The allrounder looks back at Sri Lanka’s memorable Test series win in England ten years ago

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Aug-2024To start, what are your memories of that 2014 series?
It was one of my best years as player and captain. It will go into the record books and history books. We can cherish those moments for the rest of our lives, because it was such competitive cricket.Let’s talk about that Lord’s Test first. You scored a hundred and Kumar Sangakkara hit the Lord’s century he’d been dreaming of…
In my first Test at Lord’s, being able to get on the honours board was such a delight for me. I was happy for Sanga as well because that was his last innings at Lord’s and he desperately wanted that hundred. Good things happen to good people.The batters had a good game but it came down to Nuwan Pradeep, the No. 11, having to bat out five balls to save that Test. What were you feeling in the dressing room watching that?
The most important job was done by Nuwan Pradeep and the lower order, because if we had lost that game, we wouldn’t have won the series. I’m very grateful for the grit the bowlers showed with the bat in that game. In the dressing room we were counting down the overs. We were probably putting a lot of pressure on the batters who ended up having to go out there.Bowlers do a lot of hard work just bowling, but sometimes end up having to do the team’s dirty laundry as well. I sometimes feel it’s pretty unfair. But they showed a lot of grit and a lot of courage against Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who were running in hard.Nuwan Pradeep was not only courageous, he also remembered we had a review up our sleeves as well [he was given out lbw off the second-to-last delivery, but reviewed straight away and was shown to have got an inside edge to the ball]. Even though he’s not the best the best in facing the ball, he was so gritty in not letting the team down. In the dressing room we absolutely didn’t want to lose that game. We were hoping, praying, keeping our fingers crossed – all those things.Related

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• The tale of two balls, one winner and a piece of history

