A round-up of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier games held in Colombo on February 11, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2017

A clinical bowling display by South Africa bundled Bangladesh out for 100, a total they chased with six wickets in hand and 148 balls to spare in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Colombo. Bangladesh were set back in the first over, losing Sharmin Sultana off the third ball of the match. Two more quick wickets reduced Bangladesh to 8 for 3 in the fifth over. They never recovered thereon.Captain Rumana Ahmed top-scored with 39 off 93 balls. Fast bowler Shabnim Ismail and legspinner Sune Luus claimed three wickets each, while Dane van Niekerk returned two wickets in an economical spell. Openers Lizelle Lee (34) and Laura Wolvaardt (30) shared a 50-run stand in 60 balls to ease South Africa towards the target. Even though Bangladesh picked up regular wickets, their total was not nearly enough.File photo – Chamari Atapattu put in an all-round performance as Sri Lanka inched closer to the Super Six•International Cricket Council

Sri Lanka completed an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Colombo, a result that took them closer to the Super Six and to second place in Group A.Zimbabwe got off to a slow start after electing to bat, with the openers putting on 30 in 13.3 overs, before falling off consecutive overs. The breakthrough was made by left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, who returned later to take wickets off the 32nd, 34th, and 36th over to leave Zimbabwe struggling at 96 for 6. Ranaweera, who finished with 4 for 18, was supported by medium-pacers Chamari Kumarihami (2-21) and Chamari Atapattu (2-21). For Zimbabwe, Mary-Anne Musonda top-scored with 32; only two other batsmen got into the twenties as they folded for 149. In response, Sri Lanka were powered by an opening stand of 77 and an unbroken 57 for the third wicket as they chased the target down with 69 balls to spare. Atapattu followed up her two wickets with a 58, while Kumarihami (27*) and Prasadani Weerakkody (33*) took them home.File photo – Kim Garth narrowly missed out on a century as Ireland defeated Thailand•ICC/CricketEurope

Ireland strengthened their chances of a place in the Super Six stage with a 46-run win over Thailand in Colombo, riding on fifties from Kim Garth and their captain Laura Delany and a three-wicket haul from seamer Lucy O’Reilly.The foundation for Ireland’s score of 218 for 7 was set by Garth and Delany who shared a 106-run partnership for the third wicket after the early loss of the openers. While Delany made 50 off 80 balls, Garth fell two runs short of a century when she was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings. Her 122-ball knock had nine fours and a six.Ireland’s bowlers then kept the pressure on Thailand, who were limited to 172 for 9 in their allotted overs. Nattaya Boochatham (44), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (18) and Sornnarin Tippoch (42) showed some resolve in keeping Ireland at bay after early wickets, with Boochatham and Koncharoenkai adding 61 for the third wicket. However, O’Reilly quick wickets in the lower order confirmed Ireland’s win.File photo – Kari Anderson’s three-for helped Scotland defend 169 against Papua new Guinea•International Cricket Council

Scotland scraped through by seven runs against Papua New Guinea in a match where both teams were looking for their first win of the campaign.Scotland’s win was led by Kari Anderson, who took 3 for 35 and effected a run-out after PNG had won the toss and restricted them to 169. Anderson ran out PNG captain Pauke Siaka and took the wicket of top-scorer Brenda Tau (46) during the chase. She was supported by fellow medium-pacers Kirstie Gordon (2-27) and Priyanaz Chatterji (2-22), as the trio helped inflict a collapse that eventually saw PNG lose 10 for 90 – including two off the last over to Chatterji – after the openers had put on 72.Earlier, Siaka had 6 for 19 with her medium-pace, assisted by offspinner Sibona Jimmy who bowled five maidens and conceded only 15 in her ten overs. Scotland’s only notable partnership had been the 59 runs Anderson (26) had put on with top-scorer Rachel Scholes (35). Elizabeth Priddle (31) was the only other batsman to get into the thirties during Scotland’s fifty-over innings.

Everton have been strongly linked with a move for Viktor Gyokeres this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Viktor Gyokeres?

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Everton have had a bid rejected for the Coventry City striker.

As per the report, the Toffees have made their first offer for Gyokeres and have seen it rejected by the Championship club which has now put Sporting CP ahead in the race to secure his signature this summer.

