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Netherlands earned themselves a place in the tournament final, but more importantly a spot in the World Twenty20 in England, with a fine five-wicket victory over Scotland, with two full overs to spare

John Ward in Belfast04-Aug-2008
Scorecard
Ryan ten Doeschate picked up the Man of the Match award for Netherlands © Getty Images
Netherlands earned themselves a place in the tournament final, but more importantly a spot in the World Twenty20 in England, with a fine five-wicket victory over Scotland, with two full overs to spare. After a good start by their opponents, they fought back to restrict them severely, and then overcame a couple of sticky moments with the bat to reach the target in good time.Netherlands won the toss and decided to bowl first, a trend that is taking over at this low-scoring tournament. Scotland’s openers, however, made a mockery of the dismal starts achieved by most sides in recent matches, as Ryan Watson took Kyle Coetzer in first with him, and the pair quickly launched themselves into the type of opening partnership that is more to be expected in this type of cricket. It was mostly good clean hitting, with Coetzer lofting a six over long-on off Mudassar Bakhari in the third over.After 10 overs, the score was 50 without loss, but five runs later Watson swung across the line and was bowled by Peter Borren for 22, off 27 balls. Coetzer and Navdeep Poonia then concentrated mainly on singles, which came off most balls, but the search for yet another led to the run-out of Coetzer for 40 (44 balls, 2 sixes and 4 fours).Colin Smith quickly followed, holing out at long-on, but Pooniah and Gavin Hamilton settled for a sober partnership of accumulation with few extravagant strokes, aiming perhaps for a total of about 120, considering how difficult teams have found chasing smaller targets this tournament.With two overs left, the total was 98 for 3, but then Hamilton, aiming at extravagance virtually for the first time, holed out on the leg side.It takes so little to send a team on the slippery slope of disaster, and in quick succession Neil McCallum was caught at extra cover, also off Ryan ten Doeschate, and Poonia run out for 25. In moments the score had become 99 for 6. The final over saw Richie Berrington and Gordon Drummond run out and John Blain almost caught on the boundary off the final ball. The total was 107 for 8.It is easy to say Scotland lost their way after such a good start, but by the weird standards of this particular tournament, even to reach 100 is quite an achievement. ten Doeschate, with 3 for 23, was the most successful bowler, but the most economical was the opener Edgar Schiferli, who conceded only 18 runs, bowling mostly during the dominant opening partnership.Netherlands quickly lost Darron Reekers, caught at mid-on off a miscued pull. Twenty-nine runs came up in the first four overs without much more fuss from either side, the batsmen concentrating on frequent singles with only occasional slogs. At 50, in the ninth over, Tim de Grooth was caught at the wicket off Berrington for 24, and at the ten-over mark the score was 56 for 2.Bokari, having scored most of his 9 runs off the edge, was caught at slip, but Eric Szwarczynski and ten Doeschate batted steadily, largely in singles, to take the score to 81, when the former had a rush of blood, trying a big hit to leg, only to have the resulting skyer caught by the keeper, having made 30. He was soon followed by Daan van Bunge, caught at slip without scoring. At 83 for 5, was another serious collapse taking place?Borren, with two successive fours off Drummond, soon put paid to such nonsense. The end came quickly now, as ten Doeschate swung Majid Haq for six over square leg, and next ball followed it with a reverse-swept four to take Netherlands into the final. Eighteen runs came off that over – the sort of over that is more commonly expected in this type of cricket but so rarely seen at this tournament.ten Doeschate was unbeaten with 24 off 18 balls, while Borren had 16 off 12. Blain and Berrington had two wickets each.

أشار مدرب منتخب ألمانيا، هانز فليك، إلى الموقف المتوتر بين بايرن ميونخ والمهاجم البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

ليفاندوفسكي أعلن رغبته في الرحيل عن بايرن ميونخ، وشهدت الفترة الماضية توترات بين اللاعب والنادي مع تبادل التصريحات بين الطرفين.

ويرتبط ليفاندوفسكي باهتمام برشلونة الإسباني، إلى جانب رغبة باريس سان جيرمان ومانشستر يونايتد في ضمه.

فليك كان مدرب بايرن ميونخ ولعب ليفاندوفسكي فترة طويلة تحت قيادته، وقال مدرب ألمانيا لصحيفة “بيلد”: “لقد قضيت وقتًا رائعًا مع ليفاندوفسكي في بايرن ميونخ”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فليك بعد خماسية ألمانيا أمام إيطاليا: نتطلع إلى الطريق المؤدي لكأس العالم

وأضاف: “كان الموسم بستة ألقاب هو الأفضل، روبرت محترف للغاية ولاعب كرة قدم عالمي المستوى، أعتقد أنه من العار أن يحدث هذا”.

لا يزال الصراع مفتوحًا، لأن البولندي عبّر علنًا عن رغبته في المغادرة، لقد أكد حتى أنه يفكر فقط في الذهاب إلى برشلونة، وبايرن ميونخ لم يفتح الباب أمام رحيله فليس لديهم بديل ولا يفكرون في بيعه في الوقت الحالي.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os embates das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil foram sacramentados nesta quinta-feira. O sorteio realizado na sede da CBF (com a presença do ex-jogador Washington, homenageado do dia) evitou a possibilidade de clássicos regionais, mas trouxe reedições de dois duelos interestaduais que marcaram época no torneio: Grêmio x Fluminense e Palmeiras x Internacional.

Com a inclusão dos oito representantes brasileiros na Copa Libertadores e os campeões da Copa verde e Copa do Nordeste a partir das oitavas, o Tricolor gaúcho e o Tricolor das Laranjeiras farão seu sexto confronto pela competição. Palmeirenses e colorados farão a terceira edição do confronto: em 1992, o Inter levou a melhor na semifinal e, em 2015, o Verdão ganhou nas quartas (quem passou acabou ficando com o título).

Chapecoense e Cruzeiro ainda se enfrentarão mais uma vez no ano: as duas equipes tiveram um confronto pela Primeira Liga. O Flamengo fará pela primeira vez no torneio um confronto com o Atlético-GO. Já o Botafogo enfrentará o Sport – duelo inédito no torneio. O Santos encara o Paysandu, enquanto que o Atlético-MG duela contra o Paraná. A outra partida será entre Santa Cruz e Atlético-PR.

Não há chaveamento definido. Haverá novo sorteio nas quartas de final.

