England captain wants better pitches, more points for a draw in County Championship

George Dobell06-Mar-2021Joe Root has reiterated his call for changes to be made in county cricket to provide players with better preparation for the international game.Root, England’s Test captain, suggested that flatter wickets and a change to the bonus-point system might result in conditions more akin to Test cricket. In particular, he argued that better batting surfaces would bring spinners into the game more and provide batsmen with the experience of playing the sort of long innings that tend to define results in Tests.At present, the County Championship tends to be dominated by seamers making use of a Dukes ball and helpful surfaces. As a result, low-scoring games have become commonplace and opportunities for spinners are limited.Root has previously advocated the use of a Kookaburra ball for a portion of the season, and speaking in the immediate aftermath of England’s 3-1 Test series defeat in India, he suggested things would have to change if England were to have a better chance of winning such series in the future. “I do think that there are areas of county cricket that can be improved – quite easily as well,” he said.Related

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Root backs Kookaburra ball in County Championship

“They need to find ways of making games last four days, giving spinners the opportunity to bowl and learning to bowl at different stages of the game. They need to learn to hold the game in the first innings if it’s not spinning and things are not in your favour so they can give the seamers some respite. Then they need to be able to attack and to really deal with that pressure of trying to bowl a side out.”It’s not just spin, it’s seam as well, and the batting group. For example, you want guys to come into this environment of Test cricket and have that knowledge of what it’s like to go out in the second innings and know the opposition have 450 on the board.”They need to be able to ignore that scoreboard pressure, put it to the back of their mind and get a score. And to go beyond another team’s score to make sure you’re massively in the game when it comes to the second innings.”It’s the same with the seamers. You want them to have a range of skills that can exploit flat wickets. Can they change their angles round? Can they go up and down the gears in terms of pace? Have they got a five-over spell in terms of short-pitched bowling?”While few would dispute the logic of Root’s words, there is a major practical obstacle to producing better pitches. In recent years, the County Championship campaign has been conducted disproportionately in the early weeks of the season – in 2021, eight of the 14 rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place before the end of May with four more played in September – when it is tough for groundstaff to provide the type of hard, flat pitches Root mentioned.Although Root dismissed the suggestion of abandoning the window for white-ball cricket that dominates the fixture list in the weeks of mid-summer – “that’s there to stay,” he said – which might enable groundstaff a chance to provide better surfaces, he suggested that greater rewards for drawn games might provoke a rethink about pitches at county level.At present, teams are awarded 16 points for a victory, with drawn games worth five points each. Teams are also awarded up to eight bonus points for runs and wickets in the first 110 overs of the first innings.”If draws are more appealing, because of the amount of points on offer, it might improve our situation slightly,” Root said. “They’re all the things that will improve the game and Test cricket for England in the long run if the games go longer.”

James Maddison praised 'Mr Reliable' Ben Davies after his Erling Haaland shut-out saw Tottenham romp to a 4-0 victory at Manchester City.

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Davies started in makeshift defensive partnershipSpurs reduced City to five shots on targetMaddison scored twice in first 20 minutesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Spurs achieved a remarkable 4-0 victory at City on Saturday night, despite missing both starting centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Radu Dragusin and Davies came in to replace them, and in an impressive display, limited City and Haaland to nothing more than half chances, leading to Maddison comparing the Welshman to AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini.

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Many saw this game as a chance for Man City to end a four game losing streak. With the same centre-back pairing, Spurs lost 3-2 to Turkish side Galatasaray in the Europa League, where the two stand-ins struggled to keep up with Victor Osimhen.

However, this story was very different. In a heroic and composed display, Dragusin and Davies were on top of Haaland for almost the entire 90 minutes, and the big Norwegian could only watch difficult chances pass him by.

Instagram (@madders)WHAT MADDISON SAID

In an Instagram story published on Sunday, Maddison posted a photoshopped image of Maldini with Davies' head on, captioning: "You lot are too quick man. All joking aside what a shift yesterday from Mr Reliable."

