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Three young American stars will head into the Champions League as a Dutch giant looks to go on a run

The young generation of American soccer fans may be taking it all for granted at this point. For years, the thought of seeing one or two U.S. men's national team stars playing in the Champions League was the dream.

These days, there are plenty spread throughout the competition playing for some of the world's biggest teams. And three of them are together at PSV, who begin their Champions League campaign on Wednesday with the hope of creating something special.

USMNT stars Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman are all in the PSV squad after completing big moves to the Netherlands this summer. All three could very well be using PSV as a stepping stone, but to do that, they'll need to show out on the biggest stage.

It'll be a tough road ahead for the trio, having been grouped with Arsenal, Sevilla and Lens, but it's not one that's totally unmanageable. USMNT fans will be keeping a close eye on things, too, as PSV are becoming the latest historic European side to jump into American soccer's spotlight by signing three young stars.

GettyFollowing a legend from the past

The older generation of American soccer fans will already have a soft spot for PSV. They are the club that gave one of the country's biggest legends a chance, that allowed him to reach a height that no one could match until just recently.

DeMarcus Beasley is one of the biggest trailblazers in American soccer. He played in four World Cups and travelled all over the globe at a time where that was much less common. His best days at club level came at PSV, where Beasley became the first American to play in the Champions League semi-finals. During the 2004-05 season, Beasley and PSV did battle with mighty AC Milan, losing 2-0 at San Siro before winning the second leg 3-1 at home. They were, however, eliminated on away goals, as Beasley shined with four goals throughout the tournament.

Nearly two decades later, Beasley still credits PSV for helping him mature as a player and allowing him to reach heights even he couldn't have expected. "I've said this a million times: any young player that has a chance to go to Holland and play, you don't have to go to a big team, but there are some great clubs in Holland," Beasley told GOAL earlier this year. "They all love to play. They like attacking players, exciting players. They let you go one-on-one.

"They teach you and help you understand how to play football. It's not just 'Oh, you score goals or beat a player one-on-one', but also what are your responsibilities that you have in the game? Off the field discipline, responsibility. I remember when I was at PSV and Guus Hiddink was the coach, and I'm on the other side of the field, this is during the game, and my shirt got untucked, and he yells at me across the field! 'Beasley! Beasley!' I thought he was saying: 'Push up here or go press here', but he was yelling: 'Tuck in your shirt!'. I was like 'huh'? Little things like that, it teaches you so much more than the game.

"Discipline and responsibility, that's such an important part of being a professional and how to be a pro, a real pro. I think Holland did that for me and it can do that for a lot of people."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesStewart arrives

For the past several years, Earnie Stewart was one of the most important men in American soccer. A former USMNT midfielder, Stewart developed a reputation as a team-builder after retirement, Working for NAC Breda and AZ Alkmaar before becoming instrumental in the construction of the Philadelphia Union as we know it today.

In 2018, Stewart was named general manager of the USMNT and, one year later, became sporting director of the entire federation. During that time, he oversaw both the USMNT and USWNT and was particularly influential in the former's rebuild after missing the 2018 World Cup.

In January, though, it was announced that Stewart would be leaving his post to take over as PSV's new technical director and, as it turns out, he wouldn't be coming alone…

GettyBig swing on Pepi

It was clear entering the summer that Pepi would be on the move. The big question was where. The USMNT forward lost his way after joining Augsburg, but he'd begun to rediscover it with a very good loan move to Groningen. He scored double-digit goals for the Dutch side, but it wasn't enough to save them from relegation.

And so, this summer, PSV swooped, bringing in Pepi as the first of their three American tars. He's gotten off to a decent start, too, although he hasn't quite been able to take Luuk de Jong's starting role away from him. As things stand, the veteran Dutch striker is first-choice still, but Pepi has been able to contribute in his early appearances.

