أكد إريك تين هاج، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر يونايتد، إنه ليس لديه أي شك ناحية مستقبله مع النادي الإنجليزي.
ويواجه تين هاج ضغوطًا مع مانشستر يونايتد، في الموسم الحالي، حيث يتعرض للكثير من الانتقادات بسبب تذبذب مستوى الفريق وتراجع نتائجهم.
اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يحذر ليفربول: مانشستر يونايتد سيعمل على منعنا من الفوز بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي
وتعرض مانشستر يونايتد للهزيمة في الوقت القاتل، مساء الخميس الماضي، أمام تشيلسي بنتيجة 4-3 في الجولة الحادية والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وقال تين هاج في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “ليس لدي أي شكوك، أنا أركز فقط على وظيفتي، أركز على هذه العملية، في هذا المشروع”.
وأضاف المدرب الهولندي في تصريحاته: “أحب حقًا أن أكون هنا، أنا أستمتع به. بالنسبة لي، إنه تحدٍ”.
وواصل: “لن تسير الأمور دائمًا في الاتجاه الصحيح، ولن تسير النتائج دائمًا بالطريقة التي أردناها، لكنني متأكد من أننا في الاتجاه الصحيح وسنصل إلى حيث نريد أن نكون”.
Max Holden’s maiden century in only his sixth first-class game left Durham kicking themselves for dropping him twice early on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match
ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2017 ScorecardMax Holden scored his maiden first-class hundred•Getty Images
Max Holden’s maiden century in only his sixth first-class game left Durham kicking themselves for dropping him twice early on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.Once the England Under-19 captain, on loan from Middlesex, had departed for a stoical 124, Northamptonshire lost their last three wickets on 338 and in 22 overs Durham reached 78 for 1 in their second innings, still trailing by 94.Paul Coughlin’s manful efforts to carry the depleted Durham attack earned him a maiden five-wicket haul. He had 5 for 49 in 27 overs, while fellow seamers Barry McCarthy and Gavin Main went at almost five an over.Resuming on 19, Holden survived scares from the day’s first and seventh balls. After a confident lbw appeal from McCarthy he edged Coughlin at comfortable height to second slip, where Keaton Jennings spilled the chance. Then on 27 another straightforward catch was missed by Graham Clark at point off McCarthy, but Holden knuckled down and spent 140 balls over his first 50.With conditions far more benign than on the first day, Durham were made to pay a heavy price for their lapses and three more chances went down as Holden put on 96 for the fifth wicket with Adam Rossington and 162 for the sixth with Josh Cobb.Rossington hit nine fours in his 59-ball 50 before dabbing wide of off stump at McCarthy to edge to second slip and depart for 65. He paved the way for Cobb to take advantage of Durham’s toils with some belligerent strokes in making 96 off 133 balls. Cobb hit 11 fours and a six before edging to second slip during a probing new-ball spell from Coughlin.Holden, becalmed on 85, had exasperated Paul Collingwood, who troubled the left-hander with outswingers. And it was one of those which finally found the edge to give Stuart Poynter his fourth catch, ending the 19-year-old’s 228-ball vigil. The importance of his innings was underlined by Northants losing their last five wickets for 11 runs.With much less assistance than on the first day, the visiting seamers could make little impression, although Ben Sanderson had a big lbw appeal against Stephen Cook. Badly in need of runs before joining the South African Test squad, Cook was dropped by Rory Kleinveldt at third slip on 16 off Nathan Buck.After digging in to reach 23 he took a fancy to Rob Keogh’s offspin, taking 11 off his first over, only to see Jennings stumped for 27 off Keogh’s ninth ball when he tried to paddle him to fine leg and lifted his back foot. It was a lapse from Jennings with only four overs left, but McCarthy survived as nightwatchman and Cook was on 39 at the close.
تحدث محمود عاشور الحكم الدولي المصري عن الأحداث التي شهدتها مباراة نهضة بركان المغربي وأبو سليم الليبي، من اعتداءات على محمد معروف.
وكانت مباراة نهضة بركان وأبو سليم في إياب ربع نهائي الكونفدرالية، التي أدارها طاقم مصري، قد شهدت الاعتداء على حكم الساحة محمد معروف.
طالع.. فيديو | اعتداء لاعبي أبو سليم على الحكم محمد معروف في مباراة نهضة بركان بالكونفدرالية
وقال عاشور في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “كنت حكمًا على تقنية الفار في مباراة نهضة بركان وأبو سليم الليبي بالكونفدرالية”.
