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Chilly and unrelentingly gloomy, this was the sort of day Kevin Pietersen thought he’d left behind when his international career began a decade ago

Tim Wigmore26-Apr-2015
ScorecardRory Burns battled testing conditions to give Surrey a solid platform•Getty ImagesChilly and unrelentingly gloomy, this was the sort of day Kevin Pietersen thought he had left behind when his international career began a decade ago. A scene further removed from the razzmatazz of the IPL, to which Pietersen had said ‘no, thanks’ in an attempt to win back his England place, it was hard to imagine.Not that it was any less challenging for that. Confronting a skilful seam attack and clouds that stubbornly remained perched after Essex inserted Surrey, it was a day for Pietersen and his team-mates to display resilience in technique and temperament. Indeed, the abiding memory of Pietersen’s contribution of 32 was not of any flamingo whips to the leg side, but his leaves outside the off stump. Enticing deliveries were greeted by an exaggerated flourish of non-intent, Pietersen raising his bat above his head in a symbol of his commitment to the virtues required in first-class cricket on a day such as this.With his first runs, a steer for two through gully, Pietersen had set a noteworthy record. He brought up 1,000 first-class runs for Surrey in just his 17th innings, surpassing Mark Ramprakash and Zander de Bruyn to create a new club record. It has taken five years, mind, but it came as a reminder of the seriousness with which Pietersen has always treated playing for Surrey.But this did not prove one of his more successful days, even though he survived a chance to gully off James Porter when he had 27. Having provided the occasional hint of the destruction he wrought on this ground against Australia a decade ago, with a couple of drives lashed through the covers and an emphatic thump over mid on off Graham Napier, Pietersen fell victim to Jesse Ryder’s burst with the second new ball, trapped lbw by a ball that kept low.Jason Roy is often bandied about as Pietersen’s heir – not least by Pietersen himself – and the comparison on this occasion extended to their modes of dismissal; Roy lasted just two balls against Ryder.There is nothing demonstrative about Ryder’s bowling. Ambling in off a few paces before swinging the ball at a gentle pace, he has spent a career mixing belligerent batting with useful partnership breaking ability: 62 games in New Zealand domestic cricket have brought 55 wickets.Moving to Chelmsford has not only brought Ryder personal fulfilment; it has also moved his bowling onto unforeseen and utterly unimagined heights, from a bowler of shock to one of stock. He has often opened the bowling, using the new ball with a skill that few can rival. Here he was rewarded with quite the triumvirate of wickets: before his double strike, he had got a delivery to jag back to dismiss Kumar Sangakkara, who had coasted to an inevitable half century.While Surrey’s two marquee batting recruits made contributions that were important without being decisive, it was a locally produced player who played the most substantive innings of the day.At his best, there is a deeply reassuring quality to Rory Burns’ batting. His is a game based on eschewing risk and boring the opposition into offering width outside off stump – the cue for his square-cut through point – or to drift onto his pads. His technique and temperament underpinned Surrey’s resolve after being inserted: only one wicket, that of Zafar Ansari, fell in the opening 50 overs.The shame for Burns was that he departed to a shot completely out of kilter with the clinical accumulation that had come before it. Having witnessed Sangakkara deposit a six over long on in Monty Panesar’s previous over, Burns uncharacteristically attempted to hit Panesar aerially too, merely scything the ball straight to point.Perhaps Sangakkara was to blame. “That’s exactly what I was trying to do – replicate what he produced,” Burns admitted. “I just wanted that fielder back to give me another easy one option so I could knock it around a bit more. Obviously the execution didn’t quite work.”But his team-mates were in no mood to let Burns’ sterling work be frittered away. There are fewer finer sights in county cricket than Steven Davies in full flow and it was he who produced the most fluent batting of the day, his late-cuts and punches through the covers oozing supreme timing. After his double century at Cardiff last week, he will again have designs on three figures.

