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Uma classificação na raça. Após empatar no primeiro jogo, Athlético-PR e Fortaleza protagonizaram um dos melhores jogos da temporada 2019 na Arena da Baixada. Nos minutos finais, a estrela de Marco Ruben brilhou e colocou o Furacão nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil.

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O confronto

O duelo foi aberto desde os primeiros minutos. Devido ao empate sem gols na ida, as duas equipes não se preocupavam em defender e a velocidade era a principal arma de Athletico e Fortaleza.

Mesmo na casa do rival, o Leão rondava a área defendida por Santos e tentava aproveitar os espaços com finalizações de fora da área.

Apesar de jogar ao lado da torcida, o Furacão só criou a primeira chance de gol na casa dos 35 minutos. No cruzamento da esquerda, Nikão apareceu livre e cabeceou para fora.

Nos minutos finais o Furacão voltou a apertar e criou duas boas chances. Na primeira, Madson recebeu em ótima condição na grande área, mas chutou forte demais e a bola saiu pela linha de fundo. Na última, Léo Pereira arriscou de fora da área e carimbou o poste de Felipe Alves.

Na etapa final o ritmo do confronto permaneceu o mesmo. Com o Athletico no ataque, o Leão tinha espaço no contra-ataque e em ótima chute de Carlinhos, o Tricolor por muito pouco não abriu o placar.

Após o susto, o Athletico assumiu o comando do meio-campo e começou a jogar no campo do rival, porém, o time de Tiago Nunes não conseguia criar nenhuma chance de fato.

Aos 36 minutos a situação do Leão ficou dramática. Após falta na intermediária, Carlinhos recebeu o segundo amarelo e foi expulso. Na sequência da jogada, o Furacão levantou na grande área e Bruno Nazário exigiu ótima defesa de Felipe Alves.

No abafa para evitar os pênaltis, o Athletico-PR teve a bola do jogo através de Marcelo Cirino. Na cobrança de escanteio, o atacante testou firme e Felipe Alves fez uma defesa fantástica.

Quando parecia que a decisão seria nos pênaltis, Marco Ruben apareceu. No cruzamento da direita, o camisa 9 apareceu livre e cabeceou, sem chances para o goleiro, 1 a 0.

ATHLETICO-PR 1 X 0 FORTALEZA
Local: Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (PR)
Data-Hora: 05/6/2019 – 19h15
Árbitro: Flávio de Sousa (SP)
Auxiliares: Alex Ang Ribeiro (SP) e Miguel Caetano Ribeiro da Costa (SP)
VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP)
Cartões amarelos: Lucho González (ATH), Carlinhos, Felipe Alves (FOR)
Cartões vermelhos: Carlinhos (FOR)
Gols: Marco Ruben (43’/2ºT)

ATHLETICO-PR: Santos; Madson, Lucas Halter, Léo Pereira e Márcio Azevedo (Braian Romero, aos 28/2ºT); Wellington (Marcelo Cirino, aos 20/2ºT), Lucho González (Bruno Nazário, aos 28/2ºT) e Bruno Guimarães; Nikão, Marco Ruben e Rony. Técnico: Tiago Nunes.

FORTALEZA: Felipe Alves; Gabriel Dias (Dodô, aos 34/2ºT), Quintero, Roger Carvalho e Carlinhos; Felipe, Araruna, Romarinho, Osvaldo (Júnior Santos, aos 22/2ºT) e Marlon; Marcinho (Tinga, aos 9/2ºT). Técnico: Rogério Ceni.

On a pitch being used for the first time in the tournament, Shane Watson decided to bowl first against the strong Chennai Super Kings batting line-up

The Report by Devashish Fuloria23-Apr-20145:47

Agarkar: Rajasthan Royals blew it

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dwayne Smith’s second half-century proved to be a match-winning effort•BCCI

