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When Bournemouth lost to Newcastle at home, hope was beginning to dwindle amongst pundits and neutrals alike. While the Cherries were respected for sticking to their guns and continuing to play their attractive brand of football, their lack of firepower was proving costly. Eddie Howe’s side could not put the ball in the back of the net and were prone to the odd defensive lapse. Not a good mix.

Well, what a difference three games make. The belief never dwindled within the squad, who since went on to grab a thrilling draw against Everton, as well as famous wins over Chelsea and Manchester United. The South Coast outfit are the ultimate under dogs, and they show no signs of backing down.

Of course, it’s still going to be a long slog to retain Premier League status. Still, they are a determined bunch of players who play very good football. The odds are surely in their favour.

Perhaps some January transfer market activity can help solidify their position. Serious injuries to a TRIO of first-teamers have stretched the resources to almost as far as they can go at the Vitality Stadium. While they are making a good go of it, some smart intervention will surely help their cause.

What Bournemouth need is astute reinforcements, not huge names. They can come later should they retain their Premier League status.

With that in mind, here are FIVE ASTUTE signings to keep Bournemouth in the Premier League…

DWIGHT GAYLE

In the absence of Callum Wilson, the club are reportedly turning their attentions to Crystal Palace forward Dwight Gayle as their preferred option up front. While Glen Murray and Josh King offer a more traditional centre-forward role, holding up play, the 25-year old can rejuvenate an attacking front line that has, occasionally, looked bereft of ideas.

He’ll press and harry, run in behind defences and has a poacher’s instinct. Exactly what Bournemouth need heading into the business end of the season.

YOAN GOUFFRAN

Though Junior Stanislas was everywhere, and I mean everywhere, against Manchester United, perhaps the arrival of another incisive winger could help. With Max Gradel only pushing to be back in first-team contention before the end of the season, Newcastle’s Yoan Gouffran has been touted as a potential target this winter.

The 29-year old would be a good fit at the Vitality Stadium. He’s a powerful runner, able to drag his team up the field and is another who can score goals. Able to be deployed as a natural wide option, or even cutting across and supporting the central striker, the Frenchman is versatile and has good experience playing in the Premier League.

MARCO SPORTIELLO

Artur Boruc is a fine shot-stopper, thought the Pole is prone to the odd moment of madness. The enigmatic former Southampton and Celtic custodian has already cost his team with a howler against Watford, though he did play well against Manchester United. A decent ‘keeper, but not be relied upon.

Adam Federici has also dropped the odd clanger here and there, and despite his return to training, has been injured. Neither man between the sticks has truly made the gloves his own yet.

Enter, Marco Sportiello. The Atlanta man is reportedly being eyed up by Eddie Howe in a £6m deal in an effort to shore up his backline this winter. Linked with Liverpool only last season, the 23-year old is a stopper of huge potential.

DEMARAI GRAY

Birmingham’s Demarai Gray was hotly pursued in the summer, though a move to the Vitality never came off. The England under-20 speedster has been hugely impressive at St. Andrews, leading to links to the likes of Southampton and Liverpool.

His arrival would be hugely exciting on the South Coast. Despite only signing a three-year deal in the summer, reports suggest the 19-year old could leave if the side are not in contention for the playoffs by the end of January.

Granted, he’s not the biggest of names, but landing an exciting young English talent will only add to the already sky high spirits on the South Coast.

CURTIS DAVIES

Haha, Curtis Davies, I hear you saying. Yes, Curtis Davies. The Hull man is reportedly a target for the Cherries as they look to add experienced defensive options to their squad.

The former England Under-21 ace has been touted as top target as his contract begins to wind down at the KC Stadium. While he’s not the most glamorous defender in the world, his arrival could help back-up the defence and provide a cool head going into the most crucial part of the season.

He was not at his best as the Tigers suffered relegation, but the 30-year old has a wealth of experience in the top flight and would realistically only be a squad option.

Wrexham star Paul Mullin says he was given a telling off by the Welsh team's physiotherapist after damaging his spine while playing with his son.

