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Nick Gubbins batted out the final day to make sure Hampshire and Lancashire drew their Vitality County Championship fixture at the Utilita Bowl – and maintained the visitors’ unbeaten record on the ground.Gubbins added an unbeaten 69 to his first-innings 50 in a four-and-a-half-hour vigil to nullify any threat of a Hampshire collapse and a result – with James Vince and Tom Prest equally stubborn in their resistance.Lancashire picked up one extra point to Hampshire’s 12, with both sides shaking off their rain-affected openers with more shared points.It did, however, extend the Red Roses’ record of not losing a first-class away match at Hampshire to 35 years – with the last home success coming at Portsmouth in 1989.Any hopes of Lancashire forcing a result by blowing away Hampshire quickly were kyboshed by no play possible in the morning due to a rain shower which left the run-ups temporarily unusable.In all 24 overs were lost from the day before the visitors set about hoping to add the final eight wickets to avoid the otherwise inevitable draw in strong winds.George Bell had spoken the previous evening about how excited he has been for fielding at short leg to Nathan Lyon, despite being in the firing line for the angle the ball is turning. He got his wish to share a line on the scorecard with the legendary Australian spinner when nightwatcher Kyle Abbott clipped the 16th ball of the day to the 21-year-old under the helmet.Any chance of the hosts collapsing from that point ended with Gubbins and Vince occupying the crease for the next two hours – and in Gubbins’ case, beyond.Lyon, who had claimed three first-inning wickets in 38 overs, tried everything to spark a flurry of wickets with the Kookaburra ball. He teased Vince with different flights – tempting the Hampshire skipper to almost hole out to long on – he flirted with front pads and he created his own rough at either end of the pitch so he could have a patch to aim at wherever he was bowling. His battle with Vince also saw the batter bottom-edge a sweep, which trickled past his stumps.Finally, Lyon made an unlikely turn towards Bazball for inspiration when he tried switching the bails. It turns out that specific magic can only be conjured by Stuart Broad.More Lancashire tricks of a 7-2 leg-side field and Tom Bailey bowling spin to the left-handed Gubbins and his usual pace to the right-handed Vince, also didn’t produce returns.Vince and Gubbins were steadfast in their 66-run partnership to showcase their vast Championship experience. Both had scored half-centuries in the first innings, although Vince failed to reach the landmark in the second dig as Lyon pinned him lbw to dismiss him in both innings.Gubbins scored twin centuries the last time Lancashire came to the Utilita Bowl in 2019. He half-replicated that with twin half-centuries, this time coming in 135 balls.Tom Prest, another first-innings fifty-maker, simply continued where Vince left off – although was unafraid to plonk half-trackers over the ropes for six to end up unbeaten on 45.The inevitable handshakes came at 16:50 BST, after a short rain delay, to signal the draw.

تأكد غياب لاعب جديد عن صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك في مباراة الجونة المقبلة في مسابقة الدوري الممتاز، بسبب تراكم البطاقات الصفراء.

ويستعد الزمالك للقاء الجونة المقرر له يوم الثلاثاء المقبل على ستاد القاهرة الدولي في الجولة الثامنة لمسابقة الدوري الممتاز.

طالع| الزمالك يفقد خدمات لاعبه أمام الجونة في الدوري المصري

وحصل خوان بيزيرا على البطاقة الصفراء الثالثة في مباراة الإسماعيلي التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم في مسابقة الدوري، ليغيب أمام الجونة رسميًا.

كما تأكد غياب محمود بنتايج عن مواجهة الجونة، في الجولة الثامنة، بعد حصوله على الإنذار الثالث أمام الإسماعيلي.

وفاز الزمالك على نظيره الإسماعيلي، بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الخميس على استاد هيئة قناة السويس في الجولة السابعة لمسابقة الدوري الممتاز.