Will Viktor Gyokeres sign for Everton?

It is no secret that Everton should be focusing on strengthening their forward line this summer after struggling to pose a consistent attacking threat last season, which ultimately contributed to their struggles in the Premier League relegation battle.

Sean Dyche will be likely keen to make his own mark on the squad he inherited from Frank Lampard in late January by bolstering key positions that have been neglected or weakened over the last 12 months, with the striker role probably the most pressing concern.

Indeed, Lampard did acquire the services of former Brighton and Hove Albion centre-forward Neal Maupay last summer in a £15m deal, however, it is safe to say that the Frenchman has failed to deliver since his arrival at Goodison Park and is already in dire need of replacing.

As a result, the signing of Gyokeres – who has a reported £20m price tag – would be warmly welcomed this summer as he could not only add quality depth to the forward line but would also be a significant upgrade on Maupay, especially if he can emulate his outstanding form in the Championship last season.

The Swedish striker has been a revelation for Coventry City and a standout performer in the second tier, finishing his 46-campaign as the second-highest scoring player in the entire league with an impressive 21 goals, but it's not just his conversion in front of goal that makes him a special prospect for Everton.

Over 46 league appearances, Gyokeres – hailed "confident" by Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray – delivered ten assists and created nine big chances, as well as averaging three shots on goal, 1.3 shots on target, 1.8 key passes and 2.1 successful dribbles per game, proving he offers a prolific and consistent attacking threat beyond scoring to improve his teammate's chances in the final third too.

In comparison, Maupay was a great deal less successful in his output, registering 0.3 key passes, 1.2 shots on goal, 0.6 shots on target and 0.3 successful dribbles per appearance over 27 Premier League performances.

To make matters worse, he only scored once and offered no assists or big chances, as per SofaScore.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Gyokeres would be a huge upgrade on Maupay this summer and if he could continue to dominate in front of goal would be a huge asset to Dyche next season.

Rangers have had an offer for Feyenoord striker Danilo swiftly turned down by the Dutch club, however Michael Beale remains keen, according to a report from The Daily Record.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

The Gers are in the latter stages of their negotiations for Brighton & Hove Albion's Abdallah Sima, with talks over a loan deal progressing well, although Alan Hutton believes Beale would much rather sign him on a permanent basis.

The former Rangers man does not expect the manager to bring too many players in on loan, and the manager has identified a number of other targets in attacking areas, who could be brought to Ibrox on a permanent basis.

Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers is still being monitored by the Light Blues, having seen their previous approaches turned down earlier in the window, and Danilo also remains a potential option.

However, The Daily Record report the Gers have had a low-ball offer for the Feyenoord striker immediately turned down, with the bid falling way short of the Dutch side's asking price.

The Eredivisie champions expect to receive more than £5m for the striker, with the two clubs currently "miles apart", however there are indications that Rangers could return to the negotiating table.

Despite the knock back, the 24-year-old remains high on Beale's list of potential attacking targets, but Dessers remains the priority for the time being.

Which striker are Rangers signing?

Dessers is Rangers' top target at present, and it is clear to see why, given the Nigerian's goal-scoring record over the past few years, most notably scoring ten goals for Feyenoord en-route to the Europa Conference League final in 2022.

However, Danilo has also impressed for the Dutch side, having been hailed as their "best finisher" by former manager Erik ten Hag, and he netted ten league goals last season, the second-highest amount in the squad.

The Sao Paolo-born forward's qualities do not stop there, averaging 0.2 assists per 90 in the past year, placing him in the 87th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

Having only recently turned 24, the £8k-per-week attacker is four years younger than Dessers, and he is already recording similar attacking numbers, with the latter netting nine goals during his last season in the Eredivisie.

At the moment, Rangers appear to be some way off Feyenoord's asking price, but if they are able to reach an agreement in the future, Danilo could be a solid addition to Beale's squad.

West Ham must begin the unwanted task of preparing to replace the imperious Declan Rice.

One name who could fill this impending void is Ibrahim Sangare.

What’s the latest on Ibrahim Sangare to West Ham?

According to Get Football News, PSV Eindhoven are willing to let the midfielder leave having attracted interest from several top clubs.

The Dutch side value the player at around €37m (£32m), but a number of clubs are reluctant to pay such a price.

