Plays of the day from third day of the first Test between India and Australia in Mohali
Sidharth Monga in Chandigarh03-Oct-2010The Mohali curse When Sachin Tendulkar played across the line of a Marcus North delivery, he sent the stadium into a disbelieving quiet. Turns out watching Tendulkar miss centuries has been the fate of the Mohali crowd ever since he last made a hundred here in 1999-2000 against New Zealand. This is the fifth one he has missed here since then, and third in his last four efforts. A measure of how unlucky he has been is that he was once caught by a diving Kamran Akmal on 99!The appreciation When Ishant Sharma got out just after the drinks break in the morning session, Rahul Dravid patted his back as he passed the non-striker’s end. It was well-deserved consolation: Ishant might have not been able to give it his all with the ball because of a knee injury, but he stayed well beyond duty hours as the nightwatchman. He defended resolutely, even hit three boundaries, and scored 18 in his stay of over an hour.The confidence, lack of Nathan Hauritz got off to a nervous start on day two, starting with a full toss that went for four, and bowling two overs for 15. Today, though, with Ishant and Dravid batting more peacefully than Virender Sehwag, Ricky Ponting got through Hauritz’s overs in the morning, and it seemed the bowler might be growing in confidence. However, as soon as Ishant got out, Ponting went to his strike bowlers. That wouldn’t have done Hauritz’s confidence much good.The anti team-mate Last Sunday, Doug Bollinger and Suresh Raina were celebrating an “emotional” Champions League T20 triumph. Turns out a week in modern cricket is pretty long time. Bollinger saw Raina come out to bat this Sunday, and gave him a bouncer right away, which hit him in the shoulder. That should teach him to pull Dougie’s hair manicly.The anti team-mate, part II Before the starts of their spells, all bowlers bowl a few mock deliveries to the man at mid-off or mid-on. Shane Watson did that, too, to Ben Hilfenhaus at mid-off. Except he bowled at full pelt, and twice almost hurt Hilfenhaus who must have been some 10 yards away. The pace didn’t quite translate to Watson’s actual bowling: the keeper was soon standing up to the stumps.
The first woman to score a century in Twenty20s, talks about her batting style, unplayable balls, how other teams should be wary of her, and more
Cricinfo staff09-May-2010You came in to bat at No. 6 in the tenth over, and still went on to get a century. Do you prefer batting in your original opening slot, or are you also generally comfortable dropping down? It doesn’t really matter where I play. I am comfortable at any position.How did you get into cricket, and how did you get noticed? I started playing when I was 14 for my school and then my country. Then I got the opportunity to play for West Indies.What did you have for breakfast that day before scoring that century? Umm… a cup of apple juice and some croissants.What’s your next personal ambition? I want to go for the record again.What was your going through your mind during the innings? I was just thinking that the century looked possible and aimed at that.How scared should the other teams be of you now? Very!You raced to a half-century in 22 balls against Australia in last year’s Twenty20. How did you develop this attacking style? I have always played this way.What’s your favourite shot? Straight over the bowler’s head.Do you prefer batting against spinners or quicks? It doesn’t matter who the bowler is. I just play the way I always do.Which do you favour – finding the gaps or chipping over the in-field? I prefer finding the gaps or hitting over the bowler’s head.Favourite ground to bat on? I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final.What’s an unplayable ball according to you? For me, it would the ones I miss!You now hold the record for the fastest century in both men’s and women’s cricket. Any tips for the men on how to break your record? No, I don’t. I think they know how to get there.If not cricket, what would you be doing today? I’d be in athlectics.The power game is something that is not often associated with women’s cricket. Your second fifty in yesterday’s game came off just 13 balls. Do you think Twenty20 can lead to bigger scores and quicker rates of scoring in women’s ODIs? Yes it will definitely help increase one-day scores.”I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final”•Getty ImagesWest Indies were the dominant force in the 1980s and the early 90s in the men’s game. Why is it that women’s cricket in the region has taken such a long time to take off? It’s just that the structure for women’s cricket has only developed now. So it will take a while before we can be at the level as the top four.West Indies women have had some impressive performances in the last year, including an ODI series win against World Champions England in November. What has been the trigger in bringing about this turnaround? We don’t always play together since we are from different countries. But when we get together, we concentrate on working hard and gelling as a side.What did the coach tell you after you came off the field? How did you celebrate? I got a big hug and then my family called to speak to me.
