Over the past few years, visitors to Zimbabwe have faced an unwelcome prospect: little to gain, everything to lose.The decreasing value of a tour of Zimbabwe can be seen in its most consistent marker. As India visited in three of the last four years, the teams they selected became ever weaker. In 2013, five first-XI players were rested. This year, as many as 17 players who were in Indias previous limited-overs squads were left at home.Sri Lankas situation on this tour is slightly different in that the five first-choice players back home were all injured, and so this is the strongest possible side. Yet, the players coming in still faced the prospect of gaining little at best, and, at worst, kissing gdbye to future selections at the highest level. The way they have gone about their business has not suggested that this has been weighing on their minds.The first Test brought a maiden century for Kusal Perera, and a first Test hundred in a decade for Upul Tharanga. But with Zimbabwe dropping six catches as they felt their way back into top-flight cricket, and both batsmen benefiting from the foundation laid by Sri Lankas openers, neither century was one to seal debates on their long-term future.The situation was different when Dhananjaya de Silva walked to the crease on the first day of the second Test. Sri Lanka were 112 for 4, and under pressure for the first time in the series. I think we dropped our guard a little bit yesterday morning and we found ourselves in a spot of bother, Graham Ford, Sri Lankas coach, said after day two. Some of our batters came in under pressure, and it was pleasing to see the composure in the way they absorbed the pressure that we needed them to.Zimbabwe had enjoyed a little bit of luck in taking three wickets prior to lunch. It wasnt necessarily luck that they deserved, but after the first Test, it could be argued that it was luck they were due. When they came out after lunch, the hosts seemed to have acknowledged that and decided to make the most of it. Bowlers who were so errant in the first session ramped up the pressure on de Silva and Tharanga, with the first 18 overs of the session yielding just 44 runs. We started off badly in the first session, but I think we pulled it back quite nicely as the day wore on, Hamilton Masakadza said.De Silva lked the perfect batsman for the circumstances. Although the pitch had even bounce, it remained on the slow side. Zimbabwe were playing the waiting game - a game that flashier batsmen than de Silva might well have lost. Instead, he remained compact, his neat technique never allowing him to get ahead of himself. Crucially on this surface, his range of strokes made it difficult for Zimbabwe to bowl in one place and block him up. By the end of the first day, he had an unbeaten hundred, having feasted on the spinners during the evening session. A Cricviz analysis showed the balance in his strokeplay: 51 runs off the front ft, 49 off the back ft; 51 on the off side, 49 on the leg side.Hes known as the Ice Man in our dressing rm because he showed such composure and handled real pressure against Australia - they were one of the best attacks in world cricket and he showed that he was up for Test match cricket, Ford said. Theres that side to it, but he also seems to have a lot of time. We saw he plays the short ball pretty well - he can dispatch it - and has gd technique. There are lots of positives there when you add all of that together, so hes a real find for Sri Lankan cricket.While de Silva lks to have set up his stall for the foreseeable future, adding depth to a batting department that is coming to terms with the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, Asela Gunaratnes case may be slightly different. Already 30 years old, Gunaratne is classified as an allrounder, but his bowling is never likely to be used on more than a part-time basis in Test cricket. As Sri Lanka toiled for 10 wickets on the last day of the first Test, Herath never once tossed him the ball.But 186 runs in three innings for two dismissals is difficult to argue with. In the first Test, Sri Lanka were 351 for 5 when Gunaratne came to the crease. In the second Test, the score was 255 for 5. With Gunaratne marshalling the tail, they have added 435 runs for the last five wickets over the course of two first innings. Angelo Mathews will walk back into the Test side when Sri Lanka head to South Africa next month, but it will be difficult to keep Gunaratne off the plane.Its gd to see the form that the batsmen have shown, Ford said. Before the series, we knew that some of the fringe players had some talent but hadnt seen much opportunity. Now, theyve put their hands up and scored runs, so to see some depth in our batting department is really encouraging and important.On the little to gain dilemma, he added: The batsmen can only do what they can do, which is go out and score runs. If the wicket is flat, theres nothing they can do about it.Sri Lankas greatest challenge may yet come over the final three days of this match, as they face an improving Zimbabwe side on another flat pitch. Ford believes it will take some turn, but with fewer favours from Zimbabwes batsmen - and the umpires, now that DRS is in place - a lot of hard work lies ahead. So far, Sri Lankas batsmen have ticked all the boxes. Now, its over to the bowlers. Adidas NMD R1 NZ . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Stan Smith Sale NZ . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-nmd-r2-cheap-nz/nmd-r2-womens.html . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. NMD Clearance . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Adidas Falcon New Zealand . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Chris Bosh has failed his preseason physical and will not be cleared to participate in training camp, the Miami Heat?announced Friday.The Miami Heat and Chris Bosh, in consultation with team doctors and other physicians, have been working together for many months with the mutual goal of having Chris return to the court as sn as possible, the teams statement said. Chris has now taken his pre-season physical. The Miami Heat regret that it remains unable to clear Chris to return to basketball activities.In a documentary released this week by Uninterrupted.com, Bosh said Heat doctors told him last February that his basketball career was probably over when he was diagnosed with a second bld clot in his leg. Bosh fought the diagnosis and believed he had found a regimen that would allow him return to playing full-contact basketball. The team doctors continue to disagree.Seeing the team doctors, they told me that my season is over, my career is probably over and this just happens, this is just how it is, Bosh said in the documentary. I felt right away that I was written off. It was [claps his hands together] put it to the side matter-of-factly. If a doctor tells me, Hey thats it and this is how that is, and I dont buy that. I have the right to disagree with you.I know inside me I have a lot of talent and a lot of ability. I have it. I know I have it. It wasnt a matter of if I play again; it was when. So we tk the bull by the horns.The Heat declined to explain why Bosh failed the physical and cited a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that prohibits the team from releasing certain medical information. Therefore it isnt clear if this is a new issue or the same issue that caused the doctors to inform Bosh his career was likely over six months ago.Traditional treatment for bld clots typically makes taking part in professional sports impossible.Team president Pat Riley and managing general partner Micky Arison have both said in recent weeks that they would be open to having Bosh in camp, and the 11-time All-Star forward was examined by multiple doctorss in recent days in an attempt to be cleared.ddddddddddddThe team holds media day in Miami on Monday and starts training camp in the Bahamas on Tuesday. Its unclear if Bosh will even be present for those events.Boshs representatives did not return messages and have declined to comment during the process.Dwyane Wade, now with the?Chicago Bulls, told The Associated Press on Friday that he supports Bosh, but has reservations about his former teammates health.I wouldnt be a friend if I didnt express to him my concerns, Wade told the AP. To me, the biggest thing is Chris has five kids and a wife and a family that depends on him being there. To me, thats always most important. I told him, Make sure you focus on that first.Bosh, 32, is in the midst of releasing a self-directed documentary about his attempts to return to the NBA. In it he has been somewhat critical of the Heat, saying they had written him off after the diagnosis last All-Star Weekend.He has three years and $75 million -- which is guaranteed -- left on his contract. If he is declared disabled by an independent doctor, the Heat would be able to remove his salary from their bks starting next season. Miami would still have to pay Bosh the money, though a portion would be covered by insurance. If the team just released Bosh, it would be unable to get full cap relief.It is possible that another team could trade for Bosh, but another team would have to clear him to take part in basketball activities.Boshs first bout with a bld clot was in February 2015. One that was believed to have formed in one of his legs traveled to a lung and caused problems so severe that he needed to be hospitalized for several days. He recovered and was averaging 19.1 points last season when the second bout with clots began in February -- though the ones discovered then did not cause health issues anywhere near as serious as what he dealt with in 2015.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '