Barinder Sran has said that the bowler-friendly conditions in Zimbabwe and the time spent with Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL have helped him develop an inswinger

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016Barinder Sran had an underwhelming debut series in Australia, where he took three wickets at an average of 56.66 and gave away 6.45 runs an over. But in India’s three-ODI series against Zimbabwe, the left-arm seamer took four wickets at 24.75, at an economy rate of 4.12, and showcased a new weapon – an inswinger that was a source of discomfort for Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Ahead of the T20I series that begins in Harare on Saturday, Sran said he had consciously worked on getting his wrist position right.”It’s the difference in the conditions [between Australia and Zimbabwe],” Sran said. “I changed the seam position a bit, made some changes to my action because I’m looking to swing the new ball. So I’m not putting in too much effort, because if I do that, I lose my wrist position and it reduces the swing.”Sran had erred frequently in his line and length in Australia, and his bouncers were largely ineffective. But in Zimbabwe, he has mostly stuck to a fuller length. “[In Australia], I had a problem in my shoulder because of which I couldn’t perform to my potential. So I was under some pressure,” Sran said. “I didn’t have much IPL experience either then, I had played only one IPL match, and even in the Ranji Trophy, only 10-11 matches. Still, everybody supported me and that felt good.”Nothing much has changed, because in Australia, there was a huge difference in the kind of wickets. It was quite hot there and they were good batting wickets, whereas here, there is some help for the bowlers. I have just been focusing and working on those areas where I’m weak, like when I was trying to swing, the ball wasn’t coming back in, so I worked on that regularly. In the IPL too, [Ashish] Nehra and Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] were with me, they taught me seam position and supported me in all aspects from the beginning. For two-three days, I went to Chandigarh as well and met my coach Amit Uniyal and worked with him.”The performances in Zimbabwe have been a step forward after his struggles in Australia, but Sran acknowledged that work was needed before he can be considered ready for Test cricket. “To get there, I need to be consistent and bowl one line and length,” he said. “I need to improve a lot, I need to improve my pace and fitness level. I will work towards achieving these in the next season.”

Australia had announced that their A side and National Performance Squad would play a quadrangular one-day series against South Africa A and another international team at the start of May, which has now been confirmed as India A

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2016

At the start of May, Australia had announced that their A side and National Performance Squad would play a quadrangular one-day series against South Africa A and another international team. Cricket Australia has now confirmed that the fourth team would be India A. Townsville will host the first six matches of the series; the remaining six and the two finals will be played in Mackay.One-day quadrangular schedule

August 13 South Africa A v NPS
August 14 Australia A v India A
August 16 Australia A v NPS
August 17 South Africa A v India A
August 20 Australia A v South Africa A
August 21 India A v NPS
August 24 NPS v Australia A
August 25 South Africa A v India A
August 27 NPS v India A
August 28 Australia A v South Africa A
August 30 Australia A v India A
August 31 South Africa A v NPS
September 3 Final 3 v 4
September 4 Final 1 v 2

India A are also set to play two four-day matches against the hosts in Brisbane in September. Australia A and South Africa A play a couple of four-day matches as well in July-August.”This is an important series for developing and growing the depth of talent in our pathways,” Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard said. “Players in the Australia A and National Performance Squad have been identified as having the potential to play for their country and the national selectors will be watching this series with interest.”Pat Cummins is expected to make a comeback to competitive cricket after injury, during the limited-overs leg, while several emerging batsmen like Matt Renshaw, Sam Heazlett, Alex Ross, Travis Dean, Kurtis Patterson and Jake Lehmann, the son of national coach Darren Lehmann, have also been called up to the 24-man squad.The A sides from Australia and South Africa A had been in India to play two unofficial Tests each and a 50-over triangular series in July-August 2015. Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns produced standout performances on that tour and have since had success in international cricket as well.Australia A won one of the four-day matches while the other was drawn. They made the final of the one-day tri-series but lost to India A. The South African side was unable to win any of their six matches on the tour. Several of their squad members had been affected by food poisoning, which had contributed to the slump.Four-day matches schedule
July 30 to August 2: Australia A v South Africa A, Brisbane
August 6 to 9: Australia A v South Africa A, Townsville
September 8 to 11: Australia A v India A, Brisbane
September 15 to 18: Australia A v India A, Brisbane

Tottenham Hotspur's manager search continues to fan the flames of the rumour mill, which will seemingly go on until Daniel Levy finally makes up his mind.

