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There have been many signings at Arsenal across Mikel Arteta's reign that have provoked immediate criticism.

Why would Arsenal spend £50m on Ben White? Why would they bring in Aaron Ramsdale, a man to taste two relegations in two years? Why opt for Chelsea reject Jorginho? Well, all of them ended up causing supporters to eat humble pie.

White is now one of the most consistent players in the Gunners' squad, handed a new contract recently. Aaron Ramsdale was named in the PFA Team of the Year last season, albeit now finds himself playing second fiddle to David Raya. As for Jorginho, well, he has been nothing short of superb, notably in the big games, winning the Player of the Match award against Liverpool last month.

There is also the curious case of the Italian's former Chelsea teammate, Kai Havertz, perhaps one of the most slated acquisitions of recent years.

Why Arsenal signed Kai Havertz

Signing a player with the profile of the Germany international wasn't necessarily on the minds of fans last summer.

With Granit Xhaka departing, Arsenal needed a line-breaking midfielder who possessed expert vision, a bit of steel and the ability to arrive late in the penalty area.

Xhaka had been put through the wringer during his time at the Emirates Stadium but left a hero, moving to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

The Swiss midfielder registered career-best figures from an attacking point of view last term, scoring nine goals and supplying seven assists in all competitions. Very quickly the 31-year-old had moved from ill-disciplined defensive midfield to box-crashing superstar, emerging as one of the best no.8s in the Premier League.

Granit Xhaka's Premier League career at Arsenal
Season	Games	Goals	Assists	Yellow cards
2016/17	32	2	2	5
2017/18	38	1	7	10
2018/19	29	4	2	10
2019/20	31	1	2	10
2020/21	31	1	2	7
2021/22	27	1	2	10
2022/23	37	7	7	5
Figures via WhoScored

How do you replace a player like that? Well, Havertz certainly didn't add up at face value. Perhaps, it still doesn't.

Yet, as Xhaka so famously did, the German is now proving doubters wrong with a string of fine performances in a number of different positions.

Arsenal's Kai Havertz vs Chelsea's Kai Havertz

When Havertz first moved to Chelsea from none other than Bayer Leverkusen, it looked as though the Blues were signing one of Europe's premier attacking midfielders.

In his final campaign in Germany, the 24-year-old scored 18 goals. That had followed a term in which he'd found the net on 20 occasions.

It shouldn't come as a surprise, therefore, that Havertz has been a fine finisher of chances since moving to Arsenal.

What was a shock, however, were his struggles at Stamford Bridge. Fielded as a make-shift centre-forward and in an attacking midfield role at Chelsea, it felt as though those in the dugout found it difficult to identify his best position. A scorer of nine goals last season, it's not the worst tally in the world but he has now finally found himself at Arsenal.

This time around, Havertz has nine goals again but he looks in far better form than we've ever seen in England before. In 2024, the 6 foot 4 talent has been nothing short of exceptional.

He is now one of the most in-form players in the division, scoring four goals and tallying up two assists in his last four domestic matches.

What's been the difference? Well, a bit of faith in his abilities. Arteta has given him the freedom to play how he wants to, operating as a false 9 which gets the best out of his target man-like qualities, as well as his creative ability slightly deeper. The underlying numbers tell you everything.

Kai Havertz: 2023/24 vs 2022/23
Stat (per 90)	2023/24	2022/23
Goals	0.40	0.25
Assists	0.15	0.04
Expected goals (xG)	0.39	0.41
Progressive carries	1.92	2.07
Progressive passes	4.09	3.12
Key passes	1.41	1.33
Passes into final 3rd	2.53	1.72
Shot-creating actions	3.28	2.21
Goal-creating actions	0.71	0.14
Tackles	1.26	1.19
Stats via FBRef.

What particularly stands out from 2024's version of Havertz to his final campaign at Chelsea are his attacking numbers. He's registering far more goals per 90 minutes on average and making more progressive passes by a considerable distance.

