesting though, it was suggested to me – I've not ran this story yet I was going to do it in my notebook later in the week – that there's a contract offer on the table for Eze, but he's not particularly keen on signing it at this moment in time so that could be another player that maybe really has suitors."

How good was Eberechi Eze last season?

In a year in which Palace struggled to find the back of the net for long stretches, Eze was absolutely fantastic and one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dull campaign for the Eagles.

In his 30 Premier League starts, the 25-year-old scored ten goals, provided four assists, maintained a passing accuracy of 82.6%, and won four Man-of-the-Match awards, all while maintaining a seriously impressive match rating of 7.02, per WhoScored.

With the former Queens Park Rangers star producing a goal contribution every 188 minutes – almost one every other game – it's hardly surprising to see that his underlying numbers are also incredible, suggesting he could replicate his form at a bigger club.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the "magic" midfielder sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and successful take-ons, the top 2% for total shots, the top 5% non-penalty expected goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 7% for touches in the oppositions penalty area, all per 90.

He clearly left an impression on former boss Patrick Viera, who described the youngster as "different class" following an outstanding performance against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool early last season.

With Zaha already gone and the situation around Olise still up in the air, Palace need to do all they can to keep Eze in south London, as should he leave as well, they could be in big trouble come next season.

With the focus currently on Manchester United's search for a new centre-forward – as well as their apparent interest in Fiorentina midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat – talk has gone rather quiet with regard to possible centre-back additions that could be made this summer.

Despite already having the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof at his disposal in that position – as well as the versatile Luke Shaw – Erik ten Hag is likely to be in need of a fresh face if former skipper Harry Maguire is to depart, with the 30-year-old among the players who are reportedly up for grabs at present.

The former Leicester City man – who has been linked with a move to West Ham United of late – was only recently relieved of the captaincy after falling down the pecking order last season, with the England international starting just eight Premier League games.

Having reportedly shown a strong interest in new Bayern Munich man, Kim Min-jae earlier in the window, it is yet to be seen just who could emerge as a potential replacement for Maguire in the backline, albeit with recent rumours suggesting that Real Madrid's, David Alaba has caught the eye of Ten Hag.

What are the latest Man United transfer rumours?

Recent reports coming out of Spain have indicated that the former Ajax boss is 'obsessed' with signing the 31-year-old this summer, with claims having been made that a 'pre-agreement' has already been struck between the player and United.

The £372k-per-week ace – who has been valued at around €30m (£26m) by CIES Football Observatory – only made the move to the Spanish capital from Bayern back in the summer of 2021, although he could now be set to trade the Bernabeu for Old Trafford ahead of next season.

How good is David Alaba?

While the Austrian international was primarily utilised as a left-back during his time at former club Bayern – for whom he registered 88 goals and assists in 431 games in all competitions – he has shown his class in a centre-back berth on numerous occasions, having taken on that role in 29 appearances last season for Madrid.

Previously described as "one of the best in the world at centre-back" by former teammate, Joshua Kimmich, the experienced asset could prove to be a dream upgrade on Maguire in that role, despite also being an "outstanding" option at full-back – as per Kimmich.

One notable benefit that Alaba has is his ability to provide Ten Hag with a natural, left-footed option in the centre of defence, with the Dutchman having previously spoken of his preference for a left-footer as they can provide "better angles" in possession.

The Vienna native is also seemingly far more comfortable when playing out from the back as he has an average pass accuracy rate of 87.4% per 90 across the last 365 days, as per FBref, while Maguire only has an 85.2% pass accuracy rate.

Alaba's superior attacking threat is also illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 2% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for assists and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions, while the current United man, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 72% and the bottom 52% for those same two metrics, respectively.

With the Madrid ace also providing the benefit of his prior winning experience, with three Champions Leagues under his belt among a plethora of other honours, the hope will be that such success will rub off on those at the Theatre of Dreams – with Maguire's only piece of career silverware having been last season's Carabao Cup success.

Despite not necessarily being a youthful replacement for Maguire, Alaba's undoubted class and quality should be enough to help send the Englishman packing if he is to join Ten Hag and co this summer.