After suffering an injury on international duty not long after completing his move to Newcastle United, Yoane Wissa will now be forced to wait even longer to make his debut for the club.
Howe "excited" by Newcastle vs Barcelona
Whilst qualifying for the Champions League undoubtedly helped them on the financial front, the reason why the competition is truly special is weeks like this. For the first time in over 22 years, Barcelona square off against Newcastle at St James’ Park, with the Magpies back on the big stage and hoping to cause quite the upset.
There’s no escaping the quality that Barcelona have in abundance under Hansi Flick and that may frighten some. Eddie Howe is not one of those, however. Instead, the prospect of squaring off against one of Europe’s best sides excites him, as he told reporters.
The last time that Newcastle were in the Champions League, they shocked Paris Saint-Germain in Tyneside with a 4-1 thrashing. Now, two years on, they’ll be hoping to use the magic of St James’ Park to create another historic moment.
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That said, they will have to do so without summer signing Wissa. The forward waited all summer for his move before finally getting his wish on deadline day. From there, he’d have been hoping to instantly feature, only to suffer the most untimely injury blow on international duty. Now, a new potential debut date has been set.
When Wissa could make Newcastle debut
As confirmed by Howe, Wissa will be sidelined until after the October international break, which should see him return by October 18. It’s then that he could be in contention to make his Newcastle debut against Brighton & Hove Albion in one month’s time. Barring any setbacks, the forward will be keen to get going as soon as he is fit and firing.
Whilst Howe did provide some hope of a quicker recovery by admitting that “it’s always flexible”, Newcastle should avoid rushing Wissa back before he is ready. The last thing they need is for their new signing to pick up another injury blow not long after returning.
In the meantime, the 29-year-old will miss games against Barcelona, Bournemouth, Bradford City, Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest. It’s far from the start that he hoped for when he finally put pen to paper in Tyneside.
Yoane Wissa celebrates for Brentford.
With six games in the next month, Newcastle must also hope that their other new striker, Nick Woltemade, picks up where he left off after his debut goal against Wolves in Wissa’s absence.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta still has his eyes on an array of exciting attacking talents, amid the club’s widely reported pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and after their £50 million deal for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
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Mikel Arteta’s side have made a serious statement of intent with their deals so far, having also signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, with Arsenal appearing determined to bridge the gap between themselves and Premier League champions Liverpool.
Madueke passed his Arsenal medical on Monday morning, and the England international will soon be joined by Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera. The Spaniard has flown to England today as he begins his own medical with Arsenal, according to Sky Sports, after the Gunners reached an agreement to sign him for around £17 million, including add-ons (Fabrizio Romano).
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also finalising a potential £64 million deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with Arteta on the verge of finally seeing a prolific number nine join his side after what seems like years of waiting (The Athletic). The north Londoners are apparently hopeful they can fully close this deal in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, with Arsenal flying out to Singapore on Saturday.
After Gyokeres and Mosquera, there are many reports that Arsenal remain in ongoing talks with Eze.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
25/26 – summer
£75m
Arsenal held positive discussions with the England international’s representatives recently (ESPN), and according to trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, they’re still in contact as they maintain their pursuit of his signature.
Now, as per another reliable reporter, talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Arsenal are set to approach Palace over a deal for Eze, with club-to-club talks set to get underway after two-week-long negotiations on the player’s side.
Arsenal hold "genuine" Rafael Leao interest with Eberechi Eze
Arsenal apparently plan to speak with Palace as early as this week, and he’s viewed by Arteta’s side as a possible central attacking signing.
Their deal for Madueke will not impact their move for the 27-year-old, who scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions last season. They think of Madueke as a separate signing capable of playing both on the left and competing with Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, with Jacobs even suggesting that they’re still keen on more left-wing options.
Writing for talkSPORT, Jacobs reports that Arsenal hold a “genuine” interest in AC Milan star Rafael Leao as one target on a star-studded three-man shortlist.
