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Kyle Coetzer smashed a century to set the foundation of a famous Scotland win at The Grange

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh15-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA goose egg, bagel, doughnut, or a duck in cricket. Whatever you want to call it, Scotland had a big fat zero next to their name in the wins column for ODIs against Full Members: no wins, 23 losses since the 1999 World Cup.That dubious record was laid to rest on Thursday.Scotland didn’t get official ODI credit for laying the smackdown on Sri Lanka in a Champions Trophy warm-up last month, but the hosts came out of that match oozing confidence. It showed against Zimbabwe when Kyle Coetzer responded with a top-class century, like he had done against Sri Lanka, to set up a total of 317 for 6 in an eventual 26-run win on DLS Method.Both sides grappled through the first four overs in which Scotland added just four runs. Off the penultimate ball of the fourth over, Richard Ngarava pinged Kyle Coetzer on the side of the helmet with a bouncer. Much like a “heel” attempting a vicious maneuver on a “face” character in a wrestling match, the blow appeared to stir up Coetzer to bring out the full gamut of moves in retaliation.But it was Ngarava’s new-ball partner Tendai Chatara who was at the receiving end of Coetzer’s initial punishment, with a drive over long-on for six sandwiched by three boundaries in a 19-run seventh over. Matthew Cross was not to be left out of the fun at the other end; he pulled Ngarava and played a series of cover drives as part of five boundaries spread across the sixth and eighth overs. Cross struck seven fours in all for 33 off 35 balls before he played on to end a brisk 56-run opening stand.Coetzer brought up his half-century off 44 deliveries, dropkicking his opposite number Graeme Cremer’s legspin over the rope at long-on for six and then through midwicket for four along the way. At the other end, Zimbabwe connected with a few elbow drops to knock over Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington and Preston Mommsen cheaply.But Coetzer was unmoved, bringing up his second ton in three days. It was Coetzer’s fourth ODI ton overall; he finished with 13 fours and two sixes in his 109 off 101 balls before he was caught at deep midwicket off Sean Williams to make it 215 for 5 in the 40th over.Making 300 is the bare minimum under good conditions at The Grange. With Coetzer gone, it was left to Craig Wallace and Michael Leask to take the act into overdrive, and they did just that. After bringing up 50 in 49 balls, Wallace pulled out a reverse ramp on Chatara in the 47th over to move to his highest ODI score of 58 before eventually holing out to long-on in the 49th.Leask, playing his first ODI since August 2016, stuck to old-school slogging at the other end, clearing the front leg to heave both medium pacers over the leg side boundary. He too finished with a career-best unbeaten 59 off 38 balls. Ngarava also had a career day, but in the wrong direction, ending up with 1 for 96 in 10 overs, the second-worst ODI figures by a Zimbabwean.Con de Lange finished with career-best ODI figures of 5 for 60•Peter Della Penna

Zimbabwe’s reply kept the 500-odd home fans mostly silent in the early part of their 318 chase as Hamilton Masakadza hit two monstrous sixes over long-on, one of which resulted in a ball change. But for the first of several times in the chase, Zimbabwe climbed up the top rope and readied themselves for the finishing move only to slip and fall off the turnbuckle.Masakadza was run-out for 38 when he responded to Solomon Mire’s tight call for a single off Leask, who ran towards short midwicket on his followthrough and relayed the throw to Cross. Craig Ervine was beaten for pace an over later by Chris Sole as a top-edged pull swirled before coming down to Cross.Con de Lange entered in the 18th over and struck five balls later, the first of what would be a maiden five-for in Scotland colors, when Mire’s top-edged sweep carried to Safyaan Sharif at deep square leg to make it 97 for 3. Another run-out came moments before the umpires took players off for thickening showers as Berrington’s spectacular diving stop at backward point created confusion between Williams and Sikandar Raza, with the latter ultimately short of the relay to Cross.The teams sat for 100 minutes before skies cleared and play resumed with Zimbabwe 107 for 4 in 21.3 overs, though set a new target of 299 in 43 overs. Williams made up for his role in Raza’s run-out by producing a series of reverse sweeps for boundaries off de Lange. He brought up his half-century off 49 balls with a boundary. He would go on to make 70 before Berrington dislodged him thanks to a sharp catch by Cross standing up to Berrington’s medium pace. In the same over, Berrington could have had another if not for a tough drop on a return chance to reprieve Malcolm Waller on 8.While de Lange burrowed through Zimbabwe’s middle and lower order at one end, Waller seized on the early evening cross-breeze to launch five sixes. Scotland’s nerves showed in the 38th over when a four and six off by Waller off Sole was followed by a no-ball, with the ensuing free hit smashed for another four. Fifteen had come off three legal deliveries, with Zimbabwe dragging the equation down to 59 off 33. However, they were eight down and Waller began turning down singles in order to protect the tail.With 38 needed off the last three overs, De Lange was brought back again only to be hit for another six down the ground by Waller. But three balls later another slog sweep held up in the wind for Sole to claim Waller at deep square leg for 92 off 62, though it was not without controversy as Scotland took a dramatic “heel” turn of their own. Video footage of the catch appeared to show that Sole’s right foot was on the rope when he completed the catch before quickly dragging it back inside play.For Zimbabwe fans, it will bring back bad memories of the disputed catch taken by John Mooney on the boundary to dismiss Williams on 96 in the 2015 World Cup, a match Ireland eventually won by five runs.Zimbabwe initially protested and Waller stayed at the wicket for nearly a minute before reluctantly walking off. De Lange had five, Zimbabwe were down on the mat for good. Sharif then came back to claim the final wicket to clinch a famous Scotland win.

