All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged regarding the availability of three key Rangers players prior to heading away with their country for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

What’s the talk?

According to The Scotsman, the Gers are set to hold talks with the Nigerian FA to discuss whether or not Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun will be able to play in the Old Firm derby at the start of January.

The report claims that the trio are all due to jet away with Nigeria ahead of AFCON on December 27 and would miss the derby clash on January 2, with Rangers now set for discussions over a deal to keep them around for that match before releasing them for international duty.

GVB would love it

Ross Wilson could pull off a Rangers masterclass by convincing the Nigerian FA to hold off on calling up the trio before the match against Celtic. Giovanni van Bronckhorst would surely love it if he could have all of them available for the game, as they are all valuable members of the squad.

SofaScore have Aribo (5th), Balogun (9th) and Bassey (10th) all within the club’s top 10 performers in terms of average ratings in the Premiership this season. They have all averaged a score of 7.03 or higher in the league, showing that they have been performing consistently to an impressive standard so far this term.

This highlights their importance to the side and why it would be a masterclass from Wilson if he is able to successfully negotiate their availability against Celtic. Van Bronckhorst will want all of his best players at his disposal for that game and the statistics suggest that all three fall into that category.

Bassey, in particular, has shot to prominence under the Dutchman since the 43-year-old replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm. The left-back has played in the centre of defence over the last five competitive matches and the Gers have only conceded two goals in that time.

Hopefully, Wilson will be able to convince the Nigerian FA to allow the trio to play against Celtic in these crunch talks and Rangers will have a full squad available. Whilst the three will still miss an as yet undetermined period of time during AFCON, having them in the team against the Hoops could be a major boost as they are the Gers’ closest title rivals as it stands.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: “Exemplary” Rangers beast who won 88% duels finally took chance under GvB…

A fresh claim has emerged about Harry Kane’s future under Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur this week…

What’s the word?

In the summer, the 28-year-old was linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, though it failed to materialise despite Pep Guardiola’s very public interest in the Spurs talisman.

ESPN have since failed to rule out the Citizens returning in the future but according to transfer insider Dean Jones of Eurosport, there is no chance of the England international leaving in January.

“I’m told he’s staying now at this point,” he revealed to ‘The Done Deal Show’.

“He’s obviously found it difficult to get over the fact he didn’t get his transfer in the summer.

“If the Nuno [Espirito Santo] situation would have continued, then we might have had a problem. There was never actually any issue between Kane and Nuno, it’s not like there was any friction between them; Kane just got on with his job and tried to fit into what Nuno was trying to do.

“Ultimately, he wasn’t getting the ball enough, though, and Tottenham’s style of play didn’t suit him, so they’ve had to change that.

“I’m told that he’s much more optimistic about Conte turning this team around. He feels it’s as good a chance as any of Tottenham getting a reboot and trying to win stuff under Conte, because he’s got such a reputation of doing so.

“So right now, I think that Harry Kane, there’s no chance of him leaving in January, as far as I can tell.”

Conte boost

Kane has been out of sorts for the Lilywhites all campaign, scoring just once in eight league appearances, but there will be some hope of a return to form following back-to-back hat-tricks for England in midweek.

There’s no denying that the long-serving Hotspur Way graduate is imperative to the club, having contributed towards 54.4% of all their top-flight goals last season and regularly hit 24 or more goals in every season since 2014/15.

He will continue to be a crucial member of the squad and it is no secret that Conte hugely admires Kane, too. He reportedly didn’t want to take the job in the summer without the 6 foot 2 frontman remaining at the club.

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Whilst in charge of arch-rivals Chelsea back in 2017, the 52-year-old made quite the revelation. “For me, Kane, now is one of the best strikers in the world,” he said (via Sky Sports).

“If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he’s strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left.

“He’s a complete player. He’s one of the top strikers in the world.”

Under Nuno, the Premier League marksman looked like a dejected and frustrated figure, so it’s certainly encouraging to see that he’s a lot more optimistic about the club under the Italian instead.

That should hand Conte a massive boost as his star striker is going to look a lot more committed to Spurs and that could help him return to the prolific goalscoring form we’ve seen over the years.

The stern Italian must be delighted by such claims that there is “no chance” of a Kane exit in the near future heading into the final few months of the year.

AND in other news, Conte suffers major Spurs injury blow ahead of Leeds clash…

Ricky Ponting has expressed concern over the future of Nathan Bracken after the fast bowler returned home from because of a chronic knee problem

Cricinfo staff25-Sep-2009Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, has expressed concern over Nathan Bracken’s international future after the fast bowler returned home from because of a chronic knee problem.”You’d have to be [concerned] I guess,” Ponting said. “None of us know the extent of it just yet, we won’t know until he … has it looked at properly and maybe has surgery. He’s no spring chicken, he’s had it operated on before and I believe it’s a degenerative type of condition.”Bracken had problems with his knee for a couple of years but the injury flared up in South Africa, forcing him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy. He flew to Australia on Thursday where he will see a specialist.Australia also had an injury concern over Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, who suffered from a sore back after the flight from England to South Africa. Australia are pooled in Group A with West Indies, India and Pakistan and will begin their Champions Trophy title defence against West Indies on Saturday.One senior player recently returned from injury is Brett Lee. He was in good form in the 6-1 series win over England after missing the Tests, but Ponting said he would require careful management if he was still playing in 17 months.Although satisfied with the pace reserves, Ponting said Australia could not afford to carry quicks in their twilight years. “Brett by that stage will be 34 (and Bracken 33), and you can have one of those guys as long as you don’t have two or three,” he said.”With (Peter) Siddle and (Mitchell) Johnson and (Ben) Hilfenhaus, they’re the younger brigade that has led the attack really well over the last few months, so I think we’re in pretty good shape.”With Brett, if he actually makes it through we’ve got to make sure we look after him well because we’ve seen in England he can be a leading wicket-taker for us, especially in the conditions that we’ll have in the next World Cup with his reverse swing bowling.”

Prosper Utseya played an outstanding captain’s innings to lead Zimbabwe to a series-clinching four-wicket win in the third ODI in Nairobi after the home side had looked on course to keep the contest alive

Cricinfo staff31-Jan-2009
Scorecard
Prosper Utseya was Zimbabwe’s match-winner with his maiden ODI half century © AFP
Prosper Utseya played an outstanding captain’s innings to lead Zimbabwe to a series-clinching four-wicket win in the third ODI in Nairobi when the home side had looked on course to keep the contest alive. After battling hard to reach 234, Kenya took wickets at regular intervals but were thrown off course by Utseya, who made a career-best unbeaten 68, and a superbly-timed assault from wicketkeeper Forster Mutizwa as the victory came with 10 balls to spare.Elton Chigumbura, who has been so impressive in this series, also played his part with a different style of innings to the shot-filled efforts of the previous games. He came in with Zimbabwe tottering on 103 for 5 but compiled 43 off 50 balls to put the chase back in the balance. However, when he fell, Zimbabwe still needed 85 off 11 overs with batting resources running out.Mutizwa, playing just his third ODI, changed the game in a one-over assault on Peter Ongondo, who had been extremely tight until his ninth over went for 26. Mutizwa hit two sixes over deep midwicket and three further boundaries to reduce a target of over eight-an-over down to a run-a-ball.When required, Utseya also found the boundary and two fours followed by a six took him to his maiden ODI half-century off 50 balls. The stuffing had been well and truly knocked out of Kenya, who had seen a match-winning position slip away rapidly.They had done so much right for 40 overs with a marked improvement in their bowling from the first two matches when Zimbabwe passed 300. Although the Zimbabwe openers played their shots, Ongondo removed them both in an impressive opening burst. When the in-form Stuart Matsikenyeri drove a hard return catch to Rajesh Bhudia and Malcolm Waller was well caught at second slip, Zimbabwe were 68 for 4.Steve Tikolo struck to increase the pressure when he removed Keith Dabengwa and when Chigumbura fell after doing the hard work Kenya were moving closer to victory. Utseya, though, has always appeared a very mature cricketer for someone of just 23 and didn’t panic in a tough situation, although it was Mutizwa’s blast that swung the momentum.Kenya’s batting had again struggled as legspinner Graeme Cremer took four wickets, but they managed to recover from 95 for 5 thanks to Collins Obuya’s 55. Cremer struck at vital times throughout the innings, including a spell of three in six balls, beginning by removing Alex Obanda when he lofted to long-on for a hard-fought 49. Then in his next over he removed the key scalp of Tikolo, who was beaten by one that skidded through. Two balls later and the shoddy side of Kenya’s batting was again on display when Jimmy Kamande pulled lazily to midwicket.After two games of watching Zimbabwe rack up totals in excess of 300, Kenya were grateful to be batting first on this occasion. However, any positive vibes lasted precisely one ball as Seren Waters was caught behind for a duck off Christopher Mpofu. It followed Waters’ third-ball duck two days ago and Kenya were immediately on the back foot.Mpofu was impressive with the new ball and Kenya had to fight hard to establish a platform. Zimbabwe have relied heavily on spin during this series – and they used five of varying styles in this innings – and it was the introduction of Ray Price that snapped a promising second-wicket stand when Kennedy Otieno dragged the ball via his pads as he tried to sweep.Cremer was soon making his mark, but Obuya and Maurice Ouma stopped the slide with a stand of 79 in 14 overs. They showed what can be achieved with sensible batting, carefully accumulating singles and dispatching the bad balls. But just as they had a base from which to expand, Ouma picked out long-on against Utseya.Obuya went to his fifty off 59 balls before becoming Cremer’s fourth wicket as Zimbabwe’s fielders continued to hold their catches in the deep. For much of the second innings it appeared as though he’d given his team enough, but in the end Zimbabwe’s growing confidence proved too much for the fallible Kenya.

England have arrived in South Africa for their two-and-a-half month tour with captain Andrew Strauss determined to build on his team’s 2-1 victory in the Ashes during the summer

Cricinfo staff01-Nov-2009England have arrived in South Africa for their two-and-a-half month tour with captain Andrew Strauss determined to build on his team’s 2-1 victory in the Ashes during the summer. Strauss is especially keen for his team to stake its claim to the No. 1 Test ranking, an honour that currently belongs to South Africa.”We’ve talked a lot about how winning the Ashes is not the end of the road, it’s almost the starting point for us to improve,” Strauss said. “We’d be lying if we didn’t want to be the number one side in the world. But if you look at how the ranking system works it will take a number of years of solid progression from where we are at the moment and consistency is crucial. Ultimately it’s about not taking our foot off the gas.”England were criticised for seemingly taking their foot off the gas after they won the Ashes in 2005. They had followed up that victory with a 2-0 drubbing in Pakistan.”The perception of the post-2005 period is that we took our eye off the ball quite badly. I’m not comfortable with that myself,” Strauss said. “I remember that Pakistan tour and how hard we worked at it. We had a number of very crucial injuries which didn’t help.”If you look at our performances over the last 12 months we’re far from the genuine article and where we want to be. No one in the squad truly believes we’ve made it, we’ve got a long way to go. I want to see our players hungry and committed.”England are scheduled to play two Twenty20 internationals, five ODIs, and four Tests in South Africa and this will be their first Test series since Andrew Flintoff’s retirement from the format. Flintoff, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation from surgery in Dubai, won’t be available for the limited-overs formats either.In Flintoff’s absence, Stuart Broad, who was Man of the Match in the deciding Ashes Test at The Oval, is expected to perform the allrounder’s role in the side but Strauss sought to play down the attention on the 24-year old. “It’s not a realistic expectation for Broad to fill Flintoff’s shoes in both disciplines in the short term. It would be wrong to heap that expectation on his shoulders,” Strauss said.”Over the years we’ve had to do without Flintoff quite often and what we’ve found is that we’ve done quite well by everyone taking responsibility and playing a bit better. Stuart Broad is not a like for like replacement for Flintoff anyway but he has his own set of skills, some of which are world class and some of which need work. We don’t want him to be the saviour we turn to, we need all 11 to do that.”Stuart has his head screwed on. There has been a lot of media attention on him but he realises that there’s much room for him to improve. We’re excited about him but the last thing I want to do is put a huge amount of expectation on his shoulders. You must give people room to improve and hopefully he’ll continue that development this winter.England begin their tour with a warm-up match against the Eagles on November 6 in Bloemfontein and have two more practice games ahead of the first Twenty20 international against South Africa in Johannesburg on November 13.

Paddy Kenny has offered his thoughts on Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin’s contract situation…

What’s the talk?

Kenny has suggested that McLaughlin should be handed a new deal before the January transfer window in order to secure his future at the club.

The ‘keeper’s current deal ends next summer and the pundit believes that his campaign so far could tempt Rangers to pin him down to fresh terms.

He told Football Insider:

“He could absolutely be in for a new deal. He’s had an unbelievable start to the year. The more involved he is, the more likely they are to give him a new contract.

“Him and McGregor have played a similar amount of games. If that continues, I’m sure they’ll be looking to tie that area up and give him a bit of stability. He doesn’t want to be playing regularly but not knowing where he stands. Who does that benefit?

“So it would be better for everyone if they got that one sorted out soon, maybe even before January.”

Save millions

Rangers chief Ross Wilson now has a key decision to make on McLaughlin. At the age of 34, he has almost six years on Allan McGregor and could be the club’s number one for the next few years if the latter decides to retire at the end of his current deal in 2022.

The Gers could opt to bring in a younger goalkeeper to compete for the number one spot if McGregor retires, but McLaughlin still has plenty to give and could be a useful player to keep around in the coming years. Thus, by handing him a new deal, they could save millions on having to recruit a new stopper.

The £6.1k-per-week earner could sign fresh terms and thus, stay on to become the club’s definitive number one option between the posts.

McLaughlin has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.02 in four Scottish Premiership appearances this season, keeping two clean sheets in those games. Last season, he averaged a score of 7.12 and kept nine clean sheets in 11 matches, showing that he has the quality to be a reliable shot-stopper between the sticks. Consequently, he certainly deserves a new deal at Ibrox.

Wilson must sanction a fresh contract for the 34-year-old and keep him at the club for the foreseeable future to maintain the strength of the goalkeeping department.

It remains to be seen what will happen with McGregor’s future, given he is turning 40 in January, but McLaughlin putting pen to paper should be a relatively easy decision going by his form on the pitch.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: Rangers dynamo sees value soar by 85.7% in one year, he’s exciting…

West Ham will be looking to make it three wins from three matches when they return to Europa League action this evening.

David Moyes has an interesting dilemma ahead of him as his Irons side face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, so he may be tempted into some sort of rotation.

The Irons bounced back from their defeat to Brentford before the international break with a narrow victory over Everton at the weekend and that put them firmly back in the race for the top-six, and another three points against Spurs could see them break into the top-four, too.

Therefore, it would then make sense to rest some of the Hammers’ more influential stars and there can’t be a better candidate to do that with than Michail Antonio, who is an injury risk in most weeks.

He has regularly suffered with troubles throughout his time in east London, failing to start more than 24 matches in any of his last four top-flight campaigns.

The 31-year-old talisman is so, so crucial to West Ham’s fortunes, having already netted six goals and provided four assists across nine appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

In his absence against Manchester United, a game he fortunately missed through suspension rather than injury, the Irons struggled and lost for the first time this season.

Even though Mark Noble could have scored a late equaliser if he had converted his injury-time spot-kick, Moyes and his side still rued the lethal frontman’s presence up top.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the former Nottingham Forest star has previously been lauded as “unplayable” and as the “ultimate number nine” by BBC Sport contributor Premier League Panel.

Whilst Daily Star journalist Paul Brown recently dubbed him a “complete monster” and “absolute revelation” to GIVEMESPORT.

These glowing endorsements only go to show just how important the £70k-per-week beast is to West Ham and as the Hammers have a 100% record in this competition, he can be afforded one game off as a fully-fit Antonio could wreak havoc against Spurs this weekend.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Declan Rice claim…

New Zealand hold the advantage and are the front-runners to pull off something special in Napier, but who knows what can happen if the target is around 200

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera14-Dec-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Mohammad Yousuf’s patient 89 kept New Zealand at bay for most of a stop-start day•Getty ImagesThis chameleon game changed character yet again late on the fourth day. Mohammad Yousuf was serenely moving towards what seemed an inevitable hundred when he fell to crack open the game to several thrilling possibilities. New Zealand hold the advantage and are the frontrunners to pull off something special in Napier, but with its frail batting line-up pitted against the mercurial Pakistan bowling, who knows what can happen if the target is around 200.On a stop-start day, interrupted constantly by rain, Pakistan had threatened to shoot themselves in the foot by gifting wickets to Martin Guptill, before they rallied through a 128-run stand between Yousuf and Faisal Iqbal. The sun kept peeping in and out of the clouds, Faisal alternated between nervous edginess and flamboyance, but Yousuf draped an elegantly solid hue on proceedings. His innings appeared to have seemingly pushed Pakistan towards safety when he fell to make matters more interesting.Though the morning’s play was filled with drama it was freakish in nature, and it was in the afternoon that the real contest between bat and ball began. Iain O’Brien and Daniel Vettori bowled as well as they could on a flat pitch but Yousuf stood firm. The caressed square-drives on a stretched front foot, the stylish flicks and the authoritative punches off the back foot were all showcased against the seamers but it was his battle with Vettori that stood out.There was one piece of action which perfectly caught the spirit of the contest between the two: Yousuf came down the track but Vettori cleverly slowed the pace and shortened the length. However, Yousuf waited to adjust to the lack of pace, and though he couldn’t reach the pitch of the ball, he didn’t panic or lunge out; instead he almost nonchalantly wafted through the line and found enough power and timing to lift it over long-on. Vettori used the crease well, varied his pace and utilised the arm-ball intelligently but Yousuf handled him with aplomb. He moved forward or back as the length demanded and picked the arm ball on most occasions.Faisal was nowhere near as solid as Yousuf but he fought on to score a valuable fifty. His iffy footwork meant he was caught on the crease a few times and was forward when he should have been back, but he soldiered on. He was even dropped on 48 when he edged O’Brien straight to Ross Taylor, but he punctuated his nervy shots with a few extravagant cover drives. It was an innings in which he delighted and frustrated equally before he fell, guiding Martin to Taylor, who held on this time.Umar Akmal walked in and played a breezy innings filled with cuts, pulls and a few plays and misses.It also contained the most audacious shot of the day – a delightfully flamboyant and whippy bottom-hand-powered six over long-on off Darryl Tuffey. The afternoon, though, was a calm affair when compared with the events that preceded it.If the English fast bowler Fred Trueman were alive and commentating on the game this morning, we would surely have heard his legendary phrase: “I just don’t know what’s going off out there”. Nothing Pakistan do shocks anyone any more but even their die-hard followers would have raised their eyebrows when Guptill, who had not bowled a ball before this game in Test cricket and has just a solitary first-class wicket, removed the openers in quick succession to leave Pakistan wobbling.It was a bizarre and fascinating little first session of play. What made Vettori open the bowling with Guptill? More importantly, what were Pakistan’s openers thinking? Not much, if you go on the available evidence. When Guptill tossed the third delivery of the day outside off stump, there wasn’t anything deceptive in its trajectory. It was a gentle, perhaps a bit loopy, delivery that floated harmlessly outside off but Salman Butt scooped it back to the bowler. The bottom-hand had kicked in too much and he couldn’t keep the off drive down.Batsmen do make mistakes and irregular bowlers do pick up lucky wickets, but surely Guptill couldn’t do it again? Wrong. He flighted, nay floated, a full toss in the seventh over of the day. Farhat, who seemed muddled after Butt’s dismissal, moved down the track to try to snap out of the nightmarish start to the day but ended up patting the full toss straight back to Guptill. Surprisingly, there was no visible reaction from Guptill when he took the catch. Perhaps he was too shocked to be merely surprised.It was a day that had everything: a comically manic start from the most unlikely source, a calm hand from a veteran, an edgy attempt to save a career, a cocky kid, and a lingering suspense about what tomorrow might bring.

Virender Sehwag has cited the heavy interference in selection matters as the reason for wanting to move from Delhi to Haryana

Cricinfo staff17-Aug-2009Virender Sehwag is reported to be seeking a move from Delhi, the state he has represented since 1998, to Haryana from the 2009-10 season, citing the heavy interference in selection matters.”I am trying to leave Delhi and play for Haryana,” he was quoted as telling the Delhi-based newspaper . “I spoke to the Delhi District and Cricket Association (DDCA) president, Arun Jaitley, [on Sunday] and he has asked me to discuss the issue with him and then take a decision. If I am not satisfied with the outcome of our meeting, I will surely leave Delhi.”Though international commitments have kept Sehwag away from much of Delhi’s recent campaigns, he said there was too much manipulation in the Ranji Trophy selection. “It has often happened that four selectors get together and vote for ‘their’ players, leaving the chairman of the committee and me defeated,” he is quoted as saying. “Especially, when I am on national duty, they put pressure on the stand-in captains and the interference becomes more rampant.”He was even less satisfied with selection process for the junior teams in the state. “There is too much interference and manipulation from the sports committee in selection committees,” he said. “The sports committee has got too much power. There is more interference at the under-16 and under-19 levels than the Ranji Trophy. In a squad of 15, for instance, the sports committee tries to influence the selectors and slip in one or two of ‘their own’ boys.”To play for another state, Sehwag requires a No-Objection Certificate from the DDCA. Sunil Dev, the DDCA general secretary, who is authorised to issue NOCs, said he had not been contacted by Sehwag yet. “He has not talked to me and I have not signed the NOC,” Dev said. “But if he comes to me, I will give him the NOC immediately.”Anirudh Chaudhary, the Haryana Cricket Association secretary, said he had an informal word with Sehwag last year about joining the team but the batsman had said he was committed to the DDCA. “Now I hear he has some issues with them,” Chaudhary told . “It’s completely DDCA’s internal matter but in case he wants to move to Haryana, we would gladly welcome him. “We have a talented bunch of young cricketers and Sehwag could be the perfect mentor for them.”One of the selection-related controversies involving the DDCA was in 2006, when the entire selection committee was sacked midway through the season for picking Navdeep Tomar as the 16th man for a couple of Ranji matches. Tomar was not in the list of 21 players from which the side was to be chosen, and the selectors allegedly named him after being threatened by his supporters.

A round-up from the latest Twenty20 Cup matches

Cricinfo staff28-May-2009North DivisionChris Rogers and Greg Smith produced a hard-hitting opening stand of 84 to build on a career-best bowling performance from Tom Lungley, as Derbyshire powered to the top of the North Division with an eight-wicket victory over Leicestershire at Grace Road. Leicestershire owed their meagre total of 127 for 9 to their teenage talent James Taylor, who top-scored with 40 from 39 balls, but he was comprehensively trumped by Lungley, who returned the impressive figures of 5 for 27 in four overs. Rogers then burst out of the traps in the run-chase, belting eight fours and three sixes in a 36-ball 58, and was ably supported by Smith, who was there at the end with an unbeaten 47 from 53. The match was so one-sided that Stuart Law was unable to get to the crease and give his controversial new Mongoose bat another airing.Following his latest fitness snub from the selectors, Samit Patel did his utmost to remind England of his enduring qualities with bat and ball, while another England outcast, Chris Read, chimed in with 58 not out from 47 balls, but their efforts were not enough to rescue Nottinghamshire following a spectacular top-order implosion against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Chasing 152 following a solid Lancashire performance in which no-one managed more than Faff du Plessis’ 31 from 21 balls, Nottinghamshire capitulated to Tom Smith, who removed Ali Brown with his first ball and Graeme Swann with his fifth, and Glen Chapple. At 19 for 5, the game was as good as over, except no-one told Patel and Read. The pair resuscitated the innings with a sixth-wicket stand of 43, and Read went on to add a further 66 unbeaten runs for the eight wicket with Ryan Sidebottom. But in the end they couldn’t make up that early lost ground.South DivisionRavi Bopara switched effortlessly back to Twenty20 mode with 45 from 31 balls, while his opponent in Friday’s tournament curtain-raiser against Holland, Ryan ten Doeschate, made 28 from 24, as Essex outmuscled Sussex under the floodlights at Hove. Batting first, Essex posted a gettable 148, a total that might have been even more but for a careless five run-outs – including Bopara just as he was reaching top gear, and his England team-mate James Foster first-ball. In reply, Sussex suffered a set-back when Luke Wright fell to David Masters for a second-ball duck, but it was his namesake Chris Wright who did most of the damage with 4 for 24. Graham Napier wrapped up the match with five balls remaining with his third wicket.

Midlands/Wales/West Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Somerset 2 2 00 0 4 +0.164 303/39.4 299/40.0 Worcestershire 1 1 0 00 2 +1.150 145/20.0 122/20.0Glamorgan 2 1 1 0 02 +0.950 278/40.0 240/40.0 Northamptonshire 1 1 0 0 0 2+0.850 176/20.0 159/20.0 Warwickshire 20 2 0 0 0 -0.577346/40.0 366/39.4 Gloucestershire 2 02 0 0 0 -1.550 249/40.0311/40.0

North Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Derbyshire 2 20 0 0 4 +1.720 304/39.0243/40.0 Lancashire 2 2 00 0 4 +1.143 258/35.3 245/40.0 Yorkshire 2 1 1 00 2 -0.807 254/39.5 255/35.3Durham 2 1 1 0 02 -1.375 283/40.0 338/40.0 Leicestershire 2 0 2 0 0 0-0.284 275/40.0 278/38.5 Nottinghamshire 20 2 0 0 0 -0.375303/40.0 318/40.0

South Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Surrey 32 1 0 0 4 +0.617474/60.0 437/60.0 Kent 2 10 0 1 3 +3.100 191/20.0129/20.0 Essex 2 1 00 1 3 +0.850 148/20.0 131/20.0 Hampshire 2 1 1 00 2 +0.767 261/36.1 258/40.0Sussex 3 1 2 0 02 -0.510 448/60.0 448/56.1 Middlesex 2 0 2 0 0 0-2.975 258/40.0 377/40.0