Confira a lista completa de confrontos:

Palmeiras x Internacional*
Grêmio x Fluminense*
Botafogo x Sport*
Santa Cruz x Atlético-PR*
Cruzeiro x Chapecoense*
Paraná x Atlético-MG*
Flamengo x Atlético-GO*
Santos x Paysandu*
* decidem em casa: datas serão divulgadas nesta quinta à noite

ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN: ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL RECORDS(Complete to 1 December 2002)

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS PLAYED BETWEEN ZIMBABWE AND PAKISTAN(Names in brackets after title indicate captains, Zimbabwe and Pakistan)1991/92 – World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (D L Houghton, Imran Khan)1 27 February 1992, at HobartPAKISTAN 254/4 (50 overs) (Aamer Sohail 114, Javed Miandad 89; I P Butchart3/57)ZIMBABWE 201/7 (50 overs) (Wasim Akram 3/21)Pakistan won by 53 runs (Man of the Match: Aamer Sohail)1992/93 – Triangular tournament in Sharjah (D L Houghton, Wasim Akram)2 1 February 1993, at SharjahPAKISTAN 262/8 (50 overs) (Inzamam-ul-Haq 90; D H Brain 3/51, A H Omarshah3/33)ZIMBABWE 213/6 (50 overs) (G W Flower 57)Pakistan won by 49 runs (Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq)1992/93 – Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe (D L Houghton, Wasim Akram)3 2 March 1993, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 164 (49.1 overs) (D L Houghton 51; Waqar Younis 3/31, Mushtaq Ahmed3/22)PAKISTAN 165/3 (47.2 overs) (Javed Miandad 86*)Pakistan won by seven wickets (Man of the Match: Javed Miandad)1993/94 – Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan (A Flower, Wasim Akram)4 24 December 1993, at KarachiZIMBABWE 143 (38 overs) (D L Houghton 52; Wasim Akram 5/15)PAKISTAN 147/3 (33.5 overs) (Saeed Anwar 68)Pakistan won by seven wickets (Man of the Match: Wasim Akram)5 25 December 1993, at RawalpindiZIMBABWE 195/5 (40 overs) (A D R Campbell 74, D L Houghton 57)PAKISTAN 196/4 (39.4 overs) (Asif Mujtaba 61)Pakistan won by six wickets (Man of the Match: Asif Mujtaba)6 27 December 1993, at LahorePAKISTAN 216/4 (40 overs) (Inzamam-ul-Haq 80*, Javed Miandad 55)ZIMBABWE 141/9 (40 overs) (Mushtaq Ahmed 3/19, Saleem Malik 3/22)Pakistan won by 75 runs (Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq)1994/95 – Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe (A Flower, Saleem Malik)7 22 February 1995, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 219/9 (50 overs) (Aamer Sohail 3/33)PAKISTAN 219 (49.5 overs) (Saeed Anwar 103*; B C Strang 4/36, G J Whittall3/46)Match tied (Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar/B C Strang (shared)8 25 February 1995, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 209/5 (50 overs) (D L Houghton 73*)PAKISTAN 210/6 (48.3 overs) (Inzamam-ul-Haq 116*, Ijaz Ahmed 54; B C Strang3/22)Pakistan won by four wickets (Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq)9 26 February 1995, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 222/9 (50 overs) (A Flower 73; Aaqib Javed 3/46)PAKISTAN 148 (43.3 overs) (P A Strang 3/42)Zimbabwe won by 74 runs (Man of the Match: A Flower)1996/97 – Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan (A D R Campbell, Wasim Akram)10 30 October 1996, at QuettaZIMBABWE 237/9 (50 overs) (G W Flower 91, A Flower 82)PAKISTAN 239/7 (49.1 overs) (Aamer Sohail 55, Saleem Malik 72*; A R Whittall3/36)Pakistan won by three wickets (Man of the Match: Saleem Malik)11 1 November 1996, at LahoreZIMBABWE 195 (49.1 overs) (A Flower 51; Saqlain Mushtaq 3/46)PAKISTAN 196/1 (28.4 overs) (Saeed Anwar 84*, Shahid Afridi 66)Pakistan won by nine wickets (Man of the Match: Shahid Afridi)12 3 November 1996, at PeshawarPAKISTAN 264/9 (40 overs) (Ijaz Ahmed 117, Azam Khan 72; E Z Matambanadzo4/32)ZIMBABWE 147 (32.1 overs) (G W Flower 77; Saqlain Mushtaq 4/28, including ahat-trick and four wickets in five balls)Pakistan won on scoring rate (Zimbabwe’s target was revised to 225 from34 overs) (Man of the Match: Ijaz Ahmed)1996/97 – Triangular tournament in Sharjah (A D R Campbell, Wasim Akram)13 6 April 1997, at SharjahPAKISTAN 187 (50 overs) (H H Streak 3/37)ZIMBABWE 94 (31.4 overs)Pakistan won by 93 runs (Man of the Match: Inzamam-ul-Haq (46))14 9 April 1997, at SharjahPAKISTAN 151/9 (50 overs) (Moin Khan 61; H H Streak 4/18)ZIMBABWE 119 (40.1 overs) (Waqar Younis 3/14, Mushtaq Ahmed 4/27)Pakistan won by 32 runs (Man of the Match: Moin Khan)1997/98 – Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe (A D R Campbell, Rashid Latif)15 28 March 1998, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 236/6 (50 overs)PAKISTAN 237/6 (47.4 overs) (Aamer Sohail 77, Yousuf Youhana 59*)Pakistan won by four wickets (Man of the Match: Aamer Sohail)16 29 March 1998, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 272/4 (50 overs) (G W Flower 81, G J Whittall 53*)PAKISTAN 276/6 (46.4 overs) (Mohammad Wasim 76, Yousuf Youhana 66)Pakistan won by four wickets (Man of the Match: Mohammad Wasim)1998/99 – Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan (A D R Campbell, Aamer Sohail)17 20 November 1998, at GujranwalaZIMBABWE 237 (49.3 