The biggest difference happens to be his goal-creating actions which have improved by a staggering 407% from last season. What does this metric mean? Well, it counts attacking actions, such as a pass, take-on or foul that lead directly to a goal being scored. In essence, it's an impressive statistic to improve upon.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Signed for an eye-watering sum of £65m and handed a £280k-per-week deal, it initially looked like a rather big waste of money. However, he's now proving to be worth every penny. Havertz has swiftly become pivotal to Arsenal, so much so that he's now their number one option at the top end of the pitch.

A former Tottenham Hotspur scout has claimed that a forward with 18 goals this season could be tempted to link up with Ange Postecoglou this summer.

Spurs planning to sign new attacker for 2024/2025

Even though Spurs have the option to make Timo Werner's deal permanent for around £15 million, as widely reported, it remains the case that the Lilywhites are eager to bring in more fresh faces going forward.

Paratici may push Spurs into part-exchange bid including Spence for forward

The Italian still holds plenty of influence.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 5, 2024

Technical director Johan Lange and co are expected to bring in a player who can contribute in terms of goals and assists, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano late last month, with there being many names under consideration.

Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson continues to be heavily linked with Tottenham ahead of the summer window, coming amid his excellent season in Serie A, and his links with defender Radu Dragusin could well help to sweeten any potential deal.

Son Heung-min

15

Richarlison

11

Dejan Kulusevski

6

Brennan Johnson

5

James Maddison

4

The former teammates also share the same agency, and perhaps Spurs' fruitful business relationship with Genoa makes a move for Gudmundsson one to watch.

In terms of asking price, the Iceland international is rumoured to command a price tag of around £26 million, which will come as enticing for Postecoglou's side as they look to strengthen multiple areas when the window reopens.

Valuations will be a crucial component of any Tottenham transfer, with chairman Daniel Levy having to consider the cost of any deal before pursuing it.

Stars of this Championship season may also be turning heads at Spurs in this regard, as some of the division's star players could well depart for what would be seen as affordable fees for an elite English side like Spurs.

While Leeds United are contending for promotion back to the top flight, it is believed their standout forward, Crysencio Summerville, has ended up on Tottenham's radar.

Indeed, Spurs are said to be keeping tabs on Summerville following his excellent 2023/2024, where he has bagged a brilliant 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions for Daniel Farke's side as they fight for a Premier League place next term.

Ex-Tottenham employee claims Summerville may be tempted by Spurs move

Speaking to Tottenham News, former Spurs scout Bryan King has claimed that Summerville could be tempted to join Spurs if they make a big-money offer for him.

“Would Leeds want to sell Summerville? If they are going to get promoted to the Premier League they will need all the help that they can get," said King.

“But for Summerville, if a club like Tottenham come in and offer the money they can offer, that would be very hard for him to turn down. It would be a step up for him though, scoring 17 goals in the Championship is one thing but scoring 17 goals in the Premier League is something else.”

Former Man United midfielder Tom Cleverley has called Summerville the Championship's "best player" this season, and rumour has it he'd cost around £30 million.