In the second Test, you got a few wickets in the first innings to keep Sri Lanka hanging in the match. What do you remember of that?
It was a pretty hostile series for both teams. There was a lot of talking and going at each other. It was quite fun on the field. I took the ball and tried to bowl on a good length. In England, if you land the ball on the spot and get it to move, it gives you a chance to take wickets. I just did that and got four wickets.In that second innings, you had had a pretty good partnership with Mahela Jayawardene, but then he got out and a couple of wickets fell. When the No. 8 batter, Dhammika Prasad, got out first ball, you threw your bat in anger. Do you remember that moment?
Yes, I do. I had a go at Dhammika in the dressing room as well. Any batsman can get out. In the heat of the moment, I must have thrown my bat as well. It was all part of the game, because it was a very hostile series and we badly wanted to beat England.We managed to claw our way back after that. Rangana Herath played a massive part by batting so well at the other end [Mathews and Herath put on 149 for the eighth wicket, of which Herath scored 48]. He managed to hold on at one end. I was able to play my natural game. We got a fairly decent lead.When I got out, I was thinking, “Oh no, we should have got more runs.” But it worked out pretty well, because we only won that match off the penultimate ball, so looking back, the timing worked.Dhammika Prasad reduced England to 52 for 4 as they looked to chase 350 at Headingley•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesWhat I remember of that innings was you clobbering boundaries even when they had the field back to defend against that. You’ve now played over 100 Tests. Where does that 160 rate for you?
Right at the very top. It was foreign conditions, and playing that English team was a massive challenge. It was a 160 in a winning effort, which was the important thing. It wasn’t just the match, winning the series and creating history was special.You said you had a go at Dhammika Prasad, but then later that day he took four wickets and set Sri Lanka up for the win. Have you ever spoken to him about what happened for him that evening?
We’ve had that conversation quite a bit since then. Yes, it stirred him up a bit. We know that Dhammika can also bat and score some runs, so that’s what we were expecting. Anyone can get out, it’s just the way he got out at the time [ramping a short ball and holing out to deep third]…But he got very fired up coming out to bowl, and I personally say that’s the best spell I’ve seen him bowl. It was quite a flat wicket at the time. We were into the last session of the fourth day. The balls that he bowled to that top order were unplayable. We both agree that it’s one of the best spells that cricket has seen.Late in that Test, Moeen Ali was batting very well, and James Anderson seemed to have his defence in order at No. 11, when you were one wicket away. You’d toiled for wickets all day. Were you preparing yourself emotionally for a draw at any point?
It was a rollercoaster of emotions. At one point, in my mind I kind of gave up [when] Anderson and Moeen Ali batted for quite a while. But then another part of me kept telling me we were going to win. We threw all our options out. I was going to bowl someone else for that last over, but in the last moment I gave it to Shaminda Eranga. Looking back, everything worked perfectly. But at some moments I did think I’d tried everything I can… but we kept trying every single trick. Anderson and Moeen batted for more than an hour before that final over. You crammed the infield with fielders because Anderson was on strike. Do you remember where you were standing for that?
Yes, I was at leg slip and Rangana was next to me at leg gully. And it popped out to Rangana. Anderson was playing really well and he never gave up. They showed a lot of grit as well. That last-wicket pair batted for a lot of overs.Mathews rates his 160 at Headingley: “Right at the very top. It was foreign conditions, and playing that English team was a massive challenge”•Ben Radford/Getty ImagesWhen that ball popped up, did you have any doubts about what was going to happen next?
No doubt at all, because all 11 of us were expecting that to come to us. I’m sure any of us would have taken that with our whole body – it was that important. We were waiting for even a quarter of a chance – not even half. I’m a 1000% sure Rangana was never going to drop that.Shaminda had bowled extremely well to get that wicket. All the bowlers had bowled so well. They bowled their hearts out.At that stage, you had won the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup, and then this Test series in England, all in the space of a few months. What do you remember about the celebrations?
I keep saying 2014 was the best year of my career so far. The England series was the icing on the cake. The team was very confident. The way we’d played leading up gave us a huge boost coming into that series. When you keep winning, you tend to think you can beat any team in any conditions. That was our mindset. We lived up to those expectations.From the current squad touring England for three Tests, you, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne played in that series. Have you been speaking to others about 2014 ahead of the series?
Yes, absolutely. We’ve been sharing about 2014, because it gives us hopes. We can say, “Yes, we’ve done it before, and we can do it again.” Now the team is different and the team we’re playing is different, but it’s been done before. If we play to our potential in this series, we can beat them again.Shaminda Eranga breaks James Anderson’s 55-ball vigil and seals the series win for Sri Lanka at Headingley•Dave Thompson/Getty ImagesIn 2014, you had a very heavy year in terms of your workload – playing all formats and bowling as well. And then you had an extended period of injury. Do you have any regrets about that period?
I’m extremely honoured to play any game for Sri Lanka. Ten years ago I was 27 and I wanted to play every single game – not that that’s not the case now. But the amount of cricket we play now is a lot. When you age you have to manage your workload. Back then I didn’t even think of workloads. I just wanted to play for my country in any format, and try to win every single game, with the bat or the ball. Maybe that led to injuries, but I have no regrets. I got injured while playing for my country.Will we see you bowling in this series?
I’m pretty much undercooked with my bowling. Since the LPL, I haven’t been bowling that much. I have been preparing myself a bit to bowl. Even in these conditions it’s not easy to walk into the field and start bowling, and I haven’t had much bowling under my belt for a while. Let’s hope I will bowl.Some of your most memorable spells have come in England, though. There must be some good vibes for you here?
I haven’t got a lot of pace, but I land it on the spot most of the time, so that gives me an opportunity to get wickets in a place like England. Looking back, even in the 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final, I got those three wickets in the first over and helped my team to victory. And then in the 2019 ODI World Cup against West Indies, I hadn’t bowled for about eight months, but I used my experience to get the team over the line. I do have fond memories bowling in England.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has taken a fresh swipe at Mohamed Salah ahead of the team's Champions League clash with Inter at San Siro on Tuesday evening. Salah has been left out of the squad for the game in Milan following his critical comments after Saturday's draw with Leeds, and his future at the club remains in doubt. Carragher has already branded Salah a "disgrace" for his outburst and has now followed that up with a fresh post on social media.

