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At a time when opportunities for Associates at major ICC tournaments are shrinking in alarming fashion, the competitive depth of Associates has never been greater

Peter Della Penna in Malahide24-Jul-2015Quite often the message put forth from those at ICC level is that there aren’t enough competitive teams in world cricket to justify expanding the tournament field for major events. In February, ICC chief executive David Richardson said there were only six teams capable of winning the World Cup and reiterated more or less the same thing this week in Dublin to justify shrinking the 2019 event to 10 teams.Even at the Associate level, similar views have held firm, that Afghanistan and Ireland are the only truly competitive Associates. That stance is supported by the ICC’s decision to put those two countries on the ODI rankings table while ignoring the other four Associates with ODI status – Scotland, UAE, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea. Even the MCC World Cricket Committee’s recommendation of a 12-team World Cup reinforces this view that none of the other Associates are competitive.The evidence provided at this month’s ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier totally flies in the face of that. At a time when opportunities for Associates at major ICC tournaments are shrinking in alarming fashion, the competitive depth of Associates has never been greater.Group A saw wild fluctuations in permutations from match to match. The Nepal side that finished third at the previous qualifier and won two matches at the World Twenty20 in 2014 finished bottom of its group in Ireland just 16 months later. Ireland had a 21-match winning streak at the tournament not only broken but turn into a two-match losing streak at the hands of Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong. The co-hosts managed to sneak in through the back door into first place with a bit of help from other results.Even for two teams that didn’t reach the knockout stage, there was much to crow about. Jersey upset Hong Kong on the opening day and after a win over Nepal, still had a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs heading into their final group match against Ireland. Some outsiders were snickering at USA after fast bowler Hammad Shahid predicted a top-two finish, but the joke was on Hong Kong and PNG after USA beat both ODI nations in the last two days of group play with PNG’s loss costing them a place in the World Twenty20.In Group B, played in Scotland, the shakeup in results was just as dramatic. Four months removed from a gritty but winless performance at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, UAE couldn’t even reach the playoffs. Afghanistan had been to three straight finals against Ireland in the T20 Qualifier but had to scrape through an elimination showdown with PNG just to clinch a spot in India and a slot in the fifth-place playoff.No greater piece of evidence shows the strength of depth in Associate cricket than the performance of Oman. The Middle Eastern nation went winless in group play on their last trip to the qualifier in 2012 and they sit in Division Five of the World Cricket League, ranked 29th in the world. Yet, they beat Afghanistan and Netherlands in Scotland before upending Namibia in a thrilling chase at Malahide to clinch a spot in India.Cricket administrators pride themselves on declaring cricket the second most popular sport, which is true by pure volume of eyeballs watching thanks to India, but in terms of breadth of expansion, they are still light-years away from matching soccer. For all of FIFA’s administrative foibles, no one can accuse them of running an exclusive tournament and denying opportunities for expansion into emerging markets.Even though Richardson argues that only six or eight countries are competitive enough to win a trophy in cricket, the same could easily be said in soccer. Only eight countries have ever won a FIFA World Cup – Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay. Even at Brazil 2014, the four semi-finalists – Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina – fell in line with pre-tournament expectations.But that didn’t stop FIFA from inviting 32 teams to participate. One of the most entertaining matches of the tournament was a see-saw affair between Australia and the Netherlands, the lowest ranked team in the tournament field at number 62 versus the 15th ranked team who went on to the semis. Only nine countries outside of Europe and South America have ever even reached a FIFA World Cup quarter-final – USA, Cuba, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ghana, Mexico, North Korea, South Korea and Senegal – yet if UEFA president Michel Platini had his way, he’d expand the tournament to 40 or even 48 teams.There is no desperation from FIFA to get Brazil on television nine times in order to make a profitable event. Meanwhile, the ICC continues to be at the mercy of the BCCI in order to stay out of the red on the balance sheets when it comes to the formats for cricket’s world events. FIFA understands though that the festival atmosphere of the group stage can be a successful recipe for keeping eyeballs tuned in and is just as important if not more so than who winds up in FIFA’s final. In the long-term, that will pay off more for everyone involved.This ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier has been the most exciting one yet. Very little deadweight, plenty of upsets, and enough parity between the participants to keep the result in doubt up until the final ball is bowled as was the case between Hong Kong and Afghanistan. It has made for a wonderful party over the past two weeks, with enough pop left in store for the semis and final on Saturday and Sunday and shown that the depth is there for more teams to compete at a higher level.During their victory celebrations on Thursday that carried on near the north boundary at Malahide, Omani left-arm spinner Aamir Kaleem sang out improvised lyrics in Urdu while the team responded with the English chorus, “World Cup! India! 2016!” Derek Pringle, Oman’s technical consultant, shouted out above the melody to one of the other management staff nearby, “This sure sounds like a number one hit to me!” Sadly, the Full Members are making Oman and the other Associates turn the music down.

