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Nottingham Forest are preparing for their first campaign back in European competition since 1996, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side marking themselves out as last season’s surprise Premier League package.

Nottingham Forest now rivalling Chelsea to sign "complete" £25m midfielder

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 20, 2025

Forest were serious contenders to qualify for the Champions League for a large portion of 2024/2025, but they fell just short on a dramatic final day which eventually saw Newcastle United and Chelsea pip them to a place in the top five.

Aston Villa took the final Europa League spot in sixth, meaning Forest ultimately had to settle for a place in the Conference League, and the far less lucrative prize pool.

In any case, Forest certainly weren’t initially tipped to qualify for Europe and end their near-two-decade-long wait to compete outside English shores, so we can safely call last term an undoubted success for Nuno.

It is now the task of Evangelos Marinakis and the Forest board to build upon their excellent campaign in the transfer market, with Forest also under less PSR pressure than this time last year after earning an extra £32.4 million in Premier League prize money.

Their seventh-placed finish and place in Europe means Forest could “fall a decent way short” of the £85 million they’re permitted to lose this financial year without breaching PSR (The Athletic), meaning Nuno’s side have more wiggle room to spend on summer recruitment.

Forest could still be forced to sell star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, considering the England international has just two years remaining on his contract, and he’s shown zero indication that he’s willing to pen an extension at the City Ground (The Mail).

Gibbs-White’s potential sale, combined with both their league and European earnings, looks likely to fund Forest’s summer transfer window as they gear up for a crucial 2025/2026 campaign.

“Nottingham Forest will look to strengthen,” said ex-Premier League chief scout Mick Brown to Football Insider this week.

“Their recruitment has been excellent recently, and they’re able to bring players into an environment where they all work together for the club.”

Forest are targeting new forwards to complement Nuno’s squad and back the Portuguese with more firepower, as they look to compete on multiple fronts, with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović a serious option for them.

Nottingham Forest hold talks with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović

The Serbia international is out of contract next summer as things stand, and if the Old Lady cannot agree to extend their talisman’s deal, he could be allowed to leave for as little as £26 million.

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who also told TEAMtalk this week that Forest have contacted Vlahovic’s representatives for discussions in an effort to tempt the centre-forward with a Premier League switch.

The Tricky Trees are described as favourites to sign Vlahovic, who is very keen on a move to England. Despite interest from Serie A heavyweights AC Milan, Forest stands out as the most “concrete” option for him.

Called a “superstar” striker by members of the Italian media, Vlahovic has hit double figures in every single season since 2020/2021, across spells at both Juve and Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old, who won Serbia’s Footballer of the Year award in 2024, would be a bold statement of intent from Forest, but his reported £200,000-per-week wage demands prove a major obstacle.

Newcastle United are set to miss out on yet another striker target as Spain international Samu Aghehowa appears intent on staying at Porto. The 21-year-old, who scored 27 goals last season, is focused on helping the Dragons win the title and improving his numbers, with local media insisting he’s not tempted by 'greed' or a Premier League switch.

Spain star Aghehowa unlikely to join Newcastle this summerPorto striker not tempted by ‘greed’ amid transfer linksMagpies face another rejection in search for new strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Reports from Portuguese outlet Record claim Aghehowa is aware of Newcastle’s interest but is fully committed to Porto’s campaign. The forward’s stance comes despite Eddie Howe’s side searching for attacking reinforcements after missing out on several targets. Porto are also unwilling to sanction a sale just a year after signing him from Atletico Madrid.

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Newcastle’s striker hunt has already seen them fail to land RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who chose Manchester United instead. Interest in Aghehowa comes amid uncertainty over Alexander Isak’s future, with Liverpool having a £110m bid rejected. Porto, protected by a €100m (£87m/$117m) release clause, remain in a strong negotiating position.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Record claim Aghehowa’s focus is on winning trophies with Porto rather than chasing a big payday, O Jogo adds that a late move for the Spaniard to Newcastle is "not impossible". Even with an offer, convincing the striker to leave will be a major challenge for the Magpies.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR AGHEHOWA?

