Tite destaca atuação do setor ofensivo: 'As coisas aconteceram'

MatériaMais Notícias

A Seleção Brasileira não teve dificuldades para vencer no último amistoso antes da Copa América. Neste domingo, o Brasil goleou Honduras por 7 a 0, em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, e conseguiu sua maior goleada na ‘Era Tite’. Após o confronto, o técnico parabenizou a equipe e também comentou sobre as estratégias com Firmino e Gabriel Jesus.

– Significa que soubemos tirar vantagem de uma equipe que estava com jogador a menos. Conseguimos construir essa série de oportunidades, levando vantagem. Isso poderia dar mais profundidade ao Dani, ia para dentro pela direita com Richarlison. As coisas aconteceram – afirmou.

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalBrasil atropela Honduras no último amistoso antes da Copa AméricaFutebol Internacional09/06/2019

O treinador também falou sobre as táticas implementadas, com Roberto Firmino e Gabriel Jesus. Ambos se destacaram na goleada.

– Você tem a resposta, os atletas têm também. Fico muito feliz com a ascensão do Gabriel, retomada de confiança. Precisão da finalização começa a entrar mais. Ele está sorrindo. Tem concorrência e atleta que vem já com a titularidade, pelos jogos que fez, grande desempenho que teve. Registro o bom nível dos dois – disse.

O Brasil faz o jogo de abertura e a estreia no torneio continental, pelo Grupo A, na sexta-feira. A Seleção vai encarar a Bolívia, no Morumbi, às 21h30 (de Brasília)

Outros trechos da coletiva:

Arthur:
Arthur está bem, conversei com ele, disse que foi só uma pancada. Sem passar por cima do doutor (Rodrigo Lasmar), depois vai dar sua avaliação, mas só pelo aspecto dele, ele está bem.

Passo a passo:
Uma equipe campeã se constrói durante a competição, ela prende durante a competição, ela passa por adversidades, se confirma durante a competição. Essa novamente. A cada passo, a cada jogo. Ter essa confiança, essa consistência. Hoje eu falei em precisão de finalizações, não dá para contar, mas dá pra exigir precisão.

Público:
Expectativa era mais, pensei que viesse mais gente. Mas não sei dizer o porquê. Se fosse jogo de Copa América, jogo valendo, traz apelo maior. Ontem fiquei contente porque os atletas puderam contribuir com ato solidário, hoje nos agradecemos. Pequenas coisinhas são significativas para poder contribuir com um pouco de igualdade social.

David Neres:
São oportunidades, o campo fala. Ele tem entrado bem. Eu tinha dado uma série de oportunidades ao Cebolinha, falo Cebolinha até para deixar ele descontraído. É a vez dele.

Pakistan U-19s hold their nerve to win thriller

Led by a century from their captain Sami Aslam and a fifty from Kamran Ghulam, Pakistan Under-19s held their nerve to secure a two-wicket win over India Under-19s. The win puts them on top of Group A, sealing a spot in the semi-finals. Faced with a target of 251, Aslam kept the chase under control with a well-paced 108 off 119 balls. Once he fell, Ghulam took over, guiding the lower order even as India pulled back with wickets. Two wickets in the 49th and 50th over put some pressure on Pakistan, who were seeking six runs off the last over, but Zafar Gohar hit two fours to seal the victory.Earlier, Ricky Bhui’s 64 helped India post 250 for 7 after regular strikes from the Pakistan bowlers prevented India’s top-order from making good on their starts. Bhui’s knock off 66 balls with three fours and two sixes.Riding on a hundred from Kusal Mendis and an unbeaten 62 from Priyamal Perera, Sri Lanka Under-19s stumbled to a two-wicket win over Bangladesh Under-19s in Abu Dhabi. The win helped them qualify for the semi-finals where they will play India. Set a target of 204, the 108-run fourth-wicket stand between Mendis and Perera put Sri Lanka in a comfortable position at 180 for 3. However, Sri Lanka lost their next five wickets for 13 runs, sliding to 193 for 8, before Perera and AK Tyronne got the required runs. Earlier, a fifty from Nazmul Hossain Shanto, and useful contributions from Mosaddek Hossain and Yasir Ali helped Bangladesh put up 203 for 6.Afghanistan Under-19s needed a total of just 26.4 overs to thump Malaysia Under-19s by 10 wickets in Abu Dhabi. Malaysia, who were bundled out for 50 and 32 in their previous two games, collapsed once again for 40 as medium-pacer Sayed Shirzad spearheaded an incisive bowling performance from Afghanistan. Malaysia’s captain Muhammad Ramli was the team’s top-scorer with 12, while their other 10 batsmen collectively contributed just 22 runs between them. Shirzad finished with 4 for 10, and Abdullah Adil picked up three scalps. to bowl Malaysia in 23.2 overs.Afghanistan’s openers Shahidullah and Ihsanullah completed the paltry chase in just 20 balls, hitting five fours and a six between them. Afghanistan will now play Pakistan in the semi-finals.A four-for from left-arm spinner Sushan Bhari and a knock of 48 from Aarif Sheikh helped Nepal Under-19s seal a four-wicket win over United Arab Emirates Under-19s in Sharjah. Nepal were struggling at 49 for 3 before Sheikh anchored the chase with useful partnerships. After Sheikh was out, Siddhant Lohani and Rahul Pratap Singh ensured Nepal ended up on the winning side, finishing the game in 33 overs. Earlier, Bhari and left-arm pacer Lalit Bhandari kept chipping away with wickets to restrict UAE to 159. Dan D’Souza was the top-scorer for UAE with 32, in an innings where a few other batsmen got starts but couldn’t play on. Bhari finished with 4 for 34, while Bhandari took 3 for 43.