It has now been nearly two weeks since Antonio Conte was sacked, and an ever-growing list has emerged listing the numerous candidates in line for the job. However, what made the issue slightly more pressing was Chelsea's decision to dismiss Graham Potter.

This added another Premier League powerhouse into the mix, searching for a successor to their recently departed boss.

Although Frank Lampard might be ready to take the job on a temporary basis, the Lilywhites need to have someone lined up for the summer, or else face losing out on their top targets to a Blues outfit that are likely a far more enticing proposition for budding bosses.

One name that refuses to disappear with regard to Spurs' vacancy is Oliver Glasner, who has earned praise for his work in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.

A pragmatic manager with similar ideals to Conte, there are reservations about just how similar the Austrian might be were he appointed. However, they have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit as reports from Sky Germany noted there was a high chance he could depart this summer.

Indeed, their reporter Florian Plettenberg commented in the last 48 hours on the situation, saying: "The trend is that Glasner will say goodbye to SGE in the summer."

Whether fans want the 48-year-old or not, this marks a huge step towards ensuring his availability should Levy seek him out.

How does Oliver Glasner play?

Preferring to employ a system with three central defenders, much like his potential predecessor, his Frankfurt side earned praise for their Europa League triumph last season against all odds.

This year, however, they find themselves deeply engrossed in a desperate battle for any European football at all.

It has been a stark drop-off, and led to an explosive interview that further aligns him with Conte. Having been sacked for such an outburst, Glasner would emulate something similar mid-way through March, claiming after a defeat: "You could play 0-0 in a game like this – but we can’t. That is also a question of quality. I don’t know how you can train quality."

Although his teams seem more high-scoring than the current Spurs outfit, they also seem to suffer from a lack of differentiation between their goals scored and goals conceded. As such, across his 60 Bundesliga matches in charge of his current side, the Europa League winner's team have scored 92 but conceded 86. They are unpredictable, at a time when Spurs need reliability.

He remains capable of the odd "tactical master stroke", as he was lauded for by journalist Stefan Bienkowski, but so did Conte.

The two share more similarities than fans would likely care to admit, and appointing Glasner could be returning to old ground in worrying fashion.

A superb unbeaten 126 by Tasamul Haque lifted Kalabagan Krira Chakra out of the relegation zone and into contention for the Super League, guiding the team to a six-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club.Kalabagan climbed to eighth place with ten points, level with three other teams, while Mohammedan went down one place to third after their fourth defeat in the competition.In a high-scoring encounter at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Kalabagan lost Jashimuddin off the the second ball of their innings while chasing 291. But Tasamul and opener Hasanuzzaman added 140 for the second wicket in under 18 overs to bring them back into the contest. Hasanuzzaman blazed to 95 off 53 balls with eight sixes and four fours.Paras Dogra, their new Indian recruit, and Mehrab Hossain jnr fell cheaply but Tasamul and Tanveer Haider sped from the 24th over, adding an unbroken 129 for the fourth wicket. Tanveer finished not out on 52 while Tasamul, who struck eight fours and two sixes, ended on 126 off 129 balls. Tasamul struck his second six to take Kalabagan home, the win coming with 6.5 overs to spare.Mohammedan virtually had no reply with the ball, with most of their in-form bowlers like Subashis Roy, Naeem Islam jnr and Habibur Rahman going for plenty.They had a better time with the bat. Bipul Sharma, who played for the IPL-winning Sunrisers Hyderabad side, struck his maiden List A hundred as Mohammedan piled up 290 for 6 in 50 overs. Dewan Sabbir bowled Bipul after he had made exactly 100, with six boundaries and eight sixes.He came to the crease with Mohammedan in trouble at 69 for 3, and went on to add 171 for the fourth wicket with captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who chipped in with a 71-ball 75.Victoria Sporting Club crushed Brothers Union by 112 runs in Mirpur, after Abdul Mazid’s first century of the competition lifted them to a formidable 302 for 9. Mazid dominated the 170-run opening stand with Fazle Mahmud, which lasted 33.3 overs. Mazid cracked eleven boundaries and four sixes in his 118 off 117 balls, his highest List-A score.Though they lost Mazid and Mominul Haque in the space of three balls, and Mahmud – for 71 – in the 39th over, Victoria didn’t lose much momentum, taking 84 runs off the last ten overs with Al-Amin, Chaturanga de Silva and Dhiman Ghosh making rapid contributions. Left-arm spinners Nabil Samad and Asif Hasan took four and two wickets respectively, while offspinner Iftekhar Sajjad bagged two.Brothers Union collapsed in their chase, with only their captain Tushar Imran standing firm, scoring his fifth half-century of the season. The other five members of their top six, however, fell single-figure scores as Brothers Union slipped to 92 for 8 in the 27th over.Tushar and Asif then added 97 for the ninth wicket, but it only delayed the inevitable. Brothers Union were eventually bowled out for 190 in 45.3 overs. Tushar made 93 off 126 balls with eleven fours. Pace bowler Mahbubul Alam took three wickets while there were two each for offspinner Al-Amin and paceman Kamrul Islam Rabbi.Legends of Rupganj trounced Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by seven wickets at the BKSP-3 ground. It was a fine effort for a side that was without their captain Mosharraf Hossain and their in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun, both serving one-match bans.Nahidul Islam made 92 and Junaid Siddique was unbeaten on 53 as Rupganj completed a chase of 185 with 17.1 overs to spare. Nahidul, who earlier took 2 for 38 with his offspin, struck nine fours and three sixes during his 99-ball innings. He came to the crease after Jahurul Islam was given leg-before off the first ball of the innings.He added 46 for the second wicket with Soumya Sarkar, who was also out leg-before, and another 125 for the third wicket with Junaid. Nahidul’s end also came through a leg-before decision, though by then the win was only 13 runs away.Sent in to bat, Dhanmondi lost wickets regularly. Left-arm spinners Murad Khan and Taijul Islam took three wickets each after seamer Alauddin Babu struck twice in the fourth over to remove the big-hitting Mahbubul Karim and the steady Marshall Ayub. Abdullah Al Mamun (24), Mahmudullah (35) and Nazmus Sadat (41) steadied Dhanmondi’s innings, but they collapsed thereafter, losing their last six wickets for just 28 runs to slump from 156 for four in the 36th over to 184 all out in 45.