Unless Newcastle make a huge bid that changes Porto’s stance, Aghehowa looks set to remain in Portugal. Howe’s side may be forced to explore alternative targets as the transfer deadline looms. For now, Porto’s star striker remains firmly focused on silverware in the Primeira Liga.

Shanaka is no one’s idea of a world-class bowler but he makes it work against Bangladesh with his 3 for 28

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Sep-20231:51

Maharoof: Shanaka brings balance to the team when he bowls

When your last seven scores are 5, 14*, 1, 5, 0, 5 and 1, these things tend to happen. Like a man rifling frantically through all his pockets for a misplaced key, Dasun Shanaka is reaching for deliveries he doesn’t usually reach for, lunging when he doesn’t usually lunge, and mis-hitting almost every shot in an anxious 32-ball 24 that sets Sri Lanka on track for another fizzling finish.It has been almost nine months since Shanaka struck 108 not out off 88 against India in Guwahati. Since then, he has played 14 ODI innings, averaged 10.69, and struck at a truly abysmal 73.15.Such has been the extent of his batting misery, and so desperate a figure does he cut with bat in hand, you wonder if he thinks he will ever find his old self again. Whether he still believes the thing big-hitting batters such as himself are supposed to believe: that the shot that thumps him back into rhythm – like an old TV screen that comes right when you hit it hard enough – is just around the corner.Related

Samarawickrama: Taking the game a little deeper gave us momentum

Silverwood wants Shanaka, Dhananjaya 'to provide firepower'

Is Sri Lanka's tame finish in ODIs a cause for concern?

Shakib seeks batting fix after 'reality check' ahead of World Cup

But this is not your run-of-the-mill plunge into despair. There are other statistics. Under Shanaka’s leadership, Sri Lanka have now won 13 consecutive ODIs, something only the greatest ODI team of all time has ever done before. They’ve bowled out their opposition in all 13 of those matches, despite their best fast bowler – Dushmantha Chameera – having been injured for most of that run. Wanindu Hasaranga has played no part in their three Asia Cup victories so far. Promising left-armer Dilshan Madushanka has not been available in this tournament either.There are huge caveats to these numbers, of course. Of the teams playing in this year’s World Cup, Sri Lanka have defeated only Afghanistan (three times), Bangladesh (twice), and Netherlands (twice) during this stretch. None of these sides are what you would call long-standing cricketing powers. But still, Sri Lanka have won 22 matches and lost only 13 under Shanaka. In ODIs since 2016 in which he was not captain, Sri Lanka won just 28 and lost 63.A quick vibe check, as we can’t be all about numbers: it doesn’t feel as depressing to be a follower of Sri Lankan cricket since Shanaka took over the white-ball teams. Even if he himself barely looks like he can hold a bat right now.What Shanaka can do, however, is contribute with the ball. It is, by a distance, his second skill. Maybe even his third, given his fielding in the circle is routinely outstanding. On Saturday, having seen Bangladesh’s batters go after Maheesh Theekshana early, and sensing that perhaps this was a plan they had hatched, Shanaka brought himself on to bowl the fourth over and, however gentle his pace, began making the ball curve late enough through the air to trouble batters.He raised a mild lbw appeal in his first over, conceded just five runs across his next three overs, and eventually created the pressure that yielded two wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz pulled a shortish ball straight to midwicket. Mohammad Naim top-edged what in Shanaka’s world is a bouncer, which eventually settled in the gloves of the wicketkeeper. By the end of his first spell, Shanaka had given away 15 from six overs. It was, in effect, a tone-setting effort.Dasun Shanaka dismissed Bangladesh’s openers in his back-to-back overs•Associated PressBangladesh never truly recovered from these six overs, delivered by a captain who does not usually operate in the early stages of an innings but, perhaps because so much else was going wrong for him, felt he needed to find responsibilities elsewhere.Shanaka is no one’s idea of a world-class bowler. Just as Sri Lanka is no one’s idea of a world-class ODI team, at present. But together, for now, they are making it work. Kind of. In their previous win, against Afghanistan, they had kind of tumbled into like a drunk crashing into a soft haystack.And his problems will persist beyond this match. There are lots of things a captain can’t really do when they’re in this much of a personal chasm. They can’t comfortably make the kinds of tough selection calls on match day that are sometimes required. They can’t twist arms and draft players that are not on the selectors’ radar. They can’t talk tough within the team, and certainly not in public. They can’t take strong stands, which is a thing you often need to do when your board is Sri Lanka Cricket.You suspect Shanaka is not a natural arm-twister/tough talker/stand-taker anyway. But in men’s elite sport, which even in 2023 rewards the more brusque expressions of masculinity, it would be nice to have the option of being a generalissimo, even just occasionally.That ODIs have been Sri Lanka’s worst format since their batting Valar (TM Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardana etc) retired is pretty well understood. But right now, it feels like a side that is spinning like a top – beautiful in its current motion, but susceptible to collapsing with the lightest gust, a glancing touch of a finger.Shanaka is at least partly responsible for this revival. On Saturday, his batting failed again. But he took 3 for 28 from nine overs, and led Sri Lanka to another victory.

