ScorecardArun Harinath: a career-defining season?•PA Photos
The boisterous rendition of Surrey’s team song – a legacy of Mark Butcher’s time as captain – spoke of a deeply contented squad. They had much to be contented about. Surrey had just won their fourth consecutive game, lifting themselves 54 points clear of third-placed Glamorgan with four games left to play.Although three late wickets gave Surrey’s run chase an ostensible tension, they chased down 313 with a palpable swagger befitting a vibrant young team who will soon leave Division Two cricket behind.In a side not lacking for razzmatazz, Arun Harinath and Gary Wilson are two undemonstrative cricketers, eschewing histrionics but identified by dependability. They rarely feel compelled to match more belligerent teammates stroke-for-stroke, but, as they proved here, it is not because they are entirely incapable of doing so.Harinath has enjoyed a career-transforming season. First given an opportunity when Rory Burns was knocked unconscious during a horrific collision with Moises Henriques at Arundel, Harinath responded with a pair of centuries against Glamorgan.His progress – adhesiveness married with newfound assertiveness – has delighted many, Kumar Sangakkara included. In , Sangakkara recently praised Harinath’s aggression as befitting “a good, old-fashioned Sri Lankan brand of cricket”, lamenting “what an opportunity it would be for Sri Lanka if he was over there and playing.”Building his innings diligently after Surrey lost Burns and Davies in consecutive overs, Harinath’s 87 provided ample evidence of his shot-making ability. When he crunched Jamie Porter to the point boundary he did not even deign to move. The nimbleness of his footwork as he lofted the ball down the ground against spin was also delightful.Together with Gary Wilson, Harinath forged the decisive partnership of the match: 92 in 16.5 overs. Wilson oozed intent from his arrival, his cries of “push, push” booming around Castle Park whenever a gap was located. He was particularly adroit against Monty Panesar, heaving him for an emphatic six over long off and then deftly reverse-sweeping for four in the same over.”I just knew that when it got down to a one-day scenario that we could probably put on the gas with him, because he does tend to bowl at that one pace and when we got a few shots away off it he might not be able to have the change-ups that perhaps the others guys might,” Wilson reflected.After 750 runs at 46.87 apiece last year Wilson would not have been the first to take umbrage after not being retained as captain (partly due to his Ireland commitments), but he is not the sort to do so: his fourth half-century of the season lifted his average above 45 once more.As Surrey built their chase upon another innings from Burns that oozed assurance, it had seemed as if their chase was set up for Jason Roy, who promptly slog-swept Tom Westley for a four and six in consecutive balls. With Surrey needing 150 from the final session with seven wickets in hand, Roy gave note of his intensions by thumping a straight boundary in the first over after tea. “He’s going for it,” Essex’s Jamie Porter could be heard muttering.So Roy was, and, as he followed a pristine offdrive off Panesar with a late cut of finesse for another boundary three balls later, Essex has good reason to fear. He smeared another slogsweep off Westley to the square leg boundary, but this time Matt Salisbury parried the ball, tumbled over the boundary edge and then returned to pluck the ball out of the air.It was the sort of moment that deserved to be match turning, but Surrey hurtled over their target with the force of a runaway train, even promoting Sam Curran from No 10 to No 7 to speed up the time before they could bring out their team song.Division One is coming, and Surrey think they are ready. “Division One cricket is a step up but it’s still Championship cricket and we’ll be confident that we can step up,” Wilson reflected. “The good thing about this team is it’s a really young squad. There’s going to be years of learning but we’ve got so many players that have got to be on the England radar.”That the game finished with 17 scheduled deliveries remaining was testament to the outstanding work done by the ground staff at Castle Park. While the pitch did not deteriorate in the way some envisaged – after day two Burns said that he would not like to chase more than 250 – it produced four days of engrossing cricket.Ultimately the superiority of Surrey’s spinners proved decisive. While Panesar had bowled encouragingly in the first innings, he was too predictable, too fast and too flat on the final day, until a rank longhop to Gareth Batty was dispatched to secure Surrey’s win.It did not speak well of Panesar’s performance that he was out-bowled by not only Aron Nijjar, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner, but also Westley, who had not taken a Championship wicket all season until this game. Panesdar finished with 1 for 88 and went at nearly five an over. Nijjar and Westley took 6 for 158 and conceded 3.5.”We never really got control of the game,” admitted Essex coach Paul Grayson. “We were leaking runs a bit too easily and couldn’t really sustain pressure for any period of time.”In many ways Essex’s day was defined in the first over of the day. Westley, who had the capacity to dominate Surrey’s attack, was dismissed to his second ball of the day, a flick to the legside freakishly ballooned off Roy at short leg, who caught the ball on the rebound.”Above all, he believes in getting things done,” wrote the journalist Simon Heffer of ‘Essex Man’ when he christened the term 25 years ago. For much of Essex’s second innings Heffer might have thought that his opinion needed revising.Essex failed to even score at three an over which, even allowing for the nous of Surrey’s spin twins, seemed to betray a curious lack of urgency considering the side began the match 56 points behind Surrey. and a win was essential. Besides Westley, who failed to add to his overnight 90, Essex’s top order gave the impression their feet were chained to he ground.At several occasions on the final morning all 13 players on the pitch were united in looking up towards the pavilion to see if James Foster was calling his team in. But Essex batted on and then batted some more – and rather lethargically in the circumstances – even as their lead cleared 300.Still, Gareth Batty was not complaining, his perseverance and skill rewarded with a five-wicket haul to match Ansari’s in the first innings: Surrey’s two spinners shared 15 wickets in the match, the last coming from a superb Jade Dernbach catch at fine leg, catching a ferocious sweep from Kishen Velani on the rebound.