Leeds United have finally begun to bolster their senior squad this summer, but more reinforcements could be on the way to help fix a key area of weakness.

Who are Leeds United signing this summer?

Fans across the country have known the failures that the Whites have suffered in the defensive department of late, with that risk accepted under Marcelo Bielsa's all-action leadership, but then frustratingly retained by the three bosses that followed him.

After that fine first year back in the Premier League, they would concede 79 goals the season following, and shipped 78 more last term as they finally fell to relegation.

With the purge that is currently going on with their backline, as Illan Meslier is pushed towards the same exit door that Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have already passed through, Daniel Farke must be diligent in finding their replacements.

Having already welcomed Ethan Ampadu, as an experienced youngster capable of competing within English football once again, it seems another report suggests they will seek to mimic this move and form a centre-back partnership that could span the foreseeable future.

Indeed, it's claimed that Middlesbrough are expected to command just £5m for Paddy McNair, for whom the Whites have been linked with this month.

How good is Paddy McNair?

Having endured a rough start to his career under the immense scrutiny that playing for Manchester United brings, a switch to Sunderland arguably saw him struggle even further as he would rupture his ACL, meaning he could only watch as they fell into the Championship.

Missing half of that subsequent season, he would trade Wearside for Teesside as he departed following the Black Cats' second-straight relegation.

The Northern Ireland international now seems to be enjoying some of the best football of his career, having grown into a capable defensive leader under Chris Wilder and now Michael Carrick.

The 2020/21 campaign arguably outlined his finest thus far, with his 7.11 average Sofascore rating in the Championship making him the club's best-performing player by some distance. This was a figure boosted by his two goals and seven assists, as he often stepped into midfield to maintain 1.8 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game, as well as a 73% pass accuracy, via Sofascore.

He has risen the latter figure to 83% as of his most recent league season, showcasing the steady progression of the 28-year-old into a fine ball-playing star. Carrick even sought to praise his 6 foot 2 titan, speaking just last year on moving him to centre-back: "I think that's where he feels comfortable and wants to play.

"I had a good chat with Paddy and I thought he was terrific today, probably the best player throughout the game with his passing from the back and composure on the ball. He played right side, left side and looked confident and composed on the ball which was good."

Placing him beside Ampadu could provide the perfect foil for the equally-solid stopper, who too has a touch of class to lead them into a brighter future.

Last term, whilst on loan at Spezia, the Wales international would maintain an 82% pass accuracy of his own in Serie A, alongside 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and three clearances per game. It was no surprise to see his 6.91 average rating, per Sofascore, so impressive despite his side falling to relegation.

These two vastly experienced centre-backs could instantly strike up a formidable partnership, more than capable of taking the second division by storm given their various background within English football.

Jack Burnham and Ryan Pringle tamed Derbyshire;s spinners at Chesterfield as Durham pulled off a six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2017
ScorecardJack Burnham and Ryan Pringle showed character as well as skill to take Durham to a six wicket win in an absorbing Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.The pair shared an unbroken stand of 124 as Durham chased down a fourth day target of 282 on a turning pitch against Imran Tahir and 16-year-old Hamidullah Qadri.After Michael Richardson scored 62, Burnham made the most of two dropped catches to make an unbeaten 93 while Pringle, who finished the game with a six, ended on 62.It was an impressive display of batting by the pair and Burnham admitted : “That’s cricket, you get your ups and downs and today luck went my way a couple of times but I made the most of it and it was an outstanding win for the boys.”It was a very good challenge against two very good spinners on a pitch which offered a lot but instead of sitting back and letting them bowl, we hit the bad balls and put them under pressure. It was a very good game of cricket and a tough four days which went back and forth but we stuck it out and got the win.”Derbyshire had been favourites when the opening pair of Richardson and Cameron Steel walked out with another 246 needed on a pitch that was expected to take increasing turn.Billy Godleman elected to start with his seamers, perhaps hoping for some swing in the steamy heat, but Tahir and Qadri were soon bowling in tandem although there were few alarms for Richardson or Steel.Richardson reached his second 50 of the game when he drove Qadri square for his eighth four but the teenager made the first breakthrough when Steel made room to cut and was caught behind.When Richardson followed three overs later, taken at slip pushing at Tahir, Derbyshire had two ends open but Burnham and Graham Clark, who swung Quadri over midwicket for six, went in at lunch with 137 needed.The pattern of the game had been for wickets to fall in clusters and Derbyshire’s hopes soared at the start of the afternoon thanks to two superb slip catches by Wayne Madsen.Clark edged a drive at Tahir and saw Madsen cling on diving to his right and then Paul Collingwood was taken one handed low down after he was undone by another good piece of bowling by Qadri.At 158 for 4, Derbyshire’s hopes soared but Burnham and Pringle moved through the gears with Burnham hitting three consecutive fours off Qadri before driving Matt Critchley for his second six.Pringle finished it in style by lifting Tahir for a straight six and then driving Critchley for another to leave Derby skipper Billy Godleman admitting: “To have 280 to bowl at on the last day in those conditions I would have taken at the start of the game.”I thought overall we bowled well without quite a lot of luck at times and to be fair to their two guys who got them over the line they played really positively and with good intent.”