The PCB is also pushing to permanently move the PSL window into April and May, where it will clash with the IPL

Danyal Rasool17-May-2024The PSL will get two new franchises from 2026, making it an eight-team league. This was officially confirmed in a statement by the PCB on Friday, which called the upcoming season in 2025 – the tenth edition – the “last six-team event”.While this had been likely from the day the PCB and the PSL franchises agreed not to add further teams until after the tenth season, this is the first time the PCB has publicly confirmed the PSL expansion. Multan Sultans’ entry in 2018 has been the only addition to the original five so far. The process for deciding which cities the new teams represent has not begun yet.The year following the tenth season is potentially one of sizeable flux and jeopardy for the PSL, with the ten-year lease ownership agreements the PSL reached with franchise owners expiring in 2025. ESPNcricinfo understands Sultans’ lease is also up for renewal next year, despite them joining the PSL two years after the rest. All six owners have right of first refusal, meaning ownership of a franchise only goes up for sale in the event of a current owner declining to match the franchise’s valuation.What is more contentious, however, is when the PSL will be played from next season onwards. The Champions Trophy will be played in the traditional PSL window in February-March, and with the ILT20 and the SA20 cutting in on PSL territory, the PCB wants a more reliable window. Their current preferred solution is the move the PSL into April and May, carving out a six week window from April 7 to May 20 next year, and clashing directly with the IPL. More contentiously, the PCB aims to make this the PSL’s permanent window rather than an ad hoc solution to a crowded calendar next year.Related

• Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi agree to extend PSL ownership rights for another ten years

• Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars to kick off PSL 2025 on April 11; final on May 18

• PSL draft to take place on January 11

• PSL set for IPL clash as PCB proposes move to April-May window

• ILT20 2025 to begin on January 11, set to clash with BBL and SA20

There is by no means universal agreement for this option. Most of the PSL franchises initially opposed the idea because of the implications it would have on player availability and the inevitability of playing second fiddle to the IPL, and at least three of the six franchises remain firmly opposed to it. A PCB official, though, told ESPNcricinfo they remain confident the franchises will come around to it. It is also worth noting that franchise opposition to the idea cannot necessarily stop it happening; those decisions are made by the PSL governing council. De facto, that means the PCB could decide to play the tournament in any window, with or without the support of the franchises.The PCB has offered to tweak player recruitment rules and open up fiscal space to allow franchises to sign one marquee player independently of the draft to alleviate concerns around player availability. With their current broadcast partnership ending in 2025, the next season could effectively become a test case for the future viability of hosting the league at the same time as the IPL. In addition, the league’s expansion to eight teams would have necessitated a larger window anyway, with the three-month window currently carved out for the IPL providing enough time for a slightly extended PSL.However, this also necessarily means the PSL will effectively only have overseas players available to them who go unselected at the IPL, given the large financial disparity between the two leagues. This, for example, effectively rules out Rashid Khan turning out for the Lahore Qalandars – one of the franchises opposed to the window – for the foreseeable future. Qalandars opted to retain him for PSL 2024 despite knowing he would not be fit to ensure they would be able to keep the Afghanistan legspinner the following year. However, it is likely he would turn out for the IPL if the two leagues clash.ESPNcricinfo also understands the PCB is seriously exploring the possibility of hosting the playoffs and final of PSL 2025 in the UK if this April/May window is finalised. Lahore is unseasonably hot in mid-May – temperatures are currently hovering in the mid-40s. The move to the UK, according to the PCB, does more than mitigate against the weather, though; it also globalises the reach of the PSL. The UK is also believed to be a more cost-effective option than the UAE, which has, in the past, hosted every PSL match that did not take place in Pakistan.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has thanked his club for showing patience throughout a tough season, claiming other top teams would've fired him.

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Guardiola thanks club hierarchy for patienceCity qualified for UCL after tough seasonClaims Barca would've sacked himFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Reflecting on a season of ups and downs, the Catalonian tactician opened up about how lucky he was to keep his job at City during an extremely tricky 2024/25 campaign. Referencing the lack of patience shown to managers in other European leagues, Guardiola claimed his former club Barcelona would have sacked him in October, November, or December, when his team were struggling for form.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City's 2024/25 Premier League points tally of 71 was enough to guarantee Champions League qualification, but it was far below par for a side that had amassed an average of 89.75 points per season over the previous four campaigns. Guardiola has been clear that last term's performance simply wasn't good enough, and a serious rebuild is needed.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to DAZN, Guardiola said: "I've always been able to turn things around when they're not going well, but I haven't managed to do that this year. The situation has gotten the better of me." He added: "With the year we've had, if this were Spain, I wouldn't be coaching in October, November or December.If this were Barça or Madrid they would have sacked me, but here it wasn't even a question. You have to have a little more patience. Look at Carlo Ancelotti: he won the Champions League and La Liga four days ago and now he's off to coach in Brazil." 