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2015Along with Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz briskly put on 139 runs for the sixth wicket•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesSarfraz, however, was removed by Dhammika Prasad for 96 off 86 balls, after taking Pakistan close to the 250-mark•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesShafiq continued to bat in solid fashion and remained unbeaten on 64 when Pakistan went to lunch on 259 for 6, trailing by 41 runs•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesDilruwan Perera bowled Wahab Riaz, who put on 38 runs with Shafiq, in the eighth over after lunch. Nuwan Pradeep then removed Yasir Shah, who added 29 runs in the company of Shafiq•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesShafiq, however, remained unruffled, and brought up his seventh Test century to help Pakistan take the lead•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesShafiq was provided excellent support by Zulfiqar Babar, who scored 56 off 60 balls, his maiden Test fifty. By the time Shafiq was the last man out for 131, Pakistan finished with 417 and accumulated a handy lead of 117 runs•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan’s bowlers started off aggressively and Wahab Riaz was rewarded with the wicket of Kaushal Silva inside nine overs•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesKumar Sangakkara also fell towards the end of the day, leaving Dimuth Karunaratne and nightwatchman Dilruwan Perera in the crease as Sri Lanka entered the final day precariously placed at 63 for 2, still trailing by 54 runs•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

Celtic appear to be closing in on the signing of Valerenga playmaker Odin Thiago Holm, according to reports.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

Brendan Rodgers is the new man in charge at Parkhead, replacing Ange Postecoglou who left for Tottenham. The Northern Irishman is expected to be backed by Parkhead officials in the transfer market, looking to continue the good work made by Postecoglou.

The Hoops are once again preparing for Champions League football and will more than likely look to bolster their squad. One target who was linked with a move to Glasgow before Rodgers was confirmed as the club’s new manager was Holm, with talks taking place over a transfer.

A fee in the region of £2.6m was reportedly agreed, and there has now been a further development in the last 48 hours, with Celtuc seemingly closing in on their man.

The Scottish Sun relayed an update from journalist Stian Andre de Wahl regarding Celtic and Holm. He said that the Norwegian was set for a Celtic medical in London on Wednesday ahead of a transfer to the Scottish Premiership champions.

"Medical test for Odin Thiago Holm today (Wednesday). It is carried out in London for practical reasons. He is sold from Valerenga."

Who is Odin Thiago Holm?

Holm is primarily a central midfielder but can also play in defensive or attacking midfield roles and was named on The Guardian's list of promising young stars back in 2020.

The 20-year-old has come in for plenty of praise, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “huge talent”, and former Celtic striker Harald Brattbakk compared the midfielder’s potential to that of Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.

“As a midfielder, I would say he is more attacking than defensive. Certainly, his work ethic is really good. He runs a lot and is one of those players who you don’t see all of the time during games, but he is right behind you backing you up or he is just in front of you taking charge.

“The manager wanted to play him young, so he’s got quite a few games at a high level. You can see that he has got potential. Compared to, say, a Martin Odegaard, maybe he has the same potential, but Odegaard got the potential out when he was 15. ‘It is always exciting to see when players move if they are able to reach the next level. You don’t know until they try.”

He’s already made 76 senior appearances for Valerenga, and by the looks of it, he is on course to become Rodgers’ first signing, looking to continue his development at Celtic Park.

After an incredibly tough start to their first Premier League campaign in 22 years, Ipswich Town are looking like a team that can stay up.

Kieran McKenna’s side have already played the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and yet they are just one point off of safety.

However, today brings with it another stern test as the Suffolk side take on the high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and should he be fit, they’ll have to find a way of coping with the talented Morgan Gibbs-White.

Fortunately, the Tractor Boys should be in high spirits following their draw with United on Sunday, and they even have an answer to the Forest ace in one of their own exciting attackers.