• Salah in the spotlight amid Liverpool struggles

  Salah vented his frustrations at Liverpool after being left out of the starting XI by Arne Slot for the third straight match against Leeds last time out. The 33-year-old Egypt international, who has scored 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances, claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" at Anfield and alleged someone at the club wants him out. Salah also claimed his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down. His comments shocked the football world and drew a critical response from Carragher who dubbed Salah a "disgrace" and claimed his comments were designed to "cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position." Slot has responded by admitting he has "no clue" if Salah will play for the club again and subsequently left him out of the squad travelling to Italy for their Champions League match.

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• Carragher takes fresh swipe at Salah

  Salah has posted an image on social media on Tuesday of himself training alone in the gym at Liverpool while his team-mates are in Milan preparing for their Champions League match without their talisman. Carragher has reacted to the post by responding: "I'm not sure I've wanted Liverpool to win a game more than tonight for a long time! Come you mighty reds."

• Will Salah play for Liverpool again?

  While Salah will play no part against Inter, it's still not clear if he will feature for the Reds again. Slot's side are in Premier League action on Sunday against Brighton, a fixture which will be Salah's last before he is due to link up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool boss has been asked if Salah will feature against the Seagulls but was coy in his response. He told : "We are here for the Inter game. And I think you can understand that the last two days were already a lot. A lot of things going on, after conceding in the last minute against Leeds. Not for the first time this season. Then what happened afterwards. So I think you can understand that my full focus is now on Inter Milan, and we will see what the future is."

  Slot was quizzed further on the saga with Salah and added only: "No, far from ideal. Not good for anyone. First of all, not for the club, not for the team, not for him as well. So, far from ideal, but, yeah, we reacted in the way we did not to take him here. And that tells you what we felt about his comments."

  The drama has brought a fresh wave of speculation about Salah's future, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal reportedly willing to sign the forward in the January transfer window if he does decide to move on from Liverpool.

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  Liverpool face tough task in Italy

  Liverpool must now focus on their clash with Inter and what promises to be tough match against the Serie A giants. The Nerazzurri, who reached last season's Champions League final, head into the game with four wins from their opening five matches in the competition and are also currently sitting in third place in the Serie A table. The Reds were humbled 4-1 last time out in the competition at home to PSV and know another poor result will pile more pressure on Slot during what's fast become a nightmare second season at Anfield for the Dutchman.

The winger was dazzling down the flank for the Blues, but Enzo Maresca's side failed to build on their good recent form at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea struggled to break Nottingham Forest down throughout a tight encounter on Sunday in which the Blues dominated most of the territory but could not take all three points as they were held to a 1-1 draw.

The home side's best opportunity of the first half came just before the interval, as a ball into the box from Noni Madueke was met by Cole Palmer. Multiple Forest players attempted to block, and Nicolas Jackson swung his boot at the loose ball, but it was somehow cleared off the line.

Forest had the lead four minutes after the restart, however, as a long free-kick from James Ward-Prowse was knocked down by Nikola Milenkovic, and Chris Wood slid in to finish under Robert Sanchez. The lead didn't last, though, as Chelsea were level on 56 minutes, with Madueke finishing after cutting in from the right flank.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Forest were reduced to 10 men, as Ward-Prowse was shown a second yellow card after losing his footing and grabbing the ball with his hands. And late on, both sides were indebted to their goalkeepers, as Matz Sels made three brilliant late saves, two from Palmer and one from Christopher Nkunku, while Sanchez expertly kept out Neco Williams and Jota Silva, as the game ended all square.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Robert Sanchez (7/10):

Caught in no-man's land for Wood's goal. Didn't have a great deal to do otherwise until he made two brilliant late saves to earn Chelsea a point.

Malo Gusto (5/10):

Pushed forward whenever he could. Outjumped by Milenkovic as he nodded down for Wood to score and seemed to struggle at right-back.

Wesley Fofana (7/10):

Brilliant block to deny Yates. Incredibly strong in the air, especially against such a physical side. Booked in injury-time and will miss the upcoming clash with Liverpool.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

So careful with the ball, which helps Chelsea build from the back. Strong against Forest's pace and power.

