Rain helped Yorkshire notch their first NatWest T20 Blast win of the season by just one run against Derbyshire at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2016
ScorecardAdam Lyth continued his good form as Yorkshire sneaked to victory on DLS•Getty Images

Rain helped Yorkshire notch their first NatWest T20 Blast win of the season by just one run against Derbyshire at Headingley. Chasing a modest 154 target, Yorkshire were 67 for 3 in nine overs when light rain swept across the ground, exactly the score they required to win the game under the Duckworth Lewis Stern method.After losing their first three matches in the competition and then having two no-results, this was just the result that bottom-of-the-table Yorkshire needed and it brought some comfort to the 7,114 fans who turned out on a dreary afternoon.Put in to bat, Derbyshire were never able to bring any real momentum to their innings and they were partly held in check by offspinner, Azeem Rafiq, who has been brought back to Yorkshire on contract until the end of the season. Man-of-the-match Rafiq, who was the county’s Twenty20 captain for a spell, was playing his first game in almost exactly two seasons and he was brought back after some impressive performances with the 2nd XI.”It was a brilliant day for me but it was even more important that we got over the line,” Rafiq said. “I really enjoyed myself and it was nice to get a wicket with my fourth ball. Kane had the idea in his mind to bring me on early and he mentioned it to me before the game, so I was ready for it when I came on.”I have been playing for Yorkshire seconds for the last couple of weeks and feel in a good rhythm and I am happy where my cricket is at. I was asked by second team coach Ian Dews if I wanted a game or two and I jumped at the chance.”Rafiq struck with only his fourth delivery having come on at 18 for the loss of Neil Broom’s wicket. His second ball was smacked for four by Chesney Hughes who then sliced him high to Liam Plunkett at cover.It became 35 for 3 in Rafiq’s next over as Hamish Rutherford was caught at deep mid-off by Adam Lyth for 15 and although Rafiq was less successful in a later spell he still finished with figures of 2 for 33 from his four overs and also held on to two good catches. Left-arm spinner Karl Carver also bowled well to claim 1 for 17 from three overs but the best figures were returned by Tim Bresnan who finished with 3 for 22.Too many of Derbyshire’s batsmen got out to miscued shots that sailed into the hands of waiting fielders and although Shiv Thakor reached 30 and James Neesham and Alex Hughes made it into the 20s no one played the big innings that the Falcons were looking for.The best stand was for the fifth wicket, Thakor and Neesham adding 44 together before Neesham skied Plunkett to Gary Ballance at cover, his 23-ball innings containing three fours and a six.Yorkshire’s one-day captain, Alex Lees, dropped himself from the match in order to accommodate the in-form Lyth who blasted centuries on consecutive days in 50-over matches last week, New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson, taking over the reins.With rain threatening, Yorkshire needed to keep up with the required rate and Lyth made sure that they did, hitting Wayne Madsen just over deep mid-on for four in the first over and driving a straight six off Ben Cotton. David Willey was lbw to Madsen for 8 to make it 26 for 1 in the fourth over but Lyth went on to blast Neesham for four and six while Williamson drove Madsen sweetly for six.Having faced 16 deliveries for his 30 from 16 balls with three fours and two sixes, Lyth attempted to reverse sweep Matt Critchley but missed and was lbw.Yorkshire had two of the best batsmen in the world together with Williamson and Joe Root at the crease. But with the score at 60 Williamson was out to a cruel piece of misfortune, Root driving the ball back to Alex Hughes who brushed it into the stumps with the Kiwi just out of his crease.With their strong batting line-up, Yorkshire would have been favourites to reach their target had not rain intervened but it was still a cruel way for Derbyshire to lose the match.Before the game began Yorkshire president, John Hampshire, and both teams lined up for a minute’s silence in memory of murdered Batley and Spen MP, Jo Cox, after which the crowd burst into spontaneous applause.