Tottenham, Liverpool and PSG have all been linked with a move in the past, but, the Hammers cannot be ruled out as a viable option for Sangare’s signature, as back in April, he was suggested as a possible replacement for Rice by the Daily Mail.

This followed news that last summer, the Irons were weighing up a £25m move for the Ivorian, but any chance of securing the titan was extinguished when he signed a new deal with the club in that window.

But, with the 2023 Europa Conference League winners set to receive a mammoth fee for their club captain, they could reignite their interest in this 6 foot 3 colossus.

How would Ibrahim Sangare fit in at West Ham?

The 29-cap international has made 133 appearances for PSV, including 45 outings in all competitions this term, whilst notching 11 goal contributions.

This season, across 29 Eredivisie games, the West African has averaged 2.3 tackles, 1.6 clearances, 81% pass accuracy in the opposition half, and 77% of his dribbles, according to Sofascore. Clearly a defensively resolute performer, this is also a player with technical elegance.

He has shown himself to be simply above the level of the Dutch league as he ranks within the top 14% outside of Europe’s top five leagues for aerials won per 90, successful take-ons per 90, progressive passes per 90, and non-penalty goals per 90.

Sangare’s possible arrival could be a further setback from Flynn Downes, who has endured a difficult debut season in East London.

Despite Tomas Soucek’s patchy form, the former Swansea man only began seven top-flight games, but when he has sparingly featured he has largely struggled to show meaningful signs of his quality.

He dismally resides in the lowest 5% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

This has opened the door for Sangare, who has been described as “extraordinary” by former PSV and Ajax manager Aad de Mos.

Due to the pivot’s experience, Sangare has displayed the quality to be a regular starter for the Irons. Indeed, he would evidently be a far better option than Moyes' 2022 signing.

Gianluca Scamacca’s move to West Ham has unravelled into disaster.

The Italian was signed from Sassuolo to become the Irons’ main man, but he has been spectacularly disappointing, unable to take the goal-scoring burden off Michail Antonio.

Danny Ings was also bought in January in an attempt to cover up the Scamacca mistake, however, the Englishman has also struggled to find form in East London.

This situation has left David Moyes in the hunt for a new striker and the club has been linked with Armando Broja.

What’s the latest on Armando Broja to Chelsea?

According to Romagiallorossa.it, Roma are closing on a loan with an obligation to buy deal for Scamacca, a move that would provide space for West Ham to enquire about the Chelsea man.

Indeed, it's alleged that the Hammers are supposedly “closing” in on the 21-year-old, who last year had an asking price of around £30m.

Can Armando Broja replace Gianluca Scamacca?

Broja is a player brimming with talent, effervescence, and potential, but has suffered hideous luck with injury.

The £40k-per-week striker has been restricted to just three starts for the Blues this season after he tore his cruciate ligament in a friendly against Aston Villa in December 2022.

Although, admittedly prior to this unfortunate event, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both reluctant to regularly utilise the forward. Nevertheless, he has shown in a previous loan spell his extraordinary talent.

During the 2020/21 season, the youngster was at Southampton, where has displayed the most promise in his short career, as in 38 appearances in all competitions, the Chelsea starlet scored nine times.

Frank Lampard, who gave Broja his full debut back in 2020, once said: “He is a very talented young boy.

“He came into us at the start of the Covid times, trained with us, and showed the attributes that I think you’re seeing now in the Premier League at Southampton.

“He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths.”

Meanwhile, Scamacca has failed to hit the heights he had previously shown in his homeland. After netting 16 Serie goals in the 2020/21 season, he has only registered three Premier League strikes, failing to score since January 4th.

Moyes provided a rather damning indictment on Scamacca and said: "We know that his physical data has got to be much better than it is. Gianluca has got to get himself back.

“You want to put out the players who you think are going to win for you, so you are always looking to put your best team out. We just want the output to be bigger and more.”

Therefore, this has opened the pathway for Broja, who has already shown he can consistently perform at the top level.

Described as “dangerous” by Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 17-cap international is a more than adequate replacement for the out-of-favour Scamacca.

