Smriti Mandhana, who has been out of action since January with a knee injury sustained during the Women’s Big Bash League, has returned to India’s squad for the Women’s World Cup
ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2017India squad for Women’s World Cup
Smriti Mandhana, who has been out of action since January with a knee injury sustained during the Women’s Big Bash League, has returned to India’s squad for the Women’s World Cup, which begins on June 24 in England.India only made one change to the 15-member squad that is currently playing an ODI quadrangular in South Africa, with Mandhana replacing Devika Vaidya. They retained the same group of players otherwise, with two wicketkeepers in Sushma Verma and Nuzhat Parween, who made her ODI debut against Ireland during the quadrangular.Mandhana last played for India during the Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup in December 2016. She has been a key member of India’s top order since her debut in 2013, playing 23 ODIs, 27 T20Is and one Test, and was one of two Indian players, alongside Harmanpreet Kaur, to sign up for the 2016-17 WBBL season.Vaidya, an allrounder who bowls legspin, has played seven ODIs and one T20I, but has not yet featured in the playing XI during the quadrangular tournament.India will begin their World Cup campaign on June 24, when they take on hosts England in Derby. The eight teams will play each other once, with the top four going through to the semi-finals. Lord’s will host the final on July 23.
Manchester United have 'primed' Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund to be their next arrival at Old Trafford once a deal for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is closed, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Is Rasmus Hojlund joining Manchester United?
Laurie Whitwell, who is a journalist for The Athletic, has given an update on the state of play surrounding Manchester United's latest bid for Hojlund being rejected, stating on Twitter: "MUFC proposed players in part-exchange during talks on Rasmus Hojlund. But Atalanta only want cash. United view £85m fee as excessive. Simultaneous pursuits for Hojlund + Andre Onana but fine balance on costs. Key negotiations on Onana taking place."
Last term, the Danish international shot to prominence at Serie A side Atalanta and has fired in ten goals and laid on four assists in 34 appearances for the club in all competitions since joining from Sturm Graz, as per Transfermarkt.
Renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed on Twitter as well that Hojlund is the Red Devils' top target this window to strengthen their forward line, adding: "Told Rasmus Højlund remains on top of Manchester United list as new striker. Personal terms, never an issue as he’s very keen on the move."
Atalanta are keen on taking Mason Greenwood on loan from Manchester United, though it is unclear whether there has been any talks of him being involved in a swap deal despite football director John Murtough holding talks with the Italian side over the controversial figure moving to the Bergamo-based outfit, as per talkSPORT.
The Red Devils have made progress in their move for Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana, who is said to have agreed personal terms over a move to Old Trafford, according to Football Insider.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones has said that Hojlund is now being 'primed' as the next potential incoming at Manchester United.
Jones stated: "In terms of Hojlund himself, this is the next transfer that has been primed by Man United, as the Onana one looks to go ahead.
"I think they are buoyed by the fact that Hojlund really does seem set on signing for them now.
"So I think everybody's hopeful that this one can come together. It's not far enough along that you can guarantee that that's the case at this point, but of course, with pre-season now about to get underway, you've only really got a couple of weeks to get your squad in place, and United’s forward options for the new season aren't going to be that deep.
"If they can find a scenario whereby Mason Greenwood goes to Italy, with Hojlund coming to the Premier League, it would be ideal.”
Who else could join Manchester United?
Manchester United are active in the market as Erik Ten Hag seeks to build a squad capable of reaching new heights this campaign and new addition Mason Mount has already given a taster to his new support by featuring in a 2-0 friendly victory over Leeds United in Oslo earlier this week, as per The Guardian.
A Bola via METRO report that Porto striker Mehdi Taremi is admired by Ten Hag as Manchester United continue to track the Iran international.
Porto's Mehdi Taremi
In a surprising turn of events, Manchester United are mooted to have made tentative contact with former Chelsea forward Joao Felix over the possibility of him coming to the North West from Atletico Madrid, as cited by ABC via The Daily Express.
