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Manchester United look close to announcing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager, and he could be set to make his first signing sooner rather than later at Old Trafford.

Man Utd closing in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointment

The Red Devils’ decision to sack Ruben Amorim after drawing at Leeds United will feel justified in the eyes of many supporters, mainly due to the division his tenure caused and his overall inconsistent record when it came to claiming results.

Darren Fletcher is on board to steady the ship for now and fans will welcome the return of a familiar face. Nevertheless, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s emergence as the favourite to take over as Manchester United caretaker has put the cat among the pigeons.

The 52-year-old is immensely popular both within the walls of Old Trafford and in the media circuit, and the enjoyable nature of his first tenure in charge is bound to provide a lift to a squad who were stifled somewhat by Amorim’s complex system.

Now, the challenge will be trying to finish in the Champions League slots, something that won’t be easy as the Red Devils compete with rivals for players in the transfer market to strengthen their bid for European qualification.

Notoriously, January isn’t an easy time to do business, especially with INEOS keen to pursue responsible financial decisions to ensure Manchester United have a fighting chance of continuing their rebuild under a full-time boss in the summer.

Either way, Solskjaer will be given resources to work with, and he looks to be in the hunt for his first signing of the window once he has his feet under the Old Trafford table.

Man Utd set to submit loan bid for El-Chadaille Bitshiabu

According to L’Equipe, Manchester United could submit a loan-to-buy offer for RB Leipzig defender El-Chadaille Bitshiabu, while he is also on the radar of Bayer Leverkusen and AS Monaco, though the Ligue 1 side would only consider a straight loan swoop.

Suffering hamstring problems this season, the 20-year-old has been restricted to just five appearances across all competitions and may now be set for a move to gain regular minutes over the second half of the campaign.

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Manchester United appear to have made a move to land a top-level attacker in the ongoing window.

Posts ByEthan Lamb

Harry Maguire has just returned to selection for Manchester United. However, there is every chance the Red Devils will need cover and competition with Matthijs De Ligt still on the sidelines due to a back issue.

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Loaning in Bitshiabu may be the ideal scenario, representing a try-before-you-buy arrangement that can be made permanent should all parties be happy with the outcome of a move upon the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.

Celtic have now reportedly launched a £2m bid to sign an attacking star who could become the second signing of Wilfried Nancy’s tenure.

Nancy understands Celtic fume after Old Firm

The last thing that Nancy needed was a defeat against Rangers in the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park. It’s only ignited the flames of his tenure even further in Scotland and left many questioning when the final straw will arrive.

The Frenchman understood the anger of the fans at full-time, but insisted that Celtic are “really close” to turning things around: “It’s the results. Results. So this is the reality for the moment.

Related "Realistic" chance 4-3-3 manager replaces Wilfried Nancy at Celtic

He could turn things around in Glasgow.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

“But when I say this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. No. What I mean is we are really close, really, really close, to turn things around. And again, I repeat myself, but I can understand this situation.

“I think that they (fans) were behind us the first half, they pushed us in a good way. And after that… I can understand why they’re disappointed regarding the fact that we had many possibilities to win the game.

“I know that I repeat myself, but it happened in the past also regarding many games. And I think that they really enjoyed the first half. They saw a team, players that they were giving everything with the ball and without the ball.”

His words haven’t stopped rumours from arriving, however, and recent headlines have claimed that Martin O’Neill is ready to make his second return of the season. The veteran manager enjoyed an excellent interim spell and could now get the chance to pick up where he left off in Scotland.

However, that may not be the change that the Bhoys make. Instead, having already signed Julian Araujo on loan from Bournemouth, Celtic have reportedly turned towards another reinforcement for the manager.

Celtic submit £2m bid to sign Jocelin Ta Bi

As reported by Sky Sports Scotland, Celtic have submitted a £2m bid to sign Jocelin Ta Bi from Maccabi Netanya. The winger is currently on loan at another Israeli side, Hapoel Petah Tikva, but they are expecting him to be on the move this month.