AC Milan's RafaelLeao
Leao has a £152 million release clause written into his contract, which is active from July 5 to July 15 of every year before his deal runs out in 2028, but Arsenal are very unlikely to trigger that considering both the expense and how it expires today.
The Portugal international is one of Milan’s star players, scoring 12 goals and racking up a further 13 assists over his latest season at the San Siro. However, a potential move for Leao hinges on either Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli leaving the Emirates, which is no surprise considering they’ve just signed Madueke.
Bringing in another big-name left-winger would be yet another showcase of real ambition from Berta, but questions will surely be asked about how it could disrupt the dressing room – as Arteta may struggle to hand out adequate game time.
After being crowned champions of the world on Sunday, are Chelsea serious contenders to win the biggest prizes next season?
At the weekend, the Blues sprung a massive surprise by demolishing Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, with Cole Palmer scoring two, near-identical quick-fire goals, before João Pedro added a third on the cusp of half time.
After the win, club captain Reece James stated that the team’s ambition is to be “competing” to win the Premier League and Champions League next season, so could signing a highly-rated player from an historic rival help them achieve this?
Chelsea targeting another wide-forward
Going out the exit door this summer is Noni Madueke.
He left the Chelsea squad ahead of the final to fly back to London so he could undergo a medical ahead of a reported £52m move to Arsenal, which is reportedly set to be finalised this week.
So, as they search for a replacement, Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic is reporting that Chelsea ‘remain in contact’ with Manchester United over the possibility of signing Alejandro Garnacho.
Back in May, manager Rúben Amorim reportedly informed Garnacho “to find a new club”, hence why he’s currently exiled from first-team training at Carrington, alongside Marcus Rashford, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho, recently of Chelsea of course.
After Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee to not sign Sancho permanently, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that the Blues’ priority this summer was to sign a ‘right-footed winger capable of playing on the left flank’.
Jamie Gittens has already arrived from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £48.5m, but already having options in a certain position has not stopped them in the past has it?
Garnacho has reportedly turned down the chance to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, so could the Argentine international be on his way to Stamford Bridge, available for as little as £40m, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror?
How Alejandro Garnacho would fit in at Chelsea
As has been their want since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club three years ago, Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to signing attackers.
João Pedro has been the headline arrival to date, bagging a brace against former club Fluminense in the Club World Cup semis, before also netting in Sunday’s final demolition of PSG.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Meantime, in terms of wide attackers, Kendry Páez, Estêvão Willian and Jamie Gittens will all arrive at Cobham once pre-season commences, meaning Enzo Maresca will have plenty of options.
Yet, it would appear the Blues aren’t content with their options, now targeting a certain Garnacho.
He impressed last season, despite playing for a generally dismal Manchester United team, with football content creator Liam Canning lauding him as a “superstar” – and Statman Dave asserting that he was one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet”, alongside Lamine Yamal; esteemed company to keep.
Meantime, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him an ‘outstanding ball carrier’, adding that he is a ‘constant threat in the final third’, while Andy Mitten of the Athletic believes he was one of Man United’s few ‘bright sparks’, particularly impressed by his ‘ability to beat players’.
So, let’s analyse his importance to Manchester United last season.
Minutes
3,571
5th
Goals
11
2nd
Assists
10
2nd
Shots
146
2nd
Shots on target
52
1st
Shot-creating actions
128
2nd
Attempted take-ons
136
1st
Progressive carries
204
1st
Carries into final third
103
1st
Carries into the box
107
1st
Progressive passes received
429
1st
As the table outlines, Garnacho ranked first amongst his Manchester United teammates for all dribbling metrics last season, while second only to Bruno Fernandes in terms of goals, assists, shots and shot-creating actions.
Those metrics, notably carrying, make him particularly alike to the man he could replace in the shape of Madueke.
Yet, just how do they compare? We’ve crunched the numbers.
Goals
0.3
0.4
Shots
2.3
2.6
Shooting accuracy %
55%
56%
Chances created
1.6
1.4
Shot-creating actions
3.4
3.5
Attempted take-ons
3.7
4.5
Take-on success %
32%
49%
Touches
52.4
47.4
As the table emphasises, Garnacho and Madueke’s statistics in the Premier League last season were remarkably similar, with the Argentine most notably coming out on top in terms of chances created.
