تواجد نجم فريق آينتراخت فرانكفورت، عمر مرموش، في التشكيل المثالي في جولة الأسبوع من الدوريات الأوروبية الخمس الكبرى، حسبما ذكرت شبكة “هوسكورد” العالمية.
وواصل عمر مرموش تألقه في الجولة الماضية من الدوري الألماني، حيث ساهم في فوز آينتراخت فرانكفورت على بوخوم بسبعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.
وتمكن عمر مرموش من تسجيل هدف وصناعة هدفين.
وقدم مرموش أداءً مميزًا في تلك المباراة لدرجة جعلت شبكة “هوسكورد” العالمية تختاره ضمن التشكيل المثالي لجولة الأسبوع على صعيد الدوريات الأوروبية الخمس الكبرى.
اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يعزز فرص ليفربول في التعاقد مع مرموش
وكتبت الشبكة: “حصل عمر مرموش على تقييم مثالي لدينا، بلغ 10/10، ليصبح أفضل لاعب في أوروبا هذا الأسبوع”.
وأضافت: “سجل مرموش هدفه العاشر في الدوري هذا الموسم، حيث سجل هدفًا من تسديدتين، كما صنع هدفين من ثلاث تمريرات حاسمة”.
وواصلت الشبكة ثنائها على النجم صاحب الـ25 عامًا، حيث كتبت: “كما توجت ثلاث مراوغات ناجحة أخرى أداءً لا يُنسى من الدولي المصري”. التشكيل المثالي لجولة الأسبوع في الدوريات الأوروبية
Despite splashing the cash last summer to welcome a number of fresh faces, Chelsea's struggles have only continued this season, as they remain rooted in the Premier League's mid-table. Reports suggest, however, that they could have their best chance yet to land a game-changing star.
Chelsea transfer news
It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't stealing the headlines for their transfer business, especially under Todd Boehly. The American owner has spent endless amounts on reinforcements since the start of his tenure in 2022, but to no avail. Even after the Blues' failure though, Boehly looks set to continue his transfer tactic, throwing deals at the wall and hoping for something to finally stick at Stamford Bridge.
After Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Brentford, Chelsea fans aired their discontent over Mauricio Pochettino's tenure and Boehly's ownership in yet another moment to forget.
Just where the Blues go from here on the pitch is anyone's guess, but they could at least receive a boost away from Stamford Bridge. According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are now alone in their pursuit of Rafael Leao, with Paris Saint-Germain turning their attention elsewhere.
Chelsea now eyeing move to sign new £26m gem for Poch this summer
He’s one for the future.
By
Tom Cunningham
Mar 3, 2024
The Premier League giants are now seemingly perfectly placed to secure a deal for the AC Milan star if they decide to trigger his hefty reported release clause of €175m (£150m) this summer.
With some higher-ups at Stamford Bridge happy to see Raheem Sterling leave this summer, Leao could quickly become the perfect upgrade on the England international to help finally steer a sinking ship under Pochettino next season.
"Decisive" Leao would be an upgrade Sterling
As Sterling potentially departs, Leao would be an ideal replacement and upgrade for Chelsea to turn towards this summer. The Milan man, despite his hefty release clause, would be more than worth the pursuit, as a player who's previously earned high praise in Serie A.
Former Lazio star Macro Parolo previously sung the praises of the winger, telling DAZN via Milan Reports: "Leao is establishing himself as one of the 5-6 most decisive players in Serie A. When he takes the ball, something always happens, he has become bad and now when he aims for the goal he does it to score. He can easily go to double figures every year and become one of the strongest offensive wingers in the world."
The stats, meanwhile, speak for themselves when compared to Sterling's numbers so far this season:
League Stats (via FBref)
Rafael Leao
Raheem Sterling
Goals
4
7
Assists
6
3
Key Passes
43
24
Take-ons Completed
49
40
Expected Goals
3.6
5.3
With that said, whilst PSG's attention is reportedly away from Leao amid their attempts to replace Kylian Mbappe, Chelsea should swoop in and land one of the summer's biggest deals. The AC Milan star would likely finally break the trend of Chelsea failure.
نجح فريق العين الإماراتي في تسجيل هدف التعادل بشباك منافسه الهلال السعودي، خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.
ويلتقي الهلال مع العين، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من عمر مباريات مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.
وسجل سفيان رحيمي هدف التعادل للعين في الدقيقة 39، بعد تمريرة عرضية من البرازيلي إريك قابلها رحيمي بتسديدة داخل الشباك.