Marc Cucurella (5/10):

Adventurous in possession. Not as strong defensively as Forest appeared to target his side. Booked late on and is also suspended for the game against the Reds.

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Moises Caicedo (5/10):

Poor challenge on Gibbs-White punished with a yellow card. Failed to track Wood's run despite marking the striker for Forest's goal. Still doesn't seem to be up to speed in this team.

Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

All over the pitch, winning duels, and keeping the Blues ticking. A captain's performance. Subbed for Joao Felix with 10 minutes left.

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Noni Madueke (8/10):

Fired just wide after an excellent run in the first half but scored in the second after dropping his shoulder and shooting from the edge of the box. Subbed late on after an electric display, for which he deserved his goal.

Cole Palmer (7/10):

Wonderful link-up play with his fellow attackers, particularly Madueke, and set up his goal with a sideways pass. Forest resorted to kicking him. Forced multiple excellent saves from Sels, including a superb double-stop in injury-time.

Nicolas Jackson (5/10):

Saw a poked effort somehow cleared off the line. Frustrated by Forest's backline as he didn't have a clear-cut chance thereafter. Replaced by Nkunku.

Jadon Sancho (6/10):

A consistent outlet. Kept trying to go beyond his defender but faded as the game went on. Clearly needs to improve his fitness to ensure he can contribute for 90 minutes, but that will come.

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Christopher Nkunku (6/10):

On as Chelsea chased it against 10 men. Sels denied him in injury-time.

Joao Felix (5/10):

Replaced Fernandez. Headed just wide in injury time from Neto's cross.

Mykhailo Mudryk (6/10):

On for Sancho. Barely touched the ball.

Pedro Neto (6/10):

Replaced Madueke. Brilliant cross should have set up a winner for Felix. Booked for a rash tackle.

Tosin Adarabioyo (N/A):

On in injury-time. Slotted into the backline as the clock ticked down.

Enzo Maresca (6/10):

A weirdly flat performance from Chelsea here was not helped by his tactical indecision. The refusal to make any changes before Forest's red card was odd, and didn't pay off, as his substitutions only limited his side's fluency.

Aston Villa have now reportedly formalised their move to sign an impressive Bundesliga attacker ahead of rival interest from Barcelona in 2026.

What Aston Villa need in January

Whilst Thursday’s 2-1 defeat against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League provided them with another setback, things have been looking up for Aston Villa following a disastrous start.

Having failed to win any of their first six games in all competitions, they’re now on a run of just one defeat in six which came last time out in unexpected fashion. Following a disruptive summer surrounded by the future of key men and PSR issues, Unai Emery almost has his side back to their very best at long last.

Alas, there’s still work to be done. If those in the Midlands can negotiate a way past their PSR problems, then the January transfer window represents the perfect time to make up for a frustrating summer.

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Emery was forced to miss out on a number of targets and is now dealing without the squad depth that he needs to compete on all fronts, especially in his frontline.

Just like last season, that could be solved by a number of potential loan deals – one of them being for Endrick. The Real Madrid wonderkid is reportedly set to leave the Bernabeu on loan in January and Villa are among the clubs interested in his signature.

Emery benefitted from the arrival of out-of-favour stars Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford last season and may now get a repeat one year later courtesy of Real Madrid.

The teenage star may not be the only player on his way, either. Reports are now suggesting that Villa have formalised their move to sign a Barcelona target.

Aston Villa formalise Asllani move

According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa have now formalised their move to sign Fisnik Asllani from Hoffenheim. The 23-year-old forward has enjoyed an impressive season in the Bundesliga so far, attracting interest from Villa and even Barcelona as a result. Sparking an interesting race, Emery should be keen to get his man.

Since being described as a “superb complete forward” by scout Jacek Kulig last month, Asllani has taken his total to five goals in eight games in all competitions – four more than the struggling Ollie Watkins.

If Aston Villa want to secure the future of their frontline, then Asllani is their man. Beating Barcelona to his signature would also represent quite the move from a side entering 2026 off the back of a frustrating summer transfer window.