A key feature of Liverpool's recruitment of recent years has been their ability to recoup sizeable fees when moving players on, having repeatedly hit the jackpot when it comes to selling first-team assets.

Be it the £142m brought in for Philippe Coutinho back in 2018, or more recently the £35m departure of Sadio Mane – who had just a year to run on his existing deal at the time – the Anfield outfit appear to have maximised their profits wherever possible.

One such transfer tale which can be looked upon favourably is the sale of Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace in 2017, with the Merseysiders having no doubt struck gold by being able to rake in £26m with the centre-back's exit.

Where is Mamadou Sakho now?

The Premier League giants had appeared to have landed something of a coup with the £16m signing of the Frenchman back in 2013, with the defender having previously caught the eye after taking on the captain's armband at former club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of just 17, while also winning the Young Player of the Year award in France during the 2010/11 campaign.

Lauded as an "important, marquee signing" by former managing director, Ian Ayre at the time of his arrival in England, the 6 foot 2 brute would go on to play 18 Premier League games during his debut campaign, as Brendan Rodgers' side launched their bid for the title.

The Paris native would, however, fail to truly establish himself in the side over the next few years, with club legend Jamie Carragher writing in 2014 that Sakho 'doesn't fill you with confidence when you watch him'.

The polarising "monster" – as hailed by Rodgers – would notably fall down the pecking order following Jurgen Klopp's arrival at the club, having been sent home from the club's pre-season tour in 2016 due to concerns over his attitude.

Having been deemed surplus to requirements during the following campaign, Sakho was ultimately allowed to join Palace on loan in January 2017 for a fee of £2m, going on to make a strong impression in his temporary home despite only featuring eight times due to a season-ending knee injury.

After being nominated for the Eagles' Player of the Year by supporters despite that limited involvement, the Selhurst Park outfit made the decision to splash out £26m to tie him down on a permanent deal, offering Liverpool a rather hefty sum for a player who appeared to have no future under Klopp.

That sale looked even more astute as Sakho went on to make just 75 appearances across all fronts over the next few years, eventually leaving the London side on a free transfer in 2021.

Now at Montpellier, the 33-year-old is now said to be worth as little as £2m – according to Football Transfers – with that a further indication of just what a perfect deal it was for the Reds to move the centre-back on just under six years ago.

Arsenal are reportedly keen to sign Mason Mount this off-season…

Arsenal transfer news – could they sign Mason Mount?