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

Some supporters thought Pep would decide to leave this summer, but the six-time Premier League champion seems determined to turn things around and reach the top again next season. That being said, he also sensationally vowed to quit the club if the size of his squad was not reduced during this summer's overhaul. With that threat on the horizon, there's likely to be plenty of change at the Etihad over the coming weeks.

Mumbai Indians were never in the hunt of the 193 chase after they lost four wickets inside the powerplay

Shashank Kishore05-Mar-2024Delhi Capitals couldn’t have asked for a better start in their home stretch. They saw off the Mumbai Indians quite comfortably courtesy half-centuries from Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues, before all their bowlers enjoyed a wonderful evening out. They’re now perched at the top of the standings with eight points and a healthy net run rate that increasingly looks difficult to catch.The match had plenty of moments: dropped catches, stunning wrist work, cuts with precision, a world record broken and prodigious swing from a veteran. The result, though, was mostly one-way traffic, with Mumbai left to regroup quickly after a demoralizing defeat.Related

• Innovative Jemimah Rodrigues makes it count with boundary-laden half-century

• Shabnim Ismail bowls fastest recorded ball in women's cricket

Ismail shatters record on return

It was a loud thud into Lanning’s pad in the third over. The umpire was unmoved and Ismail had hands on her head. Unknowingly, though, Shabnim Ismail had shattered the record for the fastest recorded delivery in women’s cricket. It was clocked at 132.1kph. The same Ismail, who was walking with a slight limp four days ago in Bengaluru, was firing away.

The drop, shovel and send-off

Ismail should’ve had Shafali Verma in the same over, when she miscued an attempted cross-batted swat to mid-on, but Saika Ishaque grassed the opportunity. Ismail was seething. But there was more agony in store, when Shafali hit her for back-to-back sixes in the next over; the bottom-handed shovel down the ground like a body blow. But Ismail had the last laugh when she had Shafali nicking off next ball. Ismail roared, gave Shafali a mouthful along with a send-off. It broke a dangerous opening stand as the Capitals ended the powerplay at 56 for 1.Meg Lanning hit two sixes in her 53•BCCI

Lanning comes into her own

Early in her innings, Lanning connected a full-length ball Nat Sciver-Brunt served up. It went soaring over the long-on boundary and Lanning held her shape until the ball bounced onto the seats. It told you how much she enjoyed it. It told you Lanning was in the mood, an avatar of hers we hadn’t seen yet in WPL 2024.After the first six, her range of shots got better. The trademark cuts were there, she pulled well, even to deliveries that hardly bounced, showing how much control she had and how well she was maneuvering the low bounce, and in general, seemed to enjoy taking the spinners on.She was particularly severe on legspinner Amelia Kerr, taking her for a sequence of 4, 6, and 4 in the 12th over. Soon enough, she raised her third half-century of the season off 36 balls with her patented cut. She fell playing a pull, brilliantly caught at deep midwicket by Kerr.

The Jemimah Rodriguesshow

When Lanning was dismissed, Rodrigues was on 8 off 8. And going into the last five overs, she was on 13 off 14. Then she flicked a switch. She decided it was time to go, and she took down the bowlers by following a simple mantra. She set her base by shuffling outside off, crouching low and then allowing herself to react.When Ismail went slow and full outside off, Rodrigues swung her cleanly into the midwicket fence. When she went wide yorker, Rodrigues scythed her over point. And when Pooja Vastrakar bowled short, Rodrigues helped her along to the fine leg boundary.There was more in store, as she sliced and lofted Sciver-Brunt for 17 off the penultimate over, accessing all corners of the field. The last five overs produced 69, and Rodrigues finished 69 not out off 33 balls; quite an astonishing acceleration after failing to connect early on in her innings.