Back to familiar format after emotional farewell

Match facts

Thursday, November 21, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)Rohit Sharma: ODI double-hundred. Twin Test centuries. What next?•BCCI

Big Picture

Days after Sachin Tendulkar’s emotional farewell, India move on to the format in which they are now quite used to playing without him. Unlike in the Tests, the cricket will no longer be the sideshow. An India win can no longer be taken for granted.Only a few weeks ago, till the last Australia wicket fell in Bangalore, either set of batsmen could have edged the run-marathon of an ODI series. Over 3500 runs were scored in 11 innings; 350 threatened to permanently become the new 300. Did that series reveal to us the future of ODI cricket in India? Have bowlers been irreparably crippled in such conditions by the restriction of four deep fielders? The next three games will tell us more.MS Dhoni said his fast bowlers had been working hard on their variations, including yorkers, ever since the Australia series, to ensure they don’t leak too many runs at the death. India’s batsmen, as usual, will be confident of hunting down whatever their bowlers concede. Dhoni will hope Yuvraj Singh, who had a horror run amid the Australia run glut, is one of them.West Indies’ showing against the No. 1 ODI side will be interesting to track. They lost both Tests inside three days. They have been criticised for being drunk on T20 cricket. Their Test captain’s place in the team has been questioned for the umpteenth time.In the ODIs, they will be a led by a man who was not part of the Test squad, but has similar – many will argue superior – skills compared to the Test captain. What will Dwayne Bravo do in the ODIs that Darren Sammy couldn’t in the Tests? How will he lift the morale of a side thumped by an innings in both Kolkata and Mumbai?Bravo will at least have fresher men to choose from. Apart from a different leader, West Indies will also have different options on all fronts – batting, fast bowling, spin, wicketkeeping. Will all this translate into some sort of a challenge for India? The hosts won 4-1 the previous time the two played in India, in 2011, although West Indies ran them closer than the scoreline suggests. Getting on the board this time will be an achievement, after the embarrassment of the Tests.

Form guide

India WWLWL (last five completed games, most recent first)
West Indies LLTWL

In the spotlight

Chris Gayle had starts in each of his four innings in the Tests, but went past 35 in none of them. He is less likely to not convert a start in limited-overs cricket, although he has had a poor year in the format. Gayle averages 55.85 in India and, barring Zimbabwe, his ODI record in any other Test nation does not even come close. Six of his 22 innings in India have been centuries, which again shows how much he likes to bat in the country.Rohit Sharma has already scored more ODI runs this year than he did in the previous two years combined. Five days after hitting a double-century in Bangalore, he made a hundred on Test debut in Kolkata, and added another one batting with the No. 11 in Mumbai. Mindboggling is the word. And even during his fallow years, before his move to the top of the order, West Indies were his favourite opposition.