In a repeat of last season, the January arrival of an attacking star could turn Villa’s campaign around.

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da brdice： Dos atletas que estiveram em campo por mais de 45 minutos, apenas Vinicius Silvestre não recebeu folga. O goleiro, fundamental para a igualdade no placar no Paraná, trabalhou no campo e na sala de musculação.

Com o elenco repleto de Crias da Academia, o treinador Paulo Victor Gomes, do Sub-20, comandou as atividades no gramado. No início, foram feitos diversos ensaios, como triangulações e compactação de espaço. Na sequência, um treino em campo reduzido foi proposto, ao mesmo tempo que parte do grupo fazia trabalhos físicos.

O Palmeiras entra em campo na próxima quinta-feira (9), às 21h30 (de Brasília), contra o Ceará, pela última partida da temporada.

Despite some negative noise regarding attacking regressions, Tottenham Hotspur have made headway under Thomas Frank’s management, fifth in the Premier League and in a promising position in the Champions League group stage.

But Spurs could certainly do with a bit more fluency and impetus when on the charge, and such creases must be ironed out over the coming months to make this a season to remember.

It was always going to be difficult, selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023, and Ange Postecoglou deserves credit for establishing an attractive, entertaining playing style (when things were going his way).

But it’s true that some members of the squad aren’t quite pulling their weight. That said, Tottenham do have some top talents who have the capacity to secure the club’s place at Europe’s elite table and lead Frank toward trophy-winning success.

Mohammed Kudus being chief among them.

Kudus' start to life at Spurs

There was an air of controversy about Kudus’ summer transfer to Tottenham. After all, the Ghanaian winger had plied his trade down the road at West Ham United for the past couple of years, and the sale has left the Irons fanbase feeling hot under the collar.

But West Ham’s loss is Tottenham’s gain, with the 25-year-old having registered five assists in the Premier League this season, more than any other player.

His pace and potency have seen him add a dimension to Frank’s outfit that Tottenham simply didn’t boast last term, and in this, he is offering shades of Kane, taking on the responsibility of leading the club forward, bringing a unique flavour to the table.

Kudus is indeed emerging as Tottenham’s new principal source of attacking inspiration, but there’s actually another member of Frank’s squad who’s looking somewhat Kane-esque.

Spurs' new version of Kane

We’re not talking about one of the Tottenham forwards here. Instead, it’s Micky van de Ven whose growth into a talismanic role down N17 is leaving him in line to take Kane’s leadership berth, belatedly.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation since joining from Wolfsburg for around £43m in 2023, with injuries his biggest weakness. So strong and fast and commanding, with journalist Sonny Snelling even labelling him as “world-class”.

It was the 6 foot 4 star’s injury that derailed the Ange hype train a few years ago, sending that project into a spin. Then, last season, hamstring injuries reigned supreme over the defender’s hopes of availability. He started only 12 Premier League fixtures all season, eight of which came across Spurs’ first nine fixtures of the campaign.

While Cristian Romero is Tottenham’s captain, Van de Ven is the perfect counterpoint and every bit as impressive. It’s perhaps important to remember that, like Kane, Van de Ven is not the skipper, with the Three Lions striker behind Hugo Lloris in that regard.

Of course, Kane and Micky van de Ven are hardly similar players. They are so different across physical and tactical bases as to be diametrically opposed.

But Van de Ven offers so much more than his central defensive role demands, and in this, he shares a likeness with Kane, whose range of passing and ability to drop deep and influence make him a very unique number nine, and with 23 goals from 17 games for Bayern this season, he’s still rather good at his primary job.

Tottenham have struggled to replace Kane since selling him to Bayern, but that’s more because of the 32-year-old’s remarkable, unique qualities. When he left, the Lilywhites didn’t only lose their record goalscorer, but their shrewdest playmaker and source of inspiration across so many years.