Alongside Nathan Lyon’s extraordinary 8 for 50, another figure stood out on a day when Australia took a giant leap towards retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It was 18 – the number of boundaries struck by India’s batsmen in their first innings or, more pointedly, the number Australia restricted them to striking.Lyon could certainly see the correlation between his success and the suffocating consistency of the Australian bowling attack, from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with the new ball to left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe at the other end, all supported by the nifty fields of the captain Steven Smith.With typical modesty, Lyon summed up his snaffling of the best figures ever by a visiting bowler in India: “I was the lucky one today.”In explaining how he had learned to prosper in Asia, following less productive visits to India, the UAE and Sri Lanka last year, Lyon pointed to the need to bowl as tightly as possible, landing ball after ball in teasing areas and gaining variation from the pitch. His blueprint came in part from conversations with Rangana Herath at the end of the Sri Lanka series, and was solidified in his mind during one-on-one sessions with John Davison and Darren Berry during the Big Bash League in January.”I don’t know if they’re going to spin or go straight, so if I don’t know neither does the batter really,” Lyon said of a day where he divided his wickets almost exactly between balls that turned and others that did not. “I’m about doing the basics really well and just landing on the same spot, that’s a big one for me, if I keep doing that I’m going to be able to create chances.”That’s what you’ve got to do over here, on the subcontinent, is be patient and hit the same spot over and over and hopefully things will start to happen. I think that’s where Steve O’Keefe and myself have been working really well together, I’m able to get a decent amount of turn and SOK’s able to do both. He’s quite talented in the way he releases the ball, go underneath it a little bit and hit those front pads. That’s where I think we’re working really well together.”Steve and the others spinners all said we have to stay patient and build balls. If you look at Rangana Herath, one of the best spinners in the world, what does he do well? He hits the same spot over and over. He said to me after the [Sri Lanka] series I don’t know if they’re going to spin either. So if I’m working off the same plan Rangana’s working off, he’s going alright, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep doing it as an Australian team.”Bengaluru’s pitch differed from Pune in that it offered greater bounce, and also variation by the patchwork of cracks unveiled on the opening day. In keeping with their mantra of adaptability, Lyon and O’Keefe conferred early in the day to realise there would be as much gained from over spin as side spin, something demonstrated by the skidder that fooled Virat Kohli, but also the turn and bounce O’Keefe gained for his lone but vital wicket – the fluent Karun Nair stumped by Matthew Wade.”We had to assess the conditions quickly and adapt, and Steve O’Keefe and I had a conversation out there and saw there were a couple really jumping up,” Lyon said. “So I looked at my bowling to see if I could put some over spin on it and get some balls to jump, and to get some good bounce out there was pleasing. Saying that, there’s a second innings so we need to keep working hard and take another 10 wickets.”As for the wicket of Kohli, snared cheaply now for the third innings in a row, Lyon cribbed from the words of Dale Steyn last summer ahead of South Africa’s victory over Smith’s men: cutting off the head of the snake.”Virat’s one of the best batters in the world I’ve ever come across, so to be able to take his wicket today was exceptional. But we know this is a massive series and a long series. He’s a world-class batter so we expect him to bounce back. He’s the head of the snake, if you want to put it in Dale Steyn’s terms, if you can take that then hopefully the body will fall away is what Dale said.”We came over here to compete hard against India and we’re doing that well at the moment. But cricket’s a funny game, if I come out and say we’re going to keep bowling them out for under 150 it’s going to bite me in the backside real quick. We’ve got the belief in the team, the feeling in that change room is unbelievable at the moment. So if we can keep doing that and have really good days of cricket for Australia, we’re heading in the right direction.”Lyon had struggled for wickets at the start of the Australian summer, when not for the first time his place in the Test team was openly questioned. But as Bengaluru so amply demonstrated, Lyon’s is a considerable talent, now elevated further by a commanding performance in the homeland of spin bowling.”I don’t need to prove to anyone,” he said. “I’ve proved to myself I can compete at this level and I want to keep doing it for Australia. This is where my passion lies and I just want to keep doing what I can for Australia.”