The 20-year-old striker has two goals, although his most recent did come with some controversy. After winning a penalty in a 4-0 win over NEC Nijmegen, Pepi shook off Mexican international Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano's calls to take the spot-kick, much to his dismay. Pepi instead stepped up and buried his second goal, and his first in Eredivisie for his new club.

It comes amid a fantastic run of form with the USMNT, with Pepi having scored six goals in as many international games in 2023.

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GettyTillman arrives on loan

Like Pepi, Tillman looked bound for a new home this summer after a productive loan spell last season. He'd achieved plenty with Rangers and PSV were able to swoop to secure a deal for the Bayern Munich midfielder on an initial loan with an option to buy.

Tillman hasn't quite broken through at Bayern, and there's no shame in that. He did make seven appearances for the Bundesliga giants while scoring one goal, though, showing the type of level that he can play at.

A versatile attacker that can play on the wing, as a No.10 or as an attack-minded No.8, Tillman has made just two appearances for PSV, with one coming against his former club Rangers in the Champions League qualifiers. He scored his first goal against RKC Waalwijk although he, like Pepi, hasn't quite been able to crack the starting XI as PSV head into the European group stages.

David Warner, who has reported on the fortunes of Yorkshire since 1975, has been installed as president of the Cricket Writers’ Club at their annual general meeting at Lord’s.

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2013David Warner, who has reported on the fortunes of Yorkshire since 1975, has been installed as president of the Cricket Writers’ Club at their annual general meeting at Lord’s.Warner follows directly in the footsteps of the distinguished cricket writer and broadcaster, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, whose memorial service will be held on Tuesday at St. Paul’s Cathedral today.”It is the greatest honour imaginable in cricket journalism and for it to go to someone whose career has been mainly involved in covering county cricket is a strong indication of the high regard of the CWC for the game at this level,” Warner said. “My predecessors in this post have all been men well established on the Test scene and with an international reputation.”Warner reported on Yorkshire matches home and away for 33 years for Yorkshire regional papers. He still covers all home games for the Press Association and is the Yorkshire correspondent for the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in addition to editing the Yorkshire CCC Yearbook.The Cricket Writers’ Club was formed in 1948 and its first chairman was E.W. Swanton. Alan Gibson became the CWC’s first president in 1982 and he was succeeded by the former England captain, Tony Lewis, Michael Melford, John Woodcock, Derek Hodgson, Robin Marlar and Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

Clive Rose, the left-arm spinner who made his first-class debut for Victoria in February, has joined Tasmania on a one-year contract

Brydon Coverdale19-Apr-2013Clive Rose, the left-arm spinner who made his first-class debut for Victoria in February, has joined Tasmania on a one-year contract. The Tigers have confirmed their full squad for the 2013-14 season and Rose is the only addition from interstate, while the rookies Jordan Silk and Harry Allanby have been upgraded to full contracts.Tasmania had already confirmed that the offspinner Jason Krejza and the allrounder Matt Johnston would not be signed up for next season, while Ricky Ponting was not given a deal at his own request. After being part of the state’s Sheffield Shield triumph last month, Ponting told Tasmania he was keen to play on next summer but asked them not to contract him at this stage in case he was to change his mind during the off-season.Rose, 23, is an impressive bowler but has had scant opportunities for the Bushrangers and his appearances next summer were likely to be even more limited, with the legspinner Fawad Ahmed having joined Jon Holland as the state’s two main spinners. The axing of Krejza means the Tigers have three specialist slow bowlers in their squad and all three bowl left-arm orthodox: Rose, Allanby and Xavier Doherty.”It was something we certainly thought about before we went ahead with it but I guess we felt Clive was the next best available spinner,” the new Tasmania coach Daniel Marsh told the . “We see it as really good, healthy competition, for Harry Allanby in particular. Obviously [Doherty] is our main man and we hope he plays for Australia for as long as he possibly can.”The Tigers have also added three new rookies to their list: Gabe Bell, a 17-year-old fast bowler; batsman Sean Willis, 18; and the 19-year-old fast bowler Ryan Lees, who grew up on Flinders Island.Tasmania squad Harry Allanby, George Bailey (Cricket Australia contract), Jackson Bird, Aiden Blizzard, Luke Butterworth, Steve Cazzulino, Mark Cosgrove, Ed Cowan (CA), Xavier Doherty (CA), Alex Doolan, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner (CA), Andrew Fekete, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus (CA), Ben Laughlin, Adam Maher, Tim Paine, Clive Rose, Jordan Silk, Timm van der Gugten, Jonathan Wells. Rookies Gabe Bell, Ryan Lees, Sam Rainbird, Beau Webster, Sean Willis.