On a day that the usual Chennai Super Kings heavy batting artillery failed to fire, their bowling, led by the versatile Ravindra Jadeja’s four-wicket haul, carved out a seven-run win against Rajasthan Royals on a slow Dubai pitch.Defending a middling total, Jadeja’s two wickets in two balls in his first over swung the pendulum decisively in favour of Super Kings, the wickets being those of Shane Watson and Sanju Samson. Royals never really recovered from the jolt and despite some happy hitting towards the end, disintegrated to their second defeat.When Super Kings were asked to bat, Brendon McCullum mis-hitting a number of deliveries seemed a case of the batsman struggling but if anything, it was actually an indication of the nature of the pitch which wasn’t as batsmen friendly as thought to be before the start of the match. McCullum was eventually out to a stunning catch by Steven Smith behind midwicket, hitting a length delivery from James Faulkner higher than longer.That slowness of the pitch didn’t seem to bother Dwayne Smith, however, as he raced to his second half-century in three matches with a flurry of big hits. After carefully playing out his first 18 deliveries for 17 runs, Smith used the pace the seamers offered him and carted the ball around the ground, his next nine deliveries bringing him 33 runs.Smith reached his fifty with a six but was done in by the sponginess of the surface in the very next delivery as he tried to force the ball over the infield, but only spooned a catch to mid-off. What followed was a period of play controlled by the Royals’ slower bowlers. He wouldn’t have known at the time, but he did end up playing the defining innings of the match as no one from either team came close to his strike rate of 178.57.The canny Rajat Bhatia, who later joked he was probably bowling “slower than the pitch”, served up his most economical spell in the IPL of 4-0-13-2 – all 13 of them in singles – hardly giving any pace for the batsmen to work with. At the other end, Pravin Tambe removed the dangerous MS Dhoni to push Super Kings from a comfortable 59 for 1 to a perilous 74 for 5. Was it not for a fighting 36 from Jadeja, Super Kings would have had to settle for a much lower total than what they eventually got.The task at the start of the second innings would have been considered manageable given the skill-level in Royals’ batting and the knowledge of how the pitch was going to play. Though Royals lost Abhishek Nayar early to a suicidal run, Rahane appeared comfortable as he regularly employed late deflections to manoeuvre the ball. Samson was impressive, launching Ben Hilfenhaus for two clean sixes to finish the fifth over on 37 for 1.The introduction of spin in the sixth over had the same effect as in the first innings with Rahane top-edging a sweep to deep square leg. Dhoni tossed the ball to Jadeja in the next over that pushed Royals to the edge of the precipice.

Rod Marsh has replaced John Inverarity as Australia’s chairman of selectors in a significant shake-up of the panel that comes as the team sits on top of the world rankings in both Tests and ODIs

Brydon Coverdale02-May-2014

Rod Marsh has replaced John Inverarity as Australia’s chairman of selectors in a significant shake-up of the panel that comes as the team sits on top of the world rankings in both Tests and ODIs.Former selection chief Trevor Hohns has returned to the national selection panel for the first time since 2006, alongside first-time selector Mark Waugh, while Inverarity and Andy Bichel have departed. The coach Darren Lehmann remains part of the group, which was reduced from five men to four when captain Michael Clarke withdrew from his selection duties before last year’s Ashes series in England.Inverarity stood down after nearly three years as chairman and although he told Cricket Australia he was prepared to continue on the panel, the board decided it was time for some new faces. Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said Inverarity had performed admirably since taking charge of the selection duties in October 2011.”When John Inverarity took over as national selector the Australian Test team was ranked fourth in the world and its on-field performance was well short of where it is today,” Sutherland said. “He leaves his post with Australian teams in a position of strength holding the number one ranking in Test and one-day international cricket. That reflects his commitment and the astute judgment he brought to the role at a challenging time for Australian cricket.”After deciding to stand down as chair, he recently indicated that he was prepared to continue on the national selection panel for another 12 months if required. Directors determined that with John stepping down as chairman, it was the appropriate time to bring new personnel into the group.”Rod Marsh is the right man to take on this important role having been a key member of the panel since 2011. His track record speaks for itself. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, having been a leading player, coach and most recently a selector.”Throughout his days as a player he was the absolute embodiment of the baggy green cap and to this day is widely respected throughout the game. He has a great eye for talent and has strong relationships throughout international cricket.”Inverarity said that at the age of 70 he would continue to maintain his interests in education and cricket “in a more part-time manner”. “For some months I have been clearly of the mind that the end of my contract period on 30 June was the right time for me to step down in favour of Rod Marsh to chair the panel,” he said. “Rod is the ideal person in every respect to take over and I would like to wish he and Darren, along with Trevor Hohns and Mark Waugh the very best in their new roles.”I have certainly enjoyed the role and the success of the Australian teams in recent months has been pleasing. I would like to congratulate Michael Clarke and the players, Darren Lehmann and his support staff, Pat Howard and my fellow selectors on the very good news that came through yesterday regarding Australia now being ranked number one in both Test cricket and ODI cricket.”The departure of Bichel, who joined the panel at the same time as Marsh in November 2011, means that there will be no fast bowlers contributing to Australia’s selection discussions, a curious absence given the way the attack has been rotated at times in the past. However, Cricket Australia said in a statement that Bichel’s term on the panel had “not been renewed”.Waugh confirmed last month that he had been approached by Cricket Australia for a possible selection role and his presence as a BBL commentator for Channel 10 appears not to have prevented him from taking on the part-time position. Sutherland said Waugh would pay particular attention to the shorter formats, which would be crucial with a World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand next year.NSW seek new supremo