He also produced a similar number of successful take-ons and was similarly prolific in front of goal.
Alejandro Garnacho
Madueke’s departure will make way for Estêvão to see some action on the right wing, but perhaps Maresca would like another option on the left, and Garnacho could be his man.
£80m Gittens upgrade: Chelsea have looked at signing "one of the PL's best"
Chelsea are hoping to make several more signings in the summer transfer market.
Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be eyeing up a move to sign a new in-form forward in 2024, according to a report.
Spurs depending on Son and Richarlison for goals
Ange Postecoglou’s arrival in the summer was one of the main positives in north London, with the biggest negative arguably being Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich. The England captain left for Germany in a big-money deal and has starred in Munich, already scoring 21 goals and providing five assists. (Harry Kane stats – Bundesliga)
Tottenham did add to their attacking ranks by bringing in Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest late in the summer window, with Manor Solomon also arriving and youngster Alejo Veliz also making the move to north London.
Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus) – loan to permanent
£25.6m
James Maddison (Leicester City)
£40m
Guglielmo Vicario (Empoli)
£17.2m
Manor Solomon (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Free
Pedro Porro (Sporting CP)
£39m
Micky van de Ven (Wolfsburg)
£43m
Ashley Phillips (Blackburn)
Undisclosed
Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)
Undisclosed
Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest)
£47.5m
All transfer fees via Sky Sports
The trio haven’t exactly replaced Kane, though, leaving Postecoglou with Heung-min Son, Richarlison and Veliz as his centre-forward options. As a result, a new striker appears to be on the agenda next year, with a new target now emerging.
According to The Sun, Tottenham are monitoring Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke and are “closely watching” the Englishman ahead of a potential summer transfer. One source told the outlet:
“Spurs want to sign a striker in the Summer. The club hasn't replaced Harry Kane so recruiting a new forward is a big priority and Solanke is someone they are closely monitoring. They’ve sent scouts to watch him already several times this season, and they will continue to track him into the New Year.
“He ticks a lot of boxes for Spurs, and Bournemouth know if he carries on showing the kind of form he is then they will struggle to stop other clubs from sniffing around him. They are bracing themselves for bids.
“Tottenham want a focal point striker who has scored 11 goals in the Premier League, and Solanke has shown this season that he has the potential to play at a higher level.”
Dominic Solanke in red-hot form this season
Solanke has been on fire for the Cherries in recent months, scoring 12 goals in 18 Premier League games this season. The 26-year-old has already recorded career-best figures in the top flight and has 69 goals for the club in 195 appearances.
He also starred at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this year by scoring and providing two assists in a dramatic 3-2 victory for the visitors. Due to his fine form, the striker has received praise from manager Andoni Iraola, who said:
“I think he’s really complete. He helps us without the ball, on the ball he can go, he’s good technically too. He can play well with his feet, he uses his body well, and if they leave him space at the back he can also exploit it.”
It looks like a deal to keep an eye on in 2024, but with rivals Arsenal also heavily linked with interest in the Englishman, Spurs could find themselves in a battle for his services.
Aston Villa have made an excellent start to the campaign and are now looking ahead to next summer, with an ambitious transfer pursuit reportedly lined up.
Aston Villa continue to exceed expectation…
Incredibly, Aston Villa marked their transformation since being relegation conteders in the first half of last campaign by defeating Tottenham Hotspur in N17 last weekend, which has placed the Villans fourth in the Premier League table with 28 points from 13 matched played.
Sitting two points off the top of the pile, there is optimism growing in the West Midlands that Unai Emery's men could look to mount a challenge for Champions League qualification, with some even talking about a potential push to try and win the English top-flight title.
One man who has come in for hefty praise after his weekend heroic is Villans goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who pulled off some fantastic saves against Ange Postecoglou's men, giving his side a platform to claim three points on the day.
Speaking to BBC Sport, former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic lavished praise on the Argentina international's contribution in conversation with BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily, stating: "He can rub people the wrong way but his performances speak for themselves."
"He’s been really solid and taken his game to a new level. He really kept his team in the game and made some big saves [against Tottenham] at crucial times, which is what top goalkeepers do."