Mumbai flattened early

Yastika Bhatia was out in the first over, defeated by Marizanne Kapp’s skid to be bowled. Sciver-Brunt was castled in the second, playing all around a Shikha Pandey inswinger. When Harmanpreet Kaur fell in the fourth, getting a leading edge to point off Kapp, it was nearly curtains for Mumbai.They kept hurtling from one wicket to another from there on, with only Amanjot Kaur and S Sajana offering some kind of fight to make 42 and 24 not out respectively to reduce the margin of defeat that puts Mumbai in a slightly precarious position with three league games remaining.Jess Jonassen, who forced her way into the XI three games ago, seems to have now made the allrounders’ spot her own, having now picked up eight wickets on top of the leaderboard.

تستمر منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني “الليجا” لموسم 2025-2026، بمواجهة بين برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو مساء اليوم الأحد.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على رايو فاليكانو ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة للدوري الإسباني للموسم الجاري.

وحقق برشلونة الفوز في افتتاحية الدوري الإسباني أمام ريال مايوركا بثلاثية دون رد، وفي الجولة الثانية حقق فوزًا مثيرًا على حساب ليفانتي بثلاثية لهدفين.

ورايو فاليكانو حقق فوزًا في الجولة الأولى على حساب جيرونا بثلاثية لهدف في الجولة الأولى، وتلقى هزيمة في الجولة الثانية أمام أتلتيك بلباو بهدف دون مقابل.

ويملك برشلونة 6 نقاط ويحتل المركز الثالث في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ورايو فاليكانو في المركز 11 بـ 3 نقاط. موعد مباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة والنصف مساءً اليوم الأحد، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD1. معلق مباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو

يعلق على المباراة، حسن العيدروس.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Charlie Dean, Alice Davidson-Richards and Lauren Filer each take two wickets but bad weather has final say