Workloads, a weak bowling attack and the golden generation’s exodus will be among his immediate worries as West Indies’ new white-ball captain

Santokie Nagulendran04-May-2022Replacing Pollard, on and off the pitch
The first task facing Pooran will be to build on the team unity created by Pollard, who galvanised the side in a series victory against England in January. But especially in T20Is, this is a largely inexperienced side that will need a captain who can continue to provide vision and clarity. Pooran excelled with the bat in his last international assignment, in India earlier this year, averaging 61.33 with a strike rate of 140.45 across three T20Is. He will hold the team to the same high standards Pollard did.Related

Nicholas Pooran: 'Just because I had one bad season, it's not going to change the player I am'

Nicholas Pooran appointed West Indies white-ball captain

Pooran will also need to decide who takes over from Pollard in the T20I squad as the designated finisher; the powerful Rovman Powell could be moved down the order to fulfil such a role. In ODIs, Pollard tended to move up the order when the innings needed impetus, so with an abundance of allrounders already in the side, rather than a finisher, he could be replaced by a specialist batter like Nkrumah Bonner, who was recalled for the ODI series against India.Pollard also had the support of senior players such as Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo during the majority of his captaincy, which Pooran will miss. Former captain Jason Holder will be vital in providing assistance, while Shai Hope will serve as vice-captain in ODIs.Managing his own workload
Days after the conclusion of the IPL, West Indies will travel to play ODI series in Netherlands and then Pakistan. Although they are now unlikely to directly qualify for the 2023 World Cup, the series are worth Super League points and Pooran will want to make an immediate impact as leader. Having seen how Pollard was treated by some sections of the media in the Caribbean, he will be fully aware of the pressure he will face if early results do not go his way.West Indies will then go on to face Bangladesh, India and New Zealand in white-ball series as part of their home summer. This unrelenting fixture list continues with the Caribbean Premier League, where Pooran will turn out for the Trinbago Knight Riders, followed soon after by the T20 World Cup in Australia, where West Indies play in the first round.With the workload of captaincy to manage apart from his batting, will Nicholas Pooran continue to keep wicket?•AFP/Getty ImagesAs well as captaining and leading the middle order through these games, Pooran will also be keeping wicket in T20Is, a fair responsibility. All signs so far suggest he excels under such responsibility – both his average and strike rate are significantly higher in the T20Is he’s captained in – though he may well relinquish the gloves for some matches in order to balance that workload.West Indies’ bowling woes
A clear problem with the side in both white-ball formats is the inability to take wickets. The struggles have seen veteran bowlers such as Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul recalled to white-ball cricket since the turn of 2021. One advantage that Pooran has is that Obed McCoy is now fit and available to play for the first time since last year’s T20 World Cup. As a strike bowler who is effective in the Powerplay, he will be a massive asset.Alzarri Joseph has built a reputation for big-name wickets in ODI cricket, but he has lacked consistency in the format. It will be up to Pooran to try and get the best out of him. Some good performances for the Gujarat Titans in this season’s IPL indicate that Joseph could also be handed a T20I debut in the coming months.Also intriguing will be whether Pooran has any influence in handing the talented Jayden Seales a white-ball debut to partner McCoy. Seales was included in white-ball squads earlier this year but not chosen for the starting XI. With squads set to be rotated in order to manage the schedule, it would be surprising if we did not see Seales play under Pooran sooner rather than later.Given the experience West Indies have lost in their middle order, Shimron Hetmyer could find a way back into the set-up•AFP/Getty ImagesMiddle-order consistency
Evin Lewis returning should aid the side’s top-order issues, but the middle is the real problem, with players such as Darren Bravo and Roston Chase consistently unable to build innings in white-ball formats. Pooran will need to improve his own batting form in ODIs, having only scored one half century in his last ten innings. While there is an abundance of lower-order allrounders who can accelerate an innings, the inability of the side to run singles and rotate strike has been a massive hindrance, particularly in 50-overs cricket where the side has lost their past two series, to Ireland and India.It will be up to Pooran to lead by example by scoring runs and guiding players by building partnerships. Pooran has improved his batting in this year’s IPL, working closely with Brian Lara at Sunrisers Hyderabad. Could we see Lara integrated into the West Indies set-up in some capacity?Missing stars
Pollard, Bravo and Gayle had a combined 271 T20I caps between them and a staggering 588 ODI caps. Losing the core of the golden generation in the space of six months has created a massive void in the side. The likes of Dominic Drakes, Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd have debuted but they have not had too many experienced heads to turn to for advice.West Indies do still have experienced players who are flourishing, just not in maroon. Sunil Narine, Russell and Shimron Hetmyer, for various reasons, are not currently playing international cricket. Pooran will be aware of how valuable they are to the side, but will he decide to start conversations with them about a path back in?