Shakib Al Hasan and Wahab Riaz have been fined 30 per cent of their match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC code of conduct during the final day’s play of the drawn first Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Khulna

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2015Shakib Al Hasan and Wahab Riaz have been fined 30 per cent of their match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC code of conduct during the final day’s play of the drawn first Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Khulna.The incident happened in the 118th over of Bangladesh’s second innings when the duo halted play by arguing and pointing fingers at each other. The players were found to have breached Article 2.1.8 (a) of the code, which relates to “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.” An ICC release stated that both admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe.”Posturing and finger pointing in each other’s face is not what we expect from two senior international players and has no place in cricket,” Crowe said. “International cricketers should always remember that they are being watched and followed by millions and, therefore, need to always control their emotions and demonstrate respect.”All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.

At a time when the paucity of spinners in England is such a concern, Monty Panesar should be pushing for an international recall. Instead, a troubled period has led him to take an indefinite break from the game

Tim Wigmore10-Jun-2015At a time when the paucity of spinners is a matter of profound concern for the England international side, Monty Panesar should be pushing for an England recall. Instead Panesar has endured a troubled start to 2015, leading him to take an indefinite break from the game and seek help from the Professional Cricketers’ Association.Panesar has only just turned 33 and is second only to Graeme Swann among England’s spin bowlers since Derek Underwood. But even his future as a county cricketer is uncertain. His contract with Essex expires at the end of the summer, and it is understood that Panesar is unlikely to be offered a new deal.Neil Burns, Panesar’s mentor and coach, had confirmed that Panesar had flirted with retirement earlier in 2015. But he now says Panesar, who he is working with extensively, plans to return to the game this season.”I wouldn’t want to put a timeline on that but hopefully soon. When he’s really happy with his game that’s when he’ll decide he’s ready to come and play full-time. Hopefully by being nurtured in a quiet way away from the spotlight he’s going to be right on top of his game as and when the time is right for him to re-enter the first-class arena.”Burns is working to reinvigorate Panesar’s love for the game. “At his best he bowls with real passion and puts all of himself into his bowling – so it’s not just a technical thing, it’s that real desire to spin the ball hard and be an aggressive spin bowler. That’s about ensuring that all of his energy is in the right place at the right time.”Sometimes when players go through ups and downs in their lives then one’s love for the game can be challenged. A big part of my work is helping Monty to get really back in love with the game that’s been such a central part of his life.”Panesar made an encouraging first step, albeit a very tentative one, when he recorded figures of 4-16 against Essex for Ravi Bopara’s All Star team in a benefit match for Bopara at Chelmsford on Thursday night. His career has been at a very low point. He must take hope where he can.”The performance for the All Stars against Essex was really important. Confidence for any sports person is the most important aspect,” Burns said. “It was nice that that happened. It was also lovely for him being in the company of some really good friends in the All Stars team who recognise his quality and realise that Monty is one of the most exciting talents in world cricket.”Panesar retains hope of playing for England again. “That’s one of the biggest drivers in a professional players’ career,” Burns said. “It’s only 30 months ago that he bowled Sachin out twice in the match in Mumbai, so that’s a memory that’s not that far away.””There are always going to be moments when you wonder if your time has come and gone. But everybody has it in them to be available and force the selectors’ hands through sheer weight of performance.”But it will be a long way back. Panesar’s last professional game was a Championship match at The Oval at the end of April. At the start of May Essex signed Adeel Malik, a 29-year-old legspinner who had taken eight wickets in 14 games in Pakistani first-class cricket, on a three-month contract. Aron Nijjar, a 20-year-old left-armer, has also provided spin in Panesar’s absence. A former England spinner who has fallen away from his county side so dramatically has much ground to recover.Panesar’s move to Essex had the feel of being a last chance. After getting divorced in 2012, he had a series of difficulties at Sussex. Famously, in August 2013, he was arrested and fined £90 for being drunk and disorderly after urinating over bouncers outside a nightclub in Brighton just after 4am. Panesar released a statement offering an “unreserved apology” for his behaviour, and soon moved to Essex, initially on loan, before joining on a two-year contract ahead of 2014.He has certainly provided illustrations of his class at Essex. Against Glamorgan at Swansea last August, Panesar took 11-168 in 73 overs in the match. In total, he took 46 first-class wickets at 24.86 apiece last year.Yet Essex have grown frustrated with Panesar in spite of these impressive numbers. He was dropped for poor time keeping last season, and there have complaints about his unpredictable attitude.Even in Division Two of the Championship, his consistently poor batting and fielding means Panesar can pose problems for the balance of the side. He does not fit into Essex’s limited overs plans, and has played only three List A or T20 games since joining the club. If Essex do not renew his contract, it might prove a struggle for Panesar to find a fourth county of his career. Burns said that a new deal “depends, I imagine, on how the rest of the season goes.”As he tries to find his way back, Panesar is working closely with a personal development manager at the Professional Cricketers’ Association. The PCA were not willing to disclose further details, although it is understood that Panesar’s current issues are not alcohol related.”One of our PDMs is working on personal development stuff with him. 81% of current pros are doing similar,” said Jason Radcliffe, the Assistant Chief Executive of the PCA. “It wouldn’t be right to discuss any of it.””What they discuss is personal and private. The programme aims to enhance cricket whilst not distracting from it and tries to ensure that players are best prepared for life after cricket whenever that might be.”Recent events have come as a surprise to many who worked closely with Panesar earlier in his career. Dave Parsooth, his former agent and a family friend, remembers Panesar as someone who “was quite strong and could handle himself” when he first broke into the England side in 2006.”Everybody is a bit shellshocked as to the big downfall,” Parsooth said. “He was good enough for England but I don’t know about now – I can’t tell.”

