Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2016
ScorecardTammy Beaumont struck 47 in Surrey Stars’ chase•Getty ImagesTammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory, chasing down the 135 set for them by Yorkshire Diamonds with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.In front of 2250 people at The Oval, England opener Beaumont compiled an assured 47, contributing to stands of 65 for the first wicket with Bryony Smith and 57 for the third with Sciver, who was unbeaten on 29 when clobbering the winning runs behind square leg.Earlier, Alex Hartley was crucial with the ball. The visitors had gotten off to a flyer, 72 without loss at the half way mark with Hollie Armitage and Lauren Winfield batting with ease. It was the left-arm spinner who removed them both in the space of three balls, Winfield caught and bowled for 29 then Armitage bowled for 43.It was the catalyst for an excellent second ten overs for the hosts, restricting the Diamonds to 5 for 62 in that period. Hartley was the clear stand out with 2 for 18 from her four overs without conceding a single boundary, while seamers Sciver and Rene Farrell bowled with considerable control at the death of the innings.Surrey’s fielding also improved dramatically, after twice dropping early chances Sciver executed a superb direct hit run out of dangerous Australian Beth Mooney, her throw released in one motion after completing a diving stop.In reply, Surrey’s innings followed in a similar fashion to the first, the openers able to see off the initial threat from England spearhead Katherine Brunt before 19-year-old Smith took the quick for three consecutive boundaries in the fifth over to turbocharge the chase.Her 50 stand with Beaumont was raised in 35 balls, and the score was 65 before Yorkshire made their first breakthrough when Smith was deceived one of Jenny Gunn’s myriad slower balls, a top edge taken at short third man.A sharp stumping from Mooney, also off the bowling of Gunn, removed No. 3 Cordelia Griffith shortly thereafter, bringing Sciver to the crease to join Beaumont with a further 62 needed at just under a run a ball.But it was the pace of Brunt that again helped the batting side when it mattered most, 13 taken from the 14th over (including three wides) to take Surrey score beyond 100, making the final result a relative formality.After the hard work was done Beaumont holed out with five required for victory, appropriate reward for offspinner Steph Butler who impressed in her first game of the tournament.With two losses to start the start their season, Yorkshire now have no margin for error. Their next fixture is at Southampton on Monday against the Southern Vipers.Meanwhile for the winners, after squaring their ledger at one and one they play the Western Storm on Sunday at Bristol.

Ashton Agar will miss at least some of Australia A’s winter matches and could yet be in doubt for the start of the domestic summer after suffering a shoulder injury at pre-season training.Agar suffered the injury while training with Western Australia and scans on Monday afternoon revealed some disruption to the same area of his right shoulder that was operated on last year.”Ashton injured his right shoulder during a WACA pre-season training camp and scans have confirmed that he has disrupted some of the structures that were surgically repaired in April 2016,” Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia’s sports science and sports medicine manager, said.”He is due to see a specialist next week to determine if he will require surgery and when he is likely to return to training and playing. He will definitely miss the start of the quadrangular A series, but whether he takes any part in it and whether he will be fit for the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup will be determined in due course.”Agar played two Tests on the 2013 Ashes tour of England, made his one-day international debut in England last year, and was part of Australia’s team at the World T20 in India earlier this year. He was named in the Australia A squad for their winter matches, which include four four-day games against South Africa A and India A, and a quadrangular one-day series.

قرر مسؤولو الزمالك تأجيل المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالإعلان عن الصفقات الجديدة المنضمة للقلعة البيضاء.

ويبذل مجلس إدارة الزمالك جهدًا كبيرًا في الفترة الحالية من أجل التعاقد مع عدد من اللاعبين خلال الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية، بعدما انتهت أزمة القيد والتي حرمت الفريق من ضم أي لاعبين منذ الموسم الماضي.

طالع.. خاص | عبد الحميد بسيوني يرفض رحيل لاعب طلائع الجيش إلى الزمالك

وكان من المقرر أن يقام المؤتمر الصحفي في السابعة مساء غد الخميس ليعلن خلاله مسؤولو الزمالك الصفقات التي تم إبرامها.

واستقر مسؤولو الزمالك على تأجيل المؤتمر الصحفي ليوم الإثنين المقبل الموافق 5 من شهر فبراير.

