All posts by h716a5.icu

The pair has won the Plunket Shield with Wellington and were training together at Chennai’s Super Kings Academy recently to “learn different parts of our game”

Deivarayan Muthu18-Oct-2024Nick Greenwood and Jesse Tashkoff have traversed contrasting paths to the Wellington team.Greenwood, a batting allrounder, was born in Jersey before his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was two years old. Now 24, he has already had a taste of international cricket with Jersey, his birth island, and aspires to become a Black Cap in the future.Tashkoff, a year younger than Greenwood, is a left-arm fingerspinner who was born and brought up in Lower Hutt in Wellington. Tashkoff’s leadership skills were recognised early when he was appointed New Zealand Under-19s’ captain for the World Cup in South Africa in 2020. Having grown up idolising Daniel Vettori and admiring Mitchell Santner, Tashkoff also dreams of playing for New Zealand.In March earlier this year, Greenwood and Tashkoff won the 2023-24 Plunket Shield with Wellington. Four months later, their paths crossed again in Chennai, where the pair spent the New Zealand winter at the Super Kings Academy (SKA), preparing for the new domestic season, which will kick off with the Ford Trophy on October 20.”Obviously coming from New Zealand, the conditions are a lot different to what they’re like over here,” Tashkoff says. “So it’s nice to come over here and learn different parts of our game that we might not be able to experience back home just with the different pitch conditions and weather. So there are a lot of takeaways that we can grab from our training over here and implement it into our games back home. That’s our main goal coming into such trips here.”

“The change of pace is the biggest and easiest way to adjust but I’ve been also working on the carrom ball, the slider and the arm ball as well. Just need to get more confidence in the nets practicing it before I can bring the carrom ball into a game this season”Jesse Tashkoff

For Greenwood and Tashkoff, it was also an opportunity to reconnect with Sriram Krishnamurthy, their former Wellington Under-19s coach, who is now the head coach at the SKA in Chennai. “We might not get these exact wickets back in New Zealand, but like Sri has been telling us, the basics of playing spin, it’s still the basics he’s trying to instil in, no matter the wicket,” Greenwood says. “There’s a lot of things you can take out of here like your height at the crease – stay nice and low – and keeping side-on and picking the ball out of the hand. All these things you try to pick up and take it into your game in Wellington even though it might not spin as much there.”During the winter, Greenwood had also helped Jersey win the T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier in Krefeld before picking up his maiden five-wicket haul in List A cricket in the 50-over challenge league for Jersey in Nairobi.It was actually a chance conversation during a club game in Lancashire in 2019 that put Greenwood on the radar of the Jersey cricket team.”Wellington had set me up to play some cricket in the UK and I was playing for a club over there,” Greenwood recalls. “One of the people there [at the club] went to university there with one of Jersey’s players – Ben Stevens – and I got a contact with the coach [Neil MacRae] and a couple of days later had a net session and then, a month later, I was in Abu Dhabi and Dubai playing T20 qualifiers. So it was a pretty cool experience and I’m grateful that they gave me the opportunity [to play international cricket]. We have played some good cricket over the years, but we have kind of slid back to the regional qualifier now. Hopefully, we can keep up with the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands and stay in touch with that qualifying group.”With Devon Conway knocking back a central contract to become a freelancer and Rachin Ravindra set to be away on international duty for most of the domestic season, Greenwood is likely to open the batting with Tim Robinson – who is fresh off his maiden Caribbean Premier League stint with Guyana Amazon Warriors – in the upcoming domestic season. But having been exposed to different conditions around the world, he is open to batting at any position for Wellington.Nick Greenwood has scored three hundreds and nine fifties in List A cricket•Getty Images”I haven’t done heaps of it [batting in the middle order] last season when Dev and Rach didn’t play much,” Greenwood says. “When guys come back, it’s also an opportunity to learn from them but I like to believe my game hasn’t changed too much. Yes, batting in the powerplay is a bit different, but I’m comfortable playing against spin in that role as well. It’s a thing to my game as well – keep developing it and there’s nothing to stop me saying I can’t bat there [middle order] or bat at the top. Ready to bat anywhere.”Inspired by Liam Livingstone, Greenwood is also working on adding legspin to his regular offspin in his quest to counter right-handers who try to line him up.As for Tashkoff, who is Wellington’s second spinner behind Peter Younghusband, he has also been working behind the scenes to expand his repertoire.”The change of pace is the biggest and easiest way to adjust but I’ve been also working on the carrom ball, the slider and the arm ball as well,” Tashkoff says. “Just need to get more confidence in the nets practicing it before I can bring the carrom ball into a game this season. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while but still not at a stage where I can confidently bring it into a game yet. I’ve watched a lot of footage and seen how bowlers release it, talking to coaches and getting ideas on what’s the best technique. It’s pretty much trial and error for me to find out what works the best for me.”The common goal for both Greenwood and Tashkoff now is to help Wellington win more titles this domestic season.”Last season, we had some team success and winning the Plunket Shield was awesome to experience,” Greenwood says. “There were some new players in the team that hadn’t won before, which was awesome again. We’ll continue to strive for team success, which is a good way to promote yourself to become a better player as well. So we will definitely look to compete for more trophies with Wellington.”