Valkerie Baynes12-Sep-2023England showed off their burgeoning depth to take command of the second ODI against Sri Lanka before rain descended on Northampton and rendered it a washout with one game left in the series.Offspinner Charlie Dean and allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards came into the home side for a resting Mahika Gaur and injured Emma Lamb and claimed two wickets each with Lauren Filer, the 22-year-old quick who impressed on her ODI debut in the opening match of this series, also taking two as England moved within one wicket of bowling Sri Lanka out well inside their 50-over allocation for the second time in a row. Then the morning drizzle which had delayed the toss by half an hour returned much heavier, just as some stealthy fielding by Kate Cross ran out Achini Kulasuriya for the ninth wicket, and play never resumed.After England had opted to bowl, Cross conceded nine runs first up, fours from Chamari Athapaththu – threaded fine and slammed in front of point – bookending a wide. Athapaththu peeled off two more fours through the covers in Cross’s next over, but Cross responded with the last ball – her first to right-hander Vishmi Gunaratne – who edged behind to Amy Jones, punctuating a bright start by Sri Lanka at 26 for 1.Filer chimed in with the wicket of Harshitha Samarawickrama with a fuller ball that found a faint edge and Jones’ gloves. But Athapaththu was looking dangerous, particularly against Cross. Her four lofted over mid-on sounded like a gun going off and two balls later, she despatched a full delivery over the rope at deep midwicket.Dean had been called up as part of England’s workload management of Gaur, the 17-year-old seamer who was Player-of-the-Match on ODI debut as England thumped Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Durham on Saturday, and she entered the action in the 10th over to devastating effect. Dean’s first three balls were dots and followed immediately by the prize wicket of Athapaththu, trapped lbw in front of middle and leg stump, ending her innings on a run-a-ball 34 and putting the tourists in trouble at 53 for 3.Davidson-Richards, making her first England appearance since the winter tour of the Caribbean after Lamb was struck down with a back spasm, accounted for Hansima Karunaratne, who top-edged an excellent short ball to Sarah Glenn at fine leg and Sri Lanka’s slide conintued.Kavisha Dilhari was yet to score when Heather Knight spilled a chance at slip off Dean, but Dean covered her skipper’s error two balls later with a return catch that was a lot simpler than it looked as she fell to her left in her follow through. Davidson-Richards then had Anushka Sanjeewani out chopping on and Sri Lanka were six wickets down with only 79 runs on the board.Tammy Beaumont put down a chance at point off Hasini Perera, on 19, after Filer had been brought back into the attack. But Filer and Jones combined again to remove Udeshika Prabodhani and when Cross pounced on the chance to run out Kulasuriya at the bowler’s end with a direct hit from midwicket as the batter strolled back to her crease without grounding her bat, Sri Lanka were 106 for 9 from 30.5 overs.At that moment, the rain that had been hovering round the ground began to fall and the players left the field, only for it to set in and leave the hosts heading into Thursday’s final match in Leicester still with a 1-0 series advantage.Davidson-Richards received her call-up on Friday and promptly scored a century for South East Stars as they upset competition leaders Blaze in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on Sunday. And while she felt that playing her first international match this year was like going back to “business as usual”, she said a return to grassroots cricket had been key to her most recent innings with the bat.Alice Davidson-Richards continued England’s strong showing with the ball•Getty Images”I was out on a bike ride so I could see it coming and I was like, ‘I’ll just deal with this afterwards’,” she laughed when talking about her latest England selection after being released from the Ashes squad ahead of the June Test. “I went to some club cricket on Saturday and remembered how wonderful cricket is seeing it in its actual true form, which obviously put me in quite a nice position for Sunday. I just remembered how fun cricket is and what it’s like to play on those little club grounds. So it’s been quite fun a few days and I tried to bring that into today.”If I put pressure on myself that’s when it tends to go a bit tits up. I think just remembering how relaxed I was when I was playing club cricket, I was watching mates I used to play with when I was 15 and stuff and just seeing people playing just for fun… seeing it played in that sort of way, on Sunday I was actually just envisioning playing on that little club ground and remembering how stress-free it was. That really helped calm my brain down and not let Alice get in the way of Alice.”Competitions like the RHFT, Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Hundred have been crucial in developing England’s talent pool, including the likes of Gaur and Filer, and Davidson-Richards said that would be a “massive factor” for the international side.”The best teams come from environments where there’s a lot of competition for places,” she said. “You don’t want the same people being picked every single time. You want people pushing the XI that are there and I’m doing my job if I’m making it difficult for them to pick an XI.”Charlie Dean’s exactly the same. If you’re leaving her out then you’re probably in quite a good place aren’t you because she’s an unbelievable player. The more people that we can get up to that level, the better for the England team, then obviously we’ll just keep pushing each other on.”

Leeds United have been handed a blow as it has emerged that one member of their squad will miss the next seven games as they battle for the Championship title under Daniel Farke.

Leeds in pole position for Championship title

Despite their FA Cup defeat to Millwall, Leeds United are still on for a successful season after play-off heartbreak last time around.

Farke’s side are sitting pretty atop the Championship, two points clear of Sheffield United in second and a further three ahead of Burnley, meaning that they sit in pole position to be promoted back to the Premier League come the end of the campaign.

They have been the best side in England’s second tier when it comes to finding the back of the net, while they also unsurprisingly have a strong defence which has helped them keep 19 clean sheets already this campaign, the second most in the division.

Bigger talent than Chambers: Leeds have another teen set for the first team

Leeds United have a player in their academy who could be an even bigger talent than Sam Chambers.

2

By
Dan Emery

Feb 9, 2025

With 15 games of the season left, the Yorkshire outfit are firm favourites to be promoted, but they will be wary of previous slips and their terrible record in the play-offs, with the memory of their 1-0 defeat to Southampton last season still fresh.

Now, they have been dealt a blow on the injury front as they hunt for the title.

Farke confirms Leeds injury blow

Now though, Farke has confirmed a serious injury to one member of his Leeds squad.

That comes in the shape of defender Max Wober, who is now expected to spend a significant period on the sidelines. The defender was not part of the squad that fell to defeat in the FA Cup against Millwall and has had a setback.