According to GOAL, the Gunners are monitoring the Chelsea midfielder's situation at Stamford Bridge as they look to mould their transfer plans ahead of the summer window.

It's thought that Mount is expected to leave the Blues in the summer, having rejected a new contract, and Arsenal could rival Liverpool for his signature with the club eyeing top-quality additions to bolster their position in both the Premier League and Champions League.

The Athletic's David Ornstein has also spoken on the situation.

“ I don’t think it was a key priority position [defence] and maybe it still isn’t because of the need in the midfield. The holding position at six and maybe even an eight. There have been some links with Mason Mount and he is a player that Arsenal, along with some others, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, like," he told the Handbrake Off podcast.

Is Mount a perfect fit in north London?

Given that Mikel Arteta has the likes of Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira available to play in attacking midfield, a move for Mount would be surprising but that said, it's not one they should ignore.

The 24-year-old has been one of the most exciting young talents to grace the Premier League in recent years, with his career-best returns coming during the 2021/22 campaign where he scored 11 goals and laid on ten assists, via WhoScored.

What makes those figures even more remarkable is the fact that only two current Arsenal stars have matched it this season, despite the side running Manchester City close for the title – Bukayo Saka (13 goals and 11 assists) and Gabriel Martinelli (15 goals and five assists).

Mount would be right at home alongside the aforementioned England international and other Three Lions colleagues such as Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah and perhaps even his best mate, Declan Rice, who remains the Gunners' top target for the no.6 role.

Even though the £65m-rated dynamo has struggled for form and for minutes this term, he still ranks among the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 11% for tackles per 90 when compared to his positional peers in Europe's 'big five' leagues, via FBref, who also liken his ability to Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard in terms of statistical profile.

It's perhaps why the versatile midfielder has been lauded as "a special talent" by Alan Shearer, as well as "generational" by Daily Mirror journalist Benjamin Lynch earlier in the campaign.

Mount could fulfil a number of roles under Arteta, whether that be as a marauding no.8, cover for Odegaard in the 10 or even on the flanks and given his vast experience for club and country already at such a young age, and his homegrown status, he would surely be a perfect fit for the Spaniard heading into next seaso

Pakistan A romped to an eight-wicket win with 97 balls to spare against Sri Lanka A in the opening game of the triangular series, also involving England Lions, on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Sharjeel Khan hit seven fours and three sixes in his 74-ball 90•Associated Press

Pakistan A romped to an eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka A in the opening game of the triangular series, also involving England Lions, in Cheltenham on Monday.Pakistan A’s bowlers backed Babar Azam’s decision to field as Sri Lanka A were dismantled for 199 in 37.5 overs. In reply, Fakhar Zaman (74) and Sharjeel Khan (90), their openers, shared a 155-run stand that helped Pakistan cruise. They eventually sealed the win with 97 balls to spare.Pakistan’s bowlers hunted in packs, but it was Mohammad Asghar, the left-arm spinner, who inflicted the bulk of the damage, taking 4 for 41 in 10 overs.Asghar, introduced in the 14th over with Sri Lanka A reduced to 94 for 3 after a blazing start, struck in consecutive overs to remove Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Ashan Priyanjan, the captain. Angelo Perera then resisted with 35, but there was little contribution of note otherwise.Abbas, the right-arm pacer, took three wickets, but was expensive and leaked 50 runs in seven overs. Bhatti took 2 for 40 in eight overs, while left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz took the last wicket to fall – Lakshan Sandakan.Any hopes Sri Lanka’s bowlers may have had of picking early wickets and bouncing back were emphatically shattered by Zaman and Sharjeel, who kept them at bay for 23.1 overs, scoring at well over a run-a-ball. Zaman hit seven fours and three sixes in his 77-ball knock, while Sharjeel was equally aggressive by striking at 121.62 courtesy 12 fours and four sixes.Both batsmen were dismissed in the space of 25 deliveries by Kasun Rajitha, the right-arm medium pacer, but Umar Siddiq and Abdul Rehman Muzammil made sure to avoid further losses.The second match of the series takes place on Tuesday, with Pakistan facing off against England Lions at the same venue.

Liverpool took a draw from their Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last night and despite the point earned, Jurgen Klopp will surely be slightly frustrated due to the tight race for Champions League football next season.

The Reds have just ten games remaining to close the gap with a number of teams competing for the fourth spot inside the top four and are now seven points adrift following their stalemate in west London.