Far from the only player to play a heavy role in Aston Villa's success this term, Martinez and company will hope they can keep up the good work when Legia Warsaw come to town in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.
Aston Villa fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Europa Conference League
Legia Warsaw (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Bournemouth (A)
Vitality Stadium
Premier League
Manchester City (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Arsenal (H)
Villa Park
Europa Conference League
Zrinjski Mostar (A)
Stadion pod Bijelim brijegom
Turning their attention to the market, Aston Villa now look to have a marquee pursuit lined up; however, they will have to wait until the summer to try and entice the man in question to Villa Park.
Aston Villa want Kieran Tierney
According to FootballTransfers, Aston Villa are keen to try and sign Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney next summer after previously holding admiration toward his talents earlier this year, once he returns from his loan spell at Real Sociedad.
Mikel Arteta is believed to want him back at the Emirates Stadium for the 2024/25 campaign. At the same time, Real Sociedad are keen to make his move permanent, which is not something Arsenal are believed to be opposed to either come 2024.
Tierney, who has previously been labelled a "warrior" by Ashley Cole, has made five appearances for the La Liga outfit this term in all competitions amid a littany of injury issues in the Basque Country (Tierney statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, the Scotland international carries a wealth of Premier League experience and plenty of trophy winning nous from his time at Celtic, making him an appealing option to potentially add to the left-back slot for Aston Villa.
Latest Aston Villa transfer news: Unai eyes £40m deal; Saudi club want star
It’s a huge summer for Aston Villa and Unai Emery as they prepare for the Champions League.
USMNT and Nottingham Forest star Matt Turner has spoken out after the Premier League club were docked four points leaving them in the relegation zone.
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Nottingham Forest docked four pointsBreached Profitability and Sustainability rulesTurner says Forest must "take it on the chin"Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
The Premier League have announced that Nottingham Forest will be docked four points due to breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules. The deduction drops the club into 18th place in the league table, one point behind Luton Town.
AdvertisementWHAT TURNER SAID
Speaking to the media, Turner has reacted to the news: "The points deduction, we have to take it on the chin and keep moving forward. Points deduction aside, we've been our own worst enemies in a lot of ways this entire season. We have all of it in our control. Some of the games that we have coming up are teams around us. If we can control those games and get back some wins, then hopefully the point deduction shouldn't really matter. Hopefully, we can, like I said, take it on the chin, stick together and keep moving forward."
Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The American goalkeeper joined the club earlier in the season after leaving his role as backup keeper at Arsenal. The 29-year-old goalkeeper has struggled, making high-profile mistakes in several games, so much so that the club signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg in the January window. Turner has made his way back into Nuno Espirito Santo's starting lineup and will hope to play a pivotal part in their attempt to beat relegation to the Championship.
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WHAT NEXT FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST?
The club are expected to appeal the points deduction, particularly having seen Everton see a 10-point deduction reduced to six on appeal. Nottingham Forest have two weeks to file a formal appeal to the Premier League.
There has been a suggestion that the door could open for West Ham United to sign a "special" forward for manager David Moyes in January.
Latest West Ham news
After consecutive 3-1 Premier League losses at the hands of both Man City and Liverpool, the Hammers are back to winning ways after their 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at the London Stadium last Saturday. Goals from star winger Jarrod Bowen and midfielder Tomas Soucek handed them all three points against Paul Heckingbottom's newly-promoted strugglers, coming after their 1-0 EFL Cup victory over Lincoln City last week.
"It was a good win. I’m really pleased," said Moyes after their victory over the Blades.
"It was a day when some people were expecting an easy game, but as a manager I’ve never found an easy game, that’s for sure. I think if anybody looks at the result they’ll say it was a great result for West Ham, whether it was 2-0 or more. If you look at the results in the Premier League today, there are no guarantees. It’s a strange league and we did a really good job to get a good victory."
Moyes' side are now gearing up for their next Europa League group stage encounter on Thursday, where they will go head-to-head with Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in Germany. Thereafter, the east Londoners face their last league game before the international break against Newcastle United this Sunday.
Latest West Ham transfer news
Off the field, Moyes, West Ham sporting director Mark Noble and transfer chief Tim Steidten are reportedly planning moves ahead of the January window. The Irons sealed deals for James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mohammed Kudus in the summer, but failed to add another striker to their ranks.
