Four wickets in nine balls for Sam Curran leaves Surrey needing victory in their final game and condemns Gloucestershire to a bottom-place finish

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Aug-2017Sam Curran has given Surrey a potential route to the quarters•Getty Images

Fittingly, in a T20 Blast campaign that has seen Surrey stutter with every strut, a messy win has left them in control of their own destiny going into their final group match. Victory by two wickets over Gloucestershire, achieved with all the conviction of two dogs in a long coat applying for a mortgage, owed much to a bit of pluck as well as Gloucestershire’s own incompetence.Boy wonder Sam Curran gave Surrey the potential for a clear passage through to the last eight with one of the spells of the season, taking four wickets for no runs in the space of nine balls, which included three in his second over.Dangerman Michael Klinger was caught at mid off, before yorkers to Phil Mustard and Cameron Bancroft in successive balls, then Iain Cockbain chipping to mid on ripped the heart and soul out of Gloucestershire’s middle order.Late graft saw Gloucestershire post 130 for 9 and Surrey knew that a quick polishing off of the target would improve their net run rate, with a number of sides expect to finish on equal points when the South Group culiminates tomorrow. Aaron Finch hit the first ball of the innings for six and so the assault began.But Gloucestershire dug deep to reduce Surrey to 69 for 4 after 12 overs. Australian Moises Henriques, appreciating that a quick fix was out of the question, ran all bar 16 of his 45 runs before he was run out smartly by Cockbain, attempting to regain the strike. Rikki Clarke’s cool head found 13 from the 17th over against David Payne, which included a flicked six over midwicket, leaving 20 needed from the final 18 balls.Naturally, Surrey had a few more duff ups left. Clarke ran himself out on the second ball of the 18th over and then Sam Curran was bowled four balls later, attempting to ramp over the keeper. With the equation now 15 off 12, David Payne conceded seven from the first three balls, removed Stuart Meaker and then overstepped with the very next delivery. The free hit brought just two, the extra ball one and so three were needed off the final over. A couple of leg byes and a clip of Gareth Batty’s toes saw the hosts home, finally, with four balls to spare.South London nights have been good to Surrey and they owe it to the atmosphere they have cultivated at the Oval to be a serious player in T20 cricket.They have seen an increase of between five and 10% on last year’s ticket sales for the T20 Blast. Three games at the Oval have been sell-outs, while their match against Glamorgan last week was as good as. Across both their Sunday fixtures – the trickiest day to sell, with a very different clientelle more in tune with Fraggle Rock than the Fratellis – they welcomed more than 30,000 through their gates.They used this final home match of the group stage to try out a new Family Area up on the OCS balcony. Families are usually situated in the Peter May Stand, but feedback to the club has highlighted that rowdiness often spills over causing those with families a degree of discomfort. Surrey have been accused in the past for allowing raucousness in the stands to go too far, so this is very much a step in the right direction.But as much as T20 cricket is about drawing in crowds, and few do it better than Surrey, the club need something tangible on the field beyond the catwalk of big names that drop in and out as per their schedule. Victory over Kent on Friday will secure passage to the quarter-finals.Defeat in this manner sums up a Gloucestershire season that will see them claim bottom-place with a day still to go in the South Group. For a side so well-equipped at white ball cricket on paper, and with results in previous seasons to prove it, it marks the end of a sorry season in all three formats.Throughout this period, Michael Klinger has been their stand-out leader when it comes to runs, but his 281 this season represents his lowest return in English domestic T20 cricket, with 0, 9, 0 and today’s 11 making up his last four knocks. Unfortunately for the county, no one was able to pick up his slack: he finishes as Gloucestershire’s leading run scorer and the only player to make a score over 60 (101 in defeat to Hampshire).Benny Howell excelled once more. Possibly one of the most underrated bowler all-rounders in the country, his T20 season ended with a 2 for 18 from four overs that helped invoke panic in Surrey’s ranks. His 16 wickets this year have been achieved with an economy rate of less than six. None of the top 19 wicket-takers in the country match his frugality.

Erik ten Hag was critical of his Manchester United team after they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.

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• United crumble in 3-0 loss to Bournemouth
• Martial, McTominay and Fernandes all disappoint
• Ten Hag and team facing more criticism

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United fell behind just five minutes into the game as Dominic Solanke opened the scoring for the visitors, who went on to add two more goals in the second half. The disastrous displays of the likes of Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw will see Ten Hag and his team face further criticism amid a disappointing season so far.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United looked to be on the way up after their 2-1 win against Chelsea lifted them to within three points of reigning champions and treble winners Manchester City. However, the latest embarrassment shows just how far behind their rivals the Red Devils appear to be, having lost seven of the 16 Premier League games they have played this season.