Despite having 51% possession, Liverpool had fewer shots on goal (12 v 7), created fewer big chances (0 v 3) and won fewer duels and tackles over the performance, with the side lacking real quality all over the pitch and inconsistency yet again.

The Liverpool boss hinted in his pre-match press conference that he would make changes to his starting XI following the defeat to Manchester City last weekend and he did not disappoint when it came to completely refreshing the team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Mohammed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliott and Andy Robertson all lost their starting spots, however, it was unfortunately not enough to snatch all three points from the game.

Although the game ended 0-0, Chelsea did have two goals disallowed, with Reece James having a goal ruled out for offside in the first half and a second struck off because of Joao Felix's handball in the 51st minute.

Liverpool, on the other hand, missed many opportunities to find the back of the net and a lack of creativity meant that the visitors were never really able to get stuck into the game from an attacking perspective.

One player who retained his spot in the starting line-up was Diogo Jota, with the Portuguese forward deployed on the right to fill the boots of Salah.

Unfortunately, it now feels unlikely that he'll keep his starting berth when the Reds welcome table-topping Arsenal to Anfield on Sunday.

How did Jota play vs Chelsea?

Jota quickly became a fan favourite on the red side of Merseyside after completing a £41m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 – scoring 34 goals and delivering 16 assists over 102 appearances so far.

However, injuries have been unkind to the £140k-per-week star over the past few seasons and, over the current campaign, has rarely been seen, but tonight's display was disappointing and uninspiring in the forward line.

Over his 90-minute performance, Jota even had fewer touches than goalkeeper Alisson Becker (43 v 52) and completed only 23 accurate passes as a marker of his ineffectiveness.

Furthermore, he proved a lightweight in attack having lost 15 physical duels and being dribbled past three times, while his wastefulness was highlighted in his inability to have a single shot on or off target.

The Portugal international's missed chances in front of goal were picked up on by many, including sports design consultant, Dinesh Kumar, who remarked: "You can tell Jota is really struggling with confidence, has to take that chance first time, normally does and more often hits the back of the net."

Indeed, the former Wolves man has now nearly gone an entire year (31 games) without finding the back of the net, in what The Athletic's Caoimhe O'Neill suggested is becoming a "worry" for the club.

Klopp has a number of forwards to pick from with the competitiveness for a position in the front three higher than ever at Anfield, so if Jota wants to remain in contention for starting selection he will need to regain his confidence and prove to his manager he can still offer important goal contributions when it matters most.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, throughout their rollercoaster of a season, have drastically struggled to find the back of the net.

Julen Lopetegui’s men have only scored 29 times in 33 games, which is the 17th lowest in the division, to highlight their painfully abject form in front of goal.

Morgan Gibbs-White was sold to Nottingham Forest for £25m, with possible add-ons of up to £17m, and has emerged as one of the Reds’ most influential and skilful players.

It was a premature decision to sell this coveted talent at such a young age, who could have reversed Wolves' goal-scoring fortunes.

What is Morgan Gibbs-White up to now?

The playmaker joined Wolves at the age of eight and rose through the youth ranks, before making his Premier League debut in the opening home match of the 2018/19 season against Everton as a late substitute.

The midfielder then provided an assist in his first top-flight start against Chelsea in December 2018. He would subsequently net his first Premier League goal against Brighton in May 2021.

However, it was his loan spell at Sheffield United last season that alerted the country to the unrelenting quality of Gibbs-White. The maestro registered 20 goal contributions in 35 Championship appearances for the Blades, excelling tremendously just behind the striker.

During this time, former Barnsley manager Poya Asbaghi showered the starlet with praise.

He said: "I think Sheffield United have a lot of good players, but he is the most outstanding one. He's good like he showed for the goal, scoring and running in behind, but he is so good when he drops in-between the centre-backs and the midfield to receive the ball to attack the spaces from there.”

Gibbs-White was subsequently named Sheffield United's Player of the Year for his series of excellent performances.

Therefore, it was a controversial surprise when the £22m-rated man moved across the Midlands, but many understood due to the size of the fee and his lack of top-flight experience.

Nevertheless, the prodigy has risen to the occasion and has been the shining light of Steve Cooper’s struggling side.

The former Wolves man has recorded nine goal contributions in 29 league outings and is the club’s highest provider, with six assists. He is the primary orchestrator of attacks for Forest, which is demonstrated by his 1.9 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per 90, the highest rank for these metrics within the team, as per WhoScored.