Come the next few weeks, we will find out more about where Manchester United's priorities on the transfer front lie as the start of the season begins to draw closer.
Manchester United haven’t quite been as active during the summer transfer window as many of the supporters would have wished, making just one signing so far, that of Mason Mount from Chelsea.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana does appear to be on his way to Old Trafford in a deal which will see him become the new number one at Old Trafford and perhaps Erik ten Hag is just going about his business in a strategic way, as opposed to making unnecessary signings.
Improving the defence must surely be one of his main priorities and having stripped Harry Maguire of the captaincy recently while West Ham United show interest, he could be heading out of the club.
Ten Hag could also ditch Victor Lindelof this summer, especially with United being linked with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard of late according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.
How much will Benjamin Pavard cost Manchester United?
According to FootballTransfers, Bayern may allow the Frenchman to depart for a fee of just €30m (£26m) this summer and this could turn into a shrewd investment by Ten Hag should he go ahead with any potential swoop.
Manchester City and Juventus will offer some stiff competition for the World Cup winner however and this transfer battle may go on for quite a few weeks yet.
What could Benjamin Pavard offer Manchester United?
First things first, he could offer some defensive versatility, as the 27-year-old not only operates as a right back (his favoured position) but is also more than able to perform as a centre-back, like he's done for the Bundesliga giants recently.
Secondly, he could offer United an upgrade on Lindelof and with Champions League football gracing the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since 2021/22, some added quality will be vital.
Indeed, Pavard made more tackles per 90 (2.44 to 1.48), more progressive passes per 90 (7.59 to 3.43) and more progressive carries (1.31 to 0.52) than the current United defender over the previous 365 days.
These statistics even ranked Pavard in the top 6%, top 1% and top 9% across Europe’s top five leagues respectively, suggesting that even though he played primarily in a position that isn’t his strongest, he still outperformed the Swede, who didn’t rank in the top 40% for any of the metrics.
The former Stuttgart defender even provided an unlikely goal threat, scoring seven times across all competitions, including twice in the Champions League while the entirety of the United defence scored just four goals between them and this could give Ten Hag a solid threat from the back next term.
Benjamin Pavard
Thomas Tuchel even heralded him as “underrated” and given just how impressive he has been over the previous 12 months; perhaps greater things should be said about him.
Ten Hag would likely slot him into centre-back, especially with the inevitable departure of Maguire and due to how much of an upgrade he is over Lindelof, yet if a chance arose at right-back, there is no doubt he would sparkle just as well there.
The board announced that the team will instead be referred to as the Australian women’s cricket team in its communication henceforth, in a symbolic move towards gender neutrality
Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2017What’s in a name? Quite a lot when you’re striving for equality.The Australia women’s team will no longer be officially known as the Southern Stars and will instead be referred to as the Australian women’s cricket team in Cricket Australia communication henceforth, the board announced in a symbolic move towards gender neutrality alongside the men’s team.CA announced the decision at its weekend function in honour of the winning teams at the 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005 and 2013 women’s World Cups, in Brisbane, on Saturday night, after members of the national team had wondered for some years why they needed a nickname.Unlike national sides in other sports, the Australian men’s team, which played and toured for 24 years prior to Federation in 1901, has never needed to be referred to by any label other than “Australia” or “the Australians”. CA chairman David Peever said the announcement places the women on equal footing.”This move may appear symbolic, but it does carry considerable weight,” he said. “Cricket cannot hope to be a sport for all Australians if it does not recognise the power of words, and the respect for women that sits behind such decisions.”As we saw on Saturday night, Australia’s female cricketers are among the very best sportspeople this country has ever produced. Australia has captured six of the ten World Cup titles, winning more than 87 percent of the matches it has contested, an astonishing figure. Today’s team is ranked number one in the world across all three formats of the game.”We are not dropping the ‘Southern Stars’, a wonderful brand that our cricketers have created and which will remain as an alternative name for the team, but the new naming convention demonstrates that Cricket Australia is looking at all the ways in which it operates to ensure we can meet the ambition of being a sport for all.”While players have raised the question of the team’s name at various points in the past, Peever said it was the words of the prominent businesswoman Ann Sherry at last year’s Australian Cricket Conference that made board directors and management think about it more closely.”Ann rightly questioned,” he said, “whether we were walking the talk, whether we understood what it takes to be truly gender neutral, and a sport that is welcoming to women.”The team, captained by Meg Lanning, will depart for England on Friday for this year’s 50-over global tournament. They are scheduled to play a warm-up match against South Africa at Oakham on June 20, before their tournament opener gets underway against West Indies on June 26 in Taunton.