Team news

Vinay Kumar went for 102 runs in nine overs in the last ODI India played in Bangalore. Although he has made it back to the side as an injury replacement for Dhawal Kulkarni, it is hard to see him meriting a place in the XI. Ravindra Jadeja is back, after missing the Tests with a shoulder injury.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat/Mohit Sharma, 11 Mohammed ShamiGayle moved down the order in Pakistan’s previous ODI series after three failures as opener. Given his record in India, West Indies might want to move him back up. Sunil Narine, who many said should have played the Tests ahead of Veerasammy Permaul, will take his regular ODI spot. Kieron Pollard is injured and that will help Sammy keep his place in the XI.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Narsingh Deonarine, 6 Lendl Simmons, 7 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Jason Holder

Pitch and conditions

Only ten overs were possible in the five-day Duleep Trophy final last month in Kochi. One of the finalists had to be decided by the toss of a coin as even two innings could not be completed over six days in the first semi-final, also played in Kochi. The Nehru Stadium, also used for football, has received a lot of flak for its refurbished drainage system. It has also taken a lot of rain. The southwest monsoon is over, but it is northeast monsoon time now in south India. Unusually for an India venue, and in anticipation of more showers, the entire ground, instead of just the square, has been kept under covers. Rain is forecast in the morning and evening of the match, but not during the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

  • Gayle averages 20.73 in ODIs in 2013, his lowest return since 1999, his debut year
  • Virat Kohli is 81 short of 5000 ODI runs. If he gets there in Kochi, he will tie with Viv Richards as the fastest to the landmark in 114 innings

Quotes

“It’s important, not only for them but also for the team, that they score runs – the No. 4 and No. 5 spots are very important. After the openers set the platform, these guys capitalise in the last 10-15 overs.”

Match survives despite absent scorer

ScorecardRob Keogh’s maiden first-class century, which he upgraded to 221, was near wiped from the record books•PA Photos

The final day of this match predictably ended in a dull draw, watched by all too few spectators. That there was any play at all was not just as a consequence of an improvement in the weather. The ECB, had it decided to stick rigidly to the Laws of the game, could have ordered the umpires to bring proceedings to a close and to re-start this contest on the same pitch.The reason being because one of the two official scorers, Tony Weld of Hampshire, was taken ill and returned home. There was no replacement for him.Tony Kingston, representing Northamptonshire, had to score for both clubs for the entire day, using one computer. This is contrary to Law 4 (The Scorers) which stipulates the appointment of two scorers. Indeed, the “notchers” or “chalkers”, as they were known, have long been considered integral to the staging of a cricket match.A scorer for OPTA, supplying data, continued to operate in the same scorebox here but did not take over Weld’s work as well. Hence, in theory, the umpires, Martin Saggers and Steve O’Shaughnessy, could have insisted that the match be restarted and another four days allocated.What occurred instead was that Alan Fordham, the ECB’s Operations Manager, “used his discretion” to ensure this fixture was completed. “The alternative,” according to a spokesman, “was to end the game.” Tim Tremlett, Hampshire’s Cricket Secretary, spoke to the umpires and contemplated scoring himself, but had other work to consume him. Asked if he had contemplated contacting Vic Isaacs, the club’s long-serving former scorer who lives near the ground, he said he would not be taking up that option.Isaacs would have been the obvious replacement in that his 31 years service with the club remains a post-war record and he continues to score in local club matches. Yet he fell out with the club and Tremlett, his “line manager” as he called him over the public address at the end of his final match in 2006. It was anticipated that Isaacs would be granted a Benefit year by the club the following season, but instead Rod Bransgrove, the chairman, imposed a ban on his attendance. Isaacs’ son, Richard, who scores for Sky, said his father would have been happy to be called up if asked.There have been other instances of clubs being without their scorers, if not for an entire day’s play. Mike Selvey, the former England bowler, recalls a match at Tunbridge Wells in which both the Middlesex and Kent scorers, Harry Sharp and Claude Lewis, did not pick up their fountain pens in the first half hour of the second session because they were having such a good lunch. When Lewis wanted to go to the lavatory at other times, Derek Underwood, whom once he coached, would fill in his scorebook. Computerisation brought all this to an end. Kevin Baker, the Hampshire analyst, will stand in for Weld for the club’s Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-final against Glamorgan.The match itself started half an hour late owing to rain and was concluded with a declaration by Northamptonshire at 4.20 pm. Hampshire, no doubt, would have preferred an earlier finish given their looming semi-final. Maybe the ECB could have done them a favour in bringing about an early conclusion, after all.