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Mullin injured sitting in a sandpitStriker was playing with his sonWas told off by club physioWHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin has been a vital figure for Wrexham since joining from Cambridge United in 2021, playing a big role in their promotion from the National League to League Two. The Red Dragons want to take care of one of their most important players and admits he has put his fitness at risk to play with his son, Albi.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MULLIN SAID

"Like I’d said to Phil Parkinson, to some degree the club would have to trust that I knew how to look after myself," he wrote in his book My Wrexham Story. "If I don’t want to do a gym session it’s not me being a knobhead, it’s because I don’t feel like it’s what I need to do that day.

"Kev’s [Mulholland, Wrexham physio] been great with that, although I have been known to test his patience at times. For his fourth birthday, we took Albi to a trampoline centre. We went at a quiet time and it was lovely to see him and his cousins running riot. Thing is, professional footballers really aren’t meant to go on trampolines. I’d done the same thing earlier in the season, put some pictures on Instagram, and you’d think I’d gone base-jumping without a parachute the reaction I got. No way, though, am I missing out on family moments like that. I’m going to share every single thing I can with Albi. OK, I’ll admit occasionally that doesn’t always work out well. I recently banged the base of my spine sitting down on the edge of a sandpit. Kev couldn’t believe it – ‘You need to stop doing things with Albi!’ But he was laughing when he said it. He knew no way was that going to happen."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

It was not playing with his son that resulted in a serious injury for Mullin, though. The striker sustained a punctured lung in a collision during a pre-season friendly against Manchester United in the summer, resulting in him missing the first six matches of the League Two campaign this season. He has scored seven league goals in just 13 appearances since his return to action.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Mullin and his Wrexham co-stars will be in action on Tuesday when they take on Burton Albion in the EFL Trophy. Four days later, they face Forest Green Rovers in League Two as they look to close the five-point gap on leaders Stockport County.

MatériaMais Notícias

Gabriel Cortez colecionou mais uma polêmica extracampo. Marcado por ter um ‘currículo’ forte fora das quatro linhas, o equatoriano foi afastado do Botafogo no fim de semana por fazer uma live no Instagram na madrugada da última sexta-feira. Na transmissão, o meia, inclusive, elogiou o Flamengo, chamando o Rubro-Negro de “maior do Brasil”.

– Fiz uma live no Instagram com um amigo e disse que o Barcelona no Equador é o maior, assim como o Flamengo é no Brasil. É normal – afirmou Cortez, em entrevista ao Jornal Expresso, do Equador.

O equatoriano nega que tenha ingerido bebida alcoólica durante a transmissão ao vivo. Além disto, o meio-campista afirmou que a diretoria do Botafogo está tentando lhe prejudicar.

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– O Botafogo teve que jogar um amistoso e os torcedores pensaram que eu estava com o time, mas estava em casa. Agora eles (dirigentes) tiram coisas. Eu nunca estava bebendo, eu estava em casa, eu não estava bebendo. As coisas não são assim, estão prejudicando minha imagem – declarou.

A diretoria tomou a decisão de rescindir com o jogador no fim de semana, mas antes mesmo Cortez já tinha noção de que não seria aproveitado por Paulo Autuori. O equatoriano, contudo, não entendeu o motivo da decisão.

– Não sei o que aconteceu, conversei com o professor (Paulo Autuori) e um dia ele me chamou à parte e me disse que não contava comigo e que o Clube não ia me comprar – completou.

Pedri shined to lead Barcelona to an ugly win, and establish a double-digit lead atop La Liga, with Manchester United looming in the Europa League.

It wasn't pretty, but who cares? Pedri grabbed the only goal and starred throughout. While Barcelona missed a few chances, their defensive efforts were enough to secure an ugly 1-0 victory over Villarreal that extends their lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga to 11 points.

Barcelona avoided any early jitters, with Pedri breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute. The 20-year-old latched onto Robert Lewandowski's flick, before wrong-footing Pepe Reina from close range to finish off a beautiful flowing move from the visitors. Villarreal had a chance to equalise on the brink of half-time, but Jose Luis Morales fired into the side-netting after running through on goal.