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WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

With a powerhouse performance against City under his belt, Davies will likely start against Roma in midweek in the Europa League thanks to the enduring injuries to Romero and Van de Ven.

West Ham United's exciting transfer window under new management has faced several hiccups, with Noussair Mazraoui joining Jean-Clair Todibo in rejecting the east Londoners after terms were agreed between clubs.

Indeed, as per Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, West Ham's proposed transfer of the Bayern Munich right-back is now off, with the Moroccan now angling toward Manchester United.

Let's hope that technical director Tim Steidten is still worth his salt and will push to sign a full-back this summer, the Hammers are certainly not in dire straits but will need to seek alternative routes. That may take time.

In that case, perhaps West Ham should now seek to accelerate negotiations for an exciting target and provide the fanbase with an injection of excitement.

West Ham lead the race for touted attacker

According to Caught Offside, West Ham are leading the race for Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville, who was crowned the Championship MVP last season.

It's revealed that the Hammers are actively working on signing the Dutchman, aged 22, after Leeds failed to clinch promotion to the Premier League last year, losing to Southampton in the play-off final.

The sticking point in protracted negotiations stems from the transfer fee: the Whites are demanding £35m while West Ham have presented a £20m plus bonuses bid.

Why West Ham must sign Crysencio Summerville

Principally a left winger, Summerville was superb in the second tier last season, with Leeds' relegation one year ago candidly proving to be a beneficial move to the player's development.

Having posted 21 goals and ten assists across all competitions last season, Summerville could be a wonderful addition on the flank, bringing the electrifying pace and dribbling skills to complement Irons centre-forward target Jhon Duran.

Aston Villa have fielded multiple enquiries and bids for the Colombian maverick, aged 20, this summer, the latest of which – £30m plus Lewis Orford – was rejected. Still, Duran wants the move and there is tentative hope that he will be clad in West Ham claret come September at the latest.

Goals

0.39

Top 5%

Assists

0.23

Top 15%

Shot-creating actions

6.10

Top 1%

Progressive carries

5.04

Top 7%

Successful take-ons

2.52

Top 9%

Summerville has the ball-carrying brilliance in his locker to truly unlock Duran's fearsome talent, blending the various facets of the attacking game together to a resounding effect.

His unique, game-changing approach could even see him become new head coach Julen Lopetegui's very own version of Dimitri Payet, whose fleeting spell in east London has cemented cult hero status.

The Frenchman clinched 12 goals and 15 assists across a triumphant debut campaign that left nothing to be desired, to turn an idiom on its head. Magical, beguiling, celestial – pick your superlative, Payet embodied it as his playmaking genius left the Premier League in awe.

Homesickness pulled Payet back to Marseille in France after only a year and a half, but no one can argue against the attacking midfielder's quality at his best.

Summerville, while dissimilar in terms of actual playing style, carries a similar kind of gusto and could captivate Hammers supporters next season, emulating Payet with his own game-changing ability – having been hailed as a "wizard" by former Leeds coach, Michael Skubala.

Equally, much like that man Payet, the in-demand sensation is also the type of player who can "produce moments out of nothing", in the words of data analyst Ben Mattinson, thus helping to add a real sprinkling of stardust to Lopetegui's ranks.

Hopefully, the Dutchman will soon be firing West Ham back into Europe and back into the ascendancy.

West Ham hit gold on star who's worth more than Duran & Mazraoui combined

The Hammers would field enquiries for his sale, but only if a record fee is thrown his way.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 26, 2024

It has been a busy summer at Molineux for Wolverhampton Wanderers so far. The Midlands club have made some moves in the summer transfer market, whilst also having some major outgoings, as they hope to improve on their impressive 14th-place finish during the 2023/24 campaign.

Firstly, the outgoings, one of which went through just days ago. Portugal international Pedro Neto left Molineux to join Chelsea for a fee of £54m, a deal which was confirmed on Sunday. Gary O’Neil’s side also sold club captain Max Kilman to West Ham United, as he linked back up with former manager Julen Lopetegui, joining for £40m.