Manchester United’s central midfield hunt feels as though it has lasted for many months, with no number one target appearing ahead of the January transfer window.
Bruno Fernandes, who has operated in such a role this campaign, looks set to miss the next few weeks, after limping off with a hamstring issue against Aston Villa.
As a result, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo remain as the only senior options available to Ruben Amorim in his push to claim a top-four spot in the Premier League.
INEOS will no doubt want to invest further into the playing squad to bolster the options at the 40-year-old’s disposal, but it remains to be seen who they go after.
One player has been strongly linked over recent months, but it’s currently unclear if the Red Devils can convince his current employers to part ways with him this winter.
Man Utd could see £35m bid accepted for LaLiga star
Over recent months, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has emerged as a key target for United, with the youngster seen as an immediate and long-term solution.
The 21-year-old has made himself a full-time England international over the last few years, which has no doubt increased the fee the Eagles can demand for his signature.
It’s been reported that Oliver Glasner’s side are demanding at least £75m to part ways with the youngster, a fee which could prove to be outside the Red Devils’ price range.
However, he’s not the only Englishman currently in their sights ahead of the January window, with Atlético Madrid star Conor Gallagher another option they’re considering.
According to talkSPORT, the LaLiga side would be willing to offload the 25-year-old this winter, should they receive an offer in the region of £35m for his services.
It also states Amorim’s side would prefer a loan deal instead of a permanent one during the upcoming window, but it remains to be seen if such could be reached.
Why Gallagher would be United’s very own Wharton
There’s no doubt United need a huge overhaul of the central midfield department, with the current options at Amorim’s disposal, unfortunately, not at the level required for success.
However, given the huge investment over the summer, numerous temporary solutions will no doubt be needed in January to provide a short-term fix until the end of the season.
The summer will be the time when the board can once again invest and complete an overhaul to help achieve the success the fanbase have been starved of in recent years.
Wharton will no doubt be one of the main targets the hierarchy decide to pursue, with the 21-year-old a player who could feature in the role for at least the next decade.
However, Gallagher could be the perfect short-term solution if a deal can be agreed, with the Atlético star potentially being their own version of the Palace sensation.
He has previously played for the Eagles, like Wharton, with such a move being the perfect stepping stone to establish himself in the Premier League.
Gallagher is also a box-to-box option, just like the youngster, with the pair being ranked as similar players for their performances in England’s top-flight a few years ago.
However, when delving into their stats from the ongoing season, the 25-year-old has also produced numerous figures which are better than his fellow big-money target.
The Atletico star, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by scout Felix Johnston, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also registering more progressive carries per 90.
How Gallagher & Wharton compare in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)
Gallagher
Wharton
Games played
18
15
Goals & assists
2
2
Pass accuracy
87%
85%
Progressive carries
2.7
1.1
Tackles won
1.7
1.2
Tackle success rate
47%
42%
Interceptions made
1.6
1.1
Blocks made
1.6
0.7
Aerials won
53%
45%
Stats via FBref
Such numbers showcase his incredible ability with the ball at his feet, potentially offering the side an excellent ball-playing option within the heart of the midfield.
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Gallagher has also dominated without the ball, as seen by his higher tally of tackles won, whilst also managing to make more interceptions than per 90 in Spain’s top-flight.