Moving house is something that we all dread. It arguably sits right next to running late for a flight on the list of things that can result in things that human beings haven't quite figured out how to deal with in a calm manner yet.

If anyone knows how to move house in an orderly fashion, however, it should be footballers. Such is the frantic nature of the transfer window, players can find themselves on the move within a moment's notice, forced to settle into a new town or, as is often the case, a new country.

With that said, a bit of advice must never go amiss. And that's exactly what Manchester City star Erling Haaland has given new Liverpool man Dominik Szoboszlai.

The duo played for Red Bull Salzburg together, and have clearly remained friends since.

What's the latest on Dominik Szoboszlai and Liverpool

Szoboszlai is Liverpool's biggest signing of the summer so far, arriving for a reported £60m, as the Reds look to rebuild what was a struggling midfield last season.

The 22-year-old joins Alexis Mac Allister on the list of arrivals at Anfield, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia also linked with making the move to Merseyside this summer.

By the end of the window, if Jurgen Klopp has signed three new midfielders, he may consider it a successful transfer window and one which could see his side competing for the league title, or at least finishing in the Premier League top four once again.

Last season, Liverpool finished outside the Champions League places for the first time in a full season under Klopp, and that clearly sent alarm bells, as the German has not messed about this summer, already spending close to £100m.

What did Haaland say to Szoboszlai?

Speaking about his Liverpool move, Szoboszlai revealed the advice that Haaland gave him, telling Nemzeti Sport, via Goal: "We've talked. So much so that Erling Haaland has also advised on finding real estate, and it could very well be that we become neighbours.

"I learned from him that several players live halfway between Manchester and Liverpool in a quiet area where privacy can be preserved, and on Monday I will see what he was talking about, I am very curious. And of course, putting our friendship aside during the Liverpool-Manchester City matches, it will surely be a fantastic experience to play against each other.

"I'll do some training on Monday, I have some paperwork to do, and then look at some potential properties where I'd like to live. Then I have to go to Leipzig, pack up my stuff, say goodbye to my former club, thank everyone for their support, love and encouragement and then to Budapest. But on the 10th at the latest I will be back in Liverpool because on the 11th I will be training for my new team."

Liverpool's first pre-season game takes place against Karsruher in Germany on July 17, in an upcoming fixture which could see Szoboszlai and Mac Allister make their debuts for the Reds.

Newcastle United will be looking to enrich the ranks this summer after sensationally qualifying for the Champions League this year, and have earmarked Galatasaray's Lucas Torreira as an option for transfer.

What's the latest on Lucas Torreira to Newcastle?

That's according to Turkish Football, who claim that Newcastle have joined the race for the tenacious midfielder, who has been valued at around €20m (£17m) by his club, also attracting the attention of Serie A outfits AC Milan and Lazio.

The Lions secured the Uruguayan's signature from Premier League side Arsenal for just €6m (£5m) last summer following a succession of loan spells, and he returned to emphatic form with his displays this year.

Newcastle's midfield was a force to be reckoned with this year but with the return to European competition, securing the signature of such a gritty central midfielder could ensure squad rotation does not squander cohesion or quality.

Should Newcastle sign Lucas Torreira?

The thriving Premier League outfit are on the cusp of sustaining a position among the big boys, with Eddie Howe's stewardship and technical director Dan Ashworth's diligent work on the transfer front combining to orchestrate the ascent.

Much of the work plied in bringing in fresh faces has been conducted without the concession of a lucrative transfer fee, and Torreira could continue this trend and add another dimension to a team that seemingly hit the mark on each occasion.