So far, the money made from those sales has been spent sporadically. Jorgen Strand Larsen joined on loan, and Tommy Doyle signed permanently for the club after spending the previous season on loan from Manchester City. They have also signed Rodrigo Gomes from Braga, who could be a direct replacement for Neto, and young Brazilian right-back Pedro Lima.

However, O’Neil’s side are not done there when it comes to incomings. The Midlands club could also strengthen up front and have recently been linked with one Premier League player who could bring quality and experience in the striking department.

Wolves target Premier League striker

The player in question here is West Ham and Jamaican international striker Michail Antonio. The 34-year-old centre-forward could leave the London Stadium in the wake of Niclas Fullkrug joining the Hammers after an injury issue and sporadic minutes hampered his season in 2023/24.

According to an exclusive report from GiveMeSport, O’Neil and the Wolves scouting department have ‘been monitoring’ the striker’s situation this summer, with just one season left on his current deal.

However, they might not be the only side thought to be interested in a deal for Antonio during the 2024 summer window. The report from GiveMeSport explains that the Midlands side are one of ‘a host of clubs scoping out whether Antonio is available’ for transfer this summer.

A price for the Jamaica international has not yet been named by West Ham, although it is safe to assume it will be fairly low given his contract expires in less than 12 months time. In fact, he is valued at just £3.3m by Football Transfers, which seems like a fair representation of his price.

Why Antonio would be a good signing

Although he struggled for fitness at times during the 2023/24 campaign, Antonio still featured 26 times in the Premier League, getting on the scoresheet six times and grabbing two assists. That was a record that included a run of four goals in the final ten games of the season.

The 34-year-old, who was described as “unplayable” by former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp, is actually the East London club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League era, netting 67 times in the competition.

West Ham's all-time top PL goalscorers

Name

Goals

Length of spell

Michail Antonio

67

2015-present

Paolo Di Canio

47

1999-2003

Mark Noble

45

2005-2022

Jarrod Bowen

43

2020-present

Carlton Cole

41

2006-2015

Stats from West Ham website

Signing the Jamaican would certainly bring experience to the Wolves forward line and add goals to an attack that boasts the likes of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan. In fact, there are statistical comparisons to be made between the South Korean forward and Antonio – as noted by FBref.

As per FBref, last season in the Premier League, the 27-year-old had an expected goals tally of 7.7xG, compared to Antonio who averaged 5.8xG. Per 90 minutes, that breaks down to 0.33 for the Wolves forward and 0.31 for the West Ham man, a very similar tally. They also have a similar amount of shots each game, with Antonio averaging 1.59 and Hwang 1.87.

Antonio is also an effective ball carrier, and actually averaged more progressive carries per 90 minutes to that of Hwang last season. Specifically, the 12-time international averaged 2.55, compared to just 1.57 for Hwang. That is a trait that would certainly stand him in good stead in O’Neil’s transitional system.

There are certainly plenty of similarities between the pair, and they could be an effective duo up front, especially given Antonio’s carrying ability and Hwang’s natural poacher’s instinct in the penalty box.

Should Wolves get this deal over the line, it could be an astute capture and a perfect move for O'Neil. The former Bournemouth boss would be adding an experienced top-flight striker with 67 goals in the competition to the squad for a small fee, which could help provide his side with the edge to climb up the table.

It could be a wonderful piece of business for the Molineux outfit.

Related Ait-Nouri 2.0: Wolves learn price tag for "amazingly talented" target

Gary O’Neil is chasing a move for a talented French defender…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 10, 2024

Manchester City have been brutally trolled after five straight defeats, with a San Marino super fan sending a “please play us” message to the Etihad.

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• Blues suffered five straight defeats
• International minnows enjoying historic high
• Joked that they could beat Premier League champions

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pep Guardiola has hit a new low, with the highly-decorated Catalan coach enduring the worst run of his trophy-laden managerial career. A stunning slump from the reigning Premier League champions has been bookended by defeats to Tottenham.