overs) (N C Johnson 74; Saqlain Mushtaq 4/35, ShahidAfridi 3/45)PAKISTAN 241/6 (47.4 overs) (Aamer Sohail 91, Yousuf Youhana 55*)Pakistan won by four wickets (Man of the Match: Aamer Sohail)18 22 November 1998, at SheikhapuraPAKISTAN 211 (50 overs) (H H Streak 3/40)ZIMBABWE 212/4 (40.4 overs) (N C Johnson 103)Zimbabwe won by six wickets (Man of the Match: N C Johnson)19 24 November 1998, at RawalpindiPAKISTAN 302/6 (50 overs) (Saeed Ahmed 73, Ijaz Ahmed 132)ZIMBABWE 191 (37.2 overs) (A Flower 61; Saqlain Mushtaq 3/27)Pakistan won by 111 runs (Man of the Match: Ijaz Ahmed)1999 – World Cup in England (A D R Campbell, Wasim Akram)20 11 June 1999, at The OvalPAKISTAN 271/9 (50 overs) (Saeed Anwar 103)ZIMBABWE 123 (40.3 overs) (N C Johnson 54; Abdur Razzaq 3/25, Saqlain Mushtaq3/16, including hat-trick)Pakistan won by 148 runs (Man of the Match: Saeed Anwar)1999/2000 – Triangular tournament in West Indies (A Flower, Moin Khan)21 5 April 2000, at St John’s (Antigua)ZIMBABWE 199/9 (50 overs)PAKISTAN 200/5 (47.1 overs) (Shahid Afridi 69)Pakistan won by five wickets (Man of the Match: Shahid Afridi)22 15 April 2000, at St George’s (Grenada)ZIMBABWE 204/7 (50 overs) (Arshad Khan 3/45)PAKISTAN 205/4 (43.1 overs) (Imran Nazir 105*)Pakistan won by six wickets (Man of the Match: Imran Nazir)2002/03 – Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe (A D R Campbell, Waqar Younis)23 23 November 2002, at Queens Sports ClubPAKISTAN 302/4 (50 overs) (Saleem Elahi 53, Yousuf Youhana 141*, Inzamam-ulHaq 55)ZIMBABWE 295/9 (50 overs) (A Flower 77, C N Evans 68. A M Blignaut 55; WaqarYounis 3/50)Pakistan won by 7 runs24 24 November 2002, at Queens Sports ClubPAKISTAN 344/5 (50 overs) (Taufeeq Umar 76, Saleem Elahi 107, Yousuf Youhana76*)ZIMBABWE 140/6 (33 overs) (S M Ervine 61*; Wasim Akram 4/22)Pakistan won by 104 runs (Duckworth/Lewis)25 27 November 2002, at Harare Sports ClubPAKISTAN 323/3 (50 overs) (Taufeeq Umar 68, Saleem Elahi 108, Yousuf Youhana100*)ZIMBABWE 275/7 (50 overs) (M A Vermeulen 79, A Flower 63, G W Flower 54;Saqlain Mushtaq 3/41)Pakistan won by 48 runs26 30 November 2002, at Harare Sports ClubZIMBABWE 210 (49.5 overs) (G W Flower 105*; Mohammad Sami 4/41)PAKISTAN 211/2 (35.4 overs) (Faisal Iqbal 100*, Younis Khan 56)Pakistan won by eight wickets27 1 December 2002, at Harare Sports ClubPAKISTAN 300/7 (50 overs) (Yousuf Youhana 88, Younis Khan 90)ZIMBABWE 230 (45.3 overs) (A Flower 72; Shahid Afridi 3/45)Pakistan won by 70 runsSUMMARY OF RESULTS FOR ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN (* = World Cup)Zim PakSeason Venue Played Won Won Tied Drawn1991/92* Australia 1 – 1 – -1992/93 Sharjah 1 – 1 – -1992/93 Zimbabwe 1 – 1 – -1993/94 Pakistan 3 – 3 – -1994/95 Zimbabwe 3 1 1 1 -1996/97 Pakistan 3 – 3 – -1996/97 Sharjah 2 – 2 – -1997/98 Zimbabwe 2 – 2 – -1998/99 Pakistan 3 1 2 – -1999* World Cup 1 – 1 – -1999/2000 West Indies 2 – 2 – -2002/03 Zimbabwe 5 – 5 – -In Zimbabwe 11 1 9 1 -In Pakistan 9 1 8 – -Neutral ground 7 – 7 – -Total 27 2 24 1 -GROUND RECORDSZim PakPlayed Won Won Tied DrawnIn Zimbabwe:Harare Sports Club 9 1 7 1 -Queens Sports Club 2 – 2 – -In Pakistan:Gujranwala 1 – 1 – -Karachi 1 – 1 – -Lahore 2 – 2 – -Peshawar 1 – 1 – -Quetta 1 – 1 – -Rawalpindi 2 – 2 – -Sheikhapura 1 1 – – -In England:The Oval 1 – 1 – -In Australia:Hobart 1 – 1 – -In West Indies:St George’s 1 – 1 – -St John’s 1 – 1 – -In Sharjah:Sharjah 3 – 3 – -HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALSFor Zimbabwe: For Pakistan:295/9 Queens SC 2002/03 344/5 Queens SC 2002/03323/3 Harare SC 2002/03302/4 Queens SC 2002/03302/6 Rawalpindi 1998/99300/7 Harare SC 2002/03Zimbabwe’s highest in Pakistan: 237/9 (Quetta) 1996/97 and 237 (Gujranwala) 1998/99LOWEST INNINGS TOTALSFor Zimbabwe: For Pakistan:94 Sharjah 1996/97 148 Harare SC 1994/95119 Sharjah 1996/97123 The Oval* 1999143 Karachi 1993/94147 Peshawar 1996/97Lowest by Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe: 164 (Harare Sports Club) 1992/93Lowest by Pakistan in Pakistan: 211 (Sheikhapura) 1998/99HIGHEST SECOND-INNINGS TOTALSTo win: By Zimbabwe: 212/4 Sheikhapura 1998/99By Pakistan: 276/6 Harare Sports Club 1997/98To lose: By Zimbabwe: 295/9 Queens Sports Club 2002/03By Pakistan: 148 Harare Sports Club 1994/95HIGHEST MATCH AGGREGATES598/10 wkts Pak (323/3) beat Zim (275/7) Harare SC 2002/03597/13 wkts Pak (302/4) beat Zim (295/9) Queens SC 2002/03In Pakistan:493/16 wkts Pak (302/6) beat Zim (191) Rawalpindi 1998/99LOWEST COMPLETED MATCH AGGREGATES281/20 wkts Pak (187) beat Zim (94) Sharjah 1996/97290/13 wkts Pak (147/3) beat Zim (143) Karachi 1993/94Lowest in Zimbabwe:329/13 wkts Pak (165/3) beat Zim (164) Harare SC 1992/93LARGEST MARGINS OF VICTORY148 runs Pak (271/9) beat Zim (123) The Oval* 1999111 runs Pak (302/6) beat Zim (191) Rawalpindi 1998/99104 runs (D/L) Pak (344/5) beat Zim (140/6) Queens SC 2002/03nine wickets Pak (196/1) beat Zim (195) Lahore 1995/96By Zimbabwe: six wickets, at Sheikhapura (1997/98) and 74 runs, at Harare Sports Club, 1994/95NARROWEST MARGINS OF VICTORY7 runs Pak (302/4) beat Zim (295/9) Queens SC 2002/0332 runs Pak (151/9) beat Zim (119) Sharjah 