وأضاف: “يوجد سلوك للاعبين لا تستطيع السيطرة عليه، أحداث المباراة كانت درامية في النتيجة، كما شهدت سلوك سيء جدًا من اللاعبين والجهاز الفني وهرج ومرج في الملعب”.
وتابع: “عندما يتهجم شخص للاعتداء عليك سواء كنت حكما أم لا سيكون لك رد فعل، أي فرد مكان محمد معروف سيكون هذا رد فعله أنت في النهاية بشر”.
واستكمل: “معروف سيكتب تقريره عن المباراة، وأعتقد سيكون هناك اجراءات قوية من الاتحاد الإفريقي، وأتمنى يكون هناك قرار من الاتحاد الليبي بعد السلوك الذي شاهدناه”.
وأتم: “أعتقد أن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم كاف يجب أن يتخذ قرارا بشطب اللاعب، هذا الاعتداء على الحكم لم نراه منذ فترة طويلة على مستوى المباريات الإفريقية”.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is open to letting Harry Kane leave this summer should a club match the price he has in mind, according to Dean Jones.
A number of top European sides have interest in signing the English forward this summer, but the North London side have publicly maintained the stance that he is not for sale.
Will Harry Kane be at Tottenham Hotspur next season?
As it stands, Spurs are not planning on losing Kane this summer window.
That's according to the Times, who have stated that the club have offered their all-time record goalscorer a new deal worth an incredible £400k per week, which would make the England national team captain the joint highest-paid player in the division alongside Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City.
Tottenham Hotspur'sHarryKanecelebrates scoring their first goal
However, it seems that the striker wants to keep his options open during the window, and reportedly has no intention of signing the deal until the closure of the transfer window. This puts the club in a tricky situation as the forward only has 12 months remaining on his deal, and could leave for free next summer should no deal be agreed.
A number of sides are interested in the Spurs talisman, however German giants Bayern Munich remain the most interested. The club have launched multiple bids in an attempt to bring the striker to the Allianz Arena, with manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly having held talks personally with Kane in his own home in order to try and convince him to make the move from London to Munich.
Both offer have been rejected by Spurs, and according to journalist Jones, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, it would take a club record transfer fee from the Bavarian club to convince Levy to sell: "Daniel Levy has a real conundrum if Bayern commit to a bigger offer because this is his last chance to get big money for Kane and, at the same time, get him out of the country so that he can’t harm Spurs in the next couple of years. It’s probably the most intriguing part of this.
In a year’s time, he could end up at [Manchester] United or Chelsea or at another rival club on a free transfer, but if he joins Bayern now, he’s almost certain to stick with them for a couple of seasons while he collects his trophies. Now, that totally goes against everything briefed because Spurs are adamant still that Kane is not for sale — in England or abroad. But everyone is wondering if the businessman in Levy can genuinely stick to that line of thinking. And actually, I’m told there is a point at which he would listen to offers.
Here’s what I’ve heard: If Bayern make an overall offer that gets above and beyond £100m, then it would have to be considered. And when I say beyond, I’m talking £120m. So let’s face it — that is unlikely. Bayern are serious about trying to sign Kane and they have been given assurances that he is willing to do it. But can they actually get to the levels needed? It’s true Spurs are putting a new contract offer in front of Kane but, of course, there is no chance of him signing that at the moment."
Should Tottenham Hotspur sell Harry Kane?
It is an incredibly interesting dilemma that can be argued both ways.
Should Spurs let go of their talisman for a fee in the region of what Jones reported, those funds could help to fund the rebuild that the North London side is currently undertaking. They have already added keeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli and attacking midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City, whilst reports have linked the side with Bundesliga centre-back duo Micky Van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba. Spurs could use the money from Kane's departure to fund moves for both central defenders rather than having to choose one, and could also move to replace the England international with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, who they have been linked with.
However, should the club manage to convince their club legend to sign the new mega-money deal and commit his future to Spurs, new manager Ange Postecoglou would have arguably the best striker in the world on his hands, which would be a fantastic building block for the Australian as he looks to form his new-look team. Keeping Kane would also be a big help for keeping Spurs fans onside during potential transitional years, as they would appreciate the ambition shown to keep their home-grown star at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
It is one of the biggest decisions in recent Spurs history, and all parties will be hoping it gets solved soon.
كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، عن بديل الدولي المصري، محمد النني، في فريق آرسنال الإنجليزي في الفترة المقبلة.
