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Yasir Shah and Mohammad Rizwan combined to send back Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day, July 16, 2022 Yasir Shah and Mohammad Rizwan combined to send back Kusal Mendis • AFP/Getty Images Lunch Sri Lanka 80 for 4 (Oshada 35, Chandimal 12*, Dhananjaya 8*, Yasir 2-26) vs Pakistan Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva took Sri Lanka to lunch after a morning session that had started promisingly for them, but ended with Pakistan on top. Having lost the toss - they would no doubt have wanted to bat first - Pakistan will be chuffed with proceedings so far. Yasir Shah, on his return to the Test side, was the pick of the bowlers, getting the key wickets of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews, while the three quicks in the Pakistan line-up were rotated efficiently in support. Much of the damage was done in the space of a few minutes post the drinks break, when the set pair of Oshada Fernando and Kusal fell in the space of three deliveries. The first to go was Mendis, getting a faint bottom edge through to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps, as he looked to cut one that was pushed through quicker by Yasir. Oshada followed, as a tentative defensive push to one wide outside off from Hasan Ali at the start of the next over found the edge - thicker than Kusal's - to Rizwan, who had to put in a dive to cling on. RELATED Story Image Tait: Big turners might not work for Sri Lanka against Pakistan Story Image Yasir returns to Sri Lanka hoping to rediscover glory days The most striking aspect of the two wickets was the fact that they came from pretty much nowhere, as Sri Lanka had looked largely comfortable up until that point despite the early loss of Dimuth Karunaratne. Karunaratne became the latest victim of Shaheen Shah Afridi's trademark early-overs blitz. Afridi had probed the line outside Karunaratne's off stump, and having spotted his propensity to push towards cover, got one to nip back just enough to catch the inside edge off the forward defence on to pad and then the off peg. This early blow, however, wouldn't slow down the Sri Lankans, as both Kusal and Oshada found boundaries with regularity, and the seamers struggled for the most part to keep to consistent lines and lengths. Both were quick to punish anything short or overpitched outside off, happy to cut and drive both through the covers and behind point. Though the pick of the strokes was a delightful whip through midwicket from Oshada, to one that was straight and a touch too full from Afridi. At the height of their 49-run stand, Sri Lanka were going at around four an over. However, the wickets stalled the innings. This was highlighted by Mathews struggling through 15 deliveries, before falling without troubling the scorers, as he looked to break the shackles only to chip Yasir for an easy catch to midwicket following a shimmy down the track. Chandimal and Dhananjaya then looked to have got a foothold before the lunch break, but on a pitch that still has some runs in it, they will know they can't afford to falter. In the morning, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. They made two changes from the side that beat Australia just over a week ago. Pathum Nissanka missed out, as he's still recovering from Covid-19. He was replaced by Oshada. Kamindu Mendis, meanwhile, was unlucky not to keep his place after an impressive outing against the Australians with the bat on debut, with Dhananjaya returning after recovering from Covid-19. For Pakistan, there was a debut for middle-order batter Agha Salman. Sri Lanka sit at third on the World Test Championship points table, and Pakistan fourth. A 2-0 win for either could put them in with an outside chance of making the WTC final.

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Club Statement: Farhad Moshiri BREAKING NEWS Thu 14 Jul 2022 A MESSAGE FROM FARHAD MOSHIRI By Everton Worth sharing? Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Email Share via copyLINK COPIED Dear Evertonians, There has been much talk of investment in our football club recently – even takeovers – but I want to clarify that there is no ‘for sale’ sign currently hanging outside Everton Football Club. It will always be pragmatic to explore all potential investment opportunities and, as I have been transparent about, I am focused on completing the financing for our fantastic new stadium as well as strengthening the playing squad and that might include a minority investment. That will continue. But I want to reassure all of you that Everton Football Club is not for sale. My commitment to the Club remains strong and focused and Kevin Thelwell and the Chairman are currently working hard to bring in new players to improve Frank Lampard’s squad. There will be new signings and I would ask supporters to judge us at the end of the transfer window – not now – and to listen to official club channels for information. FARHAD MOSHIRI My commitment to the Club remains strong and focused and Kevin Thelwell and the Chairman are currently working hard to bring in new players to improve Frank Lampard’s squad. The fact that we are an open and collaborative football club which listens to our supporters was underlined last week when we added another famous first to our long list of historic milestones when the inaugural Everton Fan Advisory Board met. Our CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, along with Non-Executive Director Graeme Sharp and other senior Club officials, welcomed the first fan-elected and independent advisory board of its kind in the top flight of English football to our Royal Liver Building headquarters. This occasion firmly underlines our ongoing commitment to engage with our supporters and, as we look to the 2022/23 season, we are committed to furthering that dialogue. Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support. Farhad Moshiri Article Tags: BREAKING NEWS CLUB NEWS NEWS HOME PAGE

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