It has taken fewer than four years for Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal to go from a decent pitcher to one of the best in the history of his franchise. Example: after posting 5.1 bWAR combined over his first four seasons, he racked up 6.4 in 2024 and 6.5 in 2025 on the way to back-to-back American League Cy Young awards.

Those accomplishments are incredible, but they're cold comfort to Tigers fans beginning to fret over the potential loss of their ace. Skubal, who turned 29 Thursday, can become a free agent upon the conclusion of the 2026 season.

On Thursday, Skubal responded to trade rumors beginning to swirl around him—telling he had no desire to be traded.

“It’s not like I want to be traded, so it’s kind of like, why am I in these conversations?” Skubal said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t really impact what I do day-to-day. I try to just stay out of it and not look at it. That’s how I’ve handled it at the trade deadline in years past.”

More: Top Trade Spots for Tigers Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal

In 2024, Skubal was also the subject of rampant trade speculation. Detroit held on to the pitcher. eventually catching fire and making the playoffs.

“The way social media is it’s hard not to see things about yourself, especially when it's talking about trades and all those hypotheticals,” Skubal said. “At the end of the day, it doesn't matter.”

Temba Bavuma admits recent discussions about his place in the side have weighed heavily on him

Firdose Moonda at Newlands04-Feb-2020Temba Bavuma has acknowledged that constantly being viewed through the prism of his skin colour has weighed on him and asked for South Africa’s transformation process to be credited for its positives if it is going to be criticised for failures. Speaking for the first time since his recall to the national team last month, Bavuma said playing in the ODI team made him feel “like a kid with no burden out there” after he dominated the country’s cricket conversation even though he was absent for most of the Test series.”It has been hard,” he said. “It’s not so much the dropping part, all players get dropped, everyone goes through slumps of not scoring well. The awkwardness and uncomfortability from my side is when you are thrown into talks of transformation.”Yes, I am black, that’s my skin. But I play cricket because I love it. I’d like to think the reason I am in the team is because of performances I have put forward in my franchise side, and also for the national team, whenever I have been able to. The discomfort was there, having to navigate myself around all those types of talks. Players get dropped, I am not the last guy to get dropped. That’s something we’ve come to accept.”ALSO READ: De Kock lays down marker after Shamsi lifts SABavuma, who has been a regular in South Africa’s Test team for the last four years, was injured for the opening match against England on Boxing Day. He recovered in time for the New Year’s Test but was left out of the side on form, having only scored one century in his career, in 2016. At the time, Bavuma was told to work his way back through “weight of runs”, under the guidance of new batting consultant Jacques Kallis.”Jacques has been hands-on with most of the batters,” Bavuma said. “He has been very open to sharing his knowledge and his expertise in batting. It’s been a breath of fresh air working with him. Technically, there’s no-one who knows better than him. It’s been wonderful working with him.”At the same time, Bavuma also took the opportunity to reassess his own game. “The time away from the team has given me time to reflect and realign with my goals and to find the strength and courage to keep chugging along and keep enjoying the game,” he said.Within two weeks, he answered the call for runs with a career-best 180 in a first-class fixture for the Lions. That allowed him to force his way into XI