West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope knows all too well that winning their three-match series against Sri Lanka will be incumbent on players pulling their weight and executing with precision.
In fact, Hope highlighted the need for consistency across all departments, stressing that no one can afford to have an off day if the team is to compete at the highest level and climb back up the ICC rankings, as crucial ICC ranking points and World Cup qualification implications are at stake in this series.
The opening match of the series will take place at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Game time is 4:00am Jamaica time and 5:00am Easter Caribbean Time.
“We're looking ahead, so we got to ensure that we play good cricket and see if we can get ourselves back up the rankings. We don't necessarily have to qualify this time around, but we got to take it one step at a time because, as much as we are looking ahead, we still got to make sure we stay in the present as well,” Hope said in a pre-game press conference.
“We've got a few new members, we got some returning guys, and we've got to gel those consistent performances together as best as we can. Especially now when things are not looking too bright for us in the last couple of years. But I'm sure we've got everything in the tank that we need to become a successful team,” he added.
Despite having undeniable talent, the West Indies have struggled to string together efficient performances in the ODI format, in particular, and Hope believes this is where the team must show improvement if they are to rise in the rankings, as the Caribbean side is currently lagging at 10th in the rankings.
“We want to improve in all areas. As you can see, we're not where we want to be, but this is how it goes. Sometimes you can't win every game, but in order to be one of the top teams in the world, you got to be a lot more consistent in all three areas. So we just need to be more ruthless when it comes to our preparation and the way we go out there on the field and just find ways to win key moments in games and do it more consistently,” Hope stressed.
With Sri Lanka expected to pose a tough challenge, especially on their home turf, Hope is determined to ensure that his squad is mentally and physically prepared for what lies ahead.
“Well, whenever you come to Sri Lanka, you got to expect the ball to do a little bit, especially from a spin bowling standpoint. But yeah, we can't have too much of a predetermined mindset; we have to wait and see what the pitch is going to offer tomorrow (Sunday).
“It's important to have an idea, but at the end of the day you still got to play what you see. It's important that we understand that it can look like a dust bowl but play pretty much straight on, so we got to make sure we're very adaptable in that aspect and ensure that we're ready to play whatever they throw at us,” Hope noted.
While his squad includes the likes of vice captain Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, and young stalwarts such as 17-year-old Jewel Andrew, Hope emphasized the need for each player to focus on executing their roles with discipline.
“Everyone has to pull their weight. I'm not going to single out and say the fast bowler has to do x or y. But yes, we know the quality of bowlers that we have, and as long as the confidence is there and the planning is there, all we need to do is execute. So the rest is up to us; we've got the ball in our court, and so we've got to make sure we're playing good cricket starting with this first game on Sunday,” the Barbadian ended.
Max Verstappen came out on top in Formula One for the first time since June after Saturday's sprint victory at the United States Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver claimed pole position for the 19-lap race in Austin, holding on throughout to increase his drivers' championship lead by two points over Lando Norris, who finished third.
That ended a nine-race wait for victory, across eight races and one sprint, as Verstappen led from start to finish, ensuring the momentum in the world championship battle swung firmly back in his favour.
Carlos Sainz ended second after Norris went too deep into Turn One on the final lap, though the McLaren driver fended off Charles Leclerc – who finished fourth – after a near-miss between the pair.
George Russell started slow but recovered to take fifth, one spot ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, while Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg made up the top eight.
Red Bull had struggled amid Verstappen's winless run, but will now take confidence into qualification later on Saturday before Sunday's main-event race as he looks to extend his 54-point lead over Norris.
"It feels a bit like old times! I'm very happy. If you look at the whole race, Ferrari was also very quick," a relieved Verstappen concluded.
Norris was subsequently confirmed to be under investigation after the race for "driving erratically" in his final-lap battle with Leclerc.
Data Debrief: Red Bull redemption
With Verstappen's eight-point haul in the sprint, Red Bull have now managed points in 62 consecutive events, equalling the third-best run in F1 history (also Mercedes, 62, on two separate occasions).
Verstappen's next challenge will now be to end his eight-race wait in Grand Prix action for victory, which is his worst such streak since going 11 races without a win in 2020.
Top 8
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 339
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 285
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 250
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 522
2. Red Bull - 483
3. Ferrari - 453
Girona's indifferent start to their LaLiga campaign continued as they slipped down to 13th following a 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad.