The Blaugrana pushed for a second after half-time, with Pedri and Raphinha exchanging good chances. But they failed to double their lead, instead relying on a string of Ronald Araujo clearances to hang on to a precarious 1-0 advantage.

At full-time, Xavi's side celebrated with the passion of a team that knows it could be on the brink of something special. And with Madrid now so far behind, albeit with a game in hand, those joyous scenes seem well-founded.

A new challenge awaits, though. Manchester United are looming in the Europa League knockout play-offs, and for all of Barca's success, they might need a better performance to establish a first-leg lead over a fit and firing side, especially with defensive midfield stalwart Casemiro back in the fold…

GettyThe Winners

Pedri:

Manager Xavi told Pedri to get forward more this season, and the young Spaniard seems to have taken on that advice. Pedri scored the winner on Sunday, giving him six La Liga goals for the season, double his total from last year. And it was a confident finish, too, with Pedri showing no hesitation in slotting the ball into the bottom corner after bursting through on goal. Whether the centre midfielder ever becomes a prolific threat remains to be seen, but his attacking output is already much improved this year. And for a Barca side that needed goals to supplement Robert Lewandowski's total, Pedri's contributions have been vital. If he can maintain the same level against United, it will be very difficult for Erik ten Hag's side to stop him and Barca will have a great chance of progressing to the Europa League's round of 16.

Frenkie de Jong:

Busquets who? With Barca's captain recovering from an ankle injury, De Jong slotted into the Spaniard's defensive-midfield role. And although De Jong is a different type of no.6 from Busquets, he played the position with aplomb. He did all of the physical stuff: flying into tackles, winning headers, cutting passing lanes. But he also offered some quality going forward. De Jong is a more direct passer than Busquets, with a natural creative streak. It was his penchant for progressing the ball that gave Barca some of their best attacking moments, a quality that their usual holding midfielder doesn't always bring.

Xavi:

Could he have expected to be in this position? Barcelona are 11 points clear after 21 games, and haven't lost since October. They have scored the most goals in the league and conceded the fewest. Their young stars, Gavi and Pedri, have only improved. And, crucially, they have managed to navigate a series of injuries to major players. And Xavi surely has to take some of the credit. His tactical adaptability has been vital, and he seems to have the backing of the whole squad. A league title is looking increasingly likely.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Ansu Fati:

Fati has been linked with a Barca exit in recent weeks, and Xavi's handling of the player isn't doing much to quell the rumours. The winger was made to sit on the bench and watch as the out-of-form Ferran Torres came on for the first-choice Raphinha instead of him. Fati has now only played 22 minutes across his last two La Liga games and hasn't scored a goal in the league since October. And with Xavi opting for a more permanent switch to a four-midfielder formation, there's even less room in the squad. Those transfer rumours could turn into reality in a few months.

Raphinha:

Ironically for Fati, the player picked in front of him hasn't exactly set the world alight. Raphinha's Barca career has been marred by inconsistency, with the winger struggling to provide goals and assists with regularity. And Sunday was another forgettable day for the former-Leeds man. Raphinha was impactful for passages, making all the right runs and putting in a shift defensively. But he lacked quality on the ball, highlighted by a poor cross to an open Gavi and a skewed shot that should have put his side 2-0 up. The good news is Xavi seems to have faith in the Brazilian. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.

Real Madrid:

One day after their biggest win of the season in the Cup World Cup final, Madrid are now forced to confront a harsh reality. Barcelona are now 11 points clear in La Liga, and with Ousmane Dembele due to return soon, they don't have many injury issues to worry about. This game might have been a particularly disheartening one for Los Blancos. Barca weren't very good. They missed chances, made some defensive errors, and should have killed the game in the first half. But they managed to squeak out a win on the road against a very good team. It was the kind of gutsy, drab, league-winning performance that Madrid used to put in. Now they have to watch their fiercest rivals repeating the trick.

Getty ImagesBarcelona Ratings: Defence

Marc Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

Didn't have much to do. Very secure on the ball.

Jules Kounde (7/10):

Not his best attacking performance, but very solid defensively.