Lionel Messi is still refusing to confirm his 2026 World Cup plans, with the all-time great leaving Argentina and the rest of a global audience guessing on whether he will form part of a global title defence from the reigning champions next summer. The mercurial No.10 remains part of Lionel Scaloni’s squad for now, but says he does not “want to be a burden”.

MLS schedule causes concern for Messi

It is difficult to imagine how the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could ever be anything but a positive presence for his country, but the 38-year-old is aware that plying his trade in MLS may leave him short on match sharpness heading into a summer tournament.

Messi is currently approaching the end of another domestic campaign in the United States, with Golden Boot-winning exploits allowing him to guide Inter Miami into Conference semi-finals of the MLS Cup play-offs.

AdvertisementGettyMessi's Argentina record: Appearances and goals

Ultimate glory there would see Messi end another memorable season on a high, with a new contract being committed to in South Florida. He is now tied to terms with the Herons through 2028. While having plenty of games at club level left in him, questions of Messi’s international future have been asked for some time.

He has taken in a final outing on home soil, having helped Argentina through World Cup qualification, and is expected to bow out after gracing FIFA’s flagship event in 2026. He has already earned 195 caps for his country, while scoring 114 goals.

Is Messi a burden? GOAT keeping Argentina guessing

Messi is yet to reveal whether he will make himself available to Argentina next summer, having helped them to the most prestigious of prizes at Qatar 2022, with MLS seasons getting underway in the spring. Many of those that he is due to come up against in the United States, Canada and Mexico will head to the World Cup on the back of a full domestic campaign.

With that in mind, Messi has told when asked again about his potential involvement. He said when having it put to him that having another World Cup fast approaching is “very exciting”: “Yes, obviously it is. It's a special World Cup. It's special to play with the national team, especially in major official competitions, and even more so considering what a World Cup means, especially after having won it.

“But as I was saying, I don't want to be a burden, so to speak. I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team. Our season is different from the European one. We'll have a pre-season in between, with few matches leading up to the World Cup, and we'll see how things go day by day to see if I really feel physically fit enough to be where I'd like to be and be able to participate.

“But obviously, I'm aware that it's a World Cup, and it's special, and that the World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So, I'm excited, but I'm taking it one day at a time.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyLife after Messi: Argentina happy with squad depth

Argentina have started to plan for life after Messi, with injury-enforced absences for the veteran forward allowing others to stake a claim for an iconic playmaking post. Scaloni is happy with the depth that his squad now boasts.

He has said of eventually ending up in a position where a talismanic presence can no longer be called upon: “The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players. But now we don't have this necessity and the team works in the same way, that's good.”

Messi is currently with the Argentina squad as they prepare for a friendly date with Angola. With that camp being held in Alicante, the former Barcelona superstar has taken in a secret visit to Camp Nou – ahead of that stadium being reopened after an elaborate upgrade. He is delighted to have revisited familiar surroundings and admitted that he and his family hope to return to Catalunya on a permanent basis at some stage in the not-too-distant future.