Ipswich's recent form

Impressively, Ipswich are unbeaten in their last three league games, drawing away to Leicester City, beating Spurs, and then, of course, earning a famous point at home against the Red Devils over the weekend.

1

Liverpool (H)

2-0 Loss

2

Manchester City (A)

4-1 Loss

3

Fulham (H)

1-1 Draw

4

Brighton & Hove Albion (A)

0-0 Draw

5

Southampton (A)

1-1 Draw

6

Aston Villa (H)

2-2 Draw

7

West Ham United (A)

4-1 Loss

8

Everton (H)

2-0 Loss

9

Brentford (A)

4-3 Loss

10

Leicester City (H)

1-1 Draw

11

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

2-1 Win

12

Manchester United (H)

1-1 Draw

There were standout performers all over the pitch for the Tractor Boys on Sunday, including summer signing Dara O’Shea, who looked like a brick wall at times.

The Irishman received an 8/10 rating at full-time from the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones for his efforts, and as his statistics from the game show, it was fully deserved.

For example, in just 94 minutes, he was able to make four tackles, five clearances, two interceptions, win ten of ten duels, and even block a shot for good measure.

Alongside the Irishman, Jones awarded captain Sam Morsy an 8/10 for his efforts, and once again, it’s an opinion that’s hard to argue against, as alongside making two interceptions and one clearance, the Egyptian international made things tick in the middle of the park, taking 84 touches and completing 67 of 71 passes.

However, while both starters put in stellar performances, Jones’ man of the match was someone else entirely, someone who could be McKenna’s answer to Gibbs-White.

Ipswich's answer to Gibbs-White

So, to get right to the point, the Ipswich player who seriously impressed on Sunday and could be the team’s answer to Gibbs-White is none other than Omari Hutchinson.

The former Chelsea star scored the Tractor Boys’ only goal against United, earned a 9/10 from Jones, and generally looked a threat all game, but why is he the club’s Gibbs-White?

Well, the first reason is his positional versatility.

Like the Forest ace, the “superb” 21-year-old gem, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is more than capable of playing off the right or in attacking midfield, depending on what the team needs at any given time.

This ability to play in two different areas of the pitch and do so well is such an incredibly useful skill to have, as it allows the manager more flexibility in how he sets up his team or reacts to the opposition.

Appearances

50

12

Goals

11

1

Assists

6

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

0.16

The second reason is related to what we saw on Sunday: the ability to just make something happen for their team.

Now, it’s true that the Redhill-born dynamo has struggled with his output this season, but it is his first season of top-flight football, and in 50 appearances for the Blues last season, he racked up an impressive haul of 11 goals and six assists.

Moreover, he scored crucial goals, including two in the penultimate game of the season away from Hull City, and then scored the team’s second goal against Huddersfield Town on the final day of the season, thus securing promotion.

Ultimately, Hutchinson is an incredibly exciting prospect in his own right, but it’s his positional flexibility and ability to make things happen that make him Ipswich’s own Gibbs-White, and therefore, McKenna has to play him today.

Ipswich Town chiefs make enquiry to sign "physical" £15m player in January

Ipswich are set for a busy January.

1 ByBarney Lane Nov 21, 2024

Thirteen-man squad named for Grenada Test, which begins on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2022West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the third Test against England at Grenada, starting on Thursday, with the series locked at 0-0 following draws in the opening two matches in Antigua and Barbados.It is the third time in the series that West Indies have named the same 13 players, a reflection of the fighting spirit shown by the home team as they look to defend a proud home record of one series loss against England since 1968.Kraigg Brathwaite, the captain, was the mainstay of their draw in Barbados on Sunday, as he batted for a total of 15 hours and 45 minutes across his two innings of the Test, making 160 and 56 not out from a total of 673 balls, the most ever faced by a West Indian in a completed Test match.Jermaine Blackwood, the vice-captain, also made a first-innings hundred – his third in Tests and second against England – as West Indies posted 411 in their first innings, stretched across 187.5 overs.”We were very impressed with the captain Kraigg Brathwaite showing the fight in the both innings and the way he led from the front with the bat,” Desmond Haynes, West Indies’ lead selector, said.Related