Manchester United are reportedly still interested in sealing a move for Monaco defender, Axel Disasi, with manager Erik ten Hag eyeing potential defensive reinforcements ahead of the start of next season.
What's the latest on Disasi to Man United?
Following previous rumours regarding a summer move for the 25-year-old, The Sun are now reporting that the Red Devils remain on 'alert' in case a deal for the Frenchman does become a possibility, despite potential concerns over the player's price tag.
With United seemingly wary of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations – while also enduring a lingering takeover saga – the report suggests that it may prove 'difficult' to land the former Reims ace, despite the fact that Ten Hag 'wants' him.
If the Old Trafford outfit are to snap up the 6 foot 3 rock over the coming weeks the belief is that any deal could cost in the region of £34m, albeit with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea also ready to pounce with an offer of their own.
How good is Axel Disasi?
This search for a new central defender comes amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Harry Maguire's future at the Theatre of Dreams, with the 30-year-old having recently been stripped of the captaincy after starting just eight Premier League games last season.
The former Leicester City man has been heavily linked with a departure following that slide down the pecking order under Ten Hag, hence why the Dutchman is seeking a figure like Disasi to help provide competition for the likes of Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
Hailed as "complete" and "dominant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Monaco machine could prove to be an "amazing signing for any top Premier League club" as he was simply "born to play in England" – as per Kulig.
William Saliba
If United are to get their man – despite the hefty rival interest – then it could allow Ten Hag to find his answer to another exciting Frenchman in the form of William Saliba, with the latter man currently thriving for the Gunners after also making the transition from life in Ligue 1.
The 22-year-old was initially snapped up by the north Londoners on a £27m deal from Saint-Etienne back in 2019, albeit while only forcing his way into the first-team picture at the Emirates last season, after spending the previous few years back on loan in his homeland.
Despite that delayed start to life in English football, the 6 foot 4 gem has been simply "exceptional" over the past 12 months or so, according to manager Mikel Arteta, having started 27 league games as part of the club's ultimately unsuccessful title charge last term.
Likened to a "young Rio Ferdinand" by United legend, Gary Neville, Saliba is certainly a player that the Red Devils would wish to have on their hands, hence snapping up their own version of the Bondy native with the addition of Disasi.
The two men both seemingly share an innate composure in possession, with Saliba ranking in the top 7% in Europe's top five leagues among those in his position for pass completion, while his compatriot ranks in the top 4% for both progressive passes and progressive carries, proving himself adept at playing out from the back.
In a defensive sense, the pair are also seeming alike, with the Arsenal starlet having averaged two tackles and interceptions per game in the league last term as a sign of his ball-winning prowess, while Disasi is only just ahead after averaging 2.3 in that regard from his 28 Ligue 1 appearances.
That likeness between the two towering titans would suggest that the United target could perhaps adapt to life in England just as smoothly as his international colleague has of late, with it looking as if Disasi could very well prove to be Ten Hag's answer to Saliba next term.