Jos Buttler believes England must learn from New Zealand’s approach in the first Test in Mount Manganui.While England were kept in the field for more than 200 overs as New Zealand amassed more than 600 runs, Buttler felt it was England’s batsmen who had most to learn from New Zealand’s disciplined approach to the game. England were dismissed for 353 in their first innings; a score that looks ever more below par the longer the match progresses.”If we’re really critical, it’s the first-innings runs with the bat [which have cost us],” Buttler said. “New Zealand played a very patient game with the bat. They showed the value of that patient game of batting on flat wickets and setting your sights very high. BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner really set their stall out and batted for a long time. They put a lot of overs into our legs and built that score.”We have to learn to be able to do that. You look at the top sides around the world on flat wickets and they get very, very big scores and bat for a very, very long time.”That’s a big learning point for us. With the bat, just when you think you’re getting to a place where you need to be, there’s a lot more hard work to come to build those big scores.”You can’t fault the bowlers’ efforts. I thought the effort of everyone was outstanding.”Also read: Watling knock raises questions on England’s gameWhile Buttler accepted England had struggled to adapt from the “fast-forward cricket” played in England in recent times, he rejected the suggestion the Kookaburra ball should be adopted in Championship cricket. Instead he insisted the Dukes ball, which generally provides bowlers with more assistance, created more entertaining cricket but suggested the pitches in county cricket should be improved.”Test cricket with a Dukes ball in England is fantastic,” he said. “It’s very watchable. It’s a good contest between bat and ball. I think most people talk about introducing a Dukes to the rest of the world as opposed to the other way around.”The product we have with Test cricket in England is up there with the best product in the world so I wouldn’t want to tamper with that very much.”One thing potentially we can do in England is play on better batting wickets. The Dukes ball still offers the bowlers enough, especially in England if you get the overhead conditions. But we could look at playing county cricket on better batting wickets.”But we have played a lot of Test cricket in different conditions over the past year where it’s been fast-forward cricket. We have to be adaptable. There’s some education for all of us as batters.”What had looked a docile pitch when New Zealand batted suddenly looked full of danger when England began their second innings. But Butter suggested that was a reflection of the match situation and the pressure England were under as much as it was anything to do with the pitch. And, he said, it was another area England had to learn from New Zealand.”We have to learn about scoreboard pressure as well,” he said. “If you have got those runs on the board, if you have put miles into the legs of batsmen who have to field for 200 overs, it puts those guys under a lot of pressure when they come out to bat 10 minutes later.”Scoreboard pressure is massive. If we had made 450-500-plus in the first innings, it would have been a completely different outlook for the team batting second.”Buttler also defended Jofra Archer from any criticism, providing a reminder that he is only five Tests into his career.”I think you all forget Jofra is very new to international cricket,” he said. “It’s his first overseas tour and the first time he’s bowled with a Kookaburra ball. He is a very special talent but he is only five games into his Test career. You can’t ask too much of him too soon.”He’s a very special talent and we’ve got to look after him. He’s a fantastic guy and has a great attitude as well. He’ll learn from this and he’s a great attribute to us.”

Matt Page confident that the plan to revitalise the MCG’s ageing drop-in surfaces is coming together

Alex Malcolm29-Oct-2019When you walk into the Members’ Bar at Melbourne Cricket Ground, it is impossible to miss the huge “Cook 244″ on the wall.It is a sign to ensure no one forgets Alastair Cook’s ten-and-a-half-hour vigil on a lifeless MCG track during the 2017-18 Ashes that would be won 4-0 by Australia, but not 5-0 thanks to both Cook and the surface.No one at the MCG, not least the ground staff headed by curator Matt Page, need reminding of what happened.Nearly two years on, just three days out from the first international of a new summer at the MCG – the third T20I between Australia and Sri Lanka – Page is confident that the plan to revitalise the MCG’s ageing drop-in surfaces is coming together and expects this summer’s pitches to be better than the ones from the previous two.”We’ve been working towards a plan over the past year, part of a five-year plan of rejuvenating our pitches and get them up to the standard of where we want them to be,” Page said. “One of the massive projects that we undertook at the end of the AFL season last year was that we removed the concrete slab out in the middle, which has given us a more natural environment for the pitches to thrive in this summer and we’re looking forward to seeing how that goes.

It is a more natural environment for the pitches to grow in and we’re hoping it’s going to give us a better result and enable us to roll out better pitchesMCG curator Matt Page