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“Also, Jermaine Blackwood and the way he played in the first innings to get a century. They batted very well together. We really appreciated the fighting spirit from the batting department. We decided to stick with the same squad and want to see them continue to give a big effort in the third Apex Test match.”The likelihood is that West Indies will name an unchanged XI for the third time in the series, with Kyle Mayers, the reserve batter, and Anderson Phillip, the uncapped fast bowler, the two squad members on the fringes.Speaking after his matchsaving efforts in Barbados, Brathwaite called for more of the same attitude from his team, who have not won in ten Tests dating back to February 2021, but whose resilience has been apparent all series long.”It was good that, after England put up 500, we as a team could fight and put 400 back,” Brathwaite said. “That’s the attitude we want, and the fans want to see. Once you continuously have the right attitude, our Test [results] will go up.”In periods we could [be more attacking], but spending time at the crease and batting through three new balls is a great start for us. We need to just learn as quick as possible on the job, and improve at different periods of the game.”West Indies Test squad Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales

A hero of West Indies’ first Test victory in England in 1950

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2022Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin has died aged 92. Details of his passing are to be confirmed.A bowler who could make the ball turn both ways, Ramadhin played 43 Tests between 1950 and 1961 for 158 wickets at 28.98. He was instrumental in West Indies’ first Test win in England, at Lord’s in 1950; West Indies won that game, the second of the series, by 326 runs with Ramadhin bamboozling the batters to take a match haul of 11 for 152.Related

Those two little pals of mine …

Ramadhin and Valentine – little friends of mine

Let's hear it for the unorthodox

West Indies would go on to register huge wins in the third and fourth Tests as well, to complete a landmark and wholly unexpected series victory. Ramadhin along with his spin partner Alf Valentine led the wickets charts by a mile. Bowling right-arm offspin and legbreaks with no obvious change in his action, Ramadhin finished the series with three five-wicket hauls and a ten-for, his 26 wickets coming at 23.23.Spin twins Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine•Getty ImagesRamadhin, “a small neat man whose shirt-sleeves were always buttoned at the wrist” to quote ESPNcricinfo’s profile of him, got the call-up for that England tour at 21 after just two first-class games. Both he and Valentine were surprise picks for the series but would go on to bowl a lot – 377.5 and 422.3 (with the next highest being 181) overs respectively. The pair’s exploits on that tour sparked the famous Calypso song “Cricket, Lovely Cricket”.”On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket,” board president Ricky Skerritt said. “Mr Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket. Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket’s ‘spin twins’ as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time.”This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr. Ramadhin and others of his generation. His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso – and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket.”

Juventus duo Douglas Luiz and Alisha Lehmann could be playing at different clubs next season after the former was linked with a Premier League return.

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Couple Luiz & Lehmann at JuventusFormer linked with Premier League returnTonali could be involved in swap dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Calciomercato, Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali could head to Juventus and midfielder Luiz could go the opposite way as part of a swap deal this summer.

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Football power couple Luiz and Lehmann left Aston Villa for Juventus last summer but while the Swiss has enjoyed her time there, the Brazilian is not getting much of a look-in. And the partners may be playing in different countries next season if these rumours come to pass.

DID YOU KNOW?

Luiz has made 22 appearances for Juventus since his £42 million ($55m) move less than a year ago but just six of those have been in the starting XI. As a result, he may well be minded to seek pastures new. It is unclear if Newcastle would also want to sign Lehmann; their women's side play in the second-tier.

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Speculation over a transfer may continue to rise if Luiz struggles for game time for the remainder of the season.

Yet again in the Scottish Premiership, it looks to be Celtic’s title to lose following what has been another imperious start to the campaign, with Brendan Rodgers’ side still unbeaten in the top flight following Wednesday’s win over Aberdeen.

The Dons had been the only side to take points off the Old Firm giants this season, although, at the end of another hard-fought contest, it was the Hoops who claimed the victory at Pittodrie, thus widening their gap at the summit.

Reo Hatate’s late strike – which was beautifully teed up by substitute Greg Taylor – sealed a 1-0 win on the road for the Glasgow outfit, ensuring their lead now rests at seven points with a game in hand on their closest rivals.

Rangers, meanwhile, remain 11 points behind amid what has been a dismal domestic season for Philippe Clement and co.

Despite that healthy advantage, there is no room for complacency for the champions, with Rodgers likely to be somewhat concerned by the displays of a few key individuals, including young Alex Valle.