1996/97three wickets Pak (239/7) beat Zim (237/9) Quetta 1996/97TIED MATCHESZim (219/9) tied with Pakistan (219) Harare SC 1994/95ABANDONED MATCHESNoneBATTING RECORDSCENTURIES (+ on first appearance against this opposition)141* Yousuf Youhana (P) Queens Sports Club 2002/03132 Ijaz Ahmed (P) Rawalpindi 1998/99117 Ijaz Ahmed (P) Peshawar 1996/97116* Inzamam-ul-Haq (P) Harare Sports Club 1994/95114 +Aamer Sohail (P) Hobart* 1991/92108 Saleem Elahi (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/03107 Saleem Elahi (P) Queens Sports Club 2002/03105* Imran Nazir (P) St George’s 1999/2000105* G W Flower (Z) Harare Sports Club 2002/03103* Saeed Anwar (P) Harare Sports Club 1994/95103 N C Johnson (Z) Sheikhapura 1997/98100* Yousuf Youhana (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/03100* Faisal Iqbal (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/03OPENING BATSMAN CARRYING BAT THROUGH A COMPLETED INNINGSSaeed Anwar (103* out of 219) for Pakistan Harare SC 1994/95500 RUNS AGAINST THIS OPPOSITIONYears M I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50G W Flower (Z) 1992/93-2002/03 25 24 2 793 105* 36.04 1 5A Flower (Z) 1991/92-2002/03 27 27 2 755 82 30.20 – 7Inzamam-ul-Haq (P) 1991/92-2002/03 22 19 3 701 116* 43.81 1 3Yousuf Youhana (P) 1997/98-2002/03 12 10 5 630 141* 126.00 2 5Saeed Anwar (P) 1992/92-1999 13 13 2 599 103* 54.45 2 3PARTNERSHIP RECORDS (including all century partnerships)For Zimbabwe:1st – 121 A Flower (49)/G W Flower (57), Sharjah 1992/93101 N C Johnson (103)/G W Flower (42), Sheikhapura 1998/992nd – 104 A Flower (73)/M G Burmester (39), Harare SC 1994/95103 D D Ebrahim (36)/A Flower (72), Harare SC 2002/033rd – 102 A D R Campbell (74)/D L Houghton (57), Rawalpindi 1993/944th – 143 G W Flower (91)/A Flower (82), Quetta 1996/97105 M A Vermeulen (79)/A Flower (63), Harare SC 2002/035th – 135 A Flower (77)/C N Evans (68), Queens SC 2002/036th – 79 A C Waller (44)/I P Butchart (33), Hobart* 1991/927th – 82 G W Flower (105*)/T J Friend (48), Harare SC 2002/038th – 57 A Flower (61)/P A Strang (26*), Rawalpindi 1998/999th – 30 G J Whittall (33)/B C Strang (4*), Harare SC 1994/9510th- 47 H K Olonga (31)/D T Hondo (15*), Harare SC 2002/03For Pakistan:1st – 159 Taufeeq Umar (76)/Saleem Elahi (107), Queens SC 2002/03154 Taufeeq Umar (68)/Saleem Elahi (108), Queens SC 2002/03100 Saeed Anwar (84*)/Shahid Afridi (66), Lahore 1996/972nd – 151 Faisal Iqbal (100*)/Younis Khan (56), Harare SC 2002/03126 Saleem Elahi (53)/Yousuf Youhana (141*), Queens SC 2002/033rd – 145 Aamer Sohail (114)/Javed Miandad (89), Hobart* 1991/92115 Shoaib Mohammad (43)/Javed Miandad (86*), Harare SC 1992/93109 Yousuf Youhana (141*)/ Inzamam-ul-Haq (55), Queens SC 2002/034th – 151 Ijaz Ahmed (117)/Azam Khan (72), Peshawar 1996/97144 Mohammad Wasim (76)/Yousuf Youhana (66), Harare SC 1997/98127 Inzamam-ul-Haq (80*)/Javed Miandad (55), Lahore 1993/945th – 152 Inzamam-ul-Haq (116*)/Ijaz Ahmed (54), Harare SC 1994/95129 Yousuf Youhana (88)/Younis Khan (90), Harare SC 2002/036th – 52 Yousuf Youhana (55*)/Moin Khan (35), Gujranwala 1998/997th – 53 Inzamam-ul-Haq (90)/Waqar Younis (26), Sharjah 1992/938th – 77 Moin Khan (61)/Saqlain Mushtaq (20), Sharjah 1996/979th – 57 Hasan Raza (46)/Saqlain Mushtaq (29), Sheikhapura 1998/9910th- 23 Mushtaq Ahmed (16*)/Waqar Younis (10), Sharjah 1996/97INDIVIDUAL ZIMBABWE BATTING AND FIELDING RECORDS AGAINST PAKISTANYears M I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct/StK J Arnott 1991/92-1992/93 3 3 0 31 17 10.33 – – -A M Blignaut 1999/00-2002/03 2 2 0 58 55 29.00 – 1 1D H Brain 1992/93-1993/94 5 4 0 6 4 1.50 – – -E A Brandes 1991/92-1998/99 11 8 1 26 7 3.71 – – 4G B Brent 1996/97-2002/03 3 3 1 13 8 6.50 – – -G A Briant 1992/93 2 2 1 14* 14* 14.00 – – -G K Bruk-Jackson 1993/94 1 1 0 12 12 12.00 – – -M G Burmester 1994/95 3 3 0 81 39 27.00 – – 1I P Butchart 1991/92 1 1 0 33 33 33.00 – – -A D R Campbell 1993/94-2002/03 22 21 1 332 74 16.60 – 1 3S V Carlisle 1994/95-1999/00 6 6 1 52 30 10.40 – – 4M H Dekker 1992/93-1996/97 7 7 0 112 33 16.00 – – 1D D Ebrahim 2002/03 3 3 0 45 36 15.00 – – -C N Evans 1997/98-2002/03 8 7 0 109 68 15.57 – 1 3S M Ervine 2002/03 4 4 1 67 61* 22.33 – 1 -A Flower 1991/92-2002/03 27 27 2 755 82 30.20 – 7 18/4G W Flower 1992/93-2002/03 25 24 2 793 105* 36.04 1 5 10T J Friend 2002/03 2 2 0 54 48 27.00 – – 1M W Goodwin 1997/98-1999/00 8 8 0 213 47 26.62 – – 2D T Hondo 2002/03 3 2 1 20 15* 20.00 – – -D L Houghton 1991/92-1996/97 12 12 1 419 73* 38.09 – 4 4A G Huckle 1997/98-1999 2 1 0 0 0 0.00 – – 1W R James 1991/92-1993/94 3 1 1 14 14* — – – 2/0M P Jarvis 1991/92-1994/95 3 – – — — — – – -N C Johnson 1998/99-1999/00 6 6 0 303 103 50.50 1 2 3S Matsikenyeri 2002/03 2 2 0 1 1 0.50 – – -E Z Matambanadzo 1996/97 3 3 2 7 5* 7.00 – – -M Mbangwa 1996/97-1999 4 2 0 11 11 5.50 – – 1B A Murphy 1999/00-2002/03 3 3 1 12 7 6.00 – – 1W Mwayenga 2002/03 1 – – — — — – – -M L Nkala 1999/00-2002/03 4 2 1 10 9* 10.00 – – 2H K Olonga 1999 -2002/03 3 3 1 49 31 24.50 – – -A H Omarshah 1991/92-1992/93 3 3 0 33 33 11.00 – – 2S G Peall 1992/93-1994/95 5 4 1 16 12* 5.33 – – -A J Pycroft 