Alex McLeish endured a very Jekyll and Hyde spell as manager of Glasgow Rangers, with periods of success intersected with some of the worst seasons in the Ibrox side's recent history, however, he must surely go down as one of the club’s finest-ever bosses considering the financial constraints he had to work with.

The Scot won five of the first six trophies available to him, including a stunning treble during the 2002/03 season, yet the next campaign was woeful as the Light Blues finished empty-handed while having to resort to free transfers and selling some of their best assets, notably Barry Ferguson.

Come the summer of 2004, it appeared as though Celtic would begin an era of dominance given they had just cruised to the league title months before and McLeish would have to do something very special to reclaim it.

He managed to lure Dado Prso to the club on a free transfer and signed Dundee forward Nacho Novo for just £450k. Little did he know that the Spanish dynamo would become one of his finest-ever signings with the Gers certainly hitting the jackpot with his arrival.

How did Nacho Novo perform at Rangers?

The 5 foot 7 forward enjoyed a wonderful six seasons at the Glasgow side where he won three league titles and five domestic cups.

He will certainly go down as a fan favourite and although he wasn't the most talented player on the pitch, the Spaniard had an endless determination which saw him chase down every lost cause and fight for every ball.

The forward netted the title clincher against Hibs in 2005 as Rangers sealed an unlikely league triumph, forming a ‘little and large’ partnership with Croatian giant Prso and despite the following two seasons ending trophyless, he still scored plenty.

Under Walter Smith, Novo often found himself deployed out wide, yet he didn’t complain and got on with the task at hand, earning the respect of every supporter.

Novo finished his Rangers career in 2010 and ended up scoring 71 goals in 255 appearances, even finding the back of the net against Celtic six times, enduring cult hero status as a result.

The Gers hit the jackpot on the striker, with every goal he scored costing the club just £6k, proving he was a wonderful investment.

Every team needs a player who won't just score goals, but will also show the utmost commitment. The former Gers man certainly fits the bill regarding these traits.

Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim is reportedly already eyeing an incredible move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Jassim and Neymar?

The deadline for third offers at Old Trafford has now passed, with Jassim making a final take-it-or-leave-it offer to take full control from the Glazers.

Jassim previously wanted a takeover 'done quickly' so he could help Erik ten Hag in the transfer market, and it looks as if the Qatari group are already identifying targets at Old Trafford, with Neymar potentially a huge statement signing.

Should Jassim’s offer prove to be successful, The Sun ‘understands that one of his first actions will be to make an incredible move to sign Neymar’.

They say that the forward ‘would be a marquee signing for the club to signal the new owners' intentions moving forward’, with PSG potentially open to offers due to the player’s struggles with injuries.

Setting the bar high…

Neymar is on a whopping salary of around €1bn-a-week (£950,000) in Paris, so Jassim would need to show his financial power to bring the Brazilian to Manchester. He's also a "huge fan" of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, so appears to be hitting the bar high when it comes to possible additions to the squad.

The 31-year-old has scored 293 goals and has provided 188 assists during his 493-game club career for Santos, Barcelona and PSG, while he has also netted 77 times for his country, showing the quality he could bring to England.

Mark Goldbridge wasn't thrilled after hearing Neymar could be a target for the Red Devils, though, but he could be happier if it is Jassim taking over at United instead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with The United Stand presenter hitting out at the possibility of Ratcliffe keeping the Glazers involved at Old Trafford.