Glasgow Rangers remain in the hunt for another striker as Michael Beale looks to offset the departures of Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos.

Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima have all arrived at the Ibrox side, yet it appears as though there is a concrete move being made to lure Feyenoord striker Danilo to the club this summer.

Have Rangers made a bid for Danilo?

At the end of June, the Gers made a bid for the Brazilian, yet this was rejected and rather than move onto other targets, Beale has since gone back in with another bid for the player.

According to Dutch outlet The Algemeen Dagblad, Rangers have now submitted a second bid for the 24-year-old which is set to be worth around €6m (£5.2m) and should he join, it would represent their biggest transfer outlay this summer following the £3m spent on Lammers and £4.5m on Dessers.

With Colak departing for Parma in a £2.5m deal and Glen Kamara attracting interest from Leeds amid a reported £4m move, Beale has the funds to complete his summer overhaul by luring Danilo to Scotland, and it will be a tense few days as they await a response.

Is Danilo better than Fashion Sakala?

The attacking department has undergone a total revamp since the end of last season. Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala remain the only forward options still at the club, although the Zambian could well be leaving the Gers sooner rather than later.

According to The 4th Official, an unnamed team in Saudi Arabia are prepared to spend £4m on Sakala this summer and considering Rangers brought him to Glasgow for nothing, it would be an excellent piece of business moving him on, especially if Danilo is set to arrive at Ibrox.

The 26-year-old frontman did enjoy playing under Beale.

Across 28 matches under the Englishman, he registered 11 goals and seven assists, ending up as their joint-second highest scorer throughout the campaign.

For all of his enthusiasm, however, there comes a lack of ruthlessness, which Danilo has in abundance. The former Ajax starlet scored 14 goals last season for the Eredivisie outfit, two more than Sakala.

He also had a better conversion rate than the Rangers forward in the league last term (16% to 13%) and also missed fewer big chances (seven to 11), clearly suggesting that he would be a more clinical option for Beale.

The "amazing instinctive finisher" – as once lauded by Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper – did score more often last season too, netting every 134 minutes compared to the 151 minutes it took Sakala and despite his lack of positional versatility, he could certainly be a big upgrade in terms of being more effective in the final third than the current Gers player.

Danilo was hailed by current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag when he was in charge of Ajax, saying: “Danilo is the best finisher we have in the squad” and if he can bring the form he has shown in the Dutch top-flight over the previous 12 months to Rangers, then he could be an ideal person to complete Beale’s attacking options ahead of what is set to be a crucial Premiership campaign in 2023/24.

تحدث خالد رضا لاعب فيوتشر، عن مباراة فريقه القادمة أمام الزمالك، المقرر لها مساء غد الأحد ببطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، مؤكداً على قدرة اللاعبين على الصعود.

ويستعد فيوتشر لمواجهة الزمالك في إياب دور ربع النهائي من بطولة الكونفدرالية، على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

وقال خالد رضا في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة: “لا توجد مواجهة صعبة وأخرى سهلة، لعبنا شوط أول أمام الزمالك ومستعدين للشوط الثاني غدًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يواجه فيوتشر لتأمين التأهل في موقعة مصرية خالصة بـ إياب ربع نهائي الكونفدرالية

وتابع: “غاب عنا التوفيق في المواجهة الأولى وأتمنى أن يحالفنا غدًا ونحقق الفوز”.