جدير بالذكر أن عقد محمد النني مع فريق آرسنال سينتهي بنهاية الموسم الحالي صيف 2024.
ويحتل آرسنال المركز الثاني في سلم الترتيب العام للدوري الإنجليزي لكرة القدم، برصيد 71 نقطة.
اقرأ ايضاً.. توخيل: بايرن ميونخ لديه ميزة عن آرسنال في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. والفوز باللقب ينقذ موسمنا
وأشارت شبكة “فوتبول إنسايدر” إلى أن نادي آرسنال يخطط إلى التعاقد مع لاعب وسط فريق أستون فيلا، دوجلاس لويس سواريس، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية القادمة.
وتابعت الشبكة الإنجليزية، أنه من المتوقع أن يغادر محمد النني النادي هذا الصيف، مما قد يفسح المجال لـ ميكيل أرتيتا، بالتوقيع مع لاعب خط وسط آخر بأموال كثيرة بعد وصول ديكلان رايس العام الماضي.
وشارك الدولي البرازيلي دوجلاس لويز في 46 مباراة في جميع المسابقات هذا الموسم، وسجل 10 أهداف وقدم 10 تمريرات حاسمة.
Leeds United are keeping tabs on BSC Young Boys defender Aurele Amenda as they weigh up whether to bring him to Elland Road, according to fresh reports.
Who is Aurele Amenda?
Amenda is naturally a centre-back and academy graduate of the Swiss Super League outfit having progressed his way up through the various youth ranks to be handed a chance in the first-team fold where he’s so far registered a total of 26 senior appearances under the leadership of Raphael Wicky.
The Switzerland U21s international still has another two years to run on his contract in his homeland, but having impressed during performances since making the step up to the highest level, his displays appear to have caught the eye of Daniel Farke and the 49ers at Elland Road.
The German boss will likely have to enter the market for reinforcements in the 19-year-old’s position as a result of Robin Koch having joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan, not to mention that Max Wober is close to joining Borussia Monchengladbach, and the teenager could be the candidate to make the trip to Yorkshire.
Are Leeds signing Aurele Amenda?
According to The Daily Mail's Transfer Confidential, Leeds have been "checking on" Amenda as the hierarchy consider making a swoop ahead of the 2023/24 Championship term. The LS11 outfit are expected to "seek" a replacement for Wober, who was left out of the club's latest pre-season friendly amid his transfer situation, and have highlighted the centre-back as a potential suitable successor.
Behind the scenes, it's additionally stated that a new sporting director is wanted to work alongside the recently appointed technical director Gretar Steinsson, so the club are obviously planning a complete overhaul both on and off the pitch as they aim to get back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Borussia Monchengladbach's former manager Daniel Farke.
How good is Aurele Amenda?
Leeds will know that Amenda only being 19 years of age means he’d be more of a signing for the long-term future of the club, but he’s already shown glimpses of what he’s capable of, and therefore may have a hugely bright and promising future ahead of him.
The Young Boys centre-back, who’s sponsored by Adidas, stands at 6 foot 4 and has been dubbed “complete and dominant” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig so he clearly holds a very strong physical presence when it comes to battling for the ball with his opponent.
The Biel/Bienne native, however, can also have just as much of a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having scored a total of 13 goals in 104 appearances since the start of his career, although none of his goals have come at senior level, highlighting the threat he poses in the final third when it comes to set pieces.
Furthermore, Amenda has started to make a real name for himself on the international stage having represented Switzerland at the UEFA European U21s Championship so his talent is there for everyone to see, something which supporters may soon be able to witness for themselves first-hand should he link up with the Whites, and it looks as if a deal could be one to watch.
