England missed their chance for a perfect Test summer, but never mind because the Aussies are here. The pod chat more Oval success for Sri Lanka and England’s latest white-ball overhaul
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2024Sri Lanka got the better of England in the third Test at The Oval, meaning the home side missed out a 6-0 summer sweep – but the agenda is already moving on, with white-ball series against Australia and the announcement of a touring party for Pakistan. In this week’s podcast, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Fidel Fernando, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to dig into the Sri Lanka series – has Ollie Pope silenced the doubters? Is Josh Hull’s high ceiling worth investing in? – before Andrew McGlashan jumped on to help preview the Australia tour, which will see England give debuts to a number of new faces over the next couple of weeks.
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy was left to rue missed chances after his team lost 2-1 to Hearts at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership in his first game in the dugout.
Speaking after the match, in the clip below, the French boss blamed a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a lack of combination play in the final third after a bright first-half showing.
With the January transfer window just around the corner, the former MLS boss may already be thinking about the areas of his squad that he wants to improve ahead of the second half of the season.
Celtic plotting move to sign Premier League player
In fact, the Scottish Premiership champions are already looking at a possible move for a player who could be a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Football Insider, Celtic are plotting a move to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to be their long-term replacement for Kasper Schmeichel.
The report claims that the Hoops are looking at the £90k-per-week shot-stopper because he could be available with his contract expiring at the end of the season, which could make him an option in January for a cut-price fee or on a free next summer.
It adds that the Scottish giants are in the process of identifying a replacement for Schmeichel because the 38-year-old veteran’s deal is also due to expire next year.
Football Insider states that there are also immediate concerns about the Dane’s current performance levels, which is why Ortega could be a dream first signing for Nancy.
Why Celtic should sign Stefan Ortega in January
Instead of waiting to sign him on a free transfer in the summer, Celtic should push to land the Manchester City outcast on a cut-price deal in January, as he is currently behind both Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford in the pecking order at The Etihad.
As Football Insider outlined, Schmeichel’s performance level has not been particularly high for the Hoops this season. Per FotMob, the experienced stopper has conceded 1.34 more goals than expected in the Premiership and 0.50 more than expected in the Europa League.
This suggests that the Denmark international has not been up to scratch as a shot-stopper in domestic or European action for Celtic, which is why signing the City goalkeeper immediately could be a shrewd move.
Ortega, who once left Guardiola on the floor with a save against Tottenham Hotspur, may only be a third-choice option in England, but he is playing for serial Premier League winners and has proven his quality in the English top-flight in seasons gone by.
Whilst Schmeichel has struggled as a shot-stopper for Celtic this season, the German star has largely been an excellent shot-stopper in the Premier League and the Bundesliga in the past five years.
Stefan Ortega in Bundesliga & Premier League
Season
Games
Goals (xG) prevented
25/26 (Premier League)
0
N/A
24/25 (Premier League)
13
-0.7
23/24 (Premier League)
7
+2.0
22/23 (Premier League)
3
+3.1
21/22 (Bundesliga)
33
+4.8
20/21 (Bundesliga)
34
+3.1
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, the 33-year-old has conceded 12.3 fewer goals than expected across his top-flight career to date, which is an exceptional statistic that highlights how impressive his shot-stopping is.
Ortega, who was hailed as an “exceptional goalkeeper”, has shown that he can be a reliable shot-stopper at the top level, whilst journalist Pete O’Rourke noted that he is “very effective” with the ball and would “fit” the style that Nancy wants to implement at Parkhead.
His ability on the ball, which is a prerequisite to playing in goal in a Guardiola side, means that he will suit a team like Celtic, who are expected to dominate possession and play out from the back, making him a good stylistic fit for the club.
Ortega, though, also has, as evidenced by his statistics in Germany and England, the shot-stopping quality on top of that to ensure that the Hoops do not concede cheap goals with the few shots that they do give away.
Worse than Maeda: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 23 times
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy must drop this flop who was even worse than Daizen Maeda against Hearts.