وأتم: “نعلم حجم الزمالك ونعلم أننا سنواجه فريقًا كبيرًا ولكن مودرن فيوتشر أيضًا فريق كبير”.

Match facts

February 7, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)Dinesh Chandimal will hope for some runs to redeem what has been a disastrous tour so far•Getty Images/Sportsfile

Big Picture

It has got to that point in the series where the dominant side is starting to wonder if its opposition will ever turn up. “Have Sri Lanka even sent a team?” was one of the questions asked when debating a likely XI to represent the visitors in Cape Town as they seek to avoid a whitewash.Though Sri Lanka’s victory in the T20 series took place less than two weeks ago, it has been forgotten after three under-par ODI performances, where the batting has taken a beating. They have yet to total over 200 and have only two half-centuries in the series. South Africa have put on three fifties and two hundreds and have topped 300 on the only occasion they batted first. The gulf between the sides is obvious and Sri Lanka appear some way from closing it.Still, they have remained fairly positive with coach Graham Ford heartened by the talent in his squad, although he admitted a lot of work needs to be done. Niroshan Dickwella stressed the importance of the team taking lessons from this trip as they build for the future. For South Africa, that future is as bright as they could hope for.They have few complaints despite losing two members of their original squad, Lungi Ngidi and David Miller, to injury. Despite a heavy schedule – South Africa leave for New Zealand on Saturday, the day after the fifth ODI – they have chosen not to make any additions to the outfit, even for experimentation’s sake, and are putting the players through their paces in preparation for the Champions Trophy.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LLLWW

In the spotlight

After coming into the XI for the injured Miller, Farhaan Behardien did not get the opportunity to bat at the Wanderers and will be keen to show what he can do ahead of sterner challenges in New Zealand and England. Despite long being underrated, Behardien has become an important part of South Africa’s bench strength, so much so that he stood in as captain in the T20s. He enjoyed prolific form for his franchise, Titans, in the domestic T20 competition and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, with 352 runs at an average of 117.33 and a strike rate of 188.23, and quality performances under pressure.At the other end of the spectrum is Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s senior-most batsman, who has not scored a fifty in any format on this South African tour. Chandimal averages 16.36 from 12 innings and has been particularly careless with his wicket. He has squandered several starts and not set an example for the younger crop. He has two matches to show the worth of his seniority and put right what has become a dismal tour.South Africa could give Tabraiz Shamsi an opportunity•Getty Images

Team news

After Dwaine Pretorius’ Man-of-the-Match performance in Johannesburg, South Africa will need to choose their allrounders carefully. Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell could find themselves competing for one spot. South Africa may also want to use this match to have a look at what Tabraiz Shamsi can offer but are unlikely to have space for two spinners in the XI which could mean Imran Tahir is rested.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris/Wayne Parnell, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir/Tabraiz ShamsiSri Lanka don’t have too many options when it comes to trying to find a winning combination and will have to rely on familiar faces to change their fortunes. Dhananjaya de Silva, who has a top score of 28 in the limited-overs’ matches, may lose his place to Chathuranga de Silva in an attempt to shake things up.Sri Lanka: 1 Niroshan Dickwella 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva/Chathuranga de Silva, 7 Sachith Pathirana, 8 Lahiru Madushanka, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Lakshan Sandakan

Pitch and conditions

Batting first at Newlands is key to success, especially in day-night matches in which 22 of the 28 ODIs have been won by the side that sets a target. That makes the toss more crucial than the conditions, although a decent batting strip is expected. The weather is forecast to be warm and windy.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa need to win both remaining matches in the series to overtake Australia at the top of the ODI rankings.
• Sri Lanka have lost their last six bilateral ODI series against Test-playing oppositions: to New Zealand (twice), Australia, England, South Africa and Pakistan.
• South Africa have won 12 of their last 14 ODIs at Newlands, dating back to 2004. The only two times they have lost in that time have been to subcontinental sides, India and Pakistan in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Quotes

“We are a squad of players and whoever gets an opportunity, that’s an honour in itself and a great opportunity to showcase their talents. You look at Dwaine Pretorius in the last game, getting a Man-of-the-Match performance. That’s what we are about. The guys that get opportunities must be able to put in performances and they have done that.”