Torreira's energy has been illustrated in a bizarre vignette from former Arsenal teammate Sokratis, who said: “When he is off the pitch, he is so calm but when he is on the pitch, it is like ‘Transformers’, he becomes crazy!”

“He works very good, he is small but he is strong enough. I like him very much because he gives everything, he tries to defend every time and when we have players who do this work in front of us, it is very important.

The £75k-per-week gem has been in stellar showing in Turkey this year, and, as per Sofascore, has produced an average rating of 7.09, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, also winning 64% of his ground duels.

Such metrics would see him sit first in the Toon side for tackles last term and third for interceptions, highlighting the combative nature he could add at St James' Park.

Signing the 27-year-old would no doubt aid Newcastle's endeavours across multiple competitions and he would prove to be a "fantastic" component – as he has been called by Nigel Winterburn – but it could spell danger for Magpies ace Sean Longstaff.

The homegrown Toon midfielder was a success story on Tyneside last season and he has earned praise as his side's "unsung hero" by Paul Merson.

Having made 33 Premier League appearances this year, the 25-year-old has recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.74 and while he has completed 83% of his passes, his 1.3 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game are minnowed by the vibrant output of Torreira.

Longstaff will play a part next year, but Torreira's skill set would leave him in the lurch; this must not deter Howe and co as they seek success unseen in considerable time on Tyneside, and Torreira would only improve the chances of silverware.

Arsenal will be scrambling to replace a fan favourite this summer, but could already be honing in on their top target.

What's the latest on Hakan Calhanoglu to Arsenal?

That's according to reports in Italy, with InterLive.it noting Edu's interest in Inter Milan maestro Hakan Calhanoglu.

Given his impressive form in what has been a hugely successful campaign for the Nerazzurri, the Italian giants are unsurprisingly seeking to tie down the Turkey international until 2027. However, this report notes that they must watch out for the Gunners, who could well make an attempt to bring him to north London.

With a bid of around €40m (£35m) expected, and the report going on to suggest that they will soon launch their first attack to lure him, Simone Inzaghi would struggle to turn down such a hefty sum given the financial troubles of his club.

As Granit Xhaka nears the Emirates exit door too, bidding farewell to his home support yesterday, Calhanoglu could represent a fine replacement who might even surpass what has been an outstanding season for the Swiss general.

How good is Hakan Calhanoglu?

In a term where Inter will finish in the top four, have already won the Coppa Italia and still have a Champions League final to play, the 29-year-old has been ever-present, as a testament to his quality.

Featuring 47 times, the deep-lying playmaker has been the silent conductor of his side all year, popping up with four goals and eight assists too.

Serie A has played host to some mesmeric performances from the former AC Milan magician, and it is this consistency in the league that perhaps gives credence to the suggestion that he would easily surpass Xhaka.

Whilst the 30-year-old notched seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League, he did so at the tip of a box midfield in a role far more offensive than his potential successor.

Just last season saw Calhanoglu surpass these figures, with his seven goals and 13 assists in the league from deep cementing his return to the top of Italian football.

Even back in 2020 saw the creative leader lauded, with his then-manager Stefano Piolo noting: "It’s difficult to always expect two goals but I expect this type of performance. He’s an exceptional guy, he has the qualities to become the protagonist."

Now, with a 7.31 average rating for this term, the £154k-per-week star has also maintained 2.2 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game, alongside an 88% pass accuracy, via Sofascore. All of these attributes, including the rating, surpass Xhaka's numbers in his greatest offensive year in an Arsenal shirt.

Whilst it would take a while to reach the level of cult hero status that the former FC Basel gem has reached in north London, to surpass his performances would go a long way towards immediately endearing Calhanoglu to the fans as well as aiding in Mikel Arteta's next push for the Premier League title.

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

Presenter Dan Lawless has slammed West Ham United January signing Danny Ings after his full transfer fee and wages were reported.

What's the latest on Danny Ings and West Ham?

This winter, it looked as though striker Michail Antonio was potentially on his way out of the Premier League club with Chelsea even linked with a loan move.

Perhaps with that in mind, David Moyes didn't want want to risk being short of options up top and the Hammers pounced in the market.

Indeed, they landed Ings from Aston Villa for £15m on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Since then, however, he has failed to impress – scoring just three times in 16 outings.

It's since been reported that the Englishman earns a whopping £125k-p/w. After learning of this, West Ham Fan TV man Lawless outlined how "baffling" the transfer has been

On Twitter, he wrote: "Still an absolutely baffling signing to me, doesn't suit us at all and is now one of our highest earners. Madness."