Sophie Devine pummeled a record nine sixes during her 41-ball 93 as New Zealand knocked Pakistan out of contention for the semi-finals
The Report by Deivarayan Muthu08-Jul-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSophie Devine smashed a record nine sixes•Getty Images
New Zealand have thrived on a set template this World Cup: rout the opposition for a low score and mow down the target. That template fetched New Zealand their third win and took them a step closer to the semi-finals. The result also meant Pakistan were the first team to be dumped out of the tournament after five defeats in as many matches.Offspinner Leigh Kasperek and seamer Hannah Rowe, who was on the verge of a hat-trick at one point, claimed combined figures of 19-2-57-5 to bundle Pakistan out for 144 – their fourth successive sub-150 score in the World Cup. Sophie Devine then made a mockery of the target, narrowly missing out on the fastest century in Women’s ODIs during her 41-ball 93. She, however, did break the record for the most sixes in an innings – hitting nine, including eight in the arc between midwicket and long-on. New Zealand sealed victory with eight wickets and 210 balls to spare and sounded out a stern warning to the other sides.Only hours after South Africa’s Lizelle Lee had smote seven sixes in Leicester to equal the record, Devine rewrote it. The carnage began when Devine clubbed seamer Kainat Imtiaz for three successive boundaries in the fourth over, after previous match-winner Rachel Priest had been dismissed. Devine meted out the same treatment to Diana Baig as New Zealand spliced 43 runs off the target in five overs. Devine continued on her merry way, reaching fifty off 27 balls. A hundred seemed a possibility before she checked a slog-sweep and top-edged a return catch to left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu with New Zealand two away from the win.Amy Satterthwaite, who proved the ideal foil for the rampaging Devine, laid out the finishing touches with a slapped four. The mammoth win propelled New Zealand’s net-run rate from 1.520 to 2.301.Pakistan, though, had started positively with the openers Ayesha Zafar and Nahida Khan putting on 35 for the first wicket. They showed urgency and dispatched the bad balls before Kasperek broke through. She got one to drift away and had Zafar dragging a catch to mid-on. She did not turn the ball much, like Thursday, but kept drifting it sharply, making you wonder if batsmen would be better off treating her like a legspinner. In her next over, Kasperek bowled Marina Iqbal for a duck.The spotlight then turned to Rowe, who was making her World Cup bow. She looked anxious in her first over, erring in lines and lengths, but proved her worth in her second. She trapped Javeria Khan and Nain Abidi off successive deliveries that pitched on an in-between length and nipped back in. When 16-year-old Amelia Kerr bowled Nahida around her legs with a dipping legbreak, Pakistan were 56 for 5 in 16 overs.A full-blown collapse loomed, but Sana Mir, featuring in her 100th ODI, made a measured fifty to save Pakistan the blushes. She first added 28 with Iram Javed, the injured Bismah Maroof’s replacement, then 35 with wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz.Mir had dug in before scoring her first boundary off her 32nd ball when she manufactured room and drilled seamer Lea Tahuhu past mid-off. She opened up further and brought up her third ODI fifty off 83 balls in the 42nd over. However, she departed in the next over when she flapped a pull back to Tahuhu, the bowler. Pakistan were eventually bowled out in 46.5 overs. The nightmare, though, wasn’t over for them. They woke up to Devine.
Glasgow Rangers appear to be on course to complete a move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes this week, according to a new report.
Are Rangers signing Jose Cifuentes?
Michael Beale and Ibrox officials have been extremely busy so far this summer, with seven new players already brought to the club this summer.
Three forwards have arrived in Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima, and it looks as if Feyenoord striker Danilo is also set to sign after a £6m agreement was reached with the Dutch champions.
Another long-term target has been Cifuentes, with Beale even admitting that a deal was in place to sign the player on a free transfer at the end of the year, however, work was ongoing on bringing a deal forward.
“It is getting closer. The logistics of that one, with work permits. The clubs are still talking. He’s out of contract at the end of the year and we have an agreement with that but would like to bring it to a close early so he can join us this season.”
It now looks as if an immediate summer switch is on the cards after Football Insider provided a positive transfer update on Rangers and Cifuentes in the last 48 hours.
They claimed Beale is desperate to sign the midfielder, and that the two sides are close to reaching an agreement that would see Cifuentes sign this summer. The two sides are ‘expected to have a deal completed this week’. No exact transfer fee was cited, but it does look as if a move is gathering real pace after an agreement was fast-tracked.
Ecuador midfielderJose Cifuentes.
Who is Jose Cifuentes?
Cifuentes appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €12m Transfermarkt valuation and can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder.
Sponsored by Nike, the 24-year-old has played 16 times for Ecuador at senior level and has been with LAFC since January 2020. During that time, Cifuentes has turned out on 121 occasions, scoring 15 times and registering 20 assists.
He appears to be going from strength to strength in the MLS, and previously, Tim Vickery, an expert on all things to do with South American football, called the 24-year-old a "terrific" player after his performances at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019.
"He was the beating heart of that side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder," said Vickey on talkSPORT.
"He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.
"This fellow Cifuentes strikes the ball well, moves across the field, strong in the tackle, strong on the ball, I like him a lot."
It looks as if an imminent move to Glasgow is on the cards, and should he arrive in the coming days, Cifuentes would become the club’s most valuable player, as per Transfermarkt, with his €12m valuation higher than any current Rangers player, showing how this move could be a major cup for those in Glasgow.