Ronaldo Araujo (8/10):

Immense at the back. Made three crucial clearances and won all but one of his headers. He's been magnificent in recent weeks.

Andreas Christensen (6/10):

Forming a really impressive partnership with Araujo — a shaky pass or two aside.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Balde is absolutely rapid, which is lots of fun to watch. His defensive work was improved, too, as he limited Villarreal's wide threat.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Franck Kessie (7/10):

Grabbed himself the start and did all of the dirty work very well. A more-than-agreeable stopgap.

Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

Barcelona don't need a new no.6. They already have one.

Pedri (8/10):

Finished off a flowing move with a lovely finish — his sixth goal of the season. Created two further chances in the second half, and was typically classy on the ball.

MatériaMais Notícias

La se vão sete anos desde a última vez que Bruno Silva vestiu a camisa do Avaí. O ano era 2012 e, de lá para cá, o volante defendeu a Ponte Preta, Athletico Paranaense, Chapecoense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fluminense e Internacional. Disputando, nesse período, importantes competições como a Libertadores, Sul-Americana e vem de sete anos consecutivos participando da Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Mais experiente e “com outra cabeça”, como o próprio jogador define, Bruno Silva está de volta ao Leão da Ilha, clube que projetou o atleta para o cenário nacional.

– Muito feliz em poder voltar ao Avaí, um time que eu tenho um carinho muito especial. A garra e a determinação continuam daquela época, mas agora com outra cabeça, muito mais experiente e consciente. Minha expectativa é a melhor possível, estou bastante motivado e empolgado para defender novamente o clube – revelou o atleta, que soma 130 jogos com a camisa do time catarinense.

O volante, inclusive, já está se preparando para chegar em boas condições na pré-temporada. Bruno vem trabalhando a parte física em Belo Horizonte, cidade onde tem residência.

– Estou me preparando para fazer uma grande temporada em 2020. Acima de tudo, profissionalismo e dedicação. A parte física é muito importante, é o mínimo que devemos fazer, cuidar e se preparar para chegar bem na reapresentação, quando iremos começar a pré-temporada – concluiu.

England’s bowlers fought back to secure a 15-run win in the first T20 with South Africa, after Sarah Taylor’s blistering, unbeaten 74 had masked a top-order failure with the bat

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2016
ScorecardSarah Taylor made an unbeaten 74 to set up victory (file photo)•Stephen Pond/Getty Images

England’s bowlers fought back to secure a 15-run win in the first T20 with South Africa, after Sarah Taylor’s blistering, unbeaten 74 had masked a top-order failure with the bat.Chasing 148 to win, South Africa openers Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty put on a 96-run stand but Anya Shrubsole claimed three wickets to put the brakes on and put England 1-0 up in the three-match series.Van Niekerk struck a half-century, to go with 2 for 26 with the ball, but she fell to the returning Shrubsole and South Africa were left needing 51 from the last five overs. Jenny Gunn had Chetty lbw in the next over and South Africa’s middle order could not achieve the required acceleration.Marizanne Kapp was next to go, a wicket for Danielle Hazell, and Shrubsole then effectively sealed the win in the penultimate over, removing the dangerous Lizelle Lee – via a brilliant Amy Jones catch at deep midwicket – and captain Mignon du Preez. Gunn bowled the final over, with 24 required, and conceded just eight while having Chloe Tryon stumped.South Africa had initially been on top with the ball as well, reducing England to 41 for 3 and 81 for 5. Taylor, coming in at No. 3, initially found an ally in Heather Knight to put on 38 in three-and-a-half overs, and then Georgia Elwiss, playing her first T20 international innings, who also made 18.Taylor, the No. 3-ranked T20 batsman in the world, struck 11 boundaries and showed her confidence with a couple of trademark scoops. Shrubsole also played a part with the bat, as she and Taylor took 18 off Shabnim Ismail’s final over to push England out of sight.The second and third matches in the series will be played as double-headers with the men’s T20s in Cape Town, on Friday, and Johannesburg, on Sunday.