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  Spurs saw off City in the Carabao Cup back on October 30, before repeating the trick in top-flight competition on Saturday as they left Manchester with a remarkable 4-0 win. In between those setbacks, City came unstuck against Bournemouth, Sporting and Brighton in Premier League and Champions League competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Plenty are suggesting that the wheels are falling off City’s bandwagon – one which steered them to Treble glory in 2022-23 – with there much work to be done on the field as they continue to fight a 115-charge Financial Fair Play case that has sparked speculation of points penalties or potential demotion into or completely out of the English Football League.

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• WHAT SAN MARINO SAID

  Guardiola’s side have lost their fear factor, leading international minnows San Marino – who have been enjoying a historic purple patch in the UEFA Nations League of late – poking fun at the star-studded Blues. Their popular X account, which is run by a passionate supporter, has posted in response to seeing City suffer a humbling reversal on home soil against Spurs: “Hello, please play against us. I think we can beat you.”

MatériaMais Notícias

No empate sem gols com o Cuiabá, neste domingo no Maracanã, o Flamengo ainda teve uma outra notícia ruim. O lateral-esquerdo Filipe Luís recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo e desfalcará o time diante do Fluminense, em clássico pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O Fla-Flu será no próximo sábado.

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O camisa 16 é um dos titulares absolutos da equipe de Renato Gaúcho. Porém, antes do Fla-Flu, o técnico e os atletas mudam o foco para a Copa do Brasil. Na quarta, pelo jogo de ida da semifinal, encaram o Athletico na Arena da Baixada.

O Flamengo perdeu a chance de cortar ainda mais a vantagem para a liderança do Brasileirão. Se vencesse o Cuiabá, o Rubro-Negro colocaria a distância para o Atlético-MG em oito pontos – tendo dois jogos a menos que o Galo e o confronto direto contra o rival pelo título. Agora, está em 10 pontos.