Australia’s batsman Chris Rogers admitted his plan to offer hospitality around his batch of Lord’s tickets was ‘naive,’ but he claimed it stopped well short of deception

Daniel Brettig24-Jun-20151:11

‘There was no intent to deceive’ – Rogers

“This is something that could attract a year’s jail in this country, do you think someone should have flagged that up before now?”That’ll make your eyes widen, won’t it? Particularly when you’re an Australian Test cricketer about to embark on his final series in England. Chris Rogers stammered slightly in answering this question, before reiterating his story about how he came to be involved in a small tour group operation that has subsequently been found to have sprung up outside the accepted channels.Rogers had made no secret of his hospitality plan around the Lord’s Test, but a back page story screeching “BANNED” suggested he had been involved in a rather greater conspiracy. So too did some disapproving words emanating from Middlesex, the club where Rogers had become a highly successful senior pro in recent years, and through whom he had purchased the tickets in question.”Look in hindsight I’ve found out I should probably have gone in a different way,” Rogers said in Canterbury. “But there was no intent to do anything other than start up a very small company and provide a good experience of London which I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time in. The tickets have been refunded and no money has been exchanged with Middlesex so hopefully no harm done.”It was an idea a friend and I came up with a little while back. It was for a very small group of people and I went about it in what I thought was the right way but it turned out it probably wasn’t. I probably learned a lesson but there was no intent to deceive or anything like that. I’m a little bit disappointed about how things turned out but I think I was open and honest with everything I did.”As a 37-year-old cricketer now actively thinking about what lies beyond the remaining months of his international career, Rogers entered into the partnership with his former Middlesex teammate Tom Scollay thinking it might be the start of something he could expand in retirement.He had no experience of the now complicated and commodified world of tour groups, but in speaking with both Cricket Australia and Middlesex says he was given little if any impression he was going down a dangerous path. Naivety?”Yes I think that’s the word that’s come up a little bit, but it’s funny because everybody I spoke to – and I spoke to everyone – and told them what I was doing, no one suggested to me I do it any other way,” he said. “So I didn’t realise…I think I was supposed to go through ECB but I went through Middlesex who are the people I know, so you know I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.”I have a fantastic relationship with Middlesex. I think there’s been a little bit of a misunderstanding. I was open and honest with them about what I was doing from the very beginning, and if there’s been a little bit of miscommunication amongst them then that’s for them to work out. But from the very early emails I told them what I was doing and they suggested this is the way I go about it.”It’s not something I want to get into because as I said Middlesex have been amazing to me and I’ve got nothing but respect for the people in that organisation so hopefully I can continue that relationship. It was something I was hoping maybe I was able to develop after cricket which is coming very soon. It’s been a bit of a distraction but the cricket starts tomorrow really and I’m pretty good at getting on with it.”One of the questions that emerged from the episode, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, was that Scollay had sent emails promising special access to the Australian team. Rogers was unaware of these promises, and even suggested that the “special guests” Scollay had been spruiking were most likely going to be fellow Middlesex men like Steven Finn and Sam Robson, Rogers’ longtime opening partner at the club. When contacted by the ECB, Finn denied any involvement with the venture.”I told Cricket Australia I’d be involved very briefly,” Rogers said. “The other people that were going to be in were the likes of Steven Finn and even guys like Sammy Robson, who are our friends. We weren’t trying to do anything wrong, we were trying to do the right thing and apologies if it’s come out badly.”CA knew everything. I was open and honest with them from the word dot. So they knew it and that’s probably why they’ve been so supportive of me because I didn’t deceive anyone. I was open and transparent with everyone.”Rogers’ openness about the episode reflected a clear conscience, and diminishing irritation at how things had unravelled. Chosen in Australia’s carefully constructed tour match XI for the Kent fixture, he knows he needs runs to shore up a place in the Test side and ward of younger challengers. And that is a far more familiar problem for Rogers than answering questions about jail.”That’s my job,” he said. “I’m ready to play and just looking forward to tomorrow.”

