All posts by h716a5.icu

Former South Africa Women allrounder Sunnette Viljoen, who has played one Test and 17 ODIs, created history on Thursday by bagging a silver medal in the women’s javelin final of the Rio Olympics

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2016Former South Africa Women allrounder Sunette Viljoen, who has played one Test and 17 ODIs, created history on Thursday by bagging a silver medal in the women’s javelin final of the Rio Olympics.Viljoen, 33, finished second behind Croatia’s Sara Kolak, with her best throw of 64.92 metres compared to Kolak’s 66.18 metres. Viljoen’s medal was the ninth for South Africa who are currently placed 34th overall with one gold, six silvers and two bronze medals.She had come agonisingly close to winning a medal at the London 2012 Olympics but finished fourth with a best throw of 64.53 metres, behind Germany’s Linda Stahl, who finished third with 64.91.Viljoen played her only Test against India in March 2002 in Paarl, scoring 17 and 71. She had made her ODI debut in 2000 and finished her ODI career two years later with 198 runs and five wickets.

Javelin: Sunette Viljoen takes SILVER, brilliant effort, another medal, congratulations Sunette #teamSArise

— TeamSouthAfrica (@teamsa16) August 19, 2016

Leeds United could lose a number of key first-team players this summer should they suffer relegation to the Championship.

Only a win against Tottenham Hotspur, combined with Leicester City and Everton dropping points, will be enough to keep Sam Allardyce's side in the Premier League for another season.

With the final day rapidly approaching, a number of Leeds players are perhaps already thinking about where they might be when the 2023/24 campaign rolls around.

One man, who may have already played his last game for the Yorkshire outfit due to the likely interest that will be shown in him this summer, is USA international Tyler Adams.

Could Adams have played his last Leeds game?

The defensive midfielder was signed from RB Leipzig in 2022 and is perhaps one of few players from the current campaign that can escape with any credit, in what has been an excellent debut season at Elland Road.

As per WhoScored, no player in Allardyce's squad has earned a higher average rating than Adams (6.73), while he also boasts the most tackles per game, an attribute that has been badly missed in Leeds' midfield in recent months.

He also excelled at the World Cup with Gregg Berhalter's side as they reached the round of 16, with American legend Alexi Lalas dubbing him a "monster" on Twitter, and it is perhaps no surprise that he has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in recent months as a return to the Championship draws nearer.

Leeds fans have been well accustomed to seeing their top talents leave in recent seasons but losing Adams so soon after he signed, with just 26 appearances to his name this term, is a cruel blow following a disastrous campaign which will surely end in relegation this weekend.

Unfortunately for Leeds, the 24-year-old picked up a season-ending injury at the worst possible time, with the midfielder pulling up in the warm-up ahead of the 4-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in March.

It is clear the influence that he had at Leeds, as the Yorkshire outfit have won just once since then, with the 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest nowhere near enough to preserve their Premier League status.

There is no way that Adams will be fit enough to feature against Spurs this weekend and therefore, Leeds fans may have already seen the last of their £55k-per-week midfielder. Indeed, he has shown with his performances this terr, that he is more than capable of playing in the top flight, and deserves to be playing for a club that can provide that next year.

As new faces arrive to freshen up the squad for the ODI series, Australia will hope whatever combination they go with can put the Test fiasco behind and make a fresh start