for the Test series finale. He was also named in the one-day squad and is expected to be part of the T20 outfit. He remains the only black African batsmen in South Africa’s set-up, which is why his Test snub sparked controversy.On social media, Bavuma found himself caught in a race storm, with some arguing that he was only part of South Africa’s plans because of the existence of the transformation target (the national team is required to field six players of colour, including at least two black Africans, on average over the course of a season) and others believing he was being discriminated against because of his race. He rejected both arguments and called for a fair judgement of the ideology of transformation.Temba Bavuma fell lbw for 98•Gallo Images/Getty Images”The one thing that irks me is when you are seen through the eyes of transformation,” he said. “When you do well, transformation is not spoken about but when you do badly, transformation is thrown at the top of the agenda. I have a serious problem with that. We’ve got to be able to take the good with the bad. If transformation is bad when black African players are not doing well, then when we are doing well, let’s also recognise transformation for what it’s done.”In the Newlands ODI, for example, South Africa could field a team with seven players of colour, of which four (Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla and Lungi Ngidi) were black African, and that did not come at the expense of quality. The margin of victory, a healthy seven-wicket win, proves that a representative side and a winning side are not mutually exclusive. Bavuma called the win “massive for the team” and instrumental for himself.”It was just good to be on the field,” he said. “It’s a different format and a different kind of pressure. I felt like I was a kid with no burden out there.”But South Africa had a huge task – to pull off the highest successful chase at Newlands – and Bavuma’s 98 in a 173-run second-wicket stand with Quinton de Kock, who scored 107, took them there. But he knows one performance is not enough to keep him in the picture and is willing to work hard to stay there. “I don’t think I have nailed my spot in the side. This was just my third game and I am just happy to be on the field,” Bavuma said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after this series or next week. It’s just to enjoy the little moments I have.”

Suzie Bates picks the best performance she saw this decade

As told to Annesha Ghosh29-Dec-2019

by Suzie Bates

Grant Elliott
84 not out v South Africa, semi-final, World Cup, Auckland, 2015
When Grant Elliott hit the six off Dale Steyn to win the semi-final at Eden Park in the 2015 World Cup, that’s probably the most memorable performance I remember vividly. To hit a six off the second to last ball to take New Zealand to the final in a home World Cup was something that has stuck in my brain.I had managed to get tickets to that game – myself and my two brothers were there. There was a rain delay and I remember thinking we might go home because it was a heavy rain.Then I remember the whole crowd being on the edge of their seats; the game was just so close. The moment he hit that ball, everyone started jumping up and down.I don’t think I slept that night; it was just the adrenaline that had got the whole nation so excited, knowing we’re going to be in the final. It excites me that now, as a female cricketer, we can have this opportunity too, in the 2021 home Women’s World Cup, with live television showing the game all across the world, and [a chance to] hit that ball at the right time to get into the final. Potentially someone from the White Ferns has the opportunity to be as inspirational as Grant Elliott was.More in the decade in review, 2010-19

Parade delayed by two hours after team arrived late from Delhi and rain came down in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-20242:11