يذكر، أن الزمالك قد فاز بلقب بطولة كأس دبي للتحدي على حساب الأهلي السعودي، بنتيجة 3-0.

Sri Lanka’s chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has placed the onus for avoiding injuries partially on the cricketers, upon the team’s return from a difficult tour of the UK and Ireland

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jul-2016

Sri Lanka’s chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has placed the onus for avoiding injuries partially on the cricketers, upon the team’s return from a difficult tour of the UK and Ireland.Sri Lanka’s attack was significantly depleted by injury on their travels. Lasith Malinga and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay were ruled out before the squad was named, then Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera were forced to return during the early stages of the tour. Angelo Mathews was also unable to bowl during parts of the ODI series, and allrounder Milinda Siriwardana had suffered an ankle injury that made him unavailable for the third Test.Sri Lanka’s new high performance manager Simon Willis had said on Wednesday that injuries might be better avoided if squads were named early, and conditioning work undertaken before the tours begin. Jayasuriya, however, chose to focus on the players’ “commitment”, and suggested more accountability from the cricketers was necessary.”Simon Willis is right in one sense, but my concern is that injuries have been happening for some time,” Jayasuriya said. “We also need the commitment from the players. You can’t deny that also. I’m saying that in front of the players. They have to come out of their comfort zone and train.”No matter how much myself, Simon and Sri Lanka Cricket are committed, if the player isn’t committed, you can’t do it. I’m not saying they are not committed – they are committed – but they need to do something different to come out and solve this issue.”Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling stocks have been particularly vulnerable to injury over the past three years. Malinga is presently in the middle of a months-long injury layoff, Chameera has suffered a stress reaction that could see him out of action for as many as four months, and Prasad has now missed two entire Test series.”There could be a lot of cricket for sure,” Jayasuriya said. “Then you have to pick the tour and say: ‘I will be playing on this particular tour’. If there’s too much cricket, then the player has to say: ‘I’m not going to last long’, and stay out. Then we can think of something else.”Both Jayasuriya and Mathews said injuries had significantly hamstrung Sri Lanka during the recent tour, where the side suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Test series and lost the ODI series 3-0. Sri Lanka’s attack was especially ineffective against England’s top order during the limited-overs series.”If we can get the same players playing through a series, there will be a difference,” Jayasuriya said. “Unlike when the tour started, by their fourth innings in the Tests, the batsmen were able to score 475. That’s because the same batting unit stayed together. But the bowlers break down from match to match. If we can stop that, we can get to a good place. In the end only Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal were left from the bowlers who started the tour, and even Lakmal, in the last match, had a knee injury.”Jayasuriya also defended his committee’s selection of Ramith Rambukwella for the one-off T20, stating that Rambukwella’s ability to clear the boundaries, and his offspin, had prompted his selection.

An agonising end to the season has blown Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes far from their reach after dominating the majority of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s side lead the pack for 248 days this term, yet a sour April and damning home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion has all but shattered their dreams of claiming their first league title since 2004.

While it has been a successful season away from the title charge, claiming their first Champions League finish since 2015/16, the Gunners are reportedly looking to push on to new heights through the summer transfer window.

With just two games left, the club are turning their attention to business as the north Londoners hope to strengthen their squad ahead of a busy schedule next campaign.

Despite scoring goals not being an issue for the Gunners, they have been linked with a forward in the pursuit to improve in all areas.

What’s the latest on Moussa Diaby to Arsenal?

Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby is reportedly a player on Arsenal’s radar according to L’Equipe (via the Daily Mail).

It’s speculated that Paris Saint-Germain could rival the Gunners for the winger’s signature, who is believed to be valued around £65m, according to Evening Standard.

What could Moussa Diaby bring to Arsenal?

The 23-year-old has maintained a Sofascore rating of 7.18 this season, ranking him as Leverkusen’s second-highest performer in the Bundesliga.

In 31 league appearances, the Frenchman has contributed to 17 goals through eight assists and scoring nine himself on the right flank.

Once described as “electrifying” by journalist Aaron Stokes, the Leverkusen dynamo is a player being monitored by a handful of clubs, as per the aforementioned sources.

The signing of Diaby could impact Arsenal in several ways, most evidently through depth and adding goals, but also by being introduced as a player that could seriously challenge Bukayo Saka.