Keaton Jennings’ resolute hundred completed a brilliant comeback by Durham as they engineered a four-wicket win against erstwhile leaders Warwickshire at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2016
ScorecardKeaton Jennings’ third century of the season set up Durham’s victory•PA PhotosKeaton Jennings’ resolute century steered Durham to a four-wicket victory over Warwickshire before lunch on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Edgbaston.After resuming on the last morning on 154 for 4, chasing 238, Durham eased to 238 for six thanks principally to Jennings’ steadfast 113 (228 balls, 14 fours, one six) – his third century of the season and eighth in first-class cricket.The 23-year-old’s fifth-wicket partnership of 111 in 36 overs with captain Paul Collingwood (44, 124 balls, four fours) completed a superb fightback by Durham. Both fell to spinner Jeetan Patel shortly before the end but they had taken their side to the brink of victory.Durham had been in deep trouble after two days, trailing by 123 on first innings. But they bowled themselves back into the match by dismissing Warwickshire for 114 and then, faced with a target which was far from a formality, overcame a Chris Wright-induced wobble to 87 for 4 to ultimately ease home against an attack shorn of first-innings destroyer Chris Woakes.Woakes took 9 for 36 on the second day before leaving the match to join England’s squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka. Without him, Warwickshire’s bowlers lacked the potency to avert their first championship defeat of the season.Durham, meanwhile, were left to celebrate back-to-back victories and skipper Collingwood was delighted.”At one stage we were well behind the eight-ball so to have scrapped our way out of it was very pleasing,” he said.”Woakesy’s nine-for was literally international class, it was like facing 90 miles-per-hour leg-breaks, and many teams would have crumbled under that and not been able to fight back. But we kept fighting and kept punching and to come out with a win is an incredible feeling because we haven’t had many good times at Edgbaston in recent years.”The guys showed a lot of skill and desire and to have three seamers who with only a handful of games between them and to get 20 wickets against that batting line-up is an incredible effort. James Weighell has got nine wickets in the match and deserves to be on the winning side.”Warwickshire captain Ian Bell reflected that his team had let the opponents off the hook.”We have given that one away, to be honest,” said Bell. “We were so on top after day two but I said to the guys we still then had to go out and bat well. I don’t know if we were complacent or not but we let Durham back in.”We have only ourselves to blame for that. They came out with a good attitude and bowled well and then batted well to knock the runs off but we have to look at ourselves – we let them off the hook.”We wanted to set them the highest score of the game to win. I think anything over 300 would have been hard and a lot different in terms of confidence in their dressing-room.”It was frustrating because we played some good cricket but we still haven’t really hit our straps this season and put in a big performance. In this game there was a brilliant hundred from Andy Umeed and a special nine-for from Chris Woakes but we didn’t back that up.”

On a dead Lord’s track, the Championship leaders have got themselves into a position where they almost certainly cannot lose

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's27-Jun-2016
ScorecardAlviro Petersen racked up 191•Getty Images