Who earns the most at West Ham?

With Ings being paid so much, it means only Lucas Paqueta currently earns more (£150k-p/w) than him within the West Ham squad – while the striker sits joint level with Kurt Zouma.

However, when you look at his recent performances, you can't really argue that the 30-year-old has been one of Moyes' better players.

After all, he has scored just twice in the Premier League since joining, has zero assists, and hasn't netted in his last eight league appearances.

What's more, when you look at average league ratings on WhoScored, Ings has managed a 6.32 score in a West Ham shirt. This ranks him 19th out of 25 players in the senior squad.

Worryingly, even Moyes doesn't seem to be entirely convinced about just how to get the best out of his new signing. When asked if Ings looks too isolated up front when playing for the club, the manager told recently reporters (via 6foot2): “Yes, but we’re only just getting to know him. He’s someone who probably might need more people around him.

"We’re not playing at our best and the Nottingham Forest game showed, Danny is a penalty box striker, if we can get the ball more to Danny and give him opportunities, he can score. His record and his history will show that, but we’ve not really been that far up the pitch often enough to sustain pressure which would maybe mean more opportunities are coming."

All in all, this deal is looking more pointless by the day.

Aston Villa's transfer business in the Championship was often erratic and rarely successful, but the signing of Ross McCormack will surely go down in history as one of the club's worst.

Why did Aston Villa sign McCormack?

With Villa desperate to escape the second tier, the signing of McCormack looked to be a sensible one, given his impressive form in spells at Leeds United and Fulham previously.

The Scottish striker had crashed in 21 goals and ten assists in the 2015/16 Championship campaign for Fulham and boasted a superb return of 58 goals and 31 assists in 157 appearances for Leeds.

The Villans had been relegated from the Premier League that season and were keen for an immediate return to the top flight, so were more than willing to spend £12m on the 29-year-old, which saw him become the joint second-most expensive player in the club's history at the time.

How did McCormack perform during his time at Villa?

Unfortunately for the Midlands club, that investment would prove to be a disastrous one, as he mustered just three goals and one assist in 24 appearances for the club, before he was eventually released by the club in 2019 following loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne City FC and Motherwell.

McCormack will be remembered by Villa fans not for his performances on the pitch, but for his shocking attitude off it, which was perhaps the main factor behind his demise in English football.

The former Scotland international famously missed training under Steve Bruce due to an incident with the gate at his house, with the experienced manager not holding back in his criticism of McCormack.

He said: “In my opinion, he is not fit enough to play, and he will not play unless his attitude towards training and missing training improves. If that improves then I will reconsider him but if he continues to miss training, as he has done, that will be the situation."

Simon Jordan, who is a regular pundit on talkSPORT, was also less than complimentary of the striker during his time at Villa Park, dubbing him a "lazy slob."

Where is Ross McCormack now?

Villa fans may not be surprised to hear that, at the age of 36, McCormack's time in professional football looks to be well and truly over.

Other than his time at Melbourne City, which returned 14 goals in just 17 appearances, all of his loan spells away from Villa were something of a disaster, so it was not a surprise when few sides were willing to take a chance on him upon his release in 2019.

He did have an extremely brief spell at Aldershot but mustered just 28 minutes of National League action, despite signing a one-year contract with the non-league side.

He hasn't played professionally since departing The Shots and many will look towards his failed time in the Midlands as the beginning of the end for McCormack, in what must surely be considered a transfer shocker by the Villa Park outfit.

Manchester United are interested in signing AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori in the summer transfer window, according to a recent update.

How is Tomori faring at Milan?

The 25-year-old joined Milan on a permanent basis from Chelsea back in 2021, having struggled to earn regular first-team opportunities in west London. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength in Italy, proving to be a consistent performer at the heart of his team's defence.

This season, Tomori has started 27 Serie A matches, averaging 2.3 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game in the competition, not to mention 1.9 and 3.0 in the Champions League respectively, helping the Rossoneri reach the semi-finals. He can arguably feel unlucky not to have forced his way into England's strongest starting lineup, too, although that chance may now arise, given Harry Maguire's struggles.

The Englishman's current Milan deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, but it could be that a bid big manages to prise him away from the Italian giants this summer.

Could Tomori join Man United this summer?

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], United are the only English club name-checked as "thinking" about signing Tomori this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain also contenders to snap him up. A "super offer" of €50-60m (£43.9-52.7m) could be enough for Milan to accept an offer for him, so it depends on whether the Red Devils are willing to pay that amount for him.