Scenes from India’s victorious homecoming

Thousands thronged Mumbai’s Marine Drive, and the Wankhede Stadium was at full capacity on Thursday evening, in anticipation of the Indian team’s open-top bus parade and felicitation for winning the T20 World Cup. The team’s arrival in Mumbai from Delhi was delayed, though, and their bus parade in South Mumbai was further delayed by the massive crowds, which caused logistical challenges. Eventually the parade got underway two hours behind schedule, but neither the chaos of the jam-packed roads nor the rain proved to be deterrents to the fans.”The open-bus parade, which was delayed by two hours, started from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point at 7.30pm and went till the Wankhede Stadium,” PTI reported. “The distance is covered usually in five minutes but it took more than an hour as the players savoured the evening.Indian fans congregated at Marine Drive hours ahead of the team’s open-top bus parade•AFP/Getty Images”The squad landed in the city a little after 5pm local time. As per the itinerary shared by officials, a two-hour open-bus parade [was scheduled] from 5pm to 7pm. However, it was learnt that the team could only leave New Delhi by 3.42pm.” Delhi to Mumbai is usually a 2-hour, 10-minute flight.The team had arrived in Delhi from Bridgetown, Barbados, at 6am, having flown in on a charter flight. They had had to stay put in the West Indies for longer than expected because of Hurricane Beryl, which had forced airports closed. After arriving in Delhi, the team was transferred to a hotel and later in the morning met India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast.

An excellent meeting with our Champions!

Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament. pic.twitter.com/roqhyQRTnn

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2024

The evening was reserved to meet and celebrate with fans, but with the thousands packing the route to the stadium, and evening showers in Mumbai adding to the logistical complications, there was a long delay before any celebrations could kick off. Eventually, the gates were closed at the Wankhede, with the stadium at capacity, and intermittent but heavy showers followed.PTI reported: “As the gates closed amid intermittent rain, extreme humidity and chaos of several thousand people arriving in the vicinity, those [who found] places inside Wankhede remained fixed to their seats even if there was scarcity of food and water.”As the fans ran in all directions … in the stands amid a heavy burst of rain, several pairs of footwear got left behind in the rush.”While the wait [went on], rain kept pelting down with breaks but it could not force the fans off their seats in the stadium.”The rain comes down on fans waiting to felicitate the Indian team at the Wankhede•AFP/Getty ImagesEventually the team arrived at the stadium around 9pm, and speeches from captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and coach Rahul Dravid followed. There was also a lap of honour.India had won their first World Cup – ODI or T20 – in 13 years when they snatched a thriller against South Africa by seven runs in Bridgetown on Saturday. Since then, Rohit, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have announced they will not play another T20I, while this World Cup was also Dravid’s last assignment with the team.

Rajiv Shukla pointed to the ground’s age and ownership structure to highlight the difficulty of redoing its outfield

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2024

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla has defended the facilities at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which have come under fire after two days of play in the second India-Bangladesh Test were abandoned, one of them despite no rain during the scheduled hours of play.”Well, criticism is one thing which we are used to in the administration of the BCCI in cricket. But everything is being criticised,” Shukla said on Monday. “When we are not giving matches to Kanpur because [of certain reasons], then also I was being criticised. Now we are giving the match and I am still being criticised why it has been given to Kanpur. So that goes on.”You know the problem is that this ground is around 80 years old. It is our heritage ground. If you remember it used to be a permanent Test centre. The original six permanent Test centres were Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kanpur. This is a permanent centre. So the whole idea was to have Test matches here. This is the first time in 80 years that it rained so much that we were not able to host the match for two days.”There was precious little rain during the hours of play on both the second and the third days which were lost. The damage was done in the hours leading up to play on both days and the drainage system seemed unable to handle the workload it was put under.Related

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Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game

Persistent drizzle in Kanpur washes out second day

Third day of Kanpur Test called off despite no rain

How Green Park made cricket disappear

Shukla, who was born in Kanpur and wields considerable influence in UP cricket, said there have been no matches abandoned at Green Park (a 2017 Duleep Trophy game, however, witnessed no play on three out of four days) and eventually conceded the need for upgrades.”The history suggests that no match has been abandoned here in Kanpur. There are many venues in the world where because of the rains, matches have been abandoned. So here if for two days the match couldn’t take place, I don’t think there should be too much hue and cry,” Shukla said. “When this ground was being built, and the stadium was being built, then those technologies were not available. Now technologies are available. Like in our Lucknow stadium, we have got that technology. And in Varanasi, we are building another stadium. There we have got high-tech, modern technology to take away the rainwater.”Here also we are planning. Today I had a discussion with administration about how we can develop this system by which the rainwater can immediately be [drained].”The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association [UPCA] uses the Green Park Stadium on the basis of an MoU they have signed with the UP government. The government owns the land but based on the MoU, the stadium and its upkeep are the responsibility of the UPCA.”The moment I came here, I had a long discussion with government officials because this stadium belongs to the government. We are in agreement with them,” Shukla said, “So, now for that, the ground has to be dug, new technology has to be applied and everything has to be done. So, immediately after coming here, I had a discussion with the authorities and they are also on the same page and I think we will be able to improve the conditions here shortly.”Sometimes it happens, though we all pray to [the rain god] Lord Indra, not to rain, but, you know, it happens. And it happens throughout the world. So, why unnecessarily Kanpur and Green Park is being blamed for something which is in nature’s hands?”