• WHAT TEN HAG SAID ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE

  Asked for his feelings on his team's performance, Ten Hag told reporters that the game did not go according to plan, saying: "Of course, annoyed, disappointed, definitely. I expected something different, I hoped before the game you can build on the performance and result from Chelsea, so it's very disappointing. The way we started the game and then I think a long time we did everything to get back in the game, we get one shot, almost a penalty, then in the build-up we make a mistake and we are not good enough in the rest of defence and that is disappointing. You're following facts, we put a lot of effort in to turn the game, but then the brilliance, the movement in the box were not there to get the equaliser. After the 2-0, we broke down so we have to do things better."

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• A NEW LOW FOR UNITED?

  When the manager was asked if this is the lowest point in his reign at the club, he said: "I think as I say, the way we started is no good, that is poor. It's first five minutes of the game and especially against an opponent like today, very good transition team, you give them perfect circumstances. It shouldn't happen but we did everything to turn in the game, we had a lot of attacks, we didn't come to a point to turn the game although we had opportunities."

Sunderland can expect to have all four of Danny Batth, Dan Ballard, Jewiosn Bennette, and Niall Huggins fit and ready to play again, potentially in time for this weekend's preseason friendlies, according to reports.

What is the update on Sunderland's injury list?

With the new Championship season just on the horizon and the chance to once again make it back to the Premier League, the Black Cats have been given some good news on the injury front.

According to the Sunderland Echo central defenders Batth and Ballard are both back to full fitness and joined in with their teammates in full preseason training this week, and it is expected that they will therefore feature in Saturday's two games.

It's the same story for youngster Bennette, and things look positive for fullback Huggins after he returned to the side during the play-off campaign and has since continued his recovery.

The renewed availability of all four gives manager Tony Mowbray some much-needed depth going into another long and gruelling campaign in England's second tier.

It's also good news for Elliot Embleton as he is now running again, and despite the fact he won't be fit in time for this weekend, he should be back to full health again by the time the side jet off to the States for their pre-season tour.

Finally, Jenson Seelt will miss both this weekend and the tour of America but is expected to play a part in the team's opening fixtures of the season as his minor ankle problem continuously improves.

Who is likely to miss the start of Sunderland's Championship campaign?

Aji Alese and Corry Evans are set to miss the Black Cats' opening games of the season. Alese is still suffering from a thigh issue that saw him miss two months of last season and has undergone surgery after the side's play-off defeat to Luton Town.

On the other hand, Evans is still recovering from the ACL injury he sustained against Middlesbrough earlier this year; it's hoped that he might be able to make a return to the side around Christmas if his recovery goes well.

Who are Sunderland's first three opponents in the Championship next season?

It was almost an unbelievable season for Sunderland last year, almost going straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking since winning promotion from League One the year before.

Mowbray and Co will look to go one better next season, but their first few fixtures certainly look challenging.

The Black Cats kick off their new campaign with a home fixture against the recently promoted Ipswich Town, who were exceptional in the third tier last year, scoring 101 goals and only conceding 35.

Following that, it's a potentially difficult away trip to Preston North End, who finished comfortably midtable last season, despite enduring some dismal form towards the backend of their campaign.

The Wearsiders finish their opening three games back at home, hosting Rotherham United, and considering their opponents finished all the way down in 19th last season, Mowbray's men should be winning that with ease.

However, Sunderland end their season, be that with a promotion or another missed opportunity, the fitness of their stars will be paramount, and with the players they have returning, they'll always have a chance.