And quizzed on the fitness of his squad, Farke confirmed that the Austrian international was now set to be sidelined until the next international break, missing seven games in the process.

“He has an ongoing knee problem and will need surgery as quickly as possible and will be out until after the next international break”, the Leeds boss explained. “He will have surgery and be out for six weeks.”

It leaves Leeds short in defence, with Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk Farke’s only senior centre-back options for the foreseeable future, which could mean that bowing out of the FA Cup could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Though he had only featured six times this season, Wober earned high praise from the Leeds boss in December after filling in at left-back in their win over Derby County.

“Many compliments to Max. Not the easiest start to the season for him with many injuries. He’s normally a centre-back and not naturally made for the left-back role, but he put a shift in and was rock solid defensively,” Farke eulogised after the victory.

Though he was not allowed to leave the club in the summer window, his future is likely to be revisited this summer as he enters the final two years of his £35,000 a week deal at Elland Road.

For now though, his injury means that added pressure will be put on the remaining defensive options to stay fit in order to avoid the season derailing in the late stages and barring Leeds’ return to the Premier League.

Aston Villa are now very interested in signing a £41m striker this summer to replace Jhon Duran, according to a report.

Duran seals big-money move to Saudi Arabia

Duran had been enjoying a breakout season for Villa, making a name for himself with goals in the Premier League and Champions League, but the 21-year-old’s time in the Midlands was short-lived, signing for Al-Nassr for a fee of £71m last month.

With the move taking place late in the January transfer window, Unai Emery was short on time to bring in a like-for-like replacement, but the manager did manage to strengthen his attacking options in a more general sense during the winter window.

Donyell Malen was brought in from Borussia Dortmund, while Marcus Rashford arrived on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season, but there have already been suggestions the Englishman is still eyeing a summer move to Barcelona.

Emery now working on deal for £116k-p/w star who's "perfect for Aston Villa

Former scout Mick Brown believes moves are being made to sign an “unbelievable” player on a permanent basis.

ByDominic Lund Feb 19, 2025

As such, Emery may have to bring in another striker this summer, and a report from Spain has now revealed Aston Villa are very interested in signing FC Porto striker Samu Omorodion, following his impressive performances in Portugal (via Sport Witness).

Ollie Watkins is the only out-and-out striker at Emery’s disposal at present, meaning the manager wants to bring in a new option this summer, and the Villans are the main suitors for Omorodion from the Premier League.

The youngster is said to have similar characteristics to Duran, which would make him an ideal replacement for the Colombian, and the Liga Portugal side could be interested in doing a deal for around €50m (£41m).

Aston Villa’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Chelsea (h)

February 22nd

Crystal Palace (a)

February 25th

Brentford (a)

March 8th

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

April 1st

Nottingham Forest (h)

April 5th

Samu could be the perfect Duran replacement

The strikers are of a similar age, with the Porto “beast” slightly younger than Duran at 20-years-old, and the similarities don’t stop there. Most importantly, the Spaniard has a keen eye for goal, much like his potential predecessor, having scored 18 goals in 29 games in all competitions this season, including five in eight Europa League games.

The duo are also both impressive in the air, averaging a similar number of aerials won per 90 over the past year, with Omorodion placing in the 79th percentile and Duran ranking in the 81st.

Watkins is enjoying yet another impressive season with the Villans, taking his Premier League goal tally to 12 for the season after scoring in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool last night.

However, if the 29-year-old were to pick up an injury, Emery would be without an out-and-out striker to replace him, so it is important a new young forward is brought in this summer, and Omorodion has proven he could be up to the task.

Ben Foakes says Championship defence “far from over” despite eighth win of season

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Sep-2023

How’s that for ruthless? By 10.45am on day three, Surrey had sewn up victory over Warwickshire by an innings and 97 runs. The three remaining wickets taking so little time people were still coming through the gates as the players were lining up to shake hands.The brunt of the work had been done on day two, with 17 Warwickshire wickets meaning Tuesday’s ask was a formality, which it proved to be. An eighth win of the season means Surrey will carry a lead of at least 18 points over challengers Essex into their penultimate match of the season against Northamptonshire. And with all due respect to the side bottom of Division One, it has all the makings of a repeat of 2022’s season finale. Victory over Yorkshire in their penultimate game confirmed Championship glory, and history looks set to repeat itself.An early finish was assisted by an unnecessarily early start when Dan Worrall sent down the first of 24 deliveries at 10.28am. His fifth, catching Henry Brookes’ edge and flying to Jamie Overton at second slip, came at the scheduled start time of 10.30am, adding to the sense Surrey were so far ahead in this match they were making up time.Worrall bagged a third five-wicket haul of the season in the following over from the Vauxhall End, decking one across Dan Mousley, the only batter to emerge with true credit in a dire Warwickshire second innings with a valiant 60. Jordan Clark then skittled Chris Rushworth to at least give their opponents time to enjoy the sunshine before heading back to Birmingham ahead of rush hour.”Quite a few guys are going on holiday, so it’s nice that this finishes early because they’ve got a 4am leave for the airport the day after the game [Thursday], which is handy,” Ben Foakes said, slightly tongue-in-cheek. Surrey have the next round off, as do second-placed Essex, meaning there will be little to worry about back home. Nevertheless, it seems odd the players would have cut it so fine with flight times, though perhaps they are just used to clocking off early by now. After all, this was their fourth victory of the season notched in three days, and this one could have been done in two.”There’s still a lot of cricket and Essex are a serious side,” said Foakes, whose 125, his third century of the season, helped Surrey to a surprisingly insurmountable first innings of 396. “They’re probably more than likely to win their home games and they’re always going to be on our tail. It’s far from over.”It’s an annoying quirk of the schedule that the frontrunners will only play each other once this season, which is also how it panned out with Surrey’s closest challengers last summer, Hampshire. Even from afar, beyond their rain-affected draw in May, Surrey’s seam against Essex’s spin has been an intriguing battle of styles on their respective home patches.As such, it was fitting both Worrall and Clark, two signings who have bedded into the club seamlessly, would finish things off and in turn find themselves both on 46 dismissals this season. Together with the returning Kemar Roach, who finished with five in the match, Rory Burns admitted captaincy has rarely been easier. His only moment of doubt came when he feared the hosts might have let Warwickshire off the hook after losing their final six batters for 53.”I think we were expecting the pitch to get even better for batting as the game went on, over the four days, and having had to bat first after losing the toss – I certainly didn’t expect what happened yesterday, but it’s pretty easy for me as captain when I’ve got a bowling attack as good as ours,” Burns said.”It was good to have Kemar [Roach] back and Dan [Worrall] was exceptional. He’s a real leader out there and a brilliant bowler with many skills. But I thought Jordan [Clark] also put in a really good performance in this match and there is a lot of excitement in this group about what is to come in the next few weeks.”For Warwickshire, such a chastening defeat requires perspective given the injuries to two first-choice batters (Rob Yates and Alex Davies), and the unavailability of Jacob Bethell and Liam Norwell. While their absences were covered, with Kraigg Brathwaite parachuting in for the final month of the season, the end result, if not the performance, had some mitigation. After staying up by the skin of their teeth on the last day of the 2022 season, they will take mid-table mediocrity.”Dan Worrall was outstanding throughout the match and Jordan Clark too bowled extremely well but we came into this match a little bit light due to injuries and unavailability,” head coach, Mark Robinson, said. “Kraigg Brathwaite only arrived [from the West Indies} the day before this game, Ed Barnard had never batted at No. 3 before and Chris Benjamin has not had that much cricket in this format recently. But none of that is an excuse because we should be better than we have been. We still should have had more quality as a team than we showed here.”By stark contrast, Surrey did not even have to put their new signing Sai Sudharsan into action despite a handful of their players away on England duty. His time will come with Jamie Smith due to play in the ODI series against Ireland at the end of September. The keeper-batter’s call-up will be to rest those on their way to the World Cup, which includes the Surrey trio of Jason Roy, Sam Curran and Gus Atkinson.