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After a first Test that had started with a patented Sri Lankan batting collapse that almost anyone who had been watching them play cricket over the past few years could have predicted, here we are somehow entertaining the very real possibility of them securing a first ever Test series win in the Caribbean.

Now, of course, for this to actually transpire, it would require Sri Lanka to replicate, and most likely better, their performance from the previous week - certainly no little ask, but one considerably less farfetched than it might have been at the same point last week.

Much of this optimism is down to, as is now almost their trademark, some previously unheralded player from their fractured domestic system beating the odds to spark the team into life.

This time it was Pathum Nissanka with a magnificent century on debut. Against South Africa a few years back, while Kusal Perera will always be the highlight, it's easy to forget the resilience brought to that middle order by debutant Oshada Fernando. And then a couple of years before that, when Sri Lanka famously beat Australia at home, it was none other than the green pairing of Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis who breathed life into the side.

But on all those previous occasions, the team failed to build on the exuberance injected by fresh blood. Will Nissanka's entry into the side be met with similar regression? Well we'll soon find out.

As for the West Indies, after the relative ease with which the visitors had been dispatched in the limited-overs series, the trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen had had in the warm-up game ahead of the first Test, and then that first innings collapse, it might have come as a fair shock when they found themselves having to bat out the last day of the Test just to avoid defeat.

But this West Indian side doesn't cower from adversity all that easily - as underscored so sensationally in Bangladesh earlier this year - and the first Test would have provided them with all the evidence they need to know that they have the tools to hurt this Sri Lanka side.

So in many ways, with the match being played at the same venue, this is simply a continuation of proceedings from that first game. And with seemingly not much to separate both sides, once more, victory will depend largely on which side makes the fewer mistakes.

Form guide

Sri Lanka - DLLLL

West Indies - DWWLL

In the spotlight

Pathum Nissanka is not the first - and he certainly won't be the last - debutant to reignite cricketing interest from an increasingly apathetic Sri Lankan fanbase. But that doesn't make it any less exciting. Sure, he may not have the flair of a Kusal Mendis, or the explosiveness of an Avishka Fernando, but in a side that has been crying out for a steadying presence, Nissanka's bloodymindedness and ability to simply occupy the crease - a feat that many around him seemed to struggle with - might as well make him the next coming of Sanath Jayasuriya at this point.

But if Nissanka is the proverbial immovable object, then in Kemar Roach the West Indies possess the unstoppable force - well, at least when it comes to cricket played at North Sound in Antigua. With 36 wickets in six matches at an average 15.77, it's safe to say Roach likes playing here. In the first Test, the Sri Lankan batsmen struggled to get him away; if he gets more support from the sometimes wayward pair of Shannon Gabriel and Alzari Joseph, then it could be another very testing outing for the visitors.

Team news

It wouldn't be surprising if Dinesh Chandimal finds himself the odd man out after a poor display in the first game. In which case Sri Lanka could stump for one of Ramesh Mendis or Roshen Silva, both with a lot of domestic runs under their belts but the former also capable of some part-time off-breaks. Sri Lanka also found themselves with a fairly long tail, and if they choose to address that, Wanindu Hasaranga could find his way into the team ahead of Lasith Embuldeniya. Aside from that, there could also be promotion up the order for Nissanka, who opens in domestic cricket.

Sri Lanka XI (possible): Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal/Roshen Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Lasith Enbuldeniya/Wanindu Hasaranga Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando

The West Indies will have been quite happy with their overall performance from the first Test, and so will not want to change up too much. Shannon Gabriel was relatively disappointing but he will likely be backed to put forward an improved showing.

West Indies XI (possible): Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), John Campbell, Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph, Rakheem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

The weather is expected to be clear for the duration of the Test, while the pitch will likely offer more of the same from the first game. Which means you can expect the ball to swing and seam, and for the batsmen to find themselves needing to work for their runs.

Stats and trivia

  • Sri Lanka have failed to win a Test series in the West Indies in four attempts, though the last two series were drawn.
  • Suranga Lakmal needs six more wickets to climb to fourth in the all-time Test wicket-taker list for Sri Lanka.
  • Kraigg Brathwaite needs 98 runs to reach 4000 Test runs. He will be the 16th West Indian to reach the milestone.
  • Niroshan Dickwella now has scored the most fifties (17) without converting to a century. He has scored 2291 Test runs in the process; the most runs scored without a century is 3154 by Shane Warne.

