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Aston Villa are eyeing a move for a former player, as reports link Adama Traore with a potential return to Villa Park.

Unai Emery and Monchi have teamed up in the Midlands to orchestrate a stellar transfer window so far, however, the duo could face their first summer disaster by opting to secure the services of the Spaniard well known in the area.

Is Adama Traore a free agent?

Following the expiration of his contract with Wolves, the winger is officially a free agent this summer.

As reported by Football Insider, the 27-year-old could be part of a ‘surprise move’ for the Villans, who look to obtain another attacking talent following the addition of Moussa Diaby.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Valued at €9.6m (£8.2m) by FootballTransfers, the Spaniard’s value has decreased significantly since his £18m move to Molineux in 2018, which should be a red flag for Villa’s pursuit.

How good is Adama Traore?

Described as a “beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the winger is one of the most challenging figures for defenders to come up against in one-versus-one situations on the flanks, however, his threat tends to end prematurely.

In 157 appearances for Wolves, the 5 foot 11 graduate from the infamous La Masia set-up netted just ten goals in the Premier League, highlighting his inefficiency in producing from his take-on efforts.

The Spaniard made just ten Premier League appearances for Villa during his time at Villa Park, ending a lacklustre stay with a move to Middlesbrough after just a year.

A return for the winger could be detrimental to the project that Emery is building with the club, with the player providing very little in his end product throughout the years in the top tier.

Earlier this year, pundit Jason Cundy posed the question on talkSPORT whether Traore was the “most frustrating player a manager could have”, with his poor form in registering goals and assists being a recurring theme for the explosive winger.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the Villans have obtained the services of a lacklustre player with sufficient talent, with Philippe Coutinho’s future in doubt after failing to live up to expectations at Villa Park.

The Brazilian has netted six times in the Premier League in 39 appearances for Villa, making for frustrating viewing for the side who expected to capture the once magical aura of the winger.

Emery could avoid a repeat of the disaster of the Coutinho transfer by swerving a move for Traore, who, unlike the former Liverpool ace, doesn’t have past accolades to fall back on to support his claim to form.

Throughout his career, the Spaniard’s highest-scoring season in England came in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he netted five times for Middlesbrough in the Championship.

For Villa, the ambition showed already in the window and on the field last term should be continued throughout the entirety of the summer, making a move for the dud could halt the tempo.

The club are reported to have the finances to bring in a further winger of moderate value, giving Emery and Monchi further options beyond exploring a deal to restore Traore’s stay in the Midlands.

The former captain suffered a grade one tear to his calf muscle during training

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2017Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi later this month with a calf strain. He had sustained the injury during training on Tuesday, before undergoing scans on Wednesday.SLC cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha confirmed Mathews’ unavailability.This is the latest in a long history of leg injuries for Mathews – the last 12 months having been particularly problematic. He had suffered a torn hamstring during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa in January, and did not play international cricket again until June. He had also missed a tri-series in Zimbabwe late last year due to “multiple injuries” in his legs.Given the recurrence of these injuries, Mathews’ workload has been closely managed over the last few months. In fact, he was only required to deliver a few overs per game in the ODIs against India, and did not bowl at all in the Tests. Nevertheless, he finds himself unable to play again, just as Sri Lanka attempt to put the torrid series against India behind them. Mathews had been excellent during Sri Lanka’s last Test series the UAE, in 2013-14, hitting 412 runs at an average of 103.Sri Lanka’s two-Test series against Pakistan begins on September 28 in Abu Dhabi. The second match will be a day-night Test, in Dubai.

Luis Rubiales refuted claims he 'inappropriately' touched England's players before his non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final.

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• Rubiales accused of touching England players
• Ex-RFEF president hit back at the claims
• Official has been banned for three years

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president responded to accusations by Football Association (FA) chair Debbie Hewitt that he "cupped and stroked" England star Laura Coombs' face and "seemingly forcefully kissed" Lucy Bronze. Hewitt then said that when the Spain players came up to accept their medals, Rubiales was "tactile" as he kissed their cheeks and "rubbed some on their back, tapped one on her bottom, grabbed some by their arm, lifted several off their feet, and one was hoisted twice".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hewitt's comments were submitted to FIFA as they investigated Rubiales because he kissed Spain star Hermoso, sparking outrage across the football world. The president refused to apologise or resign from his post at the RFEF, but was initially temporarily suspended by FIFA before the governing body handed down a three-year ban from football in October.