Nancy needs attacking reinforcements and Bi would offer him exactly that. Whether the 20-year-old would hit the ground running is another question, though.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Celtic transfer insight Get deeper context: subscribing to the newsletter provides focused coverage of Celtic’s transfer strategy, potential signings such as Jocelin Ta Bi, and Wilfried Nancy’s managerial choices — clear analysis to inform your view.

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Bi has scored just twice all season in Israel and is showing no sign of the quality needed to step into a Scottish Premiership title race. On paper, he’s very much an unexpected target for Celtic. For £2m, they’ll be hoping to unlock the peak of his powers, however.

Nancy, meanwhile, should be hoping that a number of other targets also emerge this month.

It’s a new year, but Mikel Arteta will be hoping for a continuation of last year’s form as Arsenal march toward the Premier League title, four points clear of second-place Manchester City at the season’s midpoint.

Ending the annual year with an emphatic win over Aston Villa, Arsenal dispelled any fears (or rival hopes) that there had been an erosion of fluency and sharpness in recent weeks, with the Londoners labouring to some of their wins in recent weeks.

But they were wins, and that is a clear marker of a great side. Now, the Gunners have entered the January window with a spring in their step, eyes fixed on titles to crown an intense and exhilarating chapter under Arteta’s wing.

With Manchester City closing in on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Arsenal have changed their stance: they are ready to spend this month, with a wide forward on the agenda.

Arsenal plan to sign forward

Gabriel Magalhaes’ goalscoring return against Villa has eased the concerns around defensive depth, with many Arsenal defenders out injured at the moment.

More important is the need for goals. Leandro Trossard is Arsenal’s top scorer in the Premier League with five goals. Erling Haaland, by comparison, has 19.

With this in mind, the Emirates side are ready to pounce on any opportunities that come their way, and while Semenyo will not ply his trade for his boyhood club, Arsenal’s interest has been confirmed by The Athletic, thus suggesting that a wide forward may still be on the agenda.

This is further corroborated by emerging news concerning Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who is unsettled at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Friday’s edition of Spanish paper Sport, via Sport Witness.

The 24-year-old has long been on the Londoners’ radar, and now they are understood to be in pole position alongside Manchester City, both clubs in advanced talks.

With a base market value of £75m, Rodrygo wouldn’t come cheap, but he would certainly be worth it, and with Semenyo creeping toward the Etihad, Arsenal might just spy an opening.

What Rodrygo would bring to Arsenal

Rodrygo has been a mainstay at Real Madrid for some time, but he’s been dwarfed by Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in recent years, and at Arsenal, he would find a golden chance to become a superstar on the left flank, especially given that Trossard has entered his thirties.

Arsenal could do a lot worse than sign such a versatile forward, who has posted 70 goals and 55 assists for one of La Liga’s pre-eminent superpowers.

He is, after all, something of a master when it comes to scoring on the biggest stages.

But given his struggles with Real Madrid over the past year, snapping a 32-game scoreless run in December, there’s a sense that Rodrygo needs a change of scenery to remind everyone of his “world-class” ability, as has been stressed in the past by old teammate Luka Modric.

Arsenal have hit the jackpot when striking a similar deal with Los Blancos in the past. Indeed, Mesut Ozil was a special, special playmaker, a cut above his creative rivals in the Premier League when at his best in the Premier League.

The retired German star completed a club-record £42.5m move to the Emirates Stadium in 2013, and he played 254 matches for Arsenal, producing so many assists and winning the FA Cup four times.

Subscribe to our newsletter for expert Arsenal transfer insight By subscribing to our newsletter, gain focused transfer analysis, contextual insight and informed commentary that complements broader football coverage, from rumours and tactical breakdowns to player profiles and market trends.

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Ozil was stylish and silky on the ball, a genius. He was also a strong and industrious player when on his A-game, hailed by Arsene Wenger as the “complete athlete”, something shared with Rodrygo, whose skill as “probably the talented and most gifted player” in the Spanish capital, according to teammate Jude Bellingham, is supported by strength and a willingness to outwork those around and against him.

It is for this reason that Arsenal must sign the Brazilian. Arteta’s side burst with quality, but they also work hard and selflessly. Rodrygo, who will play in any role designated for him and do so with staunch commitment, could be the perfect addition in this regard.