Dinesh Chandimal has been named Sri Lanka’s new Test captain, after Angelo Mathews stepped down from the role in all formats on Tuesday
Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Jul-2017Dinesh Chandimal has been named Sri Lanka’s new Test captain, after Angelo Mathews stepped down from the role in all formats on Tuesday. Upul Tharanga will take over in ODIs and T20s.Chandimal had served as Mathews’ deputy and led the T20 team in the past, while Tharanga led the ODI team when Mathews had been injured.Speaking at the press conference to announce the new captains, Mathews, who quit following the 3-2 ODI defeat at home to Zimbabwe, said: “Yes, there have been significant poor performances, and I’m humble enough to accept it. In the past also there were instances where I wanted to step down but I didn’t want to let the team down at that time, mainly because there were no replacements. The team’s interests supercede my personal interests.”There were two things working in my mind. The first is whether this was the right time considering the team. My honest opinion is that there are candidates who can take over the reins. I’m pretty sure that they will be more successful and better captains than me. I also wanted to give my successor enough time until the World Cup, to build up a team. Those were the main reasons for me to step down.”Mathews said that although he was disappointed with Sri Lanka’s results in 2017, he resigns having given his best to the job.”I have at all times played in the exclusive interest of Sri Lankan cricket, and have not at any time compromised my national duties for any personal gain,” he said, reading a portion of his letter of resignation to the board. “I have at all times given utmost priority to making myself available over any franchise commitment, and have at times pre-terminated franchise commitments in order to fulfill national obligations. Subject to me being selected for national duty, I would ensure my fullest commitment to the national cricket team. Moreover, I would at all times support and guide our profusely talented young team, as well as my successor, in every way.”Chandimal was always a top contender to take over from Mathews, particularly because he had been groomed as a leader in the past. Though Chandimal’s patchy form in ODIs led to his exclusion from the recent squad to play Zimbabwe, he has matured as a Test batsman – most recently making a difficult ton against Bangladesh at the P Sara Oval. He averages 41.17 since the start of 2015, and has scored 2540 runs at an average of 42.33 all told. Chandimal had also been a successful captain at school level, leading Ananda College to record number of outright victories in his senior year.”I want to take this team and Sri Lanka forward, so I will put my heart and soul into the job,” Chandimal said after the announcement. “I’m very thankful to the job that Angie [Mathews] has done for us. Captaincy is not an easy job and he was an excellent leader for us over four-and-a-half years. He’s also a terrific batsman and a match-winner for us, and I have huge hopes that he will continue to be one in the coming years as well.”Tharanga’s rise to the limited-overs captaincy has been sharper. He had been dropped from Sri Lanka’s limited-overs sides as recently as the first half of 2016, but has since led the team in 14 ODIs, as acting captain in Mathews’ absence. He has been in excellent form in recent months, however, averaging 49 in ODIs since November. He has been moved around the batting order during that time, sometimes opening the batting, and batting in the middle order at others. Sri Lanka have won four and lost eight of the ODIs Tharanga has captained – six of those losses coming against South Africa.Tharanga also thanked Mathews for his leadership, and the selectors for giving him the opportunity to lead. He acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s recent performances had been modest.”I don’t want to say that as a team we’ve done poorly in the recent past, but we have had some ups and downs,” Tharanga said. “Some matches we do well, and others we don’t. In future we have to be more consistent. We all want to take Sri Lanka forward.”
Liverpool are expected to make an improved bid of £42.5m for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
How much does Romeo Lavia earn?
The Belgian, who currently earns £25,000 per week on the south coast, has stood out as one of the Reds' most wanted transfer targets of the summer transfer window so far, having impressed for Saints in a losing cause for much of last season, as they were relegated from the Premier League.
With Fabinho set to be heading to Saudi Arabia, Lavia looks to be the primary option to come in as Liverpool's new No.6 with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already heading to Anfield from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively.
Liverpool have already had a £40m bid rejected, but they won't necessarily have it absolute plain sailing, in terms of other suitors coming along. Lavia has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Arsenal this summer, and a new update suggests that the former aren't giving up on signing him, viewing him as a potential alternative to Moises Caicedo.