“The pitches have gone in well. Our expectation is they will improve from where they were last year. It is a more natural environment for the pitches to grow in and we’re hoping it’s going to give us a better result and enable us to roll out better pitches.”That concrete slab, which was the base for the drop-in trays to sit on for almost 20 years, was both a literal problem and an appropriate metaphor for what the MCG pitches had become, particularly in first-class cricket.Adelaide Oval, which moved to drop-in pitches in 2013, and Perth Stadium, which did so more recently, did not install such a slab and have had far more success producing more natural and competitive cricket pitches.Page likes what he’s seen from the six strips that were laid a month ago without the slab underneath. “It’s created a more natural environment,” he said. “It should help the grass grow better. We should get stronger, healthier grass. But it’s also enabled the pitches to go in, and they seem to be sitting a lot flatter at this stage.MCG curator Matt Page expects this summer’s pitches to be better than the previous two•Getty Images”I guess for us it was trying to create as much of a natural wicket table as we possibly could with the trays. The only thing is the tray is still out there, everything else is like an in-situ wicket, and I guess we’re hoping they might perform more like a natural wicket block.”Page is confident the T20I track on Friday and subsequent short-form surfaces will have pace and bounce. He is hopeful that by Boxing Day, after hosting three Sheffield Shield games prior, the MCG surface will have something in it for everyone.”We’ll be trying to produce something that gives the quick bowlers a chance upfront and then hopefully, we get the weather and we get some deterioration and give the spinners a chance at the end,” he said. “But I guess for us it’s (about) producing something that will provide a contest and it will make for some really exciting cricket to watch.”I think you’ll see an improvement in the pitches this year. Last year we saw an improvement from the previous year and I’m pretty confident that we’ll see an improvement this year as well.”That is part of the reason there are only six strips laid this year rather than seven, so that more use across the course of the season helps with more natural deterioration in the back-end of games.At the same time, the authorities are also completely rebuilding four trays from scratch with a different type of clay content. Those pitches have already been constructed and are expected to be placed into the centre and used either in the late stages of the 2020-21 summer or at the start of 2021-22.”The actual tray itself is no different, the thing we’re trialling is a different type of clay which we’re looking at,” Page said. “We’ve built two wickets out the back in our practice area with this different clay. We’re looking at improving our pace and bounce and hopefully, we’ll get some cracks in it which hopefully will lead to some deterioration in our longer formats. That’s all an exciting process that we’re looking forward to and something that we’ll look progressing with over the next couple of years.””Cook 244” will likely never be erased from the MCG wall, but the lessons are being heeded.

Last month, Tottenham Hotspur paid Genoa £26.7m to sign centre-back Radu Dragusin, making him the most expensive acquisition of the January transfer window. It's been a quiet start for Dragusin as Ange Postecoglou gradually eases him in, with the Romanian limited to brief substitute outings against Manchester United, Brentford and Everton. He didn't appear at all in the dramatic 2-1 victory over Brighton last weekend.

Postecoglou now has his full complement of centre-backs available after Micky van de Ven returned from a 10-game hamstring lay-off and Cristian Romero missed three matches with a similar but less severe complaint.

Spurs missed out on Werner upgrade in "brilliant" Premier League star

The Lilywhites were reportedly eyeing up the Wolverhampton Wanderers whiz last month.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 12, 2024

While Spurs offloaded Eric Dier to Bayern Munich on loan, Postecoglou has been able to call upon not only Dragusin but also Ben Davies in reserve, which seemingly leaves little room for Joe Rodon, currently playing his football on loan at Leeds United.

Spurs set Joe Rodon price tag

According to Football Insider, Spurs are now ready to sell Rodon if they receive an offer in the region of £10m to £15m. The Welshman is not part of the club's long-term plans under Postecoglou, and they're "eager to cash in" and boost their transfer budget in the process.

"Multiple" Premier League sides expressed an interest in Rodon last month but were put off by Spurs' asking price, although it remains to be seen if that changes in the summer. Leeds themselves are keen to sign him permanently, but a transfer is unlikely if they fail to get promoted.

Rodon exit has felt inevitable

In truth, the writing has seemingly been on the wall for Rodon for a while. Spurs paid Swansea up to £15m to sign the defender in 2020, when Jose Mourinho was still manager, but he was loaned out to French club Rennes last season after hardly featuring the year before (he made 10 appearances overall and didn't start a single league game).

His loan at Leeds has been a resounding success, with manager Daniel Farke hailing him as a "warrior" and fans voting him as their player of the month in December. As you can see in the table below, he's the only Spurs loanee to clock over 2,000 minutes of football this season.