1991/92 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 – – 1U Ranchod 1992/93 1 – – — — — – – 1G J Rennie 1996/97-1998/99 3 3 0 11 6 3.66 – – 2J A Rennie 1993/94-1996/97 6 5 2 49 27 16.33 – – 2B G Rogers 2002/03 2 2 0 13 13 6.50 – – 1R W Sims 2002/03 2 1 1 7 7* — – – 1B C Strang 1994/95-1996/97 4 3 2 10 6 10.00 – – 3P A Strang 1994/95-1999 14 11 3 165 29 20.62 – – 7H H Streak 1993/94-1999/00 15 11 3 180 48* 22.50 – – 3T Taibu 2002/03 5 5 2 90 35 30.00 – – 2/0A J Traicos 1991/92-1992/93 2 2 2 8 8* — – – 1M A Vermeulen 2002/03 3 3 0 93 79 31.00 – 1 1D P Viljoen 1996/97-1999/00 4 3 1 30 25 15.00 – – 2A C Waller 1991/92 1 1 0 44 44 44.00 – – -A R Whittall 1996/97-1998/99 9 7 3 13 4* 3.25 – – 3G J Whittall 1993/94-1999/00 16 16 2 246 53* 17.57 – 1 7C B Wishart 1996/97-1999/00 8 6 0 91 45 15.16 – – -INDIVIDUAL PAKISTAN BATTING AND FIELDING RECORDS AGAINST ZIMBABWEYears M I NO Runs HS Av. 100 50 Ct/StAamer Nazir 1993/94-1994/95 2 1 0 3 3 3.00 – – -Aamer Sohail 1991/92-1998/99 10 9 0 386 114 42.88 1 3 2Aaqib Javed 1991/92-1998/99 10 2 1 2 2* 2.00 – – 2Abdur Razzaq 1996/97-1999/00 5 3 2 28 28* 28.00 – – -Akram Raza 1994/95 2 1 0 2 2 2.00 – – -Arshad Khan 1992/93-1999/00 3 1 1 0 0* — – – 2Asif Mujtaba 1992/93-1994/95 6 5 0 104 61 20.80 – 1 2Azam Khan 1996/97 2 1 0 72 72 72.00 – 1 1Azhar Mahmood 1996/97-2002/03 9 8 4 76 18 19.00 – – 2Basit Ali 1993/94 3 3 1 55 41* 27.50 – – 2Faisal Iqbal 2002/03 4 2 1 125 100* 125.00 1 – 1Hasan Raza 1996/97-1998/99 4 3 0 69 46 23.00 – – -Ijaz Ahmed 1994/95-1999 13 13 1 465 132 38.75 2 1 7Imran Khan 1991/92 1 – – — — — – – -Imran Nazir 1999/00 2 2 1 111 105* 111.00 1 – 3Inzamam-ul-Haq 1991/92-2002/03 22 19 3 701 116* 43.81 1 3 8Iqbal Sikander 1991/92 1 – – — — — – – -Irfan Bhatti 1993/94 1 – – — — — – – 1Javed Miandad 1991/92-1993/94 6 5 1 263 89 65.75 – 3 2Kamran Akmal 2002/03 5 4 2 95 44 47.50 – – 4/0Manzoor Elahi 1994/95 3 3 1 34 21 17.00 – – 1Misbah-ul-Haq 2002/03 2 2 1 1 1* 1.00 – – 2Mohammad Akram 1998/99-1999/00 2 1 1 0 0* — – – -Mohammad Hussain 1997/98 1 1 1 31 31* — – – -Mohammad Sami 2002/03 2 – – — — — – – -Mohammad Wasim 1996/97-1997/98 4 4 0 109 76 27.25 – 1 -Mohammad Zahid 2002/03 2 – – — — — – – -Moin Khan 1991/92-1999/00 15 13 2 274 61 24.90 – 1 18/5Mushtaq Ahmed 1991/92-1999/00 9 3 3 25 16* — – – 2Rameez Raja 1991/92-1996/97 4 4 0 34 20 8.50 – – 2Rashid Latif 1992/93-1997/98 8 3 1 50 39 25.00 – – 9/4Saeed Anwar 1992/92-1999 13 13 2 599 103* 54.45 2 3 1Sajid Ali 1996/97 1 1 0 4 4 4.00 – – -Saleem Elahi 2002/03 3 3 0 268 108 89.33 2 1 -Saleem Malik 1991/92-1996/97 13 9 2 144 72* 20.57 – 1 2Saqlain Mushtaq 1996/97-2002/03 13 6 2 85 29 21.25 – – 2Shahid Afridi 1996/97-2002/03 17 16 0 357 69 22.31 – 2 4Shahid Nazir 1996/97 3 1 1 5 5* — – – -Shakeel Ahmed 1994/95 2 2 0 61 36 30.50 – – -Shoaib Akhtar 1997/98-2002/03 6 1 1 1 1* — – – 1Shoaib Mohammad 1992/93 1 1 0 43 43 43.00 – – 1Taufeeq Umar 2002/03 3 3 0 145 76 48.33 – 2 2Wajahatullah Wasti 1999 1 1 0 40 40 40.00 – – -Waqar Younis 1992/93-2002/03 14 3 1 44 26 22.00 – – 4Wasim Akram 1991/92-2002/03 25 16 5 147 38 13.36 – – 10Younis Khan 1999/00-2002/03 5 5 1 186 90 46.50 – 2 7Yousuf Youhana 1997/98-2002/03 12 10 5 630 141* 126.00 2 5 3Zahid Fazal 1992/93 1 1 1 8 8* — – – -Zahoor Elahi 1996/97 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 – – -BOWLING RECORDSFOUR WICKETS IN AN INNINGS5/15 Wasim Akram (P) Karachi 1993/944/18 H H Streak (Z) Sharjah 1996/974/22 Wasim Akram (P) Queens Sports Club 2002/034/27 Mushtaq Ahmed (P) Sharjah 1996/974/28 Saqlain Mushtaq (P) Peshawar 1996/974/32 E Z Matambanadzo (Z) Peshawar 1996/974/36 B C Strang (Z) Harare Sports Club 1994/954/41 Mohammad Sami (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/03FOUR WICKETS IN AN INNINGS ON ODI DEBUT4/36 B C Strang for Zimbabwe Harare SC 1994/954/32 E Z Matambanadzo for Zimbabwe Peshawar 1996/97HAT-TRICKSSaqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan) in 4/28 Peshawar 1996/97(he took four wickets in five balls)Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan) in 3/16 The Oval* 1999MOST RUNS CONCEDED IN AN INNINGS10-0-80-0 M L Nkala (Z) Harare Sports Club 2002/039-0-76-0 M L Nkala (Z) Queens Sports Club 2002/039-0-74-0 W Mwayenga (Z) Queens Sports Club 2002/0310-0-72-0 M Mbangwa (Z) Harare Sports Club 1997/9810-0-71-0 S M Ervine (Z) Queens Sports Club 2002/03Most by Pakistan:10-0-68-1 Mohammad Zahid (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/03MOST ECONOMICAL BOWLING6-2-7-0 H H Streak (Z) Harare Sports Club 1994/957-1-11-0 Aaqib Javed (P) Sharjah 1992/937-1-11-0 Wasim Akram (P) Sharjah 1996/978-1-14-2 Azhar Mahmood (P) The Oval* 19998-2-15-2 H H Streak (Z) Karachi 1993/9410-2-18-4 H H Streak (Z) Sharjah 1996/97MOST EXPENSIVE ANALYSES1-0-13-1 M W Goodwin (Z) Harare Sports Club 1997/981-0-17-0 Faisal Iqbal (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/032-0-24-1 Younis Khan (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/034-0-33-0 P A Strang (Z) Peshawar 1996/975-0-46-1 H K Olonga (Z) Queens Sports Club 2002/035.4-0-47-0 M Mbangwa (Z) Lahore 1996/977-0-63-0 N C Johnson (Z) Rawalpindi 1998/998-0-64-1 G J Whittall (Z) Peshawar 1996/979-0-76-0 M L Nkala (Z) Queens Sports Club 2002/0310-0-80-0 M L Nkala (Z) Harare Sports Club 2002/0320 WICKETS IN A CAREERM O M R W Av. BestSaqlain Mushtaq (P) 1996/97-2002/03 13 107 4 452 30 15.06 4/28Wasim Akram (P) 1991/92-2002/03 25 201 12 731 29 25.20 5/15H H Streak (Z) 1993/94-1999/00 15 132.4 12 554 28 19.78 4/18INDIVIDUAL ZIMBABWE BOWLING RECORDS AGAINST PAKISTANM O M R W Av. Best 3wM R/OA M Blignaut 2 17 0 89 1 89.00 1/37 – 5.23D H Brain 5 40 4 173 5 34.60 3/51 1 4.32E A Brandes 11 93.2 8 460 9 51.11 2/39 – 4.92G B Brent 4 29 3 152 1 152.00 1/60 – 5.24M G Burmester 3 7 0 37 0 — — – 5.28I P Butchart 1 10 0 57 3 19.00 3/57 1 5.70A D R Campbell 17 6.3 0 28 0 — — – 4.30M H Dekker 7 13.5 0 82 2 41.00 2/16 – 5.92S M Ervine 4 32.4 1 211 2 105.50 1/61 – 6.45C N Evans 8 23.4 0 156 5 31.20 2/18 – 6.59A Flower 22 5 0 23 0 — — – 4.60G W Flower 25 76.5 0 406 9 45.11 2/17 – 5.28T J Friend 2 18 0 104 2 52.00 2/57 – 5.77M W Goodwin 8 5 0 39 2 19.50 1/13 – 7.80D T Hondo 3 25 2 159 2 79.50 1/43 – 6.36A G Huckle 2 20 0 88 1 88.00 1/43 – 4.40M P Jarvis 3 27 2 119 3 39.66 2/37 – 4.40N C Johnson 6 33 0 204 3 68.00 2/51 – 6.18E Z Matambanadzo 3 24 0 84 8 10.50 4/32 1 3.50M Mbangwa 4 33.4 1 181 0 — — – 5.37B A Murphy 3 30 0 144 1 144.00 1/64 – 4.80W Mwayenga 1 9 0 74 0 — — – 8.25M L Nkala 4 26 0 203 0 — — – 7.80H K Olonga 3 20 0 137 4 34.25 2/38 – 6.85A H Omarshah 3 30 3 83 4 20.75 3/33 1 2.76S G Peall 5 40 1 197 1 197.00 1/27 – 4.92U Ranchod 1 10 1 40 0 — — – 4.00J A Rennie 5 44.4 0 242 5 48.40 2/37 – 5.41B G Rogers 2 4 0 30 0 — — – 7.50R W Sims 2 19 0 109 0 — — – 5.73B C Strang 4 30 3 94 7 13.42 4/36 2 3.13P A Strang 14 101 5 471 7 67.28 3/42 1 4.66H H Streak 15 132.4 12 554 28 19.78 4/18 3 4.17A J Traicos 2 20 1 92 0 — — – 4.60D P Viljoen 4 22 2 76 3 25.33 2/30 – 3.45A R Whittall 9 64 4 293 7 41.85 3/36 1 4.57G J Whittall 16 95.4 3 443 16 27.68 3/46 1 4.63INDIVIDUAL PAKISTAN BOWLING RECORDS AGAINST ZIMBABWEM O M R W Av. Best 3wM R/OAamer Nazir 2 18 0 82 2 41.00 1/30 – 4.55Aamer Sohail 10 78.1 1 344 10 34.40 3/33 1 4.40Aaqib Javed 10 86 7 329 10 32.90 3/46 1 3.82Abdur Razzaq 5 40.3 4 150 9 16.66 3/25 1 3.70Akram Raza 2 20 0 72 1 72.00 1/45 – 3.60Arshad Khan 3 26 3 114 4 28.50 3/45 1 4.38Asif Mujtaba 6 9 0 37 0 — — – 4.11Azhar Mahmood 8 60 4 227 4 56.75 2/14 – 3.78Basit Ali 3 3 0 17 1 17.00 1/17 – 5.66Faisal Iqbal 4 1 0 17 0 — — – 17.00Iqbal Sikander 1 10 1 35 1 35.00 1/35 – 3.50Irfan Bhatti 1 8 0 22 2 11.00 2/22 – 2.75Manzoor Elahi 3 28 0 113 4 28.25 2/36 – 4.03Mohammad Akram 2 14 0 62 2 31.00 2/31 – 4.42Mohammad Hussain 1 10 0 60 2 30.00 2/60 – 6.00Mohammad Sami 2 18.3 1 92 5 18.40 4/41 1 4.97Mohammad Zahid 2 20 1 103 3 34.33 2/35 – 5.15Mushtaq Ahmed 9 83.4 7 245 15 16.33 4/27 3 2.92Saeed Anwar 13 1.4 0 11 0 — — – 6.60Saleem Malik 13 55.5 1 260 9 28.88 3/22 1 4.65Saqlain Mushtaq 13 107 4 452 30 15.06 4/28 6 4.22Shahid Afridi 17 134 5 620 18 34.44 3/45 1 4.62Shahid Nazir 3 22 0 75 4 18.75 2/28 – 3.40Shoaib Akhtar 6 47 4 203 8 25.37 2/22 – 4.88Taufeeq Umar 3 11 0 77 1 77.00 1/49 – 7.00Waqar Younis 14 108.2 10 494 19 26.00 3/14 2 4.56Wasim Akram 25 201 12 731 29 25.20 5/15 3 3.63Younis Khan 3 2 0 24 1 24.00 1/24 – 12.00ALL-ROUND RECORDS30 RUNS AND 3 WICKETS IN A MATCHI P Butchart (Z) 33 and 3/57 Hobart* 1991/92G J Whittall (Z) 33 and 3/46 Harare Sports Club 1994/95200 RUNS AND 10 WICKETS AGAINST THIS OPPOSITIONAamer Sohail (P) 386 runs 10 wicketsShahid Afridi (P) 357 runs 18 wicketsG J Whittall (Z) 246 runs 16 wicketsWICKET-KEEPING RECORDS4 OR MORE DISMISSALS IN AN INNINGS5 (all ct) Moin Khan (P) Harare Sports Club 1994/95Best for Zimbabwe: 3, by A Flower10 OR MORE DISMISSALS IN A CAREER23 (18 ct, 5 st) Moin Khan (P) 15 matches, 1991/92 to 1999/200020* (16 ct, 4 st) A Flower (Z) 22 matches, 1991/92 to 1999/200013 (9 ct, 4 st) Rashid Latif (P) 8 matches, 1992/93 to 1997/98*excludes matches when not wicket-keeperFIELDING RECORDS3 OR MORE CATCHES IN AN INNINGS4 Younis Khan (P) Harare Sports Club 2002/033 Imran Nazir (P) St John’s 1999/200010 OR MORE CATCHES IN A CAREER10 Wasim Akram (P) 25 matches, 1991/92 to 2002/0310 G W Flower (Z) 25 matches, 1992/93 to 2002/03CAPTAINCY RECORDSFor Zimbabwe: P W L T D Tosses: W LD L Houghton 3 – 3 – – 2 1A Flower 8 1 6 1 – 3 5A D R Campbell 16 1 15 – – 7 9For Pakistan: P W L T D Tosses: W LImran Khan 1 1 – – – – 1Wasim Akram 11 11 – – – 8 3Saleem Malik 3 1 1 1 – 2 1Rashid Latif 2 2 – – – 2 -Aamer Sohail 3 2 1 – – 1 2Moin Khan 2 2 – – – – 2Waqar Younis 3 3 – – – 2 1Inzamam-ul-Haq 2 2 – – – – 215 OR MORE APPEARANCES AGAINST THIS OPPOSITION27 – A Flower (Z)25 – G W Flower (Z), Wasim Akram (P)22 – A D R Campbell (Z), Inzamam-ul-Haq (P)17 – Shahid Afridi (P)16 – G J Whittall (Z)15 – Moin Khan (P), H H Streak (Z)MAN OF THE MATCH AWARDSZimbabwe: A Flower (1) Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq (4)N C Johnson (1) Aamer Sohail (3)B C Strang (1 – shared) Ijaz Ahmed (2)Saeed Anwar (2 – 1 shared)Shahid Afridi (2)Yousuf Youhana (2)Asif Mujtaba (1)Faisal Iqbal (2)Imran Nazir (1)Javed Miandad (1)Mohammad Wasim (1)Moin Khan (1)Saleem Elahi (1)Saleem Malik (1)Wasim Akram (1)Younis Khan (1)

