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Harry Kane could lose Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich as the veteran has been urged to leave, with Manchester United one potential destination.

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Muller advised to leave Bayern Struggling for minutes under Thomas TuchelTen Hag ready to bring him to Old TraffordWHAT HAPPENED?

The 2014 World Cup winner has slipped down the pecking order at Allianz Arena, particularly with the arrival of Kane. Moreover, competition from other players like Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has made it difficult for him to be a regular. This has prompted Lothar Matthaus, a World Cup-winning captain, to suggest Muller consider a move away from Germany which would see Kane lose one of his closest friends in the Bayern dressing room. Matthaus even touted the MLS as a potential destination for Muller where he could unite with former Uefa Champions League rival Lionel Messi.

AdvertisementWHAT MATTHAUS SAID ABOUT MULLER

Writing for Sky Germany, Matthaus said: "At Bayern Munich, he will no longer get the minutes he got two years ago. If he has the confidence to play from the start like he did two years ago, then he has to change clubs. You have to say that openly. Muller’s situation looks like a gradual decline.

"As far as Muller’s future at Bayern is concerned, the question is what Thomas wants. Is he content with only being a part-time worker or even not playing at all? Muller is rooted in Munich, but perhaps he can imagine a new life experience, for example in North America?"

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According toTen Hag is an admirer of Muller and would want him at his disposal at Old Trafford in 2024. The Dutch manager wanted to get him in the previous winter but could not thrash out a deal for the striker. However, this time the winds are in his favour as Muller's contract is expiring at the end of the season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United are struggling for goals as Marcus Rashford has been just a shadow of his former self and Rasmus Hojlund is bizarrely yet to find the net in the Premier League after 651 minutes of action. The Red Devils had been linked with a move for Napoli's Victor Osimhen but their president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed that the striker is on the verge of extending that would see him stay in Naples beyond 2025. Hence Muller could be an option who could lift United, at least in the short term.

The newly-elected BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has denied either knowledge or clue of the activities “as a suspected bookie” of an individual called Karan Gilhotra

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-20151:24

Kalra: Thakur sends a clear message

The internal tussle for control of the BCCI was played out in public via a letter from the newly-elected BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur to the ICC chairman N Srinivasan on Monday. In the letter, Thakur accused Srinivasan of not being ‘reconciled’ with his election to the post of BCCI secretary and therefore launching a ‘counter offensive.’ This counter offensive, Thakur wrote, was the leak of an internal ICC document regarding his association with a ‘suspected bookie.’Thakur, however, has denied having knowledge or clue of the activities of one Karan Gilhotra “as a suspected bookie.”Srinivasan responded to Thakur’s letter by saying he was not in the habit of leaking information. “If I have to talk to Anurag, I will write a letter to him in private or have a word with him,” he told . “I don’t need to go to the media with allegations against BCCI officials.”The letter from the ICC was dated April 22 with a copy marked to the ICC chairman Srinivasan. ICC chief executive David Richardson had written to BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya over an allegation that Thakur was spotted with Gilhotra, who “appears on the ICC ACSU database… following rumours … about his involvement in betting on cricket.”Richardson said, “during the 2014 edition of the IPL, unverified information was received by the ICC ACSU that Mr Gilhotra was seen trying to befriend players and support staff during the tournament and that there were rumours (again unverified) about his involvement in betting on cricket.”The letter was sent to Dalmiya as it fell, “outside the jurisdiction of the ICC’s anti corruption code” so he could “handle as appropriate.” The original email sent by a journalist carried photographs of Gilhotra and Thakur together.Thakur, in his letter on Monday, said that the BCCI had “received information from the ICC ostensibly under your [Srinivasan’s] direction that I should keep away from one Mr Karan Gilhotra who is a ‘suspected bookie… I only wish that you had shared the list of ‘unverified suspected bookies’ with me and other colleagues, so we could identify such persons and keep away from them.”Thakur added he had, known Gilhotra “who has been active in the political and cricket in activities in Punjab and adjacent states. I had no knowledge about his activities as a bookie.”The ICC letter states that on the basis of the information, Ravi Sawani, the director of the BCCI’s anti corruption unit, “wrote to all the IPL franchise managers in 2014 advising them that they should take steps to ensure Mr Gilhotra was not entertained by any of their squad members.” The letter then ended with the following: “we believe however as the allegation involves Mr Thakur for his own benefit, it would be advisable for its contents to be drawn to Mr Thakur’s immediate attention.”Thakur said the ICC advisory was made public at Srinivasan’s “behest” around the working committee meeting in Kolkata on Sunday. He also asked Srinivasan to, share this information (regarding the list of suspected bookies) “with your family members, whose involvement in betting has been proved.” A reference to the 2013 IPL corruption case when Srinivasan’s son in law and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan was charged with betting by the Supreme Court.Thakur’s letter ended with a statement that, “since the ICC advisory had been made in public, I would be making this letter to you public” circulating its contents and details on social media and on the BCCI’s official mailing list to media outlets.

India and Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Sreesanth has been handed a life ban by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing in IPL 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2013India and Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Sreesanth has been handed a life ban by the BCCI for his involvement in spot-fixing in IPL 2013. His Royals team-mate and Mumbai spinner Ankeet Chavan was also banned for life, following the board’s disciplinary committee meeting in Delhi on Friday.Amit Singh, the Gujarat cricketer-turned-bookie, got a five-year ban, while Saurashtra and Royals seamer Siddharth Trivedi was suspended for a year for not reporting an approach among other things. Twenty-one-year-old Harmeet Singh, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2012 and had a similar charge against him as Trivedi, has been cleared of wrongdoing due to a lack of evidence against him.There has been no ruling as yet on offspinner Ajit Chandila, the third Royals player who was arrested in May, since he is yet to be questioned by Ravi Sawani, who led the BCCI’s probe into the matter and whose report formed the basis for the board’s actions. Save for a few days when Chandila was out on bail due to a death in the family, he has been in police or judicial custody since his arrest on May 16, meaning Sawani could not speak to him. However, he was granted bail on September 9, so his case should come up soon. Sreesanth and Chavan were out on bail since June 11.While Trivedi is banned from playing any BCCI-organised cricket, the other three are banned from playing any such cricket or in any way being associated with activities of the Indian board or its affiliates. The penalties were decided upon by the disciplinary committee, comprising board president N Srinivasan and vice-presidents Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah. The ban means Trivedi will have to be replaced in Royals’ squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on September 21.Sreesanth tweeted soon after the news of his ban broke, saying he found it “surprising”. “Been tracking the news channels… Me getting a life ban??!! Very surprising,” he said. The tweet was deleted soon after.The Sawani report had recommended bans ranging from five years to life for the four players it found guilty on multiple accounts, including “match-fixing” and “seeking or offering a bribe as a reward for match-fixing”, the reported earlier in the day.Despite Sreesanth’s “surprise”, a BCCI insider revealed the committee was unanimous in handing him a life ban, with the intention of sending out a message. Amit Singh, the source said, benefitted from the fact that he wasn’t involved in IPL 2013 as a player. “Moreover, even though he has introduced players to bookies, it has been established that he hasn’t played any direct part in fixing. However, since he is a registered player with BCCI, he falls in the ambit of the BCCI ACSU code. As a result, five years was sought to be a suitable punishment,” the source said.However, the committee overruled Sawani’s guilty ruling on Harmeet Singh, its sole divergence from the recommendations. Harmeet was given benefit of doubt. Since he was coerced into a solitary meeting, reported it to the Rajasthan Royals team management and ACSU immediately after Chandila’s arrest and then co-operated with the police, it was felt it would be too harsh to spoil a youngster’s career.The disciplinary committee’s task was made relatively easy by the tough tone of the final report, which said none of the players were naive to the propositions of manipulation.”There is no specific mitigating factor that would require any mercy while sanctioning the aforesaid guilty players,” Sawani said in the report. “Sreesanth has played a number of international games and was part of the Indian national team which won the inaugural T20 World Cup, 2007 and ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. He has received the ICC ACSU education programme on many occasions. In any case all the three players of Rajasthan Royals who are now being accused and found guilty by the under-signed received the ICC Education Programme just prior to the beginning of the IPL-6 season i.e. on April 5, 2013. The programme was delivered to the entire Rajasthan Royals team by Mr Arrie De Bear, regional security manager of the ICC ACSU.”Obviously, the anti-corruption education given to the three players had no impact on the conduct. Therefore, the three players deserve no leniency whatsoever.”The players, minus Chandila, were summoned by the board to present their case in the disciplinary committee meeting in Delhi.Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were arrested by Delhi Police on May 16 in Mumbai, for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers, along with eleven bookies including Amit Singh. Royals later suspended their players and the BCCI set up an inquiry into the matter, headed by its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Sawani. Apart from the action taken by the board, the players face possible prison sentences should they be found guilty in a court of law. They were among 39 persons named in the Delhi Police’s chargesheet on alleged corruption in the IPL in July, charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonesty under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Lancashire have moved their Championship match against Durham late next month from Old Trafford to Liverpool

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2012Lancashire have moved their Championship match against Durham late next month from Old Trafford to Liverpool.The club said that the decision to switch the game set for August 28-31 was made to enable the building work at Old Trafford, that needs to be completed before the Twenty20 between England and South Africa, to continue without the hindrance of a match taking place at the same time.There is also some concern about areas of the new square – which was turned 90 degrees in 2010 – after the recent wet weather, although the main pitches remain intact. However, last week Lancashire came close to being docked points for the surface they prepared for the Championship match against Worcestershire which offered considerable help to spin.Mike Watkinson, the director of cricket, said: “We have considered a combination of factors in making this decision. With regard to the construction activity at Old Trafford we are on schedule to complete our new players and media building in time for the NatWest International T20 between England and South Africa which will be played on Monday 10th September.”However, this game falls during a busy period for our contractors, who are also redeveloping our pavilion, and it will allow them to complete key activities without having to schedule around a four-day game. This also removes any potential inconvenience to players and spectators.”In addition, we have recently endured a period of extremely wet weather which has resulted in the playing surface being under cover for extended periods. This has had an adverse effect on the grass cover to the new areas of the square. The established pitches on the square are high quality surfaces and will be used for the upcoming England Lions fixture and of course the Ashes Test in 2013.”Lancashire invested considerably in facilities at the Aigburth ground in Liverpool last year when the county held all their home Championship fixtures at the venue due to the redevelopment of Old Trafford. That factor was cited as one of key reasons they won the Championship title as the pitches were more result orientated than had previously been the case in Manchester, but the three matches so far this season have brought two defeats and a draw.

Chris Tremlett is facing a lengthy break from the game after specialists decided his back injury may require surgery. He will now miss England’s tour to Sri Lanka at the end of March.

George Dobell02-Feb-2012Chris Tremlett is facing a lengthy break from the game after specialists decided his back injury requires surgery. He will now miss England’s tour to Sri Lanka at the end of March.After experiencing a recurrence of back pain bowling in the first Test in Dubai, Tremlett flew home from England’s tour of the UAE last week. He had not played since July when he was forced out of the Test series against India with the same problem. He subsequently underwent a long period of rest and recuperation but the strain of bowling in a match situation appears to have exacerbated the injury.Tremlett will hope to regain his fitness with Surrey ahead of the start of England’s home season against West Indies in May.He said on Twitter that he had seen a specialist and may face three months on the sidelines: “Scans reveal a bulging disc and may require a little clean up. Hopefully back playing mid to end of April.”Until injury intervened, Tremlett had enjoyed a fine return to Test cricket. Recalled to the team ahead of the third Test of the 2010-11 Ashes, Tremlett took 36 wickets in his next seven Tests including 17 in three Tests against Australia.But now aged 30 this new setback will renew concerns over whether his 6ft 7in frame can withstand the rigours of fast bowling in Test cricket.England have decided against calling up a replacement for Tremlett to their Test squad in the UAE. He was the second bowler forced to return home after Tim Bresnan, who underwent elbow surgery at the start of December. Bresnan has subsequently started bowling again in Yorkshire.

Mushfiqur’s effort laid to waste a compelling all-round effort from Marlon Samuels that did its best to overcome his team-mates’ inability to master the conditions

The Report by Nitin Sundar11-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe former captain bowled well, and the new captain batted nervelessly to set up Bangladesh’s win•Associated PressMushfiqur Rahim began his captaincy tenure with a nerveless, unbeaten 41 off 26 balls, as Bangladesh completed their first win against West Indies at home. With four required to win off the last two balls, Mushfiqur lashed Ravi Rampaul for a huge six over deep midwicket to provide the closing twist in a game that swung dramatically in front of packed stands.Mushfiqur’s effort laid to waste a compelling all-round show from Marlon Samuels that did its best to overcome his team-mates’ inability to master the conditions. Samuels battled through a typically stifling spell from Bangladesh’s spinners to score a half-century and give his bowlers something to defend. His seaming team-mates then let him down to allow Bangladesh’s top order easy runs, but Samuels hit back with the wickets of the two most experienced home batsmen – Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful – in an economical spell. Samuels, however, bowled out in the 13th over and West Indies somehow contrived to let Bangladesh’s bottom half get 62 off the last seven overs.There were striking similarities in the way the two innings panned out. Like their Bangladeshi counterparts earlier in the day, the West Indies fast bowlers were too short with the new ball. Like the West Indies openers, Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal capitalised with a flurry of early boundaries that set them up for the middle overs. Both line-ups lost steam rapidly in the middle overs before staging recoveries.Kayes looked in fine touch, punching and cutting when provided with width, but Anthony Martin got him to hole out in the eighth over to give West Indies an opening. Samuels struck with the next ball, sneaking an armer through Shakib’s defences to dismiss him for a first-ball duck. Alok Kapali then gifted debutant Carlos Brathwaite his first wicket with a mindless slog to leave Bangladesh at 53 for 4 at the halfway mark. With the resolute Mahmudullah out with fever, the Bangladesh middle order faced a dodgy chase.For a brief while, Ashraful showed signs of steering Bangladesh home, but perished off the last ball of Samuels’ spell. Mushfiqur kept Bangladesh afloat by hitting Martin for a six in the 15th over, but Naeem Islam succumbed to Darren Sammy’s slower ball to give West Indies the edge once again. It boiled down to 20 off the last two overs, and Brathwaite was handed the 19th over – bowling sides’ banana peel in the recently concluded Champions League.Brathwaite’s lack of pace and insistence on sticking to length deliveries meant he had to maintain exemplary lines. He missed his mark twice, and Bangladesh found boundaries on both occasions. Nasir Hossain swung a straight ball to midwicket, and Mushfiqur dabbed a wide one through third man as Bangladesh looted 14 off the over. Rampaul managed to dismiss Hossain and keep things tight for four balls of the final over, before Mushfiqur signed off in style.Earlier, Shakib and Abdur Razzak asphyxiated West Indies with a typically restrictive spell of left-arm spin, but Samuels seemed to be batting on a different pitch. Samuels walked out at No. 3 and began the international leg of the tour with two sixes off his first three balls against the habitually short Rubel Hossain. The first was a sumptuous swivel-pull over backward square leg, and the second an astounding pick-up shot that carried over backward point. Lendl Simmons found some fluency of his own, sweeping Shakib for four before planting Razzak beyond the midwicket boundary, but his exit exposed the deficiencies of the flat-footed middle order.Andre Russell edged Shakib into the covers and Dwayne Bravo missed an armer from Razzak that skidded on, before Darren Sammy tried to loft a ball that was too full and holed out to long-off. Danza Hyatt, meanwhile, missed a lap shot to be trapped in front, as West Indies went into tailspin, but Samuels kept counter-punching.He settled in after the turbo-charged start, gauging the conditions with a series of nudges and pushes off the spinners, even as his team-mates floundered. Having moved easily to 23 off 18 balls, Samuels opened up again with a cover drive off Naeem Islam in the 12th over, before guiding Shakib through point, both for fours. Samuels continued to upset Naeem’s lines, walking outside off and lashing him with the spin for his third six, before repeating the dose when Shakib dropped short. By the time he was out in the final over, Samuels had lifted West Indies to a respectable score, but it wasn’t enough against the rampant Mushfiqur.

Riyad Mahrez has explained why he left Manchester City for the Saudi Pro League while still having “unfinished business” in the Champions League.

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Won the Treble with City last seasonGuardiola wanted him to stayNew challenge sought in Middle EastWHAT HAPPENED?

The Algerian winger formed part of the mass exodus that saw leading lights in European football head for the Middle East in the summer of 2023. Mahrez linked up with Al-Ahli in a £30 million ($37m) transfer, with that move completed on the back of savouring Treble glory with City.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MAHREZ SAID ABOUT LEAVING CITY

Pep Guardiola wanted Mahrez to remain at the Etihad Stadium, despite leaving him on the bench for a Champions League final win over Inter, and the 32-year-old forward has told of why he bid farewell to England: “I had two years left on my contract with Manchester City, I could have stayed. It was really me who decided to leave. I felt that this opportunity would not come again. Maybe it was time to leave because I had spent five years at City and won everything. Txiki Begiristain (technical director) really wanted me to stay, and even Pep Guardiola. They made it clear to me. I weighed the pros and cons. And finally, I decided to leave. I don't regret it, I'm happy to be here."

WHAT MAHREZ SAID ABOUT THE SAUDI PRO LEAGUE

Mahrez added on the quality of the Saudi Pro League: "The level of the Saudi league is not bad. It's going to get better and better. It’s a championship that I’m learning. Here, they have put the resources into recruiting the best players. There's definitely quality, I think it's just the beginning. Can we compare it to Europe? I don't think so yet. But at this rate, in the near future, they can be among the five, six or seven best Championships in the world."

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WHAT MAHREZ SAID ABOUT UCL FINAL SNUB

Mahrez has signed a contract worth £43m ($53m) per year in Saudi Arabia and is fully committed to his new cause despite having some regrets at how his time in Europe finished – as he failed to take to the field before claiming a Champions League winners’ medal. He added: “To be honest, I still have a taste of unfinished business. In the Champions League, I did not play the semi-final or the final. In previous seasons, I always started in the Champions League while always being impactful for my team. This last year, I couldn't say it went badly, but I have a bit of this feeling of unfinished business. I was offered four years in Saudi Arabia, in a Muslim country where I can definitely protect (and provide for) my family. There was also a new challenge, and a new project. So, I decided to leave, it wasn't a big deal.”

Rajasthan Royals registered their eighth win in Jaipur beating Chennai Super Kings by five wickets and rose to No. 2 on the points table

The Report by Devashish Fuloria12-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsStuart Binny had a rapid 93-run stand with Shane Watson•BCCIAt the mid-innings break, Michael Hussey had thought the 141-run total put up by Chennai Super Kings was competitive because the pitch was aiding seam bowling, but he was wary of the “Watson factor”. In the end, it was Shane Watson who turned out to be the difference with a 34-ball 70, as Rajasthan Royals registered their eighth win in Jaipur – a cleansheet – and rose to No. 2 in the points table, behind the Super Kings only on net run rate.Royals had been left scarred by 10 overs of menacing bowling by the Super Kings’ seamers and were left looking at a mountain to climb. With 93 required off the last 10, and Rahul Dravid already back in the dugout, a way back looked difficult. Then Dhoni introduced R Ashwin in the 11th, and the match turned on its head. The third ball of the over was slog-swept by Stuart Binny and it just cleared Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket, but it was the fifth and the sixth deliveries that signalled the start of the onslaught. Watson swept both comfortably over the midwicket boundary, making it 23 runs of that over, Ashwin’s most expensive in all IPL. It was the first over of spin in the game.It seemed like a switch had been flicked on, and Dhoni’s immediate reaction to go back to his seamers in the next over didn’t really make a difference to the batsmen. Binny cut and flicked Morris for a couple of boundaries, and then Watson took over. He first drove the impressive Jason Holder for a six over long-off, then bludgeoned two of Dwayne Bravo’s next over. The switch in gears left everyone gobsmacked. Morris lost his line in the next over and was duly hit for four boundaries in all directions, the first of which brought Watson’s half-century, off just 25 balls. Royals scored 81 between overs 11 and 15. By the time Watson was dismissed, the job had been done. Binny finished the chase with six over long-off to remain unbeaten on 41.The start of the innings had been nothing like the finish. Royals were peppered with pace and bounce from the Super Kings fast bowlers and they struggled as MS Dhoni maintained pressure with slip fielders. It was only Dravid who seemed adept enough to handle the bowling, similar to how Michael Hussey had steered the first innings for Super Kings, but even he edged a lot.Royals, who had won five straight matches chasing, had asked Super Kings to bat on a spicy pitch and Hussey and Vijay played the initial period watchfully to thwart the bowlers, then raised the 11th half-century stand between them to set up a strong base for the hitters to follow. But Kevon Cooper struck twice to remove Suresh Raina and Dhoni, derailing the Super Kings’ innings and the pitch was too hot to handle for the rest. Had it not been for a brief cameo by Bravo, Super Kings would not have had a competitive total. In the end, however, Royals won with 17 balls to spare.

James Hildreth’s unbeaten century was ultimately in vain for Somerset as Middlesex snatched a four-wicket win in the last over at Lord’s.

04-Jun-2013
ScorecardDawid Malan fell one run short of a century but his innings was the mainstay of Middlesex’s chase•Getty ImagesJames Hildreth’s unbeaten century was ultimately in vain for Somerset as Middlesex snatched a four-wicket win in the last over at Lord’s. Dawid Malan fell a run short of a century in reply but, with a nerveless unbeaten 39 from 38 balls, Neil Dexter got the hosts got home under the lights at HQ.Bu they were made to sweat after Hildreth took 26 from the final over, bowled by James Harris, to reach 102 not out and set a defendable score of 247 for 7.Middlesex looked to be cruising at 159 for 1in the 24th over, after Malan had figured in stands of 71 and 88 with Paul Stirling and Joe Denly respectively, but a cool captain’s innings by Dexter was then required after the loss of four wickets for 26 runs in eight overs.Victory eventually arrived with five balls to spare as Dexter, Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner, who ended a good match for him by pulling the winning boundary, dealt impressively with the pressure of having to score 55 from the last eight overs.Stirling had fallen for 27 when he speared his 24th ball straight to mid-off, but Denly included a six over long-on against Arul Suppiah in his 31 before he went for a rash big hit against Max Waller’s leg-spin and skied a catch to wicketkeeper Alex Barrow.Suddenly panic set in and Middlesex also lost Chris Rogers for 1, superbly caught low down by Marcus Trescothick diving to his right at first slip off Jamie Overton, who then trapped Adam Rossington leg before for 6 with a stunning yorker. When Malan drove wildly at Craig Meschede’s medium pace, and Barrow flung himself to his left to cling on to the edge, Somerset were right back in the game at 185 for 5 in the 31st over.But Dexter added 44 in combative fashion with Berg, until the latter skied a leading edge to long off to depart for 17, and Rayner also played well to finish on 12 not out. The win puts Middlesex into third place in Group C.Hildreth had earlier completed his hundred in spectacular style, hitting Harris for three successive sixes and two fours in the 40th over of the Somerset innings to boost the total.Before the explosive end to Hildreth’s superbly-paced 94-ball innings, which contained seven fours as well as those three sixes from the first three balls of the final over, it seemed that off-spinner Rayner’s fine eight-over spell of 3 for 31 had put Middlesex well on top.Somerset, who beat Middlesex by six wickets at Taunton a fortnight ago, were given a rollicking start by Trescothick and Peter Trego, who put on 73 before Rayner struck his first blow in the ninth over of their innings.Trescothick, having clubbed two sixes and four fours in 41 from 33 balls, was bowled middle stump as he propped forward defensively to one that straightened in Rayner’s opening over. Trego was well held for a 28-ball 35 by keeper Rossington, standing up to Harris’s fast-medium on a docile surface, and Rayner then had the out-of-form England Test batsman Nick Compton brilliantly held one-handed for six by a leaping Dexter at short midwicket.Dexter claimed a more straightforward catch when South Africa allrounder Dean Elgar chipped to short extra cover on 15, and only Hildreth stood firm as the Somerset slide continued as Barrow gave Stirling a simple return catch and Suppiah hit Tim Murtagh to extra cover.But from 187 for 6, Hildreth was joined by Meschede, who drove Toby Roland-Jones into the pavilion for six, in a resourceful stand of 32 before Hildreth’s own magnificent late assault on Harris.