Scorecard2:08

‘Scotland yet to hit peak’ – Coetzer

Scotland remained undefeated at the Desert T20 Challenge after another composed chase of 134 with an over to spare and seven wickets in hand, over Oman on Thursday night. That meant Oman will have to come back to Dubai Sports City for Friday’s first semi-final, less than 12 hours after the game against Scotland finished.Scotland, meanwhile, can hit the snooze button before they take on a well-rested Ireland – the only one of the four semi-finalists to not play on Thursday – at 2:30 pm in the second semi-final. Finishing atop the group also meant Scotland were able to avoid Afghanistan in the semi-finals, a team they have failed to beat in six previous attempts in T20Is. The winners advance to the tournament final at 7:30 pm.Oman stuttered through their innings in fits and starts with six players reaching double-figures, but none doing better than Khurram Nawaz with 23. Overall, they were not under too much pressure to fall short of the semi-finals regardless of a loss due to their net run rate advantage of +1.611 over Hong Kong heading into the match. Winning the toss and electing to field virtually assured them a place in the semi-final as long as Scotland did not chase any target inside of 11.4 overs.Oman missed a few chances early but once Scotland’s opening stand was broken in the seventh over, the chase slowed and Oman stretched Scotland until the 19th over. Matthew Cross top-scored with 47 off 40 balls before being caught on the circle an over before victory was secured. Watt’s Application
Less than a year ago at the World T20 in India, then 19-year-old Mark Watt was touted to be Scotland’s lead spinner ahead of Con de Lange, and was also given the new ball as well when the tournament got underway against Afghanistan. Since then de Lange has usurped the lead spinner’s role but Watt has worked on developing more consistency and has demonstrated his ability.Taking the new ball in every outing, he has been economical without being incisive. On Thursday, he was finally rewarded against Oman with the scalps of both openers. A quicker ball pinned Arun Poulose on the pads while he played down the wrong line for a duck in the third over. After being hit hard bowling around the wicket by Maqsood, he switched to bowl over the wicket and produced a skied leading edge that was taken by Calum MacLeod at long-on in the fifth over. He finished with 2 for 23.Berrington runout show continues
In Scotland’s dramatic seven-run win over Netherlands in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night, Richie Berrington clinched victory by charging in from long-on with a pair of picture perfect relays to Safyaan Sharif over the bowler’s stumps off back-to-back deliverie for the last two wickets.Oman were decently positioned at 51 for 2 in 10 over, but Con de Lange struck with a ball sliding in to beat Khawar Ali’s cut on the first ball of the following over. Aqib Ilyas, who made a half-century against Hong Kong in Oman’s previous match, was looking solid at the other end on 19 but new batsman Khurram Nawaz was eager to get off strike straight away. He tried to run his first delivery behind point for a sharp single but Berrington swooped in and flicked from eight yards to wicketkeeper Cross as Ilyas’ dive wasn’t in time.It was another momentum game-changing moment in the field for Berrington, but it could be the last one he provides at the tournament though as he stayed down on the ground clutching his right hamstring afterward. After getting treatment, he was forced to limp off the field. His status for finals day is in doubt.Saint Andrew’s Matthew Cross
The Scotland wicket-keeper batsman has impressed with his glove work since debuting in 2013, but his batting has lacked consistency, partly because he hasn’t had a stable batting position – he has shuffled between No. 3 and No. 7.He didn’t bat in the opening win over Hong Kong when Scotland made 189 for 3. He then made 4 against the Netherlands before Paul van Meekeren had him edging behind. Coetzer and coach Grant Bradburn kept the faith with Cross at first drop against Oman and he rewarded them with a handy knock.He played the spinners with confidence, depositing Lalcheta over midwicket on a slog sweep for six, and was even more fluent when Oman brought back their medium pacers, hitting Mohammad Nadeed for six and four in the 12th over.Cross hit two more fours off Bilal Khan in the 17th over before he was deceived by a slower ball from left-arm quick in the same over three short of a half-century. If Berrington can’t go on finals day, Cross must step up again with the bat for Scotland to have their best chance of slaying both Ireland and Afghanistan.