Legspinner suffered muscle strain during England’s Ashes warm-up fixture at Lilac Hill

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025Rehan Ahmed has been ruled out of any further participation on the England Lions tour of Australia after suffering a right lower leg strain during the Ashes warm-up match against England in Perth.Legspinner Rehan batted at No. 5 for the Lions, making 16 off 41 balls on day one before becoming one of six wickets for England captain, Ben Stokes. He played no part with the ball, or in the Lions’ second innings, with the ECB announcing afterwards that he would return home to begin his recovery.Related

Rehan, Cox and Fisher in England Lions squad for Australia

Jhye Richardson's return steps up with Cricket Australia XI outing

Anderson says 'weak' Australia are still Ashes favourites

Rehan had signed up to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025-26 BBL, but the BBC reported that the injury was not expected to impact his involvement in the competition, which starts in a month’s time.England Lions are scheduled to play another four-day match at Lilac Hill, against a Cricket Australia XI, next week, before a one-off unofficial Test against Australia A in December. The Lions are also expected to be involved in a pink-ball tour game between England and the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra between the first and second Ashes Tests.It had been speculated that Rehan, who missed out on selection as the second spinner in the main Ashes squad to Will Jacks, could stay on with England after the Lions programme concluded.

Matchday tickets to watch live football appear to be going up with every season, pricing out the regular punters who have supported their teams for years.

The Premier League is known as the richest division in the world due to its globally distributed broadcasting deals, but how much do the 20 clubs charge supporters to watch a match live?

All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)

How much each Premier League gaffer earns.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025

Here is a look at ticket prices for every Premier League side for the 2025/26 campaign, looking at their cheapest and most expensive ticket excluding hospitality.

20 Sunderland Most expensive ticket: £46

Back in the Premier League after eight years away, Sunderland have the least expensive matchday ticket at just £46.

The Black Cats supporters were treated to some brilliant displays straightaway at the Stadium of Light, making this value for money.

19 Burnley Most expensive ticket: £55

Burnley also won promotion in 2025 and are one of the cheapest to watch in the Premier League.

Tickets start at just £30 and reach £55.

18 Bournemouth Most expensive ticket: £56

Bournemouth have been enjoying their finest Premier League football under Andoni Iraola.

At £56 for a ticket, they are the third-cheapest club on this list, however, prices may well go up should they qualify for Europe this term.

17 Leeds Most expensive ticket: £59

Leeds are the most expensive of the three promoted sides from the Championship, with the most expensive Elland Road ticket sitting at £59.

A stadium expansion is planned to increase capacity to over 50,000, and it’ll be interesting to see whether prices rise in Yorkshire as well.

16 Manchester City Most expensive ticket: £60

Manchester City may be going through their roughest spell since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016, but compared to other clubs, their most expensive matchday ticket is a reasonable £60.

At £30 for the cheapest ticket at the Etihad, City fans can also get some decent value for seeing their team perform in the Premier League. Given they won the titles four years in a row, this figure isn’t too steep.

15 Liverpool Most expensive ticket: £61

Considering Liverpool’s success domestically and in Europe, it is admirable that their most expensive matchday ticket is £61, which ranks them relatively low on this list.

The club froze all ticket prices for the 2025/26 season. Not a bad price to watch the defending champions if you can get your hand on a ticket.

14 Brentford Most expensive ticket: £65

Brentford are now an established Premier League side, having secured promotion to the top flight back in 2021.

The Bees have never finished lower than 16th in the table. The most expensive matchday ticket at the club currently is £65, with no increases for the 2025/26 campaign.

13 Newcastle Most expensive ticket: £70

Newcastle United once again secured Champions League football for the second time in three seasons and won their first piece of silverware for 70 years in 2025 under Eddie Howe.

The most expensive Magpies ticket is £70, with the price of the cheapest ticket being £55.

12 Nottingham Forest Most expensive ticket: £70

Nottingham Forest’s most expensive matchday costs £70, which has increased after qualifying for Europe in 2025.

The cheapest option currently stands at £50, and the supporters going to the City Ground have seen three managers in the dugout during 2025/26.

11 Wolves Most expensive ticket: £71

Wolverhampton Wanderers have work to do if they are to avoid dropping into the Championship, with major unrest at Molineux.

Despite their poor season, the most expensive matchday ticket is £71 at Molineux, hardly worth the value considering. The cheapest is £26.50, the lowest in the division.