The Bangladesh coach wants to build on the team’s impressive performances since the 2015 World Cup and maintains his focus on winning matches abroad with the South Africa tour coming up

Mohammad Isam02-Aug-2017Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that the positive results over the past season will be the base on which the team will look to build their progress in the upcoming international season. The steady rise since the 2015 World Cup which culminated in the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final appearance was the starting point for the upcoming season in which Bangladesh are going to face varied challenges over eight months, Hathurusingha said.Even as they target a series win over Australia, the coach said winning abroad remains their main challenge, particularly in South Africa where Bangladesh haven’t toured since 2008.”Success will be to win away from home and beating teams above us,” he said. “The progress for us is to maintain this success. We made it to the World Cup quarter-final and then Champions Trophy semi-final. We have started winning in the subcontinent. We have lot of areas to improve, so we are looking at consistency.”We have made some progress in Test cricket. Now we have the game plan of winning in the subcontinent. We want to win the two Tests against Australia. The challenge is to adapt to South African conditions, and then adjust the game plan. The first two weeks in South Africa before the first Test are very crucial.”Their first call of duty will be against Australia at home and notwithstanding the uncertainty that lurks over the tour scheduled for later this month, Bangladesh have steadily raised their training intensity over the last four weeks. The new batting consultant, Mark O’Neill, for instance, is now regularly seen speaking to bowlers about their basics with the bat. Courtney Walsh has already held a bowling clinic with the fast bowlers while the BCB is close to hiring a spin-bowling coach.The training camp that started in Mirpur on July 10 first focused on fitness before moving to the skills part of the game towards the end of the month. The group will move to Chittagong on Friday, where they have three training sessions before a three-day practice match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the venue for the second Test.Hathurusingha said that developing a stronger unit for the next World Cup is their main goal, and by bringing in uncapped players into the training camp, they are leaving the door open for a rookie to stand up and be counted, after being drilled with proper fitness and training methods.”We are looking at the bigger picture so we have involved 20-odd players. Our main focus is up to 2019 World Cup, at least for me,” Hathurusingha said. “All these guys have to get used to playing and training in high intensity.”By training with the national players, they can see what the challenges ahead are to break into the team. It is about expanding our pool if we need, or someone puts his hand up and says ‘pick me, I am good enough’. We don’t want anyone to take their place for granted.”

The transfer window officially opened for business last month and Tottenham Hotspur have been busy in their attempts to improve the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

They started the summer by bringing in Ange Postecoglou from Scottish giants Celtic as their new head coach and have made four first-team signings to date.

Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro have completed permanent moves to the club after their respective loan spells, and they have been joined by attacking midfielder James Maddison along with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs could still be in the market for further additions, however, and another new forward could be on the agenda after Lucas Moura departed on a free transfer.

Postecoglou could land the dream replacement for the Brazilian attacker by securing a deal to sign reported £50m transfer target, Jadon Sancho.

How many Premier League goals does Jadon Sancho have?

The England international has struck nine times in 55 Premier League appearances for Manchester United since his move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.

His tally of 12 goals and six assists across 79 outings in all competitions for the Red Devils means that he has averaged a goal contribution every 4.39 matches on average during his time at Old Trafford so far.

Whereas, Moura produced 39 goals and 27 assists in 221 competitive clashes for Spurs, which was one involvement every 3.35 games on average.

Like United's Sancho, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace is capable of being deployed on either flank or through the middle of the pitch, which made him a versatile option for Tottenham over the years.

Postecoglou could utilise the ex-Manchester City prospect on the left or right wing in north London and this makes him a valuable player to have in the squad, particularly after Moura's departure, as he is not restricted to a specific role or position.

Sancho also has the potential to offer far more in the final third than he has shown at United so far as the 23-year-old wizard's performances for Dortmund suggest that there is an exceptional talent there to be unearthed.

Scout Jacek Kulig lauded the exciting forward as a "phenomenon" during his time in Germany and it is easy to see why when you delve into his statistics.

The English magician racked up 38 goals to go along with 51 assists in 104 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, which works out as a direct involvement every 1.17 outings on average.

Sancho recorded 12 or more league assists in each of his last three seasons in black and yellow and could come in as a much-needed creative spark for Postecoglou if the Australian head coach can get him back to his best.

Ivan Perisic was Tottenham's top assister with eight in the Premier League last term and he was one of only three players with more than five assists, which suggests that the club did not have an outstanding creator to provide the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son with regular service.

The United winger, who has not been able to hit top form at Old Trafford, has the untapped potential to be that player for Spurs. Therefore, Sancho could be an exceptional signing for Postecoglou and the dream replacement for Moura this summer.

Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek has sensationally offered himself to Barcelona as potential cover for the injured Gavi.

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Dutch midfielder struggling for game timeEndured a testing spell at Old TraffordLikely to be on the move in January windowWHAT HAPPENED?