Only 14 overs were possible on the third day of West Indies’ tour game at Hove before the decision was made to abandon it once and for all

George Dobell at Hove07-May-2012
ScorecardFile photo: Kieran Powell was the one wicket to fall on the final day•Associated PressOnly 14 overs were possible on the third day of West Indies’ tour game at Hove before the decision was made to abandon it once and for all. If ever a game was crying out for euthanasia, this was it. After 34 overs across three bitterly cold and wet days, it was laid to rest shortly after lunch and will no doubt receive a burial at sea. It will go unmourned.It says much for the conditions that the greatest moment of excitement – and that is playing fairly free and easy with the word excitement – came when two sea gulls, understandably mistaking the damp Hove outfield for the sea, swooped towards Kieran Powell just as was about to receive a delivery from Amjad Khan. Powell, reacting like an ornithophobia sufferer in an aviary, leapt out of the way and swished his bat at the birds; one of the more aggressive strokes he played. Perhaps he has simply watched rather too many Hitchcock films?There were few moments of cheer for West Indies on the final day. Shivnarine Chanderpaul required treatment to a hand injury as a result of repetitive jarring – it is not thought to be serious – and Darren Bravo was struck high on the back as he attempted to duck a short ball from Amjad Khan. Bravo seemed fine, too, though the interview he gave at the close of play was so quiet that only lip readers and wolves could possibly have known he was even trying to communicate. The only wicket to fall was that of Powell, edging to the keeper after being caught in two minds whether to play or leave and doing a bit of both and a lot of neither.Sussex’s bowlers maintained a tight line and length in testing conditions and could feel quietly satisfied with their performance. The club continue to await news on Luke Wright’s health. The allrounder, who has been appearing in the IPL back is in the UK having attended a family funeral, recently underwent tests to ascertain whether he has dengue fever.Most pertinently, the West Indies are still missing three men. At present the team management confess they do not know where Marlon Samuels is, but they are expecting him to arrive on Tuesday. Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine, meanwhile, remain in Jamaica waiting for a visa. The UK Border Agency have recently tightened the work permit rules, but it is surely the job of someone at the West Indies Cricket Board to resolve these matters before such issues arise.The squad travel to Northampton on Tuesday and begin their final warm-up match – a four day game against England Lions – the following day. With the weather forecast remaining far from promising, it seems inevitable that some of the team will go into the first Test having had very little opportunity to adjust to English conditions.