All the runners and riders in Group A of the county 50-over competition, which returns this week

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Aug-2025The Metro Bank One-Day Cup returns this week, with Glamorgan defending the title they won at Trent Bridge in 2025. Here are the runners and riders in Group A:DerbyshireCaptain: Brooke Guest
2024 Position: Fourth (Group A)
2024 Most Runs: Harry Came (281)
2024 Most Wickets: Zak Chappell (17)
Why they can win the competition: Although Wayne Madsen, Aneurin Donald and Pat Brown are playing in The Hundred, Derbyshire could go deep into the competition if players like Chappell and Australian opener Caleb Jewell fire. The return from injury of all-rounder Luis Reece adds quality and experience while Ben Aitchison brings a cutting edge to the seam attack.Player to watch: Martin Andersson has played some significant innings in the Rothesay County Championship since he made the switch from Middlesex and with Madsen and Donald missing, this is a chance for him to play a leading role with the bat in the white-ball game. An outstanding fielder, his seam bowling will provide Guest with another option.Young gun: Joe Hawkins impressed on his step up to the first team in the County Championship at Northampton and the 18-year-old off-spinning all-rounder is expected to get further chances to show his potential in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. A recent call-up to the England Under-19 squad is a measure of his progress and this competition provides a platform for him to build on that.Final thought: The Falcons were expected to be a contender in the Vitality Blast but after a disappointing tournament, they now have another opportunity to show they are a better one-day side than those results suggest. On their day, they have the players to mount a strong challenge and the disappointment in the T20 format could be a motivating factor over the next few weeks.EssexCaptain: Tom Westley
2024 finish: Seventh (Group B)
2024 most runs: Robin Das (309)
2024 most wickets: Jamal Richards (15)Why they can win the competition: With only four players seconded to The Hundred – compared with six last year – Essex will in theory have a larger pool of players to pick from. However, their plans were disrupted when Indian pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed belatedly pulled out of his all-formats contract; Essex are busily trying to sign an overseas replacement for at least part of the competition.Player to watch: Robin Das top-scored last year, topped by an unbeaten century in a rare win at Trent Bridge. He has not built on that this season with only a couple of disappointing outings in both the Rothesay County Championship and Vitality Blast. If he finally rediscovers his form, it could reignite his career and lead to a memorable few weeks.Young gun: Though still only 20, Luc Benkenstein has been a mainstay of Essex’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup team since his 2021 debut. He made his mark the following year with 6-42 against Glamorgan, though barely bowled last season because of injury. Now a Blast regular, the leggie will boost the spin options as well as adding big-hitting cameos down the order.Final thought: Essex have won just seven of 24 One-Day Cup fixtures since they reached the semi-finals in 2021 – and four of 16 in the past two seasons – with some heavy defeats along the way. It is going to take a massive improvement in performance from essentially the same group of players, allied to some astute tactical acumen from captain Tom Westley, to turn around their white-ball fortunes after a torrid Blast campaign.Carlson raises the Metro Bank One-Day Cup for Glamorgan•Getty ImagesGlamorganCaptain: Kiran Carlson
2024 Position: Champions
2024 Most Runs: Colin Ingram (297)
2024 Most Wickets: Andy Gorvin & Dan Douthwaite (19)Why they can win the competition: As defending champions, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup has felt like a homecoming for Glamorgan, reaping their most success in recent years, winning in 2021 also. David Harrison will lead the team (Richard Dawson away with Welsh Fire) after he was interim head coach and assistant for their previous two success and can lean on a new exciting support staff including Ian Harvey who supported Dawson to success in this competition with Gloucestershire.Player to watch: Billy Root in a crucial stage in his career could have a more senior, important role to play. The 32-year-old in his final year contracted at Glamorgan has spent most of the season in the 2ndXI, often captaining, however came into his own with 296 runs in this tournament in 2024. With Mason Crane and Ben Kellaway selected in The Hundred, Root could be turned to with ball in hand also.Young gun: Jersey international Asa Tribe has shown significant signs of improvement from last year where he top scored with just 26 across six matches. A first red-ball century followed by an ever-present status in the Vitality Blast middle-order, Tribe’s influence on the Glamorgan side has come from nowhere. The 21-year-old with an ODI century on his record will look to play a big role at the top of the order this time around.Final thought: Glamorgan will be missing a key part of their team’s success in this competition of recent years – Colin Ingram. The 40-year-old South African taking up a first assistant coach role is still eligible but is expected to step back from playing for this competition. Despite the lack of a frontline spinner, Andy Gorvin and Dan Douthwaite were joint top wicket takers (with Ed Barnard) in 2024. Douthwaite will be missing early as a short-term injury replacement in The Hundred, but if they can replicate that success with the step up from younger squad members, there’s no reason why this side can’t go back-to-back.GloucestershireCaptain: Jack Taylor