Another key factor is if United sell one of their centre-backs at the end of the campaign, such as Maguire for example, with a move more likely if that were to happen.

Tomori could be a really shrewd signing by United, coming in at a brilliant time in his career and proving to be an upgrade on the likes of Maguire and Victor Lindelof, despite the Swede's recent improvement. He has been lauded for his "interesting qualities" by none other than Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini in the past, which says a huge amount about what a gifted centre-back he is.

He could initially come in as deputy to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, still earning plenty of playing time, before potentially usurping the former as he gets older, and struggles with injury. The likelihood is, a move to United could also boost Tomori's hopes of becoming an England regular, with Gareth Southgate perhaps lazily taking more notice of him if he is playing in England and at one of the world's biggest clubs.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has claimed that Leeds United defender Max Wober will be injured for the next game despite Javi Gracia's vague comments.

What's the latest on Max Wober and Leeds?

A hamstring injury has prevented the centre-back from playing any part in The Whites' past three games in the Premier League.

With that in mind, question marks linger over his possible availability in the club's next fixture, a home tie at Elland Road against Liverpool on Monday night.

While talking to the press ahead of the game, manager Gracia refused to commit one way or the other when it came to Wober's possible injury return.

Indeed, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: "To be honest, I don’t know yet. He is training some days with the team. We have two days more before the game, it’s something we’ll have to see before the next [few] days. We are working very hard, we expect a demanding game.”

While discussing these quotes on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan claimed that this likely means Wober won't be back in time to play on Monday.

He explained: “Wober, it's all hypothetical because Javi has given nothing away.

"But for me, if you reading between the lines there, he's not going to be fit."

Will Max Wober play against Liverpool?

Without Wober in the team, Gracia has lost twice in the Premier League and won once. However, their last outing was, of course, that humiliating 5-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace.

In that game, Junior Firpo, Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch and Luke Ayling started as a back four – as they did in the two league games prior – but the manager may look to mix things up to avoid another thrashing at Elland Road.

Liam Cooper and Rasmus Kristensen are two options on the bench who could be called upon, while Wober would surely get back in the team if fit.

Having only joined in the winter, the £35k-per-week defender can play at left-back too – having done so for former side Red Bull Salzburg earlier in the season – but has proven himself to be most useful in the middle of the Leeds defence.

After all, after making his debut in the club, the Austrian then started the next nine consecutive Premier League games at centre-back before his recent injury.

No doubt, it'll be a big boost if Wober is fit, but it remains unclear if he will play – and we think Leeds fans certainly shouldn't get their hopes up.

Arsenal have been handed a gutting injury blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

Mikel Arteta's side welcome an Eagles outfit that have only just sacked Gunners legend Patrick Vieira amid a poor run of form, whilst the home side will look to put their European heartbreak behind them at the Emirates Stadium.

However, they'll have to do so without one of their most important players…

What's the latest update on William Saliba's injury?

William Saliba hobbled off with a back problem after just 21 minutes on Thursday evening and despite it not looking too serious, it is now seemingly worse than first feared, according to the French media.

Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport has revealed that the France international is set to miss the game against Palace and will withdraw from Les Rogues' upcoming matches during the international break.

L'Equipe also report that the former Saint-Étienne colossus is likely to miss 'several weeks' and that would surely make his availability for Arsenal's match against Leeds United on April 1st rather doubtful.

How big of a blow is losing Saliba?

With Takehiro Tomiyasu being withdrawn from the very same game with quite a worrying injury too, the loss of Saliba is going to be pretty huge for Arteta and the squad as it leaves the Spaniard light on central defensive options against Palace.

He could call upon January signing Jakub Kiwior but his debut in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie with Sporting CP was far from impressive, or he may choose to shift Benjamin White back into his natural role, though that would then open up a glaring gap at right-back.

Only two players have played more minutes than the 21-year-old centre-back in the Premier League this term, highlighting the trust that Arteta has in him and his importance to the side, given they are firmly in the race to secure their first title in nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, only Saliba's defensive partner Gabriel Magalhaes is averaging more headers won per game, whilst it's the £27m man's passing ability that makes this team tick as he manages 69 passes per outing, at a success rate of 91% – both leading the squad for players to have started ten or more games, via WhoScored,

Having been lauded as a "Rolls-Royce" by teammate Aaron Ramsdale and a "monster" by his former youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi, it's clear that the imposing Gunners star is a vital cog in Arteta's league-leading machine, so to be without him heading into the international break – given the options available and unfortunate timing of it – is certainly a massive blow and one that will undoubtedly leave the manager gutted.