• WHAT RUBIALES SAID

  Rubiales was given the opportunity to respond to Hewitt's comments as part of FIFA's investigation and his representative labelled her account "astonishing" as he accused the FA chair of doing the same as he had been accused of.

  The response, which was published by FIFA on Wednesday, states that Rubiales felt "the need to point out that Ms. Hewitt, hugged several players even after clearly noticing that they were extending their hands to receive a handshake, which applying the same logic she used, could be understood as a forceful nonconsensual physical contact, or even when greeting the referees, it can be seen Ms. Hewitt touching all of them in their arms, while [Rubiales] limited his interaction to a plain handshake. The hypocrisy is blatant."

  It adds: "The way she presents a gentle gesture of comfort to all the rivals in the final of the [Women's World Cup], suggesting that [Rubiales] is some sort of creep is absolutely disgusting. Also, she either purposely or negligently decides to obviate some of crucial facts, first Ms. Coombs was injured during the final, had to receive stitches and was wearing a bandage in her head, reason why [Rubiales] tried to comfort her.

  "And second, Ms. Bronze not only plays in Spain, but she was also super cup champion in Spain just few months before in which celebration Mr. Rubiales obviously participated. This conduct was not denounced when on June 18, 2023, he hugged Mr. Luka Modric after the final, precisely for the same reasons he hugged Ms. Bronze."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RUBIALES?

  The 46-year-old has vowed to appeal the suspension he was hit with, though FIFA said in its ruling that the disgraced official could have been given an even more severe sanction. He could also face criminal prosecution as the incident is being investigated by a Spanish judge.

Manchester City appear to be looking at a possible summer move to sign Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news on Thiago Almada?

Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have made a start on their transfer business shortly after completing a historic treble last season.

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been confirmed as the first addition of the summer and looks set to replace Ilkay Gundogan, joining from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Kovacic could soon be joined by compatriot and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with reports suggesting that a move to Manchester is on the cards, with personal terms already agreed.

After Gvardiol, attentions could once again turn to midfield, but this time in a more advanced role. Talks have been held with the agent of Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ahead of a possible move, and another young attacking midfielder in Almada appears to be of interest to the Sky Blues.

According to Argentine reporter Bruno Gonzalez Garcia, both City and rivals Manchester United have seemingly made an approach to Atlanta for Almada. Taking to Twitter on Monday he said:

“Manchester United and Manchester City consulted Atlanta United for Thiago Almada.”

Who is Thiago Almada?

Almada is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing if required and is under contract until 2025. Sponsored by Nike and valued at a career-high €20m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine won the World Cup with his country in Qatar last year, although he only played in six minutes of action.

However, he appears to be a star of the future, as he was named as one of five rising stars to watch in the MLS in 2023 and has already made 49 senior appearances for Atlanta, scoring 15 times and registering 16 assists.

Almada has even caught the eye of Lionel Messi, who heaped praise on the 22-year-old last year, labelling him as a “very fast” and “clever” player.

“Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He's clever and isn’t afraid of anything.”

Should he complete a move to the Etihad, he would provide Guardiola with another versatile option in the final third who can pay out wide or in behind a centre-forward. Therefore, he could provide competition to the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and many more both this season and in years to come, as you’d expect he will only improve on his already impressive game.

As per FBref, Almada ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for touches, passes attempted, carries, progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showing how he could fit in perfectly with Guardiola’s fluid attacking system.

City are once again set for another busy domestic campaign, playing in four separate competitions, and should Bernardo Silva leave as has been speculated, Almada could be viewed as a possible long-term replacement for the Portugal international, however, City may need to pip their closest rivals to a deal relatively quickly, making this one to watch.