Coming off a gutsy victory over Athletic Bilbao, last season's surprise package Girona have failed to string consecutive wins together this term and have 12 points from 10 league games.
The visitors went ahead when captain Mikel Oyarzabal headed home Ander Barrenetxea's cross from the left for his first goal of the season.
Arnaut Danjuma had some presentable opportunities to restore parity, but the former Villarreal, Tottenham and Everton forward failed to bury any of his three shots.
Indeed, without Bryan Gil and Yaser Asprilla, who were injured, Girona failed to test La Real too much, accumulating only 0.38 expected goals (xG) from their eight attempts as they slumped to a fourth league defeat of the season.
Data Debrief: La Real continue to get the better of Girona
Girona have played more games against La Real without winning (P9 D6 L3) than they have against any other opponent in LaLiga.
Indeed, La Real have not lost any of their last five games against Girona in all competitions (D3 W2).
Girona boss Michel has managed eight games in all competitions against La Real without a win, too.
Harry Kane's hat-trick guided Bayern Munich to a 4-0 victory over visiting Stuttgart on Saturday to snap their three-game winless run across all competitions.
Kane, who had missed a golden chance in front of goal in the 51st minute, broke the deadlock six minutes later, rifling in from outside the box.
The England captain, who had not scored in his previous two Bundesliga games, then drilled in following a goalmouth scramble on the hour.
He secured his hat-trick in the 80th minute with his eighth league goal of the season after Joao Palhinha's shot was blocked, with substitute Kingsley Coman curling in Bayern's fourth goal in the 89th.
The result keeps the Bavarians at the top of the standings on 17 points, with a better goal difference than RB Leipzig, who were 2-0 victors at Mainz earlier on Saturday.
Freiburg are third on 15 with champions Bayer Leverkusen in fourth, one point back after their 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Data Debrief: Goals galore for Kane and Bayern
This marked Kane's third hat-trick of the season for Bayern in all competitions. It brings his tally in the Bundesliga to eight goals this season, topping the charts at Bayern.
Bayern have scored in their last 14 games in the Bundesliga, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 43 games from September 30, 2022 to January 12, 2024.
Bayern are also unbeaten in their seven games so far this season and have scored at least six more goals than any other team in the division (24, Leverkusen have 18).
Ten-man Milan held on to secure a 1-0 home win over Udinese thanks to Samuel Chukwueze's early goal.
Chukwueze struck low into the corner from a Christian Pulisic assist in the 13th minute of Saturday's Serie A contest at San Siro.
Yet the challenge of holding onto that lead was made much tougher when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was sent off.
Netherlands international Reijnders received his marching orders in the 29th minute after colliding with Sandi Lovric, who was through on goal.
Milan are third in the league standings with 14 points, equal with Inter Milan in second and two behind leaders Napoli.
Udinese pushed to exploit their numerical advantage in the second half and they found the net through Christian Kabasele deep into stoppage time.
However, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for offside, ensuring the win for Milan.
Data Debrief: Captain America
Milan star Pulisic is the only player to have scored 10+ goals (17) and provided 10+ assists (11) from the beginning of last season in Serie A.
In fact, only Chelsea's Cole Palmer (44 – 28G, 16A) has been directly involved in more goals than Pulisic (28 – 17G, 11A) of midfielders in the big five European Leagues from the beginning of 2023-24.
Milan had to do it the hard way following Reijnders' dismissal. Only Bologna (54) have received more red cards than Milan in the last 10 Serie A campaigns (53).
Novak Djokovic edged out Rafael Nadal to finish third at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia after an emotional last clash between two greats of the sport.
Nadal and Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively in the semi-finals, setting up a memorable third-place play-off between this pair of tennis heavyweights on Saturday.
Spain's Nadal is set to retire after the Davis Cup Finals conclusion in November, with his last outing in an individual event ending in a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) defeat ahead of his impending retirement.
The 38-year-old struggled in the first set against familiar foe Djokovic, who broke in the opening game en route to a comfortable first-set victory.
Nadal improved in the second set as the pair exchanged early breaks, with Djokovic forced to work to stay in the contest.
That resilience paid dividends for the Serbian to put him on the brink of victory, though Nadal managed to save a match point with a blistering forehand winner before levelling at 5-5.
Djokovic's dominant first serve did not let him down in the tiebreak, though, as the 24-time major champion battled past Nadal for one final time.