Brydon Coverdale20-Aug-2016A change of clothing, a change of ball, a change of format, a change of personnel. A change of fortune? Australia would certainly hope so. After the humiliation of the No. 1 Test side in the world being whitewashed by the No. 7, Steven Smith’s men are now searching for a win – any old win – to restore a little bit of self-confidence. There are two pieces of good news for Australia that will encourage them ahead of this five-match ODI series.One: Rangana Herath is not playing. The man who claimed 28 wickets in the Test series retired from ODIs earlier this year. Two: the Australians might find the pitches for the ODI series a little more to their liking. Of course, it should be noted that there was nothing wrong with the Test pitches. But surfaces designed for 50-over matches and plenty of entertainment – those will suit Australia more.Just as in the Tests, Australia enter this series as No. 1 in the world – the difference is that their lead is so sufficient that even a total disaster will not see them drop from the top spot. A change of personnel will bring some freshness to the group. From outside the Test squad come James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Adam Zampa, George Bailey, Travis Head and Matthew Wade.Still, that leaves nine members of the ODI party who must shake off the disappointments of the past month and find fresh spark in the shorter format. Along with Smith, and his deputy David Warner, there is Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Moises Henriques. Mitchell Marsh was originally named in the squad, but has been sent home to rest.”No matter where you play, if you’re not winning, things are going to be a little bit flat,” Faulkner said in Colombo on the eve of the first ODI. “But we’ve got some new faces, and I’m one of them, that come into the group and bring some energy and some excitement for the five games and the two T20s after that.”Faulkner is, at least, certain to play the first match, after being dropped at the end of the ODI tri-series in the Caribbean in June. But what the rest of Australia’s XI will look like remains a mystery. The axing of Glenn Maxwell, Australia’s reigning ODI cricketer of the year, alters the balance of the side, while the return of Warner from injury and the inclusion of Shaun Marsh create a top-order glut.The likelihood is that Warner and Finch will open, and it would take a brave selector to leave Marsh out, given the form he displayed in the Colombo Test. That might in turn make it hard to find room for Khawaja, who was second only to Smith on Australia’s run charts in the West Indies tri-series. But the dropping of Maxwell from not only the XI but the wider squad shows that almost nobody is safe.”Besides the skipper, no one else is really guaranteed a spot in the side,” Finch told reporters in Colombo on Friday. “You have to be performing all the time. You just have to keep getting the business done, and if you don’t, there’s always someone breathing down your neck for your spot.”When you’ve got young guys performing well, Travis Head to go to England and get 175 [for Yorkshire] and play well in the last domestic one-day summer, there’s always someone breathing down your neck. So you have to be performing all the time, or have a real lot of credits in the bank.”One player with almost unlimited credits in the bank is Starc, the Player of the Tournament in last year’s World Cup and arguably the most dangerous wielder of a white ball at pace in the world right now. Not only that, but Starc is coming off the sort of Test series that would seem fanciful for a fast bowler in Asia: 24 wickets at 15.16, a wicket every 26 balls. The only question is whether the selectors may wish to rest Starc at some point during the ODI series.The other query around Australia’s attack is whether they will opt for one or two spinners. The young legspinner Zampa has shown remarkable poise during his first year as an international cricketer and is coming off an outstanding Caribbean Premier League season. He should be the starting spinner, ahead of Lyon, who in any case could use a break after sending down 154 overs in the Test series, the most for any bowler from either side.Whatever side Australia’s selectors come up with, at least they can view this change of format as a fresh start.

Journalist Lee Ryder has praised Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier after he "dominated" in the club's most recent draw.

What's the latest on Newcastle vs Leicester?

The Magpies managed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years last night after playing Leicester City.

The Foxes are fighting for their lives at the other end of the Premier League table and managed to come away with a point on the day.

Indeed, the match ended 0-0 with Newcastle unable to get on the scoresheet, despite hitting the post three times. That point was still enough to see Eddie Howe's side secure a spot in the top four.

And it seems as though the manager can thank his captain for that as the right-back put in a fine display – as noted by Ryder.

In the ChronicleLive player ratings, the journalist handed Trippier and 8/10 for his efforts and wrote: "Dominated down the right with a ridiculous 162 touches."

What award has Trippier won?

It seems Ryder wasn't the only one to appreciate the defender's efforts with Dominic Scurr signing Trippier's praises in the Shields Gazette player ratings too.

He gave him a 7/10 and said: "Kept Newcastle on the front foot all evening with smart passing down the right. Put some good deliveries into the box which Newcastle ought to have done better with."

And when you look at the stats on SofaScore, you can see why the journalists were impressed. After all, Trippier helped out defensively as he made one clearance, one tackle and of course was part of the backline that kept a clean sheet.

More eye-catching, though, was his attacking involvement as he was immense on the right flank with a whopping 162 touches (39 more than any other player). He delivered 20 crosses (17 more than any other player), completed 113 passes and 15/18 long balls as well as three key passes, with one big chance created.

Having been the first signing under the new ownership group – which has been able to invest in the transfers that have propelled NUFC up the table – it's safe to say Trippier has been a hit.

After all, the £120k-p/w England international was honoured after the game as he was handed the club's 22/23 Player of the Season award.

All in all, not a bad night for the defender with Champions League football secured and personal accolades picked up.

It’s no secret that Glasgow Rangers are keen on a move to sign goalkeeper Jack Butland this summer, with Michael Beale looking at bolstering his options between the posts ahead of next season.

However, according to The Scottish Sun, Manchester United are looking to double his salary in a bid to keep the Englishman with the club for 2023/24, which could scupper any potential move to Rangers.

Butland hasn’t played a minute for the Red Devils since joining from Crystal Palace on a six-month loan deal, yet Erik ten Hag looks like he wants to retain his services, meaning Beale may have to move onto other targets.