A round-up of the Group B matches from the Vijay Hazare Trophy played on March 4, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2017Akshdeep Nath’s 109, his second List A hundred in three matches, carried Uttar Pradesh to a six-wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in Bhubaneswar. Nath struck 17 fours and two sixes during his 90-ball 109 as Uttar Pradesh chased down 256 in 40.4 overs. Nath’s 119-run partnership with opener Shivam Chaudhary, who hit 75 off 74 balls, formed the crux of the chase. Nath went onto bring up his century, then fell with his team 31 away from the target. Rinku Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, however, sealed a handsome victory.Having opted to bat, Himachal Pradesh fell to 68 for 4 in 19 overs. Debutant Ekant Sen and Ankit Kaushik then rallied their team with a 78-run stand. Both batsmen went onto score fifties and Mayank Dagar contributed with a 33-ball 46 to lift Himachal Pradesh to 255. Seamer Mohd Israr returned 4 for 33 while his senior partner Praveen Kumar claimed 2 for 40.Maharashtra limited Tripura to 188 and completed the chase with four wickets and nearly 100 balls to spare in Cuttack. This meant Maharashtra consolidated their position at the top of the Group B table with their fifth win in six matches. It was set up by new-ball bowlers Nikit Dhumal and Shrikant Mundhe who took a combined 7 for 58. They carved up the top and middle order, reducing Tripura to 30 for 5 in 12.2 overs. Gurinder Singh, coming in at No.7, lent some respectability to the score with 91 off 121 balls, including six fours and five sixes. His contribution accounted for nearly half of Tripura’s total of 188.Maharashtra lost Ankit Bawne and Naushad Shaikh early to Ajoy Sarkar but Ruturaj Gaikwad and captain Kedar Jadhav propped up their team with forty-somethings each. Wicketkeeper Nikhil Naik also made a forty – 46 not out off 34 balls – as Maharashtra got home in the 35th over.Batsman Unmukt Chand and left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal – belated additions to the Delhi squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy – helped the team to a consolation win over Kerala in Tangi. After Suyal took took wickets, Chand steered Delhi’s chase of 232 with 64 off 85 balls, including five fours and a six. Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir had laid the platform for Chand with a 60-run opening stand. Milind Kumar complemented Chand with 40 off 37 balls and hastened Delhi’s win.Earlier, Kerala put up 231, thanks largely to Salman Nizar’s 59 and Sanju Samson’s 41 after twenty-somethings from the top three. Navdeep Saini too picked up two wickets while Milind chipped in with one.

Aston Villa have reached an "agreement" to bring Villarreal defender Pau Torres to the Premier League, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Is Pau Torres joining Aston Villa?

Quique Setien’s academy graduate will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the ongoing transfer window is his club’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to lose him for free, and 90min have claimed that he’s told them that he’s ready to leave.

The Yellow Submarines centre-back has reportedly been made a top target by the Midlands outfit with Unai Emery a “big fan” of the 26-year-old having managed him for 105 appearances during his time in his homeland.

The La Liga star’s deal has a £55m release clause included but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that NSWE and Monchi will pay "way less" than that, and if the following update is anything to go by, the conditions of the deal have already been addressed.

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed that Aston Villa have finalised a deal for Torres with the defender having given the green-light to complete a summer move to the Midlands. He wrote:

"Aston Villa have now reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign centre-back Pau Torres. Personal terms are also in place for 26yo Spain international defender to join in what’s another big coup for #AVFC + manager Unai Emery."

Is Torres a good signing for Villa?

Aston Villa will already be aware of what Torres is capable of due to Emery’s existing connection to the centre-back, and having also been dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javier Calleja, he would be a fantastic acquisition for the boss.

The Spain international averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.3 tackles per league game last season, via WhoScored, so is a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he also likes to push his team as high up the pitch as possible having ranked in the 99th percentile for most progressive carries by centre-backs.

Torres, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 2, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the level that the Villans are looking to achieve having previously won the Europa League back in 2020/21, so he could inspire the rest of the squad to give it their all on the bigger stage next season in their first campaign in the Conference League.

أعلنت اللجنة المنظمة لبطولة “كأس عاصمة مصر” الودية الدولية المقامة في مصر، عن توفير حافلات مجانية لنقل الجماهير إلى ملعب استاد مصر في العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة.

منتخب مصر يلاقي نيوزيلندا، مساء اليوم الجمعة، في إطار مباراة دور نصف النهائي لبطولة كأس عاصمة مصر، على ملعب استاد مصر في العاصمة الإدارية وذلك في البطولة المدرجة ضمن سلسلة فيفا الدولية.