England have been handed a much-needed boost after Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both took a full part in training at Trent Bridge

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2013England have been handed a much-needed boost after Stuart Broad and Steven Finn both took a full part in training at Trent Bridge on Tuesday ahead of the final one-day international against New Zealand.Broad picked up a knee injury in the second Test against New Zealand and Finn had been suffering from shin soreness. The pair had been ruled out of the first two matches of the series and doubts were growing about their chances of making the Champions Trophy, but those worries now appear to be reducing although it remains uncertain whether both will be risked on Wednesday.Ian Bell said it was a welcome sight to see them in the nets. “They’ve been two massive performers in one-day cricket for a while for us so to have them back fit – or certainly training today – is a big boost for everyone. It’s good to have a full squad competing for places which is what you need going into a big tournament.”In their absence England’s reserve bowlers have struggled, especially Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes, to reinforce how vital Broad and Finn are to England’s Champions Trophy hopes.After the heavy defeat at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday, Cook had sounded worried about his strike bowlers. “They are both a concern but five or six days is still quite a long way away. They’ve missed two games and been out for a while, so we’ll see.”Boyd Rankin, the Warwickshire and former Ireland quick, was drafted into the squad as cover and Bell was on the receiving end of him trying to make a claim for selection on Wednesday.”Facing him in the nets is absolutely horrible,” Bell said. “I didn’t enjoy it too much today. It’s great to see him charging in in an England shirt.”The fitness of two of their leading strike bowlers has not been the only issue for England over the last few days. The top order, with the exception of Jonathan Trott at the Ageas Bowl, have continued their recent trend of wasting starts.”A lot of us have got starts and not gone on. That’s frustrating,” Bell said. “Generally, in the last couple of years, someone in the top four has gone on. Trotty did that for us the other day – which was great – but if another couple of us could do that it would get us into a good position to get good runs.”We’ve a great record at home. It’s the first series since 2009 we’ve lost, so it’s a strange thing to happen. But tomorrow is a big day. If we can get it right it gives us good momentum going into that series.”

Only India, once, had ever successfully chased such a daunting target in an ODI at The Oval, but Sri Lanka made a confident start