2024 Position: Fifth (Group B)
2024 Most Runs: Miles Hammond (363)
2024 Most Wickets: Ajeet Singh Dale (13)Why they can win the competition: Less affected than most rivals by call-ups to The Hundred (only four), Gloucestershire proved themselves a one-day force by winning last season’s Vitality Blast. Despite making a nightmare start to that competition this summer, they reeled off four successive group wins at one stage, beating the likes of Hampshire and Essex.Player to watch: At the age of 32, Gloucestershire’s red-ball captain Cameron Bancroft boasts more than 3,000 runs in List A cricket at an average of over 40, with five hundreds, and will provide a wealth of experience at the top of the batting order. The Australia Test player has already produced innings of 163 and 176 in the Rothesay County Championship this season.Young gun: Seam bowler Aman Rao signed for Gloucestershire just before the start of the Vitality Blast and played in the first two group matches against Kent and Sussex. The 21-year-old Loughborough University student is sure to be given more opportunities in the Metro Bank One Day Cup and his height combined with an ability to swing the ball could see him make a significant impact.Final thought: With head coach Mark Alleyne involved in The Hundred, bowling coach Mark Thorburn takes charge for the second successive year and will be determined to make a better start that last season when the team lost their first two group matches before winning four of the next five and just failing to reach the knock-out stage.Fletcha Middleton in action for Hampshire•Getty ImagesHampshireCaptain: Nick Gubbins
2024 Position: Quarter-finals
2024 Most Runs: Ben Brown (286)
2024 Most Wickets: Brad Wheal (13)Why they can win the competition: Hampshire have been a force in 50-over cricket for a couple of generations, having only failed to qualify for the knockouts in one of the last six editions of the One-Day Cup. With largely the same set of players to pick from as 2024, Hampshire have experience at all ages. Scotland international Brandon McMullen’s arrival from August 13 knits the team together with bat and ball, while Indian sensation Tilak Varma will be around for the opening three fixtures.Player to watch: Eddie Jack might still only be 19, but he has certainly graduated from simply being a “young gun”. The tall and very quick fast bowler put Test players KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal in his back pocket when playing for England Lions earlier in the summer, where Andrew Flintoff became a big fan. Expect him to be in the top wicket-taking reckoning.Young gun: Given his first professional deal to play in the competition, Ben Mayes comes with a gigantic reputation in age-group cricket. The 17-year-old batter is on England’s long-term radar with Under 19s and Professional County Club Select XI recognition this summer. Come for the wristy hockey-influenced boundaries, stay for the big scores. Fast bowler Manny Lumsden is also worth keeping an eye on.Final thought: Three successive progressions from the group stages, three heartbreaks in the knock-outs – with the last two inflicted by Leicestershire. Could this be the year they take the final leap to silverware? Former captain Jimmy Adams – a winner in two List A finals and now a highly-regarded coach – will step up to lead the side, with Adi Birrell leading Southern Brave Men in The Hundred. It may well be a good audition to taking the top job full-time when it next becomes vacant.LeicestershireCaptain: Peter Handscomb
2024 Position: Semi-finals
2024 Most Runs: Peter Handscomb (539)
2024 Most Wickets: Tom Scriven (18)Why they can win the competition: Winners in 2023 and semi-finalists last year, Leicestershire are a side brimming with confidence and no shortage of quality. Current man-of-the-moment Rehan Ahmed will be otherwise engaged, but overseas batting stars Peter Handscomb and Shan Masood and explosive opener Sol Budinger will compete for the spotlight in his absence. Why would they not fancy themselves for more 50-over glory?Player to watch: After a relatively modest contribution to the Foxes’ Vitality Blast campaign, Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood will be keen to make his mark in this competition, playing a format in which he has enjoyed considerable success, averaging 52.48 with 15 hundreds. That could make the left-hander a dangerous opponent.Young gun: Josh Hull may be unavailable due to The Hundred, but Leicestershire can replace him with another 6ft 7ins fast bowler in Alex Green, who may still be growing at just 18 years old. Genuinely quick, Green took four wickets in three appearances in the competition last season and has further underlined his potential for England Under-19s against their India equivalents this summer.Final thought: The 2023 Metro Bank One-Day Cup Final will be forever remembered for wicketkeeper-batter Harry Swindells producing the match of his life, making a career-best 117 not out to rescue his side from 89 for six and set up an unlikely Foxes victory. It is a little poignant then, on the eve of this year’s tournament, that the Leicester-born player has had to announce his retirement from cricket at the age of just 26 because of a persistent finger injury.NottinghamshireCaptain: Haseeb Hameed