Hampshire 410 (Brown 83, Dawson 61, Gubbins 58) and 198 for 8 (Dawson 67, Gubbins 42) beat Yorkshire 428 (Hill 131, Brook 76, Bess 51*, Wheal 4-59) and 178 (Wheal 3-32, Barker 3-48, Abbott 3-50) by two wicketsFor Yorkshire’s Championship challenge to have lasted so long in this troubled season is something of an achievement, but realistically it ended at the Ageas Bowl, shortly before six o’clock on the final day, when Hampshire took a two-wicket win from a gripping final day.Hampshire are a resilient bunch, and deserve better than the dismal Championship crowds often seen at the ground. Their pursuit of 198 in 59 overs was wracked with uncertainty, but Nick Gubbins and Liam Dawson summoned the enterprising innings required to secure their fifth win in seven with more than 18 overs still to bowl.Yorkshire can be forgiven for feeling disorientated this season. A new management team, defined by its necessary commitment to diversity as well as the need to promote cricketing success, must now defend the county against ECB charges of breaching anti-racism rules. They must do so even though they are uncomfortable with defending the indefensible and, in any case, those involved at the time under scrutiny probably won’t want to talk to them anyway. Yorkshire are likely to just point to their plans for a better future and otherwise take the hit.Add to that, David Willey has had a pop about the politics on the day it was confirmed he will return to Northants next season on a four-year contract, quite a gesture of faith at 32. For him to suggest that Yorkshire are putting cricket second to repairing their reputation sounded unfair to the coaching staff who have done much to rebuild morale in difficult times and who entrusted him with the T20 captaincy, even though he didn’t get back to England from the IPL until May 30. Nevertheless, it will find favour in much of the dressing room among many young pros whose priority is simply to play cricket and who prefer others to consider the bigger picture and resolve differences as fast as possible.Somehow, amid all the noises off, Yorkshire have been mounting a Championship challenge that few expected. At least they think they have been, because if they are docked points after the end of the season, once the ECB disciplinary commission determines its verdict, they might actually be fighting against relegation.The Championship contenders are now realistically reduced to three – all of them winners in this round. Hampshire remain within three points of the leaders, Surrey, with Lancashire a further 16 points back in third. Yorkshire drop to fourth.After victory in their opening match of the season, and five successive draws that have revealed the limitations of their bowling attack, Yorkshire finally experienced defeat. Their faith that they could force victory appeared to waver once the off-spinner, Dom Bess, who briefly appeared to be a potential matchwinner, was driven from the attack by Dawson, whose 67 from 68 balls rescued Hampshire from 103 for 6.Dawson might have played on against Steve Patterson on 14, but he took the target below 50 when he drove Bess for six over long-on and, one bounce, into the hotel, then swept him for four next ball. In Bess’ defence, nobody knew better than Dawson that this final-day pitch, as scruffy as it looked, would not easily bestow its favours upon slow bowlers: Dawson himself had been wicketless in Yorkshire’s second innings. This surface produced an excellent match but, just for once, it would be nice to see a surface, somehow, somewhere, break up for the spinners.”I feel like I’ve been in decent form all year without big scores and I’m really happy with that innings,” Dawson said. “I was in a bit of a daze, just watching the ball and reacting to it and luckily it paid off. It’s a brilliant comeback and it shows the character in the group. It is probably one of the best wins I’ve been involved in with Hampshire in four-day cricket.”Yorkshire’s spirit was equally evident as, five-down overnight with a vulnerable lead of 128, they survived the loss of three wickets in the first 20 minutes to stretch their second innings into the afternoon thanks to the defiance of Matthew Revis and Dominic Drakes which burned overs and added runs. A target of 198 left the match perfectly balanced.Considering that Hampshire are pushing so strongly for the Championship, their opening partnership of Felix Organ and Ian Holland fails to convince. Whether you consider their Championship averages this season, or over their career, the mid-20s is as high as it gets. In some ways, they might be representative of the shortage of quality opening batters across the entire professional circuit.In the first innings, they were two-down for 12; on this occasion, two down for 23. Jordan Thompson, who did not set the tone with his first two balls, stiff-limbed efforts which Organ cut to the boundary, perked up to remove them both. Organ edged to third slip and Holland played around his front pad to be lbw.Gubbins, though, has been at a more elevated level since his move from Middlesex. His run-a-ball 42 promised to ease Hampshire’s chase. Revis’ introduction as first change backfired as two overs leaked 18, Gubbins pulling him for six and four in successive balls.Patterson restored order. That’s what Patterson does. You could imagine him calling Give Order like an MC at an old-style working men’s club, his common-sense cutting through the stale cigarette smoke. This season of all seasons, with players understandably unsettled over what the future holds, his attributes have been invaluable.He had Gubbins lbw, striking him low on the thigh as he tried to sweep. James Vince then feathered Bess behind six balls later. Hampshire still 117 runs away from the target. When Lyth plucked out a slip catch above his head as Ben Brown lay back to cut Bess, and Patterson bowled Aneurin Donald through the gate, Yorkshire were favourites.Dawson then cut loose, supported by Keith Barker who looked solid enough apart from on the pull. Two lobbed tauntingly over slips, Patterson and Thompson despairing, before a third pull, against Drakes, gave Harry Duke a catch down the leg side as Barker tried to move his hefty frame inside the line of the ball.With seven down and 27 needed, Dawson was grateful for a couple of Thompson half-volleys. Revis had him caught, hooking, at long leg with the runs required down to eight, but a driven boundary by Kyle Abbott and, lo and behold, a ramp over the slips by James Fuller took Hampshire home.”The difference in the end is the experience in their team,” said Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s coach, who is squeezing everything he can out of this Yorkshire attack.Yorkshire were left with a long journey north. A quick update on the politics and then headphones in, trying to block out the noise, the only sensible way to survive the season.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is personally driving his club's pursuit to sign a "dream" replacement for Richarlison before summer deadline day.