Sheffield Shield holders New South Wales are mounting a global search for a new manager of cricket performance, in a wide-ranging role similar to that undertaken by Pat Howard in the wake of Cricket Australia’s 2011 Argus review. The Cricket NSW, chief executive, Andrew Jones, played a key role in the formulation of that review as CA’s then head of strategy, and is now looking to appoint someone to a similar post overseeing the direction of the men’s and women’s state teams. “I firmly believe a combined and aligned elite cricket function will make it easier for CNSW to achieve our goal of being No.1 in Australian and world domestic cricket,” Jones said, “and ultimately to be the No.1 sporting organisation in Australia.”

“We think Mark will bring great experience to the role,” Sutherland said. “His particular focus will be on our limited-overs program. He was one of the world’s greatest one-day international players. We think he can add a lot, particularly in an important World Cup year.”The return of Hohns to the panel comes after he spent 13 years as a national selector from 1993 to 2006, including a full decade as chairman of the panel. For the past three years, Hohns has been Queensland’s state talent manager and chairman of selectors, a role that he will relinquish when he rejoins the national panel. His time with the Bulls was significant in that he worked closely with Lehmann, building on a relationship that was more distant when the latter had his international career ended by Hohns’ selection panel.”I took on selection responsibilities with Queensland a couple of years ago and really enjoyed doing it again,” Hohns said. “During that time I worked closely with Darren Lehmann where we developed a good working relationship. So to have the chance to work together again at a national level, along with Rod and Mark will be great. I’m genuinely looking forward to it. I enjoy the role and the responsibilities that go with selection and making a contribution to Australian cricket.”Like Hohns, Marsh will give up an existing role as part of the selection revamp, with Cricket Australia set to begin the search to find a replacement for him as CA’s manager of elite coaching development. Marsh has been given a three-year term as chairman of selectors, which will begin when the new panel officially starts on July 1.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras está na final do Mundial sub-17 pelo segundo ano seguido. Atual campeão da competição, a equipe derrotou o Betis por 1 a 0 nesta quarta-feira e fará a decisão às 7h (horário de Brasília) de sábado, contra o espanhol Leganés, que eliminou o Real Madrid. O torneio é disputado no estádio La Aldehuela, em Fuenlabrada, próximo a Madri, na Espanha.

A partida desta quinta-feira foi decidida em cobrança de falta do meia-atacante Gabriel Silva, já no segundo tempo. Na outra semifinal do principal torneio da categoria, o Leganés superou o Real Madrid pelo mesmo placar.

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O Verdão chega à final com 100% de aproveitamento, acumulandoquatro vitórias, nove gols marcados e somente dois sofridos. O atacante Fabrício balançou as redes três vezes e é o artilheiro da equipe.

O jogo de sábado será o segundo diante do Leganés, vencido pelo Palmeiras por 3 a 0 na fase de grupos. Também nesta fase, o time bateu o Periso, outra equipe da Espanha, por 3 a 1. Nas quartas de final, na terça-feira, o eliminado foi o JEF United, do Japão, derrotado por 2 a 1. Além deles, Real Madrid e Betis, disputaram o torneio o Altinordu, da Turquia, o Atlético de Madri e o Deportivo Cali, da Colômbia.

O Palmeiras foi campeão no ano passado goleando o Real Madrid na final, por 4 a 2. Alcançou o título com cinco vitórias, um empate, 29 gols marcados (melhor ataque) e somente sete sofridos. O atacante Gabriel Veron foi eleito o melhor jogador do torneio e terminou como artilheiro, com nove gols.

Se derrotar o Leganés, no sábado, e conquistar mais um Mundial sub-17, o Palmeiras chegará já a 16 títulos nas categorias de base nesta temporada. Dessas, seria a nona conquista no exterior.