Rodrygo – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Right winger

151

36

33

Left winger

94

23

18

Centre-forward

85

22

8

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

Data via Transfermarkt

For sure, this is a player who has fallen below his level for a while, but he is also one of the most exciting wingers in the world, instrumental in the latest trophy-laden spell in Real Madrid’s long and successful history.

He has established this in Spain, but, as Ozil did, it might take a move to London to help him realise the full scale of his potential and become something talismanic for a team who can still compete for the biggest prizes each and every year.

Given his potential as a 24-year-old, Rodrygo would be a punt worth taking, even at a staggering sum. He’s proven, and he has so much more to give, as Ozil did when making the move way back when.

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Mahela Jayawardene is happy with Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling in the match© AFP

Sri Lanka arrived in Adelaide less than a week ago promising aggression and focus as they bid for their first Test win on Australian soil. On the day they landed, their captain MahelaJayawardene made it clear that to compete against Australia in any form they must be on the ball for at least four days of the five.In the first warm-up match against the Chairman’s XI in Adelaide, they could not even concentrate for four sessions as their fielding fell apart over the last two of the three days. Five catches were dropped, with Jayawardene culpable in two instances – missing sitters at second and leg slip. He admitted that it was a “bad habit” the players must shake off, but was keen to downplay the fielding and happy to put it behind them.”It was just a lack of concentration,” Jayawardene said after the game ended in a draw. “We’ve had a long chat about it yesterday and today as well. The guys concentrate a lot on the batting and the bowling but it’s just on the field it seems to not have the same kind of concentration which is a bad habit obviously. We just need to make sure we don’t get into these kind of things, especially when playing Australia.”He was candid, too, about his batting performance which involved a first-innings duck and a fair fifty, with both innings ending in the softest of dismissals, popping up on the off side. “The first innings was a shambles the way I got out. I just wanted to spend some time out there in the middle. The way I was hitting the ball, that was pretty good, but towards the end I was just trying to do a few too many things.”And he took away some positives – “The way Sanath [Jayasuriya] played and the way we handled the conditions. A bit of a tough start, losing a bowler [Chanaka Welegedera] early wasn’t the best thing because we didn’t want to tax a lot of guys as well, we just wanted to get them into a rhythm.”The biggest plus was Muttiah Muralitharan who took four wickets. Jayawardene confirmed Murali was “100 per cent” and would be rested for the warm-up. Malinga Bandara will come in to replace him for the tour match in Queensland. “He bowled pretty well, I was very happy withthat – all in all it was a good outing for us.”That may be, but Kumar Sangakkara was injured in the process – tearing his left hamstring while batting. Chanaka Welegedera also tore his right quadricep muscle and will have a replacement – Sujeewa de Silva – flown in for him, hopefully in time for the next tour match whichbegins on Friday.

With Ganga’s unbeaten 77 rest a substantial portion ofWest Indian hopes in this match © Getty Images