But his pace. Such speed. It’s astonishing, in many ways, and hard to define. In the Premier League this season, furthermore, Van de Ven has completed 92% of his passes and come out on top in 63% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.38

Kyle Walker

Man City

37.31

Jackson Tchatchoua

Wolves

37.30

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.23

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.12

It tells much of the Dutchman’s athleticism that he is first, fourth, and fifth on the all-time speed rankings (beginning 2020/21), and is a further illustration of the above-and-beyond approach he brings to his centre-half role.

As per FBref, he also ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, emphasising an attacking threat that has been on full show this season, six goals from 16 matches in all competitions.

This is a top-class player, and one whose special skills will inevitably see a wave of interest in his signature before long, Europe’s heavyweights squabbling over his signature.

It is perhaps a given that Van de Ven will eventually move on. The lure of Real Madrid and Barcelona, outfits bound to have earmarked the Netherlands international among a list of loose long-term targets, may ultimately prove too much for him to ignore.

This could see him shape into the next version of Kane in more ways than one. But, whatever happens down the line, Van de Ven is a unique player who Tottenham must keep a grip on for as long as they can, for he will spearhead the Frank era toward a surface only scratched when Postecoglou defied the odds and lifted the Europa League title last season, Van de Ven playing that final and thriving.

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Australia will pip India to the post – and set up a final against New Zealand – if England win the fourth Test

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2021The ten-wicket win, well inside two days, in the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad has not only given India an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-Test series, it’s given them a clear shot at qualifying for the inaugural World Test Championship final, to be played at Lord’s from June 18. The result in the third Test also means that it’s now a two-horse race to meet New Zealand in the final – Australia vs India – with England’s hopes lying in tatters.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe target for both India and England, before the series, was to top Australia’s points percentage of 69.17. England, having slipped to 64.1 after the latest reversal, cannot get there, but India can, unless England spoil their party in the final exchange.What India need to do to reach the finalAs things stand, India are actually ahead of New Zealand on points percentage. India have 71.0 (490 overall) compared to New Zealand’s 70.0 (420). In terms of the WTC final, India’s target, even before the series had started, was to earn 70 points – having come into the third Test with 30 points for a win and a loss, they needed to win the series 2-1 or 3-1.They are now at 2-1, but…What if India lose the final Test?There, that’s the only way they can’t make the WTC final, which means that though they are out of the hunt themselves, Joe Root’s boys can be killjoys for Virat Kohli’s team, and make Tim Paine and Co very happy. A 2-1 (with a draw in the final Test) or 3-1 scoreline does the job for India, while 2-2, the only other possibility, isn’t good enough for them.What about the possibility of points being docked…?Related

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As it happened – India vs England, 3rd Test, Ahmedabad, 2nd day

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A 3-1 series win will be perfect for India, and they don’t have to worry about being docked points for slow over-rates or anything else. Australia might have avoided a lot of the uncertainty had they not dropped four points because of a slow over-rate against India in the Boxing Day Test. Had that not happened, Australia would have been level with New Zealand on 70, which would then have brought the runs-per-wicket ratio into play (that is the ratio of the runs scored per wicket lost, and the runs conceded per wicket taken). Australia’s ratio is currently 1.39 while New Zealand’s is 1.28.This means Australia would have stayed ahead of New Zealand, and would have been certain of qualification. Now, they will need England to help them out, if they can.Importantly for India, the WTC rules state that even if the Ahmedabad stadium gets an unfavourable rating from the ICC – the Test got over in under two days, with spinners running amok – the team, India, will not be affected.

Any changes to the domestic schedule in the 2021 English season are likely to be limited to a handful of high-value games, after the government revealed a roadmap out of lockdown last week.While the government’s roadmap does present some challenges for a county game desperate to maximise ticket revenues, various meetings between the counties and the ECB have concluded as much will be lost as is gained by widespread fixture changes.The T20 Blast starts on June 9, nearly two weeks ahead of the government’s anticipated date for the lifting of social-distancing measures on June 21. As a result, games played in that window will have attendances limited to a maximum 50% (and probable 25% according to current regulations) of ground capacity.But while some counties hoped they might be able to swap the rounds of County Championship cricket scheduled for the weeks starting July 4 or July 11, they have now accepted this would not be practical. Several of the Championship games due to be played over that period are at ‘festival’ grounds such as Scarborough, Cheltenham and Chesterfield, with the counties involved confident of good attendances.There would also be issues with TV schedules – Sky Sports have plans to show T20 games in the period before the lifting of social-distancing measures – and ground availability, with the Ageas Bowl likely to host the World Test Championship final from June 18. Plans to play the entire group stage of the Blast in the period after social distancing has been lifted were also abandoned as impractical as there were only 29 days available in which to play the tournament. As a result, it has been decided the published fixture list will not be changed.Related