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that he is wary about South Africa’s spin threat, and is hoping that his batsmen and spinners can step up to the challenge in the ODIs

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur09-Jul-2015Bangladesh had to make do with shorter space for their warm-up session ahead of the first ODI against South Africa, as most of the ground was under covers amid leaden skies on Thursday.Soon, the players broke into two teams and played football before heading to the indoor nets of the Shere Bangla National Stadium. They stayed there for the next couple of hours as Dhaka experienced one heavy shower after another.More rain has been forecast for Friday, but that didn’t stop Mashrafe Mortaza from stating what he expects from his team in the first ODI against South Africa.”We have to play well by adjusting to the wicket,” Mashrafe said. “We have to be a step ahead of South Africa in every department. This is how you win against such a team. We had gone into a habit of winning matches since the World Cup. Everyone wants to win and this is our job.”But by focusing on the results too much, we forget the process with which we got the wins. We should go back to the basics, and to the mentality through which we turned things around since the World Cup.”Much of the talk ahead of the ODI series has centered around the pitch, especially after it offered considerable turn in the two T20s. While Mashrafe admitted that there was ‘confusion’ about the pitch, he said that the hosts would be better off if they don’t ponder too much about the wicket.”There is some confusion about the wicket. By that I mean, our batsmen and bowlers have been doing well on true wickets since the World Cup. But we also have think about their pace attack,” he said.”I think it is better not to think too much about the wicket. We have to keep our processes right, whoever is bowling at us. We have handled top bowlers in the recent past. Maybe we haven’t played in such wickets for a while, which is why have struggled a bit.”Bangladesh had struggled to come to terms with spin in the T20s, with left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso, offspinner JP Duminy and debutant legspinner Eddie Leie taking nine wickets between them. South Africa’s spin attack will be further bolstered by Imran Tahir, who was the leading wicket taker in the World T20 in Bangladesh last year with 12 scalps at 10.91.”Imran Tahir has been bowling well for some time now. South Africa has been using him as a wicket-taking option. We have plans to encounter him although we did struggle against spin in the last two matches,” Mashrafe said.Mashrafe, though, backed Shakib Al Hasan, Arafat Sunny and Jubair Hossain to perform better than their opposite numbers. “If you look at his record, Shakib is one of the best bowlers in the world. Imran Tahir and their other spinners are doing well, and will be confident following the T20 series but I still expect our spinners to be a step above their spinners.”Mashrafe also stressed on the importance of Mahmudullah’s return, after the batsman missed the India series due to injury. “Mahmudullah is a key player who did very well for us at the World Cup,” Mashrafe said. “Unfortunately he got injured, so his return is quite important to us. He hadn’t played in the last month or so due to injury. He will need time to give his best but I am sure he will try the hardest.”

Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain, had a live shoot for an Indian news channel interrupted on Sunday night in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2016Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain, had a live shoot for an Indian news channel interrupted on Sunday night in Mumbai. The incident occurred when one man in the locality where the show was being filmed objected to it being shot there, an employee of the Hindi news channel, Aaj Tak, who was present at the scene, told ESPNcricinfo. Only that one man was involved in the incident, and there was no heckling of Akram, or any physical harm to him, the employee said.The show, shot soon after the India v Australia game, featured Akram in an outdoor setting in a street in Lower Parel, a central Mumbai neighbourhood. Akram, a regular on Indian television both as commentator and cricket analyst, was speaking when the man entered the camera frame and appeared to grab the camera before the footage was switched away from the scene and back to the studio in Delhi. The programme’s anchor, cricket reporter Vikrant Gupta, appeared to be taken by surprise by the incident and was unable at the time to explain what had happened. Later, he tweeted:

Friends no need to panic. Nothing wrong with @wasimakramlive – a few people just objected to the cameras there. That's it

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) March 27, 2016

ESPNcricinfo was able to confirm that the same man similarly disrupted the shoot of another TV channel, ABP news, which was being carried out next to the Aaj Tak set-up. Former India spinner Murali Kartik was the cricket expert on that show.

A round-up of the Plunket Shield matches, played between March 8-11, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2016Ken McClure’s career-best 193 not out helped Canterbury chase down 397 and pull off a five-wicket win over Otago in Invercargill.Coming in to bat at No. 5, after Canterbury slumped to 57 for 3 on the third day, McClure dropped anchor to build century partnerships with Peter Fulton (70) and Andrew Ellis (32). McClure almost single-handedly completed the chase for Canterbury as no other batsman, apart from Fulton and himself, managed a fifty-plus score. His 193 came off 266 balls during which he struck 29 fours and three sixes. Once Ellis fell with the score at 302, McClure took Canterbury home with Todd Astle, who made 48 not out.Otago were driven to 351 after being put in to bat following Neil Broom’s 117 and fifties from James Neesham (75) and Derek de Boorder (69). No other Otago batsman scored more than 40.They went on to strengthen their position in the game by bowling Canterbury out for 180. Mark Craig led the way with returns of 4 for 40 to help his side gain a 171-run lead. For Canterbury, Michael Davidson’s 44 helped lift the side after they were struggling at 94 for 6.Otago then stretched their lead to 396 thanks to fifties from Anaru Kitchen (61) and Michael Bracewell (53), which helped them declare at 225 for 3.Second-innings centuries from Jeet Raval and Robert O’Donnell and a five-for from Tarun Nethula paved the way for Auckland’s 47-run win over Central Districts at Eden Park. Auckland, who are still unbeaten in the competition, piled on 425 for 6 declared in their second innings, leaving Central Districts with a target of 383. Central Districts were bowled out for 335. The win helped Auckland open up a 17-point gap over Canterbury at the top of the points table.Auckland had conceded a 43-run lead before Raval and O’Donnell struck a second-wicket partnership of 196 runs, building on an opening partnership of 100. Both batsmen were dismissed in the space of four overs but Colin de Grandhomme, who had scored a 40-ball 55 in the first innings, pitched in with a brisk 69 – his fourth consecutive fifty-plus score – to push Auckland’s lead up. Ajaz Patel returned career-best figures, taking five of the six Auckland wickets in the second innings, adding to his tally of 6 for 117 in the first innings.Auckland kept Central Districts’ chase of 383 in check with regular wickets, reducing them to 96 for 4. Will Young and Dane Cleaver, however, fought back with a 112-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Nethula’s strikes, however, left them reeling at 264 for 7 before they were eventually dismissed for 335. Like Ajaz, Nethula also produced his best figures, finishing with a match haul of 11 wickets, his 5 for 140 adding to his first-innings figures of 6 for 132.Auckland’s first innings total of 373, after they were put in to bat, was fashioned by Martin Guptill-Bunce’s brisk 112 and lower-order contributions from de Grandhomme and Donovan Grobbelaar. Central Districts recovered from 285 for 5 to 416 with contributions from Mitch Renwick (71), Young (85), Tom Bruce (80) and Cleaver (62).A crucial 121-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Tom Blundell (78) and Fraser Colson (51*) helped Wellington chase down a target of 378 runs against Northern Districts with three wickets to spare. The partnership between Blundell and Colson was the second century stand in Wellington’s chase, after Stephen Murdoch and Scott Borthwick had added 130 runs for the third wicket to help the side tide over early losses.After Murdoch and Borthwick had helped Wellington recover, Northern Districts fought back with quick wickets to reduce them to 222 for 5. Blundell and Colson lifted the side to 343 before Blundell fell for 78, but Colson carried on and ensured the win four overs after the wicket.Northern Districts had made a strong start in the game by posting 438 for 8 declared in the first innings, after they were asked to bat. BJ Watling top-scored with 77, while Dean Brownlie (57), Daryl Mitchell (51), Scott Kuggeleijn (71*) and Tim Seifert (60) also chipped in. Seifert and Kuggeleijn put together a 120-run stand for the seventh wicket that helped Northern Districts cross 400 after they were 295 for 6.Wellington declared their first innings at 352 for 7, built on Luke Woodcock’s 111 and knocks from Borthwick (71) and Michael Pollard (62).Daniel Flynn’s rapid 86-ball 110 helped stretch Northern Districts’ lead of 86 to 377 as the side raked up 291 runs in the second innings off 43 overs, scoring at more than six an over. Flynn hit 20 fours and a six, after which Watling chipped in with a 99-ball 76, and Anton Devcich smacked a 56-ball 80.