His quality over his compatriot is further demonstrated without the ball, as the former Chelsea star has made more blocks, whilst also coming out on top in more aerial battles.
From such numbers, it shows that the 25-year-old is an excellent option in and out of possession, but it’s unclear if the player would be open to a move to Old Trafford.
Wharton will certainly still be the supporters’ first choice to fill the void at the heart of the side, but Gallagher will no doubt be the perfect immediate option this winter.
However, if it is to be completed, the two clubs need to find an agreement in the weeks ahead to get the best possible deal in place for all of the parties involved.
Worse than Sesko: Man Utd's big-money flop is now becoming another Martial
Manchester United appear to have another problem on their hands alongside Benjamin Sesko.
ByEthan Lamb
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A surprisingly elated Shoaib Malik credited his senior players after Pakistan completed a comfortable clean sweep of the Mobilink Cup against Zimbabwe. Pakistan, led by Malik, went on a lap of honour around Sheikhupura Stadium after their win, an unusually exuberant celebration as they were expected to win 5-0. But Malik had personal reasons for smiling, having been adjudged the Man of the Series after scoring 158 runs with two half-centuries and topping the bowling charts with 11 wickets.Pakistan tried nine new players during the series, but Malik insisted the support they received from the senior players was a major factor behind their success. “We tried a lot of new faces in the series and it is not easy for young players to perform right from the start,” Malik said. “However, I’m thankful to the senior players who helped these debutants make their entry into international cricket that much easier. It is due to that the changes worked so effectively.”Ever since their bowlers received a mauling in the first ODI in Karachi, Zimbabwe have opted to bat after winning the toss. Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s stand-in captain, carried on the trend here, but he was left ruing it from the start as Sohail Tanvir and Abdur Rauf, one of four debutants, utilised overcast conditions to good effect. Malik was surprised by Masakadza’s decision and confirmed he would have bowled first in order to give his bowlers the chance to make an impression.”With overcast conditions and a relatively unknown pitch, I would’ve bowled had I won the toss,” he said. “Even though we had helpful conditions, credit must also go out to our young fast bowlers, of which two were making their debut, for bowling in the right areas.”Masakadza, disappointed with his team’s batting, blamed Zimbabwe’s lack of all-round skills for the convincing loss. “We failed to capitalise on good, match-winning positions,” Masakadza said. “We could’ve won at least three matches on this tour but let good positions slip too easily.”We weren’t thrashed or outplayed by the opposition in any of the matches so it all comes down to taking half-chances and crossing the finish line. We need to learn how to finish things off.”
| Our motto is to keep fighting as a unit and with the series win, the team is confident of facing AustraliaShoaib Malik | |||
Malik, despite the win, said the team had a lot to learn and implement before the tough series against Australia. “There’s a lot of difference between ODIs and Test matches,” Malik said. “Just because we have performed well in ODIs does not mean we can be complacent for the [Test] series against Australia. We need to improve our fielding and running between the wickets because those two departments of the game can be vital against a strong team like Australia.”Having been unable to bowl out Zimbabwe in three of the five games, Malik pointed to his side’s “lack of killer instinct” as one of the areas they needed to work on. “We were in positions to get Zimbabwe dismissed cheaply, like today, but we let our guard down and let opportunities slip. Luckily, we went on to win the matches so it did not come back to haunt us but we still need to improve on that.”Our motto is to keep fighting as a unit and with the series win, the team is confident of facing Australia.”
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Edgar Schiferli, the Netherlands medium-pacer, could miss the World Cup after he injured his left hamstring during a warm-up session ahead of the practice match against India at the Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica.Schiferli missed the practice match that Netherlands lost by 182 runs. “He is our experienced opening bowler and it doesn’t look good,” Hans Mulder, the Netherlands manager, told Reuters. Mulder was of the opinion that the injury was serious enough for Schiferli to be replaced in the squad.Schiferli’s injury is a big blow to Netherlands as he was the joint highest wicket-taker in the 2005 ICC Trophy held in Ireland. He took 17 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.64 in the tournament. Netherlands are in Group A along with Australia, South Africa and Scotland.