ByDan Emery 4 days ago
Therefore, the board must back Nancy by making a move for Ortega in January, instead of the summer, because a player of his quality could immediately improve the team and improve their chances of enjoying a successful end to the 2025/26 campaign, making him a dream first signing.
Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, UAE, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda will take part in the inaugural edition
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025
Thailand will host the inaugural edition•ICC via Getty Images
A new global tournament, the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, involving eight teams from four continents, will be played from November 20 to 30 in Bangkok. Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Netherlands, UAE, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda will take part in the inaugural edition.The trigger for the tournament, an ICC statement said, was the success of the recent ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where “more than 500 million viewers in India” were recorded and there was also “significant growth in viewership across countries”.”Nearly 300,000 fans attended matches across India and Sri Lanka and the event concluded with India becoming the first Asian team to lift the Women’s Cricket World Cup, a watershed moment in the evolution of the sport and the socio-cultural context of gender roles,” an ICC statement said. “Building on the extraordinary impetus provided by the marquee event, the ICC continues to invest in creating a sustainable future for women’s cricket. The Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy is part of a new three-tier development pathway designed to offer high-performance exposure to emerging nations.”Sanjog Gupta, the ICC chief executive, said, “It is the ICC and the Chair’s [Jay Shah] vision to sustainably expand cricket’s footprint across the world and grow the women’s game. Providing elite athletes from emerging nations more opportunities to play at the highest level is aimed at fast-tracking their development and improving the competitiveness of their teams.”It also drives the visibility of the sport in participant nations, serving as a driver of girls’ involvement in the sport and inspires women from other nations to stay committed to the development pathways.”The opening day will feature Thailand vs Netherlands and Papua New Guinea vs UAE.
A look back at the five-time IPL champions’ worst days with the bat
Omkar Mankame11-Apr-2025Put in to bat for the first time in IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) crumbled against Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) spin-heavy attack at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, slumping to their lowest-ever total at their fortress of many years. Here are the five-time champions’ five lowest totals in the IPL.79 all out vs MI, Wankhede, IPL 2013CSK were riding high on a seven-match winning streak and faced a modest target of 140 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede. But instead of sealing an eighth successive victory, they crumbled to their lowest-ever IPL total. Mitchell Johnson landed the early blows with a triple-wicket over that left CSK tottering at 9 for 3. The collapse continued as they slipped to 18 for 4. R Ashwin’s promotion to No. 6 failed to turn the tide, and CSK kept throwing away their wickets, and eventually folded for a record low.1:36
Bangar: ‘CSK are in tatters at the moment’
97 all out vs MI, Wankhede, IPL 2022MI’s fast bowlers made the most of the lateral movement under lights to dismantle the CSK batting line-up. The slide began with a contentious lbw decision against Devon Conway – one he couldn’t review because of a power failure. Daniel Sams made the early strikes, and the rest of the MI attack kept landing blows, bundling CSK for under 100. Though CSK fought back to reduce MI to 33 for 4, the middle order held firm to complete a five-wicket win.103 for 9 vs KKR, Chennai, 2025Related
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At Chepauk, KKR unleashed their spin trio to dismantle CSK, restricting them to their lowest total at the venue. Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Moeen Ali combined for 12-1-55-6, controlling the middle overs. The home side never got going, crawling to 31 for 2 in the first six — the second-lowest powerplay score of IPL 2025. An out-of-form middle order, including impact player Deepak Hooda, failed to adapt to the sluggish pitch. A last-wicket stand of 24 was all that helped CSK limp past 100.109 all out vs RR, Jaipur, 2008A red-hot spell from Sohail Tanvir – 6 for 14, the second-best bowling figures in IPL history – blew CSK away for 109 in Jaipur. Exploiting seamer-friendly conditions, Tanvir gave Rajasthan Royals (RR) a dream start by dismissing both CSK openers for ducks in the opening over. Albie Morkel came in at 44 for 5 and offered some resistance with 42, but Tanvir returned to clean up the tail and bowl CSK out with an over unused.109 all out vs MI, Chennai, 2019Riding on Rohit Sharma’s 67 at the top, MI set CSK a target of 156. On a tired surface, five of CSK’s top six batters failed to reach double-digits. Lasith Malinga struck early with Shane Watson’s wicket and returned in the end overs to dismantle the lower order with a steady dose of slower balls. The defeat ended CSK’s five-match winning streak at Chepauk and marked their first loss while chasing at the venue since 2013.
Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will not link up with the Slovenia national team after sustaining a knee injury against Tottenham on Saturday in the Premier League. The Red Devils are confident that their big-money summer buy has avoided a serious injury, but Slovenia boss Matjaz Kek says his team have been kept in the dark about his fitness and would like an update from Ruben Amorim's side.
Sesko suffers injury in Tottenham draw
Sesko arrived as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Tottenham but limped off before the end of the 90 minutes after sustaining a knee injury. United boss Amorim admitted he was worried about his striker's fitness after the game, telling reporters: "That [form] is not the biggest concern now. That happens, especially with a striker. I am more concerned with an injury, because it's in the knee, we don't know, we need Ben to be a better team. I have no idea. Because it's the knee we never know."
The striker has now undergone tests and the club are confident he has avoided a serious injury and believe he will recover swiftly. However, the decision has been made that Sesko will not join up with the Slovenia team for World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden, and his national team manager has explained why he is unhappy with the situation.
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Slovenia boss speaks out on Sesko
Kek told reporters: "With all due respect to a great club like Manchester United, we have officially not received anything yet; no papers, no documents. We would certainly like to get them. We want our medical team to also take a look at it. Our doctor is an expert in this field. We don't have just anyone in this position. I cannot comment, of course I have certain information, and I am also in contact with Beni, of course. I can't say anything because officially we don't know anything at all.
"United haven't contacted anyone from our camp. Of course, I am concerned about the player; the only thing that matters to me is his wellbeing. We are prepared to do everything for that, and we have never sent anyone onto the field if there was the slightest risk. However, the national team is something very special, and I expect maximum respect from everyone. Slovenia deserves that, even if on the other side there is a powerhouse like England, and something as extraordinary as the Premier League. After all, it has been quite some time since England defeated Slovenia, and that in itself says something about us."
Sesko is a big miss for Slovenia
Slovenia star Andraz Sporars says that Sesko will be a big miss for the national team and hopes it's not a serious problem. He explained: "Regarding Beni, we don't have any information about his knee injury. I hope it's nothing serious because we really need him for these two matches. I doubt he'll come, but I hope it's nothing serious, also because of his career. We will definitely miss him, because he's a really high-quality footballer. But football is a team sport and we, who will be on the field, will have to do everything to enjoy it."
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Sesko to return against Everton?
Sesko now has some time to recover before Manchester United return to action after the international break against Everton on Monday, November 24th. The 22-year-old has found it tough going in the Premier League so far and has managed just two Premier League goals in 11 appearances for the Red Devils.
Amorim has urged his new signing to "embrace" the challenge of proving his doubters wrong at Old Trafford but has also admitted "he's going to struggle" at times at United. An injury lay-off certainly won't help his cause, but United will be hoping he can return to action quickly and start repaying his hefty price tag for Amorim's side.