A round-up of the second day of Group A matches in the sixth round of the 2016-17 Ranji

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2016Mumbai bowled out Uttar Pradesh for 225 to pick up a slender first-innings lead and end the second day 59 runs ahead in Mysore.A double-strike by Tushar Deshpande (3 for 66) in the 16th over reduced UP to 45 for 4, after Shardul Thakur had removed overnight batsman Saurabh Kumar in the first over of the day. Rinku Singh, playing only his second Ranji game, scored his second fifty, but found little support from the other end till Kuldeep Yadav (50) put on 53 with him for the eighth wicket. He was dismissed for 70 by debutant Aditya Dhumal, with the score on 170 and UP still 63 behind.Kuldeep put on 46 for the ninth wicket with Imtiaz Ahmed (19) to bring UP close, but fell to Abhishek Nayar (2 for 19) after reaching his fifty, with UP nine short of the first-innings lead.Mumbai were 51 for 2 at stumps, having lost Kaustubh Pawar for 29, and Dhumal, who came in as nightwatchman for Shreyas Iyer.Saurabh Wakaskar’s 104 helped Railways take a 127-run first-innings lead against Baroda in Nagpur.Railways began the day on 39 for 0, after Avinash Yadav’s five-wicket haul had reduced Baroda to 183 on the first day. Wakaskar and Shivakant Shukla (51) added a further 54 to that score, before Yusuf Pathan dismissed Shukla. Only three other batsmen got to double figures, and there were no other significant partnership in the innings, even as Wakaskar brought up his seventh first-class hundred and took Railways past Baroda’s score.Medium-pacer Atit Sheth’s struck regularly to finish with 4 for 54. But Mahesh Rawat’s 79-ball 72 stretched Railways’ lead to 127 before he was the last man out with the score on 310.Baroda were 27 for no loss at stumps.Axar Patel and Rush Kalaria took two wickets each as Gujarat reduced Madhya Pradesh to 162 for 5 after putting on 302 in the first innings at the Reliance Cricket Stadium in Nagothane.Gujarat had begun the day on 224 for 4, but were reduced to 225 for 6 within the third over. Medium-pacer Gaurav Yadav (3-57) took both those wickets, before removing Karan Patel shortly after to leave Gujarat reeling at 243 for 7. But overnight batsman Manpreet Juneja (79) put on 47 with Kalaria (28) to stretch the score past 300. Chandrakant Sakure took the last three wickets to finish with 4 for 65.In MP’s response, Rajat Patidar put on a 47-run second-wicket stand with Rameez Khan (13), and 74 for the third wicket with Naman Ojha (28) after losing his opening partner Aditya Shrivastava in the third over. Patidar scored 71 before Jasprit Bumrah removed him late in the day. Kalaria then removed Harpreet Singh Bhatia as MP ended the day five-down. Devendra Bundela (16*) and Shubham Sharma (4*) were at the crease.Sudip Chatterjee’s 100 took Bengal to 337 against Tamil Nadu in Rajkot.Bengal scored at the same rate as on the opening day – just above two an over. They added 147 in 64 overs to their overnight score of 190 for 3.Overnight batsman Agniv Pan fell in the fifth over of the day for 59. Sudip Chatterjee, who had retired hurt on 34 on the first day, returned to join Shreevats Goswami (35) and the pair put on 44 for the sixth wicket, before Goswami was removed by medium-pacer K Vignesh. Chatterjee then batted with the lower order to stretch the score to 337 and bring up his first century of the season, after scoring fifties in the first innings of each of the previous three matches he played. He was dismissed by K Vignesh, who finished with 4 for 70.Tamil Nadu lost Washington Sundar in the first over of their response, but Abhinav Mukund (19*) and Kaushik Gandhi (25*) took them to stumps without further damage, as Tamil Nadu ended on 60 for 1.