تعرض لاعب وسط فريق آرسنال، محمد النني، للإصابة في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد آيندهوفن في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي الفريقان، في الوقت الحالي، في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات البطولة، موسم 2023/24.

وشارك محمد النني كأساسي في تلك المباراة رفقة آرسنال، الذي ضمن بالفعل تأهله إلى دور الـ16، إلى جانب الصدارة.

ولكن النني لم يتمكن من استكمال المباراة، حيث اضطر إلى الخروج في الدقيقة 62، ودفع المدرب ميكيل أرتيتا بـ مارتن أوديجارد بدلًا منه. إصابة محمد النني أمام آيندهوفن

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى التعادل بين الفريقين بهدف لمثله.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última rodada do primeiro turno do Campeonato Brasileiro, Fluminense e Corinthians entraram em campo na tarde deste domingo, no Mané Garrincha, em Brasília, com o Tricolor saindo com a vitória por 1 a 0. O gol foi marcado por Paulo Henrique Ganso no fim do primeiro tempo, com direito a um frango gigante do goleiro Cássio, do Timão. Os três pontos fazem os cariocas terminarem a rodada fora da zona de rebaixamento da competição.

Com o resultado, o Fluminense chegou a 18 pontos, na 16ª colocação, mesma pontuação do Cruzeiro, que está dentro do Z4 pelo critério de desempate. O Corinthians fica com 32 pontos, em quinto lugar. No próximo fim de semana, ambas as equipes voltam a campo pela competição – enquanto o Tricolor visita o Goiás no domingo, o Alvinegro recebe o Bahia no sábado. Antes, na quarta-feira, somente os paulistas jogam: pela ida da semifinal da Conmebol Sul-Americana irão receber o Independiente del Valle, do Equador.

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CORRERIA
O Corinthians começou melhor, se movimentando bem no meio de campo, criando oportunidades mais efetivas de gol. Aos sete minutos, a primeira grande chance dos comandados de Fábio Carille: Gil cabeceou na trave após cruzamento de escanteio. O Fluminense seguiu deixando espaços para o adversário, que tentava aproveitar para chegar ao gol defendido por Muriel. Aos 21, por exemplo, Gustagol se antecipou e cabeceou com perigo após jogada feita por Janderson.

FRANCÁSSIO!
Para a segunda parte do primeiro tempo, o Fluminense acordou, corrigindo os espaços que estavam sendo deixados, além de maior atenção nas bolas aéreas do adversário, um dos pontos que tinha os maiores erros de seus jogadores. O Corinthians passou a errar… e em um nível surpreendente. Aos 39 minutos, Paulo Henrique Ganso mandou de longe e o goleiro Cássio aceitou – um frango gigante, daqueles que raramente são vistos. O Fluminense foi para o intervalo vencendo por 1 a 0.

ADMINISTRAÇÃO
Já no segundo tempo, a partida foi mais tranquila, com poucas chances efetivas. O Fluminense passou a administrar o resultado, enquanto o Corinthians fazia substituições para tentar evitar a derrota e, ao menos, voltar para casa com um ponto. Aos 19, Gustagol, novamente após bola aérea, quase marcou, levando perigo depois de cobrança de falta de Jadson. O duelo se arrastou até os 52 minutos, mas com a queda técnica, a vitória do Fluminense foi confirmada por 1 a 0. Os tricolores agradecem ao frango de Cássio.

FICHA TÉCNICA
FLUMINENSE 1 X 0 CORINTHIANS

Estádio: Mané Garrincha, em Brasília (DF)
Data/hora: 15/9/2019, às 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima (RS) – Nota LANCE!: 6,5 (não influenciou no resultado)
Assistentes: Jose Eduardo Calza (RS) e Leirson Peng Martins (RS)
Árbitro de vídeo: Daniel Nobre Bins (RS)
Gramado: Bom
Público/renda: 15.733 presentes/R$ 1.444.560,00
Cartões amarelos: Nino, Yuri Lima, Muriel, Gilberto (FLU) e Júnior Urso (COR)
Cartão vermelho: –

GOL: Paulo Henrique Ganso 39’/1ºT (1-0)

FLUMINENSE: Muriel, Gilberto, Nino, Digão e Caio Henrique; Yuri Lima (Dodi 17’/2ºT), Allan (Frazan 48’/2ºT) e Paulo Henrique Ganso (Pablo Dyego 34’/2ºT); Nenê, João Pedro e Yony Gonzalez. Técnico: Oswaldo de Oliveira.