Taking to Twitter, however, Romano claimed that Liverpool, and by extension owners FSG, are going to table an improved offer for Lavia imminently, as they look to get their man:
"Liverpool and Southampton, in contact to discuss Romeo Lavia deal again today. New bid expected to be around £42.5m plus £2.5m add ons fee – as reported on Wednesday. Southampton insist on £50m package but details of the deal/payment terms and more being discussed."
The idea of Liverpool missing out on Lavia at the eleventh hour doesn't bear thinking about, at a time when new midfield signings are badly needed, having already lost Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.
With Fabinho on course to follow Henderson to Saudi Arabia in the very near future, a previously well-stocked area of the pitch now looks a little threadbare, as things stand. There were major midfield problems throughout last season, both due to a lack of energy, ageing players and injuries, and the Reds cannot afford to be hampered there again in 2023/24, considering it could have the potential to derail their campaign once again if further signings don't come in.
The 19-year-old does seem to want to join the Reds over Chelsea, however, which is a massive positive for the club, with the lure of working under Jurgen Klopp potentially proving to be key. Assuming the move does go through, Liverpool could be getting a special young talent who may master the No.6 role and prove to be the perfect long-term replacement for Fabinho.
Expecting brilliance from him every week would be unfair, considering how young he is and the fact that he is still learning as a player, but he has famously been lauded as "incredible" by Pep Guardiola in the past, having been at Manchester City before moving to Southampton last summer, and journalist Jacob Tanswell has described him as "frankly ridiculous", in terms of the talent he possesses at such a young age, further highlighting how high his ceiling is.
Amid the talk of who should make up England’s batting line-up for the Ashes, there has been a growing mood behind Alex Hales after his shift down the order
Jon Culley30-Aug-2017In the days when a strong performance in a one-day final at Lord’s could make up the mind of an indecisive England selector, Alex Hales would surely have had his winter itinerary firmly mapped out by now, with Christmas in Australia at the centre.After all, it is hard to imagine anything much stronger than his record-breaking unbeaten 187 as Nottinghamshire beat Surrey to lift the Royal London Cup.Yet things are different now on two counts. The selectors – apparently – are a bit more scientific in the way they go about their business. And the one-day final takes place not in September but July.Whether something special on Finals Day in the NatWest T20 Blast can make any difference, therefore, is open to debate. Nonetheless, Hales will be doing all in his powers at Edgbaston to put himself in the spotlight again and, perhaps, revive a Test career that has been on hold since the Pakistan home series in 2016.”To go on an Ashes tour would be an unbelievable experience and I will try to keep knocking on the door,” he said. “I know it’s a cliché, but all you can do is score runs.”So the ball is in my court now to score as many as I can across all formats before the end of the season and leave the selectors with a tough decision to make.”In fact, even though there will not be September showcase at Lord’s to take into account, they almost certainly will be looking at Hales’s white-ball form for guidance. They have no choice. With a one-day series against West Indies taking up much of the final month of the season, Nottinghamshire’s Championship fixture against Worcestershire next week will be his last opportunity to face a red ball in a season that has generally not afforded him many.”That has been a bit of a frustration,” he said, speaking during Nottinghamshire’s match against Northamptonshire in the Championship this week.”Before this match, I played three four-day games at the beginning of the season, then a random pink-ball game in June and then a game in the middle of the T20 block at the beginning of August.”I have not really had a run of four or five games in a row of red-ball cricket. It’s been sort of stop-start.”In all of those games, what’s more, he batted only once, which means no one has had much of a chance to assess his form since swapping his place at the top of the order for the No.5 slot, in which he hopes the judgment the Test selectors evidently reached after his 11-match run as an opener can be reversed.