Kevin O’Brien fought through a hamstring injury and launched a fine counter-attack to give Ireland a come-from-behind win that helped them level the series

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan22-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKevin O’Brien hit eight fours and two sixes in his 60-ball knock•Associated PressKevin O’Brien fought a hamstring injury to club an unbeaten 72 that helped Ireland chase down a 221-run target with three wickets in hand in the fourth ODI against Afghanistan.O’Brien had limped off on 9, with Ireland having lost ground after a solid start. When he returned, they were reeling at 130 for 6 with Afghanistan ready to apply the choke through spin. But he responded with a half-century, built on brute force, to help Ireland draw level in the five-match series in Greater Noida.The effort followed on from his four wickets, three of them in an opening burst that broke Afghanistan’s back after they won their fourth successive toss in the series. That they were lifted to 220 was down to handy contributions from Mohammad Nabi and the lower order.Crippled by the injury, O’Brien struggled to run between the wickets, leaving him with the sole option of clearing the fence. He did that to great effect on a slow surface no less. He particularly favoured the leg-side boundary with his muscular slog sweeps.Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s best bowler of the series, bore the brunt of a few such hits in an 18-run over off the 35th to swing the momentum in Ireland’s favour. Rashid ended up suffering the worst of Kevin O’Brien’s onslaught, conceding 28 runs in the 17 balls he bowled to him.With Gary Wilson buckling down at the other end, the duo ate into the target with a 66-run seventh-wicket stand that took Ireland to the brink. Wilson picked out deep midwicket off one that skidded on from Rashid with Ireland still 25 away. It could still have been Afghanistan’s game but for Usman Ghani letting one burst through his hands at short third man to reprieve Kevin O’Brien. Unsurprisingly, Afghanistan did not get lucky after that, and Kevin O’Brien sealed the game with successive fours off Dawlat.Before the late charge, Nabi scythed through the middle order with four wickets. Paul Stirling closed the bat face early and tamely chipped a catch to mid-on off the leading edge to end a 48-run opening stand. Mohammad Shahzad’s lightning reflexes then had William Porterfield stumped after Nabi got one to turn outside off. Balbirnie lost his stumps to one that refused to sit up and McBrine played down the wrong line to one that straightened.Mohammad Nabi’s regular wickets troubled Ireland•Associated PressLike Ireland, Afghanistan lost wickets in the early exchanges. With the ball keeping low, Ireland’s bowlers reaped the benefits of sticking to accurate lines and lengths.Returning from injury, Kevin O’Brien found seam movement and made telling inroads. Off the fourth ball, he pinged the pad of Shahzad, who paid the price for playing across the line of an in-dipper. In his next over, he got one to shape the other way to Rahmat who edged behind for zero, before Usman Ghani, playing his first ODI since 2015, stepped out to a short ball and slashed it to extra cover.He was denied a fourth wicket when Wilson missed a regulation catch, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s outside edge flying to the right of him. Shahidi was yet to get off the mark, but Afghanistan hardly found respite. The presence of cracks meant it didn’t take long for the spinners to find turn. With the ball occasionally stopping on the batsman, Afghanistan could not play to their boundary-hitting strengths.Shahidi and Asghar Stanikzai had just about begun to stem the rot with a 46-run fourth-wicket stand when a sharp legbreak from Jacob Mulder sent back the former. Mulder had done a nice job of drawing the batsman into the drive and exploiting the cracks. Shahidi, playing the angle, did not account for the sharp turn from outside off and was bowled.Mulder then had Gulabdin Naib in two minds and trapped him lbw, and with Andy McBrine sending back Stanikzai and Rashid off successive deliveries in the 24th over, Afghanistan were 83 for 7.But Shafiqullah mounted a late fightback, dominating an eighth-wicket stand of 59 with Nabi. He dealt with McBrine’s hat-trick ball with a four down the ground to get off the mark, and benefitted from cuts, sweeps, pulls and drives that ensured the score moved along briskly.Nabi and Dawlat Zadran then joined hands for a ninth-wicket stand of 57 to further frustrate Ireland. Dawlat took his time, scoring 9 off his first 21 balls before breaking loose with a straight six off the left-arm spin of George Dockrell. He was handed a reprieve on 20 when Ed Joyce spilled him at long-on. He used the life to score an unbeaten 41 that pushed the score past 200, but in the end, Kevin O’Brien’s carnage proved too much.

Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, has announced his decision to retire from cricket at the end of the 2017 season

George Dobell28-Mar-2017

Chris Read has become one of Nottinghamshire’s most consistent batsmen in the latter half of his career•Getty Images

Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, has announced his decision to retire from cricket at the end of the 2017 season. Read, aged 38 and with a professional career that stretches back to the mid-90s, will take up a position as director of cricket at Uppingham School.While Read’s career started in his native Devon and included a brief stint as understudy to Jack Russell at Gloucestershire, it is his two decades at Nottinghamshire for which he will be best remembered. He was part of Championship-winning teams in 2005 and 2010 as well as helping the side to the YB40 title in 2013. He was capped by Notts in 1999 and has been club captain since 2008. The prospect of finishing with promotion will, no doubt, be ample motivation for his final season.He also represented England 52 times, including 15 Tests. Picked too early and discarded too soon – he was selected for a Lions tour before he had played a first-class game – he was memorably bowled ducking into a fine Chris Cairns slower ball at Lord’s as a 20-year-old who was still learning his trade. In mitigation, the Lord’s sidescreen was later extended, but five of Read’s first 13 Test innings were ducks.But if some recall him as that naive young player, they missed his development into an excellent keeper and a fine middle-order batsman. He has averaged 43.57 in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire since the start of the 2006 season and developed into one of the most destructive ‘finishers’ in the white-ball game. If James Foster was the best England keeper of his generation – Russell rates him as perhaps the best of all time – Read was not so far behind. And his run-scoring record suggests he could have made it as a specialist batsman.His England career was curtailed, in part, by disagreements with the coach, Duncan Fletcher. Fletcher felt Read was reluctant to go for chances wide to his right while it was also suggested he could be a little quiet on the pitch at a time when the keeper was expected to drive the team forward with vocal encouragement.In a 2009 interview with magazine, Read responded by saying: “I’m exceptionally happy with the way I kept wicket for England. I’m well aware of my technique and I feel I’m a lot more proficient in judging wicketkeeping than Duncan Fletcher is.”I like to think of myself as a thinking cricketer and I’m not sure that screaming and shouting gets you anywhere. Do you have to scream and shout to be a good cricketer? I don’t think so.”I had numerous chances to establish myself in the England team and I have to accept that I didn’t fully take them. I’m very happy with the way I kept wicket for England, but I’m very disappointed with the way I batted.”He won a brief recall towards the end of 2006, registering his only international half-century against Pakistan at Leeds, but it was his and Foster’s misfortune that their careers coincided with those of Alec Stewart and Matt Prior, among others, and an age when keepers were judged at least as much by the runs they scored as the chances they took. “I think the standard of wicketkeeping generally has gone down over the last few years,” he said in 2009. “It’s less good than when I started. When I started out there were very few poor ones and loads of good ones, people like Steve Rhodes or Keith Piper, who was awesome. Now there are some good ones around, but the emphasis is on batting.”Announcing his decision to retire, he said: “I feel very content with my career. It’s my 20th season at Trent Bridge and it’s been a wonderful experience. All good things must come to an end. After this season, it’s time for me to move on and start the next phase of my career with a fantastic opportunity at Uppingham School.”I’m going to really enjoy this last six months of my playing career. I’ve set myself high standards throughout my career and this season is no different. I’ll be putting everything into Nottinghamshire, into driving us forward and making sure that, when I do leave at the end of September, the club is in the best possible position.”

GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers for the 2023-24 season

Football transfer windows are exciting periods during the sporting calendar every year, with fans drooling at the prospect of a new signing arriving at their club and making an impact. The summer transfer window is an opportunity for clubs to restart and build something new or add to their winning juggernaut.

The Bundesliga is a hotbed of talent and each season witnesses plenty of transfers, with high-potential youngsters arriving and seasoned pros heading off the new pastures.

Reigning champions Bayern Munich are expected to strengthen their side with quality additions while the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have players with star quality attract interest from everywhere.

GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers this season so far.

Last updated:

Transfer INs and OUTs for all Bundesliga clubs

Club

2022-23 position

Bayern Munich

1st

Borussia Dortmund

2nd

RB Leipzig

3rd

Freiburg

4th

Union Berlin

5th

Wolfsburg

6th

Bayer Leverkusen

7th

Mainz 05

8th

Eintracht Frankfurt

9th

Borussia Monchengladbach

10th

Koln

11th

Werder Bremen

12th

Hoffenheim

13th

VFL Bochum

14th

Augsburg

15th

Stuttgart

16th

Darmstadt 98

2. Bundesliga winner

Heidenheim

2. Bundesliga runner-up

AdvertisementGhana Sports OnlineAugsburg transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Mergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahce€4.00mTim BreithauptGermanyKarlsruhr€2.50mPhillip TietzGermanyDarmstadt 98€2.20mMasaya OkugawaJapanArm. BielefeldFree transferSven MichelGermanyUnion Berlin€950k