Rank	Spurs loanee	Club(s)	Mins
1	Joe Rodon	Leeds	2,674
2	Troy Parrott	Excelsior	1,262
3	Sergio Reguilon	Man Utd/Brentford	840
4	Tanguy Ndombele	Galatasaray	645
5	Djed Spence	Leeds/Genoa	615
6	Japhet Tanganga	Augsburg/Millwall	292

The goal for Spurs, who are well-stocked at the back, could now be to be at least break even on the 26-year-old, having found the ideal club for him to thrive. If Leeds, currently 3rd in the Championship, do come back up, then they'll surely be desperate to make Rodon a key part of their squad in the top flight.

Cristiano Ronaldo may need to leave Al-Nassr in order to play into his 40s, says Stuart Pearce, with “new challenges” transfer advice being offered.

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• All-time great under contract in Saudi Arabia
• Will celebrate notable birthday in February
• Could become a free agent again in 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese superstar will celebrate a notable birthday on February 9, 2025 and still has a year left to run on his current contract in Saudi Arabia. He has offered no indication of that deal – which remains the most lucrative in world football – being cut short.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo may, however, become a free agent next summer and face another big career call. With there talk of him playing through to the 2026 World Cup, fresh terms will be required somewhere. Pearce, who was playing second tier football at 40 years of age, believes a fresh start may help to keep CR7 hungry.

• WHAT PEARCE SAID

  Ex-England international Pearce – who spent 12 years at Nottingham Forest before moving on to Newcastle, West Ham and Manchester City – has told of Ronaldo prolonging a record-breaking playing career: “It won't be easy for him. He wants to play as long as he can and I admire him for that. Obviously he doesn't need the money, that is for sure. So to keep driving on and striving on, I admire that. I would say to him, as long as you're physically fit, keep going. He's playing in a much different position to me.

  “I finished when I was 40, but I was a defender. It's a lot easier being a defender, I think, than it is a forward trying to create things. And you need that burst of pace and energy. My game was about maybe reading it and you could get away with it a little bit more. But when you look at Ronaldo, just incredible. For me, a big one for me, I'd been at a club for 12 years at the age of 35. Then I got a move, changed clubs to Newcastle, then changed clubs a couple of times. I had three clubs in five years, which is unusual for me. I'd been at one club for 12 years and looking back now, that was the big inspiration for me. It was a new challenge. He has to keep looking for new challenges, I think, to spur himself on.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

  Ronaldo has spent time with Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr – picking up Golden Boots in four different countries. He is currently on Euro 2024 duty with Portugal – at his 11th major tournament – and is showing no sign of slowing down after hitting 50 goals in the Middle East last season.

As the January transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Crystal Palace could yet add to the arrival of KRC Genk right-back Daniel Munoz with an attacking player who will hope to replace Wilfried Zaha. One key obstacle stands in the way of the Eagles' potential deal, however.

Crystal Palace transfer news

After welcoming Munoz for a reported £6.8m, Palace chairman Steve Parish said via BBC Sport: "We are delighted to welcome a player of Daniel's quality and character to the club. He has experience at the highest level for club and country, and he possesses an impressive record going forwards for a full-back. I am certain his ability, athleticism and tenacity will be a huge boost to the squad for the remainder of the season, and beyond."

Those at Selhurst Park may not be done there when it comes to incomings, however, even after finally confirming the arrival of Adam Wharton. Meanwhile, a further development has taken place in the Eagles' attempt to sign Maxwel Cornet from West Ham United. According to Ed Aarons, Crystal Palace have agreed terms over a potential loan deal for Cornet, but the move still hinges on whether the Hammers can find a replacement. The Guardian journalist posted the news on X, saying:

With that said it could be a busy final few hours in London for all involved. West Ham could yet find their replacement, which would then allow their Premier League counterparts to get their man before the transfer window slams shut. That said, the player has been named on the bench as they host Bournemouth tonight, so the Irons have clearly had no indication that a deal is likely to go through just yet.

