Category Uncategorized

Jamie Dalrymple’s return to Middlesex has proved short-lived as he and the county have chosen to part ways

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2011

Jamie Dalrymple’s return to Middlesex has proved short-lived as he and the county have chosen to part ways. Dalrymple had re-signed for Middlesex in May this year and made a steady contribution to their success in Division Two of the County Championship with both bat and ball, but became frustrated by the lack of leadership opportunities with the county and has decided to move on.”I have seen very few cricketers more committed or harder working than Jamie and during his time with Middlesex he set the right example to the rest of the squad,” said Managing Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser. “His leadership experience was valuable too, helping to get a young side over the line when things got a little tight at the end of the season.”However, his passion lies in leadership and man management roles and these are not positions that are currently available at Middlesex. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jamie for all his input into Middlesex over the course of ten seasons in total and to wish him well for the future whether that is in the game or elsewhere.”Dalrymple’s return to Middlesex had been prompted by his departure from Glamorgan, to whom he had gone after turning down a new contract with Middlesex in late 2007. He was appointed as Glamorgan’s captain for the 2009 season, but after two seasons became a high-profile casualty of a tumultous shake-up at the county. Stripped of the captaincy – with the position going to South African Alviro Petersen – Dalrymple promptly left and returned to Lord’s.”I’d like to thank Middlesex and Angus Fraser for the opportunity to return to play this season after the difficulties I had last winter,” said Dalrymple. “Furthermore, I’d like to say how much I enjoyed playing and working with the squad, both young and old, and particularly contributing to a Middlesex team that gained promotion from Division Two as champions.”Cricket has been my passion for many years now and my experiences so far have shown me how much I relish the challenges of leadership and management. Unfortunately that opportunity is unavailable at this time. I now have a chance to consider whether I want to keep playing, to look for a leadership role within the game or to move on to something completely different.”While Middlesex may miss Dalrymple’s steadying influence in the middle order, his offspinning role could be filled by allrounder Ollie Rayner, who has joined Middlesex in a permanent deal following his two loan spells at Lord’s during the summer.The 25 year-old, who signed for Sussex in late 2005, went on to play 43 first-class matches in all for Sussex in his six seasons at Hove, taking 95 wickets and scoring over 1000 runs in the process.”We are all sorry to see Ollie leave as he has been a part of the club since an early age, but we recognise his desire to play more cricket in all forms of the game,” said Sussex’s Professional Cricket Manager Mark Robinson. “We’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his hard work during his time at the club and we wish him all the best at Middlesex”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Segunda defesa menos vazada no Brasileirão – perdendo apenas para Grêmio e Cruzeiro – o sistema defensivo do Flamengo é um dos pilares para a campanha rubro-negra na competição.Com apenas seis gols sofridos – sendo três com a equipe reserva, diante da Chapecoense – o Flamengo passou seis das nove rodadas que disputou sem ser vazado. Até por isso, é o líder do Brasileiro.

Além das mudanças na zaga – com as ausências de Réver e Juan, Rhodolfo e Léo Duarte estão dando conta do recado – a meta rubro-negra tem sido um diferencial. Diego Alves vive grande fase, e os números comprovam: nos últimos 11 jogos do goleiro como titular, ele só foi vazado uma vez. Se não fosse o gol de Wagner no clássico disputado contra o Vasco, Diego Alves estaria defendendo uma ainda mais longa invencibilidade na meta rubro-negra.

Se contra o Corinthians o goleiro rubro-negro foi pouco exigido, Diego já teve atuações decisivas em outros jogos da sequência, como no triunfo contra o Atlético-MG, no Independência, e no empate sem gols contra o River Plate, pela Libertadores. Contudo, ele prefere dividir os méritos com todo o grupo.

– Defesa é todo o time, começa com o Dourado no ataque. É um trabalho tático do treinador, e a gente assimilou. Não sofremos mais os gols como no ano passado – ressaltou Diego Alves, que também lembrou do dedo de Barbieri na equipe. Desde que assumiu, o Flamengo disputou 15 jogos, sofrendo seis gols:

-A parte defensiva teve uma melhora notável. Melhoramos bastante. A confiança aumentou. É um mérito muito grande do Maurício fazer com que o time saiba sofrer nos momentos necessários. Não será todo jogo que teremos o controle da bola – completa o arqueiro rubro-negro, vivendo grande fase.