يرى المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي تشيلسي، ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، أن فريقه على بعد أشهر فقط من الفوز بالألقاب.

ويأتي ذلك على الرغم من النتائج والأداء المتذبذبين خلال الفترة الماضية من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز واحتلال المركز الثاني عشر برصيد 4 نقاط.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مصائب تشيلسي تتوالى في فترة التوقف الدولي

وعلق الأرجنتيني في حواره مع شبكة “بي بي سي” البريطانية عندما سُئل عن متى يفوز تشيلسي بالألقاب، وقال: “أعتقد، أشهر فقط”.

وتابع: “نريد الفوز هذا الموسم بالبطولات، نريد الفوز في كل بطولة نشارك فيها، الدوري الإنجليزي وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي وكأس كاراباو، نريد اللعب من أجل الفوز”.

وأضاف: “لا يمكننا أن نقول يمكننا الفوز بالألقاب بعد عام أو عامين أو 3 أعوام، في الظروف الحالية نريد أن نكون إيجابيين، نتدرب بجدية”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “ليس هناك وقت لنضيعه في التفكير في المستقبل، نحن بحاجة إلى تقديم كل ما لدينا ونبذل قصارى جهدنا اليوم وليس غدًا”.

تحدث إريك تين هاج المدير الفني لمانشستر يونايتد، عن الهزيمة أمام برايتون بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعرض مانشستر يونايتد للهزيمة من برايتون بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في إطار مباريات الجولة الخامسة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وقال تين هاج في تصريحاته لـ”سكاي سبورتس”: “نشعر بخيبة أمل، لكنها كانت فوارق صغيرة حقًا، نحن قريبون جدًا أمام فريق جيد، أول 20 دقيقة كانت كلها لنا، خلقنا الفرص لكننا لم نسجل”.

وأضاف: “استقبلنا هدفًا من أول هجمة لهم، بعد ذلك كانت لدينا فترة صعبة للغاية في المباراة، وقاتلنا من أجل تسجيل هدف وتم إلغاء الهدف، لذلك الأمر صعب في هذه الفترة”.

وأشار: “لم يكن الأمر في صالحنا، لكننا سنقاتل وإذا تماسكنا معًا ولعبنا كفريق والتزمنا بالقواعد، فسنعود”.

وحول ما قاله بين الشوطين: “هناك دائمًا بعض التحسينات التي يجب القيام بها، خاصة التنظيم، لكن هذا لم يكن يومنا”.

واستطرد: “الهدف الثاني جاء مباشرة بعد نهاية الشوط الأول، الفرصة الثانية والهدف الثاني حاسم للغاية، لقد كانت انتكاسة لم نتعامل معها بشكل جيد، لكن علينا أن نحافظ على إيجابيتنا في مثل هذه اللحظات ونتماسك معًا وستعود إلى المباراة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | دي زيربي: أشعر بالفخر أنني مدرب لـ برايتون.. وتفوقنا على مانشستر يونايتد في كل شيء

وأكد تين هاج: “تتعلم أشياء كثيرة من مثل هذه المباراة، على الجانب الذهني، يمكنك الحفاظ على قوتك في لحظات لكنني رأيت بعض الأشياء الجيدة، الطريقة التي خلقنا بها العديد من الفرص لم نتمكن من إنهائها، لكن هذا سيتغير”.

حول رد الفعل على استبدال راسموس هويلوند، أوضح: “لقد جاء بمشكلة صغيرة وعلينا أن نكون حذرين ولكن استقبال الجماهير كان رائعًا، لقد كان لعبه رائعًا واحتضنته الجماهير”.

وأفاد: “لم يكن محظوظًا بالهدف الملغي، كان من الممكن أن يكون توقيت رائعًا بالنسبة له، لم يكن الأمر كذلك، لكنه سيستمر، إنه يتمتع بشخصية قوية لأننا نلعب كفريق وسنقاوم”.

وحول العودة إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا هذا الأسبوع، أتم تين هاج: “إنها فرصة عظيمة ضد خصم عظيم (بايرن ميونخ)، نحن جميعًا نتطلع إلى العودة إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا حيث ننتمي، لكن عليك أن تقاتل من أجل ذلك، واثبت نفسك في كل مرة كفريق وكفرد”.

ويلتقي مانشستر يونايتد مع بايرن ميونخ، يوم الأربعاء المقبل، في الجولة الأولى لدور المجموعات بدوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2023-2024.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Athletico-PR venceu o São Paulo por 1 a 0, nesta quarta-feira, na Arena da Baixada, pela 2ª rodada do Brasileirão sub-20. O time da casa se aproveitou de uma jogada de contra-ataque para abrir o placar e se conter defensivamente, enquanto os visitantes pecaram na pontaria e não evitaram a derrota.

Sem jogadores como Morato, Diego e Gabriel Sara, que estão fazendo a transição para o profissional em Cotia, o técnico Orlando Ribeiro precisou fazer mudanças em relação à vitória contra o Cruzeiro, no último domingo. Assim, levou a campoThiago Couto; Rafael, Matheus, Fasson e Welington; Alisson, Rodrigo Nestor e Ed Carlos; Vitinho, Galeano e Fabinho.

Nos primeiros minutos da partida, o Furacão enfrentou certa desorganização defensiva, dando oportunidade para o São Paulo tentar abrir o placar, mas sem sucesso. Após duas boas chances dos paulistas, os paranaenses encaixaram um ótimo contra-ataque ao 20 minutos e balançaram a rede com David.
​
Daí em diante, o jogo virou ataque contra defesa, e inúmeras chances foram perdidas pelos são-paulinos, enquanto o sistema defensivo do Athletico se segurava como podia para garantir o placar. Na volta do intervalo, com o mesmo time que terminou o primeiro tempo, o Tricolor tentou colocar ainda mais pressão, mas sem sucesso. Substituição foram efetuadas, mas sem efeito.

Na próxima rodada do Brasileirão sub-20, o São Paulo enfrenta a Ponte Preta, fora de casa, no dia 9 de julho, às 15h, em Águas de Lindoia. Já o Athletico-PR pega o Grêmio, como visitante, no dia 10 de julho, às 15h.

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Legspinner Jubair Hossain has been included in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad for the tour of the West Indies, the biggest surprise among the 25 players named

Mohammad Isam28-Jun-2014Bangladesh’s preliminary squad

Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Shamsur Rahman, Tamim Iqbal, Muktar Ali, Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain, Anamul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mithun Ali, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Marshall Ayub, Imrul Kayes, Jubair Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Robiul Islam

Legspinner Jubair Hossain has been included in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad for the tour of the West Indies, the biggest surprise among the 25 players named. Jubair, an Under-19 player, will now report to trainer Mario Villavarayen on July 1, with the rest of the preliminary squad, to begin preparing for the mid-August tour.Although he didn’t play a game in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, Jubair impressed the Bangladesh management as a nets bowler over the last few months, with several players, coaches and selectors taking an interest in him.Jubair is of short stature, comes off a few steps and whips up his arms but, deceptively, doesn’t bowl quickly. He slows the pace down and lets the ball drift and turn.He is an interesting choice for two reasons. Firstly, the Bangladesh selectors have been, in recent years, reluctant to pick someone so inexperienced. Secondly, his elevation leaves question marks over what first-class performances mean; someone like specialist legspinner Noor Hossain, who took 21 wickets in this year’s first-class cricket, having also taken 20 and 22 in the previous two years, has been leapfrogged. Jubair has not played first-class cricket yet.Bangladesh have never picked a specialist legspinner in Test matches while only Wahidul Gani, famous for mentoring Mohammad Ashraful and Shahriar Nafees as a youth coach, played a solitary ODI in the 1980s.

في مباراة مثيرة بقمة لقاءات الجولة الأولى من الدوري الأوروبي، تعادل مارسيليا مع أياكس أمستردام بثلاثة أهداف لمثلهم، على ملعب يوهان كرويف، مساء الخميس.

بدأ أياكس المباراة بقوة ونجح كارلوس بورجيس في خطف الكرة من المدافع وانطلق بقوة وسجل الهدف بسهولة تامة في الدقيقة التاسعة، قبل أن يضيف ستيفن بيرجويس الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 20.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | برايتون يسقط على أرضه أمام آيك أثينا في الاختبار الأوروبي الأول بتاريخ النادي

رد مارسيليا بسرعة، ونجح في تقليص الفارق بعدما مرر أمين حارث الكرة إلى جونثان كلاوس، الذي استلم الكرة وراوغ وسدد كرة قوية لا تصد ولا ترد في الدقيقة 23. اهداف مباراة مارسيليا واياكس في الدوري الاوروبي 3-3

عاد أمين حارث مجددا وصنع هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 38 بعدما مرر الكرة إلى بيير إيمريك أوباميانج، الذي سددها أرضية زاحفة على يسار حارس أياكس، لتسكن الشباك بنجاح.

في الشوط الثاني، تقدم أياكس مرة أخرى عن طريق كينيث تايلور الذي سدد كرة قوية جاءت من عرضية لصاحب الهدف الأول بورجيس في الدقيقة 52، ثم عاد أوباميانج مرة أخرى وسجل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 78.

لم تقتصر الإثارة فقط على الأهداف، حيث أشهر الحكم البطاقة الحمراء للبديل سيلفانو فوس لاعب خط الوسط، الذي دخل مع بداية الشوط الثاني، وحصل على بطاقة صفراء في الدقيقة 55، ثم أخرى والحمراء في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت بدل من الضائع.

David Miller and Ryan McLaren, key men in South Africa’s middle order, hope to take the series in the second ODI in Pallekele

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2014

There’s not much that Dale Steyn gets whimsical about but the green hills and the cool mountain air of Kandy was enough bring out his softer side. “Gotta say this place is majestic! So beautiful! Blessed to see this part of the world!” Steyn tweeted.South Africa’s angry man has never played in Pallekele before, which Sri Lanka would hope works to their advantage in what is a must-win match for the hosts. South Africa have fond memories of Pallekele, though, because it is the only ground where they recorded a victory on the tour they would rather forget. After going 0-2 down in the series and appearing out of their depth with the bat, South Africa defended 223 in the third match, albeit their fightback was short-lived on the whole.”We did the right things, gave ourselves a chance at the end, put runs on the board and managed to bowl them out, so we are really excited about this game coming up,” said David Miller, who scored 85 in that match to inject authority into an otherwise limp South African innings. He had acted as an anchor that day and relished being able to spend more time at the crease than he usually does as a finisher.Now that South Africa’s top order has sorted itself out, Miller is back to his end-of-innings role and he seems to have become more confident. In the first ODI, he led the charge as South Africa took 53 runs off the last five overs.The most impressive aspect of Miller’s knock was the way he dealt with Sri Lanka’s death specialist Lasith Malinga, whom he kept out and punished when the length allowed it. “Taking performances from the past into the present gives me a sense of belief that I have done it before,” Miller said. “I’ve got to watch the ball as closely as I can. Malinga is one of the best death bowlers in the world. But the more you face someone who has an unusual action, the more comfortable you will feel.”Having a competent partner with whom you have a good understanding is also important at the end of an innings, and Miller has found that in Ryan McLaren, who was with him in Pallekele in 2013 and again in the first ODI in Colombo. McLaren scored 22 off 18 balls on Sunday to provide the support Miller needed.McLaren’s all-round contribution – 22 runs and two wickets – was one of the unsung performances of the game and it outshone that of Jacques Kallis. While it is too early to start questioning Kallis’ role in the team, McLaren’s performances are worth noting because he was expected to miss out when Kallis recommitted himself to the ODI team.McLaren has played in all but two of South Africa’s last 16 ODIs, dating back to the series against Sri Lanka last July, and alongside Kallis in three of them. While Kallis has been used as a batting allrounder, McLaren’s role is that of a bowling allrounder, but his consistent run in the side has been beneficial for McLaren’s batting. He has averaged 31.85 over the past year – compared to an overall average of 21.60 – with seven not-outs, which come with the territory of finishing an innings.His bowling numbers have also improved marginally – 21 wickets at 26.85 apiece in the last 12 months – and there have only been two occasions when he has not bowled at least six overs in the innings. “The advantage for allrounders is that you are always going to have the opportunity to contribute,” McLaren said. “There are going to be times when you don’t do well in one discipline, but then you can contribute in the other.”McLaren is fast becoming an integral part of South Africa’s ODI XI and is pleased with how the team is developing, especially from the last Sri Lankan tour to this one. “They came at us hard in the beginning and we showed a lot of character and finished the game clinically,” McLaren said of the first ODI. “That’s the most pleasing aspect – we’re starting to show some character when it starts getting tough, and it doesn’t get much tougher than playing in Sri Lankan conditions. This is one of the building blocks to the World Cup next year, and every game in that process is important.”When Steyn can peel himself away from the views, he would probably agree.