Daren Ganga is unlikely ever to bring a house down with his batting in themanner of a Chris Gayle or Brian Lara. But there is a lot to be said foran opener in his mould, especially on a day, and a pitch, like this.For over five hours, Ganga stood resolute, surviving trial by new ballswing, by reverse swing, by leg-spin and by unpredictable bounce. Thoughmost of the nine boundaries in his 214-ball stay were executed with apleasant correctness, unlike his 82 in the last Test, you are unlikely torecall any of them. Yet with his unbeaten 77 rest a substantial portion ofWest Indian hopes in this match.”I was trying to consolidate the side’s position,” Ganga told reporters atthe end of the day. “The plan was to make as many partnerships as possibleand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul we got one going for a while. We tried todo it with Runako Morton and Dwayne Bravo as well but they both got out.The plan is to get as close to 304 as possible now.”Neither was it an easy effort and nor was it particularly pretty on theeye. That has much to do, said Ganga, with the pitch though he was at leastcandid enough to admit that, occasionally, such pitches are a pleasantsurprise. “There is inconsistency in terms of bounce and it is toughgoing. It is important to be patient on this pitch. It isn’t a sportingtrack because it’s very slow and you can’t play shots too easily on this,”he said.But he added, “This is a true test of character though, a real test ofskill as a batsman. I am enjoying the challenge and as all great batsmenhave done in the past, you have to prove yourself on all types ofsurfaces. As a batsman, you have to be tested in all conditions. In termsof concentration and technique it was one of my better knocks.”It has been one of his better tours too and following a fifty in Multan,the signs that West Indies have found a long-term partner for Gayleare promising. “Yeah, so far this year has been good for me. Against Indiaand in New Zealand earlier this year, I was pretty consistent. I have setmyself goals and am trying to achieve them. We knew it would be difficulton this tour, we knew we would be challenged but we have shown characterso far.”If nothing else though, this Test will be a special one for him, for itbrought him his first international wicket. And it wasn’t a small oneeither. “Yeah getting Inzamam’s wicket yesterday was special. It was agreat joy to get such a big scalp. I haven’t done much bowling but it’sopened my eyes and I want to bowl more and become one of the options formy captain in the future.”Scalping big names is something Umar Gul is getting used to already.Having notched up Lara in Lahore to a list that already includesSachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman to name three, he was at itagain here. A marvelous post-lunch spell of reverse swing brought threebig names in two overs – Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara and thelast two castled by peaches. Lara, bowled by one cutting away from him,was part of a plan.”We plan against all batsmen and teams. We knew Lara shuffles early on andis a candidate for leg-before so my aim was to try for that,” Gul said.Despite three wickets and looking the most likely paceman to take more,Gul said the pitch wasn’t helpful for fast bowlers. “It isn’t that greatfor fast bowlers. You can keep the spinners on at one end and rotatebowlers at the other which Inzamam did well. It is a difficult pitch forfast bowlers but you have to be able to bowl on all kinds.”But if you’re not confused enough about the nature of the pitch already,Gul added, as an afterthought, that “it’s not a sporting wicket becauseeven I batted well on it.”

A letter released today in support of Macsood Ebrahim Click here for larger copy © Cricinfo

The gloves are off in the battle for control of Zimbabwe Cricket, and it seems almost anything goes, with both sides in the dispute accusing the other of dirty tricks, and the newspapers clearly taking sides in the battle.Earlier this week, Macsood Ebrahim, the chairman of Masvingo and the head of national selection, told of how the ZC board was forcing pro-board loyalists into key positions in his province in a bid to oust him.On Wednesday, Ebrahim reported that Lazarus Zizhou, who had been suspended by the board in 2004, had arrived at Masvingo and said he was taking over as general manager under orders from Ozias Bvute, the controversial ZC managing director.Less than 24 hours later, Zizhou’s name was all over the newspapers, claiming that he had been racially abused by Ebrahim. “Macsood stormed into my office and threatened to remove me,” Zizhou told the Independent yesterday. “He called me a black c*** after I refused to produce my letter of appointment as he was demanding. I could not cooperate with him because he has no power to do so since he was booted out by the province.”While pro-board newspapers have claimed that Ebrahim has been ousted by his own province, that is disputed by many inside Masvingo.The timing of Zizhou’s allegation was suspicious, and while Ebrahim is not stranger to controversy himself, he has been at the heart of Zimbabwe’s attempts to push for racial quotas in the national side which made the claims all the more surprising.Today, Ebrahim’s supporters in Masvingo rallied behind him and issued a letter suggesting that, in front of five witnesses, Zizhou actually abused Ebrahim.How ZC deals with this remains to be seen. It is already under fire for not taking any action over allegations of racial threats made by Mashonaland chairman Cyprian Mandenge and provincial selector Bruce Makovah when they stopped a match in Harare. Last week, further serious allegations were made to the board over the conduct of Themba Mliswa, the chairman of the newly-created Mashonaland West province.There appears to be a concerted attempt to oust certain provincial chairmen following a meeting which produced a dossier asking ZC many probing questions and demanding an Extraordinary General Meeting. Aside from Ebrahim, Alan Walsh, the chairman of Manicaland, was reported dismissed after a fractious meeting, but again this is disputed by provincial officials.

After both sides claimed winning draws in their semi-finals, Canada and Scotland will meet each other on Sunday when the three-day final of the inaugural ICC Intercontinental Cup starts.Scotland, who ruthlessly outplayed Kenya at Abu Dhabi, will be on a high after their batsmen seemed to run into some form: six separate players passed 40 once against Kenya. Fraser Watts, who opens the batting, became the first player since John Kerr in 1927 to score successive first-class hundreds for Scotland when he put together to 146 in over six hours in the first innings.Although Craig Wright, Scotland’s captain could say that said the winning draw against Kenya was due to having “a bit more firepower in the bowling department” they still need to find more bite as they struggled to make any serious incisions when Kenya batted out time in the last two sessions after being set an impossible 607 to win. John Blain remains incisive with the new ball, but there are no such guarantees with Gavin Hamilton’s medium-pace if the batsmen take control mid-innings. It’s unlikely that Paul Hoffman will return figures like 5-5 again, but there are a number of bowlers that Wright can call on.The value of winning the tournament should not be underestimated. Wright said: “We want to achieve one-day international status. We are aiming to prove we are consistently the best Associate Member country and any elevated status would give cricket a massive boost in Scotland.”Canada, for their part, will hope to repeat their successful game plan against UAE, who were put under pressure from the start after Canada posted an imposing 337 before the end of the first day. Ian Billcliff, Canada’s captain, indicated that “the partnership between Zubin Surkari and Don Maxwell was absolutely vital and enabled us to apply pressure with runs on the board,” but he considers that the game will “come down to application.”The tournament has so far provided some astonishing performances, not least among them John Davison’s match figures of 17-137 against USA, which were the second best in first-class cricket since Jim Lakers’ 19-90 against Australia in 1956. But with Davison missing for Canada due to commitments with South Australia, and Dougie Brown unavailable for Scotland through injury, if something special happens, the performer’s talents will have been nurtured in the earlier rounds.Canada (probable) 1 Zubin Surkari, 2 Ashif Mulla (wk), 4 Don Maxwell, 4 Ian Billcliff (capt), 5 Haninder Dhillon, 6 Jason Patraj, 7 Sunil Dhaniram, 8 Austin Codrington, 9 Sanjayan Thuraisingam, 10 Umar Bhatti, 11 Kevin Sandher.Scotland (probable) 1 Douglas Lockhart, 2 Fraser Watts, 3 Cedric English, 4 Gavin Hamilton, 5 Ryan Watson, 6 Colin Smith (wk), 7 Kyle Coetzer, 8 Craig Wright (capt), 9 John Blain, 10 Paul Hoffmann, 11 Asim Butt.

What’s in a name? Plenty according to Australian cricket administrators who tomorrow introduce their third name change in 98 years when their institution becomes Cricket Australia. But fear not, the baggy green cap will remain the untouched icon of the Australian game.When consultation was done, across the various parties involved in the governance of the Australian game, it was agreed that whatever changes were made, the cap should be untouched. So it will remain the only link with the past, the unmistakable mark of the Australian international. All other equipment and kit will feature the more modern logo featuring the traditional kangaroo and emu, and the Southern Cross, illuminated by a sunburst.Cricket Australia’s chief executive officer James Sutherland believes the new name will be more timeless than the previous ones. Since becoming the controlling body of the game in Australia in 1905, the national body was known as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket, and then in 1973 it became the Australian Cricket Board.Nothing is forever it seems, unless you are the Marylebone Cricket Club, although its functions have diminished as change has occurred in the game, and even cricket’s ruling institution, the International Cricket Council has had name changes, from its days as the Imperial Cricket Conference and the International Cricket Conference.As part of its bid to give cricket, across the board, a co-ordinated approach in Australia, the name change had been agreed, and accepted by all the parties concerned and those states who haven’t already fallen in behind the national body are being invited to follow suit. Already there are Cricket New South Wales, Cricket Victoria and Queensland Cricket.The new logo will also integrate more seamlessly with the new logos for the three-Test series, the VB Series, the Pura Cup and the ING logos. Mixed messages had been presented to the public in the branding of trademarks and advertising material in the past and the collective view was that the Cricket Australia option offered a better way or co-ordinating these.The Australian public will have their first real chance to assess the changes being made to the side’s international presentation in the forthcoming first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, starting on July 18. Sutherland said he was thrilled with the way the new logo had come up and it was something that people could read into what they liked but it was representative of how Cricket Australia saw themselves.”Our logos and branding are going to change, we’re not going to see a significant in our behaviour. The one-day uniform will not change, apart from the different logo,” Sutherland said.And after all, cricket is merely catching up with a number of other Australian sporting institutions, like Basketball Australia, Athletics Australia, Australian Swimming, Soccer Australia et al.While the timing was coincidental, the recent agreement by Australia’s women’s cricket body to integrate with the men’s administration, has already seen the new name of Cricket Australia show its inclusive appeal. The women’s changeover also occurs at midnight today.