According to the Daily Mail, the 42-year-old has shown an interest in Fortuna Sittard goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, with the report claiming that the Light Blues have sent scouts to watch the Croatian gem in action against PSV Eindhoven last weekend.

He is on loan at the Eredivisie club from Hellas Verona, though he will make the switch permanent this summer after they tied him down until 2027.

Who is Ivor Pandur?

With Allan McGregor looking increasingly likely to hang up his gloves at the end of the season and Jon McLaughlin’s future uncertain, it could leave Robby McCrorie as the only senior ‘keeper in the squad come the summer, and Beale will be looking to provide plenty of competition for the Scot.

Pandur has displayed some impressive form in the Dutch top flight this term, earning a 7.01/10 Sofascore rating for his performances, making the team of the week twice.

The 23-year-old has saved 67% of the shots he has faced this term, which works out as 3.7 saves per game while also achieving a 100% runout success – proving to not only be an excellent shot-stopper, but also effective at coming off his line to prevent goalscoring opportunities.

He also ranks seventh out of all the ‘keepers in the Eredivisie for saves made this season, showing how often he is called into action, and if he makes the move to Rangers, it could be argued that the improved quality of defence compared to his current side will mean he shouldn’t have to make this number of saves.

His ability to save shots from close range has also been on show, with Pandur ranking fifth in the league with 72 saves inside the box – another impressive number. Therefore, if Beale manages to secure a deal, they could land a top ‘keeper.

Fortuna technical manager Sjoerd Ars has lavished praise on him, labelling the player as a “top professional”, and although playing for Rangers would be a major step up, there is surely no doubt that he could handle himself well in Scotland.

Peter Younghusband, who has made cameos on the field as a substitute for New Zealand, gained the final Wellington contract as New Zealand’s six major associations completed their signing of players for the upcoming season

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2016Zimbabwe-born legspinner Peter Younghusband, who has made cameos on the field as a substitute for New Zealand, gained the final Wellington contract as New Zealand’s six major associations completed their signing of players for the upcoming season. Wellington had signed 14 players in the first round of the contract process last month.Younghusband will assist Jeetan Patel and Luke Woodcock in the Wellington spin department.Younghusband was told by Wellington coach Bruce Edgar that he would miss the cut, before the side knew of former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall’s availability. Marshall wasn’t contracted, but would be available for selection from early October, after ending his 11-year association with Gloucestershire.”I’d been told 3-4 weeks earlier that I’d missed out, so I thought it was back to zero and it was going to be another tough winter training and rushing off to work,” Younghusband told . “To get the text and meet up with Bruce, I was so grateful.”Canterbury filled their 15-man quota by adding former Under-19 left-arm spinner Jeremy Benton. Canterbury coach Gary Stead lauded Benton, but also said that he might not get too many opportunities in the upcoming season.”He’s not a massive turner of the ball, but he’s a smart cricketer,” Stead said. “He’s got some really smart leadership capabilities. He’s an excellent fielder. I think he’ll turn into a real quality spinner. He may not get a massive load of opportunities this year. Down the track, he’ll be an integral part of our Canterbury line-up.”Auckland signed Sean Solia while Northern Districts added Tony Goodwin. Central Districts and Otago had two slots open at the second round. Otago picked up batsman Sean Eathorne and seamer Michael Rae while Central Districts signed seamers Navin Patel and Bevan Small.The domestic contracts for this season have also been extended by one month and will run from September 1, 2016 to April 15, 2017. This was done after NZC and the players’ association agreed to extend the contract period to seven-and-a-half months.Auckland Cody Andrews, Brad Cachopa, Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Donovan Grobbelaar, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Shawn Hicks, Dane Hutchinson, Tarun Nethula, Rob Nicol, Robert O’Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Jeet Raval, Sean SoliaCanterbury Todd Astle, Leo Carter, Michael Davidson, Andrew Ellis, Cameron Fletcher, Peter Fulton, Kyle Jamieson, Timothy Johnston, Kenneth McClure, Cole McConchie, Edward Nuttall, Henry Shipley, Logan van Beek, Will Williams, Jeremy BentonCentral Districts Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Ryan McCone, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Jesse Ryder, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ben Wheeler, William Young , Navin Patel, Bevan SmallNorthern Districts James Baker, Jono Boult, Dean Brownlie, Joe Carter, Anton Devcich, Daniel Flynn, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Nick Kelly, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Tim Seifert, Josef Walker, Tony GoodinOtago Warren Barnes, Michael Bracewell, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Ryan Duffy, Josh Finnie, Jack Hunter, Anaru Kitchen, Rhys Phillips, Hamish Rutherford, Christi Viljeon, Sam Wells, Brad Wilson, Sean Eathorne, Michael RaeWellington Brent Arnel, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Fraser Colson, Matt McEwan, Iain McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Ollie Newton, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Matt Taylor, Anurag Verma, Luke Woodcock, Peter Younghusband