The Englishman has had a formidable season at the Emirates, however, he has undergone a dip in form alongside his team, perhaps somewhat attributive to the absence of William Saliba, as highlighted through a graphic presented on Sky Sports.

Since March the forward’s rate of shots on target has dipped from 0.9 to 0.4 per 90 minutes, as well as his total shots minimising from 2.6 to 1.7.

With few options on the flanks, Saka has not lost his place in the starting eleven, which brings the topic of depth and ability to chop and change if players aren’t performing in order to boost their level of competition.

The success of competition is evident on the opposite flank, where after being dropped for Leandro Trossard against Aston Villa, Gabriel Martinelli was introduced and scored in a change that inspired the squad to win on the day.

Diaby, like Saka, has been integral to his side’s success this season, with the two players sharing many comparisons in their game.

Both enjoy being on the ball, with the Arsenal man averaging 54.5 touches per game to Diaby’s 42, and the Englishman maintaining a 48% successful dribble rate (1.7 per game) to the Leverkusen winger’s 51% (1.5 per game), relative to their appearances this season, as per Sofascore.

The signing of the Leverkusen "demon" – as once highly regarded by 'The Euro Expert' Alex Barker – would not only strengthen Arsenal’s squad but provide options for starting places to fuel competition amongst the forward’s to ultimately enhance performance, only time will tell if Arteta can get his man.

Leeds United have failed to keep their battle against Premier League relegation in their hands after suffering a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium this afternoon.

The Whites will need to take nothing less than three points from their final fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road next weekend, and even so, if Everton secure a victory at Goodison Park against Bournemouth, it won't be enough to save them.

Leeds struggled to deliver on their visit to East London with just 41% possession and fewer shots on target (3 v 9), which was a testament to yet another uninspiring performance from the side.

In the first half, the fight for survival looked very much back on for the west Yorkshire club when Rodrigo found the back of the net in the 17th minute, however, from that moment on it turned into a nightmare.

The Hammers had no trouble getting back into the game, with the defensive quality of Leeds getting worse as the game went on with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini all taking advantage to snatch all three points.

Indeed, it would be unfair to pinpoint the blame on just one individual for increasing the chances of relegation, but Luke Ayling's inability to retain possession or even just accurately pass the ball certainly contributed to the huge pressure Leeds now face.

How did Luke Ayling get on vs West Ham United?

The right-back has been on the entire journey with Leeds from Championship strugglers to the Premier League promotion highs, but his more recent performances this season have dampened his legacy at the club.

The Elland Road faithful are loyal to their team but would expect a player who has been with them on the rollercoaster ride that has been the last few years to put up a fight when needed most.

The £20k-per-week liability – who has been slammed for his lazy "ball-watching" by Sky Sports commentator Andy Hinchliffe this season – lost possession of the ball 20 times, misplaced all eight of his crosses and completed just 67% of his passes in a dismal display with the ball at his feet.

Furthermore, the defender lost 100% of his aerial duels and didn't make a single interception on a torrid afternoon.

The experienced full-back unsurprisingly picked up a terrible 4/10 match rating from Leeds Live's Beren Cross, who said of his display: "He left the team exposed down his flank when they were countered on."

It is clear that no matter what happens when Leeds' fate is sealed next weekend, there needs to be big changes in the squad personnel and adding quality in key areas of the pitch will be absolutely imperative to improve their performances.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Sam Allardyce makes some much-needed tweaks to his team on the final day of the campaign, but either way, Leeds will now have to hope other teams can do them favours in their pursuit of safety.

Suzie Bates put in a stellar all-round display as Southern Vipers secured the inaugural Women’s Super League with a convincing seven-wicket victory in Chelmsford