Srinivasan set to preside over working committee meeting

N Srinivasan is set to preside over the BCCI’s working committee meeting, two months to the day he said he would step aside as board president for the duration of the probe into the IPL fixing mess

Amol Karhadkar31-Jul-2013N Srinivasan is set to preside over the BCCI’s working committee meeting to be held in New Delhi on Friday, two months to the day he said he would step aside as board president for the duration of the probe into the IPL fixing mess. The committee that carried out that investigation submitted its report on July 28 but the manner in which it was set up was struck down two days later by the Bombay High Court as illegal and violative of the BCCI’s own constitution.However, that ruling, and the public outcry that followed it, seems to have left the BCCI president unfazed. A senior board official said public criticism wouldn’t affect the BCCI’s way of functioning.”The president had stepped aside till the probe was complete. Now that the probe is over, he has decided to return to action,” the official told ESPNcricinfo, requesting anonymity. “It doesn’t matter what the court has observed. Our legal cell will look into the matter.”The two-man committee was investigating charges against the holding companies of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals besides Raj Kundra, the Royals co-owner, and Gurunath Meiyappan, senior management official of Super Kings and also Srinivasan’s son-in-law.Following the public uproar after arrests of three Royals cricketers and Meiyappan, Srinivasan had stepped aside, paving the way for former president Jagmohan Dalmiya to look after the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs. However, once the probe panel submitted its report to the working committee, it was clear that Srinivasan would officially return to power at the earliest.It remains to be seen if Dalmiya, who had admitted that the BCCI had been embarrassed due to the court order, is rewarded for handling the board’s affairs over the last two months.Dalmiya, for his part, was quoted by as saying he was clueless about what was happening in the BCCI. “I’m totally in dark about what’s happening at the board. I’ve not been communicated anything. I’m just hearing all these in news reports,” he said. “Perhaps I’ll find out after going there for the working committee meeting in New Delhi.”

جريليش: نهائي دوري الأبطال حلم يتحقق وسبب مجيئي إلى مانشستر سيتي

أكد جاك جريليش أن خوضه نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، سبب توقيعه مع مانشستر سيتي، متحدثًا قبل النهائي المرتقب أمام إنتر ميلان.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي وإنتر ميلان يوم السبت القادم لخوض نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2022-2023.

وقال جريليش في تصريحات لموقع مانشستر سيتي الرسمي: “هذا هو سبب مجيئي إلى السيتي، للعب في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا وخوض دور كبير في كل شيء هذا العام في الدوري وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي أيضًا”.

وأضاف: “هذا ما كنت تحلم به عندما تكون شابًا صغيرًا وحتى قبل خمس أو ست سنوات كان هذا ما كنت أحلم به”.

اقرأ أيضًا | منافسة سعودية لـ آرسنال على صفقة جوندوجان

وتابع جريليش: “لذا فإن الذهاب والقيام بذلك في نهائي مع هذه المجموعة من الرجال الآن هو امتياز وحلم أصبح حقيقة”.

وعندما سئل عن الكيفية التي ساعد بها أسلوب مانشستر في تحقيق أقصى استفادة منه، أجاب: “إحدى سماتي الرئيسية هي خلق الفرص بالطبع”.

وأردف: “أريد أن أسحب اللاعبين وإذا سحبت لاعبين أو ثلاثة، فعندئذ يكون لدينا دائمًا لاعب آخر، سواء كان جوندوجان أو كيفين دي بروين على حافة منطقة الجزاء أو في موقع خطير”.

وأتم: “هذا كل شيء عن الفريق، لا يمكنني التحدث بشكل كبير عن هذا الفريق في الوقت الحالي، واللاعبين الذين أعمل معهم والطريقة التي نلعب بها، إنه لمن دواعي سروري أن ألعب”.