Harmanpreet Kaur is set to become the first India Women’s cricketer to be signed by an overseas Twenty20 franchise

Shashank Kishore24-Jun-2016Harmanpreet Kaur is set to become the first India Women’s cricketer to be signed by an overseas Twenty20 franchise. Sydney Thunder, the reigning Women’s Big Bash League champions, are interested in recruiting her for the second edition of the Australian T20 league which is scheduled to be played in December.The BCCI had cleared the women players to participate in overseas leagues earlier this month and its president Anurag Thakur said on Friday that the deal between Thunder and Harmanpreet had been sealed.However, the club’s general manager Nick Cummins, while confirming their interest in Harmanpreet, said the contract had not yet been signed. Reportedly, Harmanpreet has received verbal permission from the BCCI but is waiting for her No-objection certificate before agreeing to play.It is understood that Harmanpreet, an allrounder and India’s vice-captain, received an offer from three teams – including the Sydney Sixers, the runners-up in the inaugural season – before zeroing in on the Thunder.”I think we saw in the Indian team some very dynamic players, including Veda Krishnamurthy and Harmanpreet Kaur, I think these two stood out,” Alex Blackwell, the Thunder captain, had said earlier. “We have a pretty solid team… but we have an opportunity to bring another overseas players in and we’ll be looking to spend that spot wisely. Hopefully we’ll get one of the best players around the world.”Blackwell’s comments came after India recorded their first-ever bilateral series win in Australia, beating the then champions 2-1 in the T20 series ahead of the World T20. Harmanpreet contributed a 31-ball 46 in a historic chase in the series opener. She was a standout performer in a disappointing World T20 campaign for India, scoring 89 runs and taking seven wickets in four outings.India captain Mithali Raj and fast bowler Jhulan Goswami were approached by the Adelaide Strikers for the inaugural edition of the tournament last year, but had to turn down the offer after the BCCI refused to grant permission, citing the need for top players to take part in the domestic women’s T20 league, which was being televised for the first time.Since then, the board has introduced central contracts for 11 women players and set in motion a slew of reforms recommended by the Lodha committee, which was appointed by the Supreme Court of India to look into the functioning of the board.GMT 1630 The article was amended to reflect that negotiations were on-going between Sydney Thunder and Harmanpreet Kaur

Tottenham Hotspur's caretaker boss Ryan Mason could reportedly have a chance of securing the position on a permanent basis, according to recent reports.

What's the latest on Tottenham's manager search?

As per Sky Sports, the Lilywhites are seemingly not set to appoint out-of-work coach Julian Nagelsmann despite previous speculation linking the German with the vacancy, with the report suggesting that no meeting is set to take place with the ex-Bayern Munich man.

The piece thus goes on to name potential alternatives to the 35-year-old, with the aforementioned Mason seemingly among those who will be considered for the role, having taken charge in recent weeks following the dismissal of interim manager, Cristian Stellini.

The Englishman – who also replaced Jose Mourinho in the dugout on a short-term basis back in 2021 – has previously suggested that he would be "ready" to fill the void of Antonio Conte as the club's new permanent boss.

Should Spurs appoint Ryan Mason permanently?

There may well be Spurs supporters who would be rather underwhelmed at the prospect of handing the reins to Mason for the foreseeable future, particularly following the recent links to a "genius" such as Nagelsmann, as previously hailed by The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein.

While the 31-year-old has seemingly made a positive impression at N17 in recent weeks – having "instilled belief" in the squad, according to Ben Davies – it would appear to be a real gamble for chairman Daniel Levy to put faith in such a youthful figure, with ex-Spurs defender Alan Hutton previously expressing his concerns over that move, suggesting it would be "very difficult" for the up and coming coach to take on what appears to be a "huge job".

The one-time Hull City midfielder – who is said to favour a 4-2-3-1 formation – has also hardly set the world alight when he has been in charge of the north Londoners during his two caretaker spells thus far with just five wins from 11 games across all fronts.

As former Tottenham man Jamie O'Hara recently stated, giving the position to Mason on a permanent basis seemingly has "signs of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer written all over it", with the latter man having himself taken on the top job at Manchester United following an interim spell in charge during the 2018/19 campaign.