What ingredients there were for a high-quality encounter at Lord’s look already to be heading for a bland conclusion. That may seem melodramatic – should Middlesex collapse tomorrow, it may enter into “misguided” or “facetious” – but there were few other conclusions to draw from a day in which eight wickets fell yet only one was taken.Lancashire’s seven were shed in the pursuit of quick runs to hammer a tiring Middlesex attack further into the dust. Even Tim Murtagh’s shoulders, constantly in a slumped relaxed state, plummeted to knee height. Even Murtagh, a bowler who can make the ball talk for fun could barely muster a whimper from a pitch that does the long-form more harm than good.What should have been a compelling day’s cricket, in near-perfect conditions, asked spectators to find their own source of amusement. The evening session hosted a low sun and with it the chance for them to shed some clothing, get some colour and indulge in the sorts of conversations with opposing fans that only beer and minor heatstroke encourages.”So you see, it’s those bastards across the way – they’re the tight ones,” concluded one such tête-à-tête. It’s those across the way that Lancashire are looking to build a lead over: level on points with Yorkshire going into this match but leading Division One by virtue of number of games won.Middlesex, with their six draws from seven, sat 16 points off the Northern rivals. This fixture between first and fourth felt like it could set the tone for the next half of the season, when captains roll the dice and each session weighs heavier on the nerves.The opening exchanges were very much in Lancashire’s favour as they amassed their highest innings score of the season. Alviro Petersen was thoroughly unflustered, picking up where he left off to add 86 to an overnight 105: perhaps the only surprise was his failure to bring up his double hundred. Looking to move the game on, he was caught and bowled by Toby Roland-Jones, whose 31-over toil was made relatively worthwhile by four wickets.Flanking Petersen were the offerings from the middle order cavalry of Steven Croft, Karl Brown and Liam Livingstone. It was with Livingstone in particular that the most damage was done: 103 runs put on together at six an over – 67 coming in 11 overs after lunch, as Livingstone brought up a 54-ball half-century filled with reverse sweeps and the odd wristy thwack through the leg side. To nitpick, 500 perhaps should have come up easier than it did: a scampered single between Lancashire’s 10 and 11 that nearly resulted in a run out.But even with scoreboard pressure and a 12-over session before tea bowled by Kyle Jarvis and Neil Wagner – perhaps the best opening duo in the domestic game at present – Lancashire were unable to land a telling blow on the hosts. Even the one wicket they managed looked a tad lucky, though that is simply going by Sam Robson’s forlorn expression after he had been adjudged caught at first slip off the leg spin of Matt Parkinson. The disappointment was understandable: he had looked on the cusp of one of those Lord’s vigils he embarks upon when he basically invokes squatter’s rights.If anything, Robson’s wicket sharpened Nick Gubbins’ focus, who gave up driving for a while and worked his way to 71 at the close. He will recommence tomorrow with Stevie Eskinasi, who goes to bed on a new first class best of 43.Lancashire will be hoping that when they wake up tomorrow the pitch might too. Unfortunately this is yet another Lord’s track that needs a defibrillator rather than a roller. The new ball brings something out of it but not for long. From then on, whatever movement there is comes once the ball had passed the stumps. Steven Croft found that out the hard way as he scrabbled around to contend with the late dips and swerves. The skip in his step at the start of the final session had slowed to a trudge when stumps was called.If anything, perhaps the Lancashire bowlers might leave the match with a bit of sympathy for their Middlesex counterparts, whose charge has consistently been hampered by these sorts of pitches. Still, the Championship leaders have got themselves into a position where they almost certainly cannot lose. If they are not still bowling by this time tomorrow then they should consider that a victory.

Leicestershire Foxes have bolstered their batting ranks by snapping up big-hitting Cameron Delport for NatWest T20 Blast fixtures this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2016

Leicestershire Foxes have bolstered their batting ranks by snapping up big-hitting Cameron Delport for NatWest T20 Blast fixtures this summer.Delport, a South African-born left-hander, qualifies to play for Leicestershire as a non-overseas player. He has made 2,045 T20 runs in 88 innings at an average of 25.56 and strike rate of 135.70. Delport has also picked some useful wickets with his medium paced seamers, taking 23 at 27.56 with an economy rate of 7.65.He is well-known to Elite Performance Director Andrew McDonald following a spell at Sydney Thunder in 2015 and also played alongside Umar Akmal at Lahore Qalandars earlier this year.McDonald said: “Cameron has experience in most of the world’s top T20 competitions and his knowledge and skill will be valuable assets for us. He will give us another useful option in our batting roster and is also a good person who will contribute greatly to the changing room.”

ScorecardAlexei Kervezee’s unbeaten half-century helped Worcestershire to victory•Getty Images