A SEQUÊNCIA DE DIEGO ALVES:
Flamengo 1 x 0 Corinthians (Brasileiro)
Flamengo 2 x 0 Bahia (Brasileiro)
Flamengo 1 x 0 Atlético-MG(Brasileiro)
Flamengo 0 x 0 River Plate-ARG (Libertadores)
Flamengo 1 x 1 Vasco(Brasileiro)
Flamengo 2 x 0 Emelec-ECU (Libertadores)
Flamengo 0 x 0 Ponte Preta(Copa do Brasil)
Flamengo 2 x 0 Internacional(Brasileiro)
Flamengo 1 x 0 Ponte Preta (Copa do Brasil)
Flamengo 3 x 0 Ceará(Brasileiro)
Flamengo 0 x 0 Santa Fé-COL (Libertadores)

RelacionadasFlamengoSem Diego para o Fla-Flu, Jean Lucas pode ganhar chance como titularFlamengo04/06/2018BrasileirãoTop 10: veja os maiores públicos pagantes do Brasileirão-2018Brasileirão04/06/2018FlamengoCuéllar fica fora de lista da Copa do Mundo e pode ser opção no Fla-FluFlamengo04/06/2018

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians fez nesta quarta-feira seu primeiro e único treino na Venezuela para enfrentar o Deportivo Lara (VEN), na quinta-feira. Os jogadores realizaram apenas um rachão no Estádio Metropolitano de Lara, que tem um gramado “fofo”, como alertou o técnico Fábio Carille.

– É um campo mais fofo, com algumas falhas. A bola não rola como estamos acostumados no nosso estádio e na maioria dos estádios do Brasil. Mas a gente já tinha observado isso pelos vídeos, então já fomos preparando nossos jogadores para não jogar bonito toda hora – afirmou Carille, em entrevista coletiva após a atividade desta quarta-feira.

O treinador também minimizou a viagem de cerca de dez horas. A delegação corintiana embarcou em um voo fretado e chegou apenas na madrugada desta quarta-feira.

– Não me preocupa pelo jogo ser na quinta. Se o jogo fosse hoje (quarta), aí a gente tinha que vir na segunda, um dia a menos. Então, a gente vai chegar muito bem para o jogo – projetou Carille.

Durante a entrevista coletiva, Carille também comentou sobre o que espera do Deportivo Lara e de sua torcida na Venezuela. Veja abaixo:

Como espera o Lara?
As duas partidas, diferente do que foi na Arena, jogando na sua casa ele já subiu a marcação, marcou pressão. As equipes que vieram aqui sofreram, principalmente aquelas que tentaram sair jogando. Às vezes vai ser um jogo de ligação direta pela situação do campo, mas estamos muito preparados para fazer um grande jogo.

Qual a ideia de jogo do Corinthians, que repetirá a escalação?
Jogando principalmente com Pedrinho, Jadson e Rodrigo você tem que ter a bola para que chegue nesses jogadores de qualidade para que a gente possa criar. O jogo vai mostrar se a gente vai marcar mais em cima, na intermediária ou baixa, como chamamos dentro do nosso campo. O jogo vai mostrar, mas pelo que eles vêm trabalhando desde janeiro estão preparados para qualquer situação.

Preocupa a pressão da torcida?
É isso que a gente conversou muito na hora do almoço: se é uma torcida que vem e apoia, se é uma torcida que vem e fica cobrando. No caso da nossa, lá em São Paulo, ela vem e apoia o tempo todo. Essa é a única dúvida. Mas o mais importante é a gente estar muito concentrado naquilo que a gente tem que fazer independente da pressão que a gente vai encontrar aqui.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansNa Venezuela, Corinthians repetirá escalação pela terceira vez seguidaCorinthians16/05/2018CorinthiansPatrocinadora do Corinthians doará computador a cada gol marcadoCorinthians16/05/2018

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansDeportivo LaraLibertadores

While things very much appear to be on the up for Tottenham Hotspur at present – with Antonio Conte having clawed Champions League qualification back into Spurs’ hands going into the final day of the season, Fabio Paratici having secured several extremely impressive signings in the transfer market and Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski having formed a breathtakingly deadly attacking trio – there are still remnants of the old Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Sergio Reguilon, Steven Bergwijn, Jack Clarke and Lucas Moura all looking as if they could be moved on at the end of the current campaign, it is clear to see that there is a great deal of deadwood that must be shifted in order for to Tottenham to truly progress under the management of Conte in 2022/23.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

This is largely down to Daniel Levy failing to implement a long-term transfer strategy at Spurs in years gone by, something that has also cost the club dearly in the targets they ended up choosing not to pursue – arguably the most notable of which was when the chairman backed out of a deal to bring then-Southampton forward Sadio Mane to Spurs in the summer of 2016.