The Liga giants are exploring their options heading towards the January transfer window. The intention at Camp Nou is to bring in another midfielder that can help to bolster Xavi’s ranks while teen sensation Gavi recovers from a season-ending ACL injury.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A loan deal could be done in the winter window and, according to , Van de Beek is ready to answer the call in Catalunya. The Netherlands international midfielder has played just 21 minutes of football for United this season through two substitute appearances in Carabao Cup and Premier League competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

Van de Beek has struggled to make an impact since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2020 and desperately needs a new challenge in order to get his faltering career back on track. He has already spent time on loan at Everton amid struggles for game time in Manchester and has made Barca aware that he would jump at the chance to join their cause.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR VAN DE BEEK?

Van de Beek is, however, already being lined up for a move to Serie A giants Juventus. Talks are said to be taking place there regarding a six-month loan in Turin, but the 26-year-old could shun interest from the Bianconeri were Barcelona to decide that he could slot into their squad alongside fellow countryman and former Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong.

Megan Rapinoe has given a candid assessment of what it must be like to manage the USWNT in a new Netflix documentary on their 2023 World Cup failure.

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• Rapinoe blasts critics over USWNT
• Documentary details 2023 World Cup failure
• Legend labels role "worst job"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In Netflix's new documentary detailing the US' failure at the 2023 Women's World Cup, the attacker shared some insight on what she felt it would be like to coach the United States women's national team at a major tournament, with boss Vlatko Andonovski coming in for significant criticism.

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  WHAT RAPINOE SAID

  "I always say it's the worst job in the world because if you do your job, then you were supposed to, and if you do one hair less, then you are gonna get lambasted for it," she said.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USWNT crashed out of the 2023 World Cup in stunning fashion, exiting in the round of 16 via a penalty shootout loss to Sweden. It was the earliest exit from the biggest stage ever for the group, with Andonovski resigning after amid criticism over his tactics and personnel choice.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RAPINOE

  The USWNT legend retired after the end of the NWSL season where, heartbreakingly, she tore her Achilles in the championship game just three minutes into the match. She will be undergoing rehabilitation on the injury over the coming year, before deciding what's next.

Yuvraj Singh and wicketkeepers Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant have been omitted from India’s squad for the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-20174:20

Dasgupta: Selectors looking ahead to 2019 World Cup

Yuvraj Singh and wicketkeepers Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant have been omitted from India’s squad for the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour. The selectors also opted to rest the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja along with Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami, the team’s frontline seamers during the Test series. Seamer Shardul Thakur and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal were drafted into the 15-man squad, which also features the fit-again KL Rahul, an in-form Manish Pandey and Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the West Indies series. Rohit Sharma also returns to the squad as vice-captain after being rested for the West Indies tour.At 35, Yuvraj’s time may be running out as the selectors probably showed the first definitive signs of identifying a fresh middle-order combination in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup. Ever since his 32-ball 53 against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, Yuvraj has gone six innings without a half-century, and managed only 57 runs in his three most recent innings in the West Indies.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile Karthik, who scored an unbeaten 50 in one of the two games he played in the West Indies, finds himself out of the squad, he might not yet be out of contention for a berth in the middle order, given his form in domestic cricket too. The middle order in Sri Lanka will comprise MS Dhoni, Pandey and Kedar Jadhav. Pandey’s selection is a reward for his consistent run in India A’s victorious campaign in the recent tri-nation series involving South Africa and Afghanistan. He emerged as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 307 runs in five innings, with scores of 32*, 93*, 86*, 41* and 55.With Rahul and Rohit returning to occupy the opening slot, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane will have their task cut out. While Dhawan has a better strike-rate and scored two centuries in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, Rahane comes into the series on the back of some impressive recent limited-overs form. With 336 runs in five innings, including three fifties and a hundred, Rahane topped the run charts in the West Indies series.The bowling attack is heavy on wristspin with Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal in the ranks. The inclusions of Thakur, Axar and Chahal – each of whom has figured in the selection panel’s long list for some time now – have underscored the importance of good performances in the A tours, with nine, seven and six wickets each. Axar, who was called up as cover for Jadeja in the Pallekelle Test, will have a part to play with the bat as well, in the lower middle order.

Billy Sharp has explained why he ended up angering Wrexham fans and butting heads with Phil Parkinson at the end of a fiery FA Cup clash.

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Blades pushed all the way by Red DragonsReplay required at Bramall LaneTempers threatened to boil overWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Sheffield United striker lined up against the Red Dragons in the fourth round of the 2022-23 FA Cup. The Blades survived a serious scare at SToK Racecourse and snatched a dramatic last-gasp winner in an action-packed replay at Bramall Lane. Sharp was the man to net the decisive goal and made headlines for his antics afterwards – as he gestured towards the away support and became involved in a heated argument with Wrexham boss Parkinson.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT SHARP SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Explaining how all of that happened, Sharp has told : “People know what I’m like with fans – I take a lot, I give a lot. It’s part of the game. Without fans, football is nothing. Wrexham fans were in full noise that day and they were brilliant. They were loud, got right behind their team and it was a proper FA Cup tie over the two legs. I’m the Sheffield United captain, the FA Cup means a lot to me personally. I wanted to win. I could see how much Wrexham players, fans, everything wanted to win. I didn’t want that happening on our patch when I was responsible for my team that day. A few things happened. First leg, one of our lads got sent off, got provoked. We scored in the last minute when they thought they’d won it. There were other things in the press. The documentary, everyone wanted Wrexham to go on this run. I wanted to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup, as we eventually did, to play at Wembley, which I had never done before."

Sharp went on to say of how he came into confrontation with Parkinson, and how Wrexham’s star striker was happy to shrug off the entire incident: “I went over to my mum, my dad, wife, kids, my friends, as I normally do. I blow my kids a kiss, getting coins, having a bit of banter. I do a little crying gesture to the Wrexham fans – which I could have done a lot worse. Parky comes running over – ‘What are you saying!’ He is giving it loads because I’m having a bit of banter and his team has just got knocked out, I’m happy we’ve gone through and spoiled the underdog story. I’ve had a bit of beef with Parky before. No grudge. There was no need for him to get involved after the game. He was trying to look out for his fans. Then Paul Mullin came across, that was fine and had a bit of banter with him. [Ben] Tozer was giving it all game. Not just me, most of the players.”

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Sharp’s antics ended up earning him a cameo in the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney offering their take on proceedings, while the 37-year-old frontman has been linked with a shock move to North Wales after leaving MLS side the LA Galaxy as a free agent.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SHARP?

It remains to be seen where Sharp will next be playing his football, but a sensational switch to Wrexham is a possibility after his departure from MLS. It would be interesting to see what kind of reception he would receive in North Wales after his FA Cup antics.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of further additions to the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to Foot Mercato, the Black Cats are one of a number of teams interested in signing Manchester United winger Noam Emeran during the summer transfer window, as Tony Mowbray eyes up the left-footed wizard.

The report claims that Anderlecht, Vitesse, Strasbourg, and Coventry are also in the running to sign the 20-year-old Frenchman, who could be in line for a contract extension at Old Trafford.

It states that a loan move could be on the cards for the exciting attacker and that would take up one of the club's two Premier League loan spots for the upcoming season.

How good is Noam Emeran?

He is yet to make his senior competitive debut and that makes it difficult to say with confidence that the Red Devils youngster would be a good player for Sunderland.

However, the potential is there for him to come in as Amad Diallo 2.0 for Mowbray after the Ivorian international spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan from United as a left-footed winger.

The ex-Atalanta starlet produced 14 goals to go along with three assists in 39 Championship matches, which made him the club's top scorer in the division.

Diallo was able to make an instant impact at the Stadium of Light and made himself a key player for the head coach throughout the season, which has set the standard for Emeran to follow.

Both of them featured for United in their pre-season clash with Leeds United earlier this week and the French maestro came out on top.

The £1.5m gem replaced Diallo on the right flank at half-time and showcased his talent at the top end of the pitch. As per Sofascore, Emeran completed four dribbles, created three chances for his teammates, and ended the match with one goal to go along with one assist.

That came after the Ivorian talent produced one key pass, three dribbles, and failed to directly contribute to a goal in the opening 45 minutes of the game.

Whilst it was only a pre-season outing, the 20-year-old ace showed plenty of promise with his performance – particularly in comparison to the former Sunderland man.

Emeran also caught the eye for United's U21 side last term with five goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances, which works out as a strike every three games on average, whilst Diallo managed one every 2.79 matches.

The 5 foot 10 dynamo, who has been hailed as "athletic" by journalist Josh Bunting, displayed his creative ability during his time at U18 level with five goals and six assists over 16 league outings, which suggests that the potential is there for him to replicate Diallo's creativity alongside the goalscoring impact.

Therefore, the French prospect is a player with the scope to come in and make a significant impact on Wearside if he is able to translate his youth and pre-season form to a first-team environment, in the same way that his current teammate was able to do last season.