طالع أيضاً.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الهلال والعين في دوري أبطال آسيا
وكان رينان لودي قد تقدم للهلال بالهدف الأول في الدقيقة 26، من تصويبة صاروخية، من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت مرمى العين. هدف تعادل العين مع الهلال في دوري أبطال آسيا
No próximo sábado, Ceará, Fortaleza, Bahia e Vitória entram em campo para disputar a tão aguardada semifinal da Copa do Nordeste.
+ Veja 30 astros que podem ficar fora da Eurocopa caso aconteça veto pela Superliga
Os dois duelos estão agendados para acontecer no sábado e serão realizados na Arena Castelão, o que dá um ligeiro favoritismo para Ceará e Fortaleza, os dois mandantes.
Clássicos
Além da expectativa pelos confrontos, as quatro torcidas sonham com uma decisão de clássico, já que existe a possibilidade de dar Fortaleza vs Ceará ou Bahia x Vitória.
Vale lembrar, que esses dois confrontos aconteceram na fase de grupos. No duelo cearense o zero não saiu do placar e o Vitória derrotou o Bahia pela vantagem mínima no Barradão.
Calendário da semi
Ceará x Vitória – 16h30 Fortaleza x Bahia – 20h
RelacionadasChapecoenseChapecoense vai poupar atletas na rodada final do CatarinenseChapecoense20/04/2021BotafogoFora dos planos do Botafogo, Barrandeguy e Lecaros retornam após período de fériasBotafogo20/04/2021CruzeiroCruzeiro quita salários de funcionários que ganham até R$ 3 mil, mas segue no ‘sufoco’ financeiroCruzeiro20/04/2021
France star Kylian Mbappe admits the custom mask protecting his broken nose is “really annoying”, with the accessory having to be remade five times.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Took heavy blow to the face vs AustriaMust now wear protective face coveringPrepared to keep putting body on the lineWHAT HAPPENED?
The World Cup winner is yet to find a version that he is completely happy with, but is having to make do for now. That is because he is required by his country to continue leading a bid for Euro 2024 glory. There were fears that his tournament may be over after taking a heavy blow to the face in the first round of ground stage fixtures, but he is now preparing to face Belgium in the last 16.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MBAPPE SAID
Mbappe has said of wearing a mask that makes life on the pitch more difficult than it should be and how the production of that contraption went: “Each time there was something wrong. It’s really difficult because it limits your vision and the sweat clogs up. Initially I felt I was in 3D and I’d been invited to the Euros as a VIP. I could see the people but I felt it wasn’t me playing. As soon as I can take it off, I will. Right now I’ve got no choice, I can’t play without it. It’s really annoying. But it’s not going to be an excuse because that’s the only way I can play. I have to say thank you to the masks.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
He added on discovering that he had shattered his nose against Austria: “I didn’t think much about it at the time. I didn’t really know what was happening to me, I didn’t feel like I’d broken my nose. It was more looking at the opponent’s goalkeeper’s face that made me think there was something wrong. But afterwards it was a bit scary because I told myself I was going home. I saw myself in the mirror, that was a bad idea but I’m happy I’m here.”
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Mbappe was left out of a meeting with the Netherlands, as he remained an unused substitute, but registered his first European Championship goal from the penalty spot against Poland. He is now prepared to put his body on the line again in knockout football, even if opponents single him out for rough treatment. He said of becoming a target: “I knew what I was signing up for when I decided I wasn’t going to go home. If I get hit, my nose is already broken, what else can someone do?”
On Thursday evening, Manchester United picked up their 11th win of the season as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 4-3 thriller at Molineux.
Despite the side collecting three points, Erik ten Hag's team have now conceded five goals in their last two games, with Newport County netting two last weekend.
With that in mind, the former Ajax boss may look to rotate his defence against West Ham United on Sunday in an attempt to tighten up their leaky backline.
Raphael Varane's recent performances
Raphael Varane has started all of the Red Devils' last seven matches, but he's been below par over the last week. United's French centre-half is usually a solid box defender who is fairly dominant, but he was exposed for his lack of decisiveness against Wolves and even Newport.
During the FA Cup tie, the World Cup winner switched off for the League Two side's second goal, letting Will Evans drift in front of him at the near post to guide the ball home unchallenged.