وكانت الجهات الأمنية وافقت على حضور 30 ألف مشجع في مباراة مصر ونيوزيلندا الودية.

وأكدت اللجنة المنظمة توفير أتوبيسات لنقل الجماهير بالمجان من الميادين العامة في القاهرة والجيزة والشرقية إلى استاد مصر بالعاصمة الادارية الجديدة لحضور مباراة مصر ونيوزيلندا في كأس عاصمة مصر ضمن سلسلة فيفا الدولية.

وأشارت إلى أن الحافلات تبدأ التحرك من الساعة 4 عصراً وسيكون بداية خط السير من الميادين التالية (عبد المنعم رياض، العباسية، حدائق القبة، بجوار نادي مصر للبترول، مدينة نصر، محطة مترو الاستاد” بجوار نادي الزهور وكذلك بجوار نادي السكة الحديد، محطة عدلي منصور، شبرا الخيمة، السلام، المعادي”أمام المركز الأوليمبي”، الجيزة، حدائق الأهرام “أمام نادي حدائق الأهرام”، زهرة العاصمة، العاشر من رمضان”ميدان الأردنية” ، الزقازيق أمام نادي الشرقية).

طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العاصمة

وتقام البطولة في الفترة 22-26 مارس الجاري، بمشاركة منتخبات مصر، نيوزيلندا، كرواتيا وتونس.

وتستضيف مصر بطولة العاصمة الأدارية، خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي الخاص بشهر مارس، وذلك ضمن سلسلة مباريات الاتحاد الدولي فيفا.

وتقام البطولة بنظام مباراتين لنصف النهائي والفائزان يلتقيان في المباراة النهائية، حيث مواجهتا النصف النهائي ستكونا بين مصر ونيوزيلندا اليوم الجمعة، وكرواتيا ضد تونس يوم 23 مارس.

والفائزان من المواجهتين يلتقيان في المباراة النهائية يوم 26 مارس، بينما الخاسران يتواجهان في مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث والرابع يوم 26 مارس.

ScorecardSam Curran cleaned up Sri Lanka A’s lower order•Getty Images

The Curran brothers followed their important second-innings runs by sharing six wickets as England Lions completed a comprehensive 195-run victory in the opening four-day match against Sri Lanka A.The contest was over shortly after lunch on the final day as Tom Curran ended with 3 for 35 and Sam Curran 3 for 21. The previous day they had added 62 to stretch the Lions lead. There were also two wickets for Middlesex offspinner Ollie Rayner.Sri Lanka A offered minimal resistance, expect for opener Udara Jayasundera who carried his bat with 64 off 166 deliveries, although a final-wicket stand of 54 delayed the end a little.”Everyone has chipped in,” Keaton Jennings, the England Lions captain, said. “As a whole team performance it was absolutely brilliant. It’s a good bowling attack to captain, with a lot of variety, and a really good bunch of guys to captain as well. Those runs we got lower down the order in the first innings were very important in setting up the game.”When Sri Lanka resumed on 41 for 2, Tom Curran gave the Lions an ideal start to the final day when had Roshen Silva caught behind in the first over. Tom Helm also produced a first-over trick, for the second time in the match, by surprising Charith Asalanka with extra bounce.Rayner removed the key wicket of captain Dhananjaya de Silva and also claimed Dilruwan Perera as the Sri Lanka slide continued before the Currans almost finished things off in double-quick time. Sam Curran was on a hat-trick with the No. 11, Asitha Fernando, on strike but he survived and alongside Jayasundera played out the extra half hour the Lions claimed to try and wrap up the victory before lunch.However, it did not take long after the break until Fernando picked out Nick Gubbins at mid-on to give Sam Curran his third.Despite the convincing margin of victory, Jennings pinpointed the top-order batting as an area for improvement ahead of the second four-day game in Dambulla. In the first innings the Lions’ last two wickets added 106 and in the second the last four provided 130.”We all know our roles and responsibilities, and as a top order batter you want to score runs,” he said. “Not everybody can score runs all the time. But you’ve got to make sure you try and take care of that role, show the grit to get through those tough periods and get runs.”From a bowling point of view as well, there’s a few plans we can come up with now we’ve seen a few of their guys. That’s the exciting thing, the room for improvement in the second game in Dambulla. But this was a very good team performance – very enjoyable.”