Travis Head returns to add more batting power but South Africa are able to call on Kagiso Rabada
Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-20252:34
The best of Cameron Green from the West Indies series
Big Picture: International cricket returns to DarwinThere was a little more riding on the outcome when these two teams met a couple of months ago at Lord’s, where South Africa wrote a new chapter in their history by claiming the World Test Championship title. This series is very much a stepping stone to the next global tournament: February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Both sides are in T20 mode. Australia have recently completed a 5-0 sweep of West Indies where their batting power stood out – and it’s been strengthened further for this series by the return of Travis Head – while South Africa were part of a tri-series in Zimbabwe where they fell short in the final against New Zealand with an experimental side.Related
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A few key names have returned for this trip, notably captain Aiden Markram and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, but it also continues to be an exploration of South Africa’s depth and potential options ahead of the World Cup alongside getting further games into the likes of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka.”Zimbabwe [T20I tri-series] was a valuable exercise and we obviously want to build on the good things in particular the form of our two young batters and someone like Kwena as well to continue to grow his stocks in T20 cricket,” coach Shukri Conrad said.Australia are staggering the return of their all-format quicks with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc continuing to rest ahead of the home summer, while Josh Hazlewood is back, although he is likely to have his workload managed. However, Nathan Ellis’ performances are raising the question as to whether it’s time to permanently split up the big three in this format.The other significant aspect of the opening matches of this series is that it sees a return of international cricket to Darwin in Australia’s Top End for the first time since 2008, when Bangladesh were the visitors. The opening match is a sellout with the second on Tuesday heading that way, too. The city is a likely host of a Test match against Bangladesh next year as Australia’s home season extends into the northern summer.Form guideAustralia WWWWW South Africa LLWLWIn the spotlight: Mitchell Marsh and Dewald BrevisAustralia’s batting order came together impressively in the West Indies, but captain Mitchell Marsh was the one player to not make a significant contribution, with 81 runs in five innings. It won’t be a major concern with plenty of T20Is ahead for Marsh to hit his stride – and he’s locked in at the top alongside Head – but it would be an unwanted distraction should Marsh remain short of runs, especially given the plethora of top-order options available.South Africa have clearly earmarked Dewald Brevis as a likely World Cup player in the middle order•SA20
There were some promising signs for Dewald Brevis in the Zimbabwe tri-series as he finished as South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 133 at a strike rate 187.32, although he couldn’t quite see them home in the final. Those were Brevis’ first T20Is since his debut, which came against Australia in 2023, a year after he flayed an astonishing 162 off 57 balls in the domestic one-day competition. South Africa have clearly earmarked him as a likely World Cup player in the middle order.Team news: Hazlewood likely to return, Pretorius may miss outMatt Short continues his recovery from the side strain he picked up in the West Indies, and will miss the first two games of the series which partly eases the batting squeeze for now. Marsh confirmed he and Head would open – and are set to be the duo for the World Cup – which will see Glenn Maxwell return to the middle order and Mitchell Owen potentially being as low as No. 7. Hazlewood will strengthen the pace attack, although he may not play every match. Matt Kuhnemann is part of the squad should an extra spinner be needed.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Cameron Green, 5 Tim David, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Mitchell Owen, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa’s top order is bolstered by the return of Markram and Ryan Rickelton, which may see 19-year Pretorius squeezed out of the XI. Left-arm spinner George Linde took on an allrounder’s role at No. 6 in Zimbabwe and could continue in that capacity.South Africa (possible): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 George Linde, 7 Prenelan Subrayen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi NgidiMitchell Owen could bat as low at No. 7•AFP via Getty Images
Pitch and conditionsGiven Darwin is effectively starting again as an international venue after such a long gap, there is some uncertainty over what the conditions will be like, although there shouldn’t be anything untoward in the surface. The forecast, for both matches, is good with mild, dry evenings.Stats and trivia The last time Darwin hosted an international, Australia were captained by Michael Clarke. These two teams have not met in T20Is since 2023, when Australia came out 3-0 winners in South Africa. Maxwell needs four wickets to reach 50 in T20Is. He will become just the fourth men’s player to score 2500 runs and take 50 wickets in the format. Since the start of 2024, Australia have the highest batting strike rate in T20Is.Quotes”They’ve some young guys that have, I guess, burst onto the scene over the last couple of years. That’s always exciting for international cricket, and provides us with a different challenge, but certainly looking forward to coming up against them.” .”You can see these guys are raring to go. It’s great having the experience back – Aiden’s leadership and then obviously the leadership roles that someone like Kagiso plays. So, really excited about this next couple of weeks. We know it’s going to be a great challenge.” .
حقق فريق الهلال السعودي فوزًا كبيرًا على نظيره الشرطة العراقي برباعية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.