Adam Collins at Chelmsford21-Aug-2016
Scorecard1:58

‘You only learn from being in finals situations’ – Bates

 It was how Charlotte Edwards’ summer started back in May when moved on from the England captaincy. Still making runs, but not part of the future. Holding aloft the inaugural Kia Super League trophy in the late afternoon Chelmsford sun, her Southern Vipers reminded everyone that this adage has a third part to it as well: Chasing down Western Storm’s 140 for 5 with seven wickets and seven balls to spare, it was a triumph of big game experience on the big game stage. New Zealand captain Suzie Bates batted with authority to top score in the chase, tallying 52 in 46 balls after putting on 78 with Edwards at the top.Then when the game was there to be won with five overs to go and still work to do, it was Lydia Greenway – retired from England with Edwards – who took control alongside Sara McGlashan – the 34-year-old New Zealander – their unbeaten stand of 39 seeing the win home.Arran Brindle, another (in her case, long) retired England veteran wasn’t required to bat at No. 6 but was Vipers’ crucial owler instead; claiming 2 for 15 in a boundary-less middle-overs spell that stalled Western Storm’s innings that shot to 71 without loss by half way.Let’s pick up the story there. Brindle came into the attack with her medium pace after eight overs with Stafanie Taylor and Rachel Priest building an imposing stand. As Edwards said later, she was  by Brindle, her former England team-mate that she’d be taking the next over. She wanted to own the situation, and did precisely that.Her second over was successful in provoking Taylor into going over the top, miscuing to Edwards at mid-off, gone for 35. Vipers bowled first at the toss expressly on the basis that they didn’t want Taylor to bat second, having shown repeated skill in this tournament for timing her chases to perfection. With her removed (finishing with 289 runs for the tournament at 57.80, more than any other), the bowling side were immediately back in the contest.When Heather Knight was nicely held at deep-backward square leg by Katie George, then Priest was also taken in the deep for 57, Edwards’ side had got themselves out of jail. Fran Wilson’s unbeaten 16 was resourceful, and 14 were taken from the final over to push the score to an even seven-an-over, but on an excellent surface it appeared light.Enter Edwards and Bates. The two are close, playing county cricket this year for Kent and sharing a changing room for Perth Scorchers during the Women’s Big Bash League last summer in Australia. Both said after the game that they knew the deal in a situation like this: get the board ticking over early and put the pressure straight back onto the fielding team.As important as the 43 runs they scored in the six-over Powerplay were the strokes that defined these opening exchanges. They cut hard and drove straight; both along the air and over the rope in the case of the captain. They called loud and ran hard. They were the hunters, not the hunted.In the best traditions of T20 Finals, Storm fought back to create what very nearly became a grandstand finish after Edwards was bowled when misjudging a reverse sweep off Jodie Dibble. Two overs later, Bates was dismissed too after Wilson combined with Priest to run her out against the trend of play. When Georgia Adams also ran herself out the equation was 36 required in 30 balls.It was a situation perfect for McGlashan, who developed a habit of chasing down totals during the WBBL for Sydney Sixers. She immediately reduced the task to an even 28 from 28 after carving Georgia Hennessy past point and then behind square leg in consecutive deliveries.When Greenway connected with one of her trademark reverse sweeps the next over, it all of a sudden came down to whether Anya Shrubsole could remove one or both of the now-set batsmen in the 18th over with 20 runs to play with. Instead, she shed 14 from it, Greenway successfully picking her over midwicket before the England opener sprayed an untimely five wides down the legside.When Greenway saw a half volley on the penultimate delivery of the penultimate over she didn’t miss out, driving Freya Davies to the boundary and Vipers to victory.The victorious charge to the middle may have been a little slower than for some of the youthful opponents they had seen off through the tournament, but it was no less enthusiastic. Nor was the response by administrators, who despite the modest showing of 1353 patrons on Finals Day praised the tournament as comfortably exceeding expectations in season one.”I think our experience really counted in the end,” Edwards said. “It’s been a special few months and you hope to get to finals day and put in a performance like that.””It has been an emotional tournament,” she added. “I had to deal with quite a lot this summer and the team wanted to kind of win it for us… I have really sensed the team behind me.”Next summer the Super League will expand to also encompass the 50-over game, to be played in the lead up to the Women’s World Cup scheduled for June and July. As for Edwards, her international career may be over, she promises one thing for Vipers fans: she’ll be back.

Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher ahead of a potential move this summer, according to reports.

Is Caoimhin Kelleher leaving Liverpool?

The Irishman is an academy graduate at Anfield having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team four years ago, and despite establishing himself as Jurgen Klopp’s firm second choice behind Alisson Becker, he’s made zero appearances this season in the Premier League.

The Reds shot-stopper primarily only gets a chance to feature during the likes of the EFL Cup and FA Cup and therefore, back in December, the 24-year-old admitted that he’ll have to consider his options at the end of the season should he want to receive more regular game time.