On Thursday, the number 19 had the opportunity to prevent Wolves' first and third goals, but his lack of aggression cost him. In the build-up to the penalty, Varane could arguably have doubled up on Pedro Neto with Casemiro and even stopped the winger before he reached the box.
Furthermore, for the third goal, he failed to get close enough to Neto to block the shot, which sailed through his legs past the helpless Andre Onana. Both goals were avoidable had the 30-year-old been more proactive with his approach.
Harry Maguire could return to the starting XI
Harry Maguire's time at Man United may not have gone to plan, but since being stripped of the captain's armband by Ten Hag, he seems to be playing with much less pressure on his shoulders – even winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for November.
Harry Maguire
The England international is a "dominant" defender, according to journalist Rob Tanner, both in and out of possession. The latter is mainly due to his large 6 foot 4 frame and "physical presence," as per journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, which makes him exceptional at defending in the box.
The table below highlights some of Maguire's strengths using statistics from this season and how they compare to his positional peers in the Premier League.
Blocks
2.14
Top 4%
Aerials won
3.84
Top 8%
Touches (Att pen)
1.71
Top 13%
Passes completed (long)
7.69
Top 2%
Passes into final third
5.87
Top 15%
As you can see by his blocks statistic, the "phenomenal" Maguire, as dubbed by analyst Zach Lowy, is willing to put his body on the line for his team, unlike Varane, who ranks in the bottom 88% for blocks this season, as per FBref.
On the other hand, the £190k-per-week brute provides ball progression from the back, as shown by his long passes completed and passes into the final third, which will be vital against West Ham's inevitable low block.
Maguire also provides aerial dominance, which will be key to stopping James Ward-Prowse's often deadly corners while also providing more of a threat in the final third from set-pieces, as underlined by his touches in the penalty box.
Harry Maguire
Overall, the fit-again Maguire deserves a shot to get back into the starting XI, and the game against West Ham – who he perhaps could have joined last summer – is the perfect opportunity to bring him back into the team.
As it happened: Bangladesh v South AfricaThese teams seem to bring out extremes in one another. In previous World Cups, that has meant one-sided games, in which one side completely dominated the other – as South Africa did with a 10-wicket thumping in their first encounter in Bloemfontein in 2003. Four years later, it was Bangladesh’s turn to bring the pain as an array of left-arm spinners sent South Africa spiralling to a 67-run defeat at Providence. The pendulum swung back when Bangladesh wilted to 78 all out under lights in Mirpur in 2011. And now it’s swung once more, Bangladesh excelling to soar to a 21-run win.That result would make this officially the closest South Africa-Bangladesh match in ODI history, but on a day when South Africa were outplayed in all departments, that wasn’t saying much. This was Bangladesh’s second ever World Cup win over South Africa and, hinting at the momentum they have behind them, their fifth win in their last five completed ODIs.South Africa’s fast bowlers huffed and they puffed, but they couldn’t blow Bangladesh’s house down. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Bangladesh’s batsmen studded their innings Manhattan with skyscrapers.ALSO READ – Shakib, the quickest to 5000 runs and 250 wickets in ODIsAlong the way, Bangladesh’s achievements, collective and individual, were both many and noteworthy. Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladeshi – and fastest cricketer – to the double of 250 wickets and 5,000 runs in ODIs, getting there quicker than the likes of Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis. Bangladesh reached 330 for 6, their highest total in ODIs, smashing their previous best against South Africa by 52 runs.That they soared so high was thanks mainly to a 142-run stand between Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, which is also Bangladesh’s highest in World Cups. Together they built on the solid early efforts of Soumya Sarkar, who took on the short ball with gumption, showing echoes of his early outings against the South Africans at home way back in 2015, when he ramped and hooked his way to 205 runs in three innings to help his team to a 2-1 series win.Today, he got his team off to an excellent start with a fluid 60-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal. South Africa clearly had a plan with the ball, and Faf du Plessis said as much at the toss, telegraphing his intentions by saying: “We’re playing the extra seamer today so we want to try and attack Bangladesh with some extra pace.” But once Bangladesh showed they were happy to take the short ball on, South Africa floundered for a back-up.There was much fanfare about the potential in South Africa’s bowling attack before this tournament. Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir are all match-winners in their own right, and having all four in the same line-up was South Africa’s Plan A. But Steyn is yet to recover from the shoulder flare-up that cut short his IPL jaunt, Ngidi limped off with a tweaked hamstring after bowling four wicketless overs in which he leaked seven boundaries, and Rabada endured one of his rare off days, conceding 0 for 57 in his ten overs.Worse still, South Africa had one of their worst days in recent memory in the field. The trouble started as early as the fifth over, when a regulation edge flew right between du Plessis and Aiden Markram in the slips, gifting Sarkar a second life. Then, as the partnership between Shakib and Mushfiqur grew, South African shoulders sagged and their energy in the field flatlined.Misfields aplenty – and most egregious of all, Chris Morris’ amateurish effort at short fine leg when Mushfiqur swept a ball from Tahir almost straight to him in the 20th over – eased the pressure whenever it started to build. Shakib was first to his fifty, getting there in the 26th over, Mushfiqur following him to the mark three overs later. Neither could kick on to three figures, but Mahmudullah ensured their efforts were not wasted, and Bangladesh’s innings crescendoed as 54 runs came from the final four overs.South Africa’s batting was equally rudderless. Quinton de Kock, so vital to South Africa’s success at home last summer, was dismissed inside the Powerplay, and though Nos. 2 to 6 all scored 38 or more, and got themselves in, none was able to kick on, bat through, and see their team home. Every time they needed one, Bangladesh were able to conjure a wicket. The final result might suggest this was the closest match in these two teams’ shared one-day history, but the reality was that there were very few moments when South Africa were not left chasing the game.