2024 Position: Fourth (Group B)
2024 Most Runs: Ben Slater (398)
2024 Most Wickets: Rob Lord (11)Why they can win the competition: The Outlaws lacked consistency last year but with confidence high after a good season with the red ball they have enough quality – especially in the batting – to mount a challenge, even if call-ups to The Hundred will test the depth of their bowling resources, with the likes of Rob Lord and James Hayes hoping for the opportunity to impress.Player to watch: Opener Ben Slater is a batter opponents always hope to see the back of early, given an apparent penchant for List A cricket. His 68 appearances in the format have yielded more than 3,000 runs at a remarkable average of 52.75. A career-best 164 in a win over Surrey at Guildford last year took his List A centuries tally to eight.Young gun: The outstanding batter in Nottinghamshire’s Second XI this season with close to 700 runs, 18-year-old right-hander Sam Seecharan is highly thought of at Trent Bridge and after making his senior debut in the last of the Outlaws’ Vitality Blast fixtures is likely to be given a chance to shine in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign.Final thought: The One-Day Cup sees Notts stalwart Paul Franks take on the role of head coach, with Peter Moores joining up with Trent Rockets for The Hundred. Franks – 20 years a Nottinghamshire player – has been assistant head coach since 2017, helping the county win the Blast (twice), the One-Day Cup and promotion to Division One in the Rothesay County Championship in that time. This is his first opportunity to lead the county to a senior title in his own right.Josh Blake struck a maiden List A century last season•Getty ImagesSurreyCaptain: Rory Burns
2024 Position: Eighth (Group B)
2024 Most Runs: Ryan Patel (363)
2024 Most Wickets: Cameron Steel (17)Why they can win the competition: It will be a tough ask given the absence of 15 leading players at The Hundred, but as in previous seasons Surrey will be approaching the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a positive vision of the competition giving precious first-team experience to a raft of youngsters. There is still a hard core of senior players, too.Player to watch: Cameron Steel will be looking at this year’s competition as the perfect opportunity to showcase his proven all-round talents as a middle-order stroke-maker and leg-spinner with a knack of taking important wickets. A comparative lack of game time in Surrey’s Rothesay County Championship side this summer will only add to that desire.Young gun: Ollie Sykes has already been blooded in all formats, including making 11 appearances to date in the Vitality Blast. But it was in last year’s One-Day Cup, when the big-hitting 20-year-old left-hander made his first three starts in the competition, that he initially gave notice of his huge promise with 87 not out against Essex at Chelmsford.Final thought: With no overseas player available, Surrey will be relying on the international experience of skipper Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Ben Foakes and fast bowler Matt Fisher – plus the know-how of Steel and Ryan Patel – to steer a predominantly youthful line-up in which the performances of the likes of Sykes, Josh Blake, James Taylor and Yousef Majid will be carefully monitored.WorcestershireCaptain: Jake Libby
2024 Position: Quarter-final
2024 Most Runs: Jake Libby (526)
2024 Most Wickets: Jack Home (16)Why they can win: Worcestershire are blessed with the availability of many first-team regulars who are not affected by selection in The Hundred, meaning the majority of Alan Richardson’s first-choice eleven will be involved for the Rapids across the tournament. Skipper Jake Libby and mid-season signing Khurram Shahzad will look to show their quality and blend with some exciting youngsters to compete for silverware.Player to watch: Tom Taylor. Having registered the most wickets for Worcestershire so far this season, the right-arm seamer has been in stand-out form across all formats this summer for his side. The 30-year-old has made his name as a frugal opening bowler and will be looking to continue his consistent performances that have yielded him an impressive average of under 25 across both formats.Young gun: Henry Cullen. The exciting 22-year-old wicketkeeper featured during this year’s Vitality Blast having been on the radar for some time at Visit Worcestershire New Road. His eye-catching displays for the 2nd XI have forced an opening into the senior set-up, with this competition the perfect platform for the cultured and efficient young batter to show off his skills.Final thought: A promising end to the Vitality Blast campaign will offer supporters hope that the Rapids white-ball form can extend further into the summer, with the likes of Ethan Brookes central to any hopes of bettering last year’s encouraging quarter-final finish. Having lacked consistency throughout the summer, the exciting crop of youngsters will be looking to breakthrough and enjoy successful campaigns in a side more than capable of challenging deep into the tournament.