Finn Dahmen

Germany

Mainz 05

Free

Patrick Pfeiffer

Germany

SV Darmstadt 98

Free

Frederik Winther DenmarkBrondbyEnd of loanTim CivejaAlbania/GermanyIngolstandtEnd of loanRaphael FrambergerGermanySandhausenEnd of loanMaurice MaloneGermany/USAWolfsbergerEnd of loanHenri KoudossouGermanyLustenauEnd of loanRicardo PepiUSA/MexicoGroningenEnd of loanFelix GotzeGermanyEssenEnd of loanLasse GuntherGermanyRegensburgEnd of loanJozo StanicCroatia/GermanyVarazdinEnd of loanDepartures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Daniel Caliguiri

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Ricardo PepiMexico/USAPSV Eindhoven€11.00m

Rafal Giekewicz

Poland

Without club

End of contract

Tobias Strobl

Germany

Retired

–

Felix GotzeGermanyRW Essen €100kKelvin YeboahItaly/GhanaGenoaEnd of loanBenjamin LeneisGermanyFSV ZwickauFree transferTim CivejaAlbania/ Germany SaarbruckenUndisclosedLasse GuntherGermanyWehen WiesbadenLoan transferHenri KoudossouGermanyADO Den HaagLoan transferDaniel KleinGermanySV SandhuesenLoan transferAndre HahnGermanyWithout Club-Julian BaumgartlingerAustriaWithout club RetiredMergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahceEnd of loanGetty ImagesBayer Leverkusen transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Granit Xhaka

Switzerland

Arsenal

€25.00m

Arthur

Brazil

America Mineiro

€7.00m

Alex Grimaldo

Spain

Benfica

Free

Gustavo Puerta

Colombia

Nuremberg

End of loan

Sadik FofanaGermany/TogoNurembergEnd of loanVictor BonifaceNigeriaUnion SG€20.00mJonas HofmannGermanyBorussia Monchengladbach€10.00mPaulinhoBrazilAtletico MGEnd of loanLennart GrillGermanyUnion BerlinEnd of loanDepartures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Moussa Diaby France/ MaliAston Villa€55.00mMitchel BakkerNetherlandsAtalanta BC€10.00m

Daley Sinkgraven

Netherlands

Without club

End of contract

Sadik FofanaGermany/ TogoNurembergLoan transfer

Karim Bellarabi

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Ayman Azhil

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Andrey Lunev

Russia

Without club

End of contract

Paulinho

Brazil

Atletico Mineiro

Free

Lennart Grill

Germany

Union Berlin

Undisclosed

Callum Hudson-Odoi

England

Chelsea

End of loan

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Bayern Munich transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Min-jae Kim

South Korea

Napoli

€50.00m

Konrad Laimer

Austria

RB Leipzig

Free

Alexander Nubel

Germany

Monaco

End of loan

Malik Tilman

USA

Rangers

End of loan

Gabriel Vidovic

Croatia

Vitesse

End of loan

Marcel Sabitzer

Austria

Manchester United

End of loan

Raphael Guerreiro

Portugal

Borussia Dortmund

Free

Bright Arrey-Mbi

Germany/ England

Hannover 96

End of loan

Departures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Lucas Hernandez

France/ Spain

PSG

€45m

Marcel Sabitzer

Austria

Borussia Dortmund

€19m

Alex Nubel

Germany

Stuttgart

Loan (€1m)

Joao Cancelo

Portugal

Manchester City

End of loan

Bright Arrey-Mbi

Germany

Hannover 96

Free

Daley Blind

Netherlands

Without Club

–

MCA and TNCA believe the rescheduling of two Group A fixtures to after the final round of matches would be unfair on the other teams, and have expressed their displeasure to the BCCI