The £80k-per-week man has established himself as an indispensable component of a side grappling for survival and if his side does get relegated, then Gibbs-White has surely proved himself to be Premier League quality and warrants another top-flight transfer.

Ravi Bopara underlined his liking for the Kent attack when he hammered six sixes in an unbeaten 81 to lead Essex to their third successive NatWest T20 Blast victory.

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s unbeaten 81 sealed victory•Getty Images

Ravi Bopara underlined his liking for the Kent attack when he hammered six sixes in an unbeaten 81 to lead Essex to their third successive NatWest T20 Blast victory.The Essex captain, who also posted 74 not out when the two teams met in the Royal London Cup two-and-a-half weeks ago, was on fire, and was particularly harsh on Mitch Claydon, who he deposited for two maximums in the final over of the innings.Bopara, who batted for 43 balls with six fours as well as those half-a-dozen sixes, put on an unbeaten 131 off 10.2 overs with Ashar Zaidi, who was in similar form himself. Zaidi finished unbeaten on 54 off 33 balls with five fours and three sixes.And all this after Kent put Essex in and Jesse Ryder went third ball, beaten for pace by Kagiso Rabada and edging to wicketkeeper Sam Billings without scoring.Kent started their reply in brisk fashion, landing a succession of sixes themselves, eight in the final analysis, but they became becalmed mid-innings as the required run-rate topped 14 with seven overs remaining and kept growing.After the departure of Ryder, the Essex innings was sparked into action by Tom Westley and Kishen Velani. Westley drove Rabada through the covers two balls into his innings and pulled another boundary through midwicket when the young South African dropped one short.Velani was no less punishing, twice giving himself room to chop Claydon through the covers and then greeting Ivan Thomas with a controlled, lofted edge to third man for another four.The second-wicket partnership had put on 42 in 4.5 overs when the pair collided midwicket chasing a second run and Velani failed to beat Sam Northeast’s throw into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.Bopara had just deposited James Tredwell over cow corner for six when, two balls later, the bowler held a sharp caught-and-bowled to dismiss Westley for 33 from 31 balls.Bopara’s second six, swept over midwicket, ruined Fabian Cowdrey’s figures. The spinner’s first three overs had gone for 13, but his last went for 14.Zaidi was in typically hard-hitting mode, bouncing down the wicket to thump Thomas over cow for six and then lofting Tredwell over long leg for a second.Bopara and Zaidi passed fifty in five overs together when Bopara got an inside-edge for four that left Thomas flat on the floor in his follow-through, and hitting the ground in frustration.It didn’t not get any better for Thomas as Bopara hit the last two balls of his spell for a straight, flat six and then paddled a four to reach his personal fifty off 32 balls.Bopara’s fourth six, clouting Rabada over his head high into the black sightscreen behind the bowler, also brought up the hundred partnership for the fourth wicket inside 10 overs.Zaidi reached his fifty off 33 balls from a loose full-toss by Claydon which was sent towering over midwicket. The bowler received similar treatment by Bopara who hit his fifth and sixth sixes off the same over, the first straight, the second over long-on.The home crowd, already pumped up by the display of six-hitting by Bopara and Zaidi, were soon celebrating a wicket. Joe Denly departed for a first-ball duck when he was beaten all ends up to provide Paul Walter with his first senior wicket for Essex.But Kent were soon hitting sixes for fun themselves. Dan Lawrence went for two in an over, Tom Latham hooking the first over midwicket and another straight. Sam Northeast then eased Matt Quinn over cow corner as Kent reached 49 off the first five overs.But from the first ball of the next over, Northeast swished at Graham Napier and was caught behind. Since Napier had taken two Surrey wickets with his last two deliveries at The Oval on Saturday, it meant he had taken a hat-trick, albeit six days apart. More importantly he put the brakes on Kent’s onslaught, conceding just two runs in the over, and then had Latham caught by Ryder backward of square.Billings did not last much longer, run out by a direct hit from Ryder in the middle of a maiden over from Ryan ten Doeschate. Stevens also fell to another direct-hit run-out as Bopara fielded off his own bowling before Alex Blake was caught by ten Doeschate on his knees at long-on for a 31-ball 37, including two sixes.Rabada went second ball to a catch behind off Quinn, Cowdrey was caught-and-bowled by Walter and Tredwell became Walter’s third victim, caught on the fine-leg boundary by Lawrence.