وأقيمت المباراة بين الهلال والشرطة على أرضية استاد الأول بارك، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الخامسة من دور المجموعات لدوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.
ونجح ماركوس ليوناردو في تسجيل الهدف الأول للهلال مع نهاية الشوط الأول في الدقيقة 45، قبل أن يعزز سيرجي ميلينكوفيتش سافيتش التقدم بهدف ثانٍ في الدقيقة 63، ثم عاد ليوناردو ليضع بصمته بهدف ثالث في الدقيقة 72 ويؤمن انتصار الزعيم.
واختتم كانسيلو رباعية الهلال بهدف مميز في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الثاني. أهداف فوز الهلال على الشرطة العراقي في دوري أبطال آسيا
وشهدت المواجهة سيطرة واضحة للهلال على مجريات اللقاء، وسط محاولات محدودة من الشرطة العراقي للخروج بنتيجة إيجابية، إلا أن خبرة لاعبي الهلال حسمت المواجهة لصالح أصحاب الأرض.
ترتيب دوري أبطال آسيا بعد فوز الهلال على الشرطة العراقي
وعقب المباراة وصل رصيد الهلال إلى 15 نقطة كاملة من 5 مباريات، محققًا العلامة الكاملة دون أي تعادل أو خسارة، وسجل لاعبوه 14 هدفا واستقبلت شباكهم 5 أهداف فقط.
تحدث النجم السابق لنادي ليفربول، دانييل ستوريدج، عن أزمة محمد صلاح داخل أروقة الفريق الإنجليزي، بسبب التصريحات اللاذعة التي أدلى بها السبت الماضي ضد الإدارة والمدرب آرني سلوت.
جاءت تصريحات محمد صلاح إثر تهميشه في 3 مباريات متتالية في الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث تواجد على دكة البدلاء ولم يشارك إلا في شوط واحد، مما أدى إلى انفجاره في الحديث.
وقال ستوريدج، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “givemesport” الإنجليزية: “بالنسبة لي، عدم مشاركته في المباريات هو ما دفعه للقيام بهذا، تذهب إلى مباراة وست هام، حيث تعاني من خسارة مباراتين وهو ما لا يتمناه أي لاعب للنادي، تستقبل شباكهم سبعة أهداف في مباراتين”.
وأضاف: “تذهب إلى وست هام، وتفوز، وهو لم يدخل الملعب في تلك المباراة، ثم تأتي المباراة الثانية، ضد سندرلاند، وتدفع به بين الشوطين، نفسيًا، كلاعب، تفكر (رائع، هذه لحظتي الآن)”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يثير تعجب مخيتاريان بعد فوز ليفربول على إنتر ميلان
وواصل: “كمهاجم، أنا متأكد من أنك ستوافق، وتقول (حسنًا، سأكون الحل هنا، سأصنع الفارق)، لكن الأمور لم تسر على هذا النحو، تعادلت 1-1، في المباراة القادمة ربما تفكر (قد أبدأ هذه المرة)، أنا لا أفكر، بل أفكر من وجهة نظره حيث وجد نفسه على الدكة مجددًا، أعتقد أن هذا هو ما شكّل مفاجأة بالنسبة له”.
واستكمل: “رد الفعل كان سيئًا للغاية، كيف فعل ذلك، وكيف قاله، كان سيئًا للغاية! أشعر بخيبة أمل تجاه صديقي، لكن في النهاية، كما تعلم، أعتقد أنه قادر على العودة بقوة، هذا هو المهم”.
واختتم: “أعتقد أننا ننظر إلى الأمر في لحظة جنون، المهم هو ما سيحدث بعد هذه المباراة، وما إذا كان سيشارك ضد برايتون”.
Braves manager Brian Snitker will be moving into an advisory role in the front office and will not manage the club moving forward, the franchise announced on Wednesday morning.