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey as the Foxes look to bolster their first team squad even further.

What’s the story?

Premier League rivals Aston Villa have also been tracking the highly-rated 23-year-old in recent weeks, but Dean Smith’s side aren’t the only Premier League outfit in the running, according to 90min.com.

Everton, Wolves and Southampton are also credited with an interest in Bailey alongside the Foxes, with Leverkusen reportedly set to demand £30m for their prized asset.

Brendan Rodgers needs him

The Jamaica international has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting attacking talents in recent years and enjoyed his most productive season yet in 2020/21.

Bailey has often struggled with consistency throughout his career, but he appeared to make significant progress on that front last season, bagging 15 goals in all competitions. He also provided 11 assists in his 40 appearances for Leverkusen, showcasing his tremendous creative talent as well as his goalscoring ability.

The diminutive forward terrorises opposition defences on a regular basis in Germany, using his electrifying pace and dribbling ability to devastating effect, assets which would provide an enormous boost to Leicester’s forward line.

Glowing reviews from Ronald de Boer and Rudi Voller sum up why. The Dutchman once commented: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Voller added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skillful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

After the arrivals of Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ryan Bertrand at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers is thought to be targeting a centre-back and right winger for the remainder of the window.

With Marc Albrighton currently the only natural option on the right-hand side of the attack, Rodgers desperately needs another player in that position if he’s to finally lead the Foxes into the Champions League.

It remains to be seen whether the club’s hierarchy back up their interest with a concrete offer, but if the transfer budget allows, Leicester’s director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Bailey before a domestic rival secures his services.

In other news… Rodgers must axe Leicester flop this summer, he’s not good enough 

Brian Lara began the day against the Kenyan bowlers in unconvincing fashion before easing himself into the kind of form that makes some people rate him second to none with the willow.Scoring his 15th ODI ton – although perhaps not one he’ll treasure – Lara spurred West Indies on to a victory that will have helped salvage some pride after their loss against South Africa.The West Indies scored 261/6 and the Kenyans, despite a committed knock of 93 by skipper Steve Tikolo, could only muster 232 runs in their reply. Beating Kenya by 29 runs the men from the Caribbean will now have to pray that some miracle occurs when Kenya and South Africa meet. Tikolo’s team not only have to win, but must do so by a large margin.That Lara was not at his best was evident early on. The trademark shots, lashed with a slicing arc of the bat, appeared every now and then, but the ball did not disappear to the outfield as it usually does. As it turned out it was not a question of bad form. As soon as he completed his innings of 111 (137 minutes, 120 balls, eight fours, two sixes) he was examined by a doctor.Frequent breaks in his innings had suggested leg cramps, understandable in the unbearable humidity. But doctors were sufficiently concerned to rush the left-hander to hospital, where he will remain for tests and observation for 24 hours. An ICC release confirmed afterwards that he has suspected hepatitis.The Kenyans let themselves down in the field. The bowling was ragged and a more organised side than the West Indies would have made the Africans pay more dearly. Usually so athletic and agile, the Kenyans could hold on to their catches. No doubt coach Sandeep Patil will be organising extra fielding drills.Shivnarine Chanderpaul was one beneficiary. First when he had scored just three by Thomas Odoyo at fine-leg off the bowling of Martin Suji and later when a relatively easy chance at short mid-wicket was floored by Ravindu Shah. Tony Suji was the unfortunate bowler on this occasion.In the first game against South Africa, the Guyanese southpaw struggled, scoring 45 off as many as 98 balls. Today, he made 43 before falling to Maurice Odumbe – Kenya were let off lightly.But dropping Lara, however, is a different proposition altogether. When he was put down by Tony Suji at long-on Lara had 61 to his name. He made sure that the lapse cost Kenya an additional 50 runs.Even with a brisk opening partnership of 60 between Chris Gayle (33) and Chanderpaul, the West Indies found the going tough. Run scoring proved difficult, particularly against Odumbe’s off-spin. After 45 overs the score was a mere 204.Then came a spell of batting that made all the difference between the two sides.Wavell Hinds used the long handle to good effect smiting 20 runs off seven balls including a dramatic hit that sailed over extra cover for six. Fifty-seven runs came off the last five overs and West Indies had a respectable if not spectacular 261 to defend.When West Indies took the field, minus Lara, they had several points to prove. Mervyn Dillon would have been keen to snare a few wickets and restore his confidence after the game against South Africa where he conceded 16 runs including a wide at a crucial moment. It was, however, left-armer Pedro Collins who struck first, removing Kennedy Otieno for a duck.Ravindu Shah played some elegant strokes in his 27 but was undone by the leg-breaks of Mahendra Nagamootoo.Tikolo, widely-recognised as the best batsman in the world not to be playing Test cricket, dominated the Kenyan innings. Shoring up the middle-order with a 91-ball 93 he showed that Kenyans aspire to being competitive at the highest level. Inventive in his stroke play, he kept the scoreboard ticking over and the fielders on their toes until being cleaned up by a Dillon yorker. With dismissal of Tikolo in the 47th over the Kenyans did not have the resolve to go all the way and were all out for 232.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped an exciting transfer claim this week…

What’s the word?

The ever-reliable football.london reporter gave an insight into Spurs’ likely transfer plans during a recent Q&A session with supporters this week. He revealed that Spurs’ top priority is a new centre-back, whilst interest in long-time target Marcel Sabitzer remains.

Speaking about the Austrian, Gold said: “Still a player that Spurs have liked a lot for a long time but he’ll be in high demand when he returns from the Euros, particularly with his contract situation. Much depends on the new head coach, whether Paratici also likes him and whether there is the money in place from sales.

“Spurs’ priority is a centre-back but Sabitzer has certainly got admirers at the club.”

Exciting times ahead?

Amid all the uncertainty and chaos in their managerial search, this latest suggestion should come as hugely encouraging news, as once that new coach walks through the front door, Spurs mean business.

Individual mistakes and a lack of cohesion in the backline was perhaps their biggest issue under Jose Mourinho during the 2020/21 season. In some ways, you can see why the sacked Portuguese utilised as many as 16 different combinations at the back.

Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez have been slammed as the worst pairing in the Premier League by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes that Serge Aurier is one of the “biggest liabilities” in the top-flight, so much so that he would put people off management.

Hugo Lloris has endured some blunders and Sergio Reguilon’s form tailed off massively after injury. Therefore, if Spurs are truly eyeing a new centre-back, then this is very exciting to hear from Gold.

The links to Sabitzer seem just as exciting, as the north Londoners have lacked a creative goal threat from midfield ever since Christian Eriksen departed for Inter Milan.

“I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Christian Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield,” claimed Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder during an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

It’s hard to ignore the talents of a player who has provided 25 goals and 18 assists since the start of the 2019/20 season. In that same time, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have combined for just 27 goal contributions between them.