Data Debrief: Djokovic snatches bragging rights
Though this was an exhibition encounter, Djokovic will be delighted to have had the final say in the last dance between this great duo.
Across 61 meetings in official tour-level competitions, Djokovic boasts a slightly favourable record, winning 32 times and losing on 29 occasions.
This Riyadh victory may prove the final meeting of any kind between the pair, though it will live long in the memory as Nadal prepares for an emotional farewell in Malaga.
Novak Djokovic edged out Rafael Nadal to finish third at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia after an emotional last clash between two greats of the sport.
Nadal and Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively in the semi-finals, setting up a memorable third-place play-off between this pair of tennis heavyweights on Saturday.
Spain's Nadal is set to retire after the Davis Cup Finals conclusion in November, with his last outing in an individual event ending in a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) defeat ahead of his impending retirement.
The 38-year-old struggled in the first set against familiar foe Djokovic, who broke in the opening game en route to a comfortable first-set victory.
Nadal improved in the second set as the pair exchanged early breaks, with Djokovic forced to work to stay in the contest.
That resilience paid dividends for the Serbian to put him on the brink of victory, though Nadal managed to save a match point with a blistering forehand winner before levelling at 5-5.
Djokovic's dominant first serve did not let him down in the tiebreak, though, as the 24-time major champion battled past Nadal for one final time.
Data Debrief: Djokovic snatches bragging rights
Though this was an exhibition encounter, Djokovic will be delighted to have had the final say in the last dance between this great duo.
Across 61 meetings in official tour-level competitions, Djokovic boasts a slightly favourable record, winning 32 times and losing on 29 occasions.
This Riyadh victory may prove the final meeting of any kind between the pair, though it will live long in the memory as Nadal prepares for an emotional farewell in Malaga.
Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert dealt 10-man Arsenal their first Premier League defeat of the season as Bournemouth triumphed 2-0 on Saturday.
William Saliba received his marching orders on the half-hour mark for denying Evanilson a goalscoring opportunity, giving the hosts a glorious opportunity for an upset at the Vitality Stadium.
And midway through the second half, Bournemouth took that chance, with Christie breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute before Kluivert doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
That calmly taken spot-kick ensured Arsenal could not salvage a result to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign as the Gunners came up short on a frustrating day for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners stay third, missing the chance to go top with Liverpool and Manchester City not playing until Sunday, while Bournemouth moved up to 10th after collecting their third win of the season.
Data Debrief: Cherries halt Arsenal's unbeaten start
Arsenal were one of just two unbeaten sides left in the Premier League going into the weekend, but a lacklustre performance on the south coast has taken that tally to just one.
Despite not showing much of a threat at the start, the game turned with Saliba's sending-off - in his 93rd appearance for Arsenal in all competitions, he received his first red card.
But do not let that take away from Bournemouth's second-half showing. Kluivert both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the first time, while each of his last four goals have come at the Vitality Stadium.
Burnley climbed into top spot in the Championship after defeating Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Hillsborough to sit two points ahead of second-placed Sunderland.
The Clarets extended their unbeaten run to seven matches under Scott Parker with goals either side of half-time.
Jaidon Anthony got Burnley off the mark after 37 minutes when he seized on a loose ball in the box to fire into the bottom left corner and open his account for the visitors after signing in August.
Burnley’s leading goalscorer, Joshua Brownhill, secured the three points on 50 minutes, rifling home a volley from the centre of the box.
The Clarets will keep their spot at the top if Sunderland fail to win at Hull City on Sunday.
West Brom scuppered their chance to move level on points with the current league leaders after conceding a 92nd-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 away at Oxford United.
Instead, they now sit fifth, level on points with sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers who beat Swansea City 1-0 to move into the play-off spots.
Elsewhere, Cardiff City secured a much-needed win in style, defeating Plymouth Argyle 5-0 to move off of the bottom spot, while Portsmouth won 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers.
Luton Town recorded a satisfying 3-0 derby victory against Watford, who had engaged in some pre-match teasing on social media and duly got their comeuppance.
Preston North End and Bristol City also recorded wins, while Norwich City were held to a draw by Stoke City to prevent them moving into the play-off spots. Millwall and Derby County also cancelled each other out in a midtable clash.
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United used Brentford's "unfair" opener as fuel after they fought back for a vital 2-1 Premier League victory at Old Trafford.