The Report by David Hopps13-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKumar Sangakkara played one of his finest one-day innings to keep Sri Lanka in the tournament•Getty ImagesKumar Sangakkara has never been part of a Sri Lanka team winning a major ICC one-day trophy outright. Neither have the other outstanding players of this Sri Lanka era – Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga or Tillakaratne Dilshan. But they will believe there is still time after Sangakkara’s magnificent unbeaten 134 from 135 balls pulled off an improbable run chase against England by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare at The Oval.Only India had ever pulled off such a daunting target on this ground and, if Sri Lanka had failed to hit such heights, they would have been eliminated. But, as the clouds cleared, the pitch was encouraging and Sangakkara, driven by the vision that his redoubtable career need not go unrewarded, summoned a shrewd and inspired response.England now face New Zealand in Cardiff in their final match on Sunday and Sri Lanka are pitted against Australia at The Oval the following day with Group A in the balance.ODI batting England style, a methodical, statistically-justified policy that involves stripping as much risk out of the game as possible, setting up an appropriate base and then staking much on havoc at the end had been found wanting, and as Sangakkara drove Sri Lanka towards victory, its chief architect, Jonathan Trott, who had made 76 from 87 balls in inimitable style, watched in forlorn mood from the dressing room, ice pack pressed to a strained thigh.Sangakkara marshalled Sri Lanka’s response superbly despite the initially distracting, and ultimately inspired, presence of the promoted tail-ender, Nuwan Kulasekara, who was sent in to No. 5 to have a swing in the Powerplay and who for a prolonged period was about as useful to Sangakkara as a loose horse in the Grand National.His promotion looked ill-judged as he struggled against James Anderson, but when he launched Graeme Swann’s offspin for two successive leg-side sixes, and continued to thrash his way to an unbeaten 58 from 38 balls it abruptly became a masterstroke and long before the end had left England looking demoralised.Kulasekara also knew his place. Shortly after Sangakkara reached his 15th ODI hundred, and his first against England, he stumbled in mid-pitch and, recognising the danger of a run out, Kulasekara ran alongside him to ensure that he would be run out if anybody would be. In his instantaneous recognition that he must protect his partner at all costs, it spoke volumes for his good sense.When Sangakkara responded by hoisting Anderson’s slower ball for six, it communicated that he was worth preserving. Anderson was impressive, and England’s ground fielding, led by the sub Jonny Bairstow, was exceptional at times, but three overs from Joe Root, England’s insurance bowler, cost 27, and Stuart Broad had an expensive night. Jayawardene and Dilshan also played their part for Sri Lanka with a couple of 40s and Malinga was Sri Lanka’s biggest threat with the ball: the star players had found a response.Sri Lanka must have feared the game was up when Ravi Bopara struck 28 from the last over, from Shaminda Eranga, including three sixes and two fours, leaving Angelo Mathews mentally rewriting his close-of-innings speech in the Sri Lanka huddle as Bopara left the ground to rousing cheers.Three England wickets had fallen in six balls at the death, including Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, the latter second ball for 0 – the batsmen they look to for the final flourish both silenced. But Bopara tore into Eranga, depositing him for sixes over long-on, extra cover and long-on again. He even took two runs off the only ball that Eranga managed to get into the blockhole.That was the excitement; the rest belonged to Trott. His uncanny ability to turn a one-day international innings into an algorithm might not thrill cricket crowds around the world, but when he bats through, it requires something special in return for England to lose.He worked the leg side with alacrity and, by the time he fell lbw, sweeping at Rangana Herath’s left-arm spin, his time had been served. His one-day record is proven, his method brings victory more often than not, and many of those who rail against his methodical ways are railing, in part, about the fact that he is limiting the spectacle.Alongside Trott, Root provided the perkiest of half-centuries, built on an appreciation of quick ones and twos and occasional inventiveness. If Root was shaken by his altercation with David Warner in the Walkabout bar in Birmingham on Sunday, he did not show it for a moment. Root fell to a slower offcutter from Malinga and left with a wink. Perhaps he winked at Warner, in his green and gold wig, and rued the consequences?Sri Lanka dropped four catches in all, the most embarrassing of the lot from their eventual saviour, Sangakkara, who dashed from behind the stumps to claim Root’s skier to midwicket, and shouted loudly enough, but then feared Mathews was about to collide with him and fumbled the ball in the process.Dilshan also had the sort of afternoon that befalls this celebrated fielder so rarely. He dropped three catches in all, reprieving Alastair Cook twice, the first a tough diving chance to his right at backward point and the second an easier return catch when again he dived to his right but the ball eluded him. His third mishap, against Root, was a swirler as he dashed back from backward point. At the end of the night, all that was forgotten. A lively tournament had been brought alive.

Liam Dawson’s all-round performance made the difference between Hampshire and Bangladesh A who lost by eight runs at the Ageas Bowl.