Spurs aim to sell Richarlison and replace him with new striker

Multiple reports from the last week have indicated that Richarlison may not be a Spurs player beyond August 30, which is when the English transfer window will officially close.

Tottenham consider swap move for £162k-a-week forward with Ange "obsessed"

The Australian is desperate for a new attacker.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 1, 2024

According to reliable GiveMeSport reporter Ben Jacobs, Tottenham are determined to sell Richarlison, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, with fellow respected journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming Spurs are actively looking for a new striker.

After a regrettable debut campaign in north London under ex-boss Antonio Conte, Richarlison bagged 12 goals in all competitions last season, finishing 2023/2024 as their second top scorer behind superstar Son Heung-min.

Competition

Games

Goals

Assists

Premier League

28

11

4

FA Cup

2

0

0

EFL Cup

1

1

0

via Transfermarkt

The 27-year-old, signed from Everton for around £60 million in the summer of 2022, enjoyed a very impressive mid-season purple patch which hugely contributed to his end-of-season haul.

Richarlison racked up nine goals in eight Premier League games from December last year through to February, but despite his flashes of brilliance, Spurs are prepared to offload the South American and bring in a successor.

As the ex-Watford ace's future hangs in the balance, reports have centered around which names could come to Spurs in his stead. These targets would also have the task of replacing Harry Kane, who departed Tottenham for Bayern Munich in a multi-million pound deal last year.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been described as keen on a move to Spurs, according to media outlets like talkSPORT, but it is Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke making more headlines right now.

The former Liverpool striker, who scored 21 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions for Bournemouth last season, is a star player for the Cherries, and it would be a big blow for Andoni Iraola to lose him.

Bournemouth may well be powerless if Spurs or any other club decide to trigger the £65 million release clause in his contract, but some media sources like TEAMtalk believe Tottenham chiefs think that they can do a deal for Solanke at around £60 million.

Postecoglou driving Tottenham move for Solanke

GiveMeSport have an update on the situation this week, and they claim Postecoglou is personally driving Tottenham's move for Solanke, who is believed to be open to this potential transfer.

GMS have different information to previous reports about his price tag, though, as Spurs apparently value Solanke at around £50 million – despite the player hitting double figures last season and still having three more years left on his contract.

The Lilywhites may well find themselves paying a higher fee than £50 million because of this, we believe, but it's clear as day why Tottenham are now very keen on the 26-year-old.

“He’s a dream," said ex-Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil. "As a center forward, I think sometimes his work can go unnoticed because it's difficult to score goals at this level.

“But I'm so pleased he get his goal because you ask him to press, he presses, you ask him to do stuff in possession. He does it, he literally does everything he can. Probably the hardest working centre-forward I've ever seen."

استقبلت شباك فالنسيا هدفًا خامساً من برشلونة، خلال المباراة بين الفريقين ببطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه فالنسيا على ملعب “مونتجويك” ضمن مباريات الجولة الحادية والعشرين لليجا.

الهدف الخامس جاء عن طريق فيرمين لوبيز وهو ثاني أهدافه في اللقاء، وسجله بالدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع. وأهدر رافينها فرصة هدف مثالي بعد تسديدة قوية للكرة اصطدمت بالعارضة، لتصل إلى فيرمين لويز، الذي سددها بنفسه.

وسجل الهولندي فرينكي دي يونج هدف تقدم برشلونة في الدقيقة الثالثة من المباراة، ثم أضاف فيران توريس الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة الثامنة.