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• Cautious optimism as government points to fans' return

• Blast, RLC fixtures announced as 2021 schedule takes shape

There are a few exceptions. ESPNcricinfo understands that a handful of games which might be expected to sell heavily and disproportionately impact the finances of the host county could still be rearranged so they are played after all social-distancing measures are lifted. Among those games are the Middlesex vs Surrey fixture, scheduled for Lord’s on June 10, and Durham vs Yorkshire, scheduled to be played at Chester-le-Street on June 11.It is likely those matches will be swapped with T20 fixtures deemed less likely to attract full-house crowds currently scheduled to be played later in the tournament. Tickets for the majority of fixtures in the Blast were put on sale by counties on Monday.While Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, originally said social distancing measures would be from June 21 at the earliest, there are some hopes the government may accelerate the end of lockdown. With the number of Covid-19 cases falling steadily at present and the number of those vaccinated rising sharply, there are those around the counties hopeful full houses may return in time for the entire Blast schedule. Wales’ roadmap out of lockdown – which will affect Glamorgan’s preparations for the season – is yet to be announced.One alteration to the Championship schedule has been confirmed, with Surrey shifting their home fixture against Gloucestershire, which starts on May 27, from Guildford to The Oval in anticipation of being able to accommodate a limited number of members. Counties have begun to unveil their pre-season schedules, with fixtures starting from the end of March.

Manchester United have now received an offer for an “insane” player ahead of the January transfer window, and he’s said yes to the move…

Man Utd could offload "insane" player in January

Just when Man United were looking like they might have turned a corner, they were brought crashing back down to earth against Everton on Monday night, with the Toffees emerging as 1-0 winners, in what was David Moyes’ first-ever win as a visiting manager at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were unable to take anything from the game, despite playing against ten men for the majority of the night, with Idrissa Gueye being shown a straight red card after striking his own teammate, Michael Keane.

Having gone the five previous Premier League games undefeated, the loss serves as a reminder that the current squad is still some way off being able to compete for major honours, as pointed out by Ruben Amorim in his post-match interview.

As such, there is work to be done in the January transfer window and beyond, and Man United now have a decision to make when it comes to Joshua Zirkzee’s future, as AS Roma have submitted a loan with an option to buy offer for the striker.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Zirkzee is now edging closer to joining Roma, having ‘said yes’ to the January move, although it is currently unclear whether United are willing to sanction a departure.

The Dutchman is valued at €40m (£35m), with the Italian club willing to include an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League, but it is not specified what sort of fee they would be willing to shell out.

Man Utd should cash-in on Zirkzee this winter

The 24-year-old has flattered to deceive ever since his arrival at Old Trafford, scoring just three Premier League goals in 37 appearances, and his recent performance against Everton was less than impressive.

The Netherlands international squandered one big chance and received a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3, the joint-lowest of any player, excluding Gueye, who was dismissed after just 13 minutes.

Alongside Zirkzee: Man Utd's "waste of time" must not start again for Amorim

Ruben Amorim has a bold decision to make over the future of one Manchester United flop.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 25, 2025

Having been lauded as “insane” by scout Ben Mattinson in the past, the £105k-a-week forward could succeed elsewhere, and he may have a part to play until Benjamin Sesko returns from a knee injury.

However, Amorim should definitely move Zirkzee on in the January transfer window and bring in a new striker to rival Sesko for a starting spot, with Man United recently renewing their interest in Bayern Munich star Harry Kane.