Alex Valle's game in numbers vs Aberdeen

There’s certainly been a lot to like about the Barcelona loanee since his arrival at Parkhead over the summer, with the 20-year-old full-back already chalking up four assists from just 12 appearances in all competitions.

The former Levante ace was particularly impressive off the bench during the 1-1 draw with Club Brugge a week ago, having teed up Daizen Maeda’s equaliser just minutes after entering the fray.

Now looking like being Celtic’s new loan superstar – in the mould of Jota – the aim will now be for the youngster to achieve consistency under Rodgers’ watch, having been taught something of a lesson on Wednesday night.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Up against the lively Duk, Valle struggled to assert himself down the left flank, having notably been caught out early on by a lofted ball over the top which allowed his opposite number to get an attempt on goal.

In all, the promising Spaniard won just three of his 11 total duels and lost possession on 16 occasions from just 55 touches, having also failed to complete any of his five dribble attempts, as per Sofascore.

Having also picked up an undoubtedly soft yellow card just after the 30-minute mark, the defender was then replaced at the break, with the arrival of Taylor ultimately paying dividends due to his involvement in Hatate’s decisive effort.

A bad day at the office for Valle then, although he certainly wasn’t alone in failing to deliver for the visitors, with one first-team star having arguably been worse on the day…

Celtic's worst performer vs Aberdeen

The caveat to this is that Kyogo Furuhashi is not a striker who seeks to get involved in the build-up, offering a pure poaching presence, rather than that Harry Kane-like playmaking style.

Stat

Ange Postecoglou

Brendan Rodgers

Games

83

69

Starts

71

57

Goals

54

26

Assists

10

8

Yellow cards

6

2

Minutes per goal

100

177

Minutes played

5383

4589

That is all well and good, not least when the Japanese star is finding the back of the net – having scored 80 goals in 151 games for the club to date – yet when the goals aren’t forthcoming, it leaves little to fall back on. Valle may be a young kid learning his trade, yet Furuhashi is an experienced figure who should well be offering much more.

Indeed, the former Vissel Kobe man averages just 13.2 touches per game in the Premiership in 2024/25, having only registered 11 touches at Pittodrie, before being hooked just after the hour mark.

Having been rested for the weekend win over Ross County, the 29-year-old hardly made the most of that well-earned break amid his limp showing against the Dons, having also lost the ball on six occasions, while recording a pass accuracy rate of just 56%.

With the Hoops’ number eight also failing to win a single duel, while not even registering a single attempt on goal, it was a frankly anonymous display in attack, with the introduction of Adam Idah providing a far more effective focal point in the closing stages – as indicated below.

There is now perhaps a real decision to make over who should be Rodgers’ leading marksman moving forward, with Idah having scored eight times across all fronts this season, while Kyogo has just seven strikes to his name.

Equally, there may be a case to be made that the 6 foot 3 Idah represents a better fit for these battling away trips, emulating the role that Giorgos Giakoumakis often used to take on under Ange Postecoglou.

It is encouraging, at least, that Rodgers does have two quality options to choose from, with that depth of firepower set to be needed to maintain this rampant title charge.

159 touches, 100% duels won: Celtic colossus was even better than Hatate

The Celtic titan was the real hero for Brendan Rodgers against Aberdeen.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 5, 2024

The Ivory Coast international made his mark in his debut for Charlotte, with two goal-contributions in a shutout victory

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Charlotte FC defeat Atlanta United 2-0Wilfried Zaha scores and assistsCLT undefeated through two gamesGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Wilfried Zaha had an MLS debut to remember with the winger playing a role in both goals scored for Charlotte FC on Saturday as they defeated Atlanta United 2-0 in MLS action.

The Ivory Coast international missed Week 1 due to the birth of his newborn child, but he left his mark with a goal and an assist in the second half in his first MLS game.

CLT took their initial lead through Spaniard Pep Biel, who was fed by Zaha from close-range in the 49th minute. Six minutes later, Zaha doubled the lead himself, smashing home a low-driven volley after an initial attempt from U.S. international Patrick Agyemang was parried away by Brad Guzan.

Courtesy of Zaha's heroics, CLT took all three points in their first home match of the year, and remain undefeated through two weeks after drawing the Seattle Sounders 2-2 on Matchday 1.