Mathew Sinclair followed his first-innings century with 53 in the second, as Central Districts finished on 130 for 3 on the second day against Auckland at Palmerston North. Earlier, Michael Mason and Lance Hamilton starred with the ball, taking nine wickets between them as Auckland were bundled out for 180. Mason had exceptional figures of 5 for 26 from 18.5 overs, while Hamilton took 4 for 39. Their combined effort ensured Central Districts ended with a 65-run first-innings lead. By close of play, they had stretched that lead to 195.Alun Evans was in sight of only his second first-class century as Northern Districts recovered from a poor start to a respectable 158 for 3 at Hamilton, still 208 behind Wellington’s first-innings total. Evans was unbeaten on 90 and helped his team bounce back after losing two wickets with only 12 on the board. Wellington’s total was largely built around Michael Parlane’s 154, an innings which included 26 fours and two sixes. None of the other Wellington batsmen managed even a half-century, with Jeetan Patel’s 45 at No.10 being the second-highest.Otago took charge of their State Championship match against Canterbury at Queenstown. After scoring 384, Otago put in a superb display in the field on the second day, bundling Canterbury out for 114, and then reducing them to 46 for 3 as they followed on. The stars for Otago were James McMillan, a right-arm fast bowler, and Nathan McCullum, an offbreak bowler and the brother of Brendon, New Zealand’s wicketkeeper. McMillan got rid of the top order and finished with 4 for 32, while McCullum polished off the tail and ended with 5 for 28, his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
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Sri Lanka Cricket has announced that it will appeal against the government decision last week to take over control of the game’s management. After several days of speculation, the government appointed a six-man interim committee after claims of financial mismanagement.Despite the government’s decision, announced by the sports minister Jeevan Kumaratunga on Thursday afternoon, the cricket board proceeded as scheduled with its AGM on Sunday, and elected Thilanga Sumathipala unopposed as the president for a fifth term.Other officials appointed included Ravin Wickramaratne as secretary, Nuski Mohammad as treasurer, Aravinda de Silva and Trevor Rajaratnam as the two vice-presidents, Bandula Dissanayake as assistant secretary, Lucian Merinnage as assistant treasurer, and Mohan de Silva as immediate past president.After the AGM, Aravinda de Silva criticised the government’s decision to strip the board’s elected executive committee of their powers, arguing that it will create uncertainty and hamper the development of the game in Sri Lanka.”This unfortunate incident will have a bad impact on our cricket internationally and on the morale of our team,” said de Silva. “This is the only country where the sports minister has suspended the activities of the cricket board on four occasions in the past five years. There has been so much uncertainty created as a result of this.”Meanwhile, Nuski Mohammad justified the $3.25million loss recorded in the accounts for the past year, claiming that occasional deficits were part and parcel of an international cricket association because of the variations in the revenue-generating capacity of different touring countries.”It is evident that during the years 2000 and 2002 we had deficits of $800,000 and $2.9million before tax, whereas in 2001 and 2003 Sri Lanka Cricket had a surplus of $4.4million and $2million,” he revealed. “This is normal because the administration and cricket expenses are dependent on the level of activity for each year in operation.”Sri Lanka Cricket is largely dependent on a multitude of factors, such as rotation and the number of international tours during a particular year, the TV income derived from such tours which could vary from country to country, the four-year World Cup cycle which brings in a large amount of revenue, and the income derived from other tournaments held periodically such as the Asia Cup.”He concluded: “Unlike other countries, we are servicing all the centres, districts and provinces and maintaining the infrastructure of stadiums where international matches are played. To get results in cricket you’ve got to spend.”He added that junior, under-23 and A-team tours cost a substantial amount of money without any financial returns. “One could justify the expenditure in terms of our current standing in international cricket, where we occupy second position in the one-day table and fourth position in Tests. Even Australia, which occupies top berth in both forms of the game, has reported losses to the tune of A$14 million [nearly Rs. one billion].”However, despite Sri Lanka Cricket’s AGM, the government’s new committee, headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa, will takeover control of the board on Monday, when they are expected to reveal their management mandate, which could include fundamental constitutional change of the board.Sri Lanka Cricket office-bearers: Roshan Abeysinghe (Chairman, Tournament Committee), Romesh Kaluwitharana(Chairman, Umpires Committee), Cricket Associations: Anura Weerasinghe, Tyronne de Silva; District Cricket Associations: M Manoharan, Lorence Amarasena, Controlling Clubs: Michael de Zoysa, Pradeep Peiris, Mizra Fajudeen; Affiliated Clubs: Gihan Weerasinghe, Manju Fernando.