Mohammad Isam06-Aug-2013
ScorecardLiam Dawson’s all-round performance made the difference between Hampshire and Bangladesh A who lost by eight runs at the Ageas Bowl. His 97 was pivotal in the 223 runs made by the home side before his left-arm spin put the screws on. The match also saw two 50-plus last wicket stands, though the second one didn’t quite finish the job for Bangladesh.The visitors’ struggled with the bat in their first match on tour, until Robiul Islam and Elias Sunny put on an unbroken 58-run tenth wicket stand which added a bit of drama towards the end.The last 35 balls saw the No. 11 Robiul smack five sixes as he made an unbeaten 19-ball 34. Sunny ended up as top-scorer for Bangladesh A with 45 not out, with seven fours and a six at the end. The pair pushed the game into the last over from which they needed 22 runs, but seamer Josh Davey gave away just three runs off the first four balls, swinging the game back in Hampshire’s favour and keeping it that way. Davey is a Middlesex player who was loaned to Hampshire for this game.Dawson’s 3 for 11 from seven overs stung the Bangladesh A batsmen. Having opened the bowling, he accounted for opener Imrul Kayes’ wicket in the seventh over before he took the wicket of captain Jahurul Islam in his next over.Anamul Haque’s 64-minute vigil ended when he was stumped by Adam Rouse off the medium-pace of Josh Davey in the 20th over, having made just 18 off 50 balls. Mominul Haque was more enterprising than the top three in his 28, but he fell to Hamza Riazuddin immediately after hitting the pace bowler for two consecutive fours.The chase fell apart when Naeem Islam and Farhad Reza were dismissed before the visitors reached the 100-run mark. Marshall Ayub tried to resurrect the innings through his 39 off 47 balls, and the 42-run eighth wicket stand with Elias Sunny. But Dawson’s return to the bowling attack brought success as he removed Marshall in the 41st over.Earlier, Dawson walked in at 86 for 4 in the 25th over and slowly recovered the Hampshire innings. He added 37 for the fifth wicket with Davey, but it was his 54-run last wicket partnership with another debutant Brad Taylor that gave them a 200-plus score.Taylor only faced four deliveries in his 30-minutes at the crease, as Dawson took charge. He blasted three fours and a six off Farhad in a 19-run over before hitting two more fours and a six in the next three overs. He missed a certain century after falling to Mominul’s left-arm spin off the first ball of the 50th over, but the 87-ball innings put Bangladesh A on the backfoot towards the end. Sohag Gazi, Rubel Hossain and Farhad took two wickets each while Robiul Islam, Sunny and Mominul chipped in with one each.Bangladesh A’s next match is against Yorkshire in Leeds on August 9.

Taking captaincy decisions after consulting the weather forecast is not normally recommended practice but Paul Collingwood will need to keep the forecast in mind on day three