Southampton are now staggeringly 19 games unbeaten in the Championship after a thumping 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend. Russell Martin's Saints are on song and look like a tough nut to crack at the top end of the division.
The south coast side are now within touching distance of the top two places in the division, with the whole squad playing their part against the Owls – four different goalscorers chipping in against Danny Rohl's beleaguered away side to secure a comprehensive win.
Yet, although Adam Armstrong got on the scoresheet himself for the high-flyers in the victory, the prolific Southampton man could be supercharged even further with this potential addition in through the door at St Mary's this month.
Southampton going after Premier League winger
talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook revealed on social media late last month that the promotion-chasing Saints were interested in bringing David Brooks to the club on loan, with a further development recently only adding more fuel to the fire over a potential deal.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT in the past few days, journalist Dean Jones confirmed that Martin's side are going after Brooks with the transfer 'one to genuinely keep an open mind about' from a Southampton perspective.
A deal to bring in the current AFC Bournemouth winger could see Armstrong moved back to a far more comfortable centre-forward position, Martin shoehorning his star-man into a right-wing role owing to Che Adams' upturn in form.
Acknowledging that this decision to play the Saints number nine out wide recently has made Armstrong a 'bit annoyed' when speaking to BBC Radio Solent directly after the Wednesday demolition job, bringing in Brooks could see Martin opt to start the exciting Cherries attacker there instead to link up with Armstrong up top.
Southampton forward Adam Armstrong.
If Adams also decides to move on from St Mary's this transfer window, it's a win-win deal for all involved.
Why Brooks would benefit Armstrong
Brooks and Armstrong could make the Southampton attack even more terrifying for Championship defences to attempt to thwart, 4-0 and 5-0 wins on their own patch becoming customary now even without the additional firepower of the Welsh winger in the side.
David Brooks
During his last full campaign at this level for the Cherries, the slick attacker managed to contribute to 11 goals in total with five goals and six assists tallied from 32 games.
With those numbers in the Saints set-up now, Brooks wouldn't be far off the likes of Samuel Edozie and Ryan Fraser who both have five and seven assists next to their name respectively in an attack just oozing strength in numbers.
Yet, the 26-year-old can stand out from the pack making the short trip across the South Coast from Bournemouth to Southampton if signed.
Boasting a promotion to the Premier League on his Cherries CV could make him a worthwhile buy alone, alongside glowing comments from previous managers who single out how dazzling Brooks can be on his day.
At the peak of his powers in the top flight during the 2018/19 season – helping himself to five goals and seven assists across a breakthrough season – the then Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe praised Brooks for his "intelligent" play on the ball after scoring in a 2-0 win over Brighton. Further praise would be forthcoming during Scott Parker's time at the helm, the former midfielder labelling Brooks as "first-class".
Armstrong being unleashed back in a lone striker role is a no-brainer move, the 26-year-old becoming more of an assist machine than a goalscoring one in recent weeks but could well be the prolific finisher Southampton require to mount a more aggressive charge for the automatic promotion spaces.
Finding the back of the net an astounding 70 times at second-tier level during his career to date, Martin will hope the goals continue to flow with Brooks next to him in the team with a promotion to celebrate come the end of the season as a result.