All in all, Gold’s recent claim should have many supporters around north London buzzing.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Heung-min Son claim…

An optimistic West Indies coach Roger Harper is in Jamaica confident of a 2-1 series victory over India

17-May-2002An optimistic West Indies coach Roger Harper is in Jamaica confident of a 2-1 series victory over India.But he warns that Carl Hooper’s regional cricketers must perform to "the best of their ability" to defeat India in the decisive fifth and final Cable & Wireless Test which starts at Sabina Park tomorrow."I think if we play as well as we are capable of playing, we’ll win," Harper said confidently. The series is locked 1-1 after India’s 37-run victory in Trinidad was followed by a ten-wicket West Indies’ triumph in Barbados.Prior to leaving for Kingston 24 hours ago, the former Guyana captain and West Indies’ off-spinner told reporters he was generally satisfied with the performance of the West Indian cricketers in the first four Tests."The areas we were concerned about seem to be coming around. The openers got a bit of a start (and) we’ll like them to build on that and performed even a little better."We hope the middle can keep playing as well as it has been playing so far in the series and the lower order, with (Ridley) Jacobs coming and getting a hundred. We’ll like him to continue that form and build on it in Jamaica," Harper added.He has not lost faith with the fast-bowling quartet of Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Pedro Collins and Adam Sanford, even though India were able to amass their highest total of the series, 513 for nine declared in the high-scoring drawn fourth Test in Antigua."I think so far the fast bowlers have bowled pretty well. We had a bit of a tough surface here on which we asked them to operate on. They stuck to the task manfully and hopefully, we’ll get a little bit more assistance in Jamaica. I’m confident they will deliver the goods once again."The last time the West Indies played in Jamaica, they defeated South Africa last year in Courtney Walsh’s farewell, and Harper is confident the spectators will come out again in their numbers and give the Windies that much needed home support."The extra support you get at home is always a factor. In Jamaica, we have always been well supported and we expect with the series locked at one-all and so much at stake, we’ll be very well supported there," Harper said.He also said it would be beneficial for young West Indian bowlers if the same type of ball, which was now used in Test cricket, was also used in the regional Busta Cup Series and Red Stripe Bowl competitions."During this series we are using the Kookaburra ball which is the ball preferred by most Test-playing nations these days. It is an idea which has come about because we are trying to get our players used to playing with these balls so that when we go abroad, it is nothing new to us."But at the same time, I think we have to go one step further and start using these balls at our first-class levels so that players coming into the West Indies team as new players, will be used to playing with them."

A source from Newcastle United has shared some latest insight on the parties involved in the potential takeover, which interestingly involves Rafa Benitez.

The Lowdown: Bruce could be at risk

If the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium does eventually go through, then Steve Bruce could potentially be at risk of losing his job in the North East.

The new owners may want to go down a new pathway with regards to hiring a fresh new boss to take them to the next level, and given that Bruce was not appointed by them in the first place, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland coach may well be at risk.

In theory, a takeover at St. James’ Park could well be completed as early as July, if the arbitration case against the Premier League goes well for both Ashley and the Tyneside club, which would then in turn cast doubt over Bruce’s future going into the new season.

The Latest: Takeover insight involving Benitez

As per Football Insider, a source from the Magpies has shared the latest situation with regards to the ongoing takeover saga, which is that all parties involved in the bid are confident that the deal will go through after the arbitration proceedings.

Those working on the deal have also reportedly laid the groundwork for Benitez to return as the new manager in place of Bruce, and the Spaniard is their ‘top managerial target’.

The Verdict: Exciting times ahead

The fact that all of the parties involved in the potential deal are confident that it will go through after arbitration is certainly promising in terms of what could be expected of the results, and thus the process afterwards.

If arbitration does go in favour of the Toon, then it would certainly bring the potential revival of the takeover one step closer and thus give an incentive for the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to come back to the table.

In a dream scenario, if the takeover could be completed by July after the hearing takes place, then NUFC could start looking at managers to take them into the new era, and none more so would fit perfectly than the return of Benitez.

A lot of Newcastle fans have previously called for the 61-year-old to come back, and so he would certainly be a popular appointment among the Toon Army.

Nonetheless, he has a vast amount of experience in managing in the Premier League, with teams on bigger transfer budgets like Liverpool and Chelsea, and so he should have little problems in handling the additional funds that would come with the takeover.

In other news, find out what promising insight Lee Ryder has shared on those close to Amanda Staveley on the potential takeover here!

MatériaMais Notícias

O gramado encharcado prejudicou o nível do jogo, principalmente no primeiro tempo, mas o Corinthians viu Jô voltar a marcar pelo clube após mais de 11 anos e venceu o São Bento por 1 a 0, em Sorocaba, na tarde deste sábado, pela estreia do Campeonato Paulista. O atacante fez de pênalti, aos nove minutos do segundo tempo.

Em sua segunda passagem pelo Corinthians, Jô disse na última quarta-feira que estava ansioso por voltar a marcar e que tinha certeza de que isso não iria demorar. E o atacante estava certo: ele fez bonita jogada individual pelo lado esquerdo da área e sofreu pênalti de Pitty. O próprio camisa 7 foi para a cobrança e marcou o gol da partida, o seu 19º pelo Timão em agora 119 jogos.

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No duelo deste sábado no Estádio Walter Ribeiro, Corinthians e São Bento sofreram para criar chances. Além dos jogadores adversários, eles tinham de passar pelas poças no gramado, resultado da chuva da manhã e início de tarde em Sorocaba.

Itaqui assustou em cobrança de falta de longe, no cantinho. Cássio defendeu e escorreu, mas Pablo chegou a tempo de afastar. O Corinthians logo respondeu com Giovanni Augusto, que estava livre após cruzamento de Marlone e cabeceou por cima. Antes do fim do primeiro tempo, Marlone ainda deixou outro companheiro em boa posição: Jô recebeu dentro da área e encobriu o goleiro, mas João Paulo cortou antes de a bola chegar ao gol.

O segundo tempo prometia mais chances. O sol apareceu em Sorocaba, e o gramado foi ficando mais seco. Após o Timão abrir o placar, o São Bento foi para cima em busca do empate e fez o Corinthians recuar. O time do interior, entretanto, ficou apenas no susto de Marcelo Cordeiro e Itaqui e não conseguiu marcar.

O Corinthians agora já soma três jogos sem sofrer gols. Antes, havia empatado com o São Paulo e vencido também por 1 a 0 a Ferroviária, na pré-temporada. A zaga está ajeitada, mas o sistema ofensivo ainda precisa melhorar, como o próprio técnico Fabio Carille admite.

Após estrear com vitória no Paulista, o Timão agora volta as atenções para a Copa do Brasil. A equipe enfrenta a Caldense, na quarta-feira, às 21h45, em Poços de Caldas.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO BENTO 0 X 1 CORINTHIANS
Local: Estádio Walter Ribeiro, Sorocaba (SP)
Data-Hora: 4/2/2017 – 17h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Raphael Claus
Auxiliares: Tatiane Sacilotti dos Santos Camargo e Evandro de Melo Lima
Público/renda: 6.007 presentes/ R$ 362.705
Cartões amarelos: Pitty (SBE), Gabriel, Balbuena (COR)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gol: Jô (9’/2ºT) (0-1)

SÃO BENTO: Rodrigo Viana; Régis Souza (Renan Mota, aos 21’/2T), João Paulo, Pitty e Marcelo Cordeiro; Bebeto, Fabio Bahia, Itaqui, Morais e Giovanni (Clebson, aos 30/2T); Ricardo Bueno (Magrão, aos 16’/2T). Técnico: Paulo Roberto.

CORINTHIANS: Cássio; Fagner, Balbuena, Pablo e Moisés; Gabriel; Giovanni Augusto (Marquinhos Gabriel, aos 21’/2T), Fellipe Bastos (Camacho, aos 30’/2T), Rodriguinho e Marlone; Jô (Romero, aos 34’/2T). Técnico: Fabio Carille.