Kreis: U.S. men 'devastated' to not make Games

Published in Breaking News
Sunday, 28 March 2021 21:59

United States coach Jason Kreis has admitted that his squad are "devastated" not to be going to the Olympics after losing 2-1 to Honduras in CONCACAF qualifying in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sunday.

Los Catrachos punched their ticket to Tokyo via goals from Juan Carlos Obregon and Luis Palma, ensuring that the U.S. men will miss a third successive Olympic tournament.

"Obviously, we're devastated, absolutely devastated," Kreis said after the match. "In our locker room, the guys are like it's a tragedy -- a tragedy.

"We lose an opportunity to play in an international tournament with more pressure, where these players have to be in these environments and continue to improve with that pressure.

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"I don't know that if I've ever seen a game where we've had players mis-control the ball so much by going under people's feet, passing out of bounds.

"These are things that are just really -- you just really kind of scratch your head, you think of what's going on here? But I also have been around the game enough in our country at a pro level to tell you this is what you see in preseasons and at the beginning of MLS seasons it's typical."

Kreis says he had seen similar from his team during the group stage.

"I think the first half looked a lot like the Dominican Republic first half," Kreis said. "We have players that aren't moving. We have people on the ball that aren't committing defenders to make decisions, to open up spaces. We have guys that look like they're just don't really want the ball, and so it just kind of goes back to a mostly mentality for me."

Mexico and Canada are playing in Sunday's second semifinal to determine the other team that represents North and Central America and the Caribbean at the July 23-Aug. 8 Tokyo Olympics.

As both semifinal winners qualify for the Olympics, the final qualification game is essentially an exhibition match.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this report.

Upset-savvy Bruins stem Tide, claim Elite 8 spot

Published in Breaking News
Sunday, 28 March 2021 21:59

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ten days ago, UCLA went into halftime of its First Four game against Michigan State with an 11-point deficit. The Bruins had ended the regular season with four straight losses and backed into the NCAA tournament, and their trip to Indiana looked to be a short one.

Ten days later, UCLA is 40 minutes from the Final Four.

The Bruins, a No. 11 seed, continued their pseudo-Cinderella run on Sunday night, beating No. 2 seed Alabama in overtime 88-78. They become the second First Four team to advance to the Elite Eight -- and the first since VCU went to the Final Four in 2011. It also guaranteed the Pac-12 will have three teams participating in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2001.

"Somebody said, 'Well, now you've been to an Elite Eight.' That's not why I came to UCLA," coach Mick Cronin said. "I've got a lot of friends in the NBA, they make fun of people that have rings that say conference champion. There's only one. Whoever wins the NBA title is the world champion. So for me, we've got to win three more games."

Led by hot shooting from Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard, UCLA took an 11-point lead into halftime -- an advantage that evaporated within the first five minutes of the second half, courtesy of an 11-0 run by Alabama. Despite the Crimson Tide getting back into the game, things were still tilted in UCLA's direction. The contest was being played in mostly a half-court setting, limiting Alabama's transition opportunities. The Crimson Tide also were really struggling from the perimeter.

The final minutes of regulation were back and forth, but two missed free throws by Alabama's Herbert Jones looked to seal the win for UCLA. David Singleton buried two free throws with four seconds left to give UCLA a three-point lead.

Alabama inbounded the ball to Jahvon Quinerly, but instead of fouling him, UCLA forced him to give the ball up -- and he found an open Alex Reese in the middle of the floor. Reese caught the pass, turned and buried a 28-footer with 0.4 seconds left to send it to overtime.

"I'm a foul guy," Cronin said of the decision to play the final possession straight up. "My biggest concern was that, when we went to foul, they were going to shoot a half-court shot, and we were going to foul shooting a 3-point shot."

Alabama forced an overtime period and had all the momentum. UCLA was once again fighting an uphill battle to stay alive. From the Bruins' standpoint, though, this was a situation they had found themselves in before. They went to overtime in the First Four game against the Spartans and had been in five overtime games already this season.