United appeared to be heading for another demoralising loss when Ethan Pinnock headed home in first-half stoppage time, amid fury from United's players and fans.
The Red Devils were forced to defend the corner with 10 men as defender Matthijs de Ligt was ordered off the pitch for treatment after bleeding from his head – the result of an earlier collision with Kevin Schade.
While rules say players cannot be allowed to continue while bleeding, Ten Hag was incensed by referee Samuel Barrott asking him to leave the field.
"We didn't know why the referee brought one of our players in a critical moment off the pitch," he told BBC Match of the Day.
"It was dry blood – it happened before. Then in a critical moment on a corner for them, which is their strength, they bring one of our best headers off and Brentford benefit from it."
However, he hailed United's powers of recovery as second-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund fired them to just their third Premier League win of the season.
"We are happy to win the game. At United, you have to win games but also to bring entertainment," the Dutchman continued.
"I think for everyone it was an enjoyable game. Especially the way it happened, when you concede an unfair goal.
"In the second half, we showed we are together, we showed determination and we scored two beautiful goals.
"Everyone was angry. We took that as fuel. We showed with a quick start in the second half that we wanted to put things right and we did with two beautiful goals."
Scored just 89 seconds after the restart, Garnacho's goal was United's quickest after half-time in a Premier League match since October 2022 (Fred versus Tottenham, 76 seconds), and their earliest leveller after the break since February 2014 (Robin van Persie versus Stoke City, 87 seconds).
United have now won all four of their home Premier League games against Brentford, meanwhile, only facing Wigan Athletic (eight), Birmingham City and Portsmouth (seven each) more often at Old Trafford while boasting a 100% win ratio.
Jordan Ayew celebrated a goal that represented "what we play football for" after his late winner against Southampton.
Ayew scored in the 98th minute on Saturday to seal a 3-2 comeback win for Steve Cooper's team.
It marked Leicester's latest goal on record in a Premier League game, and the first time the Foxes have ever won an away match in the competition in which they had trailed by two goals.
Ayew, a summer signing from Crystal Palace, drilled low into the corner to seal a memorable victory.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Ayew said: "Massive three points, back-to-back wins especially after the international break is not easy. We did well, we fought, we pushed them and pushed ourselves as well and got the three points.
"It was just natural instinct. Luckily the ball came, it wasn't easy but I managed to score. We're all happy and hopefully there is more to come.
"Everyone was happy and that's what we play football for, these kinds of moments."
Leicester have lost just one of their last five Premier League games (W2 D2) after losing two of their first three under Cooper.
"We just need to stay humble because we were losing 2-0 so all is not perfect," added Ayew.
"It's not going to be every weekend like this, it's going to be tough. But we have a quality group, we believe in ourselves, we believe in our manager. We are going to give our best for the club."
Southampton raced into a 2-0 lead through Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo at Saint Mary's, with Facundo Buonanotte dragging Leicester back into it in the 64th minute.
Ryan Fraser's red card for a foul in the area paved the way for Jamie Vardy to score from the spot, before Ayew was on hand to seal the spoils.
A frustrated Russell Martin said: "The sending off changed the game. They hadn't had any of the ball near our goal at that point. Then Ryan gets sent off and it becomes really difficult.
"We played some brilliant stuff in the first half-hour but didn't take our chances to kill the game off. Someone gets sent off, it changes the whole context of the game.
"With VAR, I can't have any complaints, they obviously analysed it and looked at it."
Brighton captain Lewis Dunk lauded Danny Welbeck as "key to our success" after a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Newcastle United on Saturday.
Welbeck combined well with Georginio Rutter before sliding his slick finish past Nick Pope, and that 35th-minute strike proved the difference at St. James' Park.
The well-taken finish marked Welbeck's 100th Premier League goal involvement (72 goals, 28 assists) and he has now scored as many goals in the competition this season as he did in the 2023-24 campaign (five).
Having also scored the winner against Tottenham before the international break, Welbeck continues to deliver for Fabian Hurzeler's side, though there was cause for concern as the veteran striker left the pitch on a stretcher late on after a seemingly innocuous clash with Fabian Schar.
Dunk lavished praise on his team-mate after a victory that lifted Brighton up to fifth in the Premier League table, two points adrift of the top four.