Jon Culley at Chester-le-Street04-Sep-2013
ScorecardPhil Mustard’s half-century took the match away from Sussex•Getty ImagesTaking captaincy decisions after consulting the weather forecast is not normally recommended practice but should Paul Collingwood, the Durham skipper, find himself staring out at a covered square on Friday with Sussex clinging on, eight wickets down, he will be cursing this match as a missed opportunity.The win that would see Durham leapfrog Yorkshire at the top of the Championship table, with an advantage of 14 and a half points with three matches to play, is theirs for the taking, with a lead that would already require Sussex to make the largest fourth-innings score to win a match on this ground.The dilemma for Collingwood is that, with two full days left, he would not want a repeat of what happened here in April, in Durham’s only defeat at home, when he declared at 275 for 4, leaving Yorkshire to chase an unlikely 335 to win, only for Andrew Gale’s side to pull it off, with four wickets in hand.Whether that could have happened had Joe Root not been in the Yorkshire side to make 182 is a matter for conjecture. On a wicket that has for the most part not yielded runs easily, however, no one in a depleted Sussex line-up has hinted at achieving anything remotely of that magnitude. Given Friday’s wet forecast, Collingwood would be wise not to old his bowlers back for too long on day three.Collingwood’s record of 11 wins in 18 Championship matches since he succeeded Phil Mustard as captain ought, in any case, to have given him confidence in his decision-making. The calmness and authority he brings to his leadership were qualities that served him well in steering Durham to their position of strength in this game. It was his partnership of 93 with Mustard for the sixth Durham wicket that put him in control.It came on a day in which Sussex, 60 for 3 overnight, were bowled out for 112 before lunch, a fairly abject performance, even taking into account their long list of absentees, that handed Durham first-innings lead of 133.This looked like a match-winning advantage on a ground where low scoring is usual but there was less certainty about it after none of their top five batsmen scored more than 22 in their second innings, leaving them 90 for 5. There was no Chris Jordan in their seam attack, compounding the effects of Luke Wright, Ed Joyce and Matt Machan being absent from their batting line-up — all due to international call-ups — but Steve Magoffin was as impressive as ever, and well backed up, too by Lewis Hatchett and James Anyon.Magoffin struck first as Keaton Jennings, still to find consistency with the bat, fell to a diving catch by Chris Nash at third slip, then Mark Stoneman, having unleashed a couple of handsome boundaries through the covers, was leg before to Anyon, who then made the ball bounce and leave Scott Borthwick, who was caught behind.Will Smith, for the second time in the match, paid the price for a loose drive outside off stump, and when Michael Richardson was caught behind, Durham’s lead was 223. A couple more wickets lost at that point and Sussex might have sensed an opportunity to put themselves back in the race.Instead, they came up against Collingwood in obdurate mood, setting the tone for Mustard to adopt a similarly measured approach and while the next 35 overs did not contain many moment that will readily bring the passage of play to mind, the end result was a stand of 93, in which Collingwood scored most of his runs behind square, with a nudge here and a dab there, and he had made 45 before he played back to a ball from offspinner Chris Nash. Mustard is 57 not out overnight.Earlier, Sussex had capitulated within the first 22.5 overs of the morning session. Graham Onions added two more wickets on his return from injury to the couple he picked up on Tuesday evening, taking his tally for the season to 48. There is something in this pitch for the bowlers to work with and no one exploits it better than Onions, even on days such as this when he was not at his most niggardly, struggling to find his rhythm.In any event, Luke Wells and Rory Hamilton-Brown helped him out by chasing balls outside off stump, falling in turn to catches behind the wicket. Usman Arshad, a 20-year-old right-arm seamer making only his second Championship appearance, took three wickets in seven balls. Yet Chris Rushworth, who bowled better than any among Durham’s seam quartet, somehow ended wicketless.

When Zimbabwe’s players wanted advice on how to establish their own players’ association, they turned to their big brothers for assistance

Firdose Moonda21-Aug-2013When Zimbabwe’s players wanted advice on how to establish their own players’ association, they turned to their big brothers for assistance. The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) helped the Zimbabwean players with a draft constitution after being asked to look at documentation from previous attempts to launch a union in that country and update it to meet modern standards.”They’ve been wanting to launch a player body for some time and they came and asked us what we thought of the paperwork they had,” Tony Irish, SACA’s CEO told ESPNcricinfo. “We helped them with some ideas and sent them a copy of a constitution they could use. But I was not aware of the situation as it is now.”Irish was not involved with the Zimbabwean players’ sudden decision to launch their body last week as they decided to negotiate match fees and a percentage of World Cup disbursements with their board. However, he was not surprised they did.”There was a burning platform for them with the payment issue and that is how a lot of player organisations start,” Irish said. “There are two things that act as catalysts for players to take action: non-payment or interference in selection and if you look at player associations around the world, this is how they get off the ground.”Seven of the ten Test-playing nations had player unions before Zimbabwe’s was started, which leaves India and Pakistan without representation for their cricketers. England has the oldest, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), formed in 1967. SACA was started in 2002, but took inspiration from the PCA and Australian Cricketer’s Association when looking at how to build a union.”We wanted to have a constructive body that could deal with issues facing the players and with the board,” Irish said. “Cricket is a top-down sport, in that the national team makes most of the money and they have to be looked after.”It was exactly that interest which led Irish to start SACA, in the aftermath of the 2002 Champions Trophy when players’ commercial rights were sold off to a global broadcaster but they were not compensated. “Jonty Rhodes and I decided we would start a union then because we believed the players had a right to some of the hundreds of millions of dollars being made off of them. We struck a deal with the board and that same deal still applies today.”South African players have faced very few issues involving payment since then and SACA has evolved into a fully functioning independent body. It has over 230 members, all professional cricketers at national, franchise or provincial level and employ eight people to run the organisation.But it took years for that to happen and Irish cautioned Zimbabwe theirs will need the same amount of time to flourish. “Once it’s formed and you’ve had the big issues, then it’s about creating something that’s sustainable and professional.”Zimbabwe Cricket has struggled for either of those things as they battle debt and a low profile. They last had a functional representative body before the white-player walkout in 2004 and since then their attempts to form another have faced uphill battles for survival and relevance and lost.