Speaking during a recent interview, Klopp publicly claimed that he can’t see the 6 foot 2 colossus leaving during the upcoming window, but should he end up on the market looking for a permanent move elsewhere, there are already a trio of top-flight clubs queuing up to sign him.

Who is signing Kelleher?

According to Football Insider, Spurs, Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion are all “keeping tabs” on the situation of Kelleher ahead of the summer. Liverpool are “braced for offers” for the goalkeeper, although are “determined” not to let him go for a cut-price fee, despite it being stated that is “attracting interest” from the name-checked potential suitors above.

The Cork native, however, could create a scenario where he “forces the issue” to sanction his sale to become a number one at a new club, so this could be one to watch.

Tottenham are reportedly on the hunt for a new goalkeeper with Hugo Lloris expected to depart upon the conclusion of the current campaign, and whilst he’s still not got bags of experience in the Premier League, Kelleher could be a great signing for the long-term future of the club.

Liverpool’s titan has kept ten clean sheets in 20 senior appearances on Merseyside and recorded a 75% success percentage in 2021/22 having made six saves from eight shots on target against, as per FBRef, not to mention that he is a “hero” when it comes to penalty shootouts, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting.

The Champions League participant, who earns £10k-per-week, also shares the same agency, CAA Stellar, as Fraser Forster and Ben Davies, so this existing representative connection could potentially give the Lilywhites the edge over their fellow competitors when attempting to get a deal over the line in the months ahead.

Tillakaratne Dilshan cast aspersions on the conduct of former and present team-mates -particularly Angelo Mathews – soon after his final ODI, against Australia on Sunday. Prompted to speak on the challenges faced in his 10-month stint as Sri Lanka captain between April 2011 and January 2012, Dilshan suggested he did not have the support of some team-mates. He also said he had been hurt by his sudden removal as captain, following the year-end tour of South Africa, in which Sri Lanka lost both series, but won a Test in South Africa for the first time.Dilshan had been named captain after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had both resigned from that post. It was Jayawardene who eventually replaced him after the South Africa tour.”I didn’t actually plan to take the captaincy, but the SLC president asked me to take over for six months until we find someone else,” Dilshan said. “Unfortunately, we had also lost two bowlers. Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] had retired. Nuwan Kulasekara was injured. Ajantha Mendis was injured. I didn’t have great resources.”Angelo Mathews had a calf injury for a year that stopped him from bowling. That must be because of my misfortune, because after I had stepped down, we went to Australia after a week. In that week, Mathews started bowling. That must be because of Mahela’s good fortune.”Mathews did bowl during Dilshan’s captaincy, but had a reduced workload. He did not bowl in nine of the 20 ODIs under Dilshan, and never delivered more than five overs in a match. This workload did see a substantial increase when Jayawardene resumed captaincy.In Tests, Mathews did not bowl in 12 of the 16 innings under Dilshan, though at the time, he was not an integral part of the Test attack. Mathews had also suffered leg injuries even prior to Dilshan’s captaincy, most notably when he missed the 2011 World Cup final due to a quad strain, and has managed his own bowling load carefully since he became captain.Though Dilshan said the manner of his ousting did cause hurt, he insisted he did not let “personal issues” affect his cricket. Sri Lanka’s first assignment after the South Africa tour was the 2012 tri-series in Australia. Dilshan top-scored in that tournament, hitting 513 runs at an average of 51.30.”At the end of that South Africa series, I put everything aside. I went to Australia, scored 500 runs, and became Man of the Series. It didn’t matter to me who was captain. I wasn’t concerned about who ousted me as captain. I always play for my country. I didn’t worry about those personal things, but I was hurt.”Dilshan’s own first assignment as captain had been Sri Lanka’s tour of England, but broke his finger during his 193 at Lord’s in the second Test. He suggested it had been with some reluctance that Sangakkara took on the captaincy for one Test, after that injury ruled Dilshan out for the game at Southampton.”There actually wasn’t anyone who was willing to be captain. Everyone resigned after the 2011 World Cup. In England a ball hit my hand and I broke my finger, and the former captains were asked to lead, and they said no. After that only when it was talked about that someone like Sanath Jayasuriya or Thilina Kandamby be made captain that someone presented himself to be captain. But I guess there’s no point talking about those past things anymore.”But I am proud that it is players that I brought into the team at the time who are winning matches now. About six or seven of the players today are cricketers who I’d given a chance to. At the time it was a problem for me, because people asked me why I was giving young players so many opportunities. But today, we should look at players like Dinesh Chandimal.”Dilshan still has two more T20 matches to play before he becomes an ex-cricketer across formats. He said the decision to retire had been spontaneous.”I hadn’t planned to retire, before the series,” he said. “Whether someone tells me to keep playing or stop playing, that’s not what’s important. What is important is what I feel. I started the series thinking that I’ll play for another year – at least in T20 cricket. But when I woke up on the 25th I felt that it was time to go.”To be honest I could easily play for another year or two. But we have to look to the future. If I play for another two years and leave, there’s only 18 months before the next World Cup and that’s unfair to the team. A young player could be blooded in that time. Since I started opening six years ago, we haven’t found a permanent partner for me. I’ve opened with about 10 people – so that’s a problematic area for us. If I keep playing we won’t be able to get two batsmen settled in that place. I’ll be able to get some rest.”