The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has congratulated West End Redbacks batsman Chris Davies on last night (February 6) being named the 2003 Tanya Denver Award winner at the annual The Advertiser-Channel 7 Sports Star of the Year Awards.The Tanya Denver Award, named after The Advertiser’s late deputy sports editor, is given to the athlete who best demonstrates outstanding sportmanship and endeavour.Chris follows in the footsteps of fellow Redbacks player Jason Gillespie who was the 2002 Tanya Denver Award recipient.As a first-class cricketer since 1997-98, Chris not only has had the enormous challenges facing any elite sportsman, but has had to battle the incurable disease cystic fibrosis to make it to the top level.Chris said he was honoured to receive the award and hopes being the 2003 recipient will help inspire his fellow cystic fibrosis sufferers."Winning the Tanya Denver Award is truly an honour. I hope that by me winning this award, young kids who also suffer from cystic fibrosis might just realise it still is possible to achieve your dreams – whether in sport or other facets of life," he said.SACA chief executive Mike Deare said that Chris is an inspiration to anyone in demonstrating how to overcome adversity to achieve success."Chris is not only an outstanding cricketer, but he is a natural leader and through his hard work and determination has managed to succeed at the highest level of cricket for his State, despite battling a debilitating disease.""Everyone at the SACA is exceedingly proud of Chris’ achievements, not only on the field but also his achievements throughout his life. And, he is no doubt an inspiration to young people who also may have similar struggles in life," he said.Redbacks captain Darren Lehmann was a finalist in the Sports Star of the Year category, which was won by Lleyton Hewitt.
SYDNEY – Steve Waugh is to be replaced as captain of Australia’s one-daycricket team, the Australian Cricket Board announced today.ACB chief executive James Sutherland said Waugh would not be picked inthe team for the looming seven-match one-day international series inSouth Africa starting in March.Waugh said he saw his axing as “a setback and a challenge” but he would”definitely” remain available for selection in the one-day team.”I’m not in the side right now but I’ve got to try and turn that aroundand be selcted for the 2003 World Cup.”Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said his panel made a unanimousdecision to drop Waugh from the limited-overs team.Hohns said the new captain would not be named until the one-day squadfor the South African tour was chosen in the next seven days.Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist are considered favourites for the job.
The Orissa team gave their state a very happy New Year’s gift by scoring a 129-run victory over Bengal in the East Zone Ranji Trophy tie at the Eden Gardens onSunday. The emphatic manner in which the cricketers from Utkal dominated thegame was hard to believe. Undoubtedly, the man of the match was the formerIndian seam bowler Debashis Mohanty. He took five wickets in the second inningsto take his match tally to 11, the first time that he had taken 10 or morewickets in a first class game. Incidentally this is the first time that Orissahave managed to defeat Bengal in 43 years of first class cricket.The issue was wide open on Saturday as Sourav Ganguly was still at the crease.But Mohanty had reserved one of the best deliveries for him. The ball that hadthe Indian captain could have done the same to any other batsmen. It pitchedjust outside the off-stump, bounced and moved off the seam late. Gangulydesperately tried to remove himself from the line of the delivery but could onlyglove it to wicket-keeper Gautam Gopal. Earlier, Mohanty had removed nightwatchman Sourashis Lahiri and then had dismissed the Bengal skipper DevangGandhi with successive deliveries. However, Gandhi could have left the ballalone. He tried to play it down and managed only to glove it for the secondcatch of the day to Gautam Gopal.An early lunch for Bengal was on the cards as Rohan Gavaskar was caught andbowled by Ajay Barik who had replaced Mohanty after the latter had bowledunchanged for two hours from the club house end. Gavaskar hit him for two lovelydrives through the covers. However, the moment Barik went round the wicket andaltered the line, Gavaskar was found wanting. He played well across to a balltrying to flick it through mid wicket. The ball caught the leading edge andlobbed back for a simple catch to the bowler. Srikkant Kalyani then was trappedplumb in front by P.Jayachandran as he shuffled too far across the stumps.Bengal finally managed to give some respectability to the score because of aninth wicket stand between Deep Dasgupta and Utpal Chatterjee. The two added 99runs for the ninth wicket taking the score over the 250 mark. However, the jobfor the two became comparatively easy as the Orissa spinners were operating.Both played freely and demonstrated to their predecessors that there was nothingin the pitch. Chatterjee scored 53 with seven boundaries. He was particularlysevere on off spinner S.Satpathy, repeatedly cutting him to the point fence.Dasgupta also looked quite solid in his 39. He was out to a dubious caughtbehind decision. Two balls later the match was over as Jayachandra had uprootedthe stumps of the last batsman Shiv Shankar Paul.Orissa now have 21 points from three matches while Bengal have 13. The latterwill at least need a minimum of five points to have a safe passage into theknockout stage. Assam have 16 points from two matches, while Bihar have eightfrom three.