Odhiambo, Mishra lead Kenya to victory

Hiral Patel heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHiral Patel’s heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup. Patel struck a doughty 93 on the fourth day, scoring more than half of his side’s second innings total, as the other batsmen fell to Nehemiah Odhiambo’s pace. Canada folded for 175, leaving Kenya a target of 128 for victory.Kenya’s chase was hardly confident; they lost Irfan Karim in the first over and then Patel made inroads with his left-arm spin. It was left to Tanmay Mishra, who followed his first-innings half-century with a calm, unbeaten 38, to steady the Kenya innings and then guide the side to a win.

Half-centuries for Chandimal, Prasanna in draw

Scorecard
Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI and Sri Lankans played out a draw at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Just 31 overs were bowled today and the visitors finished on 396 for 6. They added 120 runs on the day, with Prasanna Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal scoring half-centuries. The pair added 110 for the fifth wicket in 27 overs. Both fell before the close. Sri Lanka’s batsmen, though, had begun their tour on a positive note, with three half-centuries and a century in response to CA Chairman’s XI’s 439. The game ended by mutual agreement between the captains.

Selectors consider Pietersen omission

England must decide whether to accommodate Kevin Pietersen in their squad for the third Test despite a week of damaging headlines

George Dobell11-Aug-2012

Will England risk dropping Kevin Pietersen for the third Test against South Africa?•AFP

The stability that underpinned England’s ascent to No. 1 in the Test rankings is most noticeably absent as they select their side for, arguably, the most important Test they have played since the Ashes were decided at The Oval in 2009.For several years, the announcement of England’s Test squad has been a welcomingly predictable episode. Barring injury or prolonged loss of form, life contained few surprises.But not this time. This time, as England try to select a team that must beat South Africa at Lord’s in order to retain their No. 1 status, the selectors are faced with a major dilemma: do they drop their best player or retain him in the knowledge that his presence risks compromising team spirit. In short, do Kevin Pietersen’s positive qualities outweigh his negative ones?The news that he has exchanged texts with members of the South Africa team comes in the same week that his post-match press conference at Headingley revealed the extent of the tension between the two parties.There can be, at this stage, no doubt that Pietersen’s presence is a distraction in the dressing room. As if the speculation about his possible World Twenty20 inclusion was not enough, there is also doubt about his Test future and his relationship with other players. Whatever the content of text messages sent to players in the South Africa side, the episode has done nothing to diminish the growing division and suspicion building between Pietersen and his England colleagues. Some of them have been ambivalent about Pietersen for some time. This new episode – an episode viewed as a betrayal by some – means that ambivalence is now one of the warmer emotions expressed towards him.He is respected as a player, though. If there were any doubts over his unrivalled skills – in England, anyway – with the bat, they were dispelled in Leeds. Pietersen was magnificent. He played the sort of innings that would demand inclusion in any team.That should probably be the bottom line for the selectors. Rather than over-complicating the process with talk of principle or team spirit, the selectors should stick to picking the best 11 individuals and trust in the players’ professionalism. Just as Pietersen and Andy Flower managed to work together after the debacle that saw Pietersen sacked as captain – and he was sacked as captain whatever revisionist ECB spin may suggest – and Peter Moores sacked as coach, so the players should be mature enough to work with those with which they may not naturally socialise.In truth, recent stories amount to little more than playground tittle-tattle. Does it really matter if a few England team-mates laughed at a parody Twitter account or if Pietersen was mildly mocking of his team-mates in a private text message? It is surely more important that everyone within the England dressing room concentrates on winning the Test and does not use issues from the past week to further their own agendas against rival factions.There is little doubt that the selectors are torn, though. Their appetite for Pietersen-related baggage is more than sated. If they could afford to be rid of him, they would surely take that chance.There are faults on both sides. Pietersen has a legitimate gripe by complaining about leaks emanating from the ECB and it is hard not to wonder if, in a more sophisticated dressing room, he might not have been managed better. Surely Mike Brearley, for example, might have coaxed the best from him as he did such diverse characters as Sir Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott and Phil Edmonds. Perhaps a little more carrot and a little less stick might have worked wonders on Pietersen?England, it should be noted, have won without Pietersen before. He played little role in the Ashes success of 2009 and none in the recent ODI victories over Australia. He is no more irreplaceable than any other England player of the past and, just as West Indies managed without Sobers and Australia managed without Bradman, England will manage without Pietersen.Chris Woakes is an option should England want to include an allrounder in the side•Getty Images