Dinesh Chandimal will captain the Sri Lanka A side against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test, which begins on September 17, with Dimuth Karunaratne to serve as his deputy

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Sep-2013Dinesh Chandimal will captain the Sri Lanka A side against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test, which begins on September 17, with Dimuth Karunaratne to serve as his deputy.Neither Chandimal nor Karunaratne were in the preliminary squad for the A tour, but with Sri Lanka’s October tour of Zimbabwe since having been called off, both players will now have some match practice in what shapes to be a three-month break from international cricket.Batsman Kusal Perera and 20-year-old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal are notable exclusions from the squad. Perera had starred in the first-class tournament early in the year, and had been part of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs teams for much of the year, but has since encountered a lean patch.Kaushal had also had a remarkable first-class season – his first – in which he took 50 wickets at 15.20. He had been named in two Sri Lanka Test squads without getting a game, but mediocre returns with the A team in the Caribbean has put him out of favour with the selectors.The first-class tournament’s top scorer, Kaushal Silva, and top wicket-taker, Malinda Pushpakumara, have both been named in the squad, with Kithuruwan Vithanage and Angelo Perera, who have played for Sri Lanka in the last six months, also earning call-ups. Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep will continue his return from injury with the A team.The first unofficial Test will be played in Pallekele, before the action moves to Dambulla. New Zealand A have been in India, where they lost the ODI series 3-0.Sri Lanka A squad for the first unofficial Test: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Dimuth Karunaratne (vc), Angelo Perera, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Nuwan Pradeep, Kaushal Silva, Malinda Pushpakumara, Vimukthi Perera, Madura Lakmal, Ishan Jayaratne, Ashan Priyanjan, Udara Jayasundara, Sachithra Serasinghe, Chaturanga de Silva, Dilruwan Perera

Rob Quiney led a strong batting performance by the Victoria top order to leave Western Australia with a difficult target to chase on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Rob Quiney’s 131-run second-wicket stand with Peter Handscomb took Victoria to 338•Getty ImagesRob Quiney led a strong batting performance from Victoria’s top order to leave Western Australia with a difficult target to chase on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG. Three out of the top four hit half-centuries as Victoria scored their runs quickly before declaring towards the end of the day. Western Australia openers survived the seven overs they faced before the close.Quiney and Rogers added 71 for the first wicket to take the overall lead past 100, before a century stand for the second wicket between Quiney and Peter Handscomb thwarted the Western Australia bowling further for 40.4 overs. The dismissal of Quiney on 89, by Ashton Agar, was quickly followed by that of Handscomb, but another strong partnership between Cameron White and Matthew Wade shut the doors on Western Australia.White hit three sixes in his 61 while Wade added 43, that took the total past 300. Western Australia did pick up five quick wickets towards the end of the day, but by then the lead had already swelled beyond 350. They are now faced with the task of facing Fawad Ahmed, who took six wickets in the first innings, on a last-day pitch.