Indeed, The Times reported back in 2017 that the Senegal international came so close to joining Spurs that he visited Hotspur Way to discuss a transfer from the South Coast side, only for Mauricio Pochettino to fail to convince Levy to meet the 24-year-old’s wage demands – with Mane ultimately sealing a £34m switch to Liverpool.

Since then, the £72m-rated winger has developed into one of the top forwards in world football, having scored 119 goals and registered 48 assists over his 267 appearances for the Reds.

That’s helped Jurgen Klopp’s side lift almost every trophy the club game has to offer, including the Premier League, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, as well as winning the 2018/19 Premier League Golden Boot.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Levy had a nightmare when deciding against a move for the £100k-per-week man who Jamie Carragher dubbed “underrated” back in 2016.

AND in other news: Paratici must brutally axe “unnecessary” £12.5m Spurs flop, he’s “damaging” for Conte

by one wicket
ScorecardChris Woakes kept his cool to guide England to an eighth Twenty20 win in a row•Getty Images

Chris Woakes showed nerves of steel on his international debut to seal England a thrilling one-wicket victory at Adelaide and a world-record eighth Twenty20 win on the trot. Woakes finished unbeaten on 19 from 15 balls as he struck the final ball over midwicket having lost Graeme Swann at the start of the last over with four needed.Ajmal Shahzad faced two dot balls before scrambling to the non-striker’s end then Woakes scythed Shane Watson, who produced an outstanding all-round display with 59 and four wickets, through backward point to level the scores and ensure, at worst, England couldn’t lose. They really shouldn’t have pushed it so close having always been in control of the asking rate, but it’s a credit to their belief that they could still pull through for victory despite a late clatter of wickets.Watson will feel the defeat particularly acutely having almost pulled the match back for Australia. Eoin Morgan, in his first major innings since September, had eased 43 off 33 balls when he drove to cover and Michael Yardy fell first ball as he failed to get his bat out of the line of a short ball. But Woakes, a replacement for Stuart Broad in the England squad, showed why he was sent in ahead of Swann when he pulled Shaun Tait for a mighty six and was there to see his side home.Australia were still some way short of the standards they set themselves having lost momentum with the bat after a fine start, the combined eight overs of Tait and Brett Lee went for 81, and their fielding display included a number of errors. They should have struck first ball of the innings but Steve O’Keefe dropped a regulation chance at square leg as Ian Bell went to pull Tait. Bell responded with three boundaries, including an effortless back-foot drive which oozed the class he has shown all tour.England clearly weren’t going to hold back in the first six overs. It was thrilling cricket to watch as the sides traded boundaries and wickets. Steven Davies drove his second ball to cover to give Brett Lee a wicket on his international return then Bell was given a second life, again off Tait, when David Warner dropped a tough chance at backward point.Bell, playing his first Twenty20 international since 2008, unleashed an uppercut over third man of which Virender Sehwag would have been proud and Kevin Pietersen didn’t want to be left behind as he joined in the boundary hunt. Australia continued to lapse in the field as O’Keefe let one through his legs at deep square-leg with England scoring at more than 10-an-over.The batsmen didn’t want to rein themselves in, however, even though the asking-rate was plummeting, and Bell drove Mitchell Johnson’s third ball to cover. O’Keefe, meanwhile, must have feared how his evening would develop when Pietersen hit his first two balls for four and six but the left-arm spinner struck back when Pietersen failed to clear a leaping David Hussey at mid-off. It was a needless shot in terms of the run-rate, but England’s tactic – which has reaped rich rewards – has been to go hard regardless in the first six overs.The situation was made for steady accumulation and for a period Morgan and Paul Collingwood calmly ticked off the runs. It was hard to tell which batsman had barely played an innings since the end of the English season. Morgan pulled Lee for six then placed him perfectly over mid-off, but kept losing partners when Collingwood top-edged a sweep and Luke Wright walked across his stumps. And for once, Morgan couldn’t finish the game himself.Australia had threatened a far greater total than 157 when Watson was cutting loose to take Swann’s first over for 26 on the way to a 27-ball half-century. He added 83 for the first wicket with Warner, but when the pair were separated the innings struggled to regain momentum and Australia failed to double their score.Watson struck one boundary off Bresnan so hard that his bat broke, but the real damage came against the spinners. Yardy’s opening over cost nine before Watson took Swann’s first three deliveries over midwicket for increasingly large sixes and he added another boundary to reach fifty. Yardy, though, is a canny operator and fired one past Watson’s attempted cut to give England a much-needed boost and he later had Warner taken at deep midwicket.Despite Watson’s departure Swann was whipped out of the attack but when he returned he produced a tight three overs which only went for 14. Hussey struggled to find his usual striking range, and though he eventually pulled Bresnan over midwicket for six. he then missed a perfect yorker next ball. England’s bowlers were superb in the closing overs and the final result once again showed how the smallest of margins can make the difference in Twenty20 cricket.