They've been tipped by various reports in the media to rectify that this winter, as the likes of PSG striker Hugo Ektike are linked with a move to West Ham. Meanwhile, it is also believed that Moyes' side could make a move for another PSG winger in Ousmane Dembele.
The Frenchman is apparently being targeted by the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham, with journalist Paul Brown suggesting that the door may well open for them to sign Dembele as soon as January. Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter said:
"That might open the door to a team like West Ham in January or in the summer, we'll see. I do think West Ham are still quite ambitious in the transfer market. Everyone knew they had the money from the Declan Rice deal to spend. They're not a club that makes a huge amount of money so they do have to be careful when it comes to FFP, but I do think you'll see West Ham continue to try and be aggressive and ambitious in the transfer market over the next couple of windows."
The former Borussia Dortmund star has struggled since signing for PSG, but Barcelona boss Xavi is a firm admirer of the player; calling him "special" and "different".
Mahela Jayawardene’s press conference was a bit like the match itself: done and dusted in less time than he would have needed to strap on his pads. Peter Siddle, however, had more to say
Telford Vice in Centurion20-Sep-2010We came. We blinked. We almost missed the match between the Victoria Bushrangers and Wayamba in Centurion on Monday.This wasn’t so much a game of cricket as it was a reason to be cheerful that it didn’t detain us any longer than was necessary. The brief blip of a match was all over, lock, stock and no smoking barrels, in a mite less than 30 overs.Mahela Jayawardene’s press conference afterwards was also done and dusted in less time than he would have needed to strap on his pads. Asked what had changed since last year’s tournament, when Wayamba beat Victoria by 15 runs, he was as honest as he was brief.”I don’t know,” he said disarmingly. “The line-up of our team hasn’t changed much. We knew they would be very aggressive because they needed a big win, and we needed a total of 150 to 160 to be competitive. But we just weren’t up for it on the night.”And with that he was gone, followed out of the door by his captain, Jehan Mubarak, whose sole contribution was a joke about how he might as well go and make himself “a cup of coffee” while Jayawardene got on with answering the only question put to them.The Sri Lankans took their leave politely and perhaps a little relieved that there was nothing left to say that wasn’t already obvious to all. Part of that has to be that the Victorians have played a positively Germanic brand of cricket. They deserve a place in the semi-finals on the grounds of their ruthlessness and efficiency alone.Not that Peter Siddle, who was understandably granted a longer audience by the media, was ready to accept that bit of praise with good grace. “It’s about time,” he said. “It was disappointing to lose the first one, but since then it’s been good.”That lone loss was suffered against a fired-up Warriors side in Port Elizabeth, the same team Victoria will hope like mad put one over the Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. A win the other way at St George’s Park would put Chennai, the Warriors and Victoria level on points, and the Aussies’ net run-rate isn’t great.”It’s out of our hands now,” Siddle said. “Most teams wouldn’t have thought they could win three out of their four games and still miss out.”How confident was he that the Warriors would do his team a favour? “They’ve got some good bowlers and some good batsmen up the top of the order. It should be a game worth watching.” In other words, don’t ask me, mate – I’m not nearly dumb enough to stick my neck out on that one.There will be no such dreaming for Wayamba, who were woeful for the third consecutive match. In fact, that win over Victoria last year is the only success they have to show from five CLT20 outings. Thanks for coming, fellas. Better luck next time, and give our regards to Kurunegala.They have one game left, against the already eliminated Central Districts, also in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday. Talk about dead men walking.On Monday, the Sri Lankans were outplayed by opponents who approached their task with what Hemingway would have described as a cold mind. Wayamba wickets weren’t so much taken as scythed off at the roots, and while the Bushrangers’ run chase was more measured than manic, they still got the job done in 13.2 overs.If they make it into the final four, they look headed for a confrontation with South Australia. The Redbacks have ridden rampant through the tournament, reeling off three wins to become the first team to nail down a semi-final spot. For all that, the prospect of taking them on in a knock-out context put a thin, menacing smile on Siddle’s lips and made his eyes narrow until they were slivers of silent aggression.Redbacks, you have been warned.