I have a chance to go on an Ashes tour, and there is also the chance to play in South Africa and maybe the Big Bash too and develop my white-ball game, so whatever happens it is going to be exciting
Yet Hales believes 2017 has seen his game rise to another level in every aspect, in every competition. And there is evidence to back it up. Thrown in with all the brilliant moments in one-day cricket, he has a Championship double-hundred against Derbyshire in the early-August round to support the claim.”The highlight of the year has certainly been the Lord’s final,” he said. “To beat a strong Surrey side in that manner when we had our backs against the wall for a lot of the game is probably one of the highlights of my career so far.”I definitely think it was as well as I have ever played, up there if not better than the Pakistan innings at Trent Bridge [when he made England’s highest ODI score of 171 in their world-record total of 444], just because of the occasion it was for the club and how we were up against it against a team that had their tails up.”But I have really enjoyed batting where I have been batting in the Championship side. Across all three formats this year I have felt really on top of my game and felt that I have taken it to that next level.”Working with Peter Moores, he says, has had a lot to do with that, not so much in anything the new Nottinghamshire head coach has done in terms of technical advice but in giving him confidence to play his own game.”He is very good at player management, he understands what players need and what certain players don’t need. He just lets me get on with my stuff.”And he brings this constant positive energy. There is never a day when he is down, never a day when he is frustrated. His general all-round positive energy has been a massive lift for the squad and it is something I have really enjoyed.”It has helped give that squad a chance to mark Moores’ first season in the role with a treble, assuming that the Division Two title is in the bag along with the One-Day Cup.Hales, meanwhile, has found his own way of taking a relaxed view of his Ashes prospects. “The next few months is a win-win situation for me,” he said. “I have a chance to go on an Ashes tour, and there is also the chance to play in South Africa and maybe the Big Bash too and develop my white-ball game, so whatever happens it is going to be exciting.”It has been an approach that has served him well in the NatWest Blast so far. His strike rate of 206.38 is the best in the country, he has a first domestic T20 century to his name and, against Durham, at Trent Bridge in August, he would have equalled Chris Gayle’s 30-ball world record for the fastest T20 hundred had he not been out attempting to hit a 10th six.Anything similarly explosive at Edgbaston on Saturday would only add to a dilemma the selectors are surely facing already.
Leeds United made the decision to appoint German head coach Daniel Farke to replace Sam Allardyce this summer in an attempt to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
He has inherited a team that were relegated from the top-flight last season and is tasked with re-energising the group to shift the mood to a positive one over the coming months.
Who was Leeds' top scorer last season?
Rodrigo ended the 2022/23 campaign as the club's top scorer in the Premier League with 13 strikes, and the Spaniard has since left to join Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan SC.
No other Leeds player managed more than five goals and this suggests that Farke could need to solve the team's lack of a reliable finisher, given that he will not have Rodrigo in his side this season.
January signing Georginio Rutter, who arrived from Hoffenheim in a club-record £36m deal, could be the man to alleviate those concerns if the Whites can get the best out of him, which could be aided by the signing of reported target Grady Diangana.
Despite his failure to find the back of the net in 13 matches for the club to date, the 21-year-old dynamo has the ability to be a lethal scorer.
He scored eight goals in just 13 Bundesliga starts during the 2021/22 campaign and was previously described as a "clinical" and "complete" striker by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his time in Germany, which highlights his untapped potential at Elland Road.
Farke could finally help to unlock Rutter's top form by signing Diangana as the West Bromwich Albion whiz has the quality to be a creative threat from a wide position.
How many assists does Grady Diangana have for West Brom?
The 25-year-old dynamo has racked up 11 assists for the Baggies to date and his impressive form during their 2019/20 promotion campaign suggests that the ability is there for him to be an outstanding creator at Championship level.
Throughout that season, the £25k-per-week maestro created 1.4 chances per match and eight 'big chances' in total for his teammates, which was rewarded with six assists to go along with his eight goals.
That level of invention could be a huge boost to Leeds' attacking arsenal as Jack Harrison (1.5) is the only current Whites player who managed more than one key pass per outing for the club last term.
West Brom winger Grady Diangana.
Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Diangana is a player that can "dazzle and excite" supporters, which is backed up by his recent form as well as the impressive displays he produced in the 2019/20 campaign.
Whilst the Baggies winger only scored four goals in 31 Championship appearances last season, the Leeds target did create 1.3 chances per game and provide his teammates with six 'big chances' in front of goal.