"Quality" Cornet needs fresh start

The fact that Cornet could now complete a move away before the end of the window says it all about just how disappointing his West Ham spell has been. Arriving at the London Stadium for a reported £17.5m in 2022, the winger was at the centre of praise from an optimistic David Moyes, who said via Sky Sports: "We are delighted to welcome Maxwel to West Ham United. He is a versatile player with good experience, both in the Premier League and in European football, and will add strength and quality to our squad.

"He made a big impact with his performances for Burnley last season and he has impressed me with his desire to improve and challenge himself further here at West Ham. We look forward to bringing Maxwel into the group and wish him all the best in his career with us."

Things just haven't worked out, however, with Cornet's stats reflecting that. The former Burnley man has scored just one goal and assisted a further six in 31 appearances for the Hammers after having a hand in 11 goals in 29 games for Burnley a season before the move. Now, in need of a career revival, Cornet could turn to Crystal Palace, who could help the winger finally rediscover his best form.

West Bromwich Albion have been understated in their January transfer window business to date – only adding Andreas Weimann and Callum Marshall to their squad so far – but could now well be in for a rollercoaster finale to Deadline Day.

Linked with a last-gasp loan deal to bring Celtic winger Mikey Johnston to the Hawthorns, the Championship playoff-chasers could also now add a last-minute defensive addition to their group if rumours are to be believed.

West Brom going after ex-Arsenal man

Football journalist Mike McGrath has stated today that Aston Villa centre-back Calum Chambers is on the shopping list of various second-tier sides as the clock ticks closer to the window slamming shut, with West Brom name-checked as a potential destination for the former Arsenal defender.

Aston Villa journalist Jacob Tanswell – for The Athletic – did confirm this morning that Villa would be offloading Chambers on a loan deal, with there also being an option to buy outright added in if the 29-year-old impressed away from Villa Park in the potential deal.

The Baggies look to be the front-runners to land Chambers, Carlos Corberan hoping that Chambers' experience and Premier League qualities shine through in the division below to help his side win promotion to the top flight.

Chambers could well slot into the side alongside Johnston if a further deal can be reached with the Scottish giants, giving the West Midlands side a potential new look for Saturday's fixture with Birmingham City.

How Chambers would fit into the West Brom team

Chambers will give West Brom adequate cover at the back even if he's not banging down the door for immediate first-team opportunities, Corberan having to make do with young centre-back Caleb Taylor as one of his few defensive back-ups in the Black Country Derby last weekend.

Able to play both in the heart of defence and as a right-back, Chambers would fulfil the role of being a worthwhile utility option to have around the camp with the Spanish manager in the Hawthorns dug-out often bemoaning the lack of depth available to him.

The £50k-per-week Villa reserve figure's obvious pedigree could eventually see him break into the first-team fold however, accumulating 176 Premier League appearances across his extensive career to date with 14 of those coming just last season for Unai Emery's men before falling down the pecking order this campaign.

Once described as an "outstanding" defender by iconic Gunners manager Arsene Wenger when Chambers was at the Emirates Stadium, the versatile 29-year-old could be a shrewd capture to help Corberan's men out if more injuries pile up.

Related EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

Posts ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Moreover, Johnston's addition from Celtic would also give the Baggies another attacking option if the Championship side are flat going forward in crunch matches to come – the out-of-favour 24-year-old winger netting 13 goals across 92 games featuring at Parkhead.

The current Celtic number 90 could give the likes of Jed Wallace and Tom Fellows a run for their money on his potential arrival, Corberan adding in bodies here and there to freshen up his squad and keep those performing well on their toes.

West Brom have seen first-hand the impact of what injuries can do to a squad, and so adding in more depth this Deadline Day would be seen as a major plus if these moves for Chambers and Johnston can get over the line in time.