Instead of sulking about the late heroics from Reese, UCLA threw the first punch of overtime, scoring the first seven points en route to a 23-point explosion over the five extra minutes.

"We knew that we had nothing to worry about it," UCLA junior Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. "This is March. It happens all the time."

"You don't win every single game in overtime, but we know we've been in that position before, and we knew we get another five minutes to try to win this game," Jaquez later added. "So we knew we had to be the toughest team out there, and that's going to be the reason we won the game, is being the toughest team. Like I said, we've been in those positions before. You don't win every single game, but it's a position we're very comfortable with."

UCLA had six players finish in double figures, led by Jaquez's 17 points. The 6-foot-7 wing, who scored 27 in the First Four win over Michigan State, started slowly on Sunday, with four points in the first half, but he hit a number of big shots in the second half and overtime -- including a 3-pointer with 1:37 left in the contest that gave UCLA a seven-point lead and sealed the win.

"Those are definitely shots I practiced at the park, just imagining being in March Madness, getting the go-ahead bucket like that," Jaquez said. "But, yeah, my mentality, I saw the shot clock winding down, and I knew we needed a big shot. So I just took the shot."

Perhaps the biggest key to the game was Alabama's struggles shooting the ball. The Crimson Tide entered the game as one of the most 3-point-reliant teams in the country, and they went just 7-for-28 from behind the arc. UCLA outshot them from 3-point range, something that rarely happens to Alabama.

An even bigger eyesore for the Crimson Tide was their performance from the free-throw line. They went 11-for-25 from the foul line, including a stretch at the end of regulation and beginning of overtime when they missed six of seven from the stripe.

According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Alabama going 11-for-25 from the foul throw line was the worst free throw performance (minimum of 25 attempts) in the NCAA tournament since Kansas went 12-for-30 in the 2003 national championship game against Syracuse.

"We needed one more free throw in regulation to win it, but it's tough. It's the game of basketball. You've got to make them," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "We put a big point of emphasis on guys making them. I thought we had a lot of guys improve dramatically. Herb Jones is a great free throw shooter all year. He put a ton of time in all offseason, all year, really, in the gym. He's a good free throw shooter. Didn't happen to make them tonight."

UCLA moves on to face the region's top-seed, Michigan, which dominated 4-seed Florida State in the East's other Sweet 16 matchup on Sunday.

The Bruins are looking to be the fifth 11-seed to make the Final Four and the second team to go from the First Four to the Final Four. So while it's Cronin's first Elite Eight as a college head coach, their goals haven't been met quite yet.

"We're not finished," Jaquez said. "We've got a lot more work to do."

In one of the NCAA tournament's most exciting games so far, the 11-seed UCLA Bruins upset the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide 88-78 in overtime in Sunday's Sweet 16.

UCLA held an 11-point lead going into halftime, but Alabama refused to give up, storming back to make it a competitive contest late into the second half.

After Alabama's Herbert Jones missed two free throws to keep it at 63-62 with six seconds remaining in regulation, UCLA's David Singleton hit both of his on the other end, giving the Bruins a three-point advantage with just four seconds left. That was all the Crimson Tide needed, however, as Alex Reese drained a 3-point buzzer-beater to bring the match into overtime -- and prompting reactions from the sports world, including an excited LeBron James.

The elation was short-lived for Alabama, however, as UCLA held firm in overtime, scoring 23 points to the Crimson Tide's 13.

UCLA will move on to face 1-seed Michigan in the Elite Eight.

AUSTIN, Texas – Matt Kuchar didn’t look the part of a 42-year-old PGA Tour veteran late Sunday afternoon at Austin Country Club. Following his 2-and-1 victory over Victor Perez in the day’s consolation match, Kuchar leaned into his WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play resume.

“What time's my next match? When do I get Billy Horschel. I got six points, how many has he got? Come on, Billy, any time, any place, I'm ready, you know it,” Kuchar joked.

There was no second chance waiting for Kuchar. He lost his semifinal match to Scottie Scheffler and Horschel won the championship match, 2 and 1. Instead, Kuchar had to settle for third place, again.

Kuchar’s record at the WGC-Match Play is better than many PGA Tour careers. He’s won once (2013), finished runner-up once (2019) and now has two third-place finishes (2011 and ’21) for a total of eight top-10 finishes in 11 starts and over $4.9 million in earnings in the event.