Glasgow Rangers don’t return to action until 20 January and Philippe Clement has whisked his squad away to Spain for a midseason training camp.
Having already played 34 times during the first half of the season, the winter break comes at exactly the right time for the Light Blues and will give them a chance to regroup and refocus ahead of the next few months.
With a League Cup trophy secured and progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League, the previous few weeks have been wonderful, but progress never stops, and the Belgian coach will be desperate to win more silverware.
To do this, however, he may need to delve into the transfer market and lure some new players to Ibrox, otherwise his squad may run out of gas towards the end of the campaign.
Rangers transfer news – Josh Doig
Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio (via Toro Goal) announced that Rangers were one of the number of teams keen on making a move for Josh Doig during the January transfer window.
Clement could face stiff competition for the left-back as Torino have reportedly opened up talks to sign the Scot, while AC Monza and Leeds United are two other teams which have been mentioned regarding a potential swoop.
The deal could cost €6m (£5.2m) for whatever team manages to sign him, yet the Gers could perhaps have the upper hand.
Hellas Verona, the team that Doig plays for, are seemingly interested in making a move for Ridvan Yilmaz, according to Di Marzio, and this could play into Clement’s hands rather well this month.
The Turkish defender cost the Light Blues £5m when he arrived from Besiktas during the summer of 2022 and this is around the fee that the Serie A side are wanting for Doig.
Could there be a potential swap deal in the offing should neither side agree on a transfer fee for their respective targets? It might well come down to that, and it could give Clement the perfect opportunity to move the 22-year-old on and bring someone else in.
Ridvan Yilmaz’s Rangers statistics
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was the manager who brought in the young defender following the 2021/22 campaign as he sought to give Borna Barisic some added competition, especially as Calvin Bassey departed for Ajax.
Upon his arrival, Yilmaz was widely praised by former sporting director Ross Wilson, who said: "Gio and I were clear in our desire to invest in a high potential and high-quality left-back.
"We have now secured that in the signing of Ridvan Yilmaz. He's a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe following outstanding performances for Besiktas.”
Ridvan Yilmaz's domestic statistics at Rangers
2022/23
2023/24
Accurate passes per game
23.9
24.1
Key passes per game
0.7
1.8
Big chances created
1
4
Possession lost per game
10.8
15.5
Assists
2
1
Stats via Sofascore
He looked like a wonderful talent and hopes were high that he could eventually displace Barisic and perhaps go down the same route as Bassey and secure the club a major profit in the future.
Unfortunately, his first season didn’t go to plan. The former Besiktas starlet managed to feature just six times before the mid-season break for the 2022 World Cup, while his debut campaign was further disrupted having suffered a hamstring injury in October, and he subsequently missed 29 matches in all competitions.
He finally returned to action towards the end of the season and started all five of their post-split fixtures, thriving under Michael Beale, and it looked as though he could only get better during 2023/24.
The current campaign has seen the 22-year-old start only ten matches and Beale even left him out of the Europa League group stage squad, meaning the Gers had only one senior option at left-back heading into the games.
He has shown glimpses of form under Clement, particularly in the final game before the winter break against Kilmarnock, where he grabbed an assist, created a big chance and provided two key passes in a solid attacking display.
The consistency simply isn’t there, however, and this could give the former Club Brugge coach the licence to ditch him this month and lure Doig back to Scotland, especially as it would boost the homegrown quota for European matches.
Josh Doig’s career statistics
The in-demand talent has plenty of experience in Scottish football, having previously played for Hibernian. The 21-year-old made his debut during the 2019/20 season before firmly establishing himself as a regular the following season, making 35 appearances in all competitions.
His displays convinced Verona to sign him ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, having been given a notable send-off by Hibs hero, Lewis Stevenson at the time, who even likened Doig to a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking back in the summer of 2022, Stevenson said: "Josh has potential to go to the top level. He is 6ft 3in, fast, strong. Even just looking at him with his top off – without meaning to sound creepy – he looks like Ronaldo, with that kind of physique.
"He just is an athlete and that is half the battle nowadays. Everyone here wishes him all the best"
Josh Doig
Like the former Juventus man before him, the 6 foot 3 defender is currently shining in Serie A, ranking in the top 7% when compared to players in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90 (1.69) and in the top 21% for total shots per 90 (0.94), certainly proving he is a valuable attacking outlet from the left-hand side of the defence.