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya speaking after a hard day’s work in which his side took six Indian wickets in perfect batting conditions praised his bowlers for bowling tightly. "It’s not easy to get wickets, but we had to bowl a good line and length. The bowlers did just that," he said.When asked whether he expected to finish off the Indian innings on the fourth day itself, he said, "No. I never expected to finish them off today. It’s difficult to get them out, but the bowlers bowled really well."Speaking on the conditions in middle he said: "It’s very hard. The bowlers had to have patience. Luckily we got a bid lead in the first innings. We just bowled at the right line and allowed the batsmen to make the mistakes."Most of the Indian batsmen got starts, but failed to convert them into big scores. "They are getting out after getting good starts and you can’t afford to do that. I think it’s the lack of concentration. We were, however, putting them under a lot of pressure as well"He singled out Rahul Dravid’s wicket as the crucial one, "That was the important wicket. Rahul (Dravid) is batting well at the moment and he’s the man we had to get out early."

Mid/West/Wales division

Worcestershire’s batting capitulated in pursuit of 152 at Edgbaston, to hand their Midlands rivals, Warwickshire, a comprehensive 38-run victory. Though none of Warwickshire’s batsmen made much of an individual impression, the top three all chipped in with breezy performances – the best of which was Jonathan Trott’s 37 from 31 balls – while Michael Powell smacked 25 from 19 balls from No. 6 to provide a late impetus. In reply, however, only Graeme Hick – in his 1197th first-team performance – provided any stickability. He made 28 from 23 balls, but of the remainder of the top seven, the next highest contributor was Vikram Solanki with 10. From 77 for 7 there was no way back for Worcestershire, although Kabir Ali’s 23 from 22 balls did at least massage the deficit.Having won their first four games, Northants slumped to their second consecutive defeat in a rain-affected encounter with Glamorgan at Cardiff. The match was reduced to 17 overs a side, in which time Glamorgan made 154 for 6 thanks largely to Robert Croft’s 46 from 29 balls. They were 106 for 2 after 12 overs when rain forced a 75-minute delay, and when Northants began their chase, they were set a revised target of 158. It came down to 23 off the final over, but when Niall O’Brien was bowled by Ryan Watkins, the contest was as good as over.

North Division

Click here for John Ward’s report on a thrilling Roses clash between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Old Trafford.Leicestershire remain rooted to the bottom of the table after their sixth straight defeat, as Durham routed them by eight wickets at Chester-le-Street. After winning the toss and batting first, Leicestershire lost HD Ackerman in Shaun Pollock’s first over, and never gathered any momentum whatsoever. Steve Harmison pinned them to the crease with four superbly economical overs – he took 2 for 12 – while Gareth Breese capitalised on some wild attempts to up the run-rate and finished with 3 for 17. Leicestershire were all out for 119, and it was game over at the halfway mark. In reply, Michael di Venuto and Phil Mustard launched a blistering assault on the new ball, adding 58 runs in 21 minutes before Mustard fell for 42 from 23 balls. Di Venuto finished with 40 from 25, and when Dale Benkenstein wrapped up the match with 21 not out from 13, Durham had sealed their victory with 39 balls to spare.A three-wicket new-ball burst from Darren Pattinson propelled Nottinghamshire towards a thumping eight-wicket victory against Derbyshire at Derby. Paul Franks and Andre Adams chipped in with two wickets each, as Derbyshire slipped to 47 for 6. The wicketkeeper, James Pipes, salvaged the innings with 45 from 38 balls, but a target of 115 was never going to tax Nottinghamshire. Their openers, Will Jefferson and Adam Voges, added 84 inside 13 overs and Samit Patel and Chris Cairns got the team home with 21 balls to spare.