Virat Kohli soothed the hurt of Hyderabad with his second T20 hundred and an RCB victory they badly needed

Nikhil Kalro in Bangalore07-May-2016Virat Kohli did not have a T20 hundred for 192 games. Anticipation that it was within his grasp built over 13 T20s in 2016, leading into the IPL, when he scored 625 runs at an average of 125. It came in the fifth game of the season, a last-ball sliced boundary off Dwayne Bravo providing his breakthrough innings against Gujarat Lions.Yet, there wasn’t much reason for joy. Royal Challengers Bangalore were languishing one off the bottom with two wins in seven games. They remain in penultimate spot, but on a balmy Saturday evening, as Kohli notched up his second T20 century in a match-winning knock, he had again lifted his team.Kohli played down how much a T20 hundred meant to him. “Not that I was desperate to get one, but last time I felt like it was something I hadn’t achieved,” he said. “But I didn’t have control over my game because we were batting first there.”This 100, I didn’t plan to get a 100, as I said in the last game. I never looked at my score in the scoreboard, all I looked at was how many runs and balls are there… how many runs we need to score, in which over. In that process, if you get a milestone like that it feels sweet. But in an hour, or a couple of hours, when I realise what happened, then it’ll feel far sweeter.”Defeat in the last game to Kolkata Knight Riders had sharpened Kohli’s sense that a victory was especially necessary to provide a lift.”The ultimate target was the victory because of how hurt we were after the last game,” he said. “We needed a victory like this to pull ourselves up again, especially the kind of day we had in the field. It’s very easy to lose your cool, get carry away and get frustrated. You rather take that frustration and be determined to put in that 20 per cent extra.”In this season, 27 out of 36 matches have been won by the chasing side. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium’s small dimensions make it a particularly favourable chasing ground, but Kohli had lost three tosses at home this season, which resulted in two losses.”We had the chance to chase one down, and I backed myself to go for the target and make sure I’m there in the end and win the game for the team. In Hyderabad, I couldn’t do that, I was very disappointed,” Kohli said.”If you want your team to do a certain thing, you have to go out there first and do it in front of them to convince them that this is the direction you need to go in. I failed to do that In Hyderabad and that hurt me a lot.Virat Kohli now has two T20 hundreds•BCCI”It’s about understanding what line the bowlers are trying to bowl at you. You need to get into the bowler’s head. You have to back yourself to know if a ball is full enough, you can pierce long-off and covers. Doesn’t matter how much the gap is between them, even if its 20 metres, you need to hit it well enough. All about being absolutely convinced that you can get the result you want. If you are half-hearted, then the ball actually never goes for a boundary.”Kohli was quick to give credit to cameos from KL Rahul and Shane Watson which helped Royal Challengers set the platform they required to achieve the target of 192.”You can’t do it all by yourself. Contributions from KL, Watto gave us the right kind of momentum to us through the middle, even after AB got out. Those things matter a lot. Sometimes we neglect those because one gets a milestone.”