His defensive abilities have also improved during his spell in Italy and in the league this term, Doig has only been dribbled past on 0.4 occasions per game while he has won 3.1 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – and there is no doubt he could be an excellent addition to the current Gers squad.
Josh Doig, Celtic, Hibs, Premiership
Rangers could sign Barisic replacement in Josh Doig
Rangers could sign a dream Borna Barisic replacement in Hibernian starlet Josh Doig.
Young, homegrown and with a wonderfully “high ceiling” – as so dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig last January – the signing makes perfect sense, and he would be returning to Scotland a much better player than when he left in the summer of 2022.
With Yilmaz struggling to gain regular game time combined with Barisic’s contract expiring this summer, the left-back area is one of immediate concern for Clement.
He could solve this problem by allowing Yilmaz to join Verona this month and securing the services of Doig in return, and it would be a piece of transfer business which could go down rather well with the supporters.
There are still a few weeks to go before the window shuts, and it gives the 49-year-old coach a chance to assess his options, yet Doig clearly has the potential to further improve and become a mainstay at left-back in the coming years, that’s for sure.
South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk continued her good run of form with the bat, scoring her maiden one-day international hundred to set up a seven-run win over Sri Lanka in the first of three ODIs in Potchefstroom. In a match reduced to 48 overs per side by morning rain, van Niekerk put on 117 with Andrie Steyn as South Africa reached 225 for 7. The hosts then held their nerve to overcome a Sri Lankan side who stumbled in the closing moments of a tight chase.Put in to bat by Sri Lanka, South Africa lost Laura Wolvaardt for a golden duck and Lara Goodall for 12 inside the Powerplay – both to Udeshika Prabodhani’s medium pace – before van Niekerk joined Steyn at the crease for the definitive partnership of the match. The pair started sedately, raising a fifty stand composed largely of singles in the 21st over and the team hundred five overs later.In the meantime, Steyn also passed her own fifty from 81 deliveries and celebrated by lofting Chamari Atapattu’s offspin for the first six of the innings. Steyn was trapped leg before by Inoka Ranaweera moments after van Niekerk reached an 80-ball fifty, but the South African captain wasn’t slowed by a dismissal at the other end, racing through the 60s with a glide through gully and a pull over the midwicket boundary for six off Prabodhani.Van Niekerk stepped out of her crease to slap Oshadi Ranasinghe through the covers and then took Atapattu on with two boundaries down the ground in her ninth over. A fifth four, to long on, took van Niekerk to 99 and, with her spouse Marizanne Kapp batting at the other end, she then raised a 114-ball ton in the 46th over. During the course of her innings, van Niekerk also became just the fourth woman to reach the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs, after Lisa Sthalekar, Stafanie Taylor and Ellyse Perry.South Africa were well placed at 221 for 4 with two overs to go, but Ranasinghe then nipped van Niekerk and debutant Faye Tunnicliffe out in the space of three deliveries, van Niekerk slogging a catch to Anushka Sanjeewani at deep square leg and Tunnicliffe clean bowled. Kapp departed in the final over, South Africa having lost three wickets for the addition of 32 runs in the final five overs of their innings.Sri Lanka’s chase was powered by Prasadani Weerakkody’s 47 at the top of the order and Shashikala Siriwardene’s 49 in the middle. Weerakkody was particularly fluent on the drive, threading six boundaries through the covers in the first nine overs. The Sri Lankan openers put on 57 in good time, but van Niekerk brought herself on in the 11th over and struck immediately, pinning Sanjeewani lbw for 19. She followed that up with the big wicket of Atapattu, bowling her for 15, to further slow Sri Lanka’s momentum.By the halfway stage of their chase, the asking rate for Sri Lanka was already up to a run a ball. Siriwardene found the boundary often enough to keep them within touching distance of the rate, but when she edged Masabata Klaas through to Tunnicliffe behind the stumps one run short of her fifty, the pressure was on Sri Lanka’s lower order.The visitors needed 31 from 30 deliveries with Nilakshi de Silva settled at the crease, but three quick dismissals strangled their chase. Ranasinghe stepped on her own stumps while facing Tumi Sekhukhune, and Prabodhani and Achini Kulasuriya were quickly run out. Back to back boundaries for de Silva off Shabnim Ismail to end the penultimate over meant Sri Lanka needed 12 from the last six balls, but Kapp held her nerve to give away just four runs while sending down a miserly three dot balls in the last over to put South Africa 1-0 up in the series.