A staggering innings by Ashar Zaidi that defied both Middlesex, and more pertinently a tired Lord’s pitch, carried Essex to a crucial victory

Freddie Wilde28-Jul-2016

ScorecardA staggering innings by Ashar Zaidi that defied both Middlesex, and more pertinently a tired Lord’s pitch, carried Essex to a crucial victory to keep their hopes of a top four finish and a place in the quarter finals alive.Zaidi hit nine boundaries, four fours and five sixes, in just 24 balls–one fewer than Middlesex managed in their entire innings–transcending the conditions to score 59 not out and single-handedly propel Essex beyond their target of 127 in a 16-overs-a-side match.Zaidi, who has been a key player in Essex’s T20 campaign, scoring 357 runs at a strike-rate of 167 and bowling economical overs, scored 38 off the last 9 deliveries he faced to reduce an equation of 37 runs required off 18 balls to a victory with three balls remaining.The 18th and the 19th overs of the run-chase brought 14 and 20 runs respectively–the first and second most expensive overs of the match as Zaidi launched his assault. Zaidi combined raw power with intelligent sweeps to do what no other player in the match could do and find the boundary with regularity.Truth be told, Zaidi’s pyrotechnics aside this was a disappointing evening. In yet another week in which incessant debate about the structure of England’s domestic T20 tournament overshadowed the actual cricket, a frenetic finish to a tight match failed to mask the reminder that whatever the make-up of the competition if it is played on tired, tacky pitches it is unlikely to be much of a hit.Exactly a week ago for a televised match in front of a record crowd Lord’s got things so right. Seven days later, again for a televised match and in front of a near-capacity crowd, things were just a little underwhelming in a 16-over-a-side contests.Lord’s is uniquely positioned in that it hosts so much cricket that preparing consistently good pitches can be a challenge, but for the richest cricket club in the world it is a challenge that should be overcome.It is not that the cricket was not skilled – if anything playing on pitches such as this, where the ball doesn’t come onto the bat, where cross-batted shots aren’t rewarded and where edges don’t fly for six demands more of a player than truer pitches – but they are skills that you suspect a big mid-week T20 crowd, even at the Home of Cricket, find harder to appreciate.Essex, who won the toss, opted to field, possibly due to the forecast rain, which proceeded to fall shortly after the toss and delayed then shortened the match. Middlesex, having picked two spinners, said they were happy to bat first but in the end the clarity provided by a run-chase on a pitch such as this probably gave Essex the edge.It was perhaps revealing of qualities that should have caught the eye of England’s selectors that Dawid Malan was the only Middlesex player who could cope with a pitch that required more than clearing the front leg and swinging. If it wasn’t for him they may have struggled to make three figures.Essex deserve credit for bowling intelligently, especially in the Powerplay when they used the large boundary towards the Tavern Stand by bowling lines to suit and Middlesex, Malan aside, struggled to mount a response.For the twenty or so overs between the end of Middlesex’s Powerplay and Zaidi’s assault there was a similar and underwhelming theme. The pitch was slow, the bowlers bowled tight lines, cutters and slower balls as the batsmen swung too hard, too often and were rarely rewarded.The defeat for Middlesex prevents them a home quarter-final but if this pitch is anything to go by, then that should be a relief for everyone.