He is not easy to replace, though. With Ravi Bopara still absent for personal reasons – an episode that may have damaged his own Test career irreversibly – there is no obvious replacement for Pietersen. Jonny Bairstow, fresh from his century against Australia A, might be considered, so might Eoin Morgan, who has the character if not the technique to flourish at this level.Chris Woakes is a more rounded solution. If Pietersen were dropped, Ian Bell, James Taylor and Matt Prior could shuffle up a position with Woakes coming in at No. 7. It is asking a great deal of anyone to come into such an important game against such high-quality opposition but Woakes has the ability, with bat and with ball, to shine. Just as importantly, he has a rock solid character that will not be flustered by the occasion. England will never have a moment of worry about the ego of Woakes.Graeme Swann is sure to be named in the team on Thursday – omitting him at Leeds was a huge error of judgement – with a late choice required over which of Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan plays alongside Stuart Broad and James Anderson. All are likely to be named in the squad, with home ground advantage likely to favour Finn, despite a disappointing display at Leeds.Whatever is revealed in Sunday’s squad announcement, it seems we are coming to the end of the Pietersen story. In the long term, we may reflect on the episode as one of the great wasted opportunities in the history of England cricket. Talents like Pietersen appear rarely. That the ECB have failed to handle him – a man who must be considered one of their most precious resources – does not reflect well on them.Make no mistake, though. However much England cricket misses Pietersen over the coming weeks and months, he will miss it more. His premature departure, at this point seemingly inevitable, will leave him many years to reflect upon the mistakes that have led him so far along this path. He will surely come to regret that he has allowed his pride and a series of petty incidents to have built up into a career-threatening scenario.Pietersen might also reflect long and hard on his own role in his alienation. As Oscar Wilde almost said, to fall out with one team may be considered unfortunate, but to fall out with Natal, Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and England? You do not have to be a genius to work out the common denominator.

Marshall, Cowan batter Worcestershire

Hamish Marshall led from the front as Gloucestershire boosted their hopes of a quarter-final place with a seven-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Worcestershire

05-Jul-2012
ScorecardHamish Marshall scored 72 as Gloucestershire narrowed the gap at the top of the Midlands/Wales/West Group•Getty ImagesHamish Marshall led from the front as Gloucestershire boosted their hopes of a quarter-final place with a seven-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Midlands/Wales/West Division leaders Worcestershire.The skipper hit a scintillating 72 off 49 balls, with six fours and a six, sharing a second-wicket stand of 142 in 15 overs with impressive debutant Ed Cowan – Australia’s Test opening batsman – as the hosts chased down a target of 160 for victory with 12 balls to spare.Worcestershire had posted 159 for 6 after winning the toss, Gareth Andrew top-scoring with 43 and captain Daryl Mitchell hitting 31 off just 13 balls. Spinners Ed Young and Muttiah Muralitharan stood out for Gloucestershire, conceding only 43 from their combined eight overs.It looked likely to be a testing target on a slow pitch. But after losing Benny Howell in the opening over for a first-ball duck, the home side quickly took control, Marshall reaching a 35-ball half-century, having been badly dropped on 14 by James Cameron at deep square off David Lucas.Australia A captain Cowan emerged from a sketchy start to also strike the ball handsomely, making his runs off 48 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. By the time Marshall was out only 17 runs were needed. The result put Gloucestershire on nine points, just one behind Worcestershire, Somerset and Warwickshire with each team having two games left to play.Worcestershire suffered a major blow when Moeen Ali was bowled by the second ball of the match from Ian Saxelby, having hit the first through the covers for four. The visitors struggled to gain any momentum as Phil Hughes drove a catch to mid-on off Liam Norwell and Vikram Solanki was taken at extra cover off Young.Cameron did his best to stabilise the innings with 32 off 32 balls before being caught at third man by Cowan, Gloucestershire’s new temporary overseas signing, off James Fuller.It was Mitchell who provided the necessary acceleration, hitting six fours, and taking the pressure off Andrew, who blossomed himself to strike two sixes and four other boundaries. After Young and Murali had bowled so economically the last four overs went for 55 as seamers Norwell, Fuller and Saxelby lacked control under the onslaught from Mitchell and Andrew.

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