Sri Lanka arrive in Edinburgh having lost eight straight ODIs and new captain Dimuth Karunaratne must now not only band together a struggling team, but also prove his own worth in the XI

The Preview by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh17-May-2019

Dhananjaya de Silva congratulates Kusal Mendis on getting to his half-century•Associated Press

Big pictureOn the eve of the World Cup, there’s still time for a tune-up fight or two for a former champion as they gear up for the main event. In one corner, wearing purple and gold trunks, stands the Associate annihilator. Across the ring in the other corner, wearing plaid blue and white, stands the Associate on the rise.Arguably no Full Member has feasted on global cricket’s second-tier opposition more than Sri Lanka. They have especially enjoyed their fill when raiding European shores.Before new-age England made 400 totals passé, Sri Lanka’s total of 443 for 9 against Netherlands in 2006 stood as the ODI benchmark for more than a decade. Eight years later, they bowled the same opposition out at the 2014 World T20 for 39. They continued to show no mercy against Ireland on a visit to Malahide in 2016 by sprinting to 377.But they arrive in Edinburgh having lost eight straight ODIs, including a 5-0 sweep at the hands of South Africa. If traditions are made to be broken, then Scotland helped end the wretched run for Associates against Sri Lanka with a seven-wicket win in an unofficial warm-up at Kent in 2017 leading into the Champions Trophy. After two decades of futility against Test nations, that win gave Scotland the belief that they no longer have to hope heavyweight opposition shows up overweight and out of shape to be vulnerable enough for a sucker-punch.Scotland’s players aren’t afraid to stand in the middle of the ring and trade punches with a bloodied and bruised opponent, to wear them down and go all 12 rounds if not knock them down to the canvas. Just ask Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and a No. 1 ranked England.Though Netherlands claimed the WCL Championship and a spot in the 13-team ODI Super League beginning next year, it is Scotland who have made an even more compelling case over the last two years to become the 13th Full Member by virtue of their sustained competitiveness against Test nations. That feistiness was on display once again last week in a two-run loss on DLS to Afghanistan. In fact, a win over Sri Lanka will tick off one of the ICC’s defined criteria for applying for Full Membership: having three wins in ODIs or T20Is over top-10 ranked opposition inside 24 months.That run of form since 2017 has put ringside seats in hot demand. Cricket Scotland announced on Thursday that the malleable capacity at The Grange, capped at 1500 with temporarily imported stands for this series, had sold out for the first ODI. The Stockbridge faithful and a loyal Sri Lankan traveling fan troupe await the ding-ding-ding of bat on ball to signal the opening bell.Form guideScotland LWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLMatthew Cross is all smiles after scoring a hundred•Getty Images

In the spotlightA former MCC Young Cricketer, wicketkeeper Matthew Cross had been simmering with the bat for several years before a breakout 106 not out as part of a 201-run opening stand with Kyle Coetzer in the seven-wicket warm-up win over Sri Lanka in 2017. He followed it with his maiden ODI ton last year, then another against UAE at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Though Kyle Coetzer gets most of the plaudits at the top of the order, Cross remains a threat.Few players at the forthcoming World Cup find themselves in as strange a position as Dimuth Karunaratne. Not part of Sri Lanka’s ODI side since the 2015 World Cup, he has been parachuted in as an emergency captain, following eight successive losses under Lasith Malinga. Karunaratne must now not only band together a struggling team, but also prove his own worth in the XI. Whether the selectors made the correct choice in installing him as captain remains to be seen, but he will feel a lot better about his leadership if he can produce runs at the top of the order.Team newsScotland vice-captain Richie Berrington suffered a broken left pinky in the field after making unbeaten 170 off 145 balls on Monday playing for Western Warriors in Scotland’s domestic 50-over competition. Dylan Budge has been drafted into the squad but Berrington’s slot will more likely be a toss-up between specialist batsman Michael Jones and Michael Leask’s all-round package.Scotland (possible): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt.), 2 Matthew Cross (wk), 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Michael Jones, 5 George Munsey, 6 Craig Wallace, 7 Tom Sole, 8 Mark Watt, 9 Alasdair Evans, 10 Safyaan Sharif, 11 Brad WhealIt’s difficult to pin down Sri Lanka’s exact XI, but Malinga has not yet arrived in Scotland, having played in the IPL final last Sunday, giving an opportunity for some of the medium pacers to make a final argument for being in the first choice World Cup starting XI against New Zealand at Cardiff on June 1.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne/Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Kusal Perera (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Nuwan PradeepPitch and conditionsRegardless of the finish being decided by Duckworth-Lewis, Scotland’s first innings total of 325 looked below par in the loss to Afghanistan last week and the pitch may force bowlers to toil once more. The forecast is calling for rain in Edinburgh from midnight until 1pm on match day, though the drainage at the Grange is excellent so the probability of completing a reduced-overs match is high.Stats & Trivia Dimuth Karunaratne is one of the few players to have been in the XI on Sri Lanka’s last visit to the Grange in 2011. Both he and Mahela Jayawardene made half-centuries opening the batting in Sri Lanka’s 183-run win. The only other official ODI between the sides was at the 2015 World Cup, which Sri Lanka won by 148 runs.Calum MacLeod needs 47 runs to become the second Scotland batsman to cross 2000 runs in ODIs. Captain Kyle Coetzer became the first during his 79 last Friday against Afghanistan.Quotes”I think the thing we remember most about the match is the style of cricket we played. We talked about being aggressive with the ball and bat, stamping our authority on the game. It kind of kickstarted from there for everything that followed that so it was quite an important day in Scottish cricket.”
“We had a bad year for one-dayers but I think we did really well in the Test series. In South Africa, the major thing was team spirit. We played together. There was no senior-junior things. We played 11 as a team. So that sort of thing I want to get into the one-day side as well.”