Surrey 103 for 5 (Evans 25, Stewart 2-24) beat Kent 81 for 3 (Khushi 35, Topley 2-27) by 5 runs DLSSouth Group leaders Surrey held their nerve in a tense finish to beat Kent Spitfires by five runs in a rain-shortened Vitality Blast contest at the Kia Oval.Surrey, put in and with an unfamiliar batting line-up, did well to reach 103 for 5 from 10 overs after play finally got underway two hours and 25 minutes late.And then more rain, arriving just as Kent were about to start their reply, left them needing 87 from eight overs under the Duckworth/Lewis calculations.Despite late hitting from Feroze Khushi, who made 35, and Sam Billings, who swept Reece Topley for six in a seventh over costing 20 and in which Khushi also bludgeoned a six over long on, Kent could only finish on 81 for 3.It was Surrey’s seventh win from ten games, but Kent have now lost seven of their first ten group games and look to be dropping out of contention for a top-four finish and a quarter-final place.There were several decisive moments in a fast and furious affair, the first a brilliant fourth over from leg-spinner Cameron Steel in which he conceded only four runs and also bowled the dangerous Tawanda Muyeye for 22.Muyeye hit Dan Worrall for a slashed four and a superb lofted six to long on in the second over, but Jordan Clark allowed only six runs from the third over, and then Steel’s fine over left Kent on 29 for two with half their innings gone.Khushi smashed Chris Jordan over long on for six and Billings hit the Surrey captain, returning alongside Topley from England’s T20 World Cup campaign, for four over mid off to keep Kent in the hunt.But Khushi’s dismissal from the final ball of the penultimate over, well held by Steel diving forward at long on, felt like a big momentum swing back to Surrey as it left Kent needing 17 from the last over.Jordan began with a no ball, from which a leg bye was scampered, but new batsman Tom Rogers could only dig out a yorker from the free hit opportunity and, although he cut Jordan away for four from the next ball, he and Billings (14 not out) could not find the boundary again as Jordan’s accuracy under pressure closed out the game.The other decisive moment in the match came right at the end of the Surrey innings when they were 94 for five with just one ball remaining to be bowled.Up to then, and despite two offside wides, Grant Stewart looked to be succeeding in keeping Surrey’s total below 100, but he then sent down a waist-high no ball full toss which Ben Geddes swung away high for six behind square.That brought an extra ball, from which a bye was scampered and, in all, 19 runs came from the over, which had started with Clark crunching an extra cover four before being caught at long off for seven.There were five other sixes in Surrey’s effort, the first two pulled by Laurie Evans off paceman Nathan Gilchrist and off spinner Marcus O’Riordan. Evans, coming in after Ryan Patel had departed in the first over, skying Stewart to keeper Billings after one lovely off-driven four, made a punchy 25 before he hit O’Riordan to long off.Dom Sibley muscled Matt Parkinson’s leg spin for six over long on in his 20, which ended to a catch at deep mid wicket off Joey Evison, while Jordan pulled the medium pacer for six and Rory Burns produced a remarkable swept maximum off Gilchrist.Jordan mishit Gilchrist high to mid off to go for 14 and Burns finished 11 not out as he and Geddes, who was unbeaten on seven, saw Surrey to a total that proved – just – to be defendable.Kent saw Daniel Bell-Drummond fall for a duck to the second ball of their reply, hitting Topley high to deep square leg where 19-year-old debutant Ollie Sykes held the catch.