CORINTHIANS: Cássio, Fagner, Bruno Méndez, Gil e Carlos Augusto; Gabriel (Vagner Love 26’/2ºT); Pedrinho, Júnior Urso (Jadson 15’/2ºT), Mateus Vital e Janderson; Gustagol (Boselli 31’/2ºT). Técnico: Fábio Carille.

In a last-minute off the cuff meeting that went on for more than two hours, the Bangladesh selection committee was asked by the BCB president Nazmul Hassan and a majority of the board directors to explain the World Cup squad

Mohammad Isam04-Jan-2015In a last-minute off the cuff meeting that went on for more than two hours, the Bangladesh selection committee was asked by the BCB president Nazmul Hassan and a majority of the board directors to explain the World Cup squad. According to Hassan, the discussion was about two bowling spots.Chief selector Faruque Ahmed said that it was normal practice to be asked about their choices. “We were called up by the board directors and the president. It is a normal practice to be asked who we selected and why we made the selections. That’s why there was a delay,” he said.Hassan explained that since a lot of the board directors, the coach Chandika Hathurusingha and captain Mashrafe Mortaza were present in Mirpur, it was an opportunity to discuss the squad.”I thought I would just come and announce the team but the problem was that the board directors, the coach and captain were all present today,” Hassan said. “The full selection committee was here, so we spoke to them as well. The major challenge this time is the high number of options available to us. It became hard for us to decide who to pick. Everyone had a different opinion.”We have three spinners who have performed well recently – Taijul Islam, Jubair Hossain and Arafat Sunny. So it was a major decision to pick among them. We had to listen to everyone. Secondly, we had to pick among Al-Amin, Shafiul and Rubel.”Hassan said that the discussion was also about the inclusion of Jubair, the young legspinner who made his Test and ODI debut against Zimbabwe late last year, but who was largely benched by his Premier League side Abahani. Faruque explained that Jubair would be a major risk due to his lack of experience in domestic and international levels.But Hassan later said that Jubair could be one of the two standbys who would be sent to Brisbane along with the squad to help out in the nets. Shafiul Islam was named as the other standby but the second player was not announced.”We discussed two names. We talked to the coach, the captain and cricket operations [committee]. Nobody could be sure who to drop,” Hassan said. “One of them was [Jubair Hossain] Likhon, and the others were Al-Amin [Hossain] and Shafiul [Islam]. We have kept the 15-man squad as it is, but we have put Shafiul as the 16th man and Likhon is in discussion for the 17th place.”To which Faruque added: “We have a two-week camp in Brisbane for which we can’t find many net bowlers. We know that our seam attack is injury-prone so we wanted to get one of the boys quickly adjust to the weather and conditions. We wanted to have two players who are likely to enter the squad [in case of a withdrawal] and adjust to the conditions quickly.”Hassan said that he only spoke to Faruque on Saturday when he had gone to submit the team to the BCB president. Faruque joked that it would have been better had the president given his choice of squad to the media, much like some of the former Bangladesh players had done over the past few weeks. Hassan too had gone on to give his opinion to the media prior to the announcement.”I think the other point of interest was that the president said who should be and should not be in the squad, as I had read in some of the newspapers,” Faruque said. “There is so much interest in the World Cup squad that I think it is a very normal thing for the president to give his opinion about the squad. It would have been better if he had given the 15-member squad in the newspapers but he didn’t give it.”Hassan said that since taking over as the BCB president, he has known that he would take the final decision in team selection. He said that there haven’t been many changes made in the past or even in this squad, but he likes to discuss the squad before approving it.”From what I have seen since coming [to BCB as the president], the selection committee prepares a list and gives it to us,” Hassan said. “The president gives the final decision. It is not that there weren’t changes previously, when Akram [Khan] was chief selector.”We take the decision after a discussion, and it is not that my choice always goes through. You can ask whether we should speak to the directors, coach, captain. But I want to discuss with as many as possible, which makes my decision-making easier.”