"The Atlanta Braves and Brian Snitker today announced that the long-time manager will transition into an advisory role within the organization for the 2026 season, and will be inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame prior to a game next year. …He exits his managerial post with the third-most wins by any skipper in the history of the franchise. Snitker completed his 49th season in the Braves organization in 2025, and his ninth full campaign as the Braves manager. [Snitker] joined the organization as a non-drafted free agent in 1977," the release said in part.
Snitker, who turns 70 later this month, just concluded his 10th season as manager after taking over in the middle of the 2016 season, and has gone 811-668 with two 100-plus win seasons and a 2021 World Series title to his resume.
The Braves went 76-86 this season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
South-coast club handed reprieve by Durham after Rahul Chahar takes ten in the match
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Surrey 147 (Washington 3-5, Abbott 3-27, Fuller 3-46) and 281 (Albert 63, Abbott 5-72) beat Hampshire 248 (Washington 56) and 160 (Orr 48, Chahar 8-51) by 20 runsHampshire were given an unlikely reprieve from relegation to Rothesay County Championship Division Two after Durham fell apart at Yorkshire.The south-coast county were resigned to the drop after losing to Surrey by 20 runs, which left Durham only requiring a draw at Headingley. But they sensationally slumped to 85 all out to allow Hampshire to stay in Division One for the 2026 season.Ironically, Hampshire’s last brush with the drop, in 2016, saw them finish in the relegation places but be reinstated after Durham were sent down over financial issues.Surrey only needed one wicket on the final day, which Rahul Chahar managed with the 42nd delivery of the day when he had James Fuller caught behind. In doing so, the India spinner claimed a career-best 8 for 51 – Surrey’s third best bowling figures of the 21st century – and ten wickets in the match.The defeat, with relegation seemingly nailed on, looked like it would compound Hampshire’s horror September. The county had been deducted eight points in the Championship for breaching the ECB’s pitch regulations, before losing in two men’s finals and a women’s final.They also saw popular head coach Adi Birrell announce he would leave the club after seven years at the helm. The South African was gifted a bull for his farm back in his homeland by the players on the final morning of the Surrey match.Instead of Hampshire, Durham will now join Worcestershire in playing in Division Two next season.Ben Brown, who took over the four-day captaincy at short notice after James Vince stepped away from red-ball cricket before the start of the season, said it had been “a really challenging year”, topped off by the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision to dock points for a poor Utilita Bowl pitch in May – described by Brown as “unjust”.”It has been a really challenging year, off the field as well as on it,” Brown said. “There has been a lot to manage.”Then there is the points deduction on the wicket, which I stand by that it was unjust. That I feel difficult to cope with as a player. People work hard in professional sport and to have essentially clipboard stuff take eight points off us… You want sport to be decided as sport not someone deciding whether grass is right or wrong.”We have been playing under pressure for the last month with no time to think or train, and it has ended up with us losing two finals and looks like we will be going down. Everyone will need time to get their head around it before making a plan to make things better.”Requiring 33 runs to beat Surrey, 32 runs – ie. a tie – would likely have been enough to see Hampshire them remain in Division One on their own steam.Fuller and Brad Wheal were the only Hampshire batters left – the former had shaken off the collapse and dealt with Chahar carefully for 29, while Wheal had stoically blocked 22 balls before bad light brought an unsatisfactory end to the third day, and left plenty with a sleepless night.Chahar bowled the first over of the day and Fuller almost edged the first ball. A swept four eased the nerves, before Wheal nicked his first delivery to first slip – but it narrowly fell short.Fuller and Wheal looked at ease, albeit turning down a bounty of singles, until Fuller attempted to cut Chahar and edged behind to Ben Foakes.Only Kemar Roach’s 8 for 40, and Martin Bicknell’s 9 for 45 were better since the turn of the Millennium. Chahar, on Championship debut, also took ten wickets in the match.”A lot of the disappointment was last night and then today there was just a small chance in a tough situation for Fuller. It was more runs than it looked and was a tall order today,” Brown said. “We should have made a better fist of it. The new hard ball spun quite a lot and we didn’t deal with it. We were a lot of pressure in the run chase and we couldn’t stem the tide of wickets in the middle of the innings.”