“Every year we come here I really enjoy myself, I enjoy the format,” Kuchar said. “Certainly, it was anti-climatic playing in the afternoon match, but once you get out, once you get going, the juices get going and you don't want to lose.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Inbee Park opened her LPGA Tour season with a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Kia Classic on the eve of the first major championship of the year.

The Hall of Famer finally put it all together at Aviara Golf Club, winning her 21st LPGA Tour title after finishing second on the scenic course in 2010, 2016 and 2019. She tied LPGA Founder Marilynn Smith for 25th place on the victory list and moved within four of matching Se Ri Pak for the South Korean mark.

“She’s somebody that I always looked up to when I was growing up, and obviously she’s always big in my heart,” Park said about Pak. “Trying to follow her footstep is always a great thing. Really happy that I’m getting close.”

Park closed with a 2-under 70 for a five-stroke victory – the same margin she took into the day – over Lexi Thompson and Amy Olson. Park finished at 14-under 274, opening with rounds of 66, 69 and 69.

The 32-year-old Park, ranked fourth in the world, now heads to the desert for the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage. She won at Mission Hills in 2013 for the third of her seven major titles. She also won in her first LPGA Tour start of the year in 2013, accomplishing the feat in the Honda LPGA Thailand.

“It was a great week this week,” Park said. “It was my first week back out in three months or so, and I played so good. I mean, I couldn’t believe how I was doing out there this week. I thought this week was just kind of a preparation for next week, but I exceeded so much more. I’m just really happy.”

After making three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn, Park bogeyed the 12th and 13th, then got the two strokes back with a 40-foot eagle putt on the short par-4 16th. She three-putted the 18th for a bogey.

Park gave the tour its first international winner of the year, after Americans Jessica and Nelly Korda and Austin Ernst swept the first three tournaments.

Thompson bogeyed the last for a 69 to match Olson (68) at 9 under.

“Inbee played great, so she was a tough chase,” Thompson said. “But I’m just happy with where my game is going into next week.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was 8 under after a 70.

U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter has done plenty of experimenting in his time in charge. Forty-three players have made their international debuts since Berhalter took over in December 2018. In Sunday's 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland, Berhalter engaged in a different kind of experiment, going with a three-man backline.

Given the relatively low stakes, it was smart of Berhalter to give the alignment a try. The formation switch certainly amounts to a different look and will give future opponents something to think about in the months ahead. It also fits some aspects of the Americans' personnel. The U.S. has a logjam of center-backs of comparable ability, and the same is true in terms of central midfielders. It also allows for wing-backs like Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest -- whose skills skew toward the attacking side of the game -- to get forward. And it's not the first time Berhalter has trotted the formation out, having done so in a friendly against Jamaica prior to the 2019 Gold Cup.

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Unsurprisingly, there were periods of fluidity, as the U.S. had the vast majority of possession. An early sequence saw Christian Pulisic release Robinson deep down the left wing, only for Robinson's ensuing delivery to miss a trio of targets in the box.

Pulisic and Giovanni Reyna both looked lively in the match, with the latter opening the scoring in the 30th minute, and Pulisic adding the eventual game-winner from the penalty spot just prior to the hour mark. Even more important for Pulisic, he looked freer than he did against Jamaica. How much of that is down to the formation is up for debate, but it was nice to finally see both players impressing within the same team.

Pulisic's performance will provide some assurance that even if things aren't going great at club level, he can still provide the kind of dynamic attacking presence the U.S. needs. Though for Berhalter, Pulisic contributed off the ball as well.

"Forget about all the great stuff he does on the ball, he just competed today," Berhalter said about Pulisic. "And when he's in that type of mode, you know, he's just an unbelievable player and that's what I was most happy with today, it was his relentless pressing. He just kept going and going and going and then you know he's so good on the ball, he can unbalance the team and to me, he had an overall really strong performance."

But there were also some rough spots for the Americans. One of the requirements for playing three in the back is that the center-backs and holding midfielder need to be tidy on the ball, and in the first half there were enough errors from that group to make the U.S. look vulnerable in transition. On more than one occasion it took just one or two passes to put a Northern Ireland attacker in a one-on-one situation with a U.S. defender, including a sequence in the 38th minute in which Shayne Lavery forced a diving save out of Zack Steffen.