ScorecardYorkshire returned to the top of the table after ending Sussex’s resistance•Getty Images

Despite a superb 113 from Luke Wright, Yorkshire eventually completed a comfortable victory that keeps them ahead of Nottinghamshire in the race for the County Championship, in which the contenders each have three matches to run and is now realistically a three-horse race, with Warwickshire the outsiders.Yorkshire’s lead over Nottinghamshire is extended, in fact, by one point to six, with Warwickshire a further 15 points behind in third place, having effectively ended Somerset’s hopes with their win at Taunton. Nottinghamshire kept Yorkshire in their sights with a five-wicket victory over Northamptonshire, who are all but doomed, which made it particularly important that Andrew Gale’s side did not let this opportunity slip through their grasp.This was acknowledged afterwards by Tim Bresnan, who took what was effectively the match-winning wicket when he dismissed Wright in the afternoon session.”It was not a must-win game because there are three important games left in the season,” Bresnan said. “But we knew that Nottinghamshire had a chance to leapfrog us in the table so it is nice to stay in front of them. We have a game against Notts to come and that is the one we are targeting as crucial.”Having said that, it is important that we keep our focus on the next game against Lancashire at Old Trafford, because they are a good side despite where they are in the table.”There is a great atmosphere in the dressing room right now, as you would expect, and we feel that if we can win one, hopefully two, of our last three games and get a good draw in the other one, we will be there or thereabouts.”Blustery showers delayed the start, with a fierce gale blowing in off the North Sea. The smug faces on the cliff-top paths belonged to those holidaymakers wise enough to bring a decent anorak.The counter-attack launched by Wright on Sunday evening continued, but Yorkshire remained confident that wickets would fall at the other end, no matter how well the England limited-overs specialist put bat to ball.He did play well, too, adding to the argument that his four-day cricket deserves more respect than it tends to be given. He made 113, his third first-class century of the season and his fifth in the last two summers, over which his first-class average stands at 60.88.Wright was the main reason why Yorkshire endured a morning of frustration, cut short by five overs, before Sussex wickets began to fall, although a catching chance put down by Tim Bresnan at fourth slip, when Steffan Piolet was on 15, and a missed opportunity to run out Wright on 69 when Ryan Sidebottom’s throw failed to hit the stumps did not help.The breakthrough came just before lunch, when Piolet, whose support for Wright had already taken him to his best Championship score for Sussex, edged a ball from Steve Patterson, the best of Yorkshire’s bowlers in this match, to Kane Williamson at third slip.Patterson claimed another victim after the break with no addition to the score, as Ben Brown was leg-before, after which it was the introduction of Bresnan at the Trafalgar Square end with 55 overs left in the day that brought the important breakthrough.Wright, whose innings was characterised in the confident aggression with which he reached 100, driving Adil Rashid through the covers for his 16th boundary, had added one more four when he pushed forward to Bresnan’s fourth delivery and was leg before, at which Bresnan celebrated in the manner of Jack Brooks, peeling away on a sweeping run towards the hospitality marquee, where he happened to run into the Headband Warrior himself, who did a little hop before the two embraced.After Wright’s departure, Sussex added only 29 for the last three wickets, which left Yorkshire with a target of 106 runs to win with 39 overs left in the day. They knocked them off with time to spare, losing only Alex Lees, who had smacked one big six off James Tredwell and was looking for another when he top edged a ball from Matt Hobden and was caught at mid-off.Mark Robinson, the former Yorkshire quick who is Sussex’s head coach, pointed out that without Chris Jordan and James Anyon to support Steve Magoffin it was never going to be an even contest against a side he considers as strong as any. But he could not conceal his affection for his former county, nor the fact that he would be delighted to see them take the title. “They are a great county with a passion for producing great cricketers and it is important for English cricket that Yorkshire prosper,” he said.