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Zaha joined Charlotte on loan from Turkish side Galatasaray until January 2026 with an option to extend the loan through June 2026 earlier this year.

Zaha is largely noted for playing for a decade in the English Premier League with Crystal Palace, Manchester United, and Cardiff City where he scored 68 goals in 305 appearances.

With CLT, he joins a budding franchise being led by former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith.

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Charlotte return to action next weekend for MLS Matchday 3, where they will take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.

Vandersay picks up 4 for 10 in 7.4 overs as hosts bowlers run rampant

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jan-2022Sri Lanka’s bowlers ran rampant in the early overs of Zimbabwe’s chase reducing the opposition to 20 for 3, then 31 for 5, and eventually 70 all out, decimating their hopes of chasing down 255 and claiming a series victory.Dushmantha Chameera blasted out the first two wickets, before the spinners claimed the limelight – Maheesh Theekshana squeezing one between Sean Williams’ bat and pad, Jeffrey Vandersay taking four of his own, before Ramesh Mendis also took two. Somewhere in that cascade of wickets, seamer Chamika Karunaratne struck too, to remove the dangerous Sikandar Raza.After 15 overs, Zimbabwe were 37 for 5, the required rate had crept above six, and the chase was essentially buried. Ryan Burl and Tendai Chatara fought briefly to put up 18 for the ninth wicket – the best stand of the innings. But it was all over by the 25th over, with Vandersay scything through the lower order.The collapse was particularly disappointing for Zimbabwe, because their attack had operated with such discipline to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable total. Where Zimbabwe’s own batters had put up totals in the 300 range batting first in the two previous matches, Sri Lanka lurched only to 254 for 9, with each of their top eight getting to double-figures, but only Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka managing half-centuries.Zimbabwe’s had been a collective bowling effort. Richard Ngarava claimed 2 for 46 from his nine overs while Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, and Sean Williams all claimed one wicket apiece. Aside from an 80-run opening stand between Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, Zimbabwe never let another pair prosper for long, the next-best partnership coming much later in the innings, when Karunaratne and Ramesh Mendis put on 48 together.It was Chameera who precipitated Zimbabwe’s rapid downfall, in the third over. He bowled a shortish ball outside off stump to right-hander Regis Chakabva, who edged it to slip. Then, next ball, he angled one across captain Ervine, who nicked it to the keeper. When Theekshana sent a straighter one through Williams’ defences in the eighth over, Zimbabwe had lost their three best top-order batters in the series.Pathum Nissanka struck his second successive ODI half-century•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter the first powerplay, Kaitano was given out stumped off the bowling of Vandersay, although the evidence that his back foot was in the air when keeper Kusal Mendis took the bails off did not seem totally conclusive. Next over, Raza spooned a catch to cover, and all of Zimbabwe’s serious batting hopes had departed.Vandersay then took three of the five remaining wickets, and Ramesh Mendis claimed the other two. There was no substantial turn in the pitch – Sri Lanka were menacing, but not unplayable. Zimbabwe will feel they let themselves down.In the first innings, Sri Lanka had begun steadily with the bat – Nissanka and Kusal Mendis hitting only five boundaries in the powerplay, as they strode to 43 for 0 in ten overs. As has been the case right through the series, Zimbabwe’s quicks were disciplined and sharp, though they didn’t find the early wickets they had managed in the first two games.Perhaps sensing that he needed to raise the tempo if Sri Lanka were to near the 300 mark, Kusal Mendis was the first to depart, lofting the left-arm spin of Masakadza to long off. He was out for 36 off 51 balls. Nissanka brought up his second successive half-century of the series with a four through backward point, but was run out not long after that, thanks to an excellent direct hit from Zimbabwe’s substitute fielder.Asalanka struck a four through third man first ball, and provided Sri Lanka’s main thrust of the middle overs even as wickets fell around him. He was strong square of the wicket as usual, and hit five fours in his 56-ball 52. It was his second fifty of the series.Sri Lanka’s 2-1 victory pushes them up to fourth in the ODI Super League table, though they have played 18 out of their 24 games, and all other sides aside from Ireland (also 18) have played fewer. Zimbabwe are down at No. 11, on 35 points after 12 games. Only teams finishing in the top eight, effectively, gain direct qualification to next year’s ODI World Cup.