Berhalter noted that while not wanting to make excuses, the field conditions at Windsor Park were difficult. Of course, the U.S. can expect more of the same in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, and Berhalter did note that the turnovers got his side in some trouble.

"It was difficult and we lacked a little bit of that precision on the ball, and that's why we had some turnovers," he said. "What I like though is that the guys still tried and you see in the second half, there's a period where we really came up and took possession of the ball and moved it around nicely. So overall, pleased with the effort I think to execute the game plan."

Some of the biggest problems for the U.S. were independent of formation, namely a propensity to concede set pieces that tilted the first-half momentum to Northern Ireland. That was a problem against Jamaica as well and will be something for Berhalter to keep an eye on going forward.

The U.S. looked more comfortable and assured within the formation after the half-time break, and looked to be in control when Pulisic won and converted a penalty. At that point a parade of substitutions saw the game become a bit more open, and the U.S. really should have added to its lead with a slew of chances. When Niall McGinn scored on an absolute thunderbolt from a tight angle in the 88th minute, it made for a nervy final few moments, but the U.S. was able to see it out.

So should Berhalter give the three-man backline another try? It's worth noting that Northern Ireland have a World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria on Wednesday, and as such were going to save their collective energy for that match. That said, it's certainly worth exploring, especially when Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are back in the fold. Unfortunately, outside of the May 30 friendly against Switzerland, there won't be many more opportunities to try the formation out ahead of the Nations League in June.

Yet through it all, the U.S. experimented and recorded a rare win in Europe, making it another test passed for Berhalter & Co.

UCLA

Alabama

Warriors' Curry practices; questionable vs. Bulls

Published in Basketball
Sunday, 28 March 2021 19:50

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry practiced fully on Sunday and will be listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls after missing the past week and a half because of a tailbone bruise.

"We scrimmaged some just now, and he's getting some extra work in, so we want to see how he responds to that," coach Steve Kerr said after Sunday's practice. "And then it's a discussion with (Warriors director of sports medicine and performance) Rick (Celebrini) and the training staff. We'll see where it all goes."

Curry injured his tailbone on March 17 during a 108-94 win over the Rockets after tripping over a set of risers near the Houston bench. Curry fell hard on his tailbone and has been out of the lineup ever since.

The Warriors said last Tuesday that Curry would miss another week after an MRI showed inflammation in the tailbone, but Curry is feeling better, and there is now a chance he plays against the Bulls.

"It's always great to have a guy like him around," Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson said. "Just based on his presence. On the floor, off the floor, who he is, the energy he brings. Today, there was a turnover in practice and he got upset, and it was like, 'OK, our leader's back, our guy's back,' so it's exciting.

"Obviously, we're a much better team with him on the floor. So, super excited to have him back whenever that is. Hopefully, sooner the better."

Outdoor sports including football, golf and tennis can resume for amateur players in England from Monday as coronavirus restrictions are eased.

Other facilities such as cricket pitches, basketball courts and outdoor swimming pools are allowed to reopen.

A combination of improving weather and the vaccine rollout is set to boost people's motivation and ability to be more active, Sport England said.

Leisure centres, gyms and swimming pools can open from 12 April.

Venues such as gyms, tennis courts and golf courses have been closed across England since lockdown was announced on 4 January.

"Over the past year we have prioritised the importance of physical activity, permitting basic exercise at all times," said Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston.

"However the reality is that activity levels have still dropped in lockdown. That's why outdoor grassroots sport reopening today is so important."

In horse racing, amateur jockeys will be able to return, having missed out on the Cheltenham Festival but in time for next week's Grand National meeting.

From 29 March

No earlier than 12 April

No earlier than 17 May

No earlier than 21 June

Rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

In Scotland, outdoor non-contact sports like golf and tennis are currently permitted along with organised group exercise and outdoor mixing between four people from up to two households.

In Wales, under-18s have been allowed to take part in team sports since Saturday and up to six people from two different households can meet and exercise outdoors. On 22 April, ministers will consider whether to reopen gyms.

Golf and other outdoor sporting activities can resume in Northern Ireland from Thursday, although clubhouses and sports facilities must stay closed.

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