Hales, who was named in England’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad last week, is understood by ESPNcricinfo to have tested positive for a recreational drug

George Dobell26-Apr-2019

Alex Hales drives through the covers•Getty Images

England batsman Alex Hales has failed a drugs test. Hales, who was named in England’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad last week, is understood by ESPNcricinfo to have tested positive for a recreational drug in recent weeks. The England selectors are not thought to have known about the test result at the time the squad was announced.According to a report in the , he is currently serving a 21-day ban after returning a second positive test, having pulled out of Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup campaign, shortly after the World Cup squad was announced, for undisclosed personal reasons.An ECB spokesman said: “We have a duty of confidentiality, therefore we are unable to provide any further comment.”The drugs violation is understood to have been detected after Hales underwent a routine hair-follicle test, which all professional men’s cricketers and centrally contracted women’s players undergo at the start and finish of every season. The policy was introduced in 2013 in the wake of the death of Surrey’s Tom Maynard, and can detect banned substances in the system for up to three months.For a first offence, which is treated as a health and welfare issue, players are offered advice and support with few people being notified. They are the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) director of development and welfare, the ECB anti-doping and recreational drugs manager, the chief medical officers of the ECB and the county involved.A second violation can invoke a three-week ban and a 5% fine of the player’s annual salary, at which point the player’s county is informed, as well as the ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison, and PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale.A third offence, such as that committed by Durham’s Jack Burnham in 2017, can lead to dismissal – although in Burnham’s case, the club chose instead to ban him for 12 months and give him the chance to revive his career this year.It is nevertheless another significant black mark for Hales, who was recently banned for six white-ball games (four of them suspended) and fined £17,500 by the ECB for his part in the Bristol brawl that led to Ben Stokes’ arrest and subsequent acquittal. England are not obliged to name their final World Cup squad until May 23.Although the loss of Hales at the World Cup would be significant, as things stand he would have served his suspension. He is still expected to join up with the squad for their training camp in Cardiff at the weekend and, according to reports, could be available for next week’s ODI in Dublin and the subsequent five-match series against Pakistan.While he is not currently seen as part of the first-choice side, he was set to be the reserve batsman in the squad. He has an outstanding ODI record: only nine men have scored more than his six ODI hundreds for England; only Jason Roy has a higher individual score in the format than the 171 Hales made against Pakistan. With Roy (back spasm) having recently experienced some fitness concerns, there was every chance he would win an opportunity at some stage during the tournament.Ashley Giles, the England men’s team director, and Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, both declined to comment when contacted by ESPNcricinfo.