Yorkshire are top of the Championship for the first time this season – a resounding victory by an innings and 20 runs duly completed, the end coming with 4.5 overs left

David Hopps at Headingley11-May-2016
ScorecardYorkshire celebrate their victory after a late Surrey collapse•Getty ImagesWith the Dickie Bird clock creeping beyond half past two, Surrey’s third-wicket pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies proceeding without alarms and Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale making a stern-faced retreat from the fray with a bruised knee, few would have given much for Yorkshire’s chances of forcing victory at Headingley.Even with a first-innings lead of 237 to sustain them, the feeling was growing that this would ultimately be just another draw to join the weather-hit stalemates around the country. Such an outcome would have meant four successive draws for Yorkshire, a statistic that would have begun to eat away at a county with designs on a hat-trick of Division One titles.Little more than three hours later, they found themselves top of the Championship for the first time this season – a resounding victory by an innings and 20 runs duly completed, the end coming with 4.5 overs left when Liam Plunkett had the last man Matt Dunn lbw with a full-length ball.Lancashire’s place at the summit had been limited to a couple of hours, which added extra cross-Pennines piquancy, and it was not long before an assistant was dutifully carrying in boxes of celebratory beer and cider from the mini market on the other side of Kirkstall Lane.Surrey will adapt to first division life but their head coach, Michael di Venuto, drew a pertinent message from the outcome. “We were champions of Division Two, they are champions of Division One, that’s the difference,” he said.The catalyst for the victory, one which their director of cricket Martyn Moxon accepted would quell a few misgivings, was the Golden Child. Joe Root can do no wrong these days, for Yorkshire or England, but his worth is normally weighed in runs. This time he took over captaincy duties, wasted little time in introducing his own offspin with two left-handers at the crease, and removed Sangakkara and Davies within three overs. Not a bad decision, captain.It was Sangakkara who had bruised Gale’s knee when he was stationed at short leg to the leg spin of Adil Rashid. Neither he nor Davies had put a foot wrong and, at 138 for 2, and the deficit reduced to 99, the pain for Gale was fast becoming as mental as it was physical. But Root, finding previously unseen turn on the fourth-day pitch, caused Sangakkara to drive to Gary Ballance at short extra and then beat Davies’ defensive push to win an lbw decision.With Jason Roy also departing, a soft wicket for Jack Brooks as he clipped a low full toss to short midwicket, Surrey had lost three wickets for 13 in 22 balls, half their side gone for 151. Root, not content with one short leg, summoned a second, and Ben Foakes almost followed when he drove the ball into the body of one of the two substitutes standing there. The game had been turned on its head in half-an-hour. His offspin might be a bit part role, but he does not treat it lightly. He treats nothing in cricket likely, but finds joy in his perpetual pursuit of excellence.Yorkshire had a sixth wicket by tea, James Burke’s unhappy match concluded when he played across his front pad to be lbw to Brooks, whose attacking instincts had been sharpened. But they were a bowler light, the day having begun badly with the announcement that David Willey would be out for six weeks because of an abdominal strain. Rashid’s leg spin was strangely ineffective. There was even a short stoppage for drizzle soon after tea which robbed four overs from the game.As Foakes and Tom Curran rediscovered Surrey’s resolve in an obdurate seventh-wicket stand which spanned 16 overs, the loss of the third day because of rain was still potentially decisive. Thoughts wandered to how Sangakkara should have been run out when he was only a single – another detail that might have been part of the totting-up procedure had Yorkshire failed to force victory.Around that time, Moxon fielded a concerned text message from Ian Dews, the academy director and 2nd XI coach, wondering whether Steve Patterson was injured, his involvement having been limited to only four overs. It turned out that victories also belonged to the unsung: coincidentally, Patterson had just been thrown the ball and his incursions were as vital and immediate as Root’s had been earlier.A man measured in reliability rather than carats, Patterson’s removed the middle stump of Curran with the first ball he bowled, Curran’s bat responsibly straight, ensured a pair for Gareth Batty as he was caught at the wicket, pulling, and then uprooted middle once more as Foakes flayed at a fullish delivery.With the floodlights blazing through grey skies, there was always the lingering possibility of a Surrey reprieve. The last pair resisted for six overs. Bowling choices became ever more pressing. With five overs remaining, Root opted for Plunkett and he struck immediately.Yorkshire’s bowlers, as Moxon observed, had begun to rouse themselves, but this was also a victory fashioned two days earlier by the immense stand of 372 between Root and Jonny Bairstow. Its magnitude was not just in the size of the partnership, but the speed at which it was assembled – nearly five-and-a-half runs an over. In its haste, it kept time in the game – just enough time as it turned out – and enabled Yorkshire to win despite the loss of 100 overs in all. Of such high ambitions are victories sometimes made – and perhaps Championships won.Others must now take up the mantle for Yorkshire. Root and Bairstow now leave for a full summer with England because surely Bairstow will win an ODI call-up too, but they have left Headingley in better heart for the challenges ahead than might have been the case.