Worcestershire extended their 100% start to the NatWest T20 Blast campaign, registering a third straight victory when overcoming Yorkshire by seven wickets in front of 4,000 spectators at New Road.Yorkshire’s poor form in the competition continued despite a late blitz in which Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan took 61 from the last 17 balls to raise a total of 173 for 6. Plunkett smashed 34 not out from 10 deliveries and followed that by dismissing Worcestershire’s openers but in a well-paced reply, Alexei Kervezee made 52 not out in 37 balls as the Rapids reached their target at the start of the last over.Daryl Mitchell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit the right note from the outset, and although pegged back by wickets in successive overs from Plunkett, Worcestershire were given new momentum by Joe Clarke’s 34 from 23 balls until the England Lions batsman drove Adil Rashid to long-off.When Kervezee was joined by Brett D’Oliveira in the 12th over, the total was already beyond 100 and with barely a sign of trouble, they saw their team home. With D’Oliveira 34 not out from 20 balls, the matchwinning partnership produced 66 from 7.2 overs.Until Plunkett’s fireworks at the end, Yorkshire’s batting was mostly workaday on a slow surface which enabled the seamers to pick off wickets on a regular basis. The barrel-chested Joe Leach took wickets in three consecutive overs, signing off with 3 for 33, but a straight six by Bresnan three balls from the end of his spell opened the floodgates.The next over from Ed Barnard cost 30 runs as Plunkett embarked on a sequence of 6-4-6-6-4 from five deliveries, one of which was a no-ball. Bresnan then waded into Matt Henry in the final over, striking 14 off three balls as Yorkshire completely transformed the match. From looking at a total in the region of 140, they were in a position to put little more pressure on Worcestershire’s batsmen.The top of the order had been held together by Alex Lees, Yorkshire’s one-day captain going about his business with a minimum of fuss. He never seemed to be in a hurry but with skilful placement and good timing he was able to make 46 from 36 balls.David Wiilley’s return from injury was short-lived when he chopped on a ball from Barnard in the fifth over and Rashid was quickly run out from Kervezee’s slick pick-up and return from deep midwicket. When Lees went in the 11th over, his leg stump knocked sideways in a good containing spell by Mitchell, Jack Leaning and Gary Ballance made 24 apiece and both drove the recalled Chris Russell for six until the intervention by Leach.Leaning was caught behind attempting to pull a bouncer that gripped in the pitch and Ballance was bowled middle stump. In between these wickets, Will Rhodes emulated Wiilley’s dismissal by dragging on.

Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood has slammed Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa after he gave away a penalty in the club's most recent game.

What's the latest on Wolves and Jose Sa?

The Molineux outfit had to travel away from home to take on Leicester City in a big clash towards the bottom of the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, the threat of relegation is very real for both teams, although the Foxes are in a bit more trouble, coming onto the match stuck inside the bottom three.

Perhaps with that in mind, Wolves – who came into the game five places above the relegation zone – started the game with more confidence and took an early lead thanks to a fine finish from Matheus Cunha.

However, despite dominating the early stages of the game. Julen Lopetegui's men found themselves pegged back in the 37th minute.

Jamie Vardy latched onto a good through-ball, and after his touch took him past Sa, the goalkeeper clattered into the striker.

Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot and there could be no complaints as Kelechi Iheanacho put the resulting penalty kick away to make it 1-1.

Evidently unimpressed with what he'd just witnessed, pundit Sherwood was far from kind when dropping his verdict on Sa.

Indeed, he told Sky Sports: "Vardy looks like he is hurt. He looks to be in agony.

"He was going away from the goal, l have no idea what Sa was thinking."

Could Jose Sa be dropped after this mistake?

Sherwood certainly was right about Vardy, who had to be replaced by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at half-time after being fouled by Sa.

And it seems as though he was also fair when questioning the £25k-per-week goalkeeper for rushing out of position and bringing the Englishman down.

For example, journalist Liam Keen also slammed the actions of Sa. He wrote on Twitter: "Sa makes a call to come and makes a big error, taking Vardy out. He's booked too."

What's more, according to journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, Wolves are potentially looking to sign Sunderland shot-stopper Anthony Patterson next summer.

That could mean Lopetegui has some doubts about Sa in the long term and he certainly wouldn't have done his reputation any favours with this major error in judgement.

For now, at least, he has until the rest of the season to prove his quality between the sticks as Wolves fight to avoid the drop.

Liverpool are interested in making a move for Lyon attacker Bradley Barcola during this summer's transfer window, according to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Bradley Barcola?

The 20-year-old is having an eye-catching season for Lyon, not always managing to be regular but still proving his worth as a strong squad player. He has scored five goals and registered three assists in Ligue 1 this term to date, as well as netting twice in the French Cup.

Barcola is currently contracted to Lyon until the summer of 2026, putting the French side in a strong bargaining position should clubs come in for him this summer.