Arun Venugopal27-Nov-2016Mumbai Cricket Association and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association have opposed BCCI’s decision to reschedule two postponed Delhi fixtures (due to pollution and smog) to after the completion of the ninth and final round of matches in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.The Group A clash between Gujarat and Bengal and the Group C fixture between Hyderabad and Tripura will now be played four days after the completion of the final round, from December 15 to 18, in Visakhapatnam and Kolkata respectively.The MCA has already lodged an official protest against the rescheduling of the Group A clash, and the TNCA is expected to follow suit on Monday. Mumbai are currently group toppers with 26 points, while Gujarat, with 21 points, are two points behind second-placed Tamil Nadu.While Tamil Nadu and Mumbai only have one and two games respectively, Gujarat have three by virtue of the rescheduling. According to , MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar had stated in his letter to the BCCI the rescheduling was unfair to the other teams.”The rescheduling of the said match after the completion of all matches gives unfair advantage to the participating teams with respect to their qualification the knockout phase,” Khanvilkar wrote. “This would be unfair for the rest of the teams who would have finished all the matches by then.”TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan said the matches in question shouldn’t be rescheduled, and that the points should be shared retrospectively. “In a league stage you cannot do this; it will be a disadvantage to the other teams. It is an act of God, and you should have only shared points,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year we lost almost four days due to rain against Gujarat; so many matches have been affected by fog, nothing was done then.”We are saying the matches should not be rescheduled and that points should be shared like in any match that is washed out. We have orally conveyed [our displeasure] to the BCCI. We will have a meeting with our president and office bearers, and then we will file an official protest tomorrow mostly.”Viswanathan said they should have waited till the fourth day before calling the games off in Delhi. “After all, only two days of play had elapsed; they could have still completed the game on the third and the fourth day,” he said. “It has happened in so many games in the past; it is not something new.”He also contended the technical committee wasn’t empowered to reschedule the games. “The BCCI press release says that the two matches were called off by the technical committee,” he said. “I would like to point out that the technical committee has no jurisdiction over it. Only the senior tournament committee has the powers to decide this.”In Group C, the top-three teams are separated by only three points. While table-topper Andhra and third-placed Haryana have two more matches remaining, Hyderabad, who trail Andhra by only two points, have an extra game against Tripura, who are in the bottom half. Andhra coach Sanath Kumar admitted Hyderabad would have the advantage of knowing what they need to do in the last match, but said there was no point worrying about it.”All we have to do is our two games we have to focus and have to do our best. If we win one of the games and take the first-innings lead in the other we are anyway through,” he said. “These things we can’t do anything about. It is not intentionally done or something like that. Definitely it is an advantage, but you can’t avoid it; you can’t do anything else.”The BCCI had also pushed back the knockout matches to accommodate the two games. The quarter-finals, initially scheduled to begin on December 17, will now be held from December 24 to 28. The semi-finals were moved from December 27 to January 3, while the final, originally set to be played from January 7, will now take place from January 12 to 16.

Warwickshire waltzed the Lord’s final by eight wickets with a whopping 19.4 overs to spare, much to the disappointment no doubt of one of the biggest crowds for the 50-over final for years

David Hopps at Lord's17-Sep-2016
ScorecardJonathan Trott was at his calm best during Warwickshire’s chase•Getty Images