"I'm gutted to see him go off, he's been in top, top form this season. Hopefully it's not a bad injury and he'll be back soon," Dunk told BBC's Match of the Day.
"He was ruthless scoring his goal. Me and him have a good link-up. He's one of the top professionals at this football club and he's a great key to our success.
"He helps everyone, young and old. Hopefully his injury is not too bad and we'll have him fighting to get fit."
Hurzeler was unable to offer an update on Welbeck's injury, though he hailed Brighton's spirited showing on Tyneside.
"No updates. I can't say any updates. I think he got a knee in his lower back. Let's wait until later, then we'll know more," the German told the BBC.
"We defended together. In the end, defence wins championships. We got smashed against Chelsea but we learnt from it.
"Not everything was perfect, we have to be honest with ourselves, but the luck will come to you if you work for it.
"We have a lot of injuries, we always have to adjust things. But the guys are doing it brilliantly. Of course, we want to focus on the process but you also need the results."
Eddie Howe was left incensed after his side made it four games without victory in the league, suggesting they should have had a first-half penalty when Joel Veltman appeared to handle inside the box.
Veltman was falling after a challenge with Lewis Hall, and both the referee and a VAR review concluded that no penalty should be awarded.
"I haven't seen it back but a couple of our coaches looked at it back and were adamant it was a penalty," Howe said of the decision.
"If I look at it back and I'm of the same view as the coaches that will be hugely frustrating, because we were totally dominant at that point. When you have that kind of start in the game, you want a goal for your endeavours and that was all that was missing in the opening 35 minutes.
“If we were 2-0 up you'd say that was one of the best performances we've had in a long time. Goals always change perspectives of performances and that's why I have to keep some kind of perspective on that."
Brendan Rodgers hit out at a careless approach from his Celtic team after they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with fellow Scottish Premiership pacesetters Aberdeen.
Celtic looked set to end Jimmy Thelin's perfect start to life as Aberdeen manager, and go three points clear at the summit, when they raced into a 2-0 lead.
Kyogo Furuhashi teed up Reo Hatate to give them a 24th-minute advantage, then got on the scoresheet himself with a thumping finish just three minutes later.
However, the Dons launched a stirring fightback to leave Glasgow with a point as Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie netted in the second half to salvage a draw.
Celtic fired off 32 shots to Aberdeen's eight throughout the course of the game, racking up 3.21 expected goals (xG) to the visitors' 1.15.
Speaking after the game, Rodgers bemoaned their failure to put Aberdeen away as he said: "We are disappointed. We had good control of the game in the first half.
"We could have had more goals. We got punished for a really careless period. We found our rhythm again. I think it was 32 shots.
"A mixture of some really good defending and great saves from the goalkeeper meant we could not find the winner. We should win the game today, there is no doubt about that."
Aberdeen boss Thelin, meanwhile, was delighted with the resilience on display from his side, saying: "It was a really emotional game.
"We said at half-time, we have to calm down a little and come back to our strategy. We needed to find a way and to do that was to be a little more true to ourselves.
"I think we have an amazing squad and team spirit. We have had some late winners this season, showing our mentality."
Brighton surged to within touching distance of the Premier League's top four after Danny Welbeck proved the difference in a battling 1-0 away win over Newcastle United.
Fabian Hurzeler's side rescued a remarkable 3-2 win over Tottenham before the international break, and left St. James' Park with another impressive three points on Saturday.
Newcastle threatened in the opening stages but Welbeck punished Eddie Howe's hosts slack defending with a well-taken 35th-minute opener after linking up with Georginio Rutter.
Bart Verbruggen's brilliant resistance kept Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon at bay, while Dan Burn saw a late finish ruled out for offside.
But victory came at a cost for Brighton as Welbeck left the pitch on a stretcher with nine minutes remaining after a seemingly innocuous clash with Schar.
The visitors move up to fifth, just two points adrift of the top four. Their hosts, however, have experienced differing fortunes as they are now winless in four league games and eighth in the top-flight standings.
Data Debrief: Welbeck on fire for the Seagulls
Welbeck registered his 100th Premier League goal involvement (72 goals, 28 assists) and has now scored as many goals in the competition this season as he did in the 2023-24 campaign.
The Brighton forward has now scored as many goals in the league this season (five in eight games) as he managed the whole of last term (five in 29).
The visitors have now scored five goals in the last 15 minutes of the first half, more than any other team in the Premier League this season.
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