علق ألكسندر سانتوس المدير الفني لبترو أتليتكو الأنجولي على مواجهة الأهلي المقبلة أمام مازيمبي، والتي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
ويلتقي الأهلي أمام مازيمبي يوم السبت المقبل، في إطار ذهاب دور نصف نهائي المسابقة القارية.
وكان مازيمبي قد تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي بعد تخطي عقبة بترو أتلتيكو الأنجولي.
وقال ألكسندرر سانتوس في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الأهلي: “الأهلي ناد عظيم لا يُصدق، ناد كبير جدًا لديه قاعدة جماهيرية كبيرة، بالنسبة لأي مدير فني محترف حينما يحظى بهذه الخبرة مع الأهلي، وهي خبرة عالمية وكبيرة وهو واحد من أفضل الأندية في العالم”.
وتابع: “لم تكن مسيرتي مع الأهلي طويلة ولكن كانت حوالي 4 أو 5 أشهر، كانت من أفضل اللحظات وكانت فترة مذهلة وجودة اللاعبين في هذا الوقت”.
وكانت ألكسندر سانتوس قد تواجد في الجهاز الفني المعاون لجوزيه بيسيرو أثناء تواجده مع الأهلي عام 2015.
وأردف: “نحن كنا نريد مواجهة الأهلي، حينما علمنا أن القرعة وضعتنا في إمكانية مواجهته بعد مباراة مازيمبي كان هذا دافع كبير لنعبر لقبل النهائي ونواجه الأحمر لكننا لم ننجح في ذلك، كانت ستكون لحظة رائعة أن نشارك إفريقيا والعالم بما نستطيع فعله أمام ناد كبير مثل الأهلي”.
طالع | قائمة الأهلي لمباراة مازيمبي في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. عودة بيرسي تاو
وأضاف موجهًا نصيحة لمارسيل كولر المدير الفني للمارد الأحمر: “فريق الأهلي مدعوم بخبرات اللاعبين، لا بد من تقديم أفضل أداء ويجب أن تستعدوا جيدًا قبل مباراة مازيمبي”.
وأكمل: “أكبر تحد للنادي الأهلي اللعب على النجيل الصناعي، وقدرة لاعبي مازيمبي على اللعب في هذا الملعب، ستكون نقطة صعبة للأهلي، مازيمبي فاز بكل مبارياته على أرضه، ولكن مباراتنا فقط هي لم التي لم يفوز فيها”.
واستطرد: “مازيمبي يضع الكثير من الضغط على المنافس، لا يمكنك أن تلعب بطريقة طبيعية، لم نستطع أن نلعب بطريقتنا المعتادة ونحافظ على التمركز والضغط في المساحات ونحتفظ بالكرة أكثر ونمرر الكرة بشكل كبير”.
وواصل: “وجعلنا طريقة لعبنا سريعة كما هي العادة، وعندما أردنا فعل ذلك لم يسمحوا لنا ولم يعطوا لنا الفرصة، كانوا يضغطوا بشكل جنوني علينا”.
واختتم: “أعتقد الأهلي سيكون لديه إمكانية أن يقوم بالضغط خلال المباراة وأن يلعب بطريقة هجومية أكثر، ولكنهم سيحاولوا أن يهاجموه، ويجب على الأهلي أن يلعب بطريقة دفاعية في خط الوسط”.