The hope is that Liverpool are about to embark on a huge summer in the transfer market, with several additions needed all over the pitch in order to add the necessary quality to Jurgen Klopp's squad following a dismal campaign. It looks as though Barcola could be a key target following a new update.

Could Liverpool swoop for Lyon attacker?

Writing on Twitter on Friday morning, Romano claimed that the Reds are one of the clubs interested in snapping up the Frenchman at the end of the season:

"Many European clubs are tracking OL talented winger Bradley Barcola, born in 2002. Understand Liverpool are among teams monitoring his development with their scouts but the race is open.

"Barcola has 7 goals and 4 assist with OL first team this season."

It won't be easy for Liverpool to sign Barcola this summer given the aforementioned level of interest in him, but he could be a really shrewd addition if they manage to get a deal over the line. At 20, he will be at a stage of his career where his game is maturing and becoming more polished, and while he may not come in as a regular starter, he could be seen as a long-term prospect who can eventually become a vital part of Klopp's attack.

Called a "brilliant player" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Barcola has often taken up a right-sided role this season, but can also play on the left or in central areas, so he could even be looked at as Mohamed Salah's eventual replacement further down the line by coming in and learning from the Egyptian legend.

While attacking signings may not take precedence this summer – a number of midfielders and another centre-back are surely more important given their current options and most recent transfer activity – we think bringing in a youngster who is happy to be a squad player to begin with makes perfect sense.

ScorecardRavi Bopara top-scored with 61 for Essex•Getty Images

Charlie Shreck took season’s best figures to leave Essex struggling in humid conditions on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship game at Chelmsford. The 38-year-old pace bowler had four Essex wickets for 79 when play was curtailed early because of bad light.Shreck took the key wicket of Tom Westley straight after lunch for 57, adding Dan Lawrence caught on the boundary shortly afterwards. When he later switched to the Hayes Close End he had James Foster and Matt Quinn both caught behind in the space of 14 balls.Clint McKay grabbed three of the other five wickets to fall to take his season’s Championship tally to 26.Essex are heading towards a sub-300 first-innings total for the first time this season. The Division Two leaders looked set fair for a sizeable total when Westley and Ravi Bopara put on 76 runs for the third wicket.Bopara batted relatively cautiously for 57 overs before falling just before tea to the part-time bowling of Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove for a 61 from 168 balls. Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals as Essex limped to a solitary bonus point before the premature close.Essex had been in trouble from the start, McKay sending back Essex openers Jaik Mickleburgh and Nick Browne inside the first seven overs. Mickleburgh went in the first over, the ball coming back and dislodging his off-stump. Browne followed, lbw for 7. But Westley and Bopara steadied the ship, staying together for 31.3 overs before Westley exited to Shreck’s third ball after lunch.Westley had hit his ninth four of a 94-ball 57 straight after the break. It was a forceful innings with the majority of his boundaries coming in the arc between mid-on and mid-off, the others hit crisply through the covers. But he shouldered arms to a wide-ish delivery from Shreck, the ball hitting the back of his bat and diverting on to his stumps.Lawrence replaced him, hammering Shreck for successive boundaries square to both sides of the wicket, and driving McKay for a scrumptious off-drive, before hooking Shreck to the well-baited trap at long leg where Rob Taylor was waiting. McKay picked up his third wicket when Jesse Ryder played on for 18.Bopara’s innings was built on watchfulness, and he did not collect his second boundary, a punch through the covers, until the 90th ball faced. His demise, 78 balls after that, was a collector’s item. Cosgrove had only bowled one other over in the Championship this season, but with his third ball he had Bopara dragging on to one of his very occasional seamers.Ryan ten Doesechate found gaps in the field, hitting Taylor for two fours in a row, before he was caught at the wicket flashing at Neil Dexter for 42 from 48 balls. Wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley took two more catches to make it three in five-and-a-half overs, providing Shreck with his third and fourth wickets, pouching Foster and Quinn.With the light deteriorating, the umpires took the players off 12.2 overs early, with the last-wicket pair of David Masters and Jamie Porter facing the second new-ball.