This suggests that he has consistently delivered quality end product with his passes and crosses during his time with the club at that level.
Therefore, signing Diangana to play on the opposite flank to Harrison would provide Farke with two wingers who are capable of opening up the opposition to create opportunities for a centre-forward on a regular basis.
This means that Rutter would not be able to blame a lack of service, unlike last term with his 0.25 xG accumulated in 11 league clashes, if he does not hit the goal trail, which is why bringing the Baggies star in could help the manager to unlock his potential.
Ravi Bopara and Mohammad Amir bowled typically miserly four-over spells to keep alive Essex’s outside chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of NatWest T20 Blast
ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2017Adam Wheater got the Essex innings off to a fast start•Getty ImagesRavi Bopara and Mohammad Amir bowled typically miserly four-over spells, conceding just 24 and 25 runs respectively, to keep alive Essex’s outside chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of NatWest T20 Blast.Essex’s fourth win of the season moved them off the foot of the South Group, but they require wins from their final three games to stand any hope of a quarter-final spot. Bopara and Amir, who both claimed two wickets each, were well supported in the parsimonious stakes by Dan Lawrence and Simon Harmer as Middlesex were pulled up nine runs short in their pursuit of 173.Legspinner Nathan Sowter blasted a hole in the middle of the Essex innings with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 23, but Adam Wheater’s 21-ball 43 laid the foundations for the home win.Essex, put in, raced past 50 in the fifth over but lost Varun Chopra when he chipped at catchable height to James Franklin at midwicket. Wheater maintained his sharp upturn in form and lofted Ryan Higgins for two sixes in an over to long leg. But he departed when he tried to chop Sowter’s first ball to third man and was bowled.Dan Lawrence tried to lift Sowter over long leg for six but was comfortably caught by Tim Southee, and Ashar Zaidi then received a reprieve first ball when he pulled Sowter to midwicket where Tim Helm dropped the chance. It was not too costly as Zaidi attempted the same against Higgins and was caught by a tumbling Stevie Eskinazi.Bopara thumped Paul Stirling for six over the press-box stand and into the river behind but, after contributing 27 from 25 balls, he was caught on the long-leg boundary by Franklin. Sowter added a fourth wicket in the same over when he had James Foster lbw first ball attempting to sweep.Ryan ten Doeschate fell to a running catch on the cover boundary by George Scott, having made 25 and Simon Harmer followed, giving Southee another catch at long leg. Amir was run out from the last ball, leaving Paul Walter on a pugnacious 20 not out.Middlesex lost Stirling in the second over of their reply when the Irishman holed out in deep midwicket where substitute fielder Callum Taylor claimed the steepler. That brought in Eskinazi to join John Simpson and the pair hit five boundaries off seven balls against Matt Dixon and Paul Walter.But the return of Amir ended the second-wicket fun when Eskinazi chopped him straight to Taylor at point. Simpson didn’t stay much longer, misjudging Lawrence’s first ball and going lbw for 30 from 19 balls. Lawrence’s first over, the last in the Powerplay went for just two and stalled Middlesex’s early charge.Middlesex reached the halfway point on 79 for 3 and, though Eoin Morgan survived a drop by Taylor on 21. His fourth-wicket partnership with George Scott reached 56 when Morgan miscued sufficiently high to wide mid-on that Bopara had time to race back and take a memorable caught and bowled.Lawrence’s impressive figures were ruined when Scott clubbed his final ball for six over long off to leave the off-spinner with one for 29 from his four overs. But Amir came back and conceded just two runs from third to leave Middlesex needing 10 an over from the last five. It rose to 47 needed from the last four overs.Franklin was caught at deep midwicket by Harmer off Bopara and Scott bowled by Zaidi for a 36-ball 34 after an ungainly swish. A faster ball from Amir accounted for Southee to leave Middlesex needing 26 from the final over with three wickets left. Higgins hit a six off Walter’s penultimate ball, but with 12 required from the last ball the result was not in doubt.