South Division

Middlesex’s six-match unbeaten record came to a soggy end at Beckenham, as a Justin Kemp-inspired Kent overpowered them in a rain-reduced eight-overs-a-side contest. Kemp belted three fours and two sixes in a 10-ball 28, to hoist Kent to an impressive 86 for 7, and thereafter Middlesex were always playing catch-up. Dawid Malan did his best, batting until the final over for 25 from 19 balls, but James Tredwell’s offspin stopped the middle-order in their tracks. He took 3 for 9 in two overs, and from 24 for 5, there was no way back.Somerset’s home encounter with Gloucestershire at Taunton was abandoned without a ball being bowled.Ryan ten Doeschate claimed 4 for 24 as Essex subjected Surrey to a 70-run drubbing at Chelmsford. Ten Doeschate, who had earlier chipped in with 35 from 16 balls to propel Essex to an imposing 164 for 9 in their 20 overs, was superbly backed up by his fellow bowlers, not least Danish Kaneria who claimed 2 for 5 in three overs, and Graham Napier, who trapped Scott Newman lbw for a first-ball duck. Surrey were shot out for 94, with only Ali Brown’s 22 from 19 balls providing any resistance.Chris Liddle enjoyed a dream Twenty20 debut for Sussex at the Rose Bowl, as Hampshire were rolled over for a meagre 85 in just 18.2 overs. Liddle, a lanky left-armer, hit the perfect length for the conditions to claim 4 for 15 in 3.2 overs, and stopped Hampshire in their tracks just when it seemed they were ready to post an imposing target. From 38 for 0 they slumped to 43 for 5, with Michael Carberry, Chris Benham and Sean Ervine all making second-ball ducks, and Nic Pothas was forced to occupy the crease for a 34-ball 19, in a vain attempt to bat out the full quota of overs. It made little difference. Murray Goodwin led Sussex’s charge with 46 from 26 balls, as victory was sealed by nine wickets and with 10.3 overs still remaining.

Midlands/West/Wales Division

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Warwickshire	6	4	0	1	1	10	+0.914	691/93.5	645/100.0
Northamptonshire	5	4	1	0	0	8	+0.625	818/98.2	736/95.4
Somerset	6	2	3	0	1	5	-0.164	824/100.0	839/99.5
Glamorgan	5	1	1	0	3	5	-0.025	340/40.0	341/40.0
Worcestershire	6	1	4	0	1	3	-0.819	738/98.0	821/98.2
Gloucestershire	6	0	3	1	2	3	-0.759	631/80.0	660/76.2

North Division

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Nottinghamshire	6	4	1	0	1	9	+0.629	719/90.3	695/95.0
Durham	6	4	1	0	1	9	+0.784	642/77.2	654/87.0
Yorkshire	6	4	2	0	0	8	-0.250	891/114.4	917/114.2
Lancashire	6	3	3	0	0	6	+0.856	897/116.0	816/118.4
Derbyshire	6	2	4	0	0	4	-0.185	759/107.0	723/99.2
Leicestershire	6	0	6	0	0	0	-1.456	799/120.0	902/111.1

South Division

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Middlesex	6	5	1	0	0	10	+1.080	821/100.0	770/108.0
Essex	6	4	2	0	0	8	+0.703	831/112.0	759/113.0
Kent	6	4	2	0	0	8	+0.012	872/107.5	872/108.0
Hampshire	6	3	3	0	0	6	-0.644	983/119.0	975/109.3
Sussex	6	1	5	0	0	2	-0.013	852/109.3	895/114.5
Surrey	6	1	5	0	0	2	-1.096	846/118.0	934/113.0