Enzo Maresca tore into his Chelsea players following Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Qarabag. The Blues were expected to ease to victory in Azerbaijan in their early Champions League clash but were forced to share the spoils despite dominating for large periods. And the Italian pulled no punches as he criticised his side at both ends of the pitch following the midweek stalemate.

AFPChelsea come from behind to rescue a point

Estevao had put Chelsea ahead in the 16th minute, hitting the back of the net with a low, near post effort as he struck for the second European appearance running. The Blues were expected to push on to secure a crucial three points in their bid to make the next round of the Champions League.

However, Chelsea's lead lasted just 13 minutes as Leandro Andrade hauled Qarabag level on the half-hour mark. And Qarabag were ahead shortly before the break as Marko Jankovic tucked past Robert Sanchez from 12 yards after Jorrel Hato, who was at fault for Andrade's equaliser, handled the ball in the Chelsea box.

Alejandro Garnacho, who came on for the second half, netted Chelsea's second in the 53rd minute, but despite a dominant display the Blues were unable to add a third and secure an away victory. The 2-2 draw leaves Chelsea as one of seven teams mired in mid-table with seven points from the opening four games.

Advertisement'The big difference today for me was inside the box'

And Maresca pulled no punches at full time as he criticised Chelsea's defence and attack in a game they really should be winning. "No, I think I said before, the big difference today for me was inside the box," Maresca said at his press conference.

"The goal we conceded, they are silly goals for me. In their box, for the amount of times that we arrived, we have not been clinical enough. So this is the big difference for me."

And on Hato, who endured a performance to forget at centre-back, the Blues boss added: "I think Jorrel, like the team, started very good. We were winning the game, we were in control.

"Then we started to make some mistakes that we need to improve and we need to avoid and for sure in the future we're going to avoid that."

Getty Images SportPraise for Garnacho but concern over injured Lavia

Maresca opted for a triple change at the break as Enzo Fernandez, Liam Delap and Garnacho replaced Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Jamie Gittens for the second half, while the Chelsea head coach was forced into an early sub as Moises Caicedo replace Romeo Lavia before Estevao's opener. Garnacho bagged his second Chelsea goal since his summer arrival from Manchester United to spare the Blues' blushes.

And on the decision to leave the former trio on the bench, Maresca said: "Again, when you start the game, the intention is always because you are sure that the ones that start the game, they are able to do the right things."

The former Leicester boss also reserved praise for Garnacho, who made Champions League history on Wednesday, adding: "Now, when you don't win, I can understand that it's always, but I think Garnacho, he has done well in the second half. We gave him the chance. He's slowly, slowly improving."

Lavia, who has endured rotten luck with injuries following his arrival from Southampton in 2023, came off after just eight minutes on his fourth start of the season. When asked how the Belgian is, Maresca said: "Yeah, we feel very ashamed especially for him because he's not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now as it's too early to understand what kind of injury. Hopefully it's not a big injury.

"No, I think it's a quad injury," he replied when asked if his withdrawal was due to a hamstring injury.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Chelsea looking to bounce back against Wolves

While the result was disappointing, Chelsea have now lost only one of their last eight matches in all competitions, winning six times in that run. One of those was a 4-3 victory at Wolves in the Carabao Cup last month, a match in which Chelsea were three goals to the good at the break.

And the Blues welcome the manager-less West Midlands side to Stamford Bridge this weekend as they look to head into the international break on a high. Wolves sit rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table having collected just two points from the opening 10 games of the season.

A 3-0 loss at Fulham cost Vitor Pereira his job as Wolves head coach and after Gary O'Neil ruled himself out of the running to succeed the Portuguese boss, Rob Edwards and Erik ten Hag are the rumoured frontrunners to take over the Molineux hot-seat.