والهدف الثالث جاء عن طريق البرازيلي رافينها في الدقيقة 14، والرابع سجله فيرمين لوبيز، ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف فيرمين لوبيز الثاني في مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

West Indies recover from 171 for 7 to open up a potentially match-winning lead

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Mar-2021Stumps
Until Rahkeem Cornwall joined Joshua Da Silva at the crease, Sri Lanka were in the game, with serious hopes of restricting West Indies to a lead of less than fifty. Suranga Lakmal had already claimed a five-wicket haul, all the specialist batsmen had been dismissed, and the second new ball was around the corner, with West Indies leading by just two runs.But Cornwall, intent on proving he is a better batsman than his Test stats suggested, began to free his arms midway through the third session, hitting thumping blows down the ground, cracking seamers on the up, pulling ferociously, cutting on occasion, and generally imposing himself on the match in a manner that no batsmen had previously managed on this pitch. By day’s end, he was not out on 60 off 79 balls – 48 of those runs having come from boundaries (nine fours, two sixes).His 90-run eighth-wicket stand with Da Silva, who contributed only 29 to the partnership, broke the match open for the West Indies. Where before Cornwall’s arrival it seemed as if the teams were in for a second-innings scrap, West Indies had achieved a commanding position by stumps – a triple-figure lead almost in hand. Cornwall had Kemar Roach for company at stumps, the team score at 268 for 8.Sri Lanka’s bowlers will feel, however, that the final scoreline on day two does not reflect their discipline, which had kept West Indies under significant pressure for the majority of the day. Lakmal was both the most potent and most persistent of Sri Lanka’s operators, as he often is on foreign tours, and ended the day on 5 for 45 from 24 overs. Dushmantha Chameera bowled aggressively at times, and took 2 for 71, though thanks to his pace he was also the most hittable of Sri Lanka’s frontliners. On a surface that offered only slow turn, Lasith Embuldeniya took 1 for 64, and kept an end tied while seamers attacked from the other.Cornwall was somewhat watchful early on, playing out 15 deliveries before venturing a boundary, but when he arrived, he came like a storm. He smoked Suranga Lakmal past mid-off to collect his first four, before several overs later, he bludgeoned Vishwa Fernando to and over the deep midwicket boundary within the space of three balls. Sri Lanka had taken the second new ball by this stage, but that only made it disappear faster off Cornwall’s blade. He rarely missed the chance to capitalise on errors on length, and although the feature of this innings was his boundary-hitting, Cornwall was not averse to working the singles on occasion. He reached his maiden half-century off the 62nd ball he faced. Da Silva largely ticked along sedately at the other end.Before Cornwall hijacked the narrative, though, it had been Lakmal’s day. He bowled a maiden first up, and then first ball of the second over, drew Kraigg Brathwaite into a loose shot outside off stump, the ball flying to second slip. The rest of his morning session was quiet, but he came in strong after lunch, bowling Jermaine Blackwood with his first ball of the session – a full, straight delivery that the batsman played all around. Several overs later, Lakmal also had Kyle Mayers (who had struck an effervescent 45) caught in the slips.The two wickets to complete the five-for came after tea, as he bowled Jason Holder off an inside edge, before having Alzarri Joseph caught at point. This was his fourth five-wicket haul, the other three also having come away from home.Before Cornwall, West Indies largely tiptoed their way through the day, respecting bowling that was frequently – almost uniformly – tight. John Campbell toiled his way to 42 off 132, forging a 56-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner, who made 31. They were each dismissed either side of the lunch break, before Mayers injected some energy into the West Indies innings with his 45 off 70.Mayers’ innings was a little streaky – he edged his fourth ball past slip – but his aggression was calculated, and it shook West Indies out of the torpor that was threatening to overcome their innings at the time. Mayers hooked a Dushmantha Chameera bouncer for six over deep square leg against the wind, in the 43rd over, and would hit another six soon after, launching Dhananjaya de Silva’s offspin over the sightscreen. He looked set to make West Indies’ first half-century of the innings until Lakmal angled one in from wide of the stumps, bowling over the wicket, and got him to edge to second slip.Mayers had got West Indies to within 40 runs of the lead, but it was Cornwall who rode West Indies into their excellent position. Sri Lanka’s main hope now is that Cornwall’s innings is an indication that the pitch has become much better to bat on.