A club legend at Old Trafford, the Norwegian was brought in to lift the mood following Jose Mourinho's departure in December 2018, subsequently going on to win 14 of his first 19 games in charge, including seeing off Paris Saint-Germain in a remarkable Champions League, last-16 comeback.

That fine start to life back in England saw the treble winner given a full-time contract somewhat prematurely in March 2019, although just over two years later the former Cardiff City and Molde boss found himself out of a job, having failed to win any silverware during that time.

Although Solskjaer did lead United to a respectable second-place finish in his final full season in charge, the manner in which his spell ended at the club – as he was sacked in November 2021 – rather soured the image of his time at the helm.

That "short-term thinking" from the Red Devils ultimately proved costly – as prophecised by talkSPORT's Simon Jordan – with Levy and co likely to be keen to avoid making the same mistake with an inexperienced figure such as Mason.

A decision on whether November’s Adelaide Test between Australia and South Africa will be played as a day-night fixture will be made public by Wednesday, June 8.

Firdose Moonda06-Jun-2016A decision on whether November’s Adelaide Test between Australia and South Africa will be played as a day-night fixture will be made public by Wednesday, June 8. Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Cricketers’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo the player body is “still dealing with the issue”, and will have a “final decision one way or the other within the next two days”.South Africa’s players initially rejected the idea of a pink-ball Test but have been in negotiations with Cricket Australia (CA), and the Australian board said last week that it was “hopeful” of the match taking place under lights. On Friday, Australia’s reported that the South African players had changed their mind during the Indian Premier League.Talk out of the South African camp in the last few weeks has suggested otherwise. AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada had all voiced their objection to a day-night Test, citing the lack of practice with the pink ball. Even though CA offered South Africa a warm-up match under lights, Philander said the players would need to have “experimented on the domestic front” and “tested the pink ball properly”, before agreeing to play a Test with it. He said it would take “a few games” before they felt comfortable.The other major reason for South Africa’s stance was that they are chasing a Test revival after slipping from No.1 to No.6 in the ICC rankings last season and do not want to risk missing out on a rise up the rankings because of unfamiliarity with the pink ball. “The players’ strong desire to play this as a normal Test match is testament to how much they actually care about the series,” Irish said in April. Irish also stressed that the players’ views should be treated with importance and pointed out that both South African and Australian players had concerns.Australia have already played one day-night Test, the inaugural match against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in November last year. Then, CA had provided New Zealand with a million-dollar financial incentive to compete in the match. It is not known if the Australian board has offered the South African players a similar sum but with the declining rand, any amount may prove difficult to turn down.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk after he gave away a penalty in the club's recent defeat.

What's the latest on Pascal Struijk and Leeds?

Arriving to replace Javi Gracia with just four Premier League games left to save the Whites from relegation, new manager Sam Allardyce was unable to win on the weekend.

In fairness, three points were never really expected for Leeds as they came up against league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad.

At least, then, they kept the scoreline respectable as a brace from Ilkay Gundogan – who later missed a penalty – was enough to see the home team win 2-1, with Rodrigo later netting a consolation.

Ahead of the match, Allardyce opted to leave Struijk out of the starting lineup and only brought him on for the final ten minutes.

However, seeing as the £50k-p/w defender gave away a penalty just three minutes after coming on, it's easy to see why some were critical of his cameo.

For instance, while speaking on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan tore into the left-back, outlining just how exasperated he immediately became.

He said (26:05): “I nearly threw something at the TV when Pascal Struijk came on. Gave possession away three times, then gave a penalty as well.

"He's not having a good run of it at the minute…"

How bad was Pascal Struijk against Man City?

This was actually Struijk's first appearance for Leeds after spending the last three games on the bench and you can see why he hasn't been playing much.

For instance, when you look at the stats on SofaScore, he delivered the lowest match rating of 5.6 despite only playing for ten minutes. In that period, he lost the ball three times and had away that penalty, even though he only had five touches – completing 1/4 attempted passes.

Evidently, this was a nightmare cameo and in the player ratings for the Yorkshire Evening Post, journalist Graham Smyth was pretty damning of the defender too as he handed him a 3/10.

He also wrote: "Gave away a penalty, lacked composure on the ball, looked a bit shaky."

It was hardly the sort of substitute appearance that will have Allardyce considering a change in the lineup next time out and so if Struijk is to play his part in Leeds' survival over the coming weeks, he'll probably have to do so now from the bench.