Goal looks at the players whose deals are due to end, which of them could leave and who might still be at Old Trafford come 2018-19

It's a little over 22 years since the Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman won a landmark case in the European Court of Justice which allowed footballers to break free of clubs at the end of their contracts, and the pre-contract agreement which has since been brought into the game means that from January 1 players with expiring deals can sign with potential new employers six months ahead of a move.

This January, Manchester United find themselves in the kind of position many clubs have been left in since the Bosman Ruling came into effect, with as many as nine of their players holding contracts which are due to expire at the end of the current season.

The one thing they do have going for them is that six of the nine involved have club-option extension clauses written into their deals, which allows the Old Trafford hierarchy the freedom to add 12 months to their contracts if they are unwilling to let them go.

Getty ImagesDaley Blind

The Dutch utility player has lived a somewhat nomadic existence since signing for United in the summer of 2014 under Louis van Gaal, being variously used as a midfield anchor, a centre-back and latterly a stand-in full-back.

While United do have the option of adding a further year to his deal, even Blind’s father Danny has admitted that they may do so simply to command a transfer fee in the summer. “That is not an illogical idea, because his contract expires,” Blind Sr told Ziggo Sports. “Manchester United still has the opportunity to trigger an option for an extra season. They might do that, because then they can receive a higher transfer fee.”

AdvertisementGettyMichael Carrick

The 36-year-old club captain has had an almost non-existent 2017-18 season thus far after undergoing a procedure to correct an irregular heart rhythm.

Having been restricted to a single Carabao Cup appearance to this point, Carrick has had no opportunity to persuade Jose Mourinho and his staff to consider keeping him on for a further year and he is highly likely to finally wave a last goodbye to Manchester United two years on from what appeared to be his farewell under Louis van Gaal. Mourinho has even admitted in recent days that he is likely to seek a replacement for Carrick in the transfer market during the summer 2018 window.

Marouane Fellaini

United have been rocked over the past couple of months by the realisation that their exhaustive attempts to persuade Fellaini to sign a new deal had come to a dead end and the Belgian now looks set to leave Old Trafford in the coming months.

Having missed the last 10 matches due to injury, Fellaini’s importance to the make-up of Mourinho’s squad has rarely been more evident. That would make his exit difficult to stomach, hence the manager’s insistence that he is not about to give up hope of the midfielder staying on but at this point it would appear Mourinho’s belief is misplaced.

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GettyAnder Herrera

While the club are yet to officially confirm it, Ander Herrera has already been told his expiring contract will be topped up with a club-option 12 months for season 2018-19. He may not have featured quite as much this term, but his form last season was enough to win him the club’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award and also underline his importance to the United squad.

Mourinho has hinted that a midfield addition will be one of his priorities next summer but Herrera’s willingness to fight for the cause will not be given up easily despite his lessened status in the manager’s second season.