Surrey enter their third successive Royal London Cup final knowing that they have lost the last two and this time, in Nottinghamshire, face the most formidable opponents yet
David Hopps30-Jun-2017Match factsSaturday, July 1, 2017, Lord’s Start time 11.00 local (10.00 GMT)
Big PictureSurrey have dominated 50-over cricket in England in the past two seasons and have reached the final of the Royal London Cup for the third successive season. So far, however, silverware has eluded them with successive defeats against Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Now they face Nottinghamshire, a one-day side of greater reputation than the two teams against whom they have already been vanquished.Surrey looked favourites in 2015 when they dismissed Michael Klinger first ball and a hat-trick from Jade Dernbach, bringing him 6 for 35, cleaned up Gloucestershire’s tail only for their chase to collapse with the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara and result in a six-run defeat.A year later they were back again, only to collapse to 136 all out against Warwickshire, losing by eight wickets with nearly 20 overs to spare before one of the biggest crowds for a Lord’s final for years.The upshot of that is that Surrey have only won one major trophy since 2003, which does not befit a club of such stature, and potentially Nottinghamshire could provide them with the toughest challenge of all.They have been in dazzling batting form, hitting 429 at Somerset in the play-off and then chasing down 372 in a semi-final defeat of Essex at Chelmsford, a record successful run chase at Chelmsford that represented one of the great limited-over matches in the history of English domestic cricket; the sort of game, in fact, that insists county cricket has a future whatever the challenges that lie ahead.But Notts do have cruelly-timed injury issues in their bowling attack and that plus the unpredictability of their top-order, often exceptional but somewhat inconsistent, might prove to be Surrey’s escape route.A potential duel between Kumar Sangakkara and the Australian quick, James Pattinson, might also be decisive. Sangakkara made 166 when Surrey edged Notts by four runs in a semi-final two years ago and his run-strewn summer has acted as a protective cover over a Surrey batting line-up that lacks depth.Mark Stoneman will be eager to prove his worth, however. An opportunity with England Lions suggested he might be a breaker in the England Test squad, but expectations were that he would not make the final squad, leaving a Lord’s final as a perfect place to work off his tensions. Form guide(Last five matches, most recent first) Surrey:WWWWL Nottinghamshire: WWWLW In the spotlightChris Read is in his farewell season for Nottinghamshire and few stalwarts of the county scene have been more highly prized in recent years. In the decade since he last played for England, he has taken on the captaincy for the bulk of the time, kept wicket with grace and produced innumerable zestful rescue acts with the bat, especially on tough Trent Bridge surfaces. Greatly admired, he deserves a happy send-off in only his second domestic final in 20 years, whether it is here or later in the season in the NatWest Blast where Notts must also be strong contenders.Another wicketkeeper has also been gaining rave reviews. Ben Foakes, is one of the smoothest operators around, good enough for Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket and not a man given to hyperbole, to rank him as the best glove man in the world. He tops this season’s overall averages in the Royal London Cup with 481 runs at 120.25 (Kumar Sangakkara’s average of 85.5 puts him fourth). England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, has spoken of the need to show loyalty to Jonny Bairstow, but there are those who would use Bairstow as a specialist batsman and get Foakes into the Test XI.Stuart Broad’s fitness will be sclosely scrutinised by all concerned•Getty Images
Team newsJake Ball is an absentee for Nottinghamshire after suffering a knee strain in a Championship match against Kent which is also expected to rule him out of contention for the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s next week.It is tough luck for Ball, who was also injured on the eve of the final when he suffered back trouble shortly before Nottinghamshire’s win against Glamorgan in 2013. Luke Fletcher, a burly seamer and one of the characters of the circuit, will be a crowd-pleasing deputy.There may be more difficult discussions about the involvement of Stuart Broad. Broad is confident that he has fully recovered from a heel injury and would normally play, but if England get a whiff of risk there may yet be resistance. Cup final or not, it would play second fiddle to the opening Test of the summer. For the success of days like this, it is to be fervently hoped that he plays.Nottinghamshire (probable) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Riki Wessels, 4 Samit Patel, 5 Brendan Taylor, 6 Steven Mullaney, 7 Chris Read (wk), 8 Stuart Broad (or Luke Wood), 9 James Pattinson, 10 Luke Fletcher 11 Harry Gurney.Surrey should have a full squad to choose from which seems to leave them perming two from three from Scott Borthwick, a close-season signing from Durham, Rory Burns and an effervescent newbie, Ollie Pope.The Curran brothers return with reputations enhanced. Tom has just made an assured England debut in the T20I series against South Africa and Sam, playing his third successive final at the tender age of 19, will be anxious to deliver an influential performance to underline himself as a talented and streetwise cricketer.Surrey (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Scott Borthwick / Rory Burns, 5 Ben Foakes (wk), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Gareth Batty (capt), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Jade Dernbach. Pitch and conditionsThe final of the 50-over competition has traditionally taken place at the end of the season, but as the season has expanded it has become later and later and often overly influenced by the toss. It has also been increasingly overshadowed by Finals Day in the NatWest Trophy as T20 cricket has gained prominence.A switch to midsummer therefore seems a positive move, especially as it connects the final to the group stages, so maintaining the narrative of the event.The weather in London is forecast to be settled, with sunny intervals in the afternoon and highs of 22C. All it needs is a decent surface and Read, for one, expects just that, envisaging decent pace and remarking: “There’s runs in it.”. Quotes”It’s just a mental thing. It is a case of everybody understanding that it’s a big occasion but not getting overawed by it.” “There’s pressure on them perhaps. They’ve choked at the last maybe.”