Much emphasis had been placed at Lord’s during the week of the gathering crisis that besets English professional cricket on the fact that Alastair Cook is now supposedly less recognisable than the biggest names in WWE wrestling. So for the benefit of any new readers who may have accidentally alighted on this page perhaps it should be observed from the start that the Royal London final was such a mismatch that Big Show versus Mayweather felt close by comparison.In a week when English professional cricket was beset by division over its future, the game sorely needed a Royal London Cup final to reassure it that, however impassioned the debate, it was still capable of providing high-class entertainment. Instead, Warwickshire waltzed the Lord’s final by eight wickets with a whopping 19.4 overs to spare, much to the disappointment no doubt of one of the biggest crowds for the 50-over final for years.Jonathan Trott has rarely regarded himself as one of cricket’s Big Shows. His approach is far too conservative for that, his character far too reserved. But after Warwickshire had dismissed Surrey for 136 – almost ten overs unused as they lost their last eight wickets for 37 in 15.2 overs – Trott compiled an unbeaten 82 in a phlegmatic manner to put batting conditions into perspective. He averaged 72 to get Warwickshire into the final and was their mainstay once more.In the Lord’s committee rooms, with the ECB chairman Colin Graves robust enough to have donned wrestlers’ garb, metaphorically at least, they have been obsessing – as they must – about the future of T20. But out on the field, in the 50-over final, Trott was playing in a composed, old-fashioned manner that suggested that nothing had changed, that the game was the same as it ever was, that a methodical approach and sound selection could still win trophies. There had been only three lower scores in a Lord’s final. He could have blocked his way to victory.Surrey managed only two wickets. Sam Hain, unnecessarily, reverse swept Zafar Ansari to Sam Curran at what was then short fine leg – Trott had played the shot more delicately earlier in the over – and Ian Bell gloved a bouncer from Stuart Meaker to the wicketkeeper. Life is not about to become easy for Bell, not while relegation from the Championship remains a possibility as ther last week of the season looms. But Trott proceeded with equanimity, a cover drive off Sam Curran settling the match. Curran looked morose, although it is best not to feel too sorry for an 18-year-old with two Lord’s runners-up medals to his name. Trott, idiosyncratically, scratched his guard with the match won, maybe an indication that he plans to be back again next year.Surrey were also outdone by Gloucestershire in the final a year ago, but this time they suffered a more overwhelming defeat on a used Lord’s pitch that encouraged Warwickshire’s seam bowlers and also turned progressively for Jeetan Patel. It was not a pristine surface – it is mid-September at Lord’s after all and traffic has been heavy – but Surrey should have managed top-side of 220 to make it a contest.The story of the September one-day final has long been one of grim, grey skies and naggy surfaces. It was surprising for some therefore that Surrey’s captain, Gareth Batty, chose to bat after winning the toss. Batty’s hope was that a used pitch would continue to deteriorate but, with only 136 to defend, Surrey never found the purchase that Warwickshire’s bowlers had earlier in the day. It was Oliver Hannon-Dalby, in particular, who made it seam and Patel again who proclaimed himself the best spin bowler in the county game. Better, on this day certainly than the respectable Surrey duo who are heading with India to Bangladesh.Surrey’s batting disarray was a world away from the early overs, in which Jason Roy and Steven Davies gave Surrey a confident start. Davies, who is on his way to Somerset, must have yearned for a trophy-winning farewell as he drove crisply through the covers. Roy abounded with promise as he worked the leg side gaps. Rikki Clarke, who bowled only three new-ball overs, was left with figures of 3-0-24-0 which were out of sync with what followed.It took a quite wonderful catch by Laurie Evans to silence Roy. When Roy rose to his full height – relatively speaking – to pull Chris Wright through midwicket, he did so with a flourish which proclaimed I’m The Man, only for Evans to intercept with a diving, one-handed catch to his right. Davies’ careless demise against the offbreaks of Ateeq Javid was a quieter affair as Tim Ambrose stole a neat leg-side stumping. At 99 for 2, though, Batty’s decision was sound enough.Kumar Sangakkara is the pivotal figure in a Surrey middle-order that seems more suited to the rhythms of Championship cricket. That Sangakkara was so cagey, as was his fellow left-hander, Rory Burns, soon told that a run spree was out of the question. Hannon-Dalby then indicated that the situation was a whole lot worse than that.Hannon-Dalby is an unprepossessing figure, a spindly, square-on seamer, with a front-arm that has a bit part role, entering his action without acclaim. But he persistently belies his unthreatening appearance in limited-overs cricket. When he had Sangakkara caught at the wicket, it was in an excellent over when he had passed the edge of Burns’ bat more than once. A nip-backer accounted for Ben Foakes for a duck in his next over and when Ansari also fell without scoring, this time against Patel as a suspicious leading edge was well caught by the diving Evans at short extra, Surrey had lost 3 for 3 in 17 balls.Burns buckled down but the wickets kept falling. Sam Curran tried to hit a long hop from Javed from Lord’s to The Oval and was bowled as a consequence, Hannon-Dalby ran out his brother, Tom, from short third man after he sought an unlikely single and was sent back, and Burns, running out of partners, came down the pitch to Patel, missed one that turned and was bowled.Chris Woakes, a bowler of England stature these days, ensured no monkey business from the tail, demolishing the stumps of Batty and Jade Dernbach in successive overs to leave Warwickshire in a strong position at the interval. All that was left was for Trott to strap on the pads and do what he does best.

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.