سلط بيبي، قلب الدفاع المتمرس الذي سجل هدفًا يوم الثلاثاء في فوز البرتغال 6-1 على سويسرا في دور الـ16 من مونديال 2022، الضوء على رد الفعل الذي قدمه الفريق الليلة.

وتأهل منتخب البرتغال لربع نهائي مونديال قطر 2022، ليلاقي المنتخب المغربي. 

وقال بيبي في تصريحاته لـ “Sport TV”: “علينا أن ننسب الفضل إلى العمل الجماعي، لقد قمنا بعمل مثالي”.

وأضاف: “الجميع يعرف أهمية المباراة، يجب تهنئتنا جميعًا، إنه لشرف كبير أن أكون جزءًا من هذه المجموعة”.

من الناحية الفردية، سلط بيبي الضوء أيضًا على “أداء الحلم” للشاب جونزاو راموس، وأفاد: “إنه يظهر أن المدير الفني يمكنه الاعتماد على الجميع”.

متابعًا: “لقد كان عرضًا مهمًا للغاية، كان سعيدًا بتقديم أداء الحلم، أنا سعيد جدًا من أجله، إنه طفل يعمل كثيرًا، كان يعمل دائمًا بتلك الروح للمساعدة، عندما يكون الأمر كذلك، يصبح كل شيء أسهل”.

وعن ما قاله المدير الفني فرناندو سانتوس عند انطلاق المباراة، استطرد بيبي: “لا أستطيع أن أقول كل ما قاله”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كريستيانو رونالدو يرد على أنباء انضمامه لـ النصر السعودي.. ويوجه رسالة لـ بيليه

وأكمل: “لقد حذر من أهمية تلك المباراة، وتحدث عن الروح التي يجب أن تكون لدينا.. واستجاب الفريق بشكل جيد، كنا أذكياء للغاية، فزنا بالعديد من الكرات الثانية والعديد من المبارزات”.

وشدد بيبي على الراحة اللازمة استعدادًا لمواجهة المغرب: “لدينا أربعة أيام حتى المباراة التالية، هناك عمل طبي مهم لمساعدتنا على التعافي قدر الإمكان، لدينا ما يكفي من الوقت لنكون بخير في المباراة القادمة”.

وإذاك كان منتخب البرتغال المفضل للفوز بكأس العالم، ختم بيبي بالقول: “أنا لا أقول إننا مرشحون أكثر الآن، لدينا ثلاث نهائيات أخرى، وأمامنا مباراة صعبة بالفعل ضد المغرب، علينا أن نرتقي إلى مستوى هذه المباراة، التي سوف تتطلب منا الكثير”.

Liverpool are in talks with various companies over a new big-money kit deal at Anfield, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Current deal expiring

The Reds are in a superb moment currently, still battling on all fronts for what would be an unprecedented quadruple this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men currently don a Standard Chartered-sponsored kit but their current deal is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.

At that point, there could be a scramble to be Liverpool’s next sponsor, especially given their recent dominance, with a fresh update from Pearce bringing positive news on that front.

The Latest: Pearce makes new claim

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Pearce confirmed that there are interested parties in becoming the Reds’ new kit sponsors, sharing an article written by The Athletic‘s David Ornstein:

“Standard Chartered’s £40m a year shirt sponsorship deal with LFC runs out at the end of next season. No guarantees at this stage they will renew. Talks with a number of companies ongoing.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-29/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Thriving on and off the pitch

There was a point when Liverpool simply didn’t have the worldwide appeal they do today, with big companies not as interested in sponsoring the club even despite the large fan base across the globe.

Jurgen Klopp has transformed the Reds as a whole, however, and they are now one of the most appealing and valuable sporting teams in the world to be a part of.

For that reason, Liverpool’s next sponsor is sure to be a big hitter, if Standard Chartered don’t renew, which can only be positive in a financial sense, in terms of signing new players and continuing the impressive training ground and stadium renovations.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.

تحدث عصام الجبالي لاعب منتخب تونس، عن مواجهة الدنمارك في بطولة كأس العالم قطر 2022.

ويلتقي منتخب تونس مع نظيره الدنمارك غدًا الثلاثاء في الجولة الأولى دور المجموعات في مونديال قطر.

ويتواجد منتخبا تونس والدنمارك في المجموعة الرابعة رفقة كل من فرنسا وأستراليا.

وقال عصام الجبالي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “أشكر قطر على هذا التنظيم، فخر لنا كعرب أن يكون التنظيم هكذا، وسعداء بتواجدنا في كأس العالم”.

وتابع: “نحن كلاعبين شرف لنا تمثيل منتخب تونس، وإن شاء الله سنشرف بلادنا ونعمل على إسعاد الشعب التونسي، في جميع المباريات”.

وأكمل: “أنا جاهز بنسبة 100% للمباراة، وإن شاء الله أكون متواجدًا في اللقاء، شرف لي أن ألعب أول مباراة لي في كأس العالم مع منتخب تونس، وإن شاء الله نكون عند حسن ظن الجماهير”.

وواصل: “أنا أعيش في الدنمارك، وأعتقد أن الدنماركيين يحترمون تونس والكرة التونسية، ستكون مباراة قوية بين المنتخبين، وأمامنا 90 دقيقة وسنرى من سيفوز”.

طالع أيضًا.. يملك كل الحلول.. فيفا يتغزل في علي معلول قبل مشاركته مع تونس في كأس العالم

وأضاف: “أنا متأكد أن كل الدول العربية تشجع المنتخب التونسي، وشرف كبير لنا أن الجالية المصرية تشجع تونس، إن شاء الله نشرف كل جماهير البلدان العربية، ونحن جميعًا أخوة”.

وأختتم: “أرى أن الحظوظ متوفرة للمنتخب التونسي عن الدنمارك، ولدينا ثقة في الفريق، وإن شاء الله نترشح للدور الثاني من البطولة”.

A rampant Chennai Super Kings crushed the Warriors by eight wickets to win the Champions League Twenty20 final at the Wanderers

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera in Johannesburg26-Sep-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
R Ashwin removed the dangerous Davy Jacobs, and changed the tenor of the game•Associated PressIt was a reverse sweep that changed the entire complexion of the game. Davy Jacobs had started off imperiously and catapulted Warriors to 45 in the sixth over. Then R Ashwin got one to turn quickly towards the leg stump, Jacobs went for the reverse sweep, but was trapped in front. It’s a shot that he had successfully played in the previous game; the adventurous unorthodox spirit is his calling card, and he has reaped much success with that approach. But tonight it hurt his team. This can be a cruel game, sometimes.After Jacobs fell, Muttiah Muralitharan suffocated the Warriors with his skill, and L Balaji maintained the pressure with a disciplined spell in the middle, keeping the Warriors to 128, which was never going to be enough. And it wasn’t. This is the last time this group of players will turn out for Chennai, and they gave themselves a nice farewell present.Warriors’ Achilles heel is their lower order. Johan Botha bats at no 6; the batting isn’t that deep. And so, the middle-order chose caution over valour and Chennai closed in. L Balaji, who grew in confidence with the Warriors’ non-violent approach against him, slipped in a few quiet overs with his steady line and length stuff. Ashwin continued to tease them with his variations and Muttiah Muralitharan came on in the 10th over to harass them with his ability.He kept his doosras to a minimum, and ripped offbreaks across at varying pace. Success came in the 14th over: Mark Boucher, who has fallen most to Muralitharan than any other bowler in his career, was bowled, and Justin Kreusch was beaten by the dip and flicked straight to midwicket.There was a brief little moment in the 17th over when things stirred at the bull ring. “Fast cars and big shots, that’s Craig Thyssen,” Jacobs had said earlier in the week. Tonight Thyssen went after Balaji to pick up three boundaries – a pulled four, a delicate late steer and a muscled six over midwicket. The home supporters in the crowd started to find their voice: They chanted out “Let’s go Warriors” and tried to inspire the local team but Thyssen’s cameo was too late and too little to matter in the bigger scheme of things. In hindsight, Ashwell Prince’s fall – he was bowled missing a slog against a full toss from Doug Bollinger- also proved critical as there was too much pressure on the middle-order.The only chance for Warriors after that effort was take early wickets. They didn’t. M Vijay and Michael Hussey shut them out of the contest with assured knocks. Both play spin well. Vijay used his feet to repeatedly drive inside out while Hussey, as ever, worked the angles. There was a brief moment at the end when Vijay and Suresh Raina fell in quick succession and you wondered, ‘Hold on, do we have a twist here?’ The equation jumped from a comfortable 26 from 31 deliveries to 13 from 12. However, Hussey and Dhoni calmly escorted Chennai home. A score of 128 wasn’t enough to test Chennai. Jacobs’ wicket was the key.Half-way through the evening, Jacobs’ blitz at the start already seemed a distant memory. As ever, he had moved around on his nimble feet and ripped shots with slaughterhouse finality. He smashed Doug Bollinger and Albie Morkel to all parts of the ground. There were his usual shuffle-and-smash shots, but there were also some skillful upper cuts and neat cover drives. Things looked so bright for Jacobs and his team in the sixth over but the lights went out very quickly.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Hawk-eye
Kemar Roach’s appeal against AB de Villiers was turned down, and West Indies opted against the review•Associated Press

AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince dug in to scupper a West Indian fightback by Sulieman Benn and put South Africa in a position of control in the deciding Test. Benn’s probing left-arm spin had given the hosts a massive boost with the wickets of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, who had forged a threatening stand, but an approach combining patience and determination from de Villiers and Prince, backed up by a bit of luck, helped South Africa lay the stage for a potentially decisive lead on a track expected to deteriorate.The West Indies spinners were able to extract both turn and bounce in good measure, keeping the close-in fielders interested throughout. Smith and Kallis, however, ensured a steady flow of singles and found the boundary by employing the sweep. The pair had settled in well after seeing off the early pressure created by the loss of nightwatchman Paul Harris and a phase where Dwayne Bravo frustrated South Africa with four consecutive maidens. But Benn kept on creating chances, and a wicket remained in sight.He altered his lengths to Kallis, who was rapped on the pads while attempting the sweep and given out by Simon Taufel. A review resulted in the decision being overturned for height. His persistence was rewarded when Smith, surprised by the sharp turn and extra bounce from the footmarks, offered a catch to short leg. Benn’s victory against Kallis would have been more satisfying. Given the ball in the first over after lunch, Benn beat the outside edge with one that spat away and followed it up with a delivery that just angled in, didn’t turn and crashed into the off stump with Kallis shouldering arms. South Africa were 145 for 5, and the game had evened out.While reflecting on their performance today, West Indies will perhaps look back at three opportunities they squandered, enabling South Africa to recover. Twice could they have had AB de Villiers dismissed, but erred in judgement and opted against the review. When on 8, de Villiers bottom-edged Kemar Roach to the wicketkeeper as he tried to leave the ball, and the appeal was turned down by umpire Steve Davies. A long discussion followed, and the decision went uncontested. There was a chance again after tea, when de Villiers, now on 42, appeared to be trapped in front by debutant Brandon Bess, but the umpire’s call again stood. And, once more, when the two had been well set, Prince’s call for an ill-judged single could have resulted in his run-out, but Brendan Nash at point missed by a mile.It was slow going initially by de Villiers and Smith, cautious against Benn who kept attacking with five fielders around the bat. Prince was beaten more than once with the extra bounce, while de Villiers’ uncertainty was evident in his initial attempt to constantly step out of the crease irrespective of the lengths. But time spent in the middle brought with it more confidence. When there was width available, they pierced the field through point and cover and turned the face to work the ball through square and midwicket when the line was straighter. de Villiers broke a 135-ball boundary drought, driving Shane Shillingford past mid-off, and Prince brought up the half-century partnership with a push to point in a post-lunch session that yielded just 58.The challenge from the hosts appeared to be tapering off after tea, with the spinners doling out long hops, promptly dispatched for boundaries, and Bess adding to the frustration with his indiscipline with the second new-ball. He bowled seven no-balls, provided width, strayed on the pads and dropped short to be dealt with by the batsmen who gradually had begun to loosen up. de Villiers’ drive to point, which resulted in a missed run-out and overthrows, raised his half-century and took South Africa into the lead; Prince reached his own with a sweep off Benn.However, just as West Indies seemed to be drifting out of contention, Benn struck again to remove de Villiers shortly before stumps, nicking one straight to Denesh Ramdin. West Indies may have pulled